Week in review
Sometimes it’s easy to miss an event, so here’s a look back at the past week or so to help bring you up to date.
Meeting mayhem
Like many newspaper reporters, I served an apprenticeship covering meetings of municipal boards and panels. In the mid-1980s, I was a regular at city council meetings in Norman, Del City and Midwest City. One of the first things you learn is that there tends to be a cast of regulars who attend the meetings. Some of those regulars are fervent, even emotional, about the issues they hold dear.
The fear that those emotions can erupt in violence was acknowledged by the Oklahoma City Council in 1996, when the city spent $2,000 to conceal steel plates in the horseshoe desk the city council sits behind. The plates were designed to protect council members in case of an attack, noted a story by my colleague Jack Money.
The most extreme example will forever be Charles Lee “Cookie” Thornton, who burst into Thursday’s meeting of the Kirkwood, Mo., city council and fatally gunned down five people. An Associated Press account notes that Thornton often was “a contentious presence” at council meetings.
More from the AP:
“He had twice been convicted of disorderly conduct for disrupting meetings in May 2006.
The weekly Webster-Kirkwood Times quoted (Mayor Mike) Swoboda as saying in June 2006 that Thornton’s contentious remarks over the years created ‘one of the most embarrassing situations that I have experienced in my many years of public service.’
The mayor’s comments came during a meeting attended by Thornton two weeks after he was forcibly removed from the chambers. Swoboda had said the council considered banning Thornton from future meetings but decided against it.
In a federal lawsuit stemming from his arrests during two meetings just weeks apart, Thornton insisted that Kirkwood officials violated his constitutional rights to free speech by barring him from speaking at the meetings.
But a judge in St. Louis tossed out the lawsuit Jan. 28, writing that ‘any restrictions on Thornton’s speech were reasonable, viewpoint neutral, and served important governmental interests.’
You can read Thornton’s complaint here (via USA Today’s On Deadline blog).
Balancing the public’s right to weigh in with a city panel’s duty to get its business done in a timely manner has long been a touchy point for those who hold the gavel at city council meetings. I don’t recall ever fearing for my safety during a council meeting, but there were some nights when I feared for my sanity as a “usual suspect” launched a lengthy diatribe into a public microphone.
I’ve seen city officials gavel down long-winded speeches or even ask police officers to escort uncooperative members of the public from council meetings. And some of those situations were tense. But I’m glad I never had to witness what reporter Janet McNichols saw and heard Thursday night.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Waiting for a liver
The need for donor livers outstrips their supply. Each year, about one-third of those with end-stage liver disease who need an organ will receive one. Some die while on the waiting list.
The February issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings examines how the current system for allocating organs in the United States affects recipients’ outcomes.
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) oversees organ allocation. With the goal of giving organs to the most critically ill transplant candidates, UNOS adopted the MELD — Model for End-Stage Liver Disease — scoring system in 2002. The score is calculated from the results of three lab tests.
“Unlike past evaluation systems, the MELD score de-emphasizes the length of time a patient has been waiting for a donor organ. … Research has shown that although the donor liver shortage persists, implementing this allocation system has decreased the number of patients who die while waiting for donor organs,” according to a Mayo Clinic press release.
The study looked at the evaluation practices and acceptance criteria for liver transplant used by the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville Transplant Center after implementation of MELD scoring. Researchers examined medical records from 555 patients referred for liver transplants at the Jacksonville center from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2005. Of these patients, 53 percent were denied for a transplant. Half of those denied were considered too early to have the procedure, while the rest were excluded because of medical conditions and psychosocial issues — poor support systems or continuing substance abuse problems, for example.
Many were subsequently accepted.
“Patients seeking referral often undergo repeated assessments by selection committees, as their eligibility can change over time or following treatment and/or changes in conditions that led to their initial exclusion,” according to the release.
Data suggest a “broad range” of patients could benefit from early referral to a transplant center, according to the release.
