Promise of 2017 - Cardiology

The promise of a new year.  2017.  As the media, the public and the laymen happily rang out 2016 with the wearing of black as we said farewell to the biology of so many talented individuals, we started 2017 with hope.

Everyone being sure 2017 has got to be better than its predecessor. 

My family sighed with relief too as we rang in the new year (me in my nightwear in the middle of a dairy farm in Wales).  Last year was full of worry and tragedy.  Yet we made it through.  Stronger as  a family than ever.  My knowledge of the brain stem, strokes and death far more inscribed in my brain than before as we celebrated the life of my 74 year old father.

We miss him, of course.

With those words of "Mum will live to 100" coming back to haunt me, we rushed her into casualty with a pulse of 45,  stars in her eyes and feeling as though she would lose consciousness at any minute.  

"Heart block" the paramedic had explained.  

The second ECG at hospital showed progession from 1st degree to 2nd degree as they took Mums blood from her bruised vein.  Tropotin was through the roof.  This is an enzyme released by damaged heart cells.  This showed us mum had an MI.  A heart attack.

Her care was fantastic.  Right away, fragmin in her belly, aspirin down her throat and canulas a plenty.  Recussitation trolley all day long gave her a 'bum ache' as she laughed along with the nurses.  This was very serious.  Yet her spirit remained unscathed as I quoted her on Facebook so her friends could see her sense of humour was definitely not harmed.  

A week in intensive care,  a stent in the Right Coronary Artery which was 99% blocked, left one showing a few signs,

echocardiogram showing 'significant damage' to her heart muscle and constant monitoring showing me that she was missing beats.  They called them Blips to Mum.  That was all she needed to know.  I researched and researched and took photos of her trace to send to my contacts in the know.  Turns out their diagnosis via mobile phone was right, Mobitz 2.  

Making the most of Mum,  having her home with us, I was immediately thankful.  Until I realised the sounds of Phil and Holly presenting on This Morning right behind my desk was very distracting.  

Can I cope?  Can I continue my studies, work and look after mum, Scott and the twins?  Of course I can.  I can do anything I put my mind to!

Up against it, yes.  

Not beaten.

Filling in an abstract

So we were given a paper with a blanked out abstract.

This is what I wrote:

Human nutrition in relation to daily dietary phosphorus intake must be closely assessed due to the Ca and Mg metabolism. Potentially contributing to osteoporosis, dietary P intake may affect the absorption and metabolism. Requiring phosphorylation, P is an essential element for energy metabolism.

Several methods are available for the assessment of daily dietary intake (DDI) of phosphorus (P).  While several methods may be available to test this, very few studies have been carried out to confirm or deny this.

108 hospital meals were evaluated using spectrophotometric analysis. Duplicate portion sampling, 24 hour daily recalls for 3 days (150 questionaires) and

Food composition tables were also used.

Photospectrometer showed DDI of P was significantly lower (P <0.001) than the other two methods.  This is closer to DRI for 14 to 18 year old subjects and adults than the other two methods.  Food composition tables over estimated DDI of P. Cooking processes and effects on the P content of such foods was most reliable with duplicate portion sampling.

As DDI mean values were noted as 1106+221, 1480+221 and 1515+223 mg/d.

Adverse effects in relation to P nutrition were not noted within toxicity or deficiency.

I'll let you know the scores :)

NRI lecture

Natural Resources Institute lecture

About This Activity

The NRI held a taster lecture to explain what the NRi are doing in the direction of Food Security in this changing world.

When Did The Activity Take Place?

08 October 2015

Reason(s) For Undertaking The Activity

After taking a year of extended science at university last year, I found Public Health nutrition very interesting.  I am keen to find out what the NRI does in order to consider learning more about the food situation. Thinking there may be a possibility of furthering my education in this area.

Knowledge Or Skills Gained

During the lecture I was surprised to learn so much about the shortage of food throughout the world.  The waste of food in countries such as the UK was also a shock for me.  I will definitely be thinking more about how green I am with my food waste and also packaging and recycling.  Learning just how much of a direction we are heading globally, I feel it is important to try and help spread the message to others too.

Impact Of The Activity

Obviously, I would like to get to know NRI so much more and learn from the other lectures what they are finding.  Therefore I have written the coming dates in my diary. I will be far more aware now of how I may be able to learn and pass on the message in the future by making presentations to the public or perhaps getting involved in research in latter years.

Overall Reflection

Globally, the situation with food reaches far wider than simply thinking about what to cook for the evening meal.  My education today has impacted my thinking as to just how different we are in the world from our neighbours.  I will be interested to keep an eye on current affairs,  global warming information regarding growing crops and generally finding out where both the NRI and government are going with their research.

Seminar at Kings College London

Seminar at Kings College London

About This Experience

Looking at cardio vascular health and saturated fats.  Held at Kings College London and supported by the Alpro Foundation.  

Much evidence was shown in respect to the above.  Cohorts had gathered information in support of plant based eating and the link of cardio vascular health.  

When Did The Experience Take Place?

10 March 2016

Supporting Evidence

Product brochures containing much dietary information. Photo graphs of the slide presentation and of the outside of Kings.  Plus the confirmation email of my booking.

0

Overall Reflection

This synopsisum was informative to me in relation to my studies.  More and more I am realising the benefits of eating a diet lower in saturated fats and higher in PUFAs.  This demonstrated that a plant based diet may make these nutrients more readily available.  

A plant based diet does not exclude meat.  Rather is a diet focused more on consumption of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and certain unsaturated oils. The recommendation was to include around 1/3rd meat and 2/3rd plant based.  

