I bet that this article was payed...
TJ Curioso
JoinedPosts by TJ Curioso
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More doctors honor religious objections to blood transfusions
by TJ Curioso inmore doctors honor religious objections to blood transfusions.
october 09, 2012|by manya a. brachear, chicago tribune reporter.
as a jehovah's witness, tracy pickett always has enjoyed knocking on doors and introducing strangers to the tenets of her faith.
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More doctors honor religious objections to blood transfusions
by TJ Curioso inmore doctors honor religious objections to blood transfusions.
october 09, 2012|by manya a. brachear, chicago tribune reporter.
as a jehovah's witness, tracy pickett always has enjoyed knocking on doors and introducing strangers to the tenets of her faith.
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TJ Curioso
More doctors honor religious objections to blood transfusions
October 09, 2012 | By Manya A. Brachear, Chicago Tribune reporter
As a Jehovah's Witness, Tracy Pickett always has enjoyed knocking on doors and introducing strangers to the tenets of her faith. But by the time she reached her mid-40s, scoliosis made every step excruciating and her spiritual mission impossible.
Walking again would require surgery that often involves tremendous blood loss and a transfusion — a medical procedure to replenish the blood supply forbidden by her church.
"Even though I love life and I don't want to die, I want good medical care without blood," said Pickett, 49, of Crown Point, Ind. "If it got to that point, I would rather lose my life than disobey my creator and take a blood transfusion."
Dr. Christopher Dewald, Pickett's orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, nervously agreed to find alternatives and perform the surgery. Dewald said he couldn't fathom letting a patient die on his operating table, but because he respected Pickett's convictions, he invested time to explore the options.
"I explained to her that I would have a hard time letting her pass away right in front of me and that I might have a problem not giving her blood," said Dewald, a Roman Catholic. "But I was going to do everything in my power to honor her wishes."
For years, many doctors have resisted accommodating religious tenets that they believe endanger their patients. But more physicians, including Dewald, are practicing within the confines of religious restrictions, even when it might put their patients' lives at risk.
Although alternatives to transfusions have been around for years, more physicians are weighing patients' spiritual well-being and peace of mind as part of their treatment.
"In the rational realm, it doesn't necessarily make sense," said Dr. Valluvan Jeevanandam, an expert in high-risk cardiac surgery at the University of Chicago Medical Center. "But if what they believe makes them peaceful and content, I'm not going to take that away from them."
Jehovah's Witnesses cite Acts 15 in their own New World translation of the Holy Scriptures to explain their objection to blood transfusions. "Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood."
Most Christians believe that verse denounces pagan rituals such as eating and drinking blood. But Jehovah's Witnesses interpret it as a prohibition on accepting blood that has been removed and stored. They also point to four verses in Leviticus and three verses in Deuteronomy to demonstrate that any blood spilled and not eaten (referring to animal blood) should not be reused, but given back to God.
Because it can be difficult to find doctors who respect the rule, the church appoints hospital liaisons to manage a database of local physicians and make referrals.
"Each major city of the world has a hospital liaison committee to bridge the gap between the Jehovah's Witness community and medical community," said T.J. Bullock, the church's liaison in Chicago. "If physicians have questions about what we accept or don't accept or are looking for advice, we can put them in touch with other physicians."
Jeevanandam has accepted many of Bullock's referrals. He said he warns every patient that the mortality rate is higher for anyone who declines blood transfusions.
"We don't have a 100 percent success rate. We do lose people," he said. "You're telling me what ammunition to use to fix your problem. If you take blood away, that's a large portion of my arsenal. There will be potential for higher complications."
Brian Montalbano, 31, of Nashville, Tenn., found Jeevanandam several years ago when he needed a second heart transplant. His first transplant at age 9, before he was a Jehovah's Witness, had involved a transfusion that also transmitted a virus, he said.
By the time he came to Jeevanandam in his late 20s, he not only remembered that rocky recovery, but also had converted to a faith that didn't allow another transfusion. However, it did allow him to get a new heart.