Basically, management of their disease and other medical and psychosocial conditions could make them transplant candidates sooner.
To read the report, click here.
People seldom realize transplant waiting lists are anything but static: They constantly change, depending on organ availability and patients’ medical states. They’re definitely moving targets. People move up, they move down; they drop off, they’re added back.
“Our study suggests that early referral for LT (liver transplant) evaluation is beneficial for reasons unrelated to the time patients spend on the LT waiting list. If patients too early for LT were evaluated but not listed, LT centers could initiate management of ESLD (end-stage liver disease) and address psychosocial issues in a sub-group of patients who could also ultimately benefit from LT,” the authors wrote.
Although not exactly the same thing, last month I wrote about this man, Dr. Ludvik Artinyan, left, who registered on organ waiting lists in California and Oklahoma. He was able to receive a liver transplant quicker by traveling to Integris Baptist Medical Center to have the procedure performed rather than having it done in Los Angeles. Because patients’ MELD scores typically are higher in California for various reasons, double-listing likely allowed the Armenia-born physician to shave months off his wait time and perhaps saved his life.
UNOS allows potential transplant recipients to be listed in multiple regions — they must meet each site’s criteria and be ready to respond to the phone call or page when an organ becomes available.
Is the current organ allocation system fair? E-mail me at jraymond@oklahoman.com or post your thoughts at http://blog.newsok.com/health.
Jeff Raymond, Medical Writer
Keeping men healthy
Statistically speaking, men will die six years sooner than women. We have higher death rates for the 15 leading causes of death.
Here are some stats from the National Center for Health Statistics:
- In 1950 the age-adjusted death rate per 100,000 men was 1,647.2.
- For women it was 1,236.
- In 2000 the rate for men was 1,053.8.
- For women it was 731.4.
- In 2004 the rate for men was 955.7.
- For women it was 679.2.
- In 1950 the death rate among men from heart disease was 697.
- For women it was 484.7.
- In 2000 the rate for men was 320.
- For women it was 210.9.
- In 2004 the rate for men was 267.9.
- For women it was 177.3.
The numbers, whether taken together or broken down by cause of death, show that while age-adjusted death rates of men and women have made huge strides, men still trail.
Check out the rest of the document here.
I bring this up to spotlight Integris Health’s annual Men’s Health University Men’s Fit Club. The program appropriately began the day after the Super Bowl. It is a weight-loss class offered just for men, of all ages. It focuses on eating habits and increasing fitness.
Men-U is a series of events throughout the year to educate men and their loved ones on how to take care of their health. Health checks such as prostate cancer screenings are featured, and then there’s the Man Card, from Integris and WWLS The Sports Animal. Cardholders earn points that can be redeemed for prizes.
The class runs through April 17 and will be every Monday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Integris Pacer Fitness Center. The cost is $240 — less for those with a Man Card. Call (405) 951-2277 or (888) 951-2277 for more information.
One reason men die earlier may be because they avoid going to the doctor. A 2007 survey of more than 1,000 men for the American Academy of Family Physicians showed almost one-third wait as long as possible before seeking medical attention.
For health and medical news and commentary, read The Medicine Bag blog at http://blog.newsok.com/health.
Jeff Raymond, Medical Writer
Their bodies, ourselves
On a recent weekend I saw something spectacular. No superlatives — it really deserves to be called spectacular.
The introduction in the dimly lit anteroom at the Science Museum of Oklahoma pretty much sums up the “Our Body: The Universe Within” exhibit: A detailed look inside the human body is something that historically has been limited to doctors and researchers yet has fascinated man for millennia.
Despite its $23.95 cost per adult, the 13,000-square-foot exhibit is something everyone should see. Go now, go this weekend, go whenever — just go before it closes May 11. If you have ever wanted your child to become a physician, as just about every parent has, roll the dice and take him or her to the museum; there’s a good chance your child will leave with an abiding fascination about anatomy.