The speaker was keen to point out that this diet can be subject to error by the consumer.  If he were to consume more wholegrain bread in the diet, this may be bread which needs carving; making the consumer prone to carving a larger portion of 50g rather than the recommended 30g.  Shop bought bread may contain higher levels of salt than desirable.  Therefore, a risk may be imposed to consume more salt.  

While every diet discussed seems to have arguments for and against, I can clearly see the benefits of eating a full spectrum of colour in a plant based diet.  Variety and balanced, this diet may well have convinced me that a lower intake of animal based fats may be beneficial to health.  Also, I am keen to get out and buy a Nutribullet!

A final side note to take away from the evening,  there is some limited studies on menopausal women and symptoms of  menopause such as hot flushes.  Soya bean products are thought to lower the symptoms in these women.

While watching the speakers and taking mental notes, I could see how the knowledge they have may have come across to the audience as easy to understand with one speaker, yet less easy to understand with the next speaker.  This has also helped with my own presentation skills for the future and any speaking I may need to do.

Time away from everything; including learning

Spending time with my precious family this week in Majorca has been eye opening.

Planning and booking this trip over 18 months ago was an easy decision. We knew as a family we would need time, like the final of the Euro when the score is 0-0. This time gave us the much needed time to figure out our new family dynamics. 

The twins have now left school, after successfully (we hope) sitting their GCSEs. I am fatherless. Still thoughts of Dad consume my mind every day. Occasionally tears flow. I dreamt the other night that he text me and said he hadn't really died. Yet wouldn't tell me what had happened. Upon waking I was cradled by my ex husband, also my best friend who was on holiday with us. 

What I would do without him God only knows. Though like most couples (which I think we are once again) he can also drive me bananas. 

Part of me was considering bringing my human nutrition book. Wanting to learn, needing to learn. To be the very best student I can be in the coming year. 

Instead I read an autobiography about Caroline flack. 

While taking many photos. 

"Listening" to Caroline's story reasonated with me massively. Which got me thinking. 

I do love uni. 

Yet being away, I have realised 

My results are all in

So it seems somehow, I passed.

Amazing news isn't it?  There was just one disappointment which was Biochemistry in my exam.  22%

22%? Well I felt I had done so so so much better than that.  Yet, worry not, I do feel I understood the content and I also passed the module as the other elements were great marks.  Pleased for sure!

Overall a 50% pass for Biochem.  Not bad as I missed so much of that.

The other results were amazing.  My PDP (the thing I added blogs to) got a whopping 85% which I was really so super glad about. I was hoping for a great score there.

Nutrition exam came away with 67%.

All modules were at the very least a 2:2 and most a 2:1.

This first year doesn't count towards the final grade marks yet I have learnt so much about what I may need to do to get a first (I'd love one of those!) and to be honest, I know it's not going to be handed to me on a plate.  Yet it seems incredibly possible depending on what else you might have going on in life.  For me, I need to work a little less on people's hair styles and spend far more time reading and in the library.  This coming year should be far far more interesting. Much less about the core science and more in which I'm hoping to relate to.  Immunology, cancer, metabolism etc.  I am doubly sure I will be learning so much about myself too and how I can help myself with my own health and diet - she says as she takes a sip of her latte - which would be amazing.

Emailing my tutor who was going to show me some good examples of well written papers and essays got no reply.  Well, it is the summer holidays.  My brain is a little tuned out too!

Yesterday I took a call from my mental health advisor from uni who is quite on the ball in all departments.  She is keen for me to continue to take care of my mental health and feels my physical health is all part of the difficulties dealing with the mental.

To be totally open on this blog though, I have definitely realised that I need to be comfortable in the skin I'm in.  I'm a person who loves to be at home, sitting at my desk and not being overly social in public.  That's just me.  It's who I am.  Realising that has enabled me to create a much better inner peace.  Ok, so here's the hippy in me showing through now.

I have so many super ideas on how I can create my ideal life and living from the beauty of my laptop. I am super keen to make this happen.  It just may mean some more late nights, which I am not so great at.

Today, my son takes his last GCSE and in two days, my daughter finishes too (did I mention they are twins?)  I cannot help but feel like punching the air saying "I've done it!" as I realise I actually lived long enough to watch them grow up!  Sounds daft now but when they were tiny I was an anxiety filled mess who really wanted to live long enough.  I would lie awake counting my heartbeats as it pounded with palpitations (these are the days before I knew I was allergic to gluten!).
Next year (early) they will be able to drive which will give me so much more free time.  Although leaving school, they are going to be at college which is directly next to the university! Amazing.

Hoping this will all work out well, I am continuing with putting as much time as possible into my blog posts and youtube videos in the hope that it really doesn't matter how many slipped discs I'm dealing with or what level of arthritis.  I can still work and keep myself doing all the things I love.

I'm excited for the future.  Just wishing I wasn't filled with doubt about me actually being able to make it all happen.

What about you?  How is your future looking?  Are you confident?

Biology results are in!!!

Yesterday,  a little notification popped up in our nutrition student Facebook group.

"Biology is up."

I was out with the children at the time and took a deep breath.  The internet was intermittent where we were and it was definitely not a time to make things all about me.  I whispered to my son, "I'm about to get an exam result."

Not realising that this was actually also a mark for the entire module.

So, carefully I logged in. It all felt so alien to me after just a short spell of time not logging in.  Those people who log in throughout every day to get results.  Bit more committed than me maybe?

As I clicked here and there I realised things were looking GOOD.  Relieved, excited and a little proud of myself I noticed that I had 67% for my exam! Chuffed to bits.  Had there not been that silly 30% essay mark in this module I am pretty sure I would have got a first.  However, scraping a 2:1 with an overall of 60% impressed myself.  Not going to complain about that at all.

Chuffed.
Chuffed.
Chuffed.

Meanwhile, we await the rest!

Good luck with yours.  Any results in yet?  What did you get?