Hillary's newest blog post is something everyone needs to read!

[starryeyes]

Right On!

I got so fired up just now after finally being able to watch the Senior Advisor for Blood Policy address the CFSAC that I just wrote both of my Senators and my Congressman and I covered all of the topics you mentioned and I told them all that the WPI is on Capitol Hill right now until Oct. 9.

I just started a thread about the Blood Supply and Organ Donations in the General CFS section too. I am wound up Baby!!

 

[Hysterical Woman]

Woo-Hoo!!

I got so fired up just now after finally being able to watch the Senior Advisor for Blood Policy address the CFSAC that I just wrote both of my Senators and my Congressman and I covered all of the topics you mentioned and I told them all that the WPI is on Capitol Hill right now until Oct. 9.

I just started a thread about the Blood Supply and Organ Donations in the General CFS section too. I am wound up Baby!!

Go teejkay Go! If enough people do this, the government can't help but take notice.

Did you mean Nov. 9?

Thanks for your efforts! It can benefit all of us.

Maxine

 

[Samuel]

I think it is important to make sure that documents do not get destroyed.

This seems a good time to do things like make local copies of things on the web, cultivate witnesses, make FOIA requests, subpoena documents, etc. Also, keep offline backups of everything.

If we can anticipate the next moves of the denialists, we might get documents first.

 

[starryeyes]

Did you mean Nov. 9?

Oh no... I wrote Oct. 9 in the letters-- brainfog!

 

[Hysterical Woman]

Not the end of the world

Oh no... I wrote Oct. 9 in the letters-- brainfog!

Hi teejkay,

Not the end of the world, and an indication that you struggle with your illness. The bottom line is that you did something positive for yourself and all of those out here who are desperately hoping for some recognition that will lead to testing for all and then treatments.

Take care,

Maxine

 

[starryeyes]

Thanks Maxine. I needed to hear that today.

I am very curious to find out what the WPI did at Capitol Hill. Anyone know?

 

[Hysterical Woman]

No problem, teejkay

Thanks Maxine. I needed to hear that today.

I am very curious to find out what the WPI did at Capitol Hill. Anyone know?

Hi teejkay,

I am sorry to hear that you needed to hear something positive today, sounds like you are having a rough time. Hang in there!

I haven't seen anything posted yet regarding what WPI did at Capitol Hill. Many are anxiously awaiting to see if anything gets posted.

Take care,

Maxine

 

[Hysterical Woman]

Have you seen this, tee?

Hi again tee,

Have you seen this information? Maybe it is some more good news for us??

http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2009/11/top_scientists_to_meet_at_clev.html

 

[Katie]

Hi again tee,

Have you seen this information? Maybe it is some more good news for us??

http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2009/11/top_scientists_to_meet_at_clev.html

I've just posted this link up in the XMRV section, it certainly looks promising

 

[Hysterical Woman]

Hi Katie,

I saw your post in the XMRV section after I posted this - thanks for your very quick actions! Like many of us, I have been trolling to find new information regarding XMRV, and hoping that the world will continue to take notice. And although this new discovery is more "robust" than others we have seen in the past, many of us just can't shake the worry that we will somehow be burned again.

Thanks again for your quick actions.

Take care,

Maxine

 

[MEKoan]

From

http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/i...t_at_clev.html

"In October, a team of researchers from the Clinic, the University of Nevada at Reno and the National Cancer Institute reported finding the virus in the majority of patients they studied who had chronic fatigue syndrome. CFS is a debilitating disorder marked by profound fatigue, muscle pain, impaired memory and other symptoms. Its causes are unknown."

This is the best possible way CFS can be described when in reporting: strongly worded, clear, unequivocal and without editorializing. The more simple, clear statements like this are out there describing this condition, the better.

I was also thinking that The Cleveland Clinic is probably well positioned now to become a centre of treatment given its familiarity with the research. The amount of interest in "CFS" has just gone through the proverbial roof and having Cleveland Clinic linked to the report and the reporting presents them with an opportunity to get involved early which could only be good for an institution in an area hard it by the economy. And, of course, good for the "CFS" community.

We have come a long, long way in such a short time.

koan

 

[Jerry S]

Thanks for your insights, Koan.

Jerry

 

[starryeyes]

Thanks for posting that link and drawing my attention to it Maxine. This is very good for us.

 

[anne]

It would be nice if the Cleveland Clinic stepped it up. As you'll see from their website they're not so good with it now. They've actually edited that description in the past couple of months--they used to explicitly say they search for "underlying mood disorders" and they've added something about checking immune systems--though certainly not treating it. My husband was basically tuned away from the ID doctor there. Someone on the CFIDS website reports they went and was told by the CFS specialist that there wasn't any such thing as CFS.