The exhibit is thought-provoking, gasp-inducing, and a real coup for the Science Museum, formerly the Omniplex. It features 18 complete bodies and 135 other body-system, anatomical and health-related items.
One of the most striking things is how respectfully the bodies on display have been treated. Even when posed, with muscles splayed, or seated, with veins and nerves hanging like plumb lines from thick rings of flesh, the bodies retain their dignity. The only time I was uncomfortable was with a man on a spinning platform who is holding his own skin in front of him. I’m not sure if I was uncomfortable because he was holding his skin or because his skin looked like a hide from any other animal.
I know how similar man is to lesser species. Anatomically, genetically and physiologically, the similarities far outweigh the differences. Still, it’s disconcerting to see how much man, stripped of speech and conscience, resembles other mammals.
The bodies don’t smell because they have been treated with a special solution that “plasticizes” tissue and renders it odorless.
Two things particularly stood out to me:
- The first was how dense veins, arteries and capillaries are in some parts of the body. One memorable part of the exhibit has legs, or at least the vasculature of the legs. Take the lungs, liver and kidneys — all are stocked for blood transport, per their functions. It’s one thing to see a spongy lung and quite another to see the vessels that deliver the blood that allows us to breathe. It’s this sort of big-picture perspective that was always lacking in school. It’s one thing to study the nephons in the kidneys, for example; it’s another to see how they look together, by the millions, life-size.
- Parts of the exhibit show slices down the sagittal and transverse planes (take a look at the picture above to see what I mean). I was able to understand, for the first time, how the internal organs relate and where they are located in body cavities. I saw the ventricles, or chambers, of the brain, and the pillow the lungs provide the heart.
I got the impression the exhibit attracts doctors as well: After hearing one describe what he looks for when examining someone’s ears, I realized docs must be thrilled to share what they do with loved ones in a way words simply can’t convey. The man described looking at a patient’s ear drum, and how he would see internal structures and note them on the patient’s chart. Hearing about this and looking into an actual ear and skull must have made the woman with him understand his work so much better.
Have you been to the exhibit? What did you think? E-mail me at jraymond@oklahoman.com.
Jeff Raymond, Medical Writer
‘I have always felt different’
A paper in this month’s edition of the Journal of Pediatric Nursing describes ADHD from the perspective of college students who have it and have learned to cope.
The subject is interesting for several reasons, not the least of which because it features 16 adults recalling how ADHD affected their lives as children. Plenty of research exists on child and adolescent ADHD, but there is little out there on how the condition affects and has affected adults.
The study, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Wake Forest University, is poignant in interviewees’ descriptions of how it feels to have ADHD — being called “stupid” or “slow,” not having parents understand why things don’t get finished.
The study noted common feelings among the group of loneliness and isolation.
“Can’t anyone see I’m struggling,” one study participant lamented.
Common threads through participants’ lives were:
- Trouble getting along with parents
“In their view, children with ADHD have more trouble than others,” the authors wrote.
One’s adolescence is rough no matter what, “but it tends to be a little rougher on people with special needs,” a participant noted.
Another participant described the “mass chaos fights” with parents and siblings — often due, participants said, to failing to perform chores within an expected time frame.
“Because of their distractibility and hyperactivity, participants said that they had difficulty completing tasks, causing problems with their parents,” the authors wrote.
Some parents provided support, but it was tough for them as well.
“My parents did provide support … with homework; making sure I was on top of things. But it kind of got to the point where it was nagging, but that’s how they got the actual answer from me,” a participant recalled. “They had to play 20 questions. I wasn’t trying to withhold information; it just took 20 questions to get the full description.”
- Missing a lot of material at school
Trouble paying attention and hyperactivity affected participants’ ability to learn.
“In class, I had a kind of lag time, ’cause in-between me figuring out what had been going on, the entire class moved on, so I missed out on information. So that was one of the biggest things — missing out — taking a longer time to get the entire idea,” a participant explained.
