Southern View: August 30, 2016

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4 Tuesday August 30 2016 SOUTHERN VIEW Your Local Views Readers responds to an opinion piece written by John Verd about fluoridated water. They write McMaster & Heap Veterinary practice MY LOVELY LOLA I write about my patients monthly and now I find myself writing about my precious girl “LOLA”. My eldest son Connor left for the USA a few weeks ago to study and play tennis for UC Berkeley in San Francisco. Steve travelled with Connor to help him organize his first week at college and while he was away, our beautiful black lab presented one morning weak and wobbley in her hindlegs, unable to walk properly and support herself. She was acutely painful which was hard for me see and knuckling over on her paws. She was still ravenous though and was not incontinent. The day before she had gone running with Dylan and appeared normal. She has never obviously shown any sign of neurological disease before. I panicked. Lola is my dog and we are so closely intertwined. We read each others minds and we are together 24/7. We are best friends. When she gets sick ( especially when she had kidney cancer last year), Steve takes over as her vet, I’m just her mum. I feel useless making veterinary decisions for her but with Steve away, I had to step up, for her sake. I’m very fortunate with the incredible nurses and vets we have working with us. Lola is very loved and the team swung into action. As soon as I entered the practice, everyone could see the predicament Lola was in. She was placed on a fentanyl CRI for pain, her entire spine was radiographed and she had many tubes of blood taken to test for toxoplasmosis, infectious disease and check her organ function. A special bed was organized for her in the treatment area as strict rest was crucial. Catherine made a special trip in on her day off to assess Lola neurologically. Suzanne performed acupuncture and laser treatment. She accepts everything we do to her. She fully understands our job and that we are only trying to help. She is the perfect patient. Once all the test results were in, taking into account the neurological exam and radiographs taken, we came to the conclusion that she had either prolapsed a disc between T3-L3 or had a FCE ( fibrocartilaginous embolism). FCE causes ischaemic myelopathy which is poor blood supply to the spinal cord. Like any part of the body, the spinal cord relies on a permanent supply of blood to bring nutrients and remove waste products. Arteries supply segments of the cord on each side. FCE occurs acutely, often with no pain. Often one limb is more affected. Usually these patients make a full recovery with the help of strict rest and anti-inflammatory medication. Other possible causes included a fracture or dislocation of human radiologists. the spinal vertebrae, discospondylitis or inflammatory diseases like toxoplasmosis. Due to her recent bout of cancer, resulting in the loss of a kidney, I was a little worried the cancer may have spread to her spinal cord. I have organized an MRI at St George’s hospital, so we know what we are dealing with. I go with her to sedate her and monitor her. The MRI takes about 30 minutes and is interpreted by I also have friends in “high places”, and I consulted with a specialist surgeon in Auckland who I’ve trusted with all my pets in the past. Depending on the results from her MRI she may need spinal surgery if she doesn’t make a full recovery. Im really hoping this isn’t the case but if so then she will fly to Auckland ands be surgically assessed. The biggest problem I have has been trying to confine her and stop her tail continually wagging and her whole back end wiggling. She’s on a concoction of medications I give her 3 times daily covering all my bases and then she’s assisted when going to the toilet. Bed rest is the number 1 priority. She is sleeping with me, coming to work to rest and I am slowly walking her on a lead to toilet. She can’t understand why I am being so clingy and why I’m popping so many pills into her. She is on double antibiotic therapy, tramadol for pain and two different antiinflammatories. I’m praying this sorts itself out with time, patience, rest and love!! She certainly got it right choosing a vet as her mum……she’s slightly high maintenance medically!! But I wouldn’t have her any other way. As of writing this she is definitely on the improve trying to leap into my car. She is walking way better, but still a little ataxic and weak in her hindlegs. She has no pain and seems happy. Thanks to everyone on Facebook who has sent special wishes Lola’s way. We so appreciate this and they have helped! She is such a special, loved team member of McMaster & Heap Vets. Dr Michele McMaster Bruce Tulloch, Harewood As with climate change, we have had a plethora of attacks on the scientific consensus from people without personal expertise regurgitating second-hand assertions and unverified theories. In such cases, it is essential to consider that when peer-reviewed scientific information is accepted by the vast majority of those qualified to judge it, it is exceedingly likely that this will be correct. Sensible decisions on health, political or other issues require informed debate. Emotive arguments and misinformation, from whatever motivation, make it much harder to reach sensible agreement and effective action in the common good. The news media have a great responsibility in their presentation of information. It is probably impractical to print a suitable response from the relevant authorities each time the papers’ publish an opinion against fluoridation, but if you want to promote real public understanding rather than just stir controversy, I would suggest adding a clear note after such items pointing out that information is available on the website www.fluoridefacts.govt.nz/ and that this is supported by the Ministry of Health, NZ Dental Association, NZ Medical Association, the Public Health Association and the NZ Nurses among others. This would enable readers to check detailed information and then judge the credibility of those involved. I am sorry your correspondent, having come to New Zealand, is kept up at night worrying about being fluoridated, but I would suggest to him that, in this country, our medical authorities are not only highly responsible Start your day Sunny side up 2for1 with our breakfasts this September but also highly competent. They are unlikely to be colluding to poison him or reduce his IQ. I hope he may now be able to relax. Gavin Stuart, Hoon Hay Sodium fluoride has H4 poison in red letters on the bags. I do not know what the cost is for this waste product, but it would be cheaper, safer and more effective to supply calcium fluoride tablets to all families with young children to help with the problem of tooth decay. If they are concerned about calcium fluoride, it can be found in most aquifers in New Zealand and, with good oral hygiene and with a good balanced diet, healthy teeth should be the norm for most children. Daily 8–11am Open 7 days Cnr Hoon Hay & Coppell place phone 338 2534, Fax 339 8624 e. mcmasterandheap@yahoo.co.nz www.mcmasterheap.co.nz McMaster & Heap The Tannery, 3 Garlands Road, Woolston ph: (03) 389 5359 email: info@casselsbrewery.co.nz Group bookings advised.
