Tall Order for Leg Lengthening Surgeons

When John entered the hospital in southern Russia two weeks ago, he was a healthy, athletic 29-year-old. But for the next nine months he will be struggling just to walk. When he leaves the hospital he hopes to walk out a new man, or at least one that is over three inches taller.

John has elected to undergo a controversial and painful procedure because he wants to be taller. His legs will remain broken on purpose for up to four months while doctors work to lengthen the bones. Then John will have to spend another four to five months recuperating in the hospital. He will essentially have to learn to walk again.

"Right now I feel good," he said by phone 10 days after doctors broke his legs to begin the process.

"The first few days were pretty bad," he admitted. "Now it hurts, but it's tolerable."

John traveled thousands of miles from his home in New York to the Center for Anthropometrical (Orthopedical) Cosmetology and Correction in the Russian city of Volgograd for the surgery. He's one of a small, but apparently growing, number of medical tourists traveling to Russia for this procedure, which is banned in some countries and both rare and costly in the United States.

John (not his real name, which he asked not be revealed because he hasn't told anyone but his mother what he is doing) can now walk slowly with a walker although his lower leg is swollen to about "double" its normal size. But his biggest obstacle has been inside his own head.

"You become handicapped from day to night, so that's also a challenge psychologically," he said. "You start doubting what you are doing."

"I was a normal person, completely healthy. There was no reason to do this. So these thoughts get into your head," he said.

John is currently 5-foot-5 and wants to add 8.5 centimeters, or about 3.3 inches, to his height. (The longest length the center has been able to add is nine to ten centimeters) It means he will have to be in the hospital for eight to nine months, three to four for lengthening and then another four to five for healing.

"Since I was 14 to 25 years old I really wanted to be taller. I wasn't happy with my height," he said. After turning 25, John became more comfortable with his body, but always wondered what it would like to be taller. He opted to have the surgery because he said he did not want to regret missing the chance.

"I was a very happy person, but I always wanted to be taller," he said.

The surgery is not for the faint of heart.

It involves strategically breaking the tibia, or shinbone, and then slowly separating the ends of the broken bone over a long period of time. As the body tries to heal the break by creating new bone, the fracture is extended yet again and the body creates even more bone in the gap.

Doctors extend the fracture by a tiny amount several times a day, only a millimeter total each day, until the desired length is reached. The trick is to do it slow enough so that new bone continues to grow, but fast enough that it does not heal entirely.

The procedure was pioneered by Soviet Prof. Gavriil Ilizarov in 1951 as a way to treat World War II veterans with leg injuries. Recently the technique attracted attention from the Pentagon, which is funding a study into its use for leg trauma wounds. It has also been commonly used to treat leg deformities, like bowed legs. But in recent years it has also become a popular cosmetic choice for those, like John, who always dreamed of being taller.

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13 Tricks to Wake Up Slimmer

By JESSICA GIRDWAIN

We get it: You want to lose the jiggle but don't want to blacklist your favorite eats, count every single calorie, or overdose on gym hours. The great news is, you can drop weight without dieting: Experts say making small change-ups to your day is one of the best ways to lose.

We grilled health and fitness pros for the tweaks that will help your shape the most. Road test a few, and you could shed 5 (this week!), 10, or even 20-plus pounds without a whole lot of effort.

"Buy natural varieties of peanut butter and pour off the oil sitting on top. Each serving will have 20 fewer calories and 2 to 3 fewer grams of fat. It's a small difference that'll add up to a couple of pounds per year."

—Amelia Winslow, personal chef in Los Angeles and founder of the healthy food blog Eating Made Easy

24 Motivational Weight Loss and Fitness Quotes

"Skimping on fiber will make you gain weight. Forget the pretzels and go for a bag of low-fat popcorn. It has five times the fiber and only 90 calories for six cups, so it's filling and satisfying.

A recent study found that when women doubled their daily fiber intake from 12 to 24 grams, their bodies absorbed 90 calories less per day. You could lose almost 10 pounds in a year!"

—Tanya Zuckerbrot, RD, author of The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss

13 Produce-Packed Summer Side Dishes

"Kick up your heels and go dancing with your girlfriends—or have a solo dance session at home. Fast-tempo dances are not only a blast to do, but in an hour you'll torch 400 to 500 calories. That's equivalent to light jogging on the treadmill, but it's way more fun!"

—Christine Avanti, author of Skinny Chicks Eat Real Food: Lose the Fake Food and Kickstart Your Weight Loss

10 Weight Loss Tips

"At the gym, lift one set of heavier weights than you're used to. And on your walk or run, add backward walking and sideways shuffling in one-minute bursts.

You'll challenge your muscles in new ways, work them at a variety of angles, and improve your balance. These things will tone you up and burn extra calories."

—Gunnar Peterson, celebrity trainer to A-listers (including our December cover star Sofia Vergara!) in Beverly Hills, California

Train Your Arms Like a Celebrity

"Cutting out after-dinner snacking is a quick way to help you shed 5 pounds in a week. At night, we're usually scarfing down junky foods in front of the TV—and it's easy to consume a meal's worth of calories, plus belly-bloating sodium.

If you're typically hungry before bed, it might mean you're eating dinner too early, so push it back. Snack on fruit at 3 p.m. Then at 5 p.m., have a snack bar. At 7:30, you'll be ready for dinner, and you'll be eating late enough to stay full for the rest of the evening."

—Heather Bauer, RD, author of Bread Is the Devil: Win the Weight Loss Battle by Taking Control of Your Diet Demons

16 Ways to Lose Weight Fast

"Fill your plate with crunchy, chewy foods like carrots, apples, and whole grains. They take more time to chew, and their fiber makes your body work harder to digest them—so you'll burn more calories during your meal.

Eating this way can increase your total calorie burn by 5% throughout the day!"

—Leslie Bonci, RD, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Center for Sports Medicine

5 Delicious Homemade Veggie Burgers

"Just focus on cooking wholesome food; you'll eat well and could even lose 5 pounds in a week. For breakfast, have yogurt and some fruit; for lunch, eat a soup and a winter salad with tuna and walnuts; at dinner, fill your plate with 3 to 4 ounces of fish or chicken, a couple of veggies, and a piece of fruit. And feel free to use a bit of butter or olive oil—you don't have to deprive yourself."

—Mireille Guiliano, author of The French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook

Best and Worst Foods for Sex

"Downsize your wine glass to cut calories. Wine glasses today are giant goblets, so it's easy to pour 6 ounces, or one-and-a-half servings, without noticing. That means those two glasses a night might actually be closer to three (almost half a bottle!), adding up to 300 calories.

Instead of drinking this way every day, have a regular-size 4-ounce glass a couple of times a week. You could drop more than 20 pounds this year."

—Tim Church, MD, director of preventive medicine research at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

5 Ways to Beat the Bloat

"Slip exercise into everyday life, and make it fun. Head outside and go ice skating with friends or shape a snowman with your kids. You can even stage a pillow fight in your living room.

That burns 82 calories in 20 minutes, plus you'll laugh the entire time!"

—Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Speedy Sneaky Chef

24 Fat-Burning Ab Exercises (No Crunches!)

"Season and butter the bottom of foods. For example, butter the bottom of toast, and salt the bottom of potato rounds. This sounds weird, but it really helps with weight loss. When you eat foods this way, the flavor hits your tongue right away, and you actually taste more of it. Ultimately, that means you can cut out at least half the belly-bloating salt or butter."

—Devin Alexander, chef and host of FitTV's Healthy Decadence and author of The Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook

How to Get Rid of Annoying Body Problems

"Make sure you're the last one to start eating and also the last person to finish. I do this, and it helps me slow down and chew my food properly instead of inhaling what's on my plate—and more. Eat this way and you'll take in fewer calories at your meals."

—JJ Virgin, PhD, author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy: The 5-Step Plan to Sleek, Strong, and Sculpted Arms

3 Ways to Eat Slowly (and Lose Weight!)

"Make a few changes to your party outfit, and you'll beat the temptation to overindulge. At a cocktail party, carry a clutch instead of a purse. With a cocktail in one hand and your handbag in the other, you won't be able to reach for too many hors d'oeuvres.

