Lagos medical village coming soon – Fashola

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday disclosed his administration’s plan to minimise the rate at which Nigerians seek medical care abroad. Fashola said the state government planned to cite a medical village for treatment of different ailments. According to him, the medical village would parade different cluster of specialists to take care of ailments that made Nigerians and Africans to seek treatment abroad.

Speaking when the management of the West African College of Surgeon led by its President, Prof. Harve Yangni-Angate, visited him at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, Fashola assured that the village would turn the state to medical hub.

The governor said: “With this, we will have a cluster of health practitioners. And I believe that this will help turn the state into medical hub for the country. “I believe that the objective to keep our people within the country especially within the West African sub-region whenever there is need for any serious surgical operation is realisable.

It is realisable in a very short time. “We initiated that policy in response to many of the Nigerian doctors who signified their interest of returning home, to establish their own medical outfit. “And I told them that we should get about a land that is about 20 hectares and divide it in order to accommodate all the medical experts. We have received a few applications from interested medical practitioners.”

Fashola, who likened the specialties of medical experts to a football game, said surgeons who perform complex surgeries deserve to be paid more. He said: “They could be paid on the basis of their skills.

They are professionals, marketing specialised skills and if you like the argument, not all football players earn the same wage, some score goals, some prevent them from coming in and some have other roles to play. Maybe there would be a base minimum and from there professionals must put their skills into competition and that is the way the industry grows”.

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MY CANCER TESTIMONY

Life has a way of throwing at us a couple of surprises.  I woke up in the middle of the night on a cool Saturday morning and felt a slight ache on the left side of my head. I had slept perfectly normal and I didn’t know where it came from. “It’s just a normal headache, take paracetamol and you will be fine” my friend said. I obliged. It kept reoccurring however every midnight at the same time for a week. I was advised to consult a doctor in Ife for diagnosis. He made a similar statement as to it being a normal headache and gave the same paracetamol prescription.

Two weeks later it got worse. It was more than an ordinary headache; it began to affect my left eye which resulted in a blurry vision and impaired eye movement. Then I knew I had to consult a more qualified doctor. I called my mum to explain the whole situation, trust mothers, she was unsettled and lamented on the phone.

The Journey

I travelled to Lagos the next day to see a doctor at LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital). He asked a few questions, conducted a series of tests and referred me to a neurosurgeon who had dealt with a similar issue before. After minutes of tests and questioning, he referred me to the radiotherapy department to do a CT scan, I was placed in a machine, injected 3 times and came out after 40minutes. What looked to me like an ordinary exercise cost #40,000.

The next day, we took the results to the neurosurgeon. After he looked at it with so much confusion written on his face, he said to my mum “madam there seems to be a growth on the left side of the brain”, my mum looked at me with tears almost dropping down her eyes. He referred us to a senior colleague at Abuja general hospital.

The Abuja Nightmare

After staying in Abuja for two weeks with my “unfriendly” family friend who seemed to have more problems than I did, we saw the doctor, he looked at the CT scan results, and carried out series of tests, including HIV test, which was negative. After the tests, He said “madam, a delicate surgical operation has to be carried out on your son and he has a 40% chance of survival, we will open his head, get to the brain, remove the tumor…bla bla bla.” I saw the fear and anxiety on my mum’s face. Being the only child you can imagine what she must have passed through.

The Phone call

We flew back to Lagos the next day to decide the next step to take, the options were to travel to India or America for better health care services, then I remembered my big aunty who had a similar issue, she travelled abroad for the surgery but died in the process. I feared the worst.

 As we were about to conclude our travelling plans, a “phone call of life” came in; that phone call was a life saver. My uncle said on the phone, “I spoke with someone about Seni’s case and he referred me to an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) surgeon who performed an extraction on my uncle who had a less complicated situation”.

