ublic health alert · public health alert vol. 2, issue 6 investigating lyme disease & chronic...

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERTVol. 2, Issue 6 Investigating Lyme Disease & Chronic Illnesses in the USA June 2007

PPuubblliicc HHeeaalltthh AAlleerrtt wwwwww..ppuubblliicchheeaalltthhaalleerrtt..oorrgg PPaaggee 11

In This IssueEditorials &

OpinionsBeyond the

Gates & Into Allthe World

p.2

TeenPerspectives:

Laura Ironsdiscusses eating

disordersp. 3

Laura ZellerDiving Deep fora Cure: HBOTin Lyme treat-

mentp. 4

TamiDuncan

Conference onLyme & Autism

p. 5

Dana FloydCalifornia

family’s Lymestoryp. 6

Dr. JamesSchaller, M.D.Western Blots

Made Easyp.12

Turn the Corner Foundationraises the bar for Lyme research

with 2007 grant recipientsp.7

DavidKocurek Entrenched

DogmaUnderwrites Sub-

standard Care.p. 9

Sue Vogan Interviews:Gary S. Goldman, PhD.

on the Chicken Pox Vaccinep. 5

There is a clinical trial underwayto test the effectiveness of specificherbal protocols in the treatmentof Lyme disease. Herbs underscrutiny are Samento, Cumandaand Burbur. Lyme-literate physi-cians and study director discussthe protocol's success. Study inter-ests doctors and Lyme patientsseeking successful alternatives tothe use of orthodox antibiotics.

Asheville, NC (PRWEB)A year-long clinical study is

underway to test the effectivenessof an herbal protocol in the treat-ment of Chronic Lyme disease.Samento, Cumanda and Burbur areunder scrutiny, herbs that have longbeen used in South America in thetreatment of malaria and other seri-ous diseases. Study results are encouraging to Lyme expertsand patients seeking safe alterna-tives to conventional medicine.

According to the studydirector, pharmacist Philip Kielmanof the Netherlands, the twelve-week preliminary report shows asixty five percent reduction in

symptoms in the treatment group,and a twenty percent reduction insymptoms in the placebo group. "Ithink that's great," says Kielman,noting that conventional pharma-ceutical drugs are often approvedwith a treatment group success rateof only thirty percent.

Physician and medicalresearcher Wm. Lee Cowden usesSamento to treat patients diagnosedwith Lyme disease, and has refinedhis protocol by adding Cumanda,Burbur and other herbs. Dr.Cowden says the herbs used in hisprotocol are available throughNutramedix, which imports themdirectly from Peru to the US andthe UK. Jean Reist, RN, ofPennsylvania, recommends that herpatients who have been diagnosedwith Lyme use Burbur to encour-age lymph drainage, which, sheexplains, is "critical for healingfrom Lyme disease." Dr AndrewWright of the UK, has usedSamento to treat over five hundredpatients diagnosed with ChronicLyme disease. "Samento is safeand well-tolerated in most

patients," he says. For additional information

about the use of herbal protocols inthe treatment of Lyme disease,visit:http://www.lyme-disease-research-

database.com/lyme_disease_research_press.html. Access to up-to-datenews from experts on Lyme dis-ease is available immediately.

About Lyme DiseaseResearch Database (LDRD):(http://www.lyme-disease-research-database.com): LDRD offers twotiers of service. 1) Free basic infor-mation about the disease for visi-tors to the web site, 2) Membershipto the website. Members gainaccess to conversations withexperts, a unique audio interviewseries in which Lyme diseaseexperts discuss all aspects of theillness, including diagnosis, pre-vention and treatment. Privatehealth and wellness advocates havebeen gathering information on con-ventional and integrative approach-es to heal from Lyme disease since2005. phapha

Clinical Study Tests Herbal Protocolfor Treatment of Chronic Lyme

Protocol Interests Doctors and Lyme Patients Seeking Alternatives to Antibiotics

Biotoxin Pathway Holds Key Piecesof Puzzle in Solving Chronic Illness

by Scott Forsgren

Chronic illnesses oftenseem like complex puzzles where itquickly becomes evident that manyof the pieces are missing. No mat-ter how hard we try to understandexactly what is causing us to be ill,a full understanding seems to oftenbe evasive. The work of Ritchie C.Shoemaker, MD provides us manymore pieces of that puzzle andsheds brighter light on understand-ing the complex nature of chronicillness.