Montalbano encountered more complications. Shortly after the surgery, his lungs filled with fluid. Other doctors besides Jeevanandam recommended a transfusion to boost his strength. Still, he declined, resulting in a stroke that temporarily paralyzed his left side, he said.
"I believe I was making the right decision," said Montalbano, adding that he has fully recovered. "The ultimate goal is to serve God and do his will. And I believed that if I made it through, I would be doing it faithfully. Any risks that come would be worth the reward."
Dr. Hieu Ton-That, a trauma surgeon at Loyola University Medical Center, has struggled to build a critical mass of specialized colleagues who agree to avoid transfusions regardless of the outcome. He has worked to overcome the widespread misperception that Jehovah's Witnesses wholly reject medical care.
An atheist working at a Catholic hospital, Ton-That has discovered he also must overcome a clash of values.
"Obviously, there are some values that we should share as a society: preservation of life if possible, autonomy," Ton-That said. "My job is understanding where people come from and giving them access to care that's appropriate to their value system."
Ton-That has launched a hotline for patients who want to avoid blood: 708-327-0RBC (0722), which stands for "Zero Red Blood Cells."
"Everyone comes in with a framework of values and beliefs for everything including their health issues," he said. "Caregivers come with a value system too. That's why it's hard to build this network of providers because maybe the value system around here is more predominantly 'life at all costs regardless of other values.' There has to be some ground where we can accommodate both."
Dr. Kathy Johnson Neely, chair of Northwestern Memorial Hospital's medical ethics committee and an assistant professor at Northwestern University's medical school, said preserving life is the most obvious ethical obligation of doctors. Less obvious is the tenet to never abandon a patient, no matter where that patient's illness and choices lead, she said. And that tension can create a dilemma for doctors, she said.
"I have an absolute obligation to listen to what my patient says no to and respect that and not violate their body if they say no," she said. "I also have an absolute obligation to help my patient get better. There are situations in life and in medicine when we can't fulfill one without violating another."
Dewald faced that conundrum when Pickett walked into his office earlier this year. And, he acknowledged, he never quite resolved it.
While he agreed to do the surgery, he also referred Pickett to a hematologist to increase her blood count in advance. Once in the operating room, he used a Cell Saver, or cell salvage machine that suctions, washes and filters blood so it can be recirculated instead of thrown away. Jehovah's Witnesses believe such machines act as an extension of the circulatory system, so blood doesn't leave the body.
To control any blood loss, he divided the complex procedure into two separate operations. By the time he walked into the operating room, he felt confident that both surgeries would be a success.
But Dewald said Pickett's convictions prompted him to contemplate his own Catholic beliefs.
"It helped me to be introspective about what my beliefs were in terms of facing that problem. Could I let someone die?" he said. "I would've had a hard time walking out of the operating room. A plan was not in place. I'm not sure what I would do. I never completed that sentence."
Twitter: @TribSeeker
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Watchtower on Global Indexing & ETFs
by TJ Curioso infollow the link and see the list of participants who stated (p.4 - end of the list/right side):.
http://www.imn.org/2012/etm1324/pdfs/etm1324_prospectus.pdf.
amaze yourself, because it is only as the chief investment officer of the watchtower bible and tract society!.
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TJ Curioso
What is HEDGE FUNDS:
Hedge fund
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A hedge fund is an investment fund that can undertake a wider range of investment and trading activities than other funds, but which is generally only open to certain types of investors specified by regulators. These investors are typically institutions, such aspension funds, university endowments and foundations, or high-net-worth individuals, who are considered to have the knowledge or resources to understand the nature of the funds. As a class, hedge funds invest in a diverse range of assets, but they most commonly trade liquid securities on public markets. They also employ a wide variety of investment strategies, and make use of techniques such as short selling and leverage.Hedge funds are typically open-ended, meaning that investors can invest and withdraw money at regular, specified intervals. The value of an investment in a hedge fund is calculated as a share of the fund's net asset value, meaning that increases and decreases in the value of the fund's investment assets (and fund expenses) are directly reflected in the amount an investor can later withdraw.