Participants learned to cope: They allowed help from their parents, asked for more time on tests or took them in different formats, recorded lectures and re-copied notes after class.
- Feeling different
Children with ADHD felt different in school, and situations such as sitting still and grasping concepts quickly made these differences clear.
“Other kids at school would call them retarded, slow, or stupid, and then ostracize them,” the authors wrote.
As such, they often had trouble making friends, and wondered why people didn’t like them. Social difficulties sometimes persisted into adulthood.
“Not only do I have a tendency to interrupt … but the main problem I have is, you need to think before you say something that can offend other people, or when you ask too many questions … they’ll say it makes them feel uncomfortable,” one participant said.
- Feeling misunderstood
“Friendships for children and adolescents with ADHD were fraught with misunderstandings,” the authors wrote.
One participant described how her friends kidded her about her problem.
“I have friends who say, ‘Oh, it’s my ADD and I don’t want to do my work. It’s my ADD kicking in.’ … and they’ll say it in front of me when they know I have it … and I’ll have it the rest of my life. I’ve gotten very mad at them,” the participant explained.
One participant suggested those with ADHD find friends who understand and will call out their names or tap them on the shoulder when they’re “zoned out.”
In 2003, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 8 percent of school-aged children were reported to have ADHD.
I don’t mean to suggest that the themes in the study are unique to those with ADHD, but I do think the research provides a window into how adults with ADHD think and the difficulties they face.
Parents of children with ADHD ought to take a look at it to see what their kids may say about their upbringing a decade from now.
What are your opinions on ADHD? Is it overdiagnosed? E-mail me at jraymond@oklahoman.com.
Check out a blog in The New York Times on the study here. To read the study, click here.
For health and medical news and commentary, read The Medicine Bag blog at http://blog.newsok.com/health.
Jeff Raymond, Medical Writer
Cold comfort
A colleague recently asked me how Oklahoma City’s diet might impact Sonic, the popular drive-in restaurant company based in Bricktown. I recalled a story that Sonic CEO Cliff Hudson told during the company’s most recent shareholders’ meeting. Responding to a question about how Sonic was countering competitors’ lower-fat offerings, Hudson discussed his company’s recent marketing of a healthy product.
Sonic promoted and sold a low-fat fruit smoothie concoction that was healthy and tasty. However, Hudson said, the second most-ordered item that accompanied the fruit smoothie was a double cheeseburger.
Hudson’s conclusion: We give the customers what they want.
Now comes a front-page feature in The Wall Street Journal noting that growing popularity of a no-fat, no-calorie menu item that Sonic sells by the bagful — ice. There are some folks that just love to chew ice, and they are picky about the quality of the ice they chew.
Famous Okie Vince Gill is among the frozen faithful. His wife, Amy Grant, bought him a machine just like the ones at Sonic’s 3,400 restaurants and installed it in their garage to produce his preferred chewing ice.
From the Journal:
“I’ve chewed ice my whole life,” says the 50-year-old Mr. Gill. Growing up in Oklahoma, he says, he judged restaurants by the quality of their ice. Today, he says, when he travels outside the U.S., he finds slim pickings.
“Europe is a drag,” he says. “I ask for ice, and they give me one or two cubes. They’re stingy with their ice. I’d never survive there.”
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.
1. Hundreds of copies of a free book are being distributed in to state legislators and libraries. What does the book contain?
a) 100 selected Bible quotations.
b) 100 suggestions for improving state government.
c) 100 recipes from the first 100 years of Oklahoma history.
2. Daniel P. Shaver, the acting deputy director of the U.S. Mint, was in Oklahoma City recently for the launch of the Oklahoma quarter. What did he say is the cost to produce one penny?
a) 0.75 of a cent.
b) One cent.
c) 1.6 cents.
