DOM'S
NEWSETTER
November 23,
2009
A Christian-based newsletter for people with
Fibromyalgia (FMS), Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS),
or Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) and their families.
[This newsletter
is way too long again.......sorry!!! I have been trying to keep them
shorter, but important info just keeps pouring in!!]
28 TOPICS - don't miss the RED
ONES!
1. READERS
WRITE
"Thank you so much for your newsletters,
they're really really helpful for those of us with FMS/CFS."
"I continue to read each and every one of
your informative and uplifting letters. You present your readers with the
most diversified information available today regarding CFIDS and
Fibro."
"I thank you Dominie for helping so many
people with your hard work on these emails! Also, I thank your husband
too!"
"Your newsletter is wonderful."
"Love
your newsletter. Stopped reading the group site
- too much personal sttuff and chit chat,
so look forward to your newsletters."
"You are truly our guardian angel in the
FMS/CFS community."
"I have developed a new condition that is directly
related to everything in your newsletters! It
is the "EXfrDnL" syndrome.....(Exhausted from reading Dom's newlsetter"
syndrome!!) LOL. Before filing your newsletters
into a folder, I change the subject line to give me hints to the
contents (along with the date)....I am going
to need to do some changing in my system. I have been using "WOW" too much and the latest newsletters are ALL
so exhaustive in information that I must do something in order to tell them
apart........they have ALL been "wow"...so now they are "wow 1" and "wow
2"..... I am exhausted, but also appreciative of all the
information we are receiving from your newsletters!"
"Please send to [my new email address]. I feel so
lost without your letters."
"Thank you so much for all the hard work you do to give so
many people the support and information we need. I know it's not
without sacrifice for you, as we all know any energy expenditure has a
price to pay for folks like us. Not to mention the time it must take from
you."
"I just subscribed to your
website and I Love IT!!!!"
"I adore your newsletter."
2. DOES
XMRV DEPLETE GLUTATHIONE?
From a reader--
"I wonder if this XMRV retrovirus depletes
glutathione just like the HIV retrovirus depletes glutathione. That would
explain Dr. Paul Cheney's emphasis on glutathione for his Chronic Fatigue
patients. Dr. Harold Foster proposed that the depletion of a glutathione enzyme
is at the root cause of the devastating effects of HIV. Dr. Foster states: 'HIV
encodes for one of the human glutathione peroxidases. As a result, as it is
replicated it deprives HIV-seropositive individuals of the selenoenzyme
glutathione peroxidase and its four key components, namely selenium, cysteine,
glutamine and tryptophan. Slowly but surely, this depletion process causes
severe deficiencies of all these nutrients. Their lack, in turn, is behind the
major symptoms of AIDS, including the collapse of the immune system, increased
susceptibility to cancer, myocardial infarction and depression, muscle wasting,
diarrhea, psychosis and dementia.' http://www.hdfoster.com/dr-fosters-work-hivaids."
3. XMRV IS
CATALYST TO ME/CFS & NEURO-IMMUNE DISORDERS
3 FASCINATING youtube videos about XMRV &
Whittemore-Peterson Institute sent in by a reader--
A MOM FIND'S XMRV AS CAUSE FOR
DAUGHTER'S NEURO-IMMUNE DISORDER!!!!!!
XMRV Breakthrough research for ME/CFS, by WPI
(Part 1 of 2) - stress hormones and vaccines turn on the virus!
XMRV Breakthrough research for ME/CFS, by WPI
(Part 2 of 2)
XMRV is catalyst to ME/CFS and neuro
immune disease
4.
FIBROMYALGIA PATIENTS TESTING POSITIVE FOR XMRV RETROVIRUS
ALSO!
5.
WHITTEMORE PETERSON INSTITUTE VOLUNTEER QUESTIONNAIRE
http://wpinstitute.org/ -
Whittemore-Peterson Institute - homepage - has questionnaire and lab to get
tested for XMRV
FROM DOM: There was some concern from a reader that the
questionnaire was not a secured site (https), but another reader wrote
this: "I think these are
sent from in-house software that all Hosp, Clinics etc. use... all medical
centers have their
own. I know ours is in-house (used and
can only be used and made for the institution). I would not worry
about it! It really
can only be received by them - it's
pretty much hacker proof...you call the institute and ask them who views this
and if they
posted it!! I know for a fact that they
did."