Most hedge fund investment strategies aim to achieve a positive return on investment whether markets are rising or falling. Hedge fund managers typically invest their own money in the fund they manage, which serves to align their interests with investors in the fund. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] A hedge fund typically pays its investment manager a management fee, which is a percentage of the assets of the fund, and a performance fee if the fund's net asset value increases during the year. Some hedge funds have a net asset value of several billion dollars. As of 2009, hedge funds represented 1.1% of the total funds and assets held by financial institutions. [ 3 ] As of April 2012, the estimated size of the global hedge fund industry was US$2.13 trillion. [ 4 ]
Because hedge funds are not sold to the public or retail investors, the funds and their managers have historically not been subject to the same restrictions that govern other funds and investment fund managers with regard to how the fund may be structured and how strategies and techniques are employed. Regulations passed in the United States and Europe after the 2008 credit crisis are intended to increase government oversight of hedge funds and eliminate certain regulatory gaps. [ 5 ]
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High Court allows transfusion for Jehovah's Witness despite husband's objection
by TJ Curioso inthe high court has ordered that a member of the jehovah's witnesses in need of urgent surgical treatment can receive certain blood transfusion products despite objections from her husband on religious grounds.. .
the 27-year-old woman was admitted to a dublin hospital yesterday suffering from acute abdominal pain and later collapsed, the court was told.. she had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and had lost a significant amount of blood, which was replaced with recycled blood from the woman using a system known as "cell salvage".. the court was told she is now sedated and unable to express her wishes and will continue in that state until a certain procedure is carried out to prevent serious infection, but which could involve further bleeding and the need for a transfusion.. that must be done tomorrow morning, the court heard.. a dispute had arisen between her husband and the hospital over her wishes, the court was told.. eileen barrington sc, for the hospital, said the woman had told doctors, when first admitted to hospital, that she was refusing a transfusion of whole blood or red blood cells but would accept platelets or plasma.. her emotional husband told the court yesterday his wife had signed a document used by jehovah's witnesses, known as the advanced care directive, declaring she would never accept platelets or plasma even if her life was in danger.. he believed, because his wife was in such terrible pain, it was really hard for her to reason but it was one of their core beliefs not to accept primary blood components of red or white blood cells or plasma and platelets, although she would accept "minor fractions" of blood.. he knew his wife of eight years well and she had filled in three advanced care directives over a number of years stating this, the most recent being august 2012, he said.. "at a time when she cannot make up her mind, that is what it [the directive] is there for.".
ms barrington said the hospital was contending that the wishes expressed by the woman to doctors yesterday evening over-rode the wishes expressed in the directive.. the hospital wanted an order permitting it make the appropriate transfusion for the procedure referred to because, without that option, doctors had said there was a risk of death or serious lifelong disability.. as part of her treatment when first admitted to hospital, abdominal "packs" were inserted which put pressure on the blood vessels to prevent bleeding, counsel said.. those packs must be removed within 36 hours and there was a risk of further bleeding in this procedure.. granting an order allowing the hospital administer non-red blood transfusions, mr justice roderick murphy said it seemed to him, from evidence given to the court by treating doctors, the woman had the capacity the amend the advanced care directive when she told doctors yesterday that she would accept plasma or platelets.. he granted the hospital the order sought.. .
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TJ Curioso
The High Court has ordered that a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses in need of urgent surgical treatment can receive certain blood transfusion products despite objections from her husband on religious grounds.
The 27-year-old woman was admitted to a Dublin hospital yesterday suffering from acute abdominal pain and later collapsed, the court was told.
She had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and had lost a significant amount of blood, which was replaced with recycled blood from the woman using a system known as "cell salvage".
The court was told she is now sedated and unable to express her wishes and will continue in that state until a certain procedure is carried out to prevent serious infection, but which could involve further bleeding and the need for a transfusion.
