Latest news with #Raz
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Comedian, 36, diagnosed with stomach cancer – this is the heartbreaking way he found out
Comedian Sidney Raz had no warning signs before doctors found stomach cancer growing inside him. The 36-year-old, best known for his viral 'Life Hacks' videos, was diagnosed early, significantly improving his chances of beating the disease. But it wasn't luck that led to the discovery. It was heartbreak. Advertisement 4 Sidney Raz is set to have his stomach removed later this summer. Getty Images for Status PR Back in March, Raz — whose real name is Sidney Raskind — took to social media to share devastating news: his daughter had died in utero at just 26 weeks due to holoprosencephaly, a rare condition where the brain fails to form properly. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the content creator and his wife underwent genetic testing to try to understand what had gone wrong. Advertisement While doctors didn't spot anything in their genes to explain the defect, they did find something else: Raz had a mutation in the CTNNA1 gene called a deletion — the same one his daughter had. 'Because of that deletion, in recent years, it has been seen to cause certain types of cancer — specifically stomach cancer,' Raz shared in an Instagram video. That genetic red flag prompted the influencer to undergo an endoscopy, where doctors found early-stage stomach cancer. Advertisement 'I had no symptoms,' Raz said in a later update. 'It was literally just my daughter's DNA that saved my life, and now there can be a path forward.' Doctors recommended removing his stomach entirely. The surgery is scheduled for July. 'The doctor said today that if I hadn't caught it this early, I would be back within three years at stage three or four cancer,' Raz said. 'So I might not have a stomach, but I'll be here in three to four years.' 4 Stomach cancer is relatively uncommon in the United States. manassanant – Advertisement Wondering how he'll eat without a stomach? Raz broke it down on TikTok. Surgeons will connect his esophagus directly to his intestine — so instead of food being digested in his stomach first, it'll just go 'straight down.' 'I just have to chew a lot more, and retrain my body how to eat, so I can't eat as much,' he said. 'It's gonna be a big adjustment. But I don't want cancer.' 4 Stomach cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages. Witoon – Stomach cancer often grows quietly, slowly developing over years with few, if any, noticeable symptoms early on, according to the Mayo Clinic. When they do appear, early signs can include indigestion and mild upper stomach pain. But most people aren't diagnosed until much later, when the disease has progressed and symptoms like vomiting blood, black stool, extreme fatigue and unexplained weight loss start to surface. 4 Stomach cancer has become less common in the US in recent years. Dragana Gordic – Advertisement In the US, new stomach cancer cases have been dropping by about 1.5% each year over the last decade, per the American Cancer Society. Traditionally, the disease has mostly affected older adults, but rates are climbing among young people. Being male, overweight or obese can increase your chances. So can a diet high in salty, smoked or pickled foods and low in fruits of vegetables. Advertisement Smoking an alcohol consumption are also known risk factors. Medical conditions like gastritis, stomach polyps and gastroesophageal reflux disease, along with a history of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, can also boost your odds. If you're thinking about genetic testing, Raz suggests asking doctors to check for mutations in the CDH1 and CTNNA1 genes. Advertisement 'Those are the two right now that we know that lead to this type of diffused gastric cancer,' he said. In 2025, the American Cancer Society estimates about 30,300 new stomach cancer cases will be diagnosed in the US, and roughly 10,780 people will die from the disease.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Medicine Bottles Have a Secret Feature That People Are Just Discovering
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. Opening up tight jars and bottles is never fun, whether or not you have limited grip strength, but I've found that the contents of my medicine cabinet — specifically medicines and vitamins — are some of the worst offenders. Because I live in a household without any kids, the bulky childproof lids end up being an annoying inconvenience instead of a useful safety feature — and I usually end up spilling the contents of the bottle as I try to get them open. So I did a double-take when I finally discovered a surprisingly secret hack for getting rid of child-proof lids once and for all — and I'm never going back. In an Instagram Reel shared by self-professed life hacker Sidney Raz, the creator shared the trick to exposing the 'grown-up cap' hiding under the childproof cap in your over-the-counter medicine bottle. It turns out that your Advil and Aspirin bottles come with a regular cap that you can access with a simple trick. Admitting that he didn't find out about this little-known hack until his 30s, Raz shared a video of him pushing up on the child-resistant lid with his thumbs and it easily popping off — exposing a regular screw-off lid underneath. His shocked expression was mirrored by many viewers who chimed in on the child safety cap hack in the comment section, with one person writing, 'You're telling me this whole time there's been a grown up cap under the kids' cap?' Others joked, 'Wow, first time I can say No Cap and it makes sense!' and 'I went to school for 12 years and then paid for 2 years of college. What was it all for?' On the flip side, several commenters said they were sticking to the 'fun' original caps, with one quipping, 'I took it off my vitamins just now to see, but it looked too naked after staring at it for a minute, so I put it back on.' Several people noted that they needed a spoon or needle -nose pliers to remove the cap, but a pharmacist revealed you can ask your pharmacy for non-safety caps if you struggle with getting them open. 'You may have to sign something to say you'll keep out of reach of children/stored securely, but very helpful to those with arthritis/pain conditions,' they shared. They also said that this little-known trick can also be applied to 'sun hat-shaped bottle' caps, adding, 'Your prescription drug caps often can be turned upside down and screwed on for a non-safety cap!' Unfortunately, if you're like me and were today years old when you learned this hack, there's no getting back all the frustrating times you struggled to get a childproof cap open. However, I'll be going through my medicine cabinet with a spoon and making all my medications and vitamin bottles adult-friendly for the foreseeable future. We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Article's DTC Furniture We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Here's What They Said Sign up for Apartment Therapy's Daily email newsletter to receive our favorite posts, tours, products, and shopping guides in your inbox.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