For those struggling withLyme disease or other chronic ill-nesses, understanding the numer-ous impacts of biotoxins, toxic sub-stances produced by living organ-isms, may be the key to animproved state of health and well-being. I recently had the opportu-nity to sit down and discuss thisexciting area of research with Dr.Shoemaker. I truly believe that the

impact of hiswork in the fieldof biotoxin-asso-ciated illness isonly just begin-ning to be real-ized.Fortunately, wecan benefit fromunderstanding ittoday.

Symptoms ofbiotoxin-associ-ated illnessesmay includefatigue, cogni-tive issuesincluding memo-ry loss, muscleaches and pains,joint pain,headaches,blurred vision, light sensitivity,shortness of breath and other respi-ratory problems, excessive thirst,sleep disorders, weight gain, and

more. Often times, people withchronic illnesses have symptomsinvolving multiple body systems.

“Biotoxins” cont’d on pg 10

Ritchie C. Shoemaker, MD

PPaaggee 22 wwwwww..ppuubblliicchheeaalltthhaalleerrtt..oorrgg PPuubblliicc HHeeaalltthh AAlleerrtt

Public HealthAlert

The PHA is committed to researchingand investigating Lyme Disease and otherchronic illnesses in the United States. Wehave joined our forces with local andnation wide support group leaders. Thesegroups include the chronic illnesses ofMultiple Sclerosis, Lou Gherig’s Disease(ALS), Lupus, Chronic Fatigue,Fibromyalgia, Heart Disease, Cancer andvarious other illnesses of unknown ori-gins.

PHA seeks to bring information andawareness about these illnesses to thepublic attention. We seek to make surethat anyone struggling with these diseaseshas proper support emotionally, physical-ly, spiritually and medically.

PHA StaffEditor: Dawn Irons

Assistant Editor: Brad IronsAdvertising Manager: Laura Zeller

Contributors:Donna Reagan, Barbara Gerami,

Ginger Savely, FNP, Marjorie TietjenScott Forsgren, Dr. J David Kocurek,

Susan Williams, Laura Zeller, Sue Vogan,PJ Langhoff, Dr. James Schaller, M.D.,

Tami Duncan, Linda Heming.

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EDITORIALS & OPINIONS

Through the Gates and Into All the World...

by Dawn IronsMy family

and I recentlytook a vacation toSt. Louis,Missouri. My sonand I are extremehistory buffs! Soto be in the very

area where the Louis and ClarkExpedition started wasquite the highlight of ourvacation.

So many thingsstirred in my mind whileon vacation. I had timeto stop all my work. Idid not check even oneemail, or answer anybusiness calls. This wasa time for rest and relax-ation, time to visit withfriends, and to DREAM.

It was not until Itook a vacation that Irealized somewherealong the way I stoppeddreaming. Life hasbecome filled with thetyranny of the urgent,and dreams have noplace there. Every nowand then, I feel that stillsmall voice whisper inmy ear, "Dream a BIGdream!"…And before Ihave time to rememberwhat it was I used todream about, it seemslife is coming at me likea MAC truck. So thisvacation was a time totell the "tyranny of the urgent" thatit was time for it to WAIT. I wason vacation!

I hit St. Louis with theintent to relax and dream again.One of the places on our vacationagenda was to visit the St. LouisGateway Arch. Remember, myson and I are history buffs! Wewalked along side the MississippiRiver. Did you know it really ismuddy looking!??! Thoughts ofLouis and Clark filled my imagi-nation to know that they followedthis same path-the very explorersthat opened up this country to awhole new life through the west-ward expansion of the UnitedStates. They dreamed a big dreamagainst impossible odds.

As we headed toward theArch to get tickets to go to the top,we had to climb a gazillion stepsthat would have made Rockyfaint! Up until that time, I almostforgot my body is fighting borreliaspirochetes in every bone, jointand muscle of my body! In that

moment I dreamed that I couldhave been an Olympic athlete!But alas, it was just me and myvaliant fight against Lyme disease.But stubbornly I climbed thosesteps and desperately wished for awheel chair at the top! With deter-mination, and fighting through thepain, I made it to the top!

My family loaded into an

egg shaped pod and rode to the topof the Gateway Arch. That is anexperience I will not to soon for-get. It was there, as I looked tothe east and then to the west fromatop this 630-foot monumentwhere I sensed that still smallvoice again…only this time it said,"Dream the IMPOSSIBLEDREAM!"

As I looked eastward, Ithought of how highly epidemicthe region before me was withregards to Lyme disease. As Ilooked westward, I couldn't helpbut believe that region was in justas severe of a peril of the fastestgrowing infectious disease in thiscountry as the east…it's just theinformation in medical textbooksof antiquity, that are still quotedtoday in medical schools acrossthis country, say Lyme disease isan "east coast" disease. (Be sureand read David Kocurek's articlein this issue called EntrenchedDogma.)