6. DOES
THE FLU VACCINE MATTER?
From a reader--
"This is an eye opening article for
your consideration. Whether this season’s swine flu turns out to be deadly
or mild, most experts agree that it’s only a matter of time before we’re hit by
a truly devastating flu pandemic—one that might kill more people worldwide than
have died of the plague and aids
combined. In the U.S., the main lines of defense are pharmaceutical—vaccines and
antiviral drugs to limit the spread of flu and prevent people from dying from
it. Yet now some flu experts are challenging the medical orthodoxy and
arguing that for those most in need of protection, flu shots and antiviral drugs
may provide little to none. So where does that leave us if a bad
pandemic strikes? http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200911/brownlee-h1n1#."
7. 100
SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY
8. IF FMS/CFS/ME IS A
VIRUS
From a reader--
"If this 'thang' we
have is a virus, they never have
found a cure for viruses. The
common cold is a virus, cancer is , etc. To
know what it is, is one thing but
I am not too hopeful as to
the cure. I am sure tho that
are a lot of natural things that will
work. BUT the drug companies will
never let that knowledge out. My
holistic doctor is trying to build
up my immune system."
FROM DOM:
Wow. I never thought of that, but this reader may be right! I
keep hoping for the magic bullet that will fix all of us. But it will take
years and years of research and LOTSA money. Our best hope is to improve
our immune system. I have been using an immune balancing
shake since 2001 - won't be without it -
can't, actually. It is #1 on my list at www.fms-help.com/what.htm (my list
of stuff that helps me). The other thing I can't be without are the
oxygen
drops, which help the immune system, alkalize pH (because acid causes pain,
disease, cancer, causes viruses to do their dirty work, etc.), and the drops
also oxygenates the brain and body tissue. These are my two absolute
best helps (besides my sleep meds), although there are MANY helpful things on my
list.
9. MORE WPI VIDEOS -
WORKING ON MEDS!
From a reader--
Just in case you have not seen/heard
these...
There are 3 parts of Dr. Dan Peterson
Presentation, and 17-18 testimonies of CFS patients.
I found them very intersting, especially this
one
- it looks like they already have been
working on meds - it's in the 2nd phase of testing. It's very
promising!
10. ACYCLOVIR &
AMPLIGEN - SUGGESTED MEDS
From a reader--
"Acyclovir (anti-viral) is the
medication they have in 2nd video (above)--
http://www.bing.com/health/article.aspx?id=articles%2fgoldstandard%2fb1d9f77ecb60687e93df302b72a579d0.html&br=lv&q=acyclovir&FORM=K1RE#sideffects -
I knew for over a year about Ampligen (used mainly on HIV
patients), and asked my doctor to prescribe. He refused because
of this drug damaging the liver. The problem with using it is that this drug destroys a liver so
even if it helps with CFS one will have a new problem - a damaged
liver.
From a reader--
"I am just so excited about this discovery of XMRV.
I'm not sure if you know this but I am a nurse (unable to work much at all
anymore) and I have been researching Fibro & CFS for years too like you
have and have been so frustrated with the medical community for not taking
our illness seriously. I remember telling nurses that I worked with about Fibro
and they would say stuff about people with Fibro just being LAZY and
depressed and that they have aches and pains too so what's the big
deal. Also I would here things like Oh, he or she is just " A CHRONIC
PAINER" (basicly they would be irritated by people with so
called chronic pain)! Anyways I never really understood it
myself till I got it and wow do I look at things differently now!
Like you, I have been praying for many years to an answer to this horrible
MONSTER (Fibro/ CFS) and I think that we are closer then ever to a real
treatment that helps!"
