Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Lupus gene found?

The below quoted article (which i have shortened) is calling for DNA samples from lupus patients. All you have to do is ask your doctor about how to do this, then give a blood sample (I don't know about you but I do that every 3 months anyway).

I am skeptical about genetics being the cause of lupus. I think it's toxins in our food air and water. but hey, if they find a gene therapy that helps, then great. Let's go at it from all angles.

Lupus Gene Finding Prompts Call for More DNA Samples. Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Study
12/3/2007

Wellcome Trust researchers have identified a key gene involved in the disease lupus, which affects around 50 000 people in the UK, most of them women. The lead researcher behind the study has called for more patients to volunteer DNA samples to enable them to further study the underlying causes of the disease.

fighting to get better

So, i've been on 7 drugs for over a year to manage my health problems (this is part of the reason that CD #4 of wacky Carla songs hasn't occurred yet. that and moving, and planning our wedding). I've decided I'm tired of popping all these F**king pills and more tired of paying for them, so I'm back on the warpath to getting better and getting back off these drugs (for the 3rd time in 15 years).

A month or so ago I quit drinking diet coke. I've been addicted to it for lord knows how long, even though I know it's toxic. Then I bought this sport water bottle that has a built in water purifier (which does more than just a water filter) and have been drinking copious amounts of clean water (it also saves me money on bottled water when I travel, and who knows how clean bottled water is anyway?). here's a report on the amazing healing powers of water. you know, drinking it. I jsut finished reading adn online report:

The Water Cure: An interview with Dr. Batmanghelidj

(how often do you think he gets called "Batman?"). So many problems in the body when we get dehydrated. Then when we're thirsty we drink stuff that dehydrates us even more- coffee, soda, alcohol.

Anyway, next step i started getting acupuncture again. It's been several years and I really respond well to acupuncture. I stopped going when I moved to NJ, and finally restarted. The acupuncture gave me enough energy to start taking guitar lessons once a month which makes me happy. Being happy is good for your health too :)

I also got some really good vitamins and mercury free fish oil. I'm hoping to be my old perky self sometime in 08. well not OLD as in OLD, but old as in former, before the health fiascos. ;)

had to post something healthy- i am after all the singing patient! (i may have to change my name in 08 after I get off all these pills! I like to think big. Worst case, I'll just feel great instead of awesome.)

www.thesingingpatient.com

Germs are your friends

from the Editors or E/ The Environmental Magazine:

"University of Michigan researchers reviewed numerous studies conducted between 1980 and 2006 and concluded that anti-bacterial soaps that contain triclosan as the main active ingredient are no better than plain soaps."

Not only that, they may pose health risks such as killing beneficial bacteria and reducing the effectiveness of some antibiotics. (this study was published in the Journal Clinical Infectious Diseases).

Apparently this active ingredient has also beben reported to have converted into dioxin when exposed to water and UV radiation. Dioxins have been linked to cancer, weakened immunity, decreased fertility, altered sex hormones and birth defects. Germs are starting to look less scary all the time, compared to chemicals.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also frowned upon for stripping the skin of beneficial bacteria and its outer layer of protective oil.

So, after all these studies, which probably cost sombody (us?) millions of dollars, what's the best advice?

"washing hands thoroughly for 20 seconds or more with plain soap and warm water is by far the most effective way to reduce harmful bacteria, and as such remains our best defense against getting sick."

I have some topics to suggest for their next study: "drinking water: is it good for us?" and "an apple a day- will it cause or prevent illness?" "common sense: a fad?" "Is an ounce of prevention really worth a pound of cure- an updated study using milligrams and kilograms."

(Sarcasm aside, it's sad we have to be educated away from all these products that we've been brainwashed into buying. Maybe we really did learn all we needed to know in kindergarten. Ok that's it. I'm washing my hands of this topic. HAHAHHAHAHA... ahem).