I am writing this on the

heels of finding out that one of theleading Lyme advocates in Texaspassed away this week. You canbe certain we will cover this morefully as more information isbrought our way. This is a tragicand needless loss for anyone to diefrom this disease. When I seesomeone lose their life because ofsub-standard medical care and

insurance companieswho fight treatment atevery corner, it makesmy blood boil.

In my opinion, theInfectious DiseaseSociety of America(IDSA) should bebrought up on chargesfor crimes againsthumanity. Thankfully,the Attorney Generalof Connecticut isinvestigating their2006 diagnostic andtreatment guidelinesfor Lyme due to thepotential violation ofanti-trust laws by pre-venting any otherform of treatmentother than the oneendorse. Do we reallyneed to mention theirfinancial and invest-ment interests in thevaccine they havepatented, which willbenefit them financial-ly from those veryguidelines for treat-ment and diagnosing

Lyme? No, I dare not go there….Back to the Arch…I am

beginning to feel much like histor-ical predecessors must have feltwhen they looked westward fromSt. Louis, Missouri. I stood thereat the top of the Arch withurgency, almost like a missionarybeing called to service on a mis-sion field. I looked west throughthe Gateway Arch and knew thereis a westward expansion of Lyme-literate knowledge that must makeits way westward…far from the"east coast disease" myth.Unfortunately, some of those earlypioneers lost their lives on thejourney west…but oh, how valu-able their work for the cause wasto the rest of the world!

In 2007, in the USA, it isjust not acceptable that anyoneshould have to die while fightingto get thorough and extensivetreatment for Chronic Lyme whenthe evidence-based studies showtime and time again that long term

“Gates”...cont’d on pg 3

EDITORIALS & OPINIONS


Teen Perspectives...The Devastation of Eating Disorders

by Laura Ashley Irons

Hello myname is LauraIrons and I amwriting a teeninterest columnabout the manyhealth prob-lems thatthreaten teens.

There are many other teens, likemyself, who encounter varioushealth issues among our peers, andour own health issues as well, thathopefully I can get several guestwriters for this Teen Perspectivecolumn. If you have ideas youwould like to see discussed, or youwould like to write a guest columne-mail Dawn Irons at [email protected] with "TeenPerspective" in the subject line.

My first column is going tobe about eating disorders. Somepeople are constantly overeating,called Binge eating, and some peo-ple don't eat for days, calledAnorexia, and some people eat,but only to throw up later, calledBulimia.

Many girls suffer fromthese eating disorders for severalreasons including bad self-image,low self-esteem, and peer pressure.Any of these reasons can cause aneating disorder as well as many

other things.Binge eating is different

from normal appetite increases orovereating from time to time.People with a binge eating prob-lems consume unusually largeamounts of food on a regularbasis. They often eat quickly, andthey don't stop eating when theybecome full. It's a newly recog-nized condition that affects mil-lions of people worldwide.

People with this disordereat constantly what others wouldconsider an abnormally largeamount of food. They feel theyhave no control over what they eator how much. Afterwards theyusually feel disgusted with them-selves and depressed. Binge eatingis slightly more common withwomen, with 3 women affected forevery 2 men.

The causes of a binge eat-ing disorder are still unknown. Upto half of all people with bingeeating disorders have a history ofdepression. Whether depression isa cause or the effect of binge eat-ing disorders is still unclear. Itmay be unrelated. Many peoplereport that anger, sadness, bore-dom, anxiety or other negativeemotions can trigger a bingeepisode. Impulsive behavior and

certain other psychological prob-lems may be more common inpeople with binge eating disorders.

Binge eating can also leadto Diabetes, high blood pressure,heart attacks, heart failure, andcertain types of cancer. Peoplewith binge eating disorders areextremely distressed by their bingeeating. Most have tried to controlit on their own but have not suc-ceeded for very long. Some peoplemiss work, school, or social activi-ties to binge eat. Obese peoplewith binge eating disorders oftenfeel bad about themselves, are pre-occupied with their appearance,and may avoid social gatherings.Most feel ashamed and try to hidetheir problem. Often they are sosuccessful that close family mem-bers and friends don't know theybinge eat.