FROM DOM: Happy
as I am about the discovery of XMRV (and in my lifetime!), I sure hope they can
come up with something besides the 2 drugs mentioned above. I have
been on massive doses of acyclovir to stop shingles attacks, prevent cold sores,
etc. - but my doc says it damages the
kidneys. Sure don't need that. I've been using
rose-scented DMSO cream and oxygen
drops for the past 3-1/2 months
and they work great for me!!! Also, a scientist sent me this article
- see http://aboutmecfs.org/Trt/TrtAmp.aspx about the horrific side
effects of Ampligen!!!, not to mention the cost ($15,000-$25,000 per
year!) I certainly would give the immune shake and
inflammation-reducing capsules a decent try before starting a drug like
this! If you have questions about the shake, write dombush@bellsouth.net. It's high tech
stuff - an innovative bio-tech product that I've been using for 8 years
now.
11. SHOULD WE GET
TESTED FOR XMRV?
FROM DOM: Here is the
test recommended by the Whittemore-Peterson Institute: http://www.vipdx.com/press. I don't have the money to get tested, but if any readers
try this, I would be most interested in your results. Please write dombush@bellsouth.net. Just the
DISCOVERY of the cause of FMS/CFS has been wonderful, but there is no cure yet -
and I'm sure drug companies are going to be trying to find something to help
us. There are only 3 known retroviruses (XMRV, HIV, and
leukemia). The trouble with drugs is that they all have undesirable side
effects. I don't know that I would even try some of them. :(
Right now I rely on a combination of supplements and drugs - my list is at
www.fms-help.com/what.htm. It is our own immune system that has to battle this thing
and we need to give our bodies all the help it needs. In one of the videos
they said that even if XMRV is present in the blood, there
has to be a trigger for the virus to activate. The two triggers found thus
far are VACCINATIONS and STRESS! Which goes back to
many things I said in my 100 Tips for Coping with Fibromyalgia at www.fms-help.com/tips.htm.
12. DRY MOUTH FROM
ELAVIL
"Can you ask your readers about whether they
get a terribly dry mouth from taking Amitriptyline (generic
Elavil) as i take 125mg a day and i can hardly bear the dry mouth
anymore. and i also would like you to ask your readers if they have heard
of SalivaSure (Formerly
Called Salix) which is produced by Scandinavian Formulas.
it is a saliva stimulating lozenge and if so does it work. and i am thinking
about getting a friend in USA to buy them for me. - Nicola nicolamegaw@gmail.com"
FROM DOM: As I recall
from my own experience, Elavil does cause dry mouth, and I was using just a low
dose. Elavil was the first drug my doc tried for my sleep disorder back in
the 1980's when I was first diagnosed. It made me feel depressed and
hungover. There are newer drugs now that may have fewer side effects. We are all
guinea pigs, trying various things before finding what works for us. A
list of things I currently use is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm.
13. WHAT
HELPS
From a reader--
"With regards to your question
www.fms-help.com/111409.htm
(Topic 9) as to what helps and does not, we can't obtain the supplements
you use [where I live], and it is so frustrating. I started taking
cellfood a month ago, can't see any difference. I have tried so many
supplements - all good makes and strong strengths, but other than those
that make me sleep, and my painkillers, I can't find anything I can
really say has helped me tremendously, My GP put me onto antidepressants,
as I was getting suicidal episodes, and if I am really bad, I have the
equivalent of Ativan, which I put under my tongue - that helps for the suicide
racing thoughts. I am unable to [continue with my job due to brain
fog]. Other than sleep, painkillers, nap in afternoon...I know and
avoid what makes me worse... have been come an expert on what makes me worse,
but not on what makes me feel better!!!"
14.
FACEBOOK
From a reader--
"I’m sure you are already aware of
FaceBook. Whittemore Peterson Institute is on there as is the CFIDS
Association of America and all sorts of CFIDS groups and patients. There is
quite a community. I have made some new CFIDS friends. You can
mark your page private and only friends can see you for safety concerns. I
was worried about that too."
FROM DOM: I joined Facebook for just a few minutes before
realizing it would add hugely to my communication load. All of our family
is on Facebook - posting videos of the grandkids, etc. Donnie is not a
"computer person" and I am too overwhelmed by the email from www.fms-help.com, so I removed myself, much as I would have loved to be on
there. It's a great communication tool. Especially glad to know that
WPI and CFIDS groups are on there!
15. WHAT THE INVENTOR
OF THE SWINE FLU SHOT NOW THINKS
Article from a reader--
"November 17 2009 - President
Obama and his top health officials are engaging in a major public relations
effort to divert attention away from whether its swine flu vaccine is effective
and safe by focusing attention on whether there is enough of it to go around.