Naked Head-Washing

Confusion and fear was the order of the day in my house. Ten minutes after the phone call, a “Cherubim and Seraphim” prophet entered and said, “you people are just running up and down, this is the work of the devil, let me take him to a river in Ogun state, we will strip him naked and wash his head”. There comes a point of difficulty in our lives, that any option that “might” lead to a solution is accepted. So we took the option and two days later, I had the “naked head-washing”.

The next morning it got worse, I woke up with an excruciating pain more than I had ever felt, crying and yelling for help. I was taken to the ENT surgeon my uncle referred us to, he looked at the CT scan and said, “the tumor is in a very delicate and unusual place, in my 25 years’ experience, I have never seen this form of tumor”, he referred us to a Professor neurosurgeon at UCH (University College Hospital) in Ibadan.

The 200k MRI Scan

I took the CT scan results to UCH, the old Professor with white beards looked at the results, with a confused look, he referred us back to Lagos to do a more complicated MRI scan that costs us #200,000. The MRI is similar to the CT scan but yields a more detailed result. Bearing in mind that I was missing lectures in school, I vented my anger and frustration, “Why in God’s name did the neurosurgeon tell us to do a CT scan in the first place”.

We took the MRI results to UCH. The Professor and his medical students looked at the result and said “this is a special case”, he gave us two options: to either perform a 14-hr surgery with a slim chance of survival without a brain damage or go back to the ENT surgeon to extract a sample of the tumor and hope it can be destroyed by chemotherapy. We chose the second option.

As we left the building, I saw some very strange sicknesses I had never seen before. There might have been a point in your life, when you were angry and frustrated about something then you saw a more tragic situation than yours and immediately forgot your problems and pitied the other person. That was how I felt.

The 3-day Old Baby

As we waited at the reception to see the ENT surgeon, I saw a 3-day old baby who had cancer of the brain, his head was twice its’ original size, he was operated on, but died in the process. As his parents exited the premises with tears, I had mixed feelings and I reconciled with my maker and told God, “If I am going to die young, please let me at least make it to heaven”.

One hour after the baby’s surgery, we went in to see the sad-faced ENT surgeon, he read the report, took a look at the MRI scan and fixed an appointment with us for the mini-operation.   

Mini-Operation

On that faithful day, we got to the hospital, I was wheeled to the theatre, as my hands left my mum’s hands slowly, I told God again, please don’t let this be the last time I will hold this woman’s hands. I laid down on the surgical bed talking with the doctors and nurses, after 10minutes, I was “gone” thanks to the anesthetics.  After an hour, I heard the surgeon’s voice faintly, “thank God you made it despite the shaking and vomiting of blood”. I rested for some hours. The surgeon showed us a sample of the tumor and said jokingly “there is many more where that came from”. For three days, all I took was ice-cream and cold drinks to heal the wound in my throat.

First Breakthrough

A week later, we took the sample to the professor at UCH, while he was analyzing the sample, I was tensed, 2 hours later, he came out of the lab with a “mini-smile” on his face and said to my mum, “I have good news madam, the surgery won’t be necessary anymore, chemotherapy “should” destroy the tumor”. I sighed and smiled for the first time in a long while. That was my first breakthrough. He referred us to Eko hospital in Lagos for the chemotherapy.

As we got to Eko hospital, the first thing I saw was a pitiful one, patients with more complicated cases, my faith increased. Few minutes later, we went in to the doctor’s office, he looked at the results and reports, being their first ever patient with this “strange illness”, he was astonished and fixed an appointment with me to begin the chemotherapy and gave us some instructions.

Treatment Day

The doctor explained the whole procedure, made some artistic drawings on my face and I entered the machine. After 5minutes, the nurse told me to stand up, I looked at her and asked, “are we done”? She replied “yes we are”. At that moment I was happy the procedure was short and free of pain (so I thought).

After 9 days, the chemotherapy got really intense and painful, I couldn’t swallow anything or have my bath for 40days and 40nights because of the laser beam effect. I just hoped that those 40days of treatment would yield a positive result.

