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I found the lawsuit about the microwaved blood. Not only was the verdict that the microwaved blood did not cause the death, damages from the plaintiffs attorneys were awarded to some of the people who were sued over the incident.
Blood for transfusion should not be microwaved, but it should not be cooked by any method. It should not be dunked in a pot of boiling water, for example. Microwaving the blood did not generate some mysterious poison that killed the patient. Whoever did it was stupid, but it does not mean that microwave ovens are inherently unsafe.
Any food that comes wrapped in plastic can be transferred to a ceramic dish for heating if the plastic is a concern.
Microwaving food does cause chemical changes in it. So do baking, broiling, boiling, frying and grilling. It's cooking!
You may choose to believe that microwaving food will harm your health based on pseudoscientific garbage. That hurts no one. But when people choose not to vaccinate based on pseudoscientific garbage, other people get hurt.
FWIW - I think this is all apples and oranges and whatever. Do any of us cook blood in our microwaves? I trust my doctors to deal with any blood I might need in an appropriate manner. If I need a transfusion on an operating room table - am I going to ask whether the blood was microwaved????? Don't think so.
As for milk - it's always a problem in the microwave. Because it tends to go from an ok to boil over point very quickly. Very hard to control. And it makes a mess when it boils over.
When it comes to containers - well I have an old microwave that is very powerful. And if I don't use something like a glass container - e.g. - if I just something that's plastic and flimsy - well that flimsy plastic can melt. Again - I'm not concerned about health stuff here. Just the ensuing mess. And how to cook stuff without making a mess.
As for anti-vaccination hysteria - that is something that concerns me. My late mother had diphtheria when she was a kid. I was a "polio pioneer" - but the Salk vaccine came too late to save some friends just a year or two older than me. Today - with parents increasingly refusing to give their kids routine shots like DPT - I'm not sure about the implications for those of us with very old vaccinations. Perhaps we'll need boosters. The results are clear for the kids. Many more cases of things like whooping cough (almost epidemic proportions in some very limited areas).
On behalf of NEG - I will mention one thing. Specific to polio. I have watched/read some pretty interesting stuff about polio. About how it basically went from being a litte deal to a big deal when the US morph'd from a pretty rural dirty country to a pretty urban clean country. Apparently - there's something about playing in a lot of certain kinds of dirt when you're young that confers some degree of immunity. It's kind of interesting history IMO. But not relevant. Because I don't think most kids these days are about ready to go back to living in the sticks and playing in dirt a lot of the time. Robyn
FWIW - I think this is all apples and oranges and whatever. Do any of us cook blood in our microwaves? I trust my doctors to deal with any blood I might need in an appropriate manner. If I need a transfusion on an operating room table - am I going to ask whether the blood was microwaved????? Don't think so.
As for milk - it's always a problem in the microwave. Because it tends to go from an ok to boil over point very quickly. Very hard to control. And it makes a mess when it boils over.
When it comes to containers - well I have an old microwave that is very powerful. And if I don't use something like a glass container - e.g. - if I just something that's plastic and flimsy - well that flimsy plastic can melt. Again - I'm not concerned about health stuff here. Just the ensuing mess. And how to cook stuff without making a mess.
As for anti-vaccination hysteria - that is something that concerns me. My late mother had diphtheria when she was a kid. I was a "polio pioneer" - but the Salk vaccine came too late to save some friends just a year or two older than me. Today - with parents increasingly refusing to give their kids routine shots like DPT - I'm not sure about the implications for those of us with very old vaccinations. Perhaps we'll need boosters. The results are clear for the kids. Many more cases of things like whooping cough (almost epidemic proportions in some very limited areas).
On behalf of NEG - I will mention one thing. Specific to polio. I have watched/read some pretty interesting stuff about polio. About how it basically went from being a litte deal to a big deal when the US morph'd from a pretty rural dirty country to a pretty urban clean country. Apparently - there's something about playing in a lot of certain kinds of dirt when you're young that confers some degree of immunity. It's kind of interesting history IMO. But not relevant. Because I don't think most kids these days are about ready to go back to living in the sticks and playing in dirt a lot of the time. Robyn
Polio is interesting in that many people get it and recover without ever having any paralysis with it. Modern hygiene appears to have played a part in postponing infection from infancy to a more vulnerable age group. The hygiene is not so much related to playing in the dirt as it is to not playing in dirt that has been contaminated with feces. So improvement in sewage disposal was a big factor. It does seem strange that polio was not as dangerous for infants.
For your boiling milk problem, dip your fingertip in a tiny bit of vegetable oil and run it around the inside of the container that you are heating the milk in. I also place the container with anything that might boil over on a plate or inside a shallow dish to catch the drips. A pie plate works well.
