27·
2
HEALTH
n
UTI n
By E th r h pro
Reprinted from the Detroit Fr
Press with special permls Ion
from Esther Sh plro
yth: The C n dian Ingle­
payer y tern i ocializ d m dicine.
ct: It
no t ocial ized
carrie .
Myth: The .... anadi n ingle­
payer y t m ratio care, cau ing
d ngerou delay' in tr atrn nt.
ct: Thi i imply not o.
Canadian men and women routinely
r
m
im­
te t
high-tech m chine, uch
Ii thotripto , which cru h idn y
ton with ound wave; or mag­
n ti rc on n im ers: or to u h
sur leal proe dure a heart
iran plant or hip replacement.
However, anyon requiring erner-
ney or urgently needed care g ts it
imm diat ly.
American h alth re i being ra­
tion d on a b i of ability to pay,
leaving 35 million people without
aec to h alth care.
Myth: Canadians have to wait
for care.
F ct: The negative publicity
about w iting li ts.probably e ag­
gerate th delay in receiving care.
r'
pa
Itlh
TI
Many were from famHi trying
to cope with life-thre tening condi­
tion with no in ur nee nd no
m ney for xpensiv medi 1 treat­
m nt. They were begging for h lth,
me ag c lied me irre ponsible,
unintelligent and probably ubver­
sive, with reference to the collap e
of communi m to prove that I w
wrong.
Som aid I had not done enough
re earch. They're right. I reli don
the extensive study publish d in the
By PATRICIA COLBERT
Mlchlg.n Cltlz.n
DETROIT - Alzheimer's Disease,
a mind robbing, neurological disor­
der, locks its victims in a maze which
ultimately ends in death. And for the
families of Alzheimer's patients, life
can be almost as devastating.
Myrtle Jordan, 67, and a resident
of Detroit since 1943, found out what
it was like to care for someone diag­
no ed with Alzheimer's.
Jordan's husband, Robert, began
showing symptoms three years ago.
"It's like climbing the rough side
of the mountain," Jordan said.
-trl to
escape. Tbe� . e corted
him home on many occasions. Most
of the time he doesn't know where
he is or who I am.
"I've never seen anything like it
in my life. He has to be watched
twenty four hours, a day. With little
or no help, it is wearing me down. I
know that eventually he will have to
go into a nursing home, but for now
I am doing the best I can," she said.
JUST A FEW MILES aero s
town, Damon Colbert, 62, al 0 a long
time resident of Detroit, was diag­
nosed in early, '89 as having Vas­
cular Cerebral Insufficiency, an
Alzheimer'S related disorder. Col­
bert was forced into retirement after
medicin , but is a ocial insurance
plan, much like Social Security nd
Medicare.
In th Canadian system, health
care i paid for through taxe • The
working as a supervisor for Parks
and Recreation in Detroit for over 25
years.
Colbert's daughter, Deidre,
primary care giver ay her father
was a loving, kind, gentle man, but
the aftermath of
the disea e ch nged his personality
drastically.
"He remembers faces but can't
remember names. He misplaces
things and often refers to me as hi
sister," she said. ,
ALTHOUGH THERE IS noth-
become violent as a result of the
progression of the disease.
"With little or no family upport,
my oldest brother Damon Jr. and I
will continue to care for our father as
long as it is humanly possible," she
said. "It is important for families to
know, that persons with Alzheimer'
or related disorders need interactions
from their immediate families. It i
necessary for their surviva1."
At the present time there are over
four million Americans affected
with Alzheimer'S or related disor­
ders. The most common symptoms
are mood\personality change, for­
getfulnes and disorientation.
One of the first questions that
will arise when you give birth to a
baby boy is whether or not he will
be circumcised. Often parents
discu circumcision before the
baby is born and make a decision
based on religious, cultural, or
traditional factors. No one way is
right. The choice is a personal one,
best made by knowing all the facts.
Circumcision, or cutting away the
foreskin that covers the head of the
penis, is one of the oldest surgical
procedures known. It has tong been
practiced a., a reliaious rite by both
Jewi h and Moslem people. In the
United States, the practice became
common fter World War I. Today
more than half of all newborn boys
are circumci ed, although the
number appears to be declining.
When making choice about cir­
cumcision, you should Ieam as
much as possible about th potential
risks and benefits. One important
concern for uncircumcised males i
cleanlin . Because dead ceOs and
other substances can build up under
the foreskin, boys need to be tauJht
at an early e how to h proper­
ly to avoid odor and' infection.
Regular and careful washing can ef­
fectively eliminate these problems.
Some paren may have personal
or religious reasons for choosing
circumcision. Often it' a family
tradition. Sometimes parents
choose circumcision so the boy will
not feel different from his peers.
There is some evidence that cir­
cumcision may help prevent urinary
tract infections as well as infections
of the foreskin of the penis.
Although some studies have shown
that the procedure also reduces the
risk of sexually transmitted diseases,
the research is not conclusive.
The question of whether circum­
cision protects against certain types
of cancer has been widely debated.'
Although cancers of the prostate (a
male gland) and cervix (opening of a
woman's uterus) have occurred less
often in cultures that practiced cir- .
cumcision, many other f ctors, in­
cluding sexual practices, lifestyle
and enetic traits probably played a
role.
As you et ready for the birth of
your baby, learn the f cts about cir­
cumcision so you are prepared if
you have a boy. If you have any
-qu tions about the procedure, ask
your doctor.
