disability

There are two types of lies in this world, those you tell yourself and those you tell others… smokers seem to be experts in both! Caring about their health while smoking is one of the biggest.

Drug addicts are all the same

So far, I have talked to smokers from Canada, United States, Australia, Malaysia, Japan and Korea over an extended period of time and the excuses are all the same. They seem to relish describing how “addicted” or “hardcore” they are. I was talking to one addict yesterday and they where quite proud to say their breath smelled like that of an ash tray… interesting, another from Australia told me exactly the same thing while I was in that country! Here are some fantastically delusional lies you can expect to hear from a smoker (feel free to add more):

I can quit anytime

If this where true, they could quit right now but just try to get enough guts and throw their pack away in front of them… they will run like a squirrel right into the bin to get them. I know… I have done this several times with the same results.

I don’t smoke that much

Sadly, the effects of smoking both primary and second (onto non-smokers) is cumulative. You won’t die right away from emphysema or COD but I wouldn’t want to be a lung in a smokers body after a few decades of continual self-poisoning.

I feel fine

Next time a drug addict tells you that they feel fine, ask them to join you for a hike up a sizable hill… their tune will change guaranteed. The reason they feel fine is because they are use to living in a marginalized body, not because they are actually “fine”.

It helps me keep my shape (slim)

There are two ways to keep your body in shape, one is to exercise and the other is to under-feed it. Sure, smoking is keeping you slim, but guess what, you can accomplish far more by working out and quitting smoking then otherwise. What you are doing is actually starving your body, making it waste resources trying to clean the crap out of the air you take in instead of improving or optimizing it.

My father/mother/uncle smoked till they where 90 years old!

George Burns also smoked a cigar until he hit 100 years old, sure, there are some people out there with wonder genetics but odds are, you don’t have them. Imagine if George Burns never smoked, he might still be alive today! Regardless of how you cut it, smoking WILL reduce not only your lifespan but the quality of the live you live dramatically with time.

Smokers Facing Death

I had a grandfather who I wish everyday never smoked because he died a painful death over several years, his body was fine but his lungs where shot from a live addicted to cigarettes. Now, this week, I got news that one of my uncles, one who saw what my grandfather went through his final years, has been diagnosed with lunch cancer caused by smoking. My grandfather openly admitted that if he ever got a lung transplant that the first thing he would to is smoke and oddly, my uncle, even while at hospital surrounded by smokers slowly fading away, still had the conscience to go… you guessed it right… smoke in hiding! Each and every smokers has to face up to the fact that one day, guaranteed, they will face their maker far sooner then anticipated due to a slow, selfish, purposeful self-poisoning of the very body they inhabit.

Unfunny Joke

Here is an unfunny joke I seem to repeat to myself just about every time I see somebody smoking. What is the difference between a smoker and a junkie? One uses a legal substance. Sad isn’t it… mentally, a junkie is in the same place as a smoker.

How do I treat smokers?

I take my health very seriously, to the point that if I find out a friend smokes, they are no longer somebody I associate myself with. I would honestly prefer to be alone the rest of my life then to spend it with somebody hell bent on destroying their health. There is no sugar coating things, smokers have a death wish but are too much of a coward to get it over with, instead, they drag the emotions of those around them into the hole they inhabit. My only exception to this “banish them from my sight” rule is family but then I try to spend my time outdoors with them as much as possible, limiting exposure to second-hand smoke. Would I ever hire somebody who smoked? Nope, politically correct or not, why the hell would I want to invest my time and resources into somebody who doesn’t give a damn about themselves?

Spiders on Drugs

To some, alright, many out there, this may seem kinda harsh but I live my life by many simple rules, at the top of my list is that if you don’t care about yourself, then I don’t care about you. I do have a very well developed sense of humor so here is something to lighten up the mood on a serious topic. The effect of drugs on spiders! If you can’t laugh at even the worst of things, then the thoughts that follow them have no way out of your head.

The Bottom Line

Reversing a denial is the first step towards a successful life.

If you are unlucky enough to require the use of an artificial limb, I hope this gives you hope that the functionality desire may not be that far away.

Dr. Goldfarbs Background

Dr. Goldfarbs is a professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University who has been fascinated by prosthetic limbs since childhood, and did his masters degree into designing a robotic artificial leg. He later did his doctorate in developing a computer controlled brace that would allow paraplegics to walk with the use of electrical stimulation on their muscles! He’s currently doing research into dramatically improving the usability and functionality of artificial limbs.

Power requirements are the next hurdle

Dr. Goldfarbs realized while doing robotic research that the achiles heel of any powered prosthetics is the inability to function for extended periods of time without having to have the power supplies refreshed (plugged in). As a result, he exchanged motors for special materials that expand and contract based on varying voltage, functioning very much like normal muscle tissue. In 2000, while doing research for DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency), he developed a fuel source that simply used hydrogen peroxide instead of conventional motors and batteries.

Military needs artificial limbs!

With impressive advances in body armor, the number of casualties that the military suffers from was sharply down but as limbs are still exposed, a record number of limbs where being amputated. Having impressed other researchers, he then set his sights in 2005 towards developing an advanced prosthetic arm ever with 30 million dollar in funds from DARPA.

DARPA Results

The artificial arm developed by Dr. Goldfarbs was radically different then anything currently in the marketplace and has almost the same functionality of a real one! The artificial arm has more dexterity, freedom of movement and power then what is currently available with the added benefit of using a liquid fuel power system which can be refreshed when ever the user desires. Other researchers are also studying implantation of electrodes directly within the central nervous system to control artificial limb movement instead of using current methods.

The Future of Artificial Limbs

Dr. Goldfarbs is now researching the development of an artificial leg using the same technology he developed with DARPA funds for the next generation artificial arm.

Video

I found a video by Dean Karmen, I don’t know if the arm is the same as the one developed by Dr. Goldfarbs but the end of the video is interesting regardless.

The Bottom Line

Follow your strengths and success will surely follow.