U.S. officials say Chicago sting in February seized nearly $34M in illegal e-cigs
May 22 (UPI) -- Tens of millions of dollars worth of illegal e-cigarette products were seized in Chicago in a joint operation between the FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officials said Thursday. Officials say the sting in February that uncovered the China-originated packages was valued at about $33.8 million and were intended for distribution to multiple states. Investigators uncovered several illegal e-cig brands such as Snoopy Smoke, Raz and more. "We continue to see an increased number of shipments of vaping related products packaged and mislabeled to avoid detection," said Bret Koplow, acting director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products. The FDA and CBP sit on a joint federal task force focused on e-cigarette enforcement activity. "However, we have been successful at preventing these shipments from entering the U.S. supply chain," Koplow said, despite efforts to "conceal the true identity of these unauthorized e-cigarette products." February's seizure in Illinois was part of a joint federal operation to examine incoming U.S. shipments and prevent the entry of illegal e-cigarettes. "Seizures of illegal e-cigarettes keep products that haven't been authorized by the FDA out of the United States and out of the hands of our nation's youth," said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. On Thursday, the FDA said many of the unauthorized shipments contained vague product descriptions with incorrect values in an "apparent attempt to evade duties." According to federal officials, most shipments violate the FDA's food, drug and cosmetic laws, while other products get confiscated due to intellectual property right violations on trademarked items. Additionally, they added that FDA officials sent import letters warning 24 tobacco importers. At the end of April, border agents busted a shipment of some 17,500 fake brand cigarettes from Vietnam valued at nearly $730,000 after pausing its arrival in Miami and intercepting it days later in Texas. Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Chicago made 121 seizures that contained more than 3.2 million banned electronic nicotine devices worth over $81 million, and the agency made a similar million-dollar seizure in June of illegal vape pens offloaded from China.
UPI
22-05-2025
- UPI
U.S. officials say Chicago sting in February seized nearly $34M in illegal e-cigs
The FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection teamed up for a joint operation that recovered tens of millions of dollars worth of illegal e-cigarette products seized in Chicago, officials said Thursday. FDA Commissioner Martin Makary (pictured in March in Washington, D.C.) said the effort helps keeps e-cigs "out of the hands of our nation's youth." File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo May 22 (UPI) -- Tens of millions of dollars worth of illegal e-cigarette products were seized in Chicago in a joint operation between the FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officials said Thursday. Officials say the sting in February that uncovered the China-originated packages was valued at about $33.8 million and were intended for distribution to multiple states. Investigators uncovered several illegal e-cig brands such as Snoopy Smoke, Raz and more. "We continue to see an increased number of shipments of vaping related products packaged and mislabeled to avoid detection," said Bret Koplow, acting director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products. The FDA and CBP sit on a joint federal task force focused on e-cigarette enforcement activity. "However, we have been successful at preventing these shipments from entering the U.S. supply chain," Koplow said, despite efforts to "conceal the true identity of these unauthorized e-cigarette products." February's seizure in Illinois was part of a joint federal operation to examine incoming U.S. shipments and prevent the entry of illegal e-cigarettes. "Seizures of illegal e-cigarettes keep products that haven't been authorized by the FDA out of the United States and out of the hands of our nation's youth," said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. On Thursday, the FDA said many of the unauthorized shipments contained vague product descriptions with incorrect values in an "apparent attempt to evade duties." According to federal officials, most shipments violate the FDA's food, drug and cosmetic laws, while other products get confiscated due to intellectual property right violations on trademarked items. Additionally, they added that FDA officials sent import letters warning 24 tobacco importers. At the end of April, border agents busted a shipment of some 17,500 fake brand cigarettes from Vietnam valued at nearly $730,000 after pausing its arrival in Miami and intercepting it days later in Texas. Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Chicago made 121 seizures that contained more than 3.2 million banned electronic nicotine devices worth over $81 million, and the agency made a similar million-dollar seizure in June of illegal vape pens offloaded from China.
22-05-2025
Nearly $34 million worth of illegal e-cigarettes seized by federal officials
Federal authorities seized nearly $34 million worth of illegal e-cigarettes in their latest effort to crack down on unauthorized vaping products entering the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered nearly two million illegal e-cigarette units during inspections in Chicago this February, officials announced Thursday. Almost all the products came from China and included brands like Snoopy Smoke and Raz. In a new move to combat illegal imports, the FDA also sent warning letters to 24 companies that bring tobacco products into the country. "We can and will do more to stop illegal e-cigarettes from coming into the United States," FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in the press release. "These seizures keep unauthorized products away from our nation's youth." More than 20 million e-cigarettes are sold each month in the U.S., according to CDC Foundation data. However, only 34 tobacco and menthol-flavored e-cigarette products are allowed to be sold in the U.S. Officials said many companies tried to sneak illegal products past customs by using fake labels and incorrect values on shipping documents. "We keep finding more shipments of vaping products that are packaged and mislabeled to avoid getting caught," according to Bret Koplow, who leads the FDA's tobacco regulation center. "But we're getting better at stopping these products before they reach U.S. stores." The FDA said the seized products would be destroyed. This operation was part of an ongoing effort that had already stopped more than $77 million worth of illegal e-cigarettes in the past year through similar raids in Los Angeles, Miami, and Chicago. The agency has also issued more than 750 warning letters to companies making or selling unauthorized vaping products and over 800 warnings to stores selling them. It also filed financial penalties against 87 manufacturers and more than 175 retailers.
