Online Inflation Calculator

The following is an extremely valuable tool. It is a web site that acts as an inflation calculator. It was posted on Walter Williams' web site last week. (Walter Williams is a nationally syndicated columnist and an economics professor at George Mason University.) This inflation calculator allows one to be able to see clearly the difference in prices/costs in relation to the inflationary effect over specified periods of time.

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

It is also a handy tool for battling against media reports (frequent reports, unfortunately) which hype the current costs of things like a barrel of oil, a gallon of gasoline, or a loaf of bread and constantly use the adjective "record" to describe such prices, e.g. “… a barrel of oil set another record price today..." etc.

As we learn from Mr. Williams' web site (as well as Newsweek and many others), the supposedly record prices for a barrel of oil during the past month (August 2005) were actually not the most expensive barrels of oil in the history of the US when we bring in the factor of inflation-adjusted dollars. The most expensive barrels of oil were actually produced from 1980 through 1981. By today's standards, a gallon of gasoline would cost $3.16 when it was brought to market during this time. We may be quickly approaching that price here in September, but in August the price of a gallon of gasoline was definitely not a record as is often reported within the major media news outlets.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

The following is a brief introduction into a condition with which Kevin has been suffering for many years:

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) consists of a group of distinct disorders that affect the nerves in the brachial plexus (nerves that pass into the arms from the neck) and various nerves and blood vessels between the base of the neck and axilla (armpit). For the most part, these disorders have very little in common except the site of occurrence. The disorders are complex, somewhat confusing, and poorly defined, each with various signs and symptoms of the upper limb.

True neurologic TOS is rare and is caused by congenital anomalies (unusual anatomic features present at birth)… Symptoms include weakness and wasting of hand muscles, and numbness in the hand.(1)

Oftentimes there are multiple neurological problems associated with those who suffer from thoracic outlet syndrome:

Neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (N-TOS) is often confounded by related diseases such as cubital and carpal tunnel syndromes, myofascial pain syndrome, and spinal stenosis; therefore, evaluation of surgical decompression of the thoracic outlet as an effective treatment has been difficult.(2)

Kevin underwent a double-scalenecomy in 1997 (in New York) -- a removal of two neck muscles -- to relieve the problem. Unfortunately, it was an unsuccessful procedure.

Kevin also suffers from radial nerve entrapments. He was first diagnosed with this neurological compression in 1991 by an orthopedic surgeon in Anchorage, Alaska, a diagnosis that was later confirmed by an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale. (More info on RNE will be published soon.)

1. NINDS Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Information Page. National Institutes of Health. 2005, Washington, DC

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/thoracic/thoracic.htm
2. Altobelli, G. G.; Kudo, T.; Haas, B. T.; Chandra, F. A.; Moy, J. L.; Ahn, S. S., Thoracic outlet syndrome: Pattern of clinical success after operative decompression. Journal of Vascular Surgery 2005, 42, (1), 122.