Paula Corrigan is a company manager working in Cumbria. One day, while at work, she was holding a heavy box and turned – immediately she felt a shooting pain from her hip to leg. It was so bad that she had to be off work for a few days. She rested and felt better, but then on and off the pain would flare up.

Her doctor recommended pain killers and physiotherapy, but she did not feel better after all these treatments. Finally she was diagnosed with a slipped disc pressing on her sciatic nerve which was causing so much pain. She was referred to Christopher Gerber, a consultant neurosurgeon at Newcastle General Hospital, who advised her to go in for surgery.

She underwent the microdisketomy and had two large fragments the size of a squashed pea removed from her disk. She is now feeling much better and can walk normally, without the help of a walking stick or a limp.

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More than 60 to 75 percent people suffer from back pain of one kind or the other. Everybody does not have a slipped disc. But back ache can sometimes become a chronic condition. And a slipped disk is one of reasons of back pain which is persistent.

What is a slipped disk?

The length of the spine is made up of small bones called vertebrae. In between the bones are spinal discs which are made up of tough fibrous tissue which is filled with a jellylike substance to offer a cushioning effect, so that the spine is flexible.

A slipped disk, also called a herniated disk or prolapsed disk, may rupture and the jelly leaks out. This can put pressure on the spinal cord or pinch one or more nerves which can often cause excruciating pain on whichever parts of the body the nerve/s control.

Causes

Sometimes a slipped disk happens with age and when the body is not as flexible as it used to be and you do something you should not as pick up something very heavy, move some heavy furniture or reach up for something, you can suffer from a slipped disk. Occasionally it happens slowly and gradually with age. But it can happen in younger people as well. Trauma or accidents can also result in one or more slipped disks.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

If you have back ache or neck ache – and a slipped disk can even happen in the neck – which get worse and is severe, if you have pain which radiates maybe into your buttocks, legs or other parts, if movement is difficult it is better to go to a doctor to get a diagnosis. If your condition is accompanied by fever and incontinence, numbness and/or tingling of the extremities then it is better to seek emergency help.

The doctor will carry out a physical examination to see if it is indeed a slipped disk. He may advise X-rays which will rule out any other bone disorder. An MRI will give a clearer picture of what exactly is wrong. Once it is confirmed that you have a slipped disk, the doctor can offer you a range of treatments.

Treatment

Usually, unless there are other complications, the doctor usually advised conservative treatment. This means some amount of rest, no straining, bending or stretching, sleeping or resting on a hard mattress of floor. Pain medications, depending on the severity of the pain, neuropathic pain medications which help with nerve pain, muscle relaxants and steroids in the oral or injectable forms may be advised in various combinations. Sometimes traction may help, sometimes a spine brace may be recommended.

Apart from these which will be given in the initial stages, you may be recommended physiotherapy in terms of TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), alternating heat and cold packs, ultrasound and others. Later you will be advised various forms of stretching exercises to help control the pain, dynamic lumbar stabilization exercises and aerobic and water exercises.

Then there are alternative remedies like spinal decompression techniques, acupuncture, yoga, chiropractic, homeopathy, ayurveda and various back treatments which may or may not work.

Surgery is usually the last resort. disketomy removes part of the disk which is putting pressure on the nerve. A newer procedure is microdiskectomy which is similar but is microsurgery so means reduced hospital and recovery time. Sometimes spinal fusion may be needed.

Newer techniques

These are still under research and if they come through, hopefully slipped disk pain will only be a bad memory. These include nucleoplasty, oxygen-ozone therapy, disk and nucleus replacement and biological repair.

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Judi feels that she had vertigo all her life but did not realize it till 34 years ago. She suffered from vertigo, nausea, lack of concentration and being sick. She had two brain surgeries to relieve constriction of the 8th cranial nerve. After the surgery on the right side, she felt even sicker.

‘I had a neurectomy of the 8th nerve on my right side. This left me with deafness in my right ear as well as loss of vestibular function on that side. My left side had been operated on and was damaged either as a result of the vertigo or the surgery,’ she laments.

She went from doctor to doctor, but found no help. Finally she found a doctor at Mass Eye and Ear who actually listened to her and put her on to a physiotherapist.  Now she is going to a physical therapist at Mass General to undergo neuro-muscular retraining. At the age of 66, she is finally feeling better.

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Tessa Baker is a chef and a painter. However, she started with food and at the lowest rung – she was a waitress at the restaurant in London while still a teen. When she was about 15, her father suggested that she go to Switzerland and work as an apprentice chef. She finished her training and returned to England where she went to art school, but was not happy there.

