Premonitions: An exploration of the 'sixth sense'

Premonition, a painting of Henry Wysenhoff, 1893

Carol Forsloff - Dr. Linda Okerke attended a special academic high school in Natchitoches, Louisiana, for gifted young people. I was her patient at an orthopedic clinic in Portland, Oregon, and saw her for the first time in 2012, a year after leaving Natchitoches, where my husband and I had lived six years. Dr. Okerke and I shared the remark: "What a coincidence," when we discovered we had both lived in Natchitoches, a statement often made in such circumstances. But are there such things as coincidences, or is there some predetermined or mystical planning that brings people together at opportune times?

People speculated after the death of Whitney Houston that she had a premonition of her own death as she spoke of wanting to be with Jesus. TMZ relates the conversations that Houston had with friends in the days before her death. She was said to have made this statement: "You know, he's so cool ... I really want to see that Jesus."

Others, however, maintain that there are no such things as premonitions, only coincidences. An article in the Daily Mail reasons that Whitney Houston took drugs on a regular basis and that the fact she mentioned her love for Jesus and wanting to be with Him was simply something that happened as it would at any other time in the singer's life, considering the regularity of her drug-taking.

Larry Dossey, MD tells us, "I used to believe that we must choose between science and reason on one hand and spirituality on the other, in how we lead our lives. Now I consider this a false choice. We can recover the sense of sacredness, not just in science, but in perhaps every area of life."

For me, I had been anxious about seeing a bone specialist, as the increased pain signaled that perhaps my osteoporosis condition was worsening, and I feared the type of medical treatment that might mean hospitalization or some special medication that would cause me to be unable to do the type of concentrated work in writing and music that I enjoy. I hoped, and literally prayed, for support or solace when I saw a specialist for the first time in Portland.

Having a doctor from the same town from which I had recently moved, and had so loved, immediately quieted my fears, as I recognized that in some fashion I had received that special solace that I seemed to know would come. It is this type of "knowing" that Dr. Dossey maintains is possible and that is a gift that helps us plan ahead and to manage problems that might otherwise have no answer.

Dossey writes, "Most researchers believe premonitions are trying to do us a favor. They are mainly about survival."  He goes on to say that whereas many premonitions are of possible danger, there are also positive ones as well. As he says, "They come in many flavors."

After interviewing many people about their premonitions, Dossey wrote a book entitled "The Power of Premonitions: How Knowing the Future Can Help Shape Our Lives." His scientific work and conclusions are based about anecdotal evidence, something others question.  On the other hand, the possibility of having that special something that comes to us, for whatever reason, in answer to a prayer or a feeling or a belief, folks say can certainly bring comfort and relief in times of crisis.

Science offers new hope for osteoporosis, silent bone-killer

[caption id="attachment_7630" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Bone density scanner"][/caption]

Carol Forsloff -What many people think may be arthritis may in fact be osteoporosis, or a silent bone-killing process that can create significant pain and fractures that reduce mobility and function; but new research shows promising help for this disease.

Scientists have learned astronauts are at risk from the accelerating form of osteoporosis  which can result from gravitational loading.  On extended missions to outer space astronauts have lost bone mass at five times the rate of post-menopausal women.  Medical researchers are using research information from the recent Atlantic expedition to determine new ways of protecting people from osteoporosis.

Citrate has been found to be a key ingredient in development of bone mass.  Experts now recommend that people take not just calcium supplements but specifically those with the calciltrate.

Blueberries have long been touted as having powerful anti-oxidant properties.   Compounds in blueberries might turn out to have a powerful effect on formation of strong, healthy bones, if results from studies with laboratory rats turn out to hold true for humans.   Blueberries contain polyphenols, which are the compounds that give the blue, purpose and red colors of the berries, and scientists believe these compounds might be helpful in building strong bones.  This investigation was  published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research in 2010.

The need to find ways to inhibit the development of osteoporosis and low bone density  is an urgent one since the disease impacts the lives of almost 34 million people in the United States alone.  With the aging of the population it is likely these numbers will continue to increase.  Problems related to osteoporosis include psychological symptoms, pain, physical limitations and lifestyle changes relative to problems with mobility.

Studies on alendronate treatment (Fosomax) have had conflicting results.  A recent study of those who used Fosomax for a period of five years found no difference in cortical thickness of the femur.  Contrary to this, a three-year study of men done in 2003 showed the drug to have a decided positive impact on maintaining or increasing bone thickness.

Osteoporosis complications include vertebrae fractures and an impact on  both morbidity and mortality.  Patients often suffer a considerable amount of pain that leads to days absent from work and a decrease in quality of life or even permanent disability.  Early and aggressive treatment can prevent complications, with research continuing to reduce this disease that creates the kind of problems for many people from which they may never fully recover.