And wear a form-fitting dress—it'll be your biggest reminder to not revisit the food table for seconds."

—Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet: 10 Steps to a Thinner, Healthier You

"Stop eating when you're at a 5 or 6 on a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 is famished and 10 is Thanksgiving full). When you stop at 5 or 6, chances are 20 minutes later, you'll feel like a 7 or 8.

This tactic is great for parties and vacations—and could save you lots of calories per meal."

—Ellie Krieger, RD, host of Cooking Channel's Healthy Appetite and author of Comfort Food Fix

This article originally appeared on Health.com.

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Climate Change Could Impact Allergies

Climate changes and rising carbon dioxide levels don't just affect the environment. Experts say they also affect your nose. Warmer temperatures and higher carbon dioxide levels mean certain plants will thrive, and those are the plants that tend to make us sneeze during allergy season.

Allergies may seem like a minor nuisance, but according to the CDC there are an estimated 50 million Americans living with allergies, and $18 billion is spent every year dealing with the affliction.

From hay fever to sneezing to itchy, watery eyes, all of these symptoms could become heightened as plants begin to produce more virulent pollen. Allergies can also exacerbate asthma and slow down productivity, in addition to that overall miserable feeling.

Last week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that carbon dioxide levels had reached a grim benchmark of 400 parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere compared with about 280 ppm before the start of the industrial age.

Additionally, 2012 was the warmest year on record for the U.S., a full 3.2 degrees warmer than the average 20th century temperature, according to NOAA.

Dr. Jeffrey Demain , an allergist and director of the Allergy Asthma & Immunology Center of Alaska, said the new carbon levels concerned him as he's seen his patients have more severe reactions from allergies. "I think over the last 20 years, in my opinion we're seeing more patients with allergies," said Demain. "And the allergies seem to be very significant."

In the past 53 years, carbon dioxide levels have risen globally approximately 22 percent. Much has been written about how the rise in greenhouse gases is bad for the environment, but less has been said about how these gases can help some plants flourish. Unfortunately for humans these plants, like poison ivy and ragweed, tend to be irritating or even harmful to our health

A 2005 study found that when ragweed plants, a prime cause of hay fever symptoms in late summer and fall, were exposed to higher carbon dioxide levels they not only produced more pollen, but the grains of pollen were covered with increased numbers of nose-irritating proteins, supercharging the pollen's allergic properties.

The study subjected ragweed plants in a lab setting to different carbon dioxide levels from three eras -- the preindustrial age, the present day and even the end of the 21st century. The study found that the allergen concentrations increased 20 percent from the preindustrial age to today. But they were projected to rise a startling 60 percent by the end of the century.

So the plants might be flourishing in 90 years, but anyone with a ragweed allergy will be miserable.

"They're growing faster, they're producing more flowers," said Dr. Lewis Ziska, a research plant physiologist at the United States Department of Agriculture and one of the study's authors. "It's a two-edged sword … the [plants] that are responding have implications for public health.

Traditionally, allergists break up the year into three distinct seasons. In spring it's the trees that cause the most problems; summer brings flowering grasses that induce sneezing; and in fall ragweed pollen afflicts allergy sufferers with itchy, watery eyes.

But as temperatures more common for July start showing up in April and May in certain areas of the country, plants react to the weather and not the calendar date. Increased overlap between allergy seasons means more pollen in the air and little relief for people hoping for a break between seasons. "If you have high levels of pollen in the air then [people with pollen allergies] might have a lot of symptoms," said Demain. "They're a mess."

However, even when there are multiple allergy seasons happening at once, allergists say there are things people can do to stave off the worst symptoms. To keep pollen out of the home, experts recommend washing your face and changing your clothes after you arrive home and using a neti pot daily to help flush out irritating pollen grains.

A Milder Winter Might Mean a Miserable Spring

When the weather is warmer and seasons are milder, some plants will be releasing allergy-inducing pollen for longer periods of time.

A 2011 study looked at the length of the ragweed seasons in cities along different latitudes from Georgetown, Texas, to Saskatoon, Canada, over a 14-year period. During that time, nearly all the cities experienced fewer days with frost and longer ragweed seasons.

Cities further north also had statistically larger increases to their ragweed allergy seasons. The population of Saskatoon had to contend with a ragweed season 27 days longer in 2009 than in 1995.

Marooned on an 'Urban Heat Island' Means More Sneezing

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 80 percent of Americans currently reside in urban areas. While cities that lack greenery may seem like a safe place for people with pollen allergies, experts say they won't offer much sanctuary during allergy season.

That is partly because cities often become what scientists call "urban heat islands," where concrete and pavement soak up heat, resulting in consistently higher temperatures compared with surrounding rural areas. With warmer temperatures and higher levels of carbon dioxide, some allergen-inducing plants can produce more pollen than the same plants located in rural areas.

A 2003 study on allergen levels in Baltimore found more than three times the amount of ragweed pollen in the city compared with the surrounding rural areas.

Also, densely packed urban areas have higher levels of diesel and car exhaust, which can irritate the nose and throat, making allergy symptoms worse.

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Best Friends Lose Nearly 300 Pounds Together

Seven years ago, at the beginning of their friendship, Ann Moyer and Diane Ritchie shared something in common neither of them wanted.? They were both morbidly obese.

Moyer, 43, weighed in at nearly 340 pounds and relied on a mechanical-arm-like gripper tool to complete everyday tasks around her home.

“It’s supposed to be used for if you need to get something high off the shelf, but I took it to a whole new level,” she recalled.? “I did all my housework with my gripper.? I could sit in my recliner and just handle my business.”

Moyer, also suffering from sleep apnea, reached the point where she knew she had to do something. So?she called her friend Ritchie, 38 and at the time living in Chicago, and told her she was going on a diet.

“After I got off the phone with her I was sitting on our living room couch next to my husband and I said, ‘You know what, it’s time for me to do the same thing,’” said Ritchie.

Moyer downloaded an app on her phone to track her calories while Ritchie followed the South Beach Diet.? The two friends, who, as military wives, lived in separate cities, kept each other on track through daily phone calls.

They also followed these five, no-break rules: no white flour; no potatoes, corn or peas; save your lightest meals for the end of the day; always have healthy snacks available; pay attention to serving size.

Together the pair lost more than 280 pounds as a result.? Moyer shed 171 pounds in just over two years and Ritchie dropped 111 pounds in 10 months.

“Ann and I have a favorite saying [that] this never would have happened if we hadn’t been here together doing it together,” said Ritchie.

“We talked on the phone at least three to four times per day and we did weekly weigh-ins every Monday and Friday,” she said.? “Every time I had a hard time I called my sponsor, because that’s what we called each other, and anytime she had a hard time she would call me.”

The two friends now both live in Chesapeake, Va., and no longer have to rely on long-distance phone calls to hold themselves accountable. As neighbors, they cook together, share meals and work out together.

“It didn’t start out being some magnificent thing,” Moyer said.? “It started real small and it just built and built and built.”

“I know that we’re going to be all right, and I feel like she was a huge part of saving my life,” she said.

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Sex Workers Tell Tricks of the Trade

Audacia Ray came from a "good family" and had a normal childhood, attended college in New York City and then made a career choice -- she became a prostitute.

"I had one other friend doing it but I had never considered it before then," said Ray, now 33 and an advocate for sex workers. "She made it sound easy and something I could do."

Throughout her 20s, until just a few years ago, Ray, a bisexual, sold sex through Craig's List. She went on to modeling and fetish work.

"It's not the best job in the world, but it's not the worst," she said. "It took me a while to figure out what I was comfortable with and what my boundaries were."

But hooking was isolating and she had a few encounters with men that frightened her. Once, a man assaulted her. And Ray couldn't discuss her work with most of her friends.

Today, as founder of The Red Umbrella Project (RedUP), she works to give a voice to those who are in the sex business -- prostitutes, strippers, dominatrix and fetish professionals, porn performers and "anyone who trades sexuality for money or survival," even Internet chat room "camming" and phone sex workers.

Just this week in New York's Bluestockings Bookstore, people in the sex trade gathered to read from "Prose and Lore," a literary journal started by Ray and devoted to sex workers.