She went back to cooking and worked as the head chef and only chef at The Howard Arms in Warwickshire, The General Trading Company and finally The Watermill Theatre in Newbury. She fell in love but was later dumped and then fled to France where she worked briefly in a motor yacht, then at St. Tropez and then finally on a boat sailing around the world.

Then she went to do art classes in Venice and finally had solo exhibitions of her paintings in Valbonne and in London. Now she works as a chef in summer and paints in winter, holding exhibitions in spring and autumn.

‘The two are similar in ways. For me it is all about the senses, about vision and color and smell and teasing the taste buds and flirting with people’s thoughts and hoping I can evoke an emotion in people both from my food and with my art,’ she says about painting and cooking.

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A chef is much more than a cook, since he not only devises recipes, but may also be in charge of menu planning and if he runs his own restaurant also the interiors, ambience, etc. Depending on the type of place he is working at he may be turning out fast foods or cordon bleu cuisine. The status of a chef today is big and there are many celebrity chefs now

The Work

The work of a chef has come a long way, though cooks have been around for eons. The chef is responsible for the working of the whole kitchen whether he or she is working in a small restaurant or café, a take-out place, or in a star hotel. If he is working in a small place the chef may have to do all the work from buying the groceries or item needed for the food, to food handling and preparation and getting dish ready to be served.

If the chef is working in a large hotel, he will have many people working under him, often different chefs heading special departments like patisserie, desserts, or even different categories of foods. He will have to do a great deal of administrative work and delegate responsibilities, but in the end he will be the person in charge.

Personal Qualities

While many chefs are known to be temperamental, when you are starting out you have to learn to handle criticism and failures. As it is a service industry and a customer oriented business, you may have to adapt your cooking styles to what actually sells.

However, you have to have talent and skill and be willing to experiment and be extremely creative. You will have to work with your hands and in the beginning at least, there is a fair amount of hard physical labor, because you have to cook in large quantities. You have to learn to think on your feet and deal with emergencies as they arise. You will also have to forego weekends and holidays, because that is the time business is the best and your may have to work at unearthly hours from early mornings to late in the nights.

Academic Qualifications

Try and take cooking classes or culinary courses if your school offers them. You should ideally do an accredited full time course in culinary arts which may range from two to four years. You may want to go in for a degree in hotel management, specializing in cooking in the later stages. This will give you good grounding in case you want to run your own restaurant because it will teach you the nitty-gritty of the business management.

You could either or also do a course in bakery or patisserie which is a related business in itself. There are many avenues of employment in this line of work, too. Ideally you should spend some time as an apprentice in a restaurant or food related place, even if you start at the bottom of the ladder and even if you are not paid or paid very little.

Sometimes big hotels run their own training programs, but you have to pass their tests and interviews to get in.

Jobs

Apart from restaurants, hotels, inns, cafes, bake houses, there are jobs available in cruise lines or big ships which are floating hotels, resorts or spas, clubs, retirement homes, hospitals, catering (for parties, weddings, special occasions) or contract food services (such as airlines’ kitchens or centralized kitchens which supply certain items to certain places).

There are manufacturers of food products which can be found on supermarket and grocery shelves which also employ chefs. These may range from ready to eat foods, frozen foods, dehydrated food products, cooking pastes and the like. Even the armed forces employ chefs.

Earnings

Chefs can expect to earn between $20,000 at the lowest rung and $100,000 and upwards as a head chef. However, earnings vary a great deal and depend on the establishment you are working for, your specialization and the experience you bring to the job.

If you work for a big company, you will be entitled to perquisites and benefits which the corporation gives. It stands to reason that if you are working for a cruise liner, you will also get accommodation and most big hotels, too, will provide accommodation. You will also be entitled to eat in whether it is food prepared for the customers or for the staff!

And if you become a celebrity chef like Jamie Oliver, who dropped out of school because he was dyslexic but then went to catering college, you can have your own television shows and writes books which sell millions of copies.

Other Resource:

http://www.allfoodbusiness.com/becoming_a_chef.php
http://www.finestchef.com/how_to_become_a_chef.htm
http://www.howtobeachef.com/#
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/food-careers/how-to-become-a-chef.htm

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The origin of the Nebelung is almost all natural. In the 1980’s, a female black domestic shorthaired cat by the name of Elsa meet a shorthaired blue Russian tomcat that could have been a stray. From this encounter a litter of kittens was born. In the litter was five solid black or blue shorthairs and solid blue longhair with a beautiful coat, long legs, and a Russian Blue-type body. Cora Cobb adopted the solid blue longhair and gave him the name of Siegfried after the hero in The Ring of the Nebelung. Awhile later Elsa and her beau the Russian Blue tom once again littered some more kittens. This time seven kittens were born, only one longhaired solid blue, this time a female. Cora also adopted this one and named it Brunhilde, Siegfried’s lady love in The Ring of the Nebelung opera. Neither cat was fixed and before long, they had a litter of their own. In May of 1986, this couple gave birth to a litter with three solid blue longhairs. In September of 1987, the TICA accepted the Nebelung for registration.