And the media is cooperating fully. Increasing numbers of
scientists and doctors are issuing harsh criticisms of the government’s plan to
vaccinate virtually the entire U.S. population with a poorly tested vaccine that
is not only ineffective against swine flu, but could cripple and even kill many
more people than it helps. The CDC’s public relations campaign
has been running “scare” ads that portray swine flu as a full-blown “pandemic”
responsible for snuffing out countless lives. But scientists and health
officials throughout the world have called the governments claims unjustified
and deliberately misleading. Global Research October 29, 2009"
16. POSSIBLE FIBRO -
CANCER CONNECTION
From a reader--
"This is an
interesting, though could be disheartening, but might be good to keep us alert
and watching out for other serious health problems associated with FMS and
ME/CFS. Here is an intro to the article and link to the page:
A Fibromyalgia Cancer
Connection?
Whittemore -Peterson Neuro- Immune Institute researchers
have uncovered a possible cancer subset in chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
(See The Hit of the Conference: IACFS/ME Conference II). In this guest blog Yvonne
Kenney, the founder of the Fibromyalgia
Coalition International, reports on some preliminary evidence suggesting that
the cancer problem may not be limited to ME/CFS. More evidence suggests
that high levels of pain lead to increased rates of mortality not just
suicide but possibly from heart disease, stroke and other illnesses.
FM/CFS/ME patients are told that these
illnesses are not fatal. This is simply wrong! I have spoken
with more than 10,000 patients over the past 11 years and concluded long ago
that FM/CFS/ME patients have a higher rate of cancer, heart attacks,
stroke, and suicide than the rest of the population. Read more here: http://aboutmecfs.org/blog/?p=590
The reader went on to add: "Personally, I knew when I
first got ME/CFS, back when my doctor kept telling me "Everyone gets
tired", that this disease was and is killing me. It just takes longer than
some of the the scarier sounding diseases."
17. "DO IT
ANYWAY"
(a poem by Mother Teresa)
People are often unreasonable, illogical and
self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse
you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are
successful, you will win some
false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed
anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest
and frank anyway.
What you spend years building,
someone could destroy
overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
they
may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people
will
forget tomorrow,
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you
have, and
it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got ...
anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is
between you and
God,
It never was between you and them anyway.
by Mother
Teresa
18. TRAVELING IN A
CAR & BRAIN STRAIN
From a reader--
"This is so strange. I read about your
problems being in a car. Well, I have had great difficulty driving on the
freeway all my life. I get dizzy and then start getting a panic attack,
especially in the middle lane. I've often thought how it is all
going too fast. I never heard anyone else say anything like this
before. This problem is an embarrassing for me, as I cannot drive to
conferences for my work when a boss tells me to go. Noise drives me
crazy too. My husband chewing pretzels, having TV on really loud watching
shoot em up movies etc. Wears me down. Can't wear anything scratchy,
etc."
FROM DOM: Wow!
Another clone of me!! My travel problems began after working in toxic mold
in 2004-2005 www.fms-help.com/mold.htm. I think it affected my brain.
I am pretty much marooned right here in my small community - I can travel
only about 30 miles without brain collapse. The world just goes by too
quickly (too much visual stimulation that I can't adapt to
fast enough). I mentioned a book in a previous newsletter called
TOO LOUD, TOO BRIGHT, TOO FAST, TOO
TIGHT. Search at www.fms-help.com/newsletters.htm. It's available on amazon - maybe even
a used copy available. It says that some people's nervous systems are
just wired that way. I wear dark, wrap-around sunglasses when my husband
is driving. Sometimes I have to put the seat back too. I would have
no qualms putting on a black eye mask if needed. In fact, I might try
that to see what happens - I don't know if it is the jostling motion of the car
that I have to continually adapt to or if it is the constantly shifting visual
input - especially when you travel a road under trees in bright sunlight, where
the light flickers in the car. That just about strobes me out! I
also found that if I am driving (holding on to the steering wheel), I have less
brain strain than when being a passenger. I recently accompanied my
husband and one of my students to a neighboring city to help them buy a piano,
and did okay in the car (40 miles), but my brain was so wired that I couldn't
sleep at all that night (Saturday) and at 7 a.m. the next morning my husband had
to call our music director and tell him that I wouldn't be able to play for
church that morning. AARRRGHH!! One more thing that might
help someone....I had agoraphobia for 20 years (from age 16-36). I
recovered from that only to be hit with this mold/brain illness. For those
who just have anxiety (and no moldy brain like me), ativan (lorazepam) in low
doses might be helpful. I have used small amounts of lorazepam for the
past 10 years or so for sleep and also when my chest feels tight, and it
helps. A merciful drug. But use only a little bit so you don't
become dependent. A list of everything I use is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm - I have
to keep working ($) to survive and I don't qualify for disability. That's
another story that I told about in a past newsletter. For those who need
tips on getting disability, here is some advice from other readers: www.fms-help.com/disability.htm.