This edition features stories from 17 writers, three-quarters of whom are previously unpublished and developed their stories during an eight-week memoir workshop taught by this spring by Ray.

In 2004, Ray founded the sex worker magazine, $pread, and served as its editor.

"The group is very mixed and it's been interesting to hear very, very different experiences in the sex industry when they are all in the same room," she said. "Everyone learns from each other."

One story was written by a former gay porn star about undergoing plastic surgery; another was a trans woman's experience working the street; a stripper wrote about the first time she experienced shame on the job.

Until now, many, like Ray, didn't have a way to connect with others in the same industry.

Anna, a 32-year-old retired prostitute, wrote a story, "Class Whore," about an encounter with a sugar daddy client who, like her, was of South Asian descent. The story touched on the issue of race and class in sex work.

The client discovered Anna's family had come from a lower class in India, where the caste system is still powerful.

"He is a business magnate and he contacted the hotel where I was staying because the owner was one of his friends," Anna said. "He asked under what name my room was booked. He told me he knew my real name then he said my name back to me and it sounded worthless. He's Indian and I'm Indian, but a higher caste, so it took me back to that place."

Anna never solicited on the street, but worked independently. Still, she found having a network of other sex workers helpful, on how to negotiate a living, tricks of the trade, and getting references on high-end clients from other sex workers.

She also learned how to keep herself physically safe from clients, and how to avoid police entrapment.

"If something happens, you can't go to the police even though you have a right in our culture not to be assaulted," she said. "Because of the stigma and criminalization of sex work, it endangers us in many ways and increases our danger with our clients because they know we can't report these crimes. They know we are vulnerable."

Ray founded RedUP in 2010, after seeing the complicated personal lives of sex workers she encountered on the job.

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Surgeon Sued for Performing 'Phantom' Surgeries

Constance Nenni died after having a "phantom" knee surgery, according to a legal complaint filed against her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Spyros Panos.

In March 2010, Nenni underwent surgery to repair a left knee that had grown arthritic from 76 years of wear and tear, her daughter Debra Nenni McNamee said. She died less than 24 hours after having surgery.

Orthopedic Surgeon Replaces Joints to Keep People Working Longer

McNamee said she recalled Panos explaining the procedure as "a simple in and out." He asked her mother sign a consent form to have a scope with a camera surgically inserted in her knee and to remove any dead or damaged tissue he found. Then, McNamee said she sat for two hours in the waiting room of the Hudson Valley Center at Saint Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., waiting for her mother to come out of surgery.

"Afterwards, a nurse came out and said that my mother's blood pressure had dropped so they had to put her under a heating blanket for a while, but she didn't seem concerned so I relaxed," she said.

Less than 24 hours later, Nenni collapsed and died at home on the bathroom floor of a pulmonary embolism, according to a medical examiner's report.

A pulmonary embolism is a dangerous side effect of surgery where a blood clot breaks free and blocks the lung's main artery. Older people are especially vulnerable to this risk. Although McNamee didn't know it at the time, she said doctors later told her that a spike in blood pressure can be a warning sign that the condition is developing.

A Closer Look At Malpractice Reform

But Brian Brown, McNamee's lawyer, said the medical examiner's report also revealed some shocking news: Panos never performed a single procedure on Nenni.

Despite writing post-operative notes stating that he had performed six procedures on Nenni, including the removal of torn cartilage, smoothing areas of arthritic wear and removal of soft tissue from within the knee joint, the autopsy and hospital records revealed Panos did none of those things.

"He put her under anesthesia, placed the scope in her knee and then closed her up without performing any surgery," Brown said. "The reports showed no hardware in place and, certainly, no evidence of a total knee reconstruction."

If true, it didn't appear to be an isolated incident. There have been at least 250 legal actions filed against Panos in state Supreme Court of Dutchess County, N.Y., noted JT Wisell, an attorney for 154 of the plaintiffs.

Panos is also the subject of a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office, though he has not been charged with a criminal offense, Wisell said.

Wisell said that most of the pending legal cases against Panos fall into three broad categories: fraudulent surgeries like Nenni's, unnecessary or excessive procedures, and medical negligence.

Jeffery Feldman, Panos' attorney, said that it would be unethical to speak about matters currently under litigation and that he had no comment. He added that Panos could not be reached for comment.

The Mid Hudson Medical Group is named as a defendant in many of the legal cases against Panos. So, too, are the hospitals where he performed surgery, Saint Francis Hospital and Vassar Medical center, both located in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Lawyers for the Mid Hudson Medical Group and Vassar Medical Center declined to comment. Larry Hughes, a spokesman for Saint Francis Hospital said the hospital also declined to comment.

Malpractice Database Access Urged

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Fireworks a Nightmare for Some

Samuel Askins spent 545 days as an infantryman in the U.S. Army in Iraq, witnessing numerous firefights and suffering a concussion in an explosion that eventually ended with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"It ruined my life," Askins said, adding that he tried to kill himself with alcohol and drugs because of the panic attacks and despair that followed him back to the United States and resulted in his retirement from active duty.

Today, at 35, he helps other vets as director of Camp Hope in Houston, but even he is having a tough week anticipating the loud fanfare that comes hand in hand with Fourth of July.

"Even with my recovery, the fireworks will kill me this week. The [fireworks] stands are all open," Askins said. "Just last week, I went fishing and I put the boat in the water when a cherry bomb exploded. I fell out of the boat.

"I will have to deal with this for the rest of my life," he said.

Read about families who bear the greatest burden of war.

Fourth of July fireworks can trigger anxiety in people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

It can cause anything from a startle to a full-blown panic attack or combat flashback in people who are vulnerable, VA doctors say. They even recommend noise-cancelling headphones as a way to mitigate the effects of sudden and loud noises.

"There's a fireworks stand at nearly every major intersection around here, sometimes two," said David Maulsby, executive director of the Houston chapter of the PTSD Foundation of America, which works with about 100 veterans a year.

Suicide rates spike among Vietnam veterans who won't seek help.

About 30 percent of the more than 800,000 men and women from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq being treated at veterans clinics and hospitals have been diagnosed with PTSD, according to a 2012 report from the VA.

It can occur after any traumatic event: combat exposure, physical or sexual abuse and natural disasters. Most people have stress reactions right after exposure but, in others, the feelings of anxiety, panic and paranoia do not go away and disrupt daily living.

Symptoms can start immediately after exposure to trauma or might not appear until months or years later. PTSD can vary from reliving the event to avoiding situations that are reminders.

But many other veterans, with or without a diagnosis, also can be affected by the holiday, according to John E. Mundt, a clinical psychologist at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago.

"Many combat veterans may be rattled, unsettled and startled by fireworks this time of year," Mundt said. "... but there's quite a broad range as to how distressing or disruptive that reaction will be."

Working with patients, he said fireworks tend to be triggers for "re-experiencing episodes," as well as aggravating a person's hypervigilance.

"Most vets I know tend to be bothered less by the large firework displays, the colorful starbursts that are accompanied by patriotic music and 'oohs' and 'ahhs' by a crowd," Mundt said. "The bigger problem is all the smaller fireworks that start getting used weeks ahead of July 4th and continue getting used for weeks after the holiday sometimes."

M80s, bottle rockets and many other smaller projectiles that go off suddenly and create loud noises remind combat veterans of incoming mortars and small fires they experienced in Afghanistan, Iraq and even Vietnam.

"Nobody knows when one of these little loud blasts is going to occur," Mundt said. "I've had clients have flashbacks when kids threw M80s into their alley or backyard, or when somebody lights off a string of firecrackers in their mailbox."

Many anticipate the holiday and get defensive. "I used to know a Vietnam veteran who dealt with July 4th every year by saving up to be able to check into a high-rise hotel downtown in Chicago every July 2nd," he said. "Then he would spend three days and nights in a hermetically sealed room high above the street noise."

And it's not just July 4 that rattles veterans. New Year's Eve, Halloween and other celebrations -- even the recent Blackhawks hockey Stanley Cup victory in Chicago when guns went off -- can distress them.

Mundt makes sure he has "anticipatory" group discussions, especially among newly returned war veterans, to be prepared for the impact of such events.

