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LAKE COUNTY – Dr. Masaru Emoto’s message was clear … positive words promote healing.
His special California appearance to a sold-out crowd on Tuesday night at the Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa was an important event for Lake County residents as well as those from surrounding counties.
Using beautiful visual documentation of his scientific process of collecting, freezing and photographing water molecules, Dr. Emoto stunned his Lake County audience with his comparisons of lake water molecules collected from around the world, including Clear Lake and Bartlett Springs.
The Clear Lake frozen water crystal was breathtaking in comparison. An intricate jewel-like image, the Clear Lake crystal was described by Dr. Emoto as an extraordinarily complex structure.
He hypothesized that its complexity and beauty was most likely connected to the fact that Clear Lake may be one of the oldest lakes in the world. Lakes have existed at the site of Clear Lake for at least two and a half million years.
Dr. Emoto emphasized that vibrations, such as sound, directly impact the shape of water crystals. He shared with the audience experiments he conducted exposing water crystals to classical music.
The Lake County audience was amazed by his photographic imagery documenting the resulting changes. The fractal-like structures morphed like budding flowers.
Vibrations, Dr. Emoto explained, are the same as resonance vibrations used in MRI machines (medical resonance imagery).
These same vibrations emitted by music and MRI machines are also emitted by human beings. His documentation points to important evidence that the quality of our tone of voice and the intention behind our words greatly affect the structure of water crystals. In other words, it is important for people to cultivate positive thoughts and feelings, and to communicate with one another using kind words.
Dr. Emoto’s research directly supports the wellness concepts and programs offered by Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Center For Health.
“Cultivating healthy thoughts and feelings in our community directly affect health and wellness. Let’s start the process of cultivating positivity right here in Lake County by learning appreciation for this amazing lake that exists in our own backyard,” said Kelly Mather, CEO of Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Center For Health.
“Let’s be mindful of the wisdom of our lake,” Mather added. “Let’s visualize greater connectedness with this special body of water, and enjoy the consequences of greater health and wellness in the process.”
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ST. HELENA – St. Helena Hospital's Cardiovascular Center has acquired a revolutionary diagnostic device for heart disease that can capture high-resolution images of the heart and coronary arteries so quickly that it freeze-frames the heart while it's beating.
The new technology, a Toshiba Aquilion 64-slice CFX scanner, allows doctors to visualize the heart in less than 10 seconds, revealing blockages in blood vessels and other heart problems that are sometimes not easily detectable with other tests.
St. Helena Hospital is the first provider in Napa and Lake counties to offer this new diagnostic tool to the community.
"The hospital's scanner is so fast it can synchronize with the patient's heart rhythm and capture images between beats," said David Racker, M.D. radiologist at St. Helena Hospital. "This new diagnostic tool dramatically changes the way we diagnose coronary artery disease."
In the past, cardiovascular disease was best diagnosed by cardiac catheterization, an invasive procedure that takes at least an hour to perform and several more hours for recovery.
With the heart scan, the need for cardiac catheterization can be eliminated for many patients. The new procedure is less invasive and requires no preparation except an intravenous injection of contrast solution. The patient lies on a bed that moves into the camera lens and stops at the chest area.
"The patient's head and legs are unencumbered," said Medical Imaging Director Chuck Adams. "After the test is over, patients can immediately go on their way. There is no recovery time."
In a matter of seconds the scan produces three-dimensional images of the heart – painlessly – allowing physicians to detect the narrowing of arteries that can cause heart attack. "These images are so detailed that doctors can catch arteriosclerosis early, reducing the risk of strokes and heart attack," said Adams.
Physicians at St. Helena Hospital's Cardiovascular Center use advanced workstations to generate the three-dimensional images and read the exam. The results are usually ready for the patient's doctor the same day.
"With this test, we are able to get unique information on the biology of the vessel walls to see if disease is present," said Dr. Racker. "We even have potential to see plaque inside the wall, something that coronary angiography can't reveal."