Buzzvia
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Creating_The_Ultimate_Artificial_Arm_999.html

People suffering from mental health issues use to be housed in psychiatric institutions but now, in the United States, they are increasingly being held in jail. If fact, one out of every 10 patients are now housed behind bars with the general inmate population, which now represents over half a million of those held in detention facilities around the country.

Summary

I urge you to view the video yourself but if you don’t have time, here is a summary:

• prisons have become the new state mental health facilities as they where systematically shutdown due to budget cuts and policy changes
• 50 000 mentally ill stay in state hospitals but 500 000 stay in prison
• 16% of prison inmates in Ohio are mentally ill requiring special services (medication, follow-up… ) that most facilities aren’t built to provide
• 30% of those 16% mentally ill will always require hospitalization and professional services to keep their condition manageable
• patients requiring acute care or constant watch are sent into the prison infirmary
• patients become suicidal, depressed and delusional due to being housed in a prison facility
• prisons are built to provide safety and security for the local population, not mental health services
• most mental health patients are in prison due to minor offenses and not following orders by lower level detention facilities
• Ohio prison system tries to triage those who are mentally ill verses criminal intent regarding disciplinary action
• mentally ill patients require more force then the general prison population because they quickly become out of control
• mentally ill inmates are often cycled between maximum security prison to mental health facilities for stabilization then back again into prison
• once mentally ill inmates return to prison, their conditions quickly degrade
• prison mental health services are often better then those in community based settings as close monitoring and force can be applied
• some inmates believe prison makes their condition better while others say it makes it worse
• isolation makes those who are already mentally ill worse and they fall apart due to lack of intellectual stimulation
• parole is a difficult goal to achieve due to their mental illness which often leads to an extensive rap sheet being produced in addition to their own bias towards wanting to guarantee mental health services in prison for the inmates own good
• some mentally ill inmates fear leaving prison because they fear the complexity of everyday life, they believe they are better off in the confines of a controlled environment
• mentally ill inmates have a high rate of return after parole as they often stop taking their medication, believing they don’t need it anymore and are cured
• two million people are behind bars in the United States, of which 25% have mental problems

The Bottom Line

Mental illness requires close attention by medically educated professionals, not people involved with law enforcement.

Buzzvia
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/asylums/

Let’s face it, AIDS is going to be with us for at least the next half century if not more. The reason that HIV Disease has been such a successful virus around the world is because it exploits all the human weaknesses that make up our various civilizations. Each year, there are new promises made by scientists regarding eradication of this deadly virus but this simply leads to more knowledge being acquired regarding the complexity of this virus.

Summary: Part 1

I encourage you to view this program online but if you don’t have time, here is an extensive summary.

• by the time HIV Disease was diagnosed in the United States, over 250 thousand people where infected, by the time it was diagnosed in Africa, millions where already infected
• the AIDS virus is 150 times smaller than the size of the blood cell it attacks and eventually kills, progressively over several years, the body dies from an infection due to an overwhelmed (now severely compromised) immune system without anymore t-cells to combat infection
• originally, most patients died within a few months upon diagnosis
• June 1981, CDC reports in the MMWR the occurrence of a mysterious disease which will soon be labeled as AIDS
• originally, infections where among healthy gay men who had a number of recreational drugs and sexual partners so the point of infection was very difficult to track down
• infection diagnosis then spread through the Haitian community, the CDC couldn’t figure out the connection between the gay men in large cities and the Haitian Community in Florida
• in Europe, infections began to show up in heterosexual couples who where not from Haitian backgrounds nor homosexual ones
• November 1981, three drug users where diagnosed in New York with AIDS which later lead to an epidemic of AIDS within the drug communities
• diagnosis of AIDS leads to becoming a social outcast within their peers, as this was mostly hitting the gay and drug communities, they where not a priority by the government (they didn’t care)
• government didn’t want public tax dollars going towards helping people who deserved to die based on actions against the Laws of God
• CDC warns that AIDS has entered the blood supply after a child becomes infected with AIDS
• Hemophiliacs are the next group to be infected with AIDS en mass, CDC then realized that AIDS had to be a virus spread through sharing of bodily fluids
• blood banks refuse to admit that AIDS could be spread from blood transfusions, even when faced with evidence by the CDC, it took two years before they began screening procedures, leading to 35 thousand confirmed new AIDS cases
• President Reagan comes into power and institutes a 25% cut in funding to the CDC, leading to two years of stagnation in the AIDS epidemic
• scientists had trouble finding the original source of AIDS, leads lead to the Congo
• once scientists visit the Congo, they realize that woman can also be infected with AIDS, once this is reported to high ranking government officials, they still cannot put two and two together as the gay and drug user biased is systemic throughout the administration
• Haitians where contracted by the now independent Congo once the Belgians left in the 1980s to teach the Congonese population, once they return, they infected many Haitians (the connection is now made)
• many gay men would travel to Haiti for cheap sex, then returning to the United States, leading to further infections within the gay community
• AIDS spread quickly through the closed and impoverished Haiti population
• bathhouses in the gay community became huge points of infection among the population, government officials debated the impact
• 1983, AIDS was a political disease even in the face of overwhelming evidence that it didn’t discriminate against host (sexual orientation, race or background)
• in the summer of 1983, HIV Virus was isolated by the French but scientists in the United States couldn’t wrap their head around more then one retro-virus existing
• HIV is thought to come from Chimpanzees that carried SIV hunted by humans in Central Africa sometime in the 1930s
• 1959 was the first confirmed case of somebody dying of AIDS
• one infection from a Chimpanzee to one Human lead to the current AIDS epidemic
• in May of 1984, the first AIDS blood test was developed and work on a vaccine is promised within two years
• AIDS blood test reveals that somebody can be HIV positive but completely healthy for decades before symptoms become apparent, leading to exponential infection rates
• in 1985, the gay community was going through an incredible challenge as people where dying daily, half of hemophiliacs died from AIDS as well
• during the second term of Reagan’s administration, AIDS was still not acknowledged and still seen as a mainly a gay problem
• Rock Hudson was a gifted Hollywood actor, known for his looks and ability with the woman, the personification of a perfect male, was the first major figure diagnosed with AIDS
• Rock Hudson’s death lead to AIDS becoming mainstream with widespread public fear, discrimination and paranoia spread across the country
• Ryan White, a 14 year old hemophiliac infected with AIDS is forced to quit coming to school due to unfounded fears and ignorance
• in September 1985, the Reagan’s administration re-enforces stigma that AIDS can be spread by casual contact, which is then denied by the scientific community which says AIDS is spread by exchanges in bodily fluids
• AIDS hides itself behind the bodies own sugars that essentially make it invisible to the human immune system
• in 1985, two million people where infected (mostly in Africa) and over 500 thousand Americans
• sex and homosexuality are taboo subjects in Africa which lead to exponential infection rates
• Jonathan Mann encountered AIDS in Zaire in 1984 during a study for the CDC and lead a WHO global program across the world, breaking taboos and forcing the issues behind AIDS into the public
• Irine Kaliba lead the development of the first AIDS support organization in Uganda after her husband died from AIDS caused by a blood transfusion, promoting education and hope to stop the AIDS infection growth rates (leading to a decrease)
• in 1985, heroin and the sex industry caused an explosion in new AIDS cases within Thailand
• 1 in 10 new army recruits where found in Thailand to be infected with AIDS, the government acted quickly to promote the use of condoms among sex workers while neglecting the drug users who had infections rates of up to 40%
• in Britain, AIDS was primarily spreading through the Heroin community from 0% to 56% within an 18 month period, in response, the government sets-up needle exchanges across the UK
• in 1987, United States Senator Jesse Helms was insulted by publications spreading knowledge about AIDS prevention and pushed for a ban against homosexual materials which is still on the books today, this was seen as a blow to the AIDS fight
• AZT was a cancer drug from the 1950s that caused immune system regeneration in AIDS patients, it was a public funded drug whose patent was given to a private company by the United States government at the price of 10 000$US a year
• mass demonstrations against the slow process of AIDS drug approval and extremely high drug prices
• AZT doesn’t totally knock out the AIDS virus, as a result, it adapted and became drug resistant to the once promising drug
• in 1987, the AIDS memorial quilt is displayed in Washington, over 40 thousand Americans had already died from AIDS
• on May 31st, 1987, president Reagan finally speaks-out about AIDS, while pushing for education, he also took steps that would be counter-productive such as testing new immigrants and not promoting condom use
• by 1990, a million Americans are infected with AIDS, equivalent to 1 on every 250 people across the United States population
• Ryan White Care Act is passed by Washington to begin putting a wedge in the exponential global increase in AIDS infections
• Jonathan Mann departs the WHO because of personality conflicts, his high profile work lead to conflicts with his boss who was jealous of Jonathan’s success on the AIDS front