And it Did…

After completing the treatment, I was referred to LUTH for a confirmatory MRI scan, I was very scared and tensed, different thoughts ran through my mind. When we got to LUTH, the nurse couldn’t recognize me. After waiting for few minutes, I took the test and was told to wait for 24 hours.  24 hours filled with fear and anxiety, slowly the hours lapsed and the result was ready.

The Moment of Truth

It was like an “action movie” filled with suspense, 30miutes later, the moment of truth came, the doctor made the statement I had been longing to hear, with a smile on his face he said, “congratulations madam, the result is ready and there is no trace of the tumor, it has disappeared”, I was so happy that I couldn’t utter a word, after about 2minutes with tears in my eyes, I hugged my mum and thanked her. I faced death and conquered, it was a miracle. Aside that, I passed my pre-degree exams and was admitted into O.A.U to study the course I chose.

This one-year experience was a turning point in my life, facing such a challenge and prevailing made me stronger and resilient.

 ----By a close friend

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CHECK-OUT Genevieve Nnaji's Dad!!

 

The Nollywood Famous star, Genevieve Nnaji has a way of keeping those close to her away From the public.

Until Now, We got a picture of Engineer Nnaji, Genevieve’s dad.. nice!!

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Did You Know The Nigerian Accent Is The 5th Sexiest in The World