Height and Weight

The Nebelung is a small to medium size cat weighing around 6 to 8 pounds.

Colors and Coat

The color of the coat is the same as the Russian Blue being a light gray called blue. The difference between the Russian Blue and the Nebelung is the length of the coat. The Russian Blue has a short double coat whereas the Nebelung has a double medium-long soft and silky coat. The coat is a tad shorter on the shoulders and creates pantaloons with an elegant plume for a tail. Eyes are also green just as the Russian Blue.

Temperament and Living Environment

Nebelung’s are a sweet and loving breed similar to that of the Russian Blue. They are a bit leery of strangers and will need to get to know you before being as loving. Some times, they run and hide from strangers and may not come out until the stranger leaves.

This breed loves to be loved but not in your face so to speak. He does give kisses and wants to be included in the family on his terms. In most cases, he likes to lie beside you and sleep. This breed does not like to be left alone for long periods of time.

Grooming

Most cats do not need much grooming except to ensure their fur does not matt. The Nebelung will need combed at least twice per week and during shedding season at least every other day.

Diet and Care

A well balanced diet will be fine. This breed will need his ears cleaned regularly and his claws trimmed.

Health Issues and Life Expectancy

The Nebelung is a healthy breed with a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years.

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The Cretan Hound can be traced to the Greek Island of Crete with writings dating back 3500 years. Some believe the ancestors of the Cretan Hound may have been from Africa but this is more than likely the oldest dog breed in Europe. The Cretan people had many enemies trying to take over their land; they became very suspicious of strangers. The people were proud and were not very happy to share any of the unique species of animals found on their island. The Cretan Hound was often hidden away from the eyes of strangers. The dogs of course were discovered and are now considered not only awesome hunting dogs but great family pets as well.

Height and Weight

The Cretan Hound males stand around 27 inches and weigh around 44 to 66 pounds. Females stand around 19 inches and weigh about the same as the males.

Colors and Coat

The coat is fine, short, and close to the body. Coat colors include pure white, cream, sandy, fawn, grey, black or brindle, bi-colored or tri-colored.

Temperament and Living Environment

This breed is a hunter above all else. He not only has a keen sight and scent but he is known for grounding scenting and tasting the air as well as sucking the scent from the stones. Once the Cretan Hound has the scent, his tail moves in a circle and his body becomes rigid.

He is a clean elegant fellow that does will with children and is very affectionate. He is a bit shy around strangers. He can live in a family with domestic animals, but not cats or other smaller animals that he may think are prey. Remember, above all else, he is a hunter at heart. Not huge on barking, unless a stranger approaches.

He needs room to exercise. He will not be happy with city life or an apartment.

Grooming

The Cretan Hound enjoys a good brushing once in a while with a firm bristle brush. You can bathe him with dry shampoo or mild soap when necessary.

Diet and Care

He is a very active dog breed that will need to be fed a well balanced diet. For care, ensure he gets enough exercise. A long daily walk will do wonders for this guy. When possible let him run free.

Health Issues and Life Expectancy

The Gretan Hound is a healthy breed and does not have any health issues. The life expectancy is 10 to 12 years.

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The Bergamasco Sheepdog has ancestors dating back 2000 years, which were home all along the Alpine chain. These dogs lived in the cold climate in the Vallese region of the Alps, described as coats that were thick, long, and shabby. As far as anyone knows, the ancestors were shepherds and cattle dogs that were home not only in the Alps but also from the Orient to the Western world. The dogs in most cases when the stock of sheep was sold, the dog went with the herd.

Height and Weight

The male Bergamasco Shepherd at adulthood, stands at 23 ½ inches and weighs around 70 to 84 pounds. Females on average are about 22 inches tall as adults and weigh around 59 to 71 pounds.

Colors and Coat

This breed of dog is considered to be of medium size. The unique appearance is the coat, which is thick, full, and forms mats or flocks. The matts or flocks begin at the spine and go down the flanks. Each year these matts or flocks grow longer until they reach the ground. The think fur even covers their eyes. This is a good thing. The fur protects the eyes similar to that of a visor against the elements. The color of the coat is gray to silver gray to coal.

Temperament and Living Environment

The Bergamasco Shepherd is a brave, intelligent, calm, and loyal. He is use to being alone with his only companion being the sheep he is guarding. As a family pet, he is loyal and makes a great watchdog. He is not considered an aggressive breed, but he does not like strangers entering his habitat. He will not attack unless he feels like his human family may be in danger. The Bergamasco Shepherd is a wonderful therapy dog. Other pets around the home may be fine as long as they are brought up together. Dogs that threaten the Bergamasco will not be a good mix. Bringing a cat into the home after this breed has grown to adulthood is not recommended. The Bergamasco Shepherd needs an owner that is control and is the authority figure.