Summary: Part 2

• Africans migrate en mass to South African in search of jobs
• next to the hostels where the men live are brothels where AIDS is spread through the population
• when Mandela is released from Jail, 1% of the South African population had been infected with AIDS but the government did very little to combat the growing epidemic over the following four years
• in 1984, Mandela saw his job being mostly that of reconciliation and led his vice president to take the helm of the AIDS fight
• during the five years that president Mandela was in office, he rarely discussed AIDS as infections where doubling on a yearly basis within his country
• Bill Clinton ran for president in 1992 promising to take the lead in the AIDS fight, in stark contrast to Reagan
• HIV was thought to be dormant for several years before infection but scientists found out that it replicated by the billions on a daily basis starting on the first day of infection, it just took a long time before these actions progressed to compromise the immune system
• replication of HIV isn’t a perfect process, as such, drug resistance is a given
• in 1996, the triple cocktail developed by the team working under Dr. David Ho shows incredible promise against the AIDS virus, the cost was 16 thousand dollars a year
• by 1996, 20 million Africans where infected with HIV with no way of affording the cost of treatment, which lead to an enormous moral question being asked
• AIDS patients in the United States with health care could afford the drugs but not those without it while in Brazil the triple cocktail is freely available to anybody who needs it, yet it’s banned in South Africa
• Brazil had 500 thousand infected AIDS patients in the 1990s, the government built the AIDS clinics in poor neighborhoods but it wasn’t until a patient brought the government to court did they provide the triple cocktail to their population
• AZT can prevent transmission between mother and child
• President Mbeki continues to see that AIDS is an environmental and social disease, infection rates are now to 20% within the population which was completely preventable
• infection rates within the black communities skyrocketed while they stabilized in the rest of the American population
• 40% of new AIDS infections come from IV drug users within the United States
• AIDS becomes a global pandemic which is met with absolute ignorance many governments around the world who deny its existence
• 20 million people died by the end of the 1990s by HIV/AIDS infections while most of the international community still looked the other way
• in the late 1990s, President Mbeki repeats his denials about AIDS, saying it’s caused by poverty, not a virus during the first AIDS conference in Africa
• the pharmaceutical industry stand behind their intellectual property rights behind the AIDS drugs they had developed at the cost of poor peoples lives
• George Bush creates a 15 billion dollar PEPFAR fund to help provide free AIDS drugs to Africans dying of AIDS to sidestep the UN Global Fund pushed by Kofi Annan
• United States leadership still think that AIDS was a consequence of sinful behavior, as a result, not their problem, hence funds where released with strings attached in 2002
• Christians see AIDS as an opportunity to spread the word of God to dying patients around the world
• UN Global Fund against AIDS targeted over 160 countries while the Bush plan concentrated on mostly African countries
• SARS in China affected the global community to open transparency about health problems
• disease, for the first time, seen as a situation that can affect economic and national security of a country
• triple cocktail needs to be taken for life as the infection returns afterwards, HIV never go away from a persons body, you can suppress it but not eradicate it
• Bush’s AIDS plan relies on prevention, where 20% of funds are allocated and shies away from direct sexual talk such as condom use
• prostitution, homosexuality and condom distribution are no-nos regarding receiving funds from the Bush administration
• the challenges posed by AIDS are far and wide with the implications of an entire global community relying on a constant supply these life saving drugs
• triple cocktail users live up to 8 years longer on the drugs but the costs take up a large portion of government health care budgets
• in 2008, both the UN and US funds against AIDS run out
• 95% of new infections take place in poor countries with 40 million in new infections over the next several years
• drugs and treatment programs cannot keep-up with infection rates
• India already has 5 million infections
• HIV spreads among mostly heterosexual populations now
• 5 million new cases per year, no cure and no vaccine exists
• current generation don’t know the face or challenges with AIDS, they tend to think it’s a manageable disease with little consequences, which is false
• AIDS fight is now towards mitigation, not beating it as too many have died and are being infected daily
• Nelson Mandela’s son has died from AIDS
• AIDS shows how interconnected we really are