That must be done tomorrow morning, the court heard.
A dispute had arisen between her husband and the hospital over her wishes, the court was told.
Eileen Barrington SC, for the hospital, said the woman had told doctors, when first admitted to hospital, that she was refusing a transfusion of whole blood or red blood cells but would accept platelets or plasma.
Her emotional husband told the court yesterday his wife had signed a document used by Jehovah's Witnesses, known as the Advanced Care Directive, declaring she would never accept platelets or plasma even if her life was in danger.
He believed, because his wife was in such terrible pain, it was really hard for her to reason but it was one of their core beliefs not to accept primary blood components of red or white blood cells or plasma and platelets, although she would accept "minor fractions" of blood.
He knew his wife of eight years well and she had filled in three Advanced Care Directives over a number of years stating this, the most recent being August 2012, he said.
"At a time when she cannot make up her mind, that is what it [the directive] is there for."
Ms Barrington said the hospital was contending that the wishes expressed by the woman to doctors yesterday evening over-rode the wishes expressed in the directive.
The hospital wanted an order permitting it make the appropriate transfusion for the procedure referred to because, without that option, doctors had said there was a risk of death or serious lifelong disability.
As part of her treatment when first admitted to hospital, abdominal "packs" were inserted which put pressure on the blood vessels to prevent bleeding, counsel said.
Those packs must be removed within 36 hours and there was a risk of further bleeding in this procedure.
Granting an order allowing the hospital administer non-red blood transfusions, Mr Justice Roderick Murphy said it seemed to him, from evidence given to the court by treating doctors, the woman had the capacity the amend the Advanced Care Directive when she told doctors yesterday that she would accept plasma or platelets.
He granted the hospital the order sought.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1016/blood-transfusion-jehovahs-witness.html -
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My Near Death Experience
by Dogpatch inhi y'all, just wanted to let you know i was out for a stroll on my bicycle for exercise last week and got hit by a car 100 yards from my house.
it was a hit and run.
i got up with only minor bruises but felt really dizzy and asked one of my roommates to take me to the hospital as i was dizzy and felt i was going to pass out on the spot in the middle of the street.
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Watchtower on Global Indexing & ETFs
by TJ Curioso infollow the link and see the list of participants who stated (p.4 - end of the list/right side):.
http://www.imn.org/2012/etm1324/pdfs/etm1324_prospectus.pdf.
amaze yourself, because it is only as the chief investment officer of the watchtower bible and tract society!.
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Watchtower on Global Indexing & ETFs
by TJ Curioso infollow the link and see the list of participants who stated (p.4 - end of the list/right side):.
http://www.imn.org/2012/etm1324/pdfs/etm1324_prospectus.pdf.
amaze yourself, because it is only as the chief investment officer of the watchtower bible and tract society!.
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TJ Curioso
Follow the link and see the list of participants who stated (p.4 - end of the list/right side):
http://www.imn.org/2012/etm1324/pdfs/etm1324_prospectus.pdf
Amaze yourself, because it is only as the Chief Investment Officer of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society!
But what is ETS?
Follow the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchange-traded_fund
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A Note from Randy/Dogpatch (Freeminds)
by Lady Lee inthis past week randy was hospitalized.
he is now home recovering and has asked me to let you know that he will need a couple of days to recuperate.
in the mean time: if you have sent him emails or want to send him an email, it might take a couple of days for him to respond.. feel free to leave messages here for him.
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I was just interviewed by CNN Money
by Confession init's for their annual feature, "surprising six figure jobs.
" had the interview been longer, i'd have loved to mention the need to carve out a career, despite my religion and parents' lack of support for an education.. cnn money - "surprising six figure jobs".
here's my website, if you'd like to listen to my voice demos and read my blog.
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Apostasy Trial - Part 6 It's finally all online...
by RayPublisher inthe entire saga, all 3 hours are now online.
this last one took hours and hours to edit and i am so glad it is done.
(although i still have the behind the scenes footage to put up on how i did the hidden camera lol!
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