PTSD sufferers in particular can feel fear, guilt or shame. In addition, they can have hyperarousal: being constantly anxious, looking out for danger and unable to sleep.

Such was the case in Houston with Askins, who served from 2004 to 2005 in operation Iraqi Freedom, working on a multinational convoy security detail for Gen. David Petraeus.

After a suffering a concussion in a vehicle-borne explosion, he had a headache for two weeks and was treated only with ibuprofen at the "sick hall" before returning to work.

Askins got married to another soldier, she got pregnant and he returned to the Army Reserves because of her higher salary and career potential. The delayed symptoms of PTSD began shortly after that, while the couple was living on a base in Missouri.

"I was real paranoid at first," he said. "I would notice around every street corner a potential for threats. I'd see gang members on the streets. I'd black out -- see BMWs and see Humvees and hear choppers flying overhead."

Depression eventually set in and suicide thoughts followed, even as Askins had full responsibility for the care of his now 2-year-old daughter.

"I'd lock myself in the closet obsessing about tornadoes," he said. "I was so bad, I had a bunker in the house."

He said things really fell apart when his wife was sent to Iraq on her fifth deployment. When she asked for a divorce, Askins said his drinking escalated.

"I fell completely apart and didn't get off the couch for two years," he said.

Knowing his family would never get death benefits if he killed himself, Askins said he tried to kill himself with alcohol and drugs.

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7 Health Problems Fixed by Food

Can't sleep? Got the PMS blues? Before you open your medicine cabinet, step into your kitchen. "Real, whole, fresh food is the most powerful drug on the planet," says Mark Hyman, MD, author of The Blood Sugar Solution. "It regulates every biological function of your body." In fact, recent research suggests not only what to eat but when to eat it for maximum benefit. Check out the latest smart food fixes.

Food fix #1: Dig into juicy fruits and vegetables

When you're feeling puffy, you may not want to chow down on watery produce, but consuming foods like melon, cucumber and celery is an excellent way to flush out your system, says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Food & Mood. "We need sodium to survive," she explains, "but because we often eat too much of it, our bodies retain water to dilute the blood down to a sodium concentration it can handle. Eating produce with high water content helps the dilution process, so your body can excrete excess sodium and water."

Food fix #2: Load up on enzymes

Bloating can also be a sign that your intestines are out of whack. "If you're irregular or experience gas right after eating, papaya can help," explains Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD, author of Food as Medicine. "Eating 1 cup several times a week helps rejuvenate the gastrointestinal system, thanks to papaya's digestive enzyme papain, which breaks down protein." The fiber also helps push food through your intestines, improving regularity. Try a smoothie with papaya, pineapple (it also contains digestive enzymes), protein powder, ice and almond milk.

Best and Worst Foods for Digestion

You're On an Emotional Roller Coaster

Food fix #1: Say yes to breakfast

"People who eat within an hour or two of waking up have a more even mood throughout the rest of the day and perform better at work," Somer says. British researchers found that study participants who skipped their morning meal did worse on memory tests and were more tired by midday than those who had eaten. The optimal breakfast includes a whole grain to supply glucose for your brain to run on, protein to satisfy hunger and keep your blood sugar levels steady and one or two antioxidant-rich fruits or vegetables. Somer's suggestion: a 100 percent whole-grain cereal that contains at least 4 grams of fiber and no more than 5 grams of sugar, eaten with fruit and low-fat milk.

Food fix #2: Stock up on selenium

A lesser-known trace mineral, selenium—found in Brazil nuts, tuna, eggs and turkey—helps keep you on an even keel. Women whose diets are deficient in the mineral are more prone to feeling depressed. Why? Selenium is crucial for the production of thyroid hormones, which govern metabolism and mood. You don't need much, though: The recommended daily allowance for selenium is 55 micrograms, and you can get that amount by eating one 3-ounce can of tuna.

The 20 Best Foods to Eat for Breakfast

The food fix: Eat your onions

Battling breakouts? The antioxidants in onions and other sulfur-rich veggies tamp down the inflammation that leads to acne, says Valori Treloar, MD, a dermatologist in Newton, Mass., and co-author of The Clear Skin Diet. The sulfur in onions, leeks and scallions helps produce a detoxifying molecule called glutathione, which a 2011 study found to be lower in the skin of people who were prone to breakouts.

This antioxidant is most potent when eaten in raw or lightly cooked foods. Try adding chopped scallions to your salad or stirring diced onions into your salsa or stir-fry. Taking folate and vitamin B6 and B12 supplements may also boost glutathione levels.

The Best Diets For Your Skin

The food fix: Don't snack on the plane

It's no fun spending the first days of your vacation trying to acclimate. One surprising secret to avoiding the headaches, irritability and upset stomach of jet lag is to fast for several hours before arriving at your destination. That's because when you eat influences your circadian rhythms, in much the same way that exposure to light and dark does.

Let's say you're headed to France. On the plane, steer clear of most food (but drink plenty of water), set your watch to Paris time and eat a high-protein breakfast at 7 a.m., no matter where you are on your trip. "The fast depletes your body's energy stores, so when you eat protein the next morning, you get an extra kick and help your body produce waking-up chemicals," explains Dave Baurac, spokesperson for the Argonne National Laboratory, a research institute based in Illinois.

6 Tips for Beating Jet Lag

Food fix #1: Have a late-night morsel

We've all been told to avoid eating too close to bedtime, but applying this rule too strictly could actually contribute to sleep woes. As anyone who has tried a fast knows, hunger can make you feel edgy, and animal studies confirm this. "You need to be relaxed to fall asleep, and having a grumbling stomach is a distraction," explains Kelly Glazer Baron, PhD, an instructor of neurology at Northwestern University and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "It makes it hard to get to sleep and wakes you up at night."

The trick is to tame the munchies 30 minutes to an hour before bed with a small snack that includes complex carbohydrates. "Since you metabolize sugars more slowly at night, a complex carb like whole wheat is a better choice," Baron says. "It keeps your blood sugar levels even." Try cheese and whole-wheat crackers or almonds and a banana.

Food fix #2: Add cherries

You can boost your snack's snooze power by washing it down with a glass of tart cherry juice. A recent study of folks with chronic insomnia found that those who downed 8 ounces of juice made from tart Montmorency cherries (available in most grocery stores) one to two hours before bedtime stayed asleep longer than those who drank a placebo juice.

These sour powerhouses—which you can eat fresh, dried or juiced—possess anti-inflammatory properties that may stimulate the production of cytokines, a type of immune-system molecule that helps regulate sleep. Tart cherries are also high in melatonin, a hormone that signals the body to go to sleep and stay that way.

Best and Worst Foods for Sleep

The food fix: Keep an eye on iron

You might be more susceptible to the monthly blahs if you have low levels of iron, according to a new study. Researchers looked at the diets of 3,000 women over 10 years and found that those who consumed more than 20 milligrams of the mineral daily had about a 40 percent lower risk of PMS than those who ingested less than 10 milligrams.

You can get almost your full daily dose by eating 1 cup of an iron-fortified cereal; other great sources include white beans (4 milligrams per one-half cup) and sauteed fresh spinach (3 milligrams per one-half cup).

10 Ways to Get Rid of PMS

The food fix: Pile on protective produce

While you still need the usual sun protection (SPF 30 sunscreen as well as a wide-brimmed hat), you may be able to bolster your skin's own resistance to UV rays with what you eat. The details: Micronutrients called carotenoids in fruits and vegetables protect the skin against sunburn, recent science shows. "Most topical sunscreens work by filtering out the UV component from the solar light that reaches the skin," explains researcher Wilhelm Stahl, PhD, a professor of biochemistry at Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf, Germany. "But these micronutrients, if you have enough in your system, actually absorb UV light and prevent damage."

The most potent carotenoids are the beta-carotene found in carrots, endive and spinach, and the lycopene in watermelon and tomatoes. Keep in mind that the effect isn't instantaneous; you would need to eat a carotenoid-rich diet for at least 10 to 12 weeks in order to get the full benefit, says Stahl. Still, there is a reward for your patience: skin fortified to fend off sun damage and wrinkles.

This article originally appeared on Health.com.

