Archive for the ‘health + wellness’ Category

Posted on April 8, 2009 - by Joy

Move Over Pap

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A DNA test that detects the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer, is more effective than Pap smears at detecting and preventing the disease, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. [from ABC News]

The difference between a DNA test and pap smear is that the former tests for the actual virus and the latter checks for cell changes, which is why it’s done every year to see if something that’s missed the previous year will be picked up the next year. According to the article, this doesn’t mean eliminating the Pap smear. It means that it’s safe to not take it every year.

One more thing: “The DNA test for HPV is only used for women 30 and over. Many women get this virus but 90 percent of the time, their bodies get rid of the virus on their own and it does not lead to cancer.” Yup, it’s only for us oldies! :p

Posted on March 26, 2009 - by Joy

Sanity Saving Measures

I’ve been thinking about this for years now: if and when I have a company housed in my own building, with employees, these will be two rooms which I would deem imperative to our workplace: the Screaming Room™ and the Quiet Room™.

Here’s how it would work:

The Screaming Room™

Back when I was in university,as a full-time student with an average of 25 course units per semester, including hours-long laboratory work on Saturdays, there really was no “sane” day. Hence, I learned to thrive in that kind of environment and work most efficiently when each day is packed. It didn’t make sense, but it worked to the advantage of my short attention span mind where it fluttered between all these different things to do. It was crazy. As much as exciting such a packed and fast-paced life is, I needed to decompress so badly. The best way we did it for a minute or less was to scream outside of our institute’s building.

There was a huge field of grassland to the right of our college building, and there was enough space between buildings at the time for you to actually walk out of the building for a few hundred meters and scream your life away without attracting (that much) attention, disrupting ongoing classes or being dragged by the campus police for insanity.

Let me tell you: It was the BEST FREE THERAPY EVER.

I’ve never been to any kind of therapy, but I would surmise that if you were to be forced to sum up your fears, anger, hurt, confusion, frustration, nervousness, happiness in one collaborative vocal accord, you can scream your heart and lungs out to get at least some of it out. OUT! You can curse out loud and say the longest and loudest four-letter word that ever came out of your pedigreed mouth if you want.

I’m serious. You should try it sometime. And you know what else is better? Try bringing a friend in the Shriekfest™. You think I am kidding, but I’m not! C’mon, do it. I had a friend once who was having relationship problems and we cursed her boyfriend together in the midst of all that green. It was a glorious experience.

That’s where this idea of a Screaming Room™ came about. There will inevitably a day when someone will need to vent vocally and loudly. It may be from work, or from their own personal lives, but this is something I want to do have for them, for all of us: an accessible room where you can shout and scream as you please and no one can hear you.

In my ideal office, there would be a 2-minute limit for the Scream Room. I mean, how long do you need to bleed your trachea out? A minute is actually enough, but I’ve giving an extra minute to breathe in between screams.

The Quiet Room™

That’s just what it is. A room where you can go for complete silence.

There would be water, coffee and tea in this room. Plus napkins.

Sometimes you just really need some quiet time to yourself devoid of ANY type of distraction. A room with 4 walls. No pictures, no nothing. No distractions. Just a quiet place with you and yourself.

For the Quiet Room, there’s a 10-minute limit.

What do you think? If you were to build an office for your employees, what unusual, special ammenities can you think of providing aside from the usual kitchen, garden, and sports/games room?