Instead of sending a 'chain' e-mail on to others about thyroid cancer when I received it, I thought I'd create this topic on Lumigrate, as that will reach more people. <Almost 100 people in the first day!><1000 when I came to add on something November 2016>. You can certainly click the 'Print' or 'Email' button in the lower right corner, or copy and paste the link into a message or email, post it on Twitter, etc. Those you reach might just find other information at Lumigrate helpful as well. OR, for those who like to do chain e-mails, you can block, copy, paste this into the body of an email as well, and send it along. Make a "smoke signal" if that's how you communicate! Morse code, anyone?
Soon after it arrived, I was going to be seeing Jim Kennedy, DDS, so I asked him about it, and he said he'd be happy to contribute if I posted it. The next day, I had a business lunch with someone who was telling me her long-ago work history in the dental industry, and she then said 'and when you get dental x-rays...' and literally said what is below.
She'd not seen the Oz segment, she'd not gotten an e-mail, she is just a 'born educator' and 'connector' as I am. Total 'coincidence'. Wanting to connect people to other people or information that is going to help them or others/all.
I asked why this isn't standard operating procedure and nobody seems to know why! My guess, based on what Jim says, below, is it's a problem for some of the types of images they need to have so rather than expect more from those doing the x-raying, it was easier to just say 'oh, what does it matter .. it's just DENTAL x-rays, it's such a small amount and it's not every day, it's just every few months or years ...... '.
This is what I received: (and made a few changes within to clarify/clean up/broaden it to include men).
On Wednesday, Dr. Oz had a show on the fastest growing type of cancer in women -- thyroid cancer. It was a very interesting program, and he mentioned that the increase could possibly be related to the use of dental x-rays and mammograms. He demonstrated the apron the dental office puts on you for your dental
x-rays; there is a little flap that can be lifted up and wrapped around your neck. Many dentists don't bother to use it.
Also, there is something called a "thyroid guard" for use during mammograms. By coincidence, I had my yearly mammogram yesterday. I felt a little silly, but I asked about the guard, and sure enough -- the technician had one in a drawer! I asked why it wasn't routinely used.
Answer: "I don't know. You have to ask for it."
If I hadn't seen the show, how would I have known to ask?
We need to pass this on to our daughters, nieces, mothers and all our female friends and husbands tell the women in your lives !! And it stands to reason it would be worthwhile for men as well to do. Children. EVERYONE.
Now, YOU send it on to your list of people you care about or otherwise wish to help educate.
Someone was nice enough to forward this to me; I hope you take the time and pass this on to your friends and family. It's all about YOU! at Lumigrate.com The Lumigrate YOU! Model
Live and learn. Learn and live better! ~ Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [1] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Links:
[1] http://twitter.com/lumigrate
[2] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/thyroid-cancer-increasing-women-rapidly#comment-2285
[3] http://www.dentocranial.net
[4] http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/health-issuesdis-eases/head/mental-conditions-headache
[5] http://www.cranialacademy.com/
[6] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/thyroid-cancer-increasing-women-rapidly#top
[7] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/login?destination=node/1913%23comment-form
[8] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/register?destination=node/1913%23comment-form
[9] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/thyroid-cancer-increasing-women-rapidly#comment-2287
[10] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/who-why-how-test-hormonesthyroid-etc-gary-king-rph
Comments
Any x-rays, including dental x-rays, that are taken in the area of the thyroid gland (throat) can have a cumulative effect over time. A thyroid collar can be used for most dental x-rays that are placed in the mouth to take images of the teeth.
A thyroid collar can interfere with x-rays that are taken to view the jaw, aka TMJs. The thyroid collar would obstruct the viewing of some of the structures that the doctor wanted to look at.