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More from Health.com:

Eat Your Way to Health and Happiness

17 Superfoods That Fight Disease

The Top Fat-Burning Foods

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Not All Breast Cancer Has a Lump

Sandra Bishnoi wasn't worried when she went to her gynecologist about some breast soreness in 2011. She was 37 and had just finished breastfeeding her new baby daughter, so Bishnoi, who has a PhD in chemistry, figured she was just experiencing one of the many bodily changes that come with pregnancy and new motherhood.

Bishnoi's gynecologist sent her to a nearby hospital for more testing that day, but Bishnoi never saw a breast cancer diagnosis coming.

"The light bulb never came off that it was serious," said Bishnoi, adding that she never thought to ask her husband to come with her to the doctor's office for support. "A surgeon actually came in to see me and said, 'We need to do a biopsy... Dr. Bishnoi, you can't leave this room without knowing you have breast cancer.'"

The doctor was crying.

Doctors ultimately diagnosed Bishnoi with stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer that had metastasized to her bones.

Bishnoi was not only devastated, she was baffled. Wasn't breast cancer supposed to involve a lump? Wasn't she too young? Didn't she need a family history?

The short answer is that inflammatory breast cancer is different from other breast cancers. Since inflammatory breast cancer only accounts for between 1 percent and 5 percent of breast cancers, patients -- and some doctors -- often don't know what to look for.

"It's often not associated with a lump," said Dr. Mark Kelley, chief of surgical oncology and endocrine surgery at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Tennessee. (Kelley has never met Bishnoi.) "These patients just come in with red, swollen, possibly tender breasts."

It often looks more like an infection than cancer, so some doctors will prescribe antibiotics, giving the cancer more time to grow before it's caught, Kelley said.

Want more breast cancer news? Visit our topic page.

An infection called mastitis is common in women who are breastfeeding and is to blame for breast swelling and discoloration most of the time, said Dr. Sandhya Pruthi, a breast cancer specialist and professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Doctors will often prescribe antibiotics for seven to 10 days to see what happens. If the symptoms don't go away, doctors should know it might be more than an infection and request more testing.

"You don't want to miss inflammatory breast cancer," Pruthi said. "Inflammatory breast cancer is uncommon and unfortunately it's not always a classic presentation. That's what makes it challenging. If you haven't seen it several times in your practice to know what you're looking for, you can miss it."

Even if a doctor suspects inflammatory breast cancer, it won't necessarily show up on a mammogram, Kelley said. It might show up on an ultrasound, but the best way to diagnose it is to do a skin biopsy. Unlike other breast cancers, inflammatory breast cancer starts in the milk ducts and spreads quickly via lymphatic vessels in the breast skin.

Read about how men and women communicate through breast cancer.

Bishnoi looked back and realized she actually had symptoms earlier but dismissed them. She remembered that her daughter didn't feed as well from the breast that had cancer, but she figured it was a clogged milk duct. She remembered that the same breast had some redness and dimpling but she thought it was thrush, which is also associated with breastfeeding.

It wasn't until Bishnoi stopped breastfeeding and realized that one breast hadn't returned to its normal size and firmness that she even considered going to a doctor.

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New Limits on Arsenic in Apple Juice

There’s good news today for parents who give their kids apple juice: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced new draft guidelines that call for no more than 10 parts per billion of inorganic arsenic in apple juice — roughly the same level allowed in tap water.

Although some apple juices have tested high for arsenic, all 95 samples tested by the FDA already fell within the 10 ppb — reassurance that when it comes to arsenic levels, apple juice is safe.

“The most important message is we are confident in the safety of our juice supply,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg.

Pressure to develop the guidelines stemmed from a 2011?report on the Dr. Oz Show and arsenic testing by Consumer Reports, both of which raised questions about the safety of apple juice.

Arsenic and Apple Juice: New Testing Finds Low Levels

In response, the FDA undertook additional testing and commissioned a risk assessment study to determine an arsenic limit based on the amount of juice a child might drink and the level of arsenic needed to cause health problems.

Although compliance with the guidelines is voluntary, Hamburg said they “expect industry to change what they do and use this new level for quality assurance.”

Arsenic exists in our environment as a naturally occurring mineral and as a result of contamination from industrial activity and pesticides that used to be allowed in agriculture. In very high doses over a short period of time, the chemical can be deadly. At low doses over a long period of time, arsenic can increase the risk for lung and bladder cancer, cause skin disorders, developmental effects, diabetes, and problems with the heart and brain.

Urvashi Rangan, director of consumer safety for Consumer Reports, called the FDA move “a very important first step.”

“It is a very important precedent,” she said.

I broke the news to Dr. Mehmet Oz, who raised the initial concerns about apple juice.

“I am thrilled,” he said.?”It shows the system works. I applaud them for creating a standard.?This should give all the moms a lot of confidence that when we put our minds to it this we can make the world a better place.”

But while apple juice may be safe in terms of arsenic, this should not be a green light to drink endless quantities. There is increasing concern about the amount of sugar children and others consume from fruit juices and links between fructose, the sugar found in fruit juices, and obesity. Ounce for ounce, there is just as much sugar in apple juice as there is in soda.? The American Academy of Pediatrics in a statement reminded parents that “it is not necessary to offer children any juice to have a well-balanced, healthy diet.”

My advice: a small glass of juice a day is fine, after that reach for the water.

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A Total Body Workout in 7 Minutes

Credit: ABC News

It’s the latest fitness craze, and all you need is a chair and about the same amount of time it takes to cook pasta.

The seven-minute workout spawned a mini industry with 26 smartphone apps, countless YouTube training clips and even a music video.

Some people, such as ?Heather Holland, executive vice president of recruiting and development at Le Pain Bakery, swear by it.

“I’m winded,” Holland told ABC News. “I’m sweating, so you can see that it works.”

The basic philosophy behind the sub-10-minute exercise routine ?is ?increase the workout intensity, decrease the time.

ABC News asked exercise physiologist Polly De Mille to put Holland’s seven minutes to the test. De Mille attached a heart rate and breathing monitor to Holland to measure how hard her body was working.

“The machine will tell us how much oxygen your body is using, how much carbon dioxide it’s producing,” De Mille said.

While doing the routine, Holland’s heart rate quickly escalated from 96 beats per minute to 163 beats per minute.

In seven minutes, she burned 52 calories. De Mille says that’s good, but she had ?some reservations.

“There probably isn’t enough research to say this is all you need to do,” De Mille said.

For more information, ABC News tracked down Chris Jordan, who developed the workout, published by the American College of Sports Medicine.

“Well I have to say that we were overwhelmed by the media attention,” Jordan said.

Jordan told ABC News that the workout was an intensive combination of exercises that elevate the heart rate and work all the major muscle groups.

“Although this has been pushed around as a seven-minute workout, we recommend doing it not once but three times for a good, hard vigorous 20-minute workout,” Jordan said.

With some careful math, one would conclude that going through the workout three times actually makes it a 21-minute workout.

Perhaps a seven-minute cutoff was too good to be true but definitely better than nothing.

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Girl Prompts Organ Transplant Policy Review

A family's fight to sidestep a controversial transplant rule and save their 10-year-old daughter has prompted the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to review its existing policy that pushes children under 12 to the bottom of the adult organ transplant waiting list regardless of their health. The announcement of the OPTN review came as the family of a second child awaiting a lung transplant sued and won an order to avoid the under-12 rule.

OPTN's executive committee meets June 10 to review data – such as waiting times, mortality rates and organ offers, according to a letter from the president of OPTN's board of directors, Dr. John Roberts, to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

They will determine if a new policy is needed.

"If available data suggest that a change to the lung allocation policy is warranted, the executive committee would be able to approve an interim policy change and expedited plan for implementation at that time," Roberts wrote in the letter.

Read about the Murnaghans' battle to save Sarah

Eleven "priority 1" children younger than 12 years old are currently waiting for lung transplants, according to OPTN data compiled on May 24 for ABCNews.com. Nine under-12-year-olds awaiting lung transplants are categorized as "priority 2."

As a result of an emergency court order, 10-year-old Sarah Murnaghan now has two records in the official organ transplant database: one with her real birthday and one with a birthday to make the system treat her as a 12-year-old.