The Bottom Line

HIV/AIDS is a condition that will be with us for at least the next generation if not more but prevention is always a more effective mechanism to control the spread then treatment.

Buzzvia
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/aids/view/

Modifying kids behavior in order for them to fit inside of a “one size fits all” mold is never a good idea but sometimes, this is all that can be done because of lack of resources (financial, chronological and emotional).

Background

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and begins in childhood in which the child is difficult to control due to lack of attention, hyperactivity and other behavioral problems. ADD is simply the condition without the hyperactive aspect being expressed by the child. It is mostly treated with medication and neither the cause nor ways of preventing it are known.

Summary

I encourage you to view this video but here is a summary in the meantime:

• children failing preschool, being told they suffer from brain disorders and need psychiatric medications to control behavior in schools
• each class within a school in the United States have 2-3 kids consuming behavior modification drugs and this is only increasing
• 4x more psyciatric medication prescribed to Americans kids then what is prescribed around the world combined
• Family A
  • their child was misbehaving, impulsive, unfocused and to his teacher, he needed medication to “fit in”
  • 6 million school kids diagnosed with ADHD / ADD in the United States
  • diagnosis based on list of 28 multiple choice questions, child, which is three and a half, was diagnosed with ADHD by psychiatrist and being told he needed medication to calm him down
• Family B
  • child takes 3 tables in the morning, some more during lunch then later in the day to help child concentrate
  • parents told child needed medication based on teachers assessment, such as talking with others and being social during classes
  • Retalin is being sold as the safest medication to help a child get over ADHD
  • child approached parents to get on the medication to help develop focus in school
  • child went from failing to great achievement in school, helped athletic performance and had a dramatic difference in personality traits
  • in 7th grade, child had doubts as to effectiveness of taking Retalin and decided to stop medication against wishes of school, psychiatrist and family
  • teachers noticed changes in childs behavior during 7th grade even when they didn’t know she was diagnosed with ADD
  • after a month off Retalin, child returned onto drugs, making teacher happy that the student can once again focus
  • half way through 7th grade, Retalin was replaced with Adderall
• medication prescribed so child is within a normal range of behavior
• in the 50s and 60s there wasn’t a need to have 6 million children medicated for ADD / ADHD, so what changed?
• ADD / ADHD is considered a fraud by Scientologists and they pushed school boards to stop pushing for medication of their student population
• ADHD is a lifelong condition, neurological and inherited which can only be “cured” via medication
• ADHD drugs cannot be advertised directly to patients so “public talks” about ADHD used to open “awareness” about the problem and the drugs that can sure it
• ADD / ADHD is a billion dollar a year industry, diagnosis is a booming industry
• Shire Richwood, drug maker of ADHD drugs, advocates under the association CHADD
• CHADD pushed for children to be eligible under disability act, so they can have less homework, extra services and classes for their child paid by school
• in the 1980s ADD / ADHD incidences where stable but diagnosis boomed in the 1990s after the United States made this condition eligible under the disability act as parents found out about the advantages of such a program
• lawsuits flying all over the place that there is a conspiracy between Novaris (Retalin manufacturer), Shire Richwood (Adderall manufacturer) and CHADD to over-prescribe ADD / ADHD drugs to children to help their bottom line
• Family C
  • diagnosis of ADD / ADHD is complex as it co-exists with other psychological problems such as depression, self-esteem and other factors
  • child is very sensitive and depressed
  • child had problems hanging out with the wrong crowd, suffered from peers making fun of him due to weight and other insults
  • child became overly concerned about future (in negative way)
  • child brought to church where a therapist thought he suffered from suicidal tendencies
  • child attempted suicide after being put on medication for several months, was tired of his life no matter how much medication was prescribed
• ADHD linked with depression in 18% of cases, additional drugs prescribed which also helped him loose some weight (child is morbidly obese)
• scientists have a tough time finding out more about ADD / ADHD as to cause after close to 20 years of study
• stimulants (Retalin, Adderrall etc. ) are effective against ADD / ADHD, it’s seen as a disorder of efficiency which may be due to size of cerebellum (being smaller in ADD / ADHD vs normal child)
• CCHR, association funded by Scientologists, doesn’t recognize psychiatric industry, says medication for psychological conditions is nothing but witchcraft
• Family D
• child diagnosed with ADHD in grade two, put on Retalin and by the time child was in 6th grade, was on a host of drugs to control behavior but no drugs seemed to work
• parents got court order to put child on Adderrall against his wishes, his condition lead to breakup of family

My personal views about ADD / ADHD debate

I believe that ADD / ADHD in 95% of the cases is based on environment and diet, there is nothing wrong with a child who is inattentive nor hyperactive, we are all different.

Most people have an atrocious diet, this does nothing to help both mental and physical development. The main reason that medication is being pushed is to help teachers better perform their jobs, these children are simply BORED with where they are and methods being used to teach them. Kids (and adults) of course have no problem focusing on things they LOVE to do. I was bored in University and most of high school, I had a few exceptions when the teacher that taught had a real passion for their courses, others simply treated us like robots to memorize and spit out results. Of course, it’s always easier to simply prescribe medication for all involved (including parents) then to make a drastic change in environment. Maybe your kid isn’t meant to learn via school, throw them on a boat and travel around the world, I believe the symptoms you see would quickly disappear.