As for living environment, due to his long thick fur, colder climates are best. Apartment life is not best, as this breed needs a large area to run and play. He may even enjoy staying outside during the night.

Grooming

This breed does not really need any grooming except for bath and brushing once in awhile. At about five years of age, the matts or flocks will reach the ground. This breed of dog does not really shed as most breed. During the puppy stage, you will find a bit of hair once in awhile and as an adult, hair loss is minimal. The coat of the Bergamasco is not considered fur but is hair. Many individuals that are allergic to most dogs have no allergies around this breed.

Diet and Care

As a large breed, your Bergamasco will need a well balanced diet. He loves the outdoors and will need plenty of exercise. He should have a large yard or be taken on long walks. If possible, let him spend time on a farm with sheep if you want him to stay happy. If you live in the city, then take him to the park and let him run with the kids.

Health Issues and Life Expectancy

The Bergamasco is a very healthy bred with a life expectancy of 13 to 15 years.

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The Colorpoint Shorthair is a Siamese only with different color of its markings. This breed as first seen in the 1940’s in the United Kingdom when breeders wanted to develop a cat that was close to the Siamese only with point in colors unlike the Siamese of traditional blue, chocolate, lilac, and seal.

In order to achieve their goal, breeders crossed the Siamese with red colored Domestic Shorthairs, Abyssinians, and American Shorthairs. It took several generations and breeding to develop the Colorpoint Shorthair, we see today.

Height and Weight

The Colorpoint Shorthair is a small to medium breed with both male and females weighing around 7 to 8 pounds.

Colors and Coat

As stated before the Colorpoint Shorthair looks like a Siamese except for the point color. This breed comes in red point, cream point, lynx point, and tortie point.

Temperament and Living Environment

The Colorpoint Shorthairs are known for being very intelligent, loving and a bit mischievous. This is a breed of cat that enjoy being busy all the time when awake, chasing all kinds of pretend prey, jumping around after shadows, and when ready for a break cuddling up on your lap.

This breed is talkative and is very close to their owners emotionally. If a family member is blue, the Colorpoint Shorthair will perform all kinds of stunts to put a smile on their face.

Grooming

The Colorpoint Shorthair needs the same grooming as the Siamese, which is minimal. You may want to brush or comb their coat if they have been outdoors, but in most cases, they need little grooming. This breed does not have as much dander as other breeds so grooming schedules are not necessary.

Diet and Care

This breed is very active and playful and needs a high protein diet. Your Colorpoint Shorthair will need the same immunizations as other breeds to ensure they stay healthy.

Health Issues and Life Expectancy

A health issue that has been associated with the Colorpoint Shorthair and the Siamese is Hereditary Liver Amyloidosis. In other cases, this breed is overall very healthy with a life expectancy of 14 to 20 years.

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The Barbet is believed to be the beginning of many different water dog breeds including the American Water Spaniel, the Poodle, and the Portuguese Water Dog, to name a few. The actual origin is not known but in most cases began with the corded herding breed. Barbet comes from the French and means beard. Throughout history, you can find the Barbet working in various occupations, but mainly as an assistant to sailors. It is known most for its retrieval talents. The bloodline of the Barbet can be found as far back as 1891 in various publications.

Height and Weight

The Barbet male stands at 20 ½ to 25 ½ inches tall and weighing between 35 and 60 pounds. Female Barbet’s weigh the same but are about just a bit smaller.

Colors and Coat

The coat on the Barbet is long, wooly, curly and of course made for water. The accepted colors include solid black, brown, fawn, grey, pale fawn, white or more or less pied. Red fawn and pale fawn are also seen. Grey and white are considered rare and mixed colors besides white are considered faults.

Temperament and Living Environment

The Barbet can live in a small home as long as he/she gets the chance to swim and run free very often. Remember, these are water dogs and they love a good swim. They were often used as retrievers or farm dogs and need to stay busy so to speak. They are very intelligent, obedient, and great companions. They get along great with children and most other pets.

Grooming

The Barbet does require grooming. He/she will need their coat brushed at least once a week to prevent matting and to keep debris from their curly coat. The hair inside the ears will need to be removed as well as the hair from the pads. During the summer months, the coat should be trimmed.

Diet and Care

The Barbet is an active dog and will need a well balanced diet to ensure he is getting the proper nutrition.

Health Issues and Life Expectancy

The Barbet is prone to hip dysplasia, cataracts, and skin allergies with a life expectancy of 13 to 15 years.

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