Sarah is dying of cystic fibrosis and won a federal court order Wednesday to sidestep the controversial transplant rule that had been preventing her from getting new lungs.

The Murnaghan family of Newtown Square, Pa., had been fighting a little-known organ transplant policy that had been effectively pushing its daughter Sarah to the bottom of the adult transplant waiting list because it mandated that adult lungs be offered to all adult patients before they could be offered to someone younger than 12 years old.

The family filed an emergency motion on Wednesday to prevent Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius from enforcing the policy. Sebelius said Tuesday that she would not make an exception for Sarah.

But on Wednesday afternoon, Federal Judge Michael Baylson ordered Sebelius to stop enforcing the under-12 rule for Sarah "so that she can be considered for receipt of donated lungs from adults based on the medical severity of her condition as compared to the medical severity of persons over 12 in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network system." The order is effective immediately and will remain in effect unless the court rules otherwise at a preliminary injunction hearing on June 14.

Bioethicist Art Caplan wrote on Wednesday that politicians and bureaucrats shouldn't decide whether Sarah gets lungs because of the medical complexities of her case.

Speaking to ABCNews.com before the judge ruled in Sarah's favor, he said he didn't expect the Murnaghans to win because it would involve challenging the legitimacy of the entire organ transplant system. That is, unless lawyers could make a pure discrimination case. Otherwise, he said the effort was "doomed to fail."

"I don't think they have any other options to get her on the list," Caplan told ABCNews.com Wednesday after the emergency motion was filed but before the judge ruled in Sarah's favor. "Do I begrudge them the right or the effort to try to do what they can? No."

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Sarah Murnaghan Waves, Blows a Kiss in New Video

 

She's not back to singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" just yet, but there's a new video of Sarah Murnaghan awake and waving after the two adult-lung transplants that saved her life.

Surrounded by a fuzzy pink blanket and a stuffed animal, the 10-year-old whose parents successfully fought a rule preventing her from qualifying for adult lungs waved at the camera, mouthed, "I Love you, too" and blew a kiss.

The Murnaghans revealed last week that Sarah had two adult-lung transplants because the first one failed almost immediately after surgery June 12. She was then relisted for another adult-lung transplant and received it June 15, even though the donor lungs were infected with pneumonia.

Read about how "things quickly spiraled out of control" for the Murnaghans before they got better.

A healthier patient might have turned down the lungs and waited for a better pair, but Sarah was out of options, so they went ahead with the operation.

"They were Sarah's best and only hope," the Murnaghans wrote in their June 28 statement. "The second transplant operation was truly a success."

Sarah underwent diaphragm surgery Tuesday because her diaphragm was partially paralyzed during the two transplants, making it difficult for her to breathe on her own. The diaphragm surgery was another step.

Sarah was dying of cystic fibrosis this time last month. The genetic condition affects cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive fluid. Patients typically suffer so much lung damage that they often go into respiratory failure, which is why Sarah needed a lung transplant to survive.

About a month ago, Janet Murnaghan started a viral Change.org petition, calling attention to what would become known as the Under 12 Rule, which said that even though Sarah would be given priority when pediatric lungs became available, adult lungs would have to be offered to adult matches in her region before they could be offered to her.

On June 5, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to prevent U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from enforcing the rule for Sarah. By June 10, the Organ Transplantation and Procurement Network re-evaluated the Under 12 Rule and decided to keep it but created a mechanism for exceptions, depending on the case.

Read more about the transplant-policy review.

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Former Phillies Catcher Has Brain Cancer

Baseball All-Star Darren Daulton has been diagnosed with brain cancer. (Credit: Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

Darren Daulton, 51, who rose to fame when he led the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in 1993, has been diagnosed with brain cancer.

The All-Star player, ?nicknamed Dutch by Philadelphia fans, had “not been feeling well” during the last two weeks of June, prompting doctors to discover two brain tumors, according to 97.5 FM, where he hosted a nightly radio show after retiring from baseball. He underwent brain surgery last week and was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

“It’s actually one of the most rapidly growing cancers in people,” said Dr. Reid Thompson, a neurosurgeon who directs the Vanderbilt Brain Tumor Center in Tennessee, who has not treated Daulton. “Glioblastoma can double in six weeks if not treated. I’ve seen situations where people had an MRI scan three or four months ago and then found a six centimeter tumor.”

Read about a mom who stunned doctors by beating her brain tumor.

Daulton returned to his home in Clearwater, Fla., and will start chemotherapy once he recovers from surgery, according to the radio station. Thompson said this is typical treatment.

It’s rare for someone with glioblastoma to live more than two years after diagnosis because the tumors are apt to return after surgery and chemotherapy, Thompson said.

According to the South Jersey Times, Daulton is the fifth Phillies player to be diagnosed with a brain tumor. Tug McGraw died of the disease in 2004.

Watch video about Gary Carter, a baseball player who died of a brain tumor last year.

When the station first announced news of Daulton’s brain tumors on June 27, it included an email address for fans to write to and wish Daulton well. According to the station, the email address has received thousands of messages from supportive fans.

Researchers still have a lot to learn about these tumors, but they know they tend to be more common in certain geographic areas, Thompson said. The South, for instance, is considered a “hot spot,” he said.

“Maybe it’s something in ?the environment in the South ?or something in the Southern diet,” he said. “It’s taking some smart epidemiologists to figure that out.”

Thompson said brain tumors present themselves differently for different patients depending on where they are located in the brain. He’s had one patient whose only symptom was a numb spot on his arm, and another one who experienced pressure headaches and difficulty walking.

“We know so much more than we did even five years ago,” Thompson said. “The pace of research is picking up, but it’s truly not fast enough for patients right now … but one thing is for sure: we’re learning more.”

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Inside Mayo Clinic Organ Transplant Unit

It was just more than a year ago when we touched down in Rochester, Minn. to do a story on the organ transplant unit at Mayo Clinic. Before we could even check our camera mics, we got word that another plane had just landed carrying a red cooler containing a liver for 60-year-old Gordon Karels.

It's the moment more than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for. Eighteen of them die each day waiting for their organ transplant, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Watch the full story on "Nightline" tonight at 12:35 a.m. ET.

For some, getting a new, healthy organ can happen overnight. For most, the wait is much longer. Sometimes it can take years.

With the cooler in the doctor's hand, we rushed to the hospital to film its arrival and subsequent journey through the winding corridors to the operating room. After his successful transplant and rapid recovery in the days to follow, Karels and his family celebrated.

Also in the hospital was Jessica Danielson, then 30 years old, who was waiting for a heart and liver. At age 19, Danielson was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy, a rare condition that leads to congestive heart failure and damages the liver.

Web Extra Video: Jessica Danielson Bonds With Woman Who Had Same Condition

Doctors told her that she would either have a heart attack or die from the disease within three years. More than 10 years later, Danielson was still waiting for her double transplant.

Danielson was attached to her IV pump at all times. She had nicknamed it Wilson.

"He's keeping me going," she said last April. "He's pumping medications directly into my heart."

Back then, Danielson said, "I don't think death is in the cards for me, I have way too much to do and I'm doing everything I can to stay strong."

Six weeks later, Danielson finally got a new heart and liver. Her recovery took some months living in Rochester, Minn., at the Gift of Life House, where she had to get used to her new organs.

"I remember the first time I went up an incline in Rochester, and I got to the top of it and teared up," she said. "I'm still in awe of it every day. Carrying the laundry up the stairs -- before it was the hardest thing to do. Now it's just so easy. ... I'm like a normal person now."

"It's a very cool feeling -- hard to explain to someone who has always had a healthy heart -- but it's like magic," Danielson said. "I don't take anything for granted anymore."

Three months after her surgery, Jessica finally went home to Duluth, Minn. "Nightline" caught up with her there last week, shortly after her one-year anniversary of getting her new organs.

Danielson's thicker, curlier hair and healthy coloring made it hard to believe she was the same person we met a year ago in a hospital gown.

Back then, she was pushing her IV pump down the hallway. Last week, she was pushing a shopping cart at the grocery store buying some food for a barbecue with friends.

"I should buy guacamole. It's my favorite thing!" she said.

