Apparently there is a young man in England who has struggled with hiccups, in essence, every 2 seconds for up to 12 hours a day. He estimates that he has hiccuped 10 million times since the episode(s) began. He has heartburn, no sleep for days, problems breathing and now he's on disability because he can no longer participate as a back-up singer in the rock band he was a part of. One night, he did down a pint of coca-cola right before a performance, and they briefly subsided.

He's tried numerous things: hypnotherapy, yoga, reiki, herbal medicines and even oxygen chamber therapy. Well, he's considering surgery now as the doctors believe he has damaged the pyloric valve and this is causing acid reflux, which is exacerbating the already troublesome hiccups. I certainly wish the best for that young man and that his post-operative course is unremarkable.

The 24 year-old does not hold the record though, it seems there was an American gentleman back in the 1920s who had the longest bout of hiccups-68 years!

I think from time to time about health and wellness and when I get a little grumpy or start complaining about this or that, I am reminded about the blessings of good health. For some, it comes with little effort, but for others it's a battle for a variety of reasons and risk factors. Folks...please make good choices, eat right and exercise, go see a doc when needed, and strive to be healthy. The Community Medical Centers "C-fit" program is a good place to start, not only do you get some activity, but there are friendships developing and light-hearted competition (well, more serious for some).

I'm a believer in this "you can get healthy thing"....you see, I am a walking morbidity statistic: my mom has high blood pressure, my father had diabetes, 2 cardiovascular surgeries and died of a myocardial infarction, and all my siblings are obese. Hey, I'm not very "athletic" or coordinated, in fact, just this last weekend I was riding with a group of cyclists and I fell off my bike just standing still (I couldn't get my toe-cilp unlatched in time, and there I went!). I'm choosing to be well though, and so can you...go for it!