Several studies have foundthat people with binge eating dis-orders may find it harder thanother people to stay in weight losstreatment. Binge eaters also maybe more likely to regain weightquickly. For these reasons, peoplewith the disorder may requiretreatment that focuses on theirbinge eating before they try to loseweight.Even those who are notoverweight are frequently dis-

tressed by their binge eating andmay benefit from treatment.

Several methods are beingused to treat binge eating disorder.Cognitive-behavioral therapyteaches patients techniques tomonitor and change their eatinghabits as well as to change the waythey respond to difficult situations.Interpersonal psychotherapy helpspeople examine their relationshipswith friends and family and tomake changes in problem areas.Treatment with medications suchas antidepressants may be helpfulfor some individuals. Self-helpgroups also may be a source ofsupport. Researchers are still try-ing to determine which method orcombination of methods is themost effective in controlling bingeeating disorders.

Binge eating is also foundin the eating disorder calledBulimia Nervosa. A person withbulimia usually has an episode ofbinge eating followed by the purg-ing methods he/she has come upwith to prevent weight gain. Thebulimic person attempts to rid thebody of the food by purging.Purging takes the form of self-induced vomiting, the use ofdiuretics (water pills), or the heavy “Eating Disorders”...cont’d pg 15

antibiotic treatment is beneficial topatients who did not get curedwith the 14-28 days of oral antibi-otic treatment.

Just as Lewis and Clark didbefore me with their mission to gowest, I am going to take my mis-sion for Lyme-literate medical carethrough those gates and into all theworld. With the help of other faith-ful pioneers in this endeavor, wewill see Lyme-literate knowledgeand medical practice spreadthrough out the west.

Who wants to help? Wehave a platform here at the PHAfor LLMDs to share their workand research. We have a place forpatient stories. We want to hearlegislative news from ALL thestates that are battling this issuelegislatively.

We have a new columncalled Teen Perspectives uniquelyfor TEENS to share their viewsand health concerns, lyme or oth-erwise.

We have a column avail-able for people who want to sharehow their faith helps them getthrough their chronic illness. This

column is called The Faith Factor.Laura Zeller has a column

called SOS: Sharing our Storieswhere she relates patient stories.

We have a new sectioncalled Medical Perspectives forLLMDs to write about their expe-riences with diagnosing and treat-ing Lyme. This is open to otherchronic illness physicians as well.

We’ve got a new frontier infront of us. We just need pioneersto lead the way.

And that is how the west was won.phapha

Will you dream the impossible dream? Join us at the PHA and help spreadLyme-literate news across the nation. Get support groups in every state to help distrib-ute the paper to medical providers and legislators. We can do this one step at a time.

Order Bulk Copies of the PHA :

www.publichealthalert.org

click on the buttons:

Order Bulk CopiesOrder Back Issues

and fill out the online forms.

You pay for postage only.Postage is $10 per box of

70 papers

Lets Get the Word Out!!

“Gates”...cont’d from pg 2

by Laura ZellerHyperbaric

Oxygen Therapy(HBO) is anapproved med-ical therapy thatis commonlyused to treat

conditions such as decompressionsickness, diabetic or non-healingwounds, and carbon monoxidepoisoning. It is also used experi-mentally for traumatic brain injury,stroke, cerebral palsy, burns,Autism, Multiple Sclerosis andLyme disease. SCUBA divers fre-quently use hyperbaric chambersfor decompression sickness com-monly known as the bends, associ-ated with deep-sea exploration.

Hyperbaric chambers andhyperbaric oxygen therapy havebeen in use for centuries, datingback to as early as 1662. However,hyperbaric oxygen therapy hasbeen used clinically since the mid1800's. HBO was tested and devel-oped by the U.S. Military afterWorld War I. HBO is the deliveryof a drug "oxygen" under pressure,and is currently considered one ofthe safest medical therapies inhealth care.

The use of HBO as a treat-ment for Lyme disease is relativelynew, yet seems to be showingpromise. I would like to provide abrief introduction to the varioustypes of HBO treatments available,followed by my personal experi-ence with HBO. Since increasingnumbers of patients appear to beseeking out alternatives to antibi-otics, my intention is to provideLyme patients with another viableoption in their treatment plan.

Although HBO is labeledas "experimental" by much of themedical community for the treat-ment of Lyme disease, it is becom-ing increasingly popular. WilliamFife, Ph. D., a HyperbaricMedicine specialist at Texas A&MUniversity, helped establish theLyme disease protocols for HBO.The basic principle is that byexposing the entire body to 100%pure oxygen, under pressure, theLyme disease bacteria (borreliaburgdorferi) will be destroyed.HBO offers a strong alternative totraditional antibiotic therