How To Guide

A small percentage of women are diagnosed with PCOS and find it difficult to deal with the condition.

PCOS, sometimes called PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disease), sometimes present with few or minor symptoms and understandably once the diagnosis is made via tests, women are at a loss as to how to deal with it. The syndrome can be related to many other problems as well.

What is PCOS

PCOS is the name given to a metabolic syndrome which is a result of hormonal imbalance combined with cysts in the ovaries. This happens when egg producing follicles do not develop or degenerate properly and develop into cysts filled with fluid. If you PCOS, you will most likely have cysts in your ovaries, but if you have cysts in the ovaries, you do not necessarily have PCOS.

It can occur in women of all ages who are ovulating. Often it is undiagnosed for long periods of time.

Symptoms of PCOS

The syndrome presents with different symptoms in different women. Sometimes it may be largely asymptomatic and so difficult to diagnose. Among the symptoms… Read More

Lisa

‘I was recently diagnosed with PCOS at 26, but I believe it began around 21. I was embarrassed by my weight gain and my mother kept telling me I was just lazy. I spent months running miles and going hungry, desperate to lose weight before my wedding.

‘My (now) husband sat up with me all night when I would emotionally break down. I had been a size 8 in high school and now I’m a 15. I didn’t recognize the person in the mirror any more. I felt so ashamed, as though it were my own fault. When I finally asked my doctor for routine blood work, she found my testosterone was high. She sent me to an endocrinologist and he immediately recognized my symptoms as PCOS.

‘It was such a relief to know this wasn’t my fault! I’ve started metformin, I’m following the glycemix index, and I am already feeling better. I’d encourage any woman struggling with these symptoms to ask for blood work! Don’t let anyone tell you it’s your fault!’ Lisa says.

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Airport security is a sensitive job as the security personnel have to check people and baggage and also be responsible for overall airport security.

After the terror attacks in the US on 9/11, airport security became extremely stringent. And an airplane is all the more vulnerable being up in the air to hijacking and other violent acts. Airport security is of great importance and the security personnel have to handle their work with a great deal of responsibility.

The Work

If you have been in an airport you will have seen airport security personnel right from the gate onwards. As a passenger you may not give them much mind, because they are people in uniforms and may even regard them as an annoyance. However, the airport security personnel are actually trained to handle people and security issues and are responsible for all kinds of security in and around the airport, hangars and the tarmac.

As an airport security officer, you could be male or female. You will have to be on your feet for long periods of time and learn… Read More

Matt Bulger

Matt Bulger started work in a private security agency in Dulles and then when TSA took over airport security, he got a job with TSA. Now he is in the management cadre of the airport. He screens passengers and covers two to four security lanes, rotating positions every half an hour to keep the work from becoming monotonous.

He may be moving from the walk-through metal detector to the X-ray monitor to the bag-search position to the secondary-screening spot to the explosive-trace detection machine and so on. If anything questionable is spotted, he has to take a call.

He is unflappable and calm through all the chaos, and always polite and deferential. He takes pride in his job and feels he is one among the many who is making a difference.

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The person who is the voice of a show on radio is called a Radio Disc Jockey or DJ.

A radio DJ is the person you hear when you put on a radio – he is the presenter of a show, even if it just music. The chatter which you hear is often transmitted live. Often DJs become famous in their own right when they get a fan following.

The Work

The work is interesting and creative. You have to often write your own script and read from it, or be spontaneous or impromptu. Depending on the show you are hosting, you have to be extremely familiar with the type of music being played and learn how to use the equipment.

You will have to work long hours and since many radio stations are on 24 hours, you will probably draw the graveyard shift initially or have to work odd hours. You know you have made it when you have your own show and many fans.

As a radio DJ, you may have to be take calls live, interact with… Read More

Scott Mills

Scott Mills had just completed his schooling at Crestwood in Eastleigh when he started work as the youngest radio presenter at Power FM at the age of 16. He had just got a few GCSEs from school.

Twenty years later and after becoming a well known public figure, he received an honorary degree from Southampton Solent University. Not a simple graduation degree, but honorary doctor of arts in recognition of his work in the field of broadcasting and radio.

His life story is being made into a musical which will be presented at the Edinburgh Festival. ‘All my family tell me that since I was really small I just wanted to play records,’ Scott told the Daily Echo in 2004 after landing his own prime time afternoon show.

‘It really was a dream of mine to work on Radio One, probably from the age of about eight. I liked the sound of the whole station and I wanted to be part of it – it sounded big and exciting.

‘I used to make tapes of myself pretending to… Read More

Many women during the course of their lives suffer from a yeast infection sometime or the other, regardless of age.

More than anything else, a yeast infection is extremely irritating. And because it happens in the genitals, it is something which can be embarrassing to talk about, sometimes even to the doctor. While it is more common in women, yeast infections occasionally occur in men, too and can be treated.

What is yeast infection and why do women get them?

Yeast infection is an infection which occurs in the vaginal area. It is caused by a fungus, usually candida albicans which normally lives in the body in damp areas but is kept under control. However, sometimes during fluctuating hormone levels, a course of antibiotics, oral contraceptives women may be more prone to this flaring up into a full blown thrush infection.

Some women may also react to detergents, fabric softeners, feminine hygiene products like douches and sprays, contraceptive foams and jellies or creams which cause an overgrowth of the fungus. There are some sanitary napkins and tampons which may cause… Read More

Innumerable people suffer from allergies of one sort or the other and have to learn to avoid various substances or deal with their allergies.

Allergic reactions are common in people. In fact, if you have never had an allergic reaction to a food, an allergen in the air or a medicine, you can still have it at any time in your life. And once you do, you will know that you have to avoid that thing. However, often, it is difficult to pin down a substance you are allergic or even sensitive to and then the diagnosis can take a long time or even be extremely difficult.

You can be allergic to dust mites, pollen in the air, pet dander, insect stings or bites, even lotions and cosmetics, hair colors, perfumes, flowers, medicines, foods, in fact anything at all.

What is an allergy?

An allergy is the body’s immune system response to a particular allergen. Once you get an allergic reaction to something, it is most likely that you will be allergic to it for the rest of your life.… Read More

Lorina Strockl

Lorina Strockl, 22, an administration assistant from Romford, Essex, has to avoid all dairy products and many other foods, including shellfish, certain fish, chicken, tomato, avocado and chocolate. She is also allergic to grass and birch pollen, pet hair and some medication.

She suffers from asthma, eczema and rhinitis and she is so allergic to milk that she has suffered a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis several times, requiring treatment in Accident and Emergency (A&E).

She has had various allergy tests, including skin prick tests, prick tests using the actual foods (prick-prick tests) and IgE blood tests which measure levels of antibodies in the blood to specific substances. Currently she is undergoing ‘challenge testing’ for certain foods, which involves trying small amounts of the food at the London Allergy Centre and under close medical supervision.

She is taking an oral antihistamine and her dietary intake has been reviewed and changed. She has also been prescribed an auto-injector adrenaline pen, which is the immediate treatment for anaphylactic shock.

Only a patient of COPD knows how difficult it is at times to even breathe. COPD is a disabling disease.

COPD is a disease of the lower respiratory tract. But it is more serious than pneumonia and bronchitis and even asthma for that matter. It is the fourth leading cause of death in the US and 12 million people die from it – you can understand how grave it is. In the early stages it may not even be diagnosed.

What is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is the name of the disease where the bronchioles and alveoli and the airways are constantly inflamed and swollen, making breathing difficult. As a result of this, there is even more mucous being produced and this obstructs the airways even further. Usually COPD is of two types: chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

COPD may occur due to smoking or inhaling second hand smoke, dust, fumes, other smoke, gases, vapors or mists or any other pollutants. There is no cure for this disease, but it can be controlled, its progress slowed or… Read More

Darlene Morgan

Darlene Morgan of Brandon, Manitoba ignored the early signs of COPD. She was coughing and short of breath, sick all the time and put it down to stress. Then one day she found herself lying on the stairs will full respiratory failure. In the hospital he received a diagnosis of COPD and thought her life was over.

The first thing she did was to quit smoking and that has given her a new lease of life. ‘It hasn’t been easy – quitting smoking, learning to manage my disease – but it’s been so worth it.

‘I have truly made my COPD diagnosis a new beginning in my life. Two years ago I was on life support in hospital. Now I can enjoy a half-hour walk with my children, grandchildren and my dog. I feel better than I have in years. If you think you might have COPD, go see your doctor,’ she advises.

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Crohn’s disease is a debilitating and chronic disease which affects the digestive tract.

Crohn’s disease is a disease which affects the gastrointestinal tract anywhere from the mouth to the anus. Some parts may be fine and other parts diseased and as it presents with different symptoms, it may be difficult to diagnose. As the digestive system is important for the proper functioning of the body because of its ability to absorb and dispense nutrition, any disorder which affects the GI tract can lead to serious consequences.

What is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease, also called granulomatous enteritis or colitis, regional enteritis, ileitis, or terminal ileitis, is a disease which can cause problems anywhere in the digestive tract. It results in inflammation and ulcers and the breaking down of the lining of the small and/or large intestine. Occasionally, the small intestine may narrow and even get blocked.

Usually it affects the lower part of the small intestine and causes frequent diarrhea. While the disease is chronic, there may be times when the patient is in remission and feels fine. It may be… Read More

Jason

Jason was going to school and working part-time. When he went on to full-time work he found that he did not have as much energy as earlier and had also begun to lose weight. Earlier he used to spend a lot of time hanging out with friends. But once he got ill, he found that was tired most of the time and did not feel like going out.

He also suffered from ‘gut-wrenching’ pain off and on and then started staying at home more and more. He also did not know what he could eat and what he could not.

Then he noticed blood in his stool and went to the doctor. He went through many tests and was also referred to another doctor before he got diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. He also underwent several different treatments which did not help him. Currently his disease is under control and he can enjoy his time with his family as before.

A jockey rides a horse in different types of races and may be working locally or globally.

There are two types of horse racing – steeplechase and racing. Steeplechase racing is of a different kind, over jumps and hurdle. However, the training is somewhat different but in the end it is winner who counts. Usually it is race horse racing which is globally popular. A dangerous, but exciting sport, horse racing requires rigorous physical training.