I also believe a steady diet of television in the formative years aggravates the condition. Think about it, your brain adapts to the environment around it, if you are watching television, your brain is being taught that something new and exciting is always but a few seconds away… that’s why it’s entertaining. Go from this to a static class room for up to 8 hours a day and no wonder the brain over-reacts (hyperactivity or depression). Think about it.

Of course, there is that 5% of cases where medication may be required, but treating children with drugs while the brain is still developing should be avoided at all costs. To summarize, I believe ADHD / ADD is very similar to cancer, in which environment and lifestyle choices play an enormous role in its development.

The Bottom Line

Real or not, ADHD is here to stay because the alternatives to medications are simply too much of a perceived burden.

References
http://www.myfoodcount.com/healthylife/whatis/adhd.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/watch/

If you met Paul Anderson on the street, unless he is wearing shorts, he looks and acts just like everybody else. He is a prize winning photographer, husband and father (grandfather!). He also happens to be a double leg amputee. I didn’t know this when I let him know I used his self-portrait in an earlier article (Wheelchair Etiquette 101) but once I did find out, I had to ask him a few questions.I am happy to report that I had the pleasure of interviewing Paul over the weekend to push to the forefront that only because you have a disability, it doesn’t mean life is over.

You have some great looking photography, your passion is obvious, how did you get into this business? Dealing with models (nude ones at that), you’re a lucky man!

Before I lost my right leg in April of 2001 I use to go the the mountains to photograph nature type photos: landscapes and waterfalls. When I tried to go out again to some of the trails I found I couldn’t because of the terrain and the length of walk. At the time I couldn’t walk more than a tenth or two without getting tired. I didn’t want to give up photography because I love it too much.

I found a photographer in Burlington, VT. who was forming group shots for new models to expose them to the modeling world. All women who were interested would go to these shoots where there were 6-7 photographers and almost as many models. I’ve always wanted to photograph women and I felt I could still do my photography only on level ground.

After I started building up my own portfolio I wanted to try photographing nudes. I search the photo sites until I found a model that was an art model. She would pose for art drawing classes. That was 5 years ago and still photographing women and some men, both dressed and nude.

What other activities do you participate in other then photography?

Woodworking would be my second love. I’ve built some furniture for the house like a corner cupboard, linen closet and another cabinet for my wife’s friend and her husband. I have a garage here at the house where I have some basic power tools. Table saw, router, skill saw, drills, cut-off saw and various other tools.

My wife and I bought this house were in just over two years ago now and for the first five months we re-did the inside by redoing the kitchen, bath and flooring. The walls had a dark paneling all around and made it look too dark in here so down it came. Sometimes I would remove my legs just so I could work down close to the floor. The kitchen was red at the time and not functional. Here is a picture of before/after.

How and when did your disability occur? Did you suffer from ghost limbs - meaning you still feel your legs even if they aren’t there anymore?

I would say the start of my disability started back in 1994 when I worked for a company in Maine. I had to wear steel-toe shoes for work. I was a textile machine mechanic and supervisor. My first day wearing them I got a blister on the side of my big toe. I am diabetic and had neuropathy as well. The hospital doctor cut the toe open and cleaned out what he could and it healed nicely. The doctor told me it might come back and haunt me and it did on Dec. 24, 2000 when I kicked some ice build-up from behind my car tire. Three days later my big toe and second toe started turning black. By time the doctors operated trying to find good tissue half my foot was gone. I heard one doctor say that the infection had been in my foot for some time. Guess it just sat there dormant waiting to be disturbed.

As for ghost pains I still get them. My foot will itch or my toes feel like they’re being pinched. I can sit and wiggle my toes only there’s no toes there but the muscles in the leg still move like I am and I can feel them moving is what’s a trip. I lost my right leg in April of 2001 and the left one in April of 2004, both due to infections.

How much of an impact did loosing both of your legs have on your life? Can you describe your initial emotional state and how you have dealt with this new reality in your life?

My first reaction is that I knew I was going to lose a leg, my right one that is, and I was more concerned about my wife than I was myself. I kept an open mind as to what I was going to go through and took one day and one step at a time. I use to get very frustrated that I couldn’t go places or do some of the things I wanted to like get out in the hills and photograph waterfalls. Some areas are quite a hike to get to. My wife would see that I was frustrated and try to comfort me but she said I would close her out of my life during that period. I don’t remember doing that but I do remember being very frustrated. I just wanted to get up and walk again and I wasn’t patient enough to go through the steps. I kept feeling like I was being babied every step of the way. After learning to walk with a prosthetic leg I wanted to learn stair and they were still trying to have me walk. I was walking I wanted to go up stairs. So I felt like I was being held back and treated like poor you, I feel sorry for your loss.

I’m no different until you look down and see my legs and I try to treat it as I’m no different. I know my limitations and I push them once in a while.

I have seen some people able to walk upright even with two prosthetic legs, have you been able to achieve this or are you still training yourself to re-discover your balance?

It took me a while to find my balance but have done pretty good over the past two years. To all that wonder I can only describe it as walking on stilts all day never getting off of them. Try it and you’ll get an idea. After being on them for a while you learn where your balance is. Then step on a pebble and see what happens. You lose your balance very quickly.

I go out in the woods now still carrying my camera and a walking stick in the other hand for rough terrain. I don’t climb rocks yet and may never try that but I’m getting out farther into the woods.

What is the general reaction when you meet new people (especially in your business) when they discover that you are disabled? How do you break the ice so they see YOU and not only your disability?

When I arrange a photo shoot with a model I normally don’t mention that I wear two prosthetic legs. I don’t cover them up either when I go on a shoot. I wear shorts just about year round. Some try to act like nothings wrong until they can’t take it no longer and ask what happen to me. I act like there’s nothing wrong with me. I get out of my car and walk towards them to greet them or stop and grab my camera out of the car.

How do you feel about strangers (especially kids), asking you questions about your disability? How do you feel when the parents tell them to keep quiet and not stare?

I love it when people ask especially the kids. I had one of my legs decorated with a motorcycle on the socket. My prosthetic guy wrapped a cloth of a motorcycle around the socket before placing the hardener on it for protection. The kids would see the bike then ask questions. The parents on the other hand were the problem. They would say don’t bother the man or grab the kids hand and drag them off. I would quickly tell the parents that I don’t mind them asking and that I welcomed the question no matter how many times I heard them. Ask people you will get a good response by most.

Have you found some distinct advantages or liberties that your disability gives you in daily life over us abled people?

You mean like parking? I hated the first time I parked in a handicap area. Some times it works out fine when I have a full parking lot and I can park close to the store. Sometimes someone who is not handicapped will park in those spots just to run into the store for something quick. I went to a car dealership and tried to park in the one they had close to the service area but it was taken. I go inside and this woman didn’t look to see I walked in and she told the mechanic she was in the idiot spot out front. Then I spoke up and told her that’s why I could park there. I made her fell really really small and I was glad I did. I have no legs I’m not an idiot and neither is anyone else who’s handicapped. She was correct in saying she was in the idiot’s spot because she parked there which made her the idiot.

Wheelchairs, what are your sentiments about them? I have heard some people describe them as the tool of Satan while other are rather happy using them. What about you?

I’m using mine right now typing this letter. It comes in handy at my computer. I can roll back and get up. No seriously, it came in handy a lot of times. Would I spend the rest of my life in one…no. I wanted to get up and walk again and couldn’t wait to get out of it. The hard part was at doors especially the non-power doors that I had to grab pull back and quickly try an maneuver into all while sitting in the chair. And the doors with ramps in front of the door were even harder. So there were pros and cons with using one.

What are the things you miss most about having legs?

Basketball. I don’t jump very well with these legs. And climbing rocks. Use to be driving then I got hand controls for the car. I couldn’t feel the pedals so giving and letting off on the gas was trial and error.

Do you have any kids or gf/wife? How have they been affected by your Disability?

I celebrate my 27th wedding anniversary this August and I have two grown boys and two granddaughters. My youngest son, at the time I was going through all of this, took it the hardest. He was always worried of losing me. His school work was effected and his life in general. I tried to show him I was okay and getting around well but if I coughed he worried. I guess I put my wife through some tough times when I got frustrated over not learning to walking fast enough. I have a lot of patience but guess I didn’t have much back then. Now everything is so normal now. They still worry when I stumble but I try to do it with grace.

How do you keep up to date with advancing technologies in prosthetics? Does the government help you with your medical bills and making sure you have everything you need to continue living a productive Life?

My loss of legs were due to a work related injury because they made it mandatory to wear the shoes without proper fittings. So I collect worker’s comp and medicare on both legs. The worker’s comp is fighting the left leg so medicare pays for that one right now. I had my case in court and won but due to the wording, the insurance company is arguing. I’ve been trying to get some water legs so I can go swimming. I’ve been trying for a few years now and they keep ignoring me. Trying again this year and added a walk-in tub. It’s not too safe how I get in and out now.

Are you a member of a support group or do you attend meetings / conventions with other people in the same predicament?

I live in a very rural area and have never seen any support group advertised or my prosthetic guy has never mentioned any either. He works with several hospitals in the area. I do have some online friends that are like me and I try and give as much good advice as I can. One gentleman from Vietnam who had a car accident and lost both legs. His feeling is he doesn’t want to live and after talking with him he like the way I think but I don’t know if I’m helping him.

How has your disability affected your love life?

Without going into too much detail I can say it started off kind of comical. You feet keep you from falling backwards, did you know that? Well when you feel like making love your mind pretty much empties of all those things you should remember and you fall backwards. Now we are more inventive as to our lovemaking and that’s all I’ll say. So it hasn’t effected it too much.

How do you wish people reacted when they see you? What annoys the hell out of you or drives you nuts?

The parents of the kids that want to ask or even the parents that want to ask. They either drag their kids away like I have an illness or they stare and act like I’m a monster of some kind. I try to break the ice and say something but they look at me and walk away. I want people to get over the perfect world they think they live in an open their eyes. This could happen to them just as easy as it happened to me.

If you wish to view some of photography Paul has accumulated both before and after his disability, please visit the following sites:

http://home.together.net/~anderfam/thecameraseye/

http://www.onetalentsource.com/portfolio/1630/

The Bottom Line

Disabilities are simply a new challenge in life, not the end of it.

It’s no secret that people who are able have a tough time dealing with those who are not so much in public settings. How do you react to a request or begin a conversation? Who do you look at, the caretaker or the person with a disability? Well, thanks to wheelchairnet.org, a few of those questions where answered.

15 Points to Keep in Mind

1. only because a person is disabled, it doesn’t mean they aren’t a person, treat them with the same dignity and respect you would an able person
2. shaking hands, even an artificial or malformed one is acceptable
3. if you wish to help a person in a wheelchair, ask first
4. don’t screw around or play games with the persons wheelchair, it’s an extension of their body, treat it as such
5. speak directly to the person in a wheelchair
6. put yourself down to eye level by sitting somewhere if you wish to strike up a conversation
7. don’t pat a person in a wheelchair on the head or hand, they aren’t a dog
8. if you are giving directions, consider their disability as there may be routes that are longer but more accessible
9. let a child ask all the questions they want, they are great ice breakers
10. when a person goes from a wheelchair to a chair, don’t put the wheelchair out of reach
11. saying words like walk, run or expressions like running around isn’t an insult
12. only because somebody is in a wheelchair, it doesn’t mean they are disabled mentally or physically
13. wheelchair bound people are not sick nor contagious
14. only because somebody is in a wheelchair, it doesn’t mean they are bad, want your pity nor have tragic life, they are people just like the abled ones
15. guide dogs are on duty, don’t pet them unless you ask for permission first

The Bottom Line

Disabilities suck but for many, the only way of life they know, they deserve to be treated like anybody else. Look beyond the disability and into the person.

