It's Paul's 60th birthday today, and we're spending it with family in Australia, including Angela's parents, who at the ages of 84 and 86 are in the process of emigrating from the UK to NZ. But we're not quite vain enough to have a post just about Paul! It is also 60 years since the first publication about warfarin. On September 13th 1956, an article entitled "Coumadin … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – don’t try this if you’re on anticoagulants!
A fashionable sport-linked trend is for 'cupping'. Our daughter's partner is a keen body-builder and recently tried cupping. He's allowed us to show you these photos. Whatever I may think of the medical reasoning behind it, (and I'm about to tell you!), I think he was amazingly brave! Cupping is the revival of an ancient practice where suction to parts of the skin, … [Read more...]
David Clotterfield Saga – scene 4
David Clotterfield and Clara Clearvessel are both on warfarin and as we follow their saga we'll discover their beliefs about anticoagulation through the various comments they make about their lives. At the end of each scene, you'll get a chance to test your knowledge; Are their comments true or false? Before reading this episode, you may like to catch up with the previous … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – Appetite for blood-related foods?
Have you tried any of these foods? I'm not sure if reading this will make you more or less likely to have a go! Roasted Bone Marrow Bone Marrow produces most of our blood cells and haematologists care for many patients with bone marrow disorders such as myeloma - a cancer of the bone marrow. But eating it has never appealed to me. Our daughter-in-law feels differently though. … [Read more...]
Pharmacy Fashion – could you make this dress?
On our recent visit to Copenhagen for the European Haematology Association conference, I visited the Copenhagen medical museum. This was an amazing place, but what impacted me most of all was the dress that was displayed in the foyer. The dress is composed of 27,774 tablets and capsules, representing the pills a woman with metabolic syndrome might take over 10 … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – Book Reviews – Clotting for Kids
If you want to explain blood clots to your kids or grandkids, we've found two helpful children's books. Curious Ross discovers How Blood Clots by Gill Stelzer - a research scientist with a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology as well as a BSc in Computer Science This is part of a series he's written called 'Educational science while you play' About the book … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – Feeling cold? Winter or warfarin?
"Of course I feel cold; I've got thin blood!" New Zealand is at its coldest right now which may seem odd to those of you sweltering in the mid-summer temperatures of the Northern Hemisphere, but we have snow low on our mountains. I fly to work for one of my clinics and the view on the right was taken from my plane yesterday. Not a bad commute, but a little cold. New … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – socks
After the last two serious posts about compression stockings, it's time for some sock fun! First comedian Louis CK complains about putting his socks on (and these aren't even compression stockings!) then a video of a good method of getting socks off and to finish, instructions on how to make a sock monkey. I don't know how this would work with compression stockings, … [Read more...]
David Clotterfield Saga – scene 3
David Clotterfield and Clara Clearvessel are both on warfarin and as we follow their saga we'll discover their beliefs about anticoagulation through the various comments they make about their lives. At the end of each scene, you'll get a chance to test your knowledge; Are their comments true or false? Before reading this episode, you may like to catch up with the previous … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – 5 worst hobbies if you’re on anticoagulants
As part of my work as a haematologist, I care for boys with haemophilia. This is a clotting disorder due to lack of factor VIII or IX: possible problems are similar to those of people on anticoagulants. Some of these boys seem to have a death wish, because they take my advice about sports to avoid, as a challenge rather than a caution! I have known boys with haemophilia take … [Read more...]