| Kicking Super Bowl habit
It is the revenge of the Stupor Bowl, perhaps. A portion of the American population will not be watching the big game today.
They are Super Bowl challenged, Super Bowl clueless. Many are just plain Super Bowl oblivious.
They do not know that in a few hours, the nation will be knee-deep in chili and Buffalo wings and chocolate cakes shaped like footballs. They do not comprehend the hoopla over giant linesmen; the halftime show escapes them entirely. They are clueless about sports announcers who make solemn pronouncements about "the halfback pass," and they puzzle over whirling special effects that confine the actual game to about a third of the television screen.
Ask them who's playing, and they stare off into space and say, "Uh-h-h, Joe Namath?"
Oh, the anti-Super population means no harm.
High-tech operation
EDINBURG - The robotic arms arching over Sylvia Martinez's body made the operating room look like something out of science fiction.Sitting a few feet away at a console with a three-dimensional viewfinder and hand controls, the surgeon, Dr. Robert Alleyn, was making the octopus-like machine do his bidding. When he flicked his wrist, a grasping instrument at the end of one robotic arm moved, gripping flesh in Martinez's abdomen. When Alleyn rotated his hands to create a stitch, the instruments followed suit, creating small, perfect stitches.With these robotic tools, Alleyn easily completed a Nissen fundoplication, wrapping a portion of stomach tissue around the esophagus to stop Martinez's acid reflux. Martinez, 43, will be left only with four tiny incisions - the largest the size of a dime - and a quick recovery.The four incisions are for two instruments, a small video camera, and for another surgeon to assist as needed.
Prilosec as Effective as Expensive Prescriptions, Study Finds
A widely available nonprescription drug -- Prilosec OTC -- is as effective a treatment for heartburn and acid reflux disease as prescription drugs costing almost 10 times more, according to an analysis from Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs, a public education project of Consumers Union. "Many people with heartburn and acid reflux could save $1,000 to $2,000 a year by taking an over-the-counter drug that's just as effective as high-priced prescription drugs," said Gail Shearer, director of the project. "These are dramatic savings, and illustrate why consumers should talk to their doctors about identifying effective, lower-cost medicines," Shearer added. The over-the-counter drug Prilosec costs $19 to $26 a month on average nationwide, and can be even cheaper at large discount stores.
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