References
http://www.wheelchairnet.org/WCN_TownHall/Docs/etiquette.html

For whatever reasons, many people in this world end up in a wheelchair at one point of their lives or another. Sadly, go to any nursing home and you will see more wheels then feet hitting the floor… all that rubber does amazing things to floor polish huh?

Where did wheelchairs come from?

Wheelchairs have probably been in use throughout the world since mankind invented wheels. It makes perfect sense when you think about it, most of us spend more time sitting then standing and if you can’t stand, stick a couple of wheels on the chair and voila… instant mobility! The Oxford Dictionary has an entry dating back almost 350 years ago about wheelchairs being used by those with mobility problems but even before then, in 525 AD, the industrious Chinese had already documented this invention.

Evolution of the basic Wheelchair

As mentioned previously, wheelchairs are nothing new, their wheels probably transitioned from rock to wood, wood bronze, bronze to rubber and now rubber to composite materials over the ages but sitting hasn’t changed much at all for humans in the past 100 thousand years. Handles pushing somebody who is on a chair is also a rather obvious, though I believe those must have skipped the rock generation. Today, wheelchairs can be motorized, able to climb stairs and even some in Japan speak back to you! Domo Arigatoo for sitting on me!
Evolution of controls

Although the basic wheelchair has experienced changes, the most profound ones have been in the area of self-control, leading some people to live in complete independence when previously that was but a dream. Today, wheelchairs can be controled with just about anything thanks to modern technology, from joysticks and breath (puff/suck) to finger and even chin movement. I would be surprised if they aren’t researching those that move based on your eye movement in that the chair brings you where you are looking.

What does all this mean?

Well, all these advances (and a heck of a lot more) all help give people the independence many lost, a wheelchair is no longer a burden to others but an opportunity to those who require them. Life isn’t over, just modified. Here is a fantastic video to show you what the next generation of kids are doing with their disability… wheelchair backflips… who would have thought?

Equal Access

I don’t believe there is the same amount of social stigma once attached to somebody who required the use of a wheelchair as in the past. You can see just about every public building in North America have wheelchair ramps, most street crossings have small ramps and even better, there is a constant chorus of people who are pushing for equal access to other areas which where once unaccessible… like the beach!

Colours in Motion

I found this company after watching the wheelchair back flip video (above) and was totally oblivious as to how much wheelchairs have really changed in the past years. More chrome then on a motorbike, radical designs, vibrant colors and I am just scratching the surface. These chairs honestly put my office chair to shame in comparison. I am sure there are other companies doing this as well and I applaud them all for changing the lives of people around the world who have a disability. You can visit their website at: http://colourswheelchair.com

The Bottom Line

We may not all be lucky enough with the ability to walk but regardless of circumstances, there is always new opportunities that present themselves when shit happens.

Action leading towards achievement makes a lasting impact against your foes.

In a society bent on the “pursuit of happiness”, it’s no wonder why “happiness” drugs from prescription Zoloft to alcohol are used in almost in every class to escape into a little bit of heaven. No matter you wealth, position or background it’s this pursuit that binds all of us together like nothing else.

What is depression?

Well, according to dictionary.com, depression is the condition of being depressed (leave it to a dictionary to clearly explain something huh?)… but there is more, depression is a condition of feeling sad or despondent characterized by inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, feelings of guilt, helplessness, hopelessness and thoughts of death.

Why do we get depressed?

Drug companies I believe are doing a big disfavor in this regard, there is that minority (like obesity) that no matter what they do, they will feel like crawling under a rock and staying there – for those people drugs are the answer but for everybody else, I believe drugs are the WRONG answer.

What would happen if we where always happy?

This is like asking somebody what it’s like to always have money, you get use to it and it looses its value. If you are always in “happiness” mode, you will forget what it felt like to be in the “sad” mode so the value of happiness becomes lesser of value to you as time goes on. This is where I have a problem with drugs (prescription or otherwise), if you are always “on”, then you are dependent on artificial means of staying “on” so when you get “off” you crash and burn. Artificial joy is a fantastic recipe for disaster in my opinion… just ask your local drug addict
Triggers for depression

Lets recap, nature doesn’t care about your depression and if you don’t get depressed then there is something wrong with you (not the other way around). I believe the root cause of depression in a society of plenty is people leading predictable and unsatisfying lives – I also believe this is also the root cause of obesity in our society. Unhappiness about your marriage, unhappiness about your job, tired of kids, tired of dealing with everyday problems… you name it… it all slowly builds up. Instead of SOLVING the problems doing simple lifestyle changes, we have been “marketed” to simply go to the doctor and ask for our “happiness” drugs, or worse yet, go to the local drinking hole and get our happiness by drinking away our sorrows. If you look as our society, avoiding action towards problems doesn’t seem to be working so well.

How to treat depression

I believe that 95% of depression that is not caused by a clinical condition out of the control of the patient can be easily treated by lifestyle choices. If you are in a bad marriage… GET OUT, if you are sick of your house… MOVE, if you are tired of the kids… SEND THEM TO A BABYSITTER AND GO ON VACATION. People saying “well, you can’t do that” are usually the same people who have their own problems as well and fear the unknown. Remember, I “preach” that instability is good for us – and I live what I preach
Basically, when our lives get so comfortable that they become predictable, that is when the zest for life (ei: happiness) tends to diminish in peoples lives… the longer they do nothing about it, the worst it gets. How do you treat depression? TAKE ACTIONS AGAINST IT… not words or half-assed steps… LASTING ACTION!