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Vitaminwater Class Action Suit Moves Ahead

A court ruled that a lawsuit alleging deceptive labeling for Coca-Cola's Vitaminwater drinks may proceed as a class action.

Consumer advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest and consumers in New York and California first filed a lawsuit in Jan. 2009, alleging deceptive labeling and marketing for the soft drink, which included claims that the drink could reduce rise for eye disease, promote healthy joints and support "optimal immune function."

Pop Science: The Case for and Against the Soda Ban

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy recommends that the plaintiffs can litigate for declaratory and injunctive relief, but not for damages.

CSPI Michael F. Jacobson, executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said, "The marketing of vitaminwater will go down in history as one of the boldest and brashest attempts ever to affix a healthy halo to what is essentially a junk food, a non-carbonated soda. Vitaminwater, like Coca-Cola itself, promotes weight gain, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cannot deliver on any of the dishonest claims it has made over the years."

7UP Sued Over Antioxidant Claims

Next, the courtroom fight will return to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

The Coca-Cola Co, said in a statement, "We are very gratified that Magistrate Judge Levy recommended denying class certification as to all monetary damages claims alleged by plaintiffs. We firmly believe the plaintiffs' claims are without merit and will ultimately be rejected. Vitaminwater is a great tasting, hydrating beverage with essential vitamins and water--and labels clearly showing ingredients and calorie content."

Coca-Cola Sugar Hiccup: Soda Giant on the Defense

In 2010, Judge John Gleeson in New York ruled that Vitaminwater's use of the word "healthy" violates FDA labeling rules.

In a statement, the Center for Science in the Public Interest's litigation director Steve Gardner said Thursday's decision "puts this case on a glide path toward a jury trial where Coca-Cola will have to defend under penalty of perjury the deceptive claims it has made and continues to make in connection with vitaminwater."

"That will put the company in the awkward position of squaring its marketing of vitaminwater as a healthy, disease-fighting drink with its later assertion that 'no reasonable consumer' would ever believe such marketing," Gardner said.

The company's online site currently makes no health claims about the Vitaminwater products.

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Jason Patric Bill Draws Criticism

A California state bill that would give sperm donors the ability to sue for parentage rights has drawn criticism from those who say it could allow a man to "change his mind" about paternity when he knowingly gave up his rights before conception.

Although the bill, SB 115, reportedly sailed through the state senate in April, it's drawn harsh arguments from both sides in the last several weeks, with some groups condemning it as unfair to mothers and others saying it simply closes a loophole that prevented sperm donors from achieving parentage in the past.

Click here for the latest IVF news.

Under existing law, sperm donors are not legally considered the "natural fathers" of their offspring unless both parents sign a document prior to conception. This applies to anonymous sperm bank donors and known sperm donors participating in in-vitro fertilization with women who are not their wives.

In other words, unmarried heterosexual couples trying to conceive need to sign a paper that says the sperm donor is the intended father. Similarly, lesbian couples who use a friend's donated sperm might opt not to sign it because they do not want the donor to serve as a parent to the child, either legally or otherwise.

The new bill, SB 115, would allow any sperm donor to sue for parentage. If the sperm donor can prove he "receives the child into his home and openly holds out the child as his natural child," the judge can grant parentage and the father can then sue for custody.

Supporters of SB 115 say the fact that a sperm donor has to prove a father-child relationship should protect women from a non-family member fighting his way into the family against their will. Opponents of the bill say the standard for establishing parentage will be too low, and even if the sperm donor loses, the law still allows him to disrupt a family's life by bringing them to court.

The California National Organization for Women "vehemently" opposed SB 115 in a statement, calling it oppressive to women and adding that a simple co-parenting contract after conception would suffice if the goal is to form voluntary families.

"The desire for the known sperm donor to have the additional rights of custody and joint decision making without the consent of the mother is nothing but dominance personified," the group's president, Patricia Bellasalma, said in a statement. "It is not lost on California NOW that SB 115 does not seek the same ownership or control of children for egg donors and/or surrogates."

But Equality California and the National Center for Lesbian Rights support the bill, arguing that parentage would only be granted in cases in which the mother allowed the sperm donor to act as a parent.

"It will only apply in situations where the man who could be considered a sperm donor has lived with the child and has held himself out as the child's father," John O'Connor, executive director of Equality California, said in a statement. "The other parent or parents would need to invite him into the child's life by allowing him to live with the child in order for this presumption of parentage to arise."

Several family lawyers have joined the fray as well, writing to legislators and authoring op-eds about the bill.

"While supporters describe the bill as closing a loophole in California law - allowing biologic[al] fathers to be on equal footing with nonbiologic[al] fathers who are permitted to gain parental rights based on 'receiving' and 'holding out' – in truth the bill would tear asunder far more families than it would unite," Judith Daar, a University of California Irvine School of Medicine and Whittier Law School professor, wrote in the Daily Journal, a California legal newspaper.

Jason Patric, who starred in "The Lost Boys" in 1987, reportedly inspired the bill when he battled for and lost custody of 3-year-old Gus, who was conceived using his sperm via an intrauterine insemination procedure.

Want more Jason Patric news? Check out our topic page.

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Outbreaks Lead Calif. to Move Inmates

 

Tiny spores are causing major headaches for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after a judge ordered the department to move thousands of high-risk inmates from two prisons that have been plagued by valley fever outbreaks in recent years.

On Tuesday officials at the CDCR said they would comply with an order by U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson to move approximately 2,600 inmates from two prisons, although they said they did not know exactly where or when all the inmates would be moved.

Henderson ordered that the high-risk inmates in the Pleasant Valley Prison and the Avenal Prison be moved within 90 days, but officials could still ask for an extension. The prisons are located 10 miles apart and are approximately 175 miles from San Francisco.

Read about the norovirus outbreak at Yellowstone, and how to protect yourself against camping health hazards. Valley fever, an infection caused by the coccidioides fungus, which is prevalent in the dry soil of the West and Southwest, and often spreads through the air when dirt is disturbed or kicked up and then inhaled. Symptoms include fever, chills or in more severe cases chronic pneumonia or meningitis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 40 percent of those infected require hospitalization, and the disease can be fatal.

Henderson's ruling is based on the recommendations of J. Clark Kelso, the receiver in charge of health care for California's correctional facilities.

Those considered to be at a higher risk for contracting a severe form of the illness include African-Americans, Filipinos, pregnant women or anyone with a suppressed immune system or other medical problems, according to the CDC.

Henderson elected not to follow Kelso's recommendations that inmates older than 55 be considered high risk, although they could be included at a later date.

The decision to remove prisoners based partially on race has lead to fears that the move could create additional security problems.

Department spokesperson Deborah Hoffman told The Associated Press that moving the prisoners could create a racial imbalance, which could worsen gang violence in prisons.

"That can dramatically affect the safety and stability of prisons," Hoffman said. "We have to be careful about sparking racial and gang violence."

The order to move the prisoners comes at a difficult time for the department, which is already appealing an earlier court order to decrease the entire prison population by 10,000 by the end of the year.

Inmates who could be categorized as high risk could challenge their placement in either the Pleasant Valley or Avenal prisons, and inmates who don't want to be transferred from these locations could decline.

Dr. Joyce Blair, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Tucson, Ariz., said it was not known why some people of certain races were at a higher risk for contracting the severe form of the disease.

"Most of the time, these people are otherwise completely healthy," said Blair. "There's probably a genetically inherited deficiency that is very unique [in relation to] valley fever."

Other experts worry that the ruling to move only high-risk inmates doesn't go far enough.

Dr. Royce Johnson, a professor of medicine at UCLA and chief of infectious medicine at the Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, Calif., has been treating valley fever for more than 30 years and said he questioned the effectiveness of the proposed solution.

Yosemite campers at risk for the deadly hantavirus.

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What Teens Should Expect From Their First Gynecologist Visit

Visiting a gynecologist for the first time can be awkward and embarrassing for some teens. But the visit is crucial to help them understand their bodies and lay the groundwork for future health and wellness.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends the first visit should be between the ages of 13 to 15. The exam should be an opportunity to educate teens about their bodies and help them establish a relationship with a gynecologist at an early age.

