The Common Factor, no. 8

June 1994

The Common Factor

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urinalysis-diagnostic procedure done by
separating the components of urine. 2)
hemolytic anemia-anemia caused by rupture
of red blood cells.
macro-: big. Example: macrophage-"big
eater," large white blood cell that ingests and
destroys foreign material.
mal-: bad. Example: malabsorption-poor
absorption (of nutrients by the intestines).
-megaly: enlargement. Example:
hepatomegaly-enlarged liver.
melan: black. Example: melanoma-black
tumor.
meta-: after, beyond, change. Example:
metastasis-beyond staying the same, spread
of cancerous tissue to a location distant from
initial cancer.
mening: meninges or lining of the brain and
spinal cord. Example: meningitis-inflammation of the meninges.
micro-: small. Example: micro-organismtiny living organism.
mon: one. Example: monoclonal antibodies-antibodies produced by a single cell.
myc: fungus. Example: onychomycosisfungus in the finger or toenails.
myel: bone marrow or sheath surrounding
the spinal cord and nerves. Example: demyelination-destruction of the myelin sheath.
my: muscle. Example: myopathy-disease
of the muscle.
necr: death. Example: myonecrosis-muscle
tissue death.
neo-: new. Example: neoplasm-new
growth.
nephr: kidney. Example: nephrotoxic-poisonous to the kidney.
neuro: nerve. Example: neuropathy-disease of the nerves.
ocu: eye. Example: binocular-pertaining
to both eyes.
-oma: tumor. Example: hematoma-tumor
or collection of blood.
onych: nail (finger or toe). Example:
onychomalacia-softening of the nail.
ophthalm: eye. Example: ophthalmologistphysician who specializes in diseases of the
eye.
opt: eye. Example: optometrist-physician
who specializes in measuring the eye and vision.
or: mouth. Example: oroesophageal
candidiasis-candida of the mouth and
esophagus.
-orrhage: rapid flow. Example: hemorrhage-rapid flow of blood.
-osis: abnormal condition or increased number (when used in blood-related terms). Examples: 1) cryptosporidiosis-abnormal
condition of infection with the parasite
cryptosporidium. 2) thrombosis-excessive
number of platelets.

ox: oxygen. Example: oxidation-process

of cell destruction die to the presence of oxygen.
path: disease, destructive. Example: cytopathic: destructive to cells.
-penia: decreased number. Example:
neutropenia-decreased number of neutrophils.
phag: eating. Examples: 1) phagocyte-eating cell. 2) dysphagia-difficulty in swallowing.
phleb: vein. Example: phlebotomist-person who draws blood from veins.
plasia or plasm: growth. Example: cervical
dysplasia-abnormal growth on the cervix.
pneumat or pneum or pneumon: lung, air.
Example: pneumonia-inflammation of the
lung.
-poeisis: formation. Example:
hematopoeisis-formation of blood (cells).
poly-: many. Example: polyclonal-originating from more than one type of cell.
pulmon: lung. Example: pulmonary
edema-fluid accumulation in the lungs.
ren: kidney. Example: renal-pertaining to
the kidney.
retin: retina. Example: cytomegalovirus
retinitis-inflammation of the retina caused
by CMV.
sarc: flesh, connective tissue. Example: sarcoma-tumor of the connective tissue.
sero: serum, the non-cellular portion of the
blood that contains antibodies. Example:
HIV seropositive-serum tests positive for
HIV antibodies.
sphygm: pulse. Example: sphygmometerinstrument used to measure blood pressure.
splen: spleen. Example: splenomegalyenlarged spleen.
stoma: mouth. Example: stomatitis-inflammatory disease of the mouth.
sub-: below. Example: subdermal-below
the skin.
sym- or syn-: together, joined. Example: syncytia-cells joined together.
synov: synovial membrane, lining of joints.
Example: synovectomy-removal of the lining of the joint.
tachy-: fast. Example: tachycardia-abnormally fast heartbeat.
thromb: clot. Example: thrombocytopeniashortage of clotting cells (platelets).
thym: thymus. Example: thymocyte-thymus cell.
toxic: poison. Example: hepatotoxicitypoisonous to the liver.
trop: movement. Example: lymphotropicmoves to (infects) lymphocytes.
ur or urin: urine or urinary tract. Example:
hematuria-blood in urine.
vir: virus. Example: antiviral-acting against
a virus.
xer: dry. Example: xeroderma-dry skin.

(Sexual Healing, from page 8)
reborn as a woman of purpose; filled
with love; feeling the power in my
vulnerability; ecstatic in the joy of a
new sexual awakening.
Long before I ever married
Larkey, I had a hysterectomy. Making life in a literal sense is not something I can do. My women's spiritual
group gave me a ceremony to help
me deal with this loss. They helped
me transform the mother I'd never
be (even adoption was out of the picture due to HIV), into the Grand
Mother-the woman whose service
in life is larger than just tending the
immediate family-the woman
whose experience becomes wisdom.
I love you all so very, very much.
Those of you I know, those I am yet
to meet, and those who will leave
this life without our paths ever crossing. It doesn't matter what your political affiliations are. We are family.
Larkey and I co-founded Hemophilia Northwest, and I found friends
who had strength of character, love
of this community, and the will to
create change. (Thank you forever,
Jonathan Wadleigh. I will love you
always, in our lifetime together and
beyond.) And now we are many,
working towards a future where this
community can go back to the business of living without, life-wrenching tragedy. A future where we
control the decisions that are made
about what goes into our bodies and
how it gets there (whether it be factor concentrates or sexual organs).
I have raised many issues in this
article, which can be a starting place
to work on personal and community
transformation. Open discussion is
the first step in the banishment of
fear. Shared pain becomes magically
transformed into love.
Let's break the taboo; let's shatter the silence about our deep fears
and the hypnosis of death that surrounds us. Let's revel in joy, in life,
in our sexuality together. Or let's cry
together, and speak the words that
have been so hard to say. Please call

me anytime, between 10 AM and 10
PM Pacific time at [phone].?

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