Added Adams, “The bottom line is, the earlier we can diagnose heart disease, the better the chance we have to treat it successfully. Now, with the 64-slice CT scan at St. Helena Hospital, doctors have significantly improved diagnostic support tools to support early detection."
St. Helena Hospital received two grants totaling $1 million from the Napa Valley Vintners Auction Napa Valley and another contribution of $100,000 from a private donor to purchase the new heart scan.
For more information on the Cardiovascular Center, go to www.myheartcare.org.
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The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine made headlines last June when the FDA approved it to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts.
Local gynecologist and obstetrician Dr. Paula Dhanda said she strongly recommends this vaccine and is giving it to her patients.
Given in a series of three shots over six months, Gardasil protects against four types of HPV, which are responsible for 70-percent of cervical cancers and 90-percent of genital warts.
Despite the protection Gardasil offers, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, emphasizes regular PAP smear testing.
The HPV vaccine is most effective when administered to girls and women before the onset of sexual activity.
The FDA has approved the vaccine for girls and women between the ages 9 to 26. This vaccine is administered in the upper arm and is generally well tolerated.
Women who are already sexually active, who may have had prior HPV exposure, may have less protection from the HPV vaccine, but should also be vaccinated.
Women who have already had abnormal PAP smears, genital warts, or precancerous changes, may still benefit from the HPV vaccine, as it is unlikely they have already been exposed to all four types of HPV.
With widespread use, HPV vaccination has the potential to decrease the risk of genital warts and cervical cancer.
Dr. Dhanda advises women to call their doctor or health care provider for more information about the vaccine.
She added, a lot of insurances cover this vaccine. Women may confirm this, by checking with their insurance and asking for coverage for the Gardasil Vaccine, CPT code 90649.
Dr. Dhanda's office can be reached at 279-8733.
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CLEARLAKE – This month, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) celebrates its five-year anniversary, which is milestone for the medical cannabis movement.
The Lake County ASA chapter's next meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, at the D&M Compassion Center, 15196 Lakeshore Dr, Clearlake.
Every day, ASA works in partnership with state, local and national legislators to overcome barriers and create policies that improve the lives of patients.
With more than 35,000 active members with chapters and affiliates in more than forty states, ASA is now the largest national member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic uses and research.
To date 12 states have adopted medical cannabis laws. In California the majority voted over 10 years ago for medical cannabis and yet there are cities and counties trying to ban medical cannabis cultivation and use.
ASA believes Americans need campaigns for safe access to implement the laws and educate patients, law enforcement and public officials. They also support eliminating barriers to safe access and research, protecting patients from legal risks and fully implementing the compassionate use law.
The group cited a recent editorial on medical marijuana in the American Association for the Advancement of Science's publication. The editorial, written by former FDA Commissioner and Editor-in-Chief of Science Magazine, Dr. Don Kennedy, concluded that the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) violated its own guidelines regarding information quality when it rejected the petition filed by ASA.
In February 2007, ASA filed a lawsuit in United States District Court in San Francisco against HHS and FDA for violating the little known Data Quality Act (DQA). The DQA is a mechanism to ensure that regulatory agencies base policy decisions on sound science. The DQA lawsuit followed a two year administrative process in which HHS denied ASA's petition.
"This is vindication from the scientific community that the medical efficacy of marijuana clearly exists and is being ignored by the federal government," said ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer. "The opinion illustrates the broad nature of support for the advancement of this important medicine."
The DQA lawsuit is currently pending before U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup. The government's response to ASA's complaint is due May 25, 2007, and the court is likely to hear oral arguments in July or August. "We're confident that science will ultimately prevail over politics," said ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford. "The DQA is the vehicle to compel the federal government to recognize the truth about medical marijuana and validate the experiences of patients and doctors who have had success using it to alleviate suffering."
ASA provides educational literature, a toll free patient hotline for information and legal support – 888.929.4367, and you can download information from the newly redesigned web site – www.americansforsafeaccess.com.
For more information on Lake County's ASA chapter e-mail
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