In the unending pursuit of love, or its less eternal surrogate, the right accent can be as attractive as bright eyes, a beaming smile and a parabolic backside.
For world travelers, a far-flung tongue promises the unknown, confirms the known and dispels the thought-we-knew.
Does our highly scientific survey exclude your favorite accent? Vote on our Facebook poll.
But no accent is sexy when it’s strong enough to crush a beer can. Which means not all accents are created equal.
It’s estimated that there are nearly 7,000 languages on earth. That’s nearly 7,000 different ways to traipse clumsily through the English language — or to sex it up like a Justin Timberlake song wrapped in chocolate cleavage.
Which begs our list of the world’s sexiest brogues. Some of you may have a legitimate case for inclusion in the top twelve. Others — we’re looking at you, Vietgermans — do not.
Our also-rans included Putonghua (especially when Taiwanese women speak it in gentle tones), Australian (as appealing as warm Foster’s to some, tantalizingly exotic to others) and Japanese (the language of repressed salarymen is also strangely designed for pillow talk).
Because when it comes to accents, there are no absolutes. Except that Bronx English is absolutely horrible.
12. Argentine
The bad news: she finds your bad breath and dirty elbows repulsive. The good news: it sounded totally hot when she told you.
Famous tongues: Fernando Lamas, Gabriela Sabatini
A historical refuge for Spaniards, Italians and Germans, the hyper-libidinous South Ameripean melting pot of Argentina has cultivated a proud, pouty tone. With its own pronunciation of Spanish letters (“ll” sounds like “shh”) and its own words (“you” is “vos”), this is a dialect that’s hard to get. (Or at least plays that way.)
Sounds like: A tightly tuned guitar of G-strings strummed by a lamb shank
11. Thai
He not only floats like a butterfly, he speaks like one, too.
Famous tongues: Tony Jaa, Tata Young
With five tones comprising their native speech, the traffickers of this often fragile accent turn any language into a song of seduction. Thai is largely monosyllabic, so multi-beat foreign words get extra emphases right up until the last letter, which is often left off, leaving the listener wanting more. (Or at least asking “Huh?” lustfully.)
Sounds like: R-rated karaoke
10. Trinidadian
If their accents don’t seduce you, their mon bosoms will.
Famous tongues: Nikki Minaj, Billy Ocean
For fetishists of oddball sexuality, the Caribbean island of Trinidad offers an undulating, melodic gumbo of pan-African, French, Spanish, Creole and Hindi dialects that, when adapted for English, is sex on a pogo stick.
Sounds like: A rubber life raft bobbing on a sea of steel drums
Also on CNN: Asia’s top 5 celeb sex scandals
9. Brazilian Portuguese
She screams, she scores!
Famous tongues: Alice Braga, Anderson Silva
Perhaps owing to its freedom from French influence, the Brazilian Portuguese accent has a more colorful, puerile flair than its coarser European counterpart. The resulting yowl of drawn-out vowels reveals a flirty freedom of spirit that sounds like a permanent vacation.
Sounds like: The near, then far, then near again hum of a low-wattage vacuum cleaner that runs on dance sweat
8. U.S. Southern
Y’all, we love it when y’all call us y’all. Especially when y’all are wearing orange chaps.
Famous tongues: Matthew McConaughy, Britney Spears
There’s nothing sexy about being in a hurry, and you could clock the growth rate of grass with the honeyed drawl — less Tea Party, more “True Blood” — of a Southern beau or belle.
Sounds like: Molasses taking a smoking break
Also on CNN: 15 unusual places to spend a night
7. Oxford British
“Down to your last pair of socks then, what?”
Famous tongues: Hugh Laurie, Sienna Miller
Authoritative. Upright. Erudite. Scholarly. Few accents promise the upward nobility of the Queen’s English. It’s a take on the language that sets hearts devoted to James Bond and Hermione Granger aflutter. And, should the speaker fail to slake your most wanton desires, eh, at least you’ll learn something.
Sounds like: A crisply ironed shirt playing a harp
Where does French land? Who has the sexiest accent? Click on to find out.
6. Irish
Just lay off the leprechaun jokes and you’ll be fine.
Famous tongues: Colin Farrell, Andrea Corr
Valued slightly more in men than in women, the Irish brogue is a lilting, lyrical articulation that’s charming, if not exotic. Fluid and uplifting, it can swing from vulnerable to threatening over the course of a sentence, restoring your faith in the world again … right before it stabs you with a broken bottle top.
Sounds like: A marauding pixie
5. Nigerian
Some Nigerians are actually worth giving your bank account information to.
Famous tongues: King Sunny Adé, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde
Dignified, with just a hint of willful naiveté, the deep, rich “oh’s” and “eh’s” of Naija bend the English language without breaking it, arousing tremors in places other languages can’t reach. Kinda makes the occasional phone scam worth the swindle.
Sounds like: The THX intro with teeth
4. Czech
Smoky eyes? Czech. Intrguing history? Czech. Meat-flavored accent? Czech.
Famous tongues: Petra Nemcova, Jaromír Jágr
Like Russian, without the nettlesome history of brutal, iron-fisted despotism, Czech is a smoky, full-bodied vocal style that goes well with most meats. Murky and mysterious, the Bohemian tone is equal parts carnal desire and carnival roustabout.
Sounds like: Count Dracula, secret agent
3. Spanish
“¿Número tres? ¿Qué clase de idiota eres?” Ah, no one rejects us so hotly.
Famous tongues: Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz
Sensual and beckoning, but with the passion to unleash hell kept just barely restrained, Castilian is like a dialectic Hoover Dam. But then there’s the lisp. Tender, vulnerable and cute as a baby’s hangnail — no one owns the “th” sound formed by tongue and teeth like those who speak the language of Cervantes.
Sounds Like: An outboard motor on Lake Paella
Best of CNN: World’s coolest nationalities
2. French
Even when they pout it sounds good.
Famous tongues: Sophie Marceau, Jean Reno
The demotion of this perennial prizewinner of global brogues to second place may illustrate the declining sexuality of Old World petulance. Still, the come-hither condescension and fiery disinterest of the French tongue remains paradoxically Intimate.
Sounds like: A 30-year-old teenager
1. Italian
Even when bathing in a fountain, a romance language is a romance language.
Famous tongues: Monica Bellucci, Alessandro Del Piero
Raw, unfiltered and as grabby to ears as its president is to rears, the Italian accent is a vowelgasm that reflects the spectrum of Italic experience: the fire of its bellicose beginnings … the romance of the Renaissance … the dysfunction of anything resembling a government since Caesar. Insatiable, predatory and possessive, this is sex as a second language.
Sounds like: A Ferrari saxophone
Culled from CNN.com