 

[starryeyes]

Gee Anne, that's important for us to know. Here are some snippets from their site:

[T]here is symptomatic therapy [that works for CFS]. At The Cleveland Clinic Foundation we believe that an aggressive therapeutic approach to CFS can result in tangible and significant clinical improvement for the majority of patients.

The treatment plan has four components:

This is the first one:

An understanding of what CFS is and what it can do is an essential element in the quest for wellness. Patients are given numerous reprints and handouts, many of which have been written by members of the Department, and guided to a variety of current sources of reliable information. Many of these can also be found on the internet and include the American Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (www.aacfs.org) which links to a variety of other reliable sources at the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others.

Hmmmm.... "reliable sources?"

I have to say that when I read the rest of the page I don't get the feeling at least, that they think there is no such thing as CFS. What's strange about that patient's report too is that it was The CFS Specialist there who said there is no such thing as CFS. That doesn't make sense.

What's ID? Intelligent Design?

It does seem that they think they can successfully treat CFS by "aggressively" using exercise and Spirtuality. Whatever! Most likely they had success with PWC who were going into remission anyway.

The Cleveland Clinic has a button to send Feedback:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/webcontact/webmail.aspx

For "Area within Cleveland Clinic you would like to contact:" I put "Infectious Disease" since they did not have CFS listed. I wrote and gave them a piece of my mind.

 

[anne]

In this case it might as wel have been intelligent design, but its infectious diseases. She just told him that they didn't treat EBV and seemed very bewildered as to why he'd expect they would.

As for "quest for wellness," there was a time my quest was more like being able to walk to the bathroom.


Here's more:

Diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and many other poorly understood illnesses should no longer be viewed as disorders of either the mind or the body. The mind and body act as one unit and thus we must approach them together.

To maintain the strongest immune system possible, you must have a nutritious diet, get regular exercise, and reduce stress in your life. You must attend to all three of these areas to achieve your optimum health.

Some people eat a nutritious diet and exercise regularly, but are so keyed up in their lives that their stress levels overcome all of the success they achieve in the first two areas. Other people might have successfully modified their mental and spiritual state but are eating unhealthy diets or are sedentary. Others might make significant advances in all three areas, but are doing foolish and harmful things to their bodies, such as smoking or using excessive alcohol, which take away from their achievements.

Dr. Andrew Weil, noted author and director of the program in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona, has written extensively about the body's ability to heal itself. Many health care providers have witnessed people overcome complex medical illnesses without the assistance of medicine. Though medicines are vital for overcoming many acute illnesses, they might be less important in overcoming chronic diseases.

You can take advantage of the body's inner ability to heal by eating well, exercising regularly, and striving for spiritual well-being. Eliminate other negative factors such as drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other insults to the your body. Only you can put it all together and it cannot be achieved overnight. There is no better time to start than now.

 

[George]

I suppose that might work. If I brake my arm. . . and I eat right, don't stress out over it, and get plenty of exercise . . .it is possible that the arm will heal without medical intervention. <said with great sarcasm>

What the heck would the medical establishment do if we all said "oh that's o.k. I don't need medical help I'll just eat right, meditate and get plenty of exercise!"

 

[starryeyes]

Actually, other than the "plenty" of exercise part that's all that I am able to do for CFS.
Ugh!

ID=Infectious Disease- thank you.

The rest of what you just posted Anne is infuriating.

 

[gracenote]

And

There's something about this phrase "Only you can put it all together . . . " that feels so "blame the victim." If we can't put it "all together" than whose fault is that?

That is one (of many) of my criticisms of a lot of alternative, mind-body, faith-based, or cognitive therapies even though I think many have benefits to offer. It they don't work then it's the patient's fault, not the methodology. You didn't try hard enough, believe enough, practice it long enough, use the right combination in the right order . . . How in the world do you ever get out of that bind? I would much rather hear something like "Here is a practice, a protocol, a belief-system, etc. Might it add something to your experience? Might it lighten your load a bit?"

I would love to have the whole dialog move past the either/or paradigms. It's all in your mind OR it's a disease. It's all based on your effort, will power, ability to let go OR it's completely out of your hands. If XMRV proves to be THE cause or A cause, maybe we will all get to have a disease AND search for the best support for our healing, all at the same time.

We're not crazy AND we've been driven a bit nuts!

 

[Marylib]

Blame the victim

Blaming the victim is universal. I think it is a way for people to reassure them selves that they will not suffer the agonies they have heard or read about.

"Hey, I take responsibility for my health. I eat right, exercise, sleep well -- I will never get CFS!"

OOps....not so fast.....Oops looks like an infectious disease! Run for the hills!