A small thank you, a busy week across the businesses, and a closer look at gallstones and health claims.
Hello and welcome.
It has been a full week across the businesses. Steady progress, some good conversations, and one small moment that stayed with me.
Personal Highlights
Chelle has been well and working hard, particularly at OsteoStrong™, and it has been lovely to see.
Sean has been doing a great job both upstairs and downstairs, and has been working with John to launch the platform we will use for Longevity Lab Hobart. More on that below.
One small moment worth sharing. A patient gave me a pen this week as a thank you. It is a simple thing, and a good reminder of why the work matters.
Did You Know? Gallbladder Disease:
The gallbladder is a small pouch under the liver that stores bile, which helps us digest fat.
Gallstones form when bile becomes unbalanced. Most are made mainly of cholesterol. The others are pigment stones, made from bilirubin, a by product of red blood cell breakdown. Many are a mixture. They can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball.
Here is the part that surprises people. Most gallstones never cause a problem. Trouble starts when a stone blocks the outflow of bile. That can cause biliary colic, a steady pain in the upper right or middle abdomen, often after a fatty meal, sometimes reaching around to the right shoulder blade. If the blockage persists it can lead to an inflamed gallbladder, jaundice, or pancreatitis.
A few risk factors are worth knowing:
Being female, particularly with pregnancy or oestrogen exposure, including hormone therapy and the pill.
Weight, both carrying extra and losing it very quickly, including after weight loss surgery or very low calorie diets.
Family history and age, with risk rising from around forty.
Severe pain lasting more than a few hours, fever, yellow skin or eyes, or dark urine with pale stools needs prompt medical attention. Stones that cause no symptoms usually need no treatment. When they do cause trouble, removing the gallbladder is common and safe, and most people live well without it. Internet gallbladder cleanses do not dissolve stones.
Professional & Business Updates
Education, Research, and Partnerships
The Healthy Life Network has recorded a new introduction as part of the rebrand. I also had a fascinating podcast conversation with Michael Gilbert on baroreceptors and his BaroShift device, and the two episodes with Dr Fiona Foo, covering menopause and cardiovascular risk, and heat illness, are lining up for release. The Hearts4Heart coronary care book project took another step forward too, with the aim of putting Cholesterol Explained into around twelve Queensland coronary care units.
Clinical Practice
Advara Echo Services is still running in Hobart, with strong bookings and promise of expansion.
I have also been working with the Antarctic Division, helping with clinical decision making around a particularly complex case involving one of their potential expeditioners. It has been a really interesting opportunity, and one I am genuinely grateful for. It is a privilege to support this organisation.
Longevity Lab
The Thermal Wellness Pod is installed and the whole team is trained. I passed my own competency test as well. We are hoping to take our first bookings this week, and marketing for the Pod is about to go live.
The platform Sean and John have been building will handle bookings, payments, appointments, integration and our CRM, all in one place, and it is nearly complete.
IV therapy bookings have been steady, and Sarah continues to offer that service. We would like to grow it soon, and a good planning meeting with the nursing team has set up the next stage of IV services. Jen has also been doing a great job with the breathwork through Breath Lab.
OsteoStrong™ Hobart
Membership has hit 230, with growth running at around ten net new members a month. Bone Buddies, the option for two people to train together, is the next launch, and we are lining up extra cover so the momentum holds.
Our team downstairs is fantastic, there is a great atmosphere, and the feedback from members continues to tell us we are doing a good job for people.
Podcast/YouTube Highlight
This week’s episode is EP459: The Truth Behind Popular Health Claims from Influencers. Worth a listen before the next big claim lands in your feed. 🔗 Listen here
Featured Reminders
Here are a few products and tools that Chelle and I personally use and have discussed on the podcast.
These are affiliate links and are commercial in nature. They provide a genuine win–win — you receive access at a discount through your association with the Healthy Life Network, and I receive a financial benefit if you choose to purchase through them.
I only share products I personally use or believe may be of benefit, and you should always make your own informed decision.
NuCalm: www.nucalm.com, code DrWarrickNuCalm, 15% off for life, plus a seven day free trial, I’m still using this daily
Fatty15: partners.fatty15.com/WARRICKBISHOP, fascinating back story
PEMF (BestCellf): www.bestcellf.com.au/?ref=HealingMats, incredible technology, energising the cells, acting through the calcium channels.
Community: Healthy Life Network, join free, here https://healthyheartnetwork.com/page/community
Cholesterol Explained: Cholesterol Book https://drwarrickbishop.com/bookstore/8/cholesterol-explained
Quiz Corner
Last week’s question: Nitric oxide, have you heard of it, what does it actually do in the body, and are there supplements that may support your own production of it?
Answer: Nitric oxide is a gas made by the lining of your blood vessels. Its main job is to tell the muscle in the vessel wall to relax, which widens the vessel, improves blood flow and helps keep blood pressure in check. It also plays a part in nerve signalling and immune function. You can support your own production through regular exercise and by eating foods rich in nitrates, such as beetroot and leafy greens like spinach and rocket. Supplements people use include beetroot or nitrate products and L citrulline. Your mouth bacteria play a role in converting nitrate, so it is worth knowing that antiseptic mouthwash may blunt the effect. As always, check with your doctor first, particularly if you take blood pressure medication.
This week’s question: When a health claim on social media sounds too good to be true, what are three simple questions you can ask to test whether it holds up? I will share the answer next week….clue, it is in the podcast
Final Reflection
A pen from a patient. A pod ready for its first bookings. A membership number that keeps quietly climbing.
Different sizes of moment, all pointing the same way. People being looked after, and a team turning up for them.
Warm regards, Dr Warrick
Helping people live as well as possible for as long as possible
Disclaimer: Dr Bishop is unable to provide individual patient advice over the internet due to the complexity and importance of health related issues. Australian guidelines prevent professional specialist advice being offered without an appropriate referral.