BTW, I commute a whole 9 blocks to work (teaching music)! I am soooooo
blessed to have this situation - God knew my need! (My poor brother
drives 2 hours each way to his job! I just can't
imagine!!!!!!!)
19. DRUG SIDE
EFFECTS
From a reader--
"Thanks for warning your readers about the 'new
drug cures' which will come out [since the discovery of the XMRV retrovirus in
FMS/CFIDS patients]. I think I've played the guinea pig quite enough
already and will stick with my natural remedies. I too get quite
angry every time I see a Cymbalta commercial since that's
the one which almost did me in. Keep reminding your readers about the VERY
DANGEROUS side effects of these drugs. Sometimes they seem to be helping
in the short-term but can become deadly in the long-term, and very few doctors
will acknowledge that fact. Thankfully we can educate ourselves through
the internet."
20. DOCS DON'T KNOW
ABOUT XMRV RETROVIRUS
From a reader--
"Interesting that you mentioned that most doctors
no nothing about the XMRV retrovirus. I asked my doctor what he knew about it -
he looked at me as though i was talking martian!! Lol.. He claims to have never
heard of it.. Sigh!!"
FROM DOM: Most docs don't even know anything about FMS/CFIDS/ME,
since it is not part of their training. Hopefully XMRV will become as
familiar to them as HIV became years ago. But I shudder at the
comparison. CFS is estimated to affect 4% of the
population!
21. XMRV - MICE TO
HUMANS
Link from a reader--
FROM DOM: The XMRV
retrovirus is from MICE!!!!! Watch this 10 minute video. They are
interviewing John Coffin, Professor of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts
University, Boston, USA. Member of the US National academy of
Sciences. There is no way to "get rid of" XMRV, just as there is no "cure"
for HIV. However, the professor says that not everyone who carries HIV has
AIDS, and not everyone who carries XMRV will have CFS. XMRV is also
implicated in prostate cancer and autism! No telling what else researchers
will find! BTW, they have no idea how it got from mice to
humans!! Now a flurry of drugs will probably be coming out and a lot
of money made from those desperate to be "cured." As for me, I think I
will stick with the natural things and meds listed at www.fms-help.com/what.htm, but each
of us is different. My list is a good one to check out. In the
end, it is our own immune system that will have to deal with invading viruses
and infections. I am wary of drug side effects. Also, look up "recombinant DNA" - XMRV could be a
manufactured (deliberately engineered) virus - taking biological
material from species that don't interbreed.
22. SCRATCHY
UNDERWEAR
From a reader--
"My body is very sensitive. I have to wear
bras from JCPenneys Barely There that are stretch and can go
over you--no snaps...panties also Barely There that stretch and have no
stitching or tags..Those things would drives me crazy. I even have
difficult time buying shoes...feet/skin so sensitive that I can feel the
stitching in the shoe...So many of the things that you talk about I have
experienced."
FROM DOM: See #18
above.