SOUTHERN VIEW Tuesday August 30 2016 5 News Firefighters on the move • By Andrew King ADDINGTON firefighters have moved into two temporary bases while their new station is being rebuilt. They will be based out of The Princess Margaret Hospital during the day. At night, they will share the Sockburn Fire Station. But assistant area commander Mike John said even though they will be operating out of two different locations, it will not affect their ability to do their job. “There will be no drop in service. In fact, some areas will get an extra appliance,” he said. The damaged fire station, on Simeon St, was built in 1974 and is the youngest in the city. Now it will be demolished to make way for a state-of-the-art facility to service the needs of those in and around Addington. It is the first of six stations around the city to be rebuilt as part of the New Zealand Fire Service’s rebuild programme. Firefighter Tony Price is a long serving veteran of the station. Over time, he has seen his entire crew, the fire truck and now the station either changed or replaced. “(The station) is a second home. All the firemen seem to think that we are here for nights and days; it’s a second family,” he said. Senior station officer Gerald Wilson said a number of pranks had been pulled over the years. He remembers firefighters wiring up a chair to a “crank-up machine”, which would generate an electrical current, shocking the victim while he ate dinner or tried to relax. The new station is expected to take between 12 to 18 months to complete, and will double the current size. There will be a two bay garages to house other equipment, such as four-wheel drives and other appliances. MOVING ON: Mike John, Gerald Wilson and Tony Price say goodbye to the Addington Fire Station. PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN New tunnel rules for truckers • By Annabelle Dick TRUCK DRIVERS travelling through Lyttelton Tunnel will need to cover loose loads from tomorrow when a new bylaw comes into place. The New Zealand Transport Agency bylaw was created in an effort to reduce the amount of material polluting the tunnel. It comes as the amount of dirt has increased significantly following the earthquakes. Up to 8000kg of dirt and dust is cleaned out of the tunnel every month, compared to 235kg a month before 2011. “Cleaning the tunnel has gone from once a month to three times a week,” said NZTA maintenance contract manager Barry Stratton. While commercial vehicles are covered by the new bylaw, it does not apply to residents. Trucks carrying fertiliser; construction or demolition material; waste; soil; sand; stock feed; and other products which can be blown around, are covered by the new bylaw. Scrap metal and logs, which are harder to effectively cover, are excluded. Maronan Road, Tinwald, Ashburton NUK KORAKO NATIONAL LIST MP BASED IN THE PORT HILLS SundAy 4Th SepTeMbeR Open: 11am - 4pm FATHERS DAY - ALL DADS RIDE FREE with a fare-paying Child on our Railcar. Ashburton Fire Museum and Lynn Museum of Woodworking open, Model Engineers operating. **EFTPOS ON-SITE** Visit www.plainsrailway.co.nz or our Facebook Page for details Phone: 03 308 9600 I run weekly mobile office constituency clinics around the Port Hills. For dates and locations please visit my website. You can also contact my office if there is anything I can help you with. OFFICE: 6/950 Ferry Road, Ferrymead EMAIL: nuk.korakomp@parliament.govt.nz WEBSITE: www.korako.co.nz PHONE: 03 384 0008 facebook.com/nukkorako.PortHills Working hard for our community Authorised by Nuk Korako, 6/950 Ferry Road, Ferrymead, Christchurch www.national.org.nz HARCOURTS CANTERBURY SINCE 2012
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Southern View: August 30, 2016

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