What to Expect

The first visit is an opportunity for teens to get accurate information about the changes in their bodies. A gynecologist will discuss acne, painful or irregular periods, breast changes, pelvic pain, body hair, nutrition, sexual behavior, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. It is also an opportunity to talk about preexisting conditions and any family history of cancer.

Beyond talking, the visit might also include a breast exam, pelvic exam and a pap test, which screens for cervical cancer. The gynecologist might ask for a relative or nurse to be present during these exams.

While the first visit might be awkward, it’s an important step in the transition from teenage girl to healthy woman. Starting a conversation with a doctor helps you lay the foundation for health and wellness.

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Tips to Make Dentist Visit a Little Less Painful

Paula Faris reports:

In Boston, the Hall family is planning for the arrival of a new baby – and struggling with a $3,000 dental bill.

Want help cutting dental costs? Join Jason Szczuka of Brighter.com in a live Facebook chat here at 7 p.m. ET today.

Carl Hall didn’t want to pay to get a cavity filled, so now he needs to get a crown. His expectant wife, Dierdre Hall, needs gum grafting and his young daughter Mary requires regular cleanings. Grandmother Martha Hall faces a painful and costly gum procedure.

On top of that, because Medicare does not offer dental coverage,? Martha Hall will need to shell out a total of $20,000 over several years for her dental work.

Carl Hall said he was scared about the cost of the crown as much as the actual drill.

“Let’s be honest,” he told ABC News recently. “Nobody likes to go to the dentist.”

ABC News

With his family staring at a $3,626 bill for this year alone, he admitted that he did not know whether the family was getting a good deal when it came to dentistry.

So “Real Money” brought in Jason Szczuka, senior vice president of Brighter.com,? a free website that negotiates deals with local dentists by helping bring in new customers.

Below, you’ll find the pointers Szczuka shared with the Halls to give them something to smile about.

1. Find the going rate. By using the price estimator at the free website Brighter.com, a person can select a procedure and get a price range.?”Real Money” found that prices varied as much as 400 percent. Root canals ranged from $802 to $1,106, while bridges cost $2,676 to $3,721.

Carl Hall had been quoted $1,200 for a crown – his insurance would cover $500 after the deductible – but Brighter.com got that price down to $834. He saved $366.

Dierdre’s gum grafting, originally priced at $476 after the deductible, was reduced to $261 – a savings of $215.

Martha’s $20,000 treatment plan of crowns, fillings and oral surgeries was whittled down, saving the family $600. And little Mary’s cleanings, exams and X-rays went from $480 a year to less than $200.

2. Pay up front and schedule appointments for unpopular times. If you make it easy on the dentist, they may give your bill a break, Szczuka said.

3. Ask for a group discount. If you’re taking your entire family, remind them. Most dental practices are operated like other small businesses, Szczuka said, so “they’ll give something if they get something.”

After working with Szczuka and Brighter.com, the Halls found they could save $1,431 this year.

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Amnesia Patient's Sister Found in Louisiana

A man who awoke in the emergency room at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Calif., last February speaking only Swedish and suffering from a case of global transient amnesia, has a sister living in Louisiana who is stunned by the fate of her long-lost brother.

The hospital has identified the patient as 61-year-old Michael Thomas Boatwright and says that he has been told he has a sister, Michelle Brewer, 59, of Kentwood, La.

"She hasn't talked to him in over 10 years," Brewer's step-daughter, Shannon Coleman, 36, told ABCNews.com. "She seemed like she was really surprised."

Boatwright, 61, was found unconscious in a Motel 6 and was taken by hospital ambulance to the medical center, according to medical center spokesman Rich Ramhoff.

The only things he had on him were a duffel bag of athletic clothes, a backpack, five tennis rackets, two cell phones, some cash, a set of old photos and four forms of identification, including a Florida license and a veteran's card.

But Boatwright had no memory of who he was or how he got there. He did not speak or understand English and didn't even recognize his own face, according to the Desert Sun, which first reported the story. He told hospital officials his name was Johan Elk.

Brewer said her brother had "just disappeared" and she had no way of getting in touch with him after their mother died last year.

"He's always been a wanderer," she told the Sun. "Then he'd come back when he needed some money or something from somebody. Then he'd take off again."

An investigation into his IDs found that Boatwright was likely a 3-D graphic designer who had worked in China and Japan as an English teacher for a decade. He had flown from Hong Kong to Palm Springs just four days before he was found unconscious. The U.S. Navy veteran, who was raised in Miami, first went to Sweden in 1981.

The Sun tracked down Brewer, but hospital spokesman Ramhoff said the hospital has not yet independently confirmed their relationship. But, he said, Boatwright has "shown an interest in trying to reach out to her."

"We did not find any major trauma on him," he said. "The assumption was the cause [of the amnesia] could have been psychological in nature, but nothing physical was found."

Ramhoff said psychiatrists concurred on the diagnosis of transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that cannot be associated with epilepsy or a stroke, or a general "fugue" state, which can be longer in duration.

For the last five months, Boatwright has been staying at the Desert Regional Medical Center's skilled nursing facility, which reached out to the community and found people who spoke Swedish to help translate.

His social worker, Lisa Hunt-Vasquez, has been trying to locate family and friends by working with the media and making calls to the Veteran's Administration, Florida police and other leads.

"She has spent a lot of time calling China and Sweden to find information, but the language barriers and lack of information ran into dead ends," Ramhoff said.

Media around the world took an interest and stories appeared in the Swedish paper Aftonbladet and in the British press. As a result, the Sun received photos of people who looked like Boatwright.

Internet users in Sweden said they recognized him as an American who moved to Sweden in the 1980s.

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Smoke-Sensing Knife Spots Cancer

 

Surgeons may have a new way to smoke out cancer.

An experimental surgical knife can help surgeons make sure they've removed all the cancerous tissue, doctors reported Wednesday. Surgeons typically use knives that heat tissue as they cut, producing a sharp-smelling smoke. The new knife analyzes the smoke and can instantly signal whether the tissue is cancerous or healthy.

Now surgeons have to send the tissue to a lab and wait for the results.

Dr. Zoltan Takats of Imperial College London suspected the smoke produced during cancer surgery might contain some important cancer clues. So he designed a "smart" knife hooked up to a refrigerator-sized mass spectrometry device on wheels that analyzes the smoke from cauterizing tissue.

The smoke picked up by the smart knife is compared to a library of smoke "signatures" from cancerous and non-cancerous tissues. Information appears on a monitor: green means the tissue is healthy, red means cancerous and yellow means unidentifiable.

To make sure they've removed the tumor, surgeons now send samples to a laboratory while the patient remains on the operating table. It can take about 30 minutes to get an answer in the best hospitals, but even then doctors cannot be entirely sure, so they often remove a bit more tissue than they think is strictly necessary.

If some cancerous cells remain, patients may need to have another surgery or undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

"(The new knife) looks fabulous," said Dr. Emma King, a head and neck cancer surgeon at Cancer Research U.K., who was not connected to the project. The smoke contains broken-up bits of tumor tissue and "it makes sense to look at it more carefully," she said.

The new knife and its accompanying machines were made for about ￡250,000 ($380,000) but scientists said the price tag would likely drop if the technology is commercialized.

The most common treatment for cancers involving solid tumors is removing them in surgery. In the U.K., one in five breast cancer patients who have surgery will need further operations to get rid of the tumor entirely.

Scientists tested the new knife at three hospitals between 2010 and 2012. Tissue samples were taken from 302 patients to create a database of which kinds of smoke contained cancers, including those of the brain, breast, colon, liver, lung and stomach.

That was then used to analyze tumors from 91 patients; the smart knife correctly spotted cancer in every case. The study was published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The research was paid for by groups including Imperial College London and the Hungarian government.

At a demonstration in London on Wednesday, doctors used the new knife — which resembles a fat white pen — to slice into slabs of pig's liver. Within minutes, the room was filled with an acrid-smelling smoke comparable to the fumes that would be produced during surgery on a human patient.

Takats said the knife would eventually be submitted for regulatory approval but that more studies were planned. He added the knife could also be used for other things like identifying tissues with bad blood supply and identifying the types of bacteria present.

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