23. XMVR BLOOD
SAFETY
From a reader--
XMRV Blood Safety and Availability from
HHS
Friday, October 30, 2009 at 8:48am
Xenotropic Murine
LeukemiaVirus-Related Virus (XMRV)
Blood Safety and Availability
Office of
Public Health and Science
Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS)
Jerry A. Holmberg, PhD, SBB
October 30, 2009
The
Office of Public Health and Science’s Blood Safety and Availability
is aware
of the recent literature suggesting linkage of chronic fatigue
syndrome to a
possible contagious rodent retrovirus, XMRV. XMRV has also
been associated
with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Antibodies
against the virus
have been detected in 3.7% of healthy controls in a
study of a small number
of individuals. Currently there is no
commercially available test for
infection with XMRV. While there is no
known association of CFS or prostate
cancer with history of transfusion,
the finding that the virus is associated
with white blood cells has led
some to question whether XMRV could be
transmitted by transfusion and
might therefore pose a threat to the health
of blood recipients and
potentially also transplant recipients.
The
HHS Blood Safety Committee works with all the PHS agencies (i.e.,
CDC, FDA,
HRSA, and NIH) to ensure the safety and availability of blood
products as
well as transplantation safety. Under the leadership of that
committee,
steps are being taken to investigate the blood safety threat
from XMRV and
the potentially protective role of white cell removal,
which is performed on
approximately 70% of blood. An interagency
Emerging Infectious Diseases
working group that reports to the Blood
Safety Committee is currently
assessing the literature on XMRV,
conducting meetings with experts on this
retrovirus, and interacting
with groups that could study the question of
blood safety. A report is
expected within several weeks. In particular, the
National Heart Lung
and Blood Institute Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor
Study-II (REDS-II)
investigators are aware of the report in Science and are
assessing the
prevalence of XMRV in blood donors to determine whether
studies aimed at
evaluating transfusion-transmission rate are warranted
using NHLBI’s
repositories of donor and recipient blood samples.
HHS
will remain vigilant in assessing the safety of the blood supply and
developing interventions as appropriate.
24. INSUFFICIENT
GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR M.E. IN BRITAIN
Video link from a reader--
25. SO WHAT CAN WE
DO?
FROM
DOM: In light of all of the above, I think it's going to be a
long time before a cure or vaccine can be developed for XMRV, so I think we are
going to be on our own (as usual) for quite awhile. I just listened to a
video clip from the UK and researchers say that there are 4 genes in people
with CFS that are overactive and putting the immune system into overdrive.
Until they figure out how to adjust gene expression, I think this whole
FMS/CFIDS/ME illness is a tangled web. I applaud the researchers who are
searching out this mystery, much as they did for HIV/AIDS in decades past.
I think it is definitely worth for anyone to try i26 Complete Support
www.legacyforlife.com/dominie which balances immune function - it's a
very high-tech product originally developed by Dupont & Conagra. It is
the only thing I have kept taking for a long length of time now (8 years). Other
things have come and gone because I found either some benefit, no benefit, or no
lasting benefit and my finances are limited. I also began
using
oxygen drops in my water 4 months ago (thanks to a reader) and this
is making a huge difference for me. These 2 things are probably my best
suggestions as a fellow patient, but my complete list of wonderful helps is at
www.fms-help.com/what.htm. Oxygen plays a role in keeping viruses under control. More
info on the site above-referenced and elsewhere on the
net. If I were a
scientist, I could explain it better to you, but the proof of the pudding is in
the eating, as the old saying goes. I have heard of scores of supplements
that were supposed to be helpful, but in trying them I experienced no benefit
that I could perceive, so my list only includes things that actually helped
me. Thank God we are not at the mercy of drugs alone - and their dangerous
side effects - to help us cope with this and other
illnesses.
26. HEALTH CARE
COMMENTS FROM A CANADIAN READER
"Health Care
Insurance - I live in Alberta, Canada, the last jurisdiction to
eliminate Health Care premiums as of January 2009. I also have worked in
Health Care for the last 29 years and presently belong to an American
Professional Association along with my Canadian professional associations
and have kept up on some trends in the USA. There will be no scarcity of
doctors & nurses because any kind of universal health coverage will not
instantly make everyone seek out a doctor . Anyone who is ill and
needs treatment gets taken care of very well in Canada. A major
difference between the Canada & USA systems is the large
administration costs in USA for collecting fees, etc. The USA has
been passing various pieces of legislation to improve
efficiencies (and reduce billing fraud) since I became involved started
following your systems in 2001. I cannot comment about our comparative taxes,
but the average Canadian lives very well. We all can choose our own
physicians. I have noticed physicians more busy in the last 6
years and many are not taking new patients. I feel this is more
due to political decisions to reduce physician school enrollment, and attempts
to impose new medical systems that are not workable.