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Ladies Stop Killing Your Hairline, Tips To Help Grow Back Your Thinning Hairline

Tight ponytails, Tight Weaves & Tight Braids are ruining the hairlines of women especially black women globally. The pressure from the tightness makes your front hair break off and leads to what is professionally called traction alopecia.
When you start losing hair on your hairline it’s time to re-evaluate your hair care regimen and make sure you don’t get to the point where you are flat out bald like Naomi Campbell!

A study last year in the U.S. found that roughly 59% of women suffer from some form of TA, which is any hair loss that comes from constant pulling or tension on the hair. If you’re serious about maintaining the life of your hairline, here are a few things you need to stop doing now.
Lay off the Weaves & Lacefronts
If you really want to stop a thinning hairline in their tracks, you’re going to have to lay off the weave. Lacefronts have the potential to be the least damaging of the weave catalogue if the hair is glued past the hairline, but that’s a big if. The purpose of a lacefront is to make the hair look as real as possible which means women often put them as close to their real hairlines as possible, sometimes even shaving down the hair to achieve the natural look. That process can cause serious damage to your hairline, not to mention the chemicals that are in the glue—which means it goes without saying that gluing tracks to your hair does your perimeter no favors either. Sew-ins are less damaging, only if the braids put in your real hair aren’t too tight. A half sew-in where more of the front of your hair is left out is better than doing a full weave.
Solution: Wigs
If you take care of your real hair, wearing a wig can be a hair healthy alternative to weaving it up. No tension is put on the edges when you wear a wig and by taking it off at night you allow your real hair to breathe.
If you are going to do sew in weaves make sure the tracks aren’t braided up too tight.
Break Away from Tight Braids
The hair on our edges is much too weak to take the tension from tight braids, and this in turn can cause traction alopecia.
Solution: Soft braids
You don’t have to do away with braids totally but opt for looser styles like a large braid in the front that wraps around to a high bun or low chignon. The soft braid will still give your look an edge but you won’t have to pay for it with your edges.
Chill on the Chemicals
If simple hair styling can make your edges fall out, then it’s obvious chemicals—whether straightening or coloring—are no friend to the hairline. If you relax your hair, the edges and roots are the first thing you’re gunning for in the quest for silky smooth hair but if you’re already noticing thinning, it’s time to ease up on the chemical dependency. Semi-permanent and permanent coloring can be equally damaging to already weak hair and the joys of golden blonde tresses just doesn’t compare to the pain of a receded hair-line.
Solution: Keratin and Rinses
Keratin Treatments are a great way to straighten your hair without chemically compromising it—just make sure there’s no formaldehyde involved. The process—whether done at home or by a professional at a salon—leaves your hair soft, straight, and manageable for several washes after initial treatment which can help you cope with foregoing relaxers for a while until your edges thicken up.
When it comes to color, rinses are the least harsh way to go. While that may limit your color options severely, it’s better than having the front of your hairline go missing in action.
Stop the Tight Ponytails
Nothing looks sleeker than a perfectly formed high bun or a sleek low ponytail, but all that pulling from the front does a number on your hair line in the long run.
Solution: Messy Bun
Messy buns are the perfect alternative to sleek, super tight ponytails because unlike the name implication, it actually takes some work to get the I didn’t spend too much time on this/I didn’t just roll out of my bed look. Regardless of how long it takes to get this loose updo’ to your liking, your hairline will thank you in the long run for not stressing them to the point that it hurts to move your eyebrows up and down.

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