GOOD J4'RIt:E FOOD! '
While most victims are over 65,
the di ease has been known to trike
as early a age 40.
Unfortunately, the cause of the
disea e is not known nor is therea
known cure. However, major
theorie suggest that the disea e is
caused by a deficit in the brain'
'cholinergic ystern ofneurotran mit-
ters: selective cell death provoked by
a low virus or infectious agents or a
biochemical defect that leads to
dimini hed production of new
protein in the brain.
To assist families and victims of
the disease; the Alzheimer's Di ease
and Related Disorders Association
"",",",,"",oL- � lJ251 W t T e M.i
Dfants
ganization with over 50 support
group is dedicated to research for
the prevention, cure and treatment of
Alzheimer's.
ACCORDING TO Marjorie
Fuller.coordinator of education and
training, the Association is primari­
ly funded by the United Way of
Southea tern Michigan. "We also
get grants from the Department of
Mental Health and otherfoundations
and corporations, It said Fuller
Individuals diagnosed as having
Alzheimer's or related disorders
generally require 24 hour care. The
cost can be devastating and due to the
ongoing recession many families
findthemse � w.Hho q�edi JiJl:
" ,',
. "If omeone Informs' us that they
V ·no1i8at e, fer tht! i
and
CARE
for
in n t wee '
You can write to E th r hapiro,
director olth Detroit Con. um r AI­
[air. Departm nt; at 1600 Cadillac
Tower, Detroit 48226. Sh will
p ale at a consumer workshop for
enior citizen ept. 30 at Norman
Towers Rental R tirem nt
Re idence, 810 W. Elm Ave. Monroe
4 161. Th luncheon workshop is
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more
information, call 1-313-243-0255
anytime.
n
the proper organizations that may be
able to assi t them," aid Fuller. "We
al 0 encourage them to eek the ad­
vice of an attorney for any legal mat­
ters which may arise.
"We hav over 5,(X)() resources
ranging from Home Health Care to
Adult Day Care. Families in need of
help can contact our office, we have
phone counselors to answer their
questions," she said.
With people living longer, more
people will become victims of this
dreaded di ea e known as
mnen (Pregnant or Breastf�)
IDoome EUpbmty o,ddeU ...
Effeed .. April I, 1192
Family
Size
1
2
3
4
5
8
hildren (Up to age 5)
---
Each
additional
penon:
W kly Monthly Yearly
'243 '1,050 '12,599
327 1,417 17,002
412 1,784 21,405
497 2,151 25,808
581 2,518 30,211
668 2,885 34,814
85
367
For Information
. or
Call1-800-26-BIRTH
Call your Local Health. Department·
Women, Infants & Children Program (WIe)
Dr. Z yn
S bran, .D.
Beware the
'''New'' TBI
A century go, tuberculo i
(TB) w the Ie ding c e of
death in thi country. It wa
lowly brought und r control by
improved anitation mea ure
and public hygiene, followed by
the discovery of streptomycin in
1944, an effective antibiotic.
Since t n, even more effe -
tive antibiotic have been
developed and u ed, lmo t
wiping out this once terrible
killer. Between 1953 and 1984,
ca e declined markedly.
Sanatori urns were clo ed, and
by the late 1960's routine
, screening programs for chool
children were di continued.
In the U.S., TB seemed to be
on us way to the ash heap or'
history, similar to what hap­
pened to small pox. According
to the Centers for Disease Con­
trol (CDC), TB could have been
completely wiped out during
those early years, if funds that
had been allocated for further
screening and treatment among
high-risk groups had been used.
BUT IN TEAD, these
monie were diverted to other,
programs. We declared victory
before the 'war was completely
won. TB, of course, has never
been eliminated from the world
at large, and still remains a
major killer in Asia, Latin _
America, and parts of Africa.
In fact, some experts believe
, that up to a third of the world's
population may be currently in-
� (th ·il).
"'y�
it' slow but sinister comeback
in the U.S. For most, it's still
curable.
But for those with weakened
immune systems, such as an
AIDS patient, and even some
elderly persons, it can be fatal.
This time around, there are also
drug-resistant strains that can
threaten the life of anyone.
YOU MAY ASK, "Why has
it returned here now?" Remem­
ber tho e deferred early screen­
ing and treatment programs?
Lack of proper screeni ng and
treatment can be blamed for the
new rise, along wi th growing
public sanitation problems as­
sociated with unattended pover­
ty, homelessness, and other
social ills.
The urban poor, inhabitants
of nursing homes, and drug and
alcohol abusers are particularly'
vulnerable. Doctors, nurses,
and other health professionals
are also at increased risk.
IT'S BEEN ESTIMATED
that about 1/4 of all cases of TB
in the U.S. are among im­
migrants. Another vulnerable
group are those who were ex­
posed to TB when the disease
was still common, prior to 1940,
and who have unknowingly car­
ried the bacteria all their lives.
This occurs because infec­
tion with TB does not necessari­
ly have to go onto active
disease. Instead, the infection
can go dormant for years, then
emerge in the active state in the
presence of malnutrition or
another illness that weakens the
person's immune sy tern.
Because of this, it's been es­
timated that between 10 and 15
million Americans carry the in­
fection in the dormant state. If
they develop active TB, these
Part Two Continued Next
WeekI
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HERE
CALL
869-0033.
FACING THE ISSUE OF CIRCUMCISION