The death of the ‘King of Pop’, Michael Jackson, caught the world by surprise and the outpouring of grief around the world reminds of that there are many ways to say goodbye.

We are unique and our relationships with each other are as distinct as we are. Janet Jackson reminded us of this when she spoke at the BET awards. “To you Michael is an icon,” she said, “to us Michael is family…”

Around the world fans have gathered to mourn their loss. They are bound together in their grief and yet each has their own way of expressing their sadness and remembering. Candles are lit, posters and CD covers held or embraced, stories shared. There is singing and dancing.

The depth of connection to the person who has passed impacts the intensity of our feelings of loss. When we lose someone with whom we have shared a deep love or a complicated relationship, traditional rituals such as visitations and memorial services might not be a sufficient outlet for our letting go. Sometimes the one who has died has left explicit instructions that they want no funeral service.

At such times we need to find our own way of saying goodbye, and it is important to do so. The ways to do this are innumerable – yours will be special and meaningful for you.

We need to have closure and to give expression to our sense of loss, our grief, in some way. In doing so we will honour the memory of what was shared and be better prepared to go on.

Celebrating our nation’s birthday is a national affair. From coast to coast, everyone can look at how strong our country has become in its 142 years.

Canada is known around the world for being a peaceful nation. But we’re also known for our health care system that places an emphasis on finding ways to keep all of us healthy.

Many people know about our:
- great primary healthcare and smart health care solutions
- strong interest in fitness which is demonstrated by our top athletes during sporting events like the Olympics
- many diverse ethnic groups that bring so many cultures and customs together under one umbrella that we all call home

We’ve also made strong contributions to health and wellness for people around the world. Just think of how many lives have been spared as a result of the discovery of insulin by one of its co-discoverers, Sir Frederick Banting. This hormone is necessary for the regulation of the body’s metabolism and is a treatment for type 1 diabetes.

The early form of basketball also originated in our country. Dr. James Naismith invented basketball for his students during the long winters of the late 1800’s. Who knew that it would become an enormously popular international sport!

This Canada Day, remember to stop and think of what Canada means to you and to your health. Get outside and enjoy the sights and sounds of your city. It’s a great way to be active and it’s a great way to participate in our nation’s rich history. Plus, it’s good for you!

We all know what it is like - you realize that you have not talked to someone close to you in a long time; the relationship is strained for whatever reason and you put off calling. But you never know when it might be too late … [Read more →]

The last couple of weeks have been marked by the deaths of celebrities of all magnitude - Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and - most recently - ad personality Billy Mays.

On Saturday, the OxiClean pitchman with the booming voice and the big beard took a flight from Philadelphia to Tampa, Florida. A rough landing sent luggage tumbling down from the overhead compartments. Mays had explained to reporters on the ground that he’d been hit in the head by falling debris but that he had a hard head.

Mays went to bed early that night, saying he felt groggy. His wife, Deborah, awoke Sunday morning and found him cold and unresponsive. She called 911, but it was too late. Mays, 50, was already gone.

When word got out that Mays had died, speculation swirled - could it be a head injury with delayed impact, like the one that took the life of actress Natasha Richardson? But autopsy reports released today tell of a cause of death that is much more common … [Read more →]

There are many maintenance tasks that we think nothing of doing so as to prevent serious problems. Using winter tires, getting your brake pads checked, or having a home inspection before you buy a house are some examples.

And when it comes to our health we have to do some maintenance tasks as well. Recently I had the opportunity to have a “home inspection” of my colon.  Just reading the description of the procedure is enough to make people decide not to do it - not to mention our Canadian sense of dignity.  My gawd! Harrumph!

But what if I told you that one in 15 women will be diagnosed with colon cancer during their lifetime?  And what if I told you that this procedure virtually removes the threat of colon cancer from your life?  Would that make you pay a bit more attention?

It is sad to say, but colorectal cancer remained the second leading cause of cancer death in Canada in 2008  using statistics released by the Canadian Cancer Society.  In most cancers, we hope for early detection, a slow rate of growth, high sensitivity to treatment, but in the case of colorectal cancer, we can totally prevent it by identifying those most at risk and eliminating any tissue from the body that may lead to full-blown cancer.

So it pays to get checked.  And a colonoscopy is one way of getting checked. Let me tell you my story so that you might be a teeny bit less intimidated by the whole ordeal. (Like I was.)

[Read more →]

There is much speculation today that Michael Jackson’s death was due to an overdose of the drug Demerol. Reports state that he was under treatment for chronic pain caused by the severe burns he received during filming of a commercial many years ago.

Demerol is a narcotic pain reliever, similar to other narcotics such as morphine, codeine, and hydrocodone. They are known as opioids.

They are potent pain relievers and are widely used to treat severe pain. In overdose, they are not generally known to cause cardiac arrest, however in rare circumstances they could. More often, an overdose of a narcotic leads to respiratory depression, where the breathing slows down significantly. If enough narcotic is administered, the breathing can stop completely. There were reports that Jackson was not breathing.

Treatment of narcotic overdose is pretty standard, and I would be surprised that an ambulance crew wouldn’t have naloxone available, which reverses the respiratory effects of the opioid.

The other issue to consider is that if Jackson had been taking these medications for long periods of time, he most likely could tolerate much larger doses due to the phenomenon known as tolerance. Tolerance means that larger doses of the medication are required to achieve the same pain-relieving effect.

Rumours were swirling that MJ was addicted to these medications. To be clear, all narcotics can lead to physical dependency which means that they can’t be stopped abruptly. If that happens, withdrawal symptoms are experienced. This dependency is not the same as addiction, which generally has different symptoms.

I’m sure we’ll have more information shortly.