The Work

The work consists of riding horses, and hopefully winning races. However, jockeys have to start from the bottom. You need to understand horses very well, their gait, their behavior, their work and feeding routines and the way they race. You have to love horses, to want to become a jockey.

It consists of long hours of work and arduous training which needs to be undertaken, riding at the crack of dawn and retiring late at night. However, the work of a jockey is quite glamorous and thrilling, because you get to ride fast horses. And if you are really good, you can be… Read More

Brett Callaghan

Brett Callaghan was very short and lightweight and when he was only 10 years old he started riding horses in Barbados, in a riding school, close to his home. He wanted to become a jockey because he thought that there was nothing else he could do since he was only 4’7” and weighed 66 pounds.

At 14, he got his exercise jockey’s license. He rode race horses in Barbados from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. before going off to school. He got his full jockey’s license when he was 15 and he rode his first race in November 1989.

He rode 24 races in Martinique and Trinidad. In the middle he was out for four months following a riding accident and was in coma for two weeks, but made a complete recovery. In 1993, he moved to Toronto, Canada to pursue his racing career. He has ridden in over 1200 races with a total of 135 wins.

In 1998, he put his racing career on hold while he did a full-time Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer Course. While studying… Read More

Becoming a lawyer is a respectable and usually lucrative profession, depending on what your practice is and what you specialize in.

Lawyers are found all over the world because both criminal and civil law cases are omnipresent. A lawyer has to study hard to become one and this involves innumerable hours poring over books. And then are different kinds of lawyers since most people prefer to specialize in one particular avenue and hone their knowledge of the laws pertaining to that particular subject.

All countries have their own systems in place for people to practice law ranging from studies and courses and licensing systems. Depending on where in the world you are you have to follow those systems.

The Work

Everybody who has seen television show, watched movies or read fictional legal thrillers will know one of the main tasks of the lawyer is to litigate and fight a case. However, there are many lawyers who many not even see the inside of a courtroom, particularly if their work is only to do the research and grunt work needed in… Read More

Kimberly DeCarrera

Though Kimberly DeCarrera was born in Texas she lived in Atlanta for most of her life and went to school there. Then she attended the Georgia Institute of Technology where she completed her undergraduate Bachelors of Science in Management in three years.

After that, she attended the Georgia State University College of Law earning her Juris Doctor. While in law school, she clerked for G. Roger Land, a local Atlanta attorney who maintains a general civil practice. She is licensed to practice in Georgia.

She runs her own firm DeCarrera Law, LLC and practices different kinds of law, including business law, family law, estate planning, trusts, wills, property matters and litigation. Whether it is starting a business or getting a divorce, she is runs a more inclusive practice.

Six examples below

Betty Ann

Betty Ann had vision problems and found she could see less and less even with her glasses on. When she went in to get a new prescription she was diagnosed with cataracts. She had surgery and had multifocal lenses implanted.

‘I never expected to be able to see everything like I do. Without glasses. I don’t even have any… They’re just like new eyes, she says of her experience. The day after the second surgery, she removed the eye patch and drove herself to the doctor, thrilled that she could see so well.

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Brenda Alworth

Brenda Alworth, 71, from St Albans, had her first cataract operation four years ago and her second one earlier this year. Gradually her vision worsened and when she finally went to the optician she was told she had cataract in her right eye which ought to be removed while the left one could be left alone for some time.

Of her second surgery she says,’It was very quick. I was only in the theatre for 15 minutes… Read More

Six examples below

Mario Della Grotta

Mario Della Grotta suffering from a devastating form of mental illness called obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). At the height of his OCD symptoms, he lost the time to be with his family, to pursue his college studies, and to enjoy living. The OCD totally consumed his life – he could not do anything without spending a lot of time of fruitless rituals.

He went in for therapy at the insistence of his wife, but he did not get any relief. Finally he and his doctors agreed on Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery, where a device is implanted in the brain. Now he says he feels 70 percent better.

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Wendy

Though Wendy was diagnosed with OCD when in her fifties, she feels she was suffering from it from childhood. She used to worry about sins and going to hell. She also developed an eating disorder. She wasted a lot of time checking or cleaning or worrying about illogical things. ‘It was exhausting and rather horrific, because it never let my mind rest.’… Read More

Two examples below

Lee

Lee calls himself a basic middle class man, who wrote two books and also started and sold a company. After marriage he would help his wife cook and clean. A month after marriage his wife started abusing him verbally, shouting at him, telling what to do and what not to do, using expletives, leaving him alone and going out with friends and to visit her family.

He took it all, but when she was trying to get pregnant and it did not happen when she wanted, she wanted to use donor sperm and even slapped him. He left her and they got divorced, but even before that when he and his mother went to his house, she had destroyed his belongings and physically attacked his mother. On top of that the police told him that if he entered his own house, he would be arrested for trespassing.

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Ian McNicholl

Ian McNicholl started an 18-month relationship with Michelle Williamson after they shared a taxi in Grimsby, Lincs. They got to know each other,… Read More