3. What briefly delayed the Los Angeles Lakers game recently?
a) A small leak in the Staples Center roof allowed a steady flow of water to fall on the court.
b) A fan in a prison jump suit taunted Kobe Bryant.
c) LeBron James stopped the game to declare himself “The Greatest.”
4. Who gave the Democratic response to President Bush’s State of the Union address?
a) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
b) Sen. Barbara Boxer of California.
c) Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
5. Before dropping out of the presidential race, John Edwards said during a Tulsa stop that he wanted to raise the minimum wage to how much per hour?
a) $7.50.
b) $9.50.
c) $12.50.
6. Current Media Inc., a cable television company, plans to go public this year. Who was one of its co-founders?
a) Former Sen. Bob Dole.
b) Former President Clinton.
c) Former Vice President Al Gore.
7. What was the score of the first Bedlam basketball game of 2008?
a) 72-45.
b) 64-61.
c) 82-81.
8. Margaret Truman Daniel died at age 83. Who was she?
a) The sister of former President Truman and writer of love sonnets.
b) Former President Truman’s daughter and author of mystery novels.
c) An economics adviser to former President Ford and famed playwright.
9. In Florida’s Democratic primary, Hillary Rodham Clinton won and received how many delegates for the presidential nomination?
a) 57
b)185.
c) Neither of the above.
10. Who won the most recent Warren Spahn award, given in Guthrie to best left-handed pitcher in baseball?
a) Andy Pettitte.
b) Johan Santana.
c) C.C. Sabathia.
11. Officials say what factor likely will intensify blazes this fire season?
a) Safety measures that try to keep children from playing with matches.
b) Tree debris from the December ice storm.
c) Legislation to require fire-safe cigarettes.
12. A volunteer task force for which denomination is calling for a review of Oklahoma’s immigration law?
a) Southern Baptists.
b) Lutherans.
c) United Methodist Church.
13. Which chief executive officer recently purchased more than 500,000 shares of his company’s stock?
a) Larry Nichols of Devon Energy Corp.
b) Tom Ward of SandRidge Energy Inc.
c) Aubrey McClendon of Chesapeake Energy Corp.
14. The Oklahoma Sooner softball team is preparing to begin its 2008 season. How long has Patty Gasso been the team’s coach?
a) 10 years.
b) 14 years.
c) 15 years.
15. Former President Clinton campaigned for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in Oklahoma. On what university campus did he speak?
a) University of Central Oklahoma.
b) Oklahoma City University.
c) University of Oklahoma.
16. How many Dell Inc. workers were laid off in Oklahoma City as part of the company’s restructuring?
a) About 1,000.
b) About 400.
c) About 200.
17. What is new at Memorial High School in Tulsa?
a) An engineering wing, in part for the school’s robot program.
b) Band uniforms that feature the school’s colors.
c) A plan to include skateboarding as a physical education elective.
18. An inmate from which state won a reprieve from the U.S. Supreme Court before he was scheduled to die by lethal! injection?
a) Oklahoma.
b) Alabama.
c) California.
19. NASA officials plan for the space shuttle Atlantis to lift off Feb. 7 on its first mission in almost two months. Where will the shuttle’s mission take it, and what will it be doing?
a) Earth’s orbit to repair a satellite.
b) Exploration of the moon.
c) Carrying a laboratory to the international space station.
20. Who did fans pick as the NFL’s 2007 Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year?
a) Dwayne Bowe of the Kansas City Chiefs.
b) Marshawn Lynch of the Buffalo Bills.
c) Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.
Answers: 1-B; 2-C; 3-A; 4-C; 5-B; 6-C; 7-B; 8-B; 9-C; 10-C; 11-B; 12-C; 13-C; 14-B; 15-C; 16-C; 17-A; 18-B; 19-C; 20-C.
Week in review
Sometimes it’s easy to miss an event, so here’s a look back at the past week or so to help bring you up to date.