My personal bouts

I like every other human have had bouts with depression… I was once in a marriage that was in shambles, my life was a financial nightmare and everything I would touch would turn to muck. Just to give you an idea of how bad things where, I was so stressed out that my appendix decided it had enough and wanted out of my body… a few hours later it got its wish and I am still waiting for the post card of it on a beach somewhere
How did I get out of it? I didn’t resort to alcohol or drugs, I pushed myself DAILY towards turning things around, got a divorce (toughest thing I ever did), got my diet back into order, did lots of “house cleaning” and looking back today, there isn’t a day that I regret doing what I did… I fear how my life would have turned out if I wouldn’t have stepped to the plate and taken action. Was it easy? Hell no… but it had to be done and like many other things in life, the only person who can change your life is YOU. Since then, I never felt a hint of depression… and that was almost 6 years ago! Action leading towards achievement makes a lasting impact against your foes.

The Bottom Line

Nobody can treat your depression other then you… make the changes you are fearing to make in your own life and you will see that your depression will become a thing of the past.

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States and many other industrialized countries.

I run a health site – of course my enemy #1 is tobacco related products, followed by obesity and general health laziness – all of which are lifestyle CHOICES that lead to a premature death and dramatic decrease in the quality of life.

My experiences with smoking and smokers

When I was a kid, I was as curious as anybody else and did try smoking – if everybody was doing it (especially back then)… it should be good for me too Well, I took one puff and my throat constricted and I felt like I inhaled a camp fire as I coughed immediately and vowed to never do that again. As I come from a French Canadian background, smoking seems to “us” as natural as eating or sleeping, when I visit my relatives – they pretty much all smoke (or are in the cycle of vowing to quit). So to me, living a life with nicotine addiction would not have been frowned upon very much.

If smoking is so bad for you – why do people do it?

I have come to the realization of many things in my 30 years of existence, the main factors as to why I think people prefer to slowly kill themselves instead of simply getting a gun and getting it over with are:

Smokers… a generation lost

We have added a new section on myfoodcount.com, it’s within our “famous people, everyday problems” section under Nicotine Addicts. I was surprised how many really famous people died prematurely from smoking related causes… here is a partial list of only entertainers (we have almost 300 so far from all fields of life).

If tobacco related products are so bad to you – why can you still buy them?

I blame this squarely on our government – the “don’t smoke” ads are a joke, they tend to make smoking look like eating cheese, “its not that bad for you but hey, if you want to stop eating cheese, give us a call”. The penalties regarding underage smoking are rarely enforced and worse, the government subsidizes tobacco producers (????).

The Bottom Line

Nobody cares about your health other then you… so you must take the initiative and make it YOUR top priority.

LINK OF INTEREST
Cigarette manufacturers increase nicotine yield in the past 6 years
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=2371123

Mornings are the toughest part of the day when you are acquire “Old Man Syndrome” If you work in an office environment and get paid to sit on your ass all day… you probably already suffer from the “old man syndrome”.

What is “Old Man Syndrome”

Old Man Syndrome is a name I invented to describe how I was starting to feel every morning out of bed. Gone where the days where I could jump out of bed and right into the days tasks… I would wake up, feeling stiff all over and for a few minutes each morning, I might as well be 70 years old because my joints where very stiff and each movement was giving me pain. After realizing how this was slowly creeping up on me, I decided immediately to do some lifestyle changes to counteract these awful effects. I am 30 years old… not a 70 year old! I also suffered from a sore back most of the day and thank God I exercise regularly because I have no idea how I would get through the day without the activity.

A little background…

I am starting to realize how the panacea of having a “desk job” is just that, a mirage. I now think of my desk job as a slow health killer, just as bad as junk food and inactivity. Think about it… you sit ALL DAY with the only movement occurring is moving a mouse and typing on a keyboard. Back in the good old days when we where on the Serengeti trying to catch our meal, we would be moving all over the place - our minds have not left our ancestral lands and if you remember to an article I wrote a few weeks back… the body is in a constant state of decay unless you move, at which point it reverses into a body of rejuvenation.

Lessons from Bruce Lee

To say this guy was a fitness fanatic would be a huge understatement… from what I continue to read, he was always working out, moving his body day in and day out. He had an incredible physique and strength… one even worshiped today by even bodybuilders! He did two things right… he never sat motionless for any extended period of time and he was always pushing his body (and mind) into new areas. So I decided to apply some of his principles into my life, every hour throughout the day, I get off my ass and for 10-15 minutes, do some weight training at 50% max weight. If you do a bench press of 200 pounds, then 50% of that would be 100 pounds. I have my muscle groups divided up over the week to avoid over training and you know what… at the end of the day I am exhausted and feel great. I do all reps to exhaustion, usually getting 3 sets in the 15 minutes… remember, it is a continuous exercise with no rest and until exhaustion.

Lessons from my Dad

I have a lot of heroes in my life, people I try to emulate a small aspect of to improve my life but nobody has had such a positive influence on my life as my dad. When I was a kid, I would always see him take very good care of his health, would watch him exercise and admired his fearlessness at change. If something needed a change, he was already taking steps to build it into his habits. I told my dad a while back how I was getting back pain and was sore, it was different then the soreness you get the day after a great workout and he told me he had similar problems until he started stretching throughout the day. I started doing stretches but it never really caught on into my habits.

Bruce Lee + Dad = eradication of “Old Man Syndrome”

So combining these two principles in less then a week all symptoms of my syndrome have disappeared and I feel great! I dropped the regular weight training 4 times a week for about 30-45 minutes and replaced it with what is essentially 6 mini workouts throughout the day with stretching mixed in and regular walks lasting 1-3 hours daily. The other benefit to this type of workout is since I already eat 6-8x a day, I find my appetite has increased and stuff doesn’t “sit in me” as long as it use to. My weight as so far remained constant but I expect to lean out as I continue this workout.

Current Schedule: Still a work in Progress

Monday
3 morning workouts/stretch sessions lasting 8-10 minutes of Chest & Back
noon 30 minute walk
3 morning workouts/stretch sessions lasting 8-10 minutes of Legs & Calves
end of day walk, 1-3 hours

The Bottom Line

You are never too young to acquire “Old Man Syndrome” nor ever too old to get rid of it