Dr Kennedy moved to Grand Junction in 2003 with his wife, Liz, a registered nurse. Previously, he had practices in Detroit and Denver. He has limited his dental practice to the treatment of TMJ dysfunction, dental orthopedics and orthodontics, and the fabrication of dental appliances for snoring and sleep apnea. Office phone: 970/242-1900; Website: www.dentocranial.net [3]
His pieces on Lumigrate can be found in the forum related to things of the head in the section related to chronic pain, fatigue and fibromyalgia at http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/health-issuesdis-eases/head/... [4]. Please also refer to The Cranial Academy for providers in your area who have similar treatment approaches at: http://www.cranialacademy.com/ [5]
These are the kinds of things which can be very helpful to people, so thank you for your input, Dr Kennedy/Jim. I hope that the public reads this and looks into it related to iodine supplementation. And I hope you'll either laugh with me, or excuse me, when I say that it seems to me it is out of the allmighty need for efficiency in health care that this SHORT TERM time taker is being omitted because it affects the LONG TERM health of the patient and that doesn't really matter to the dentist or radiology program making their revenues from the procedure.
I make a broad brushed generalization, and I'm not including you in that indictment, Dr Kennedy. I've been coming to you for a year for a screening, consultation, evaluation, making of a mold and oral appliance, fitting and treatments and adjustments to the appliance each moth as my 'head bones and teeth' move. Back when I first learned of you, and foolishly didn't make the time to come see you, as I was doing a lot of things which were taking up ALL my time/energy/money resources for my health care, so it was put on my list 'Jim Kennedy for TMJ'. You were co-presenting with one of my cowokers when I had my insurance-based OT practice, so I have seen the billing out ..... money in .... expenses out of a business such as yours. YOU are definitely NOT included in my broadbrushed statement related to the majority of health care.
I just think it's so very important for ALL providers to look at the patients in front of us and not see
'I will treat them, today and I know this is helping them, we'll keep going setting up appointments until there are no further gains to make', but to say
'Am I the best or only person to be treating them at this time... and who else should I be suggesting?'.
I see you as one of the warriors in the medical industry, and you have been joined by many of us since you were taking risks long ago to follow the path you have, who has seen the reality of short/long game of health of patients and patient/provider benefit. You've elected to go into a very difficult specialty within your profession, which was not 'looking out for #1" -- you're looking out for ALL. I feel I've done the same and appreciate it when people recognize that. I hope you allow me to anoint you with a little 'recognition'.
By the way, if your ears were ringing on Friday, I was discussing with someone in the body/skin end of health care, why I think it's time for estheticians to get educated about what they see on people's bodies in the hour or more you're puttering around working on their skin/scalp, as they have a unique opportunity with the vantage point they have and the time involved. I used the example with me a year ago when my gums bled when having molds made at your office and by pure coincidence I was having my teeth cleaned that day at the general dentist.
You had the awareness of what that could be from nutritionally and advised me of that. The other provider's office seemed woefully uneducated about the oral/body health connection. They seemed to be like the physician's offices so many people are increasingly aware are are selling products directly or indirectly to mask the symptoms but not really solve the underlying problem.
I like to get two perspectives on any one problem (at minimum), so contacted the pharmacists at my compounding pharmacy, ITC Pharmacy, and they made their suggestions based on what they know of what is seen in the gums related to general health. And I went to Natural Grocers right away and added into my 'regimen' of supplements, what made sense to me based on what the two of you said.
I will ask them to add something about thyroid as well. There is a link, below, for now, to a piece they provided about thyroid supplementation which offers some other links of related information.
I had very rapid improvement/resolution. I feel like I'm really hitting this subject a bit hard, but the reason I am so whipped up about it, is that similar changes with my gums and more tartar on my teeth was one of the changes with my body when I was going from being on the chronically well end of things to the chronically ill. And trust me, it is much more expensive in time, energy and money to get yourself out of chronic illness than it is to nip it in the bud or maintain wellness.
I hope the consumers who find information like this which resonates for them continue turning their providers onto it! In theory, they can then educate or treat differently ALL their patients. You might call that "Health care reform --- exponential style!"
Live and Learn! Learn and Live Better! ~~ Mardy
ITC link (above) www.lumigrate.com/forum/who-why-how-test-hormonesthyroid-etc-gary-king-rph [10]
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [1] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!