Polio is interesting in that many people get it and recover without ever having any paralysis with it. Modern hygiene appears to have played a part in postponing infection from infancy to a more vulnerable age group. The hygiene is not so much related to playing in the dirt as it is to not playing in dirt that has been contaminated with feces. So improvement in sewage disposal was a big factor. It does seem strange that polio was not as dangerous for infants.
For your boiling milk problem, dip your fingertip in a tiny bit of vegetable oil and run it around the inside of the container that you are heating the milk in. I also place the container with anything that might boil over on a plate or inside a shallow dish to catch the drips. A pie plate works well.
Thank you for that interesting link. It's basically along the lines of what I've read before - although in other places.
I think the whole issue of vaccinations is pretty interesting. Because there's so much junk science out there in the area. And sometimes little in the way of real science - at least in terms of absolutes - when you need it. For example - my husband has MS - and is thought to be immunocompromised as a result. At least that's the prevailing wisdom today (the prevailing wisdom seems to change every 3-4 years or so). So although he can get a vaccine with a dead virus (like a flu shot) - he can't get a vaccine with a live/attenuated virus (like a shingles shot). Anyway - we always read up a bit before his annual trip to his neurologist - and ask her what her current thinking is during his appointment.
Also thanks for the boiling milk tip. I never cooked a lot until about 10 years ago or so. But have gradually learned which pots to watch carefully so they don't boil over suddenly and make a big mess. Everything from milk to oatmeal to pieces of salt pork.
BTW - if you're interested in cooking/eating - well I just started reading this book today:
Heard yet another horrible story about shingles last night.
A month ago a friend was not feeling well. Just had a scab on her scalp.
Her condition deteriorated rapidly - no diagnosis - and she
was admitted to the hospital put on a morphine drip. Sent her home after a week. Still no diagnosis.
Couldn't cope and went back to her PC>
The rash had erupted and finally a diagnosis of shingles. She may never be okay again.
The worst part is she had shingles years ago, but never got the shingles shot.
Please get one! Even if only 50% effective it lessens the pain of shingles.
On behalf of NEG - I will mention one thing. Specific to polio. I have watched/read some pretty interesting stuff about polio. About how it basically went from being a litte deal to a big deal when the US morph'd from a pretty rural dirty country to a pretty urban clean country. Apparently - there's something about playing in a lot of certain kinds of dirt when you're young that confers some degree of immunity. It's kind of interesting history IMO. But not relevant. Because I don't think most kids these days are about ready to go back to living in the sticks and playing in dirt a lot of the time. Robyn
And more's the pity. There's little better for children to play in than good, clean dirt.
As for shingles, my wife and I both had mild chickenpox as children so we got the shot several years ago and we also et annual flu shots. Thankfully our insurance pays 100% for both as well as the pneumonia shots.
After you get the shingles shot, you should expose yourself to anyone with
chicken pox as that will boost your immunity.
Medicare will not pay for shots administered in a large medical practice.
Walgreen's etc they will
I am 61 and have not yet had the vaccine. The NHS here will give it once you hit 70 (no fee of course), but I think I'd like it before that. I had shingles at age 53 but it only lasted one week. It was on my thighs and I knew what it was so I got to the doctor asap and got a very strong anti-viral. Never blistered but I had to stay home from work for a week as I couldn't let clothing touch my thighs since it hurt so much.
I have a big fear of getting it where it can get in my eyes.
It was suggested on this thread not to get a puppy! At age 60, why not? Life's not over. No one ever knows how long they have on earth, if everyone lived by that philosophy no one would have kids or buy a house or do much of anything that required looking into the future. It's never too late!
After you get the shingles shot, you should expose yourself to anyone with
chicken pox as that will boost your immunity.
Medicare will not pay for shots administered in a large medical practice.
Walgreen's etc they will
Medicare will pay wherever you get the shot. It just may not pay 100% of what you're charged. Robyn
It was suggested on this thread not to get a puppy! At age 60, why not? Life's not over. No one ever knows how long they have on earth, if everyone lived by that philosophy no one would have kids or buy a house or do much of anything that required looking into the future. It's never too late!
By then, you should have learned not to perpetuate the cycle of unwanted animals being born, to end up in a shelter to be put down. By 60, you are on the decline and likely leave behind your puppy to be another statistic. Pick an older dog to rescue from a shelter, that is the logical thing to do.
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It should not be dunked in a pot of boiling water, for example. Microwaving the blood did not generate some mysterious poison that killed the patient. Whoever did it was stupid, but it does not mean that microwave ovens are inherently unsafe.