Also, many young doctors do not work the long
hours worked by their previous generation. There has always been a
good private component in the Canadian public health systems that has grown
with Health Care needs. Most physicians receive fee for service
and therefore those physicians working longer & harder
receive more. Many people pay for treatments they think they need (eg:
Chiropractor) on their own. Anyone in Alberta has been able to
opt out of Public Health coverage and pay their own fees and
some religious based groups have done this. Americans are generally more
self-reliant when it comes to how to deal with diseases and symptoms than
many Canadians who have been encouraged by our Health Systems to run to the
doctor with any little complaint. This is changing as we evolve to where
patients are more involved in their own care and treatment. As of this year,
midwives are now able to operate within the health system in
Alberta.
Immunization -
I believe strongly in immunization for severe diseases such as
polio. Despite the popularity of influenza immunization and planning
for everyone in Canada being able to recieve H1N1 for free, many
informed health care workers & other Canadians refuse
immunization. There are definitely two camps of opinion on flu
immunization. My opinion is that influenza immunization adverse events are
generally not well reported and no one is ever adequatly informed
of potential risks. Also, influenza immunization as a
"best guess" of a virus mutation is an extremely poor Health System
investment."
27. $2,200 AND NO
RESULTS
From a reader--
"Spent $2200 at Naturopath for Intravenous vitamins (4) with
some homeopathics for bladder infections, and no results. I have been
receiving your letters for years and read and save them all. I rereading
and trying to help myself. I am going to try and be my own doc and try some
of your suggestions."
FROM
DOM: So many of us have spent a fortune on things that haven't
helped. Now that researchers have discovered that our illness is caused
by a virus (XMRV), we (sort of) have a better idea how to fight it or
manage it, but there is no cure yet and it may be a long time coming. My
personal list of helps is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. I hope every one of my readers can find things that help
them function better. We will evidently never be "normal," and each of us
is different as to what helps and what doesn't. I wish there were just one
magic bullet to "cure" us all. Thank God for the internet where we
can do our own research and also connect with people who are searching for
answers as well. Lots of FMS/CFS/ME forums out
there.
28. DOM'S
UPDATE
Well, I'm
still doing better than usual. Went to the mall today - the sights and
sounds didn't bother me until I was there for quite awhile. In the past I
have practially collapsed from the excessive stimulation to my brain.
However,
yesterday I worked very hard - we had a lot going on - and I had
insufficient sleep the night before. By evening I felt like I was going to
have a seizure - eyes rolling back in my head, etc. Yipes. I just
can't take much stress at all. Stress is my #1 enemy. (See Tip
#1 at www.fms-help.com/tips.htm.)
Also,
worrying. I rely on many things listed at www.fms-help.com/what.htm to cope with various aspects of my neuro-endocrine-immune disorder,
which was made much worse by mold exposure in 2004-2005 www.fms-help.com/mold.htm.
Even though
there is no cure as of yet, there are many things I've found since 1996 to
manage my symptoms (which I suffered from since my FMS diagnosis in 1982 www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm).
I am
sorry that I can't answer all of the email I receive. There are not enough
hours in the day/night.
For those who
have praised my husband for being so generous with my time (ha!), he sure
enjoyed being recognized for is contribution to our cause. We work
opposite hours, so my newsletter / website / correspondence / research time does
not interfere with our time together.
Dominie
II Corinthians 1: 4 - "Who comforteth us
in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any
trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
Visit Dominie's FMS/CFIDS Homepage at www.fms-help.com for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers
and their families.
DOMINIE'S FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC
FATIGUE SYNDROME HOMEPAGE
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor. I
am a fibromyalgia / chronic fatigue syndrome survivor. The purpose of this website
is not to diagnose or cure any disease or malady, but is presented as food for
thought. This information cannot take the place of professional medical
advice. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should come under the
direction of a physician. No guarantees are made regarding any of the
information in this website.
