Tag: Health

So scary: “Sneeze causes stroke for Natomas woman”

This is not a cause for snark, just a quick Monday morning post to get the week started with the freakiest health news article that has a local angle that I have seen in a while: “Sneeze causes stroke for Natomas woman“:

The sneeze had caused a massive stroke, and [Suzanne] Aymeric spent the next five weeks in Mercy General Hospital, paralyzed on her right side and unable to speak.

When Aymeric sneezed, the sudden movement tore the major artery in her neck, the carotid.

So scary! I wish Ms Aymeric well.

2010 Forecast: Heavy (!) traffic in Rancho Cordova’s drive-thrus

Getting too big for its boundaries
If you’re a sacrilegious, unemployed heathen who happens to be in Rancho Cordova at any point in time, please disregard this post.

As reported by the Sac Bee, the mayor of Rancho Cordova has big plans for the fair-sized denizens of his city:

Rancho Cordova’s “Great Health Challenge,” planned for announcement at tonight’s City Council meeting, calls for members of the community to drop a combined 40,000 pounds – 20 tons – over the next 10 months.

A rather ambitious objective, I would say. Continue reading “2010 Forecast: Heavy (!) traffic in Rancho Cordova’s drive-thrus”

I want to ride my bicycle, part deux

The Sacramento Business Journal reports that Sacramento ranks fourth in the U.S. and first in California for bicycle commuting among the 70 largest cities.

“I think the city has been good about making conditions better for cyclists,” he said, noting a number of changes the city made last year in midtown.

Several streets, including P, Q, 19th and 21st, went from three lanes to two with bike lanes. The city also converted a number of parking meters to bike racks.

Remind me where midtown is again?

At any rate, we are very fortunate to have the American River Parkway (great article here, btw) and other trails that help make bicycling easier and safer in Sacramento. I do think that employers can make it easier to commute by bicycle (many have already, I know) by providing secure bike lockers and storage areas for equipment. A lot of bicycle commuting has to do with the type of job you have, too.

What have your experiences been with bicycle commuting? When HeyMeg wrote about this topic in 2007, safety was a big concern. Still a major issue? Access to trails from outlying cities?

More about common decency

Whatever happened to common decency?
Whatever happened to common decency?

I had lunch at Mezcal Taqueria today on West El Camino near Truxel Road. It wasn’t bad (Hey, Taco De Sacto, can we search your site to see if you’ve reviewed a restaurant already?) and I would go back again. What was bad, though, was the mixed messages in the restroom.

As I walked in I noticed a sign indicating that workers are required to wash their hands before returning to work. You know the sign, we’ve all seen it. However this one had a little twist…

“Common Decency and the State Law Health and Safety Code Require That You Wash Your Hands Before Leaving This Room to Resume Work”

Perfect for passiveaggressivenotes.com, huh?


Whatever happened to
common anything?

My lesson in common decency continued when I noticed this sign advertising a taxi company (it’s a horrible camera phone shot, I know) having to do with a girl that is unattractive at 10:00 p.m. but more desirable throughout the night until it is time to call a taxi, or something, I’m not quite sure. Has anyone else seen it? So odd.

H1N1 Update: Clinics open to all

The Sacramento County Public Health site has been updated with new free H1N1 vaccine clinics. In Sacramento County, there are no longer restrictions on who can receive the shots. Follow their Twitter page for the latest.

From the Bee article:

To avoid waiting in long lines at the public clinics, call your doctor’s office to see if they have the vaccination.

Hmm. A lot can be read into that statement, huh?

Won’t somebody please think about the Santas!?

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Creative Commons License photo credit: boost.dependent

Hilarious front-page story today in The Onion The Bee about the H1N1 virus and its effect on mall Santas: Mall Santas say H1N1 flu risks warrant early vaccinations

Santas everywhere are saying they should be first in line to get the H1N1 vaccine – even though many don’t fit the priority groups getting the shots.

The story, by the Bee’s Anna Tong, goes on to quote several national mall Santa organizations (there are several!) who are lobbying to get mall Santas their shots.

For the record, I am not looking to spin this as a story about government-run healthcare. To me this is a just a simple story about mall Santas wanting to steal important vaccines away from babies.

About the crowds at County’s free flu shot clinic…


from Sac Bee

What do you all make of the massive crowds at yesterday’s free Sac County H1N1 flu vaccine clinic? On the one hand, even though there have been reports of people trying to cut in line (you stay classy!) and of folks who are not “high risk” being given the vaccines anyway, it seems to have been a pretty civil affair. On the other hand, thousands of people lined up in the cold to get vaccines from the government isn’t exactly a heartwarming sight. What do you all think?

Grossest news quote of the week

From the Bee’s portrait Monday of San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano:

When the Assembly was locked into all-night budget talks last winter, Ammiano broke the tension while joining colleagues for a brief nap in the lounge.

“He said he hadn’t slept with that many people since the ’70s,” recalled Assemblyman John Perez, D-Los Angeles.

Life sure was different before AIDS. To quote Abed: Hence AIDS.

Swine Flu in Sacramento County

{NOTE – This story contains out-of-date info about the number of cases in our area. For updated Sacramento-specific information, see the County’s DPH website.}

The first case of Swine Flu has been confirmed in the Sacramento area, so get ready for the en-sooey-ing panic.

Sorry.

To avoid unnecessary panic and worry, it is important to understand the facts behind the 2009 Swine bug. The strain(s) of the virus that have been popping up in the United States appears to be a milder version of the more lethal strains that have been found in other countries. Only one patient has required hospitalization, an elderly woman. Everyone else has gotten a nasty flu and recovered. This is the only the 8th case in California and the 40th in the US, so the chances of getting it appear to be quite slim. (Update: 3 positive cases in Fair Oaks, making a total of 10 CA cases as of 4/28)

This is not a deadly superbug. Let’s hope it stays that way.

It is also not spread by eating pigs. Please maintain your normal bacon consumption level.

Continue reading “Swine Flu in Sacramento County”