The current near hysteria over the H1N1 virus, commonly referred to a Swine Flu, has gripped the world. It’s gotten so bad that I’m getting emails at my 9-to-5 about how to prevent the spread of the Swine Flu. That’s in addition to the corporate email that says stay home if you get the sniffles and if there’s an outbreak, you’ll get a message from the company’s emergency planning hotline. Naturally, I couldn’t just post this latest message without a bit of editorializing in the classic FJM-style. So, here’s some advice to avoid the Swine Flu from a real doctor… I think. Continue reading
Medicine
Not News of the Week
Remember: If it’s not worth talking about, then it’s definitely not news. This week’s theme on the Not News is medical mysteries.
Early last week, it was reported that a Tunisian woman was pregnant with 12 babies, 6 boys and 6 girls. That report said that the woman was planning on giving birth to all 12 naturally. That would have been different from OctoMom who gave birth to her eight kids through c-section. But I keep saying “report” because it turns out that it was all a hoax. After hearing about the woman, the Tunisian health ministry investigated and found the woman had psychological issues and likely wasn’t even pregnant. Experts said it would have been physically impossible for he to carry 12 babies and she also refused to undergo any medical exams. In the days after the first report, the would-be DuodecaMom and her husband went into hiding and haven’t been heard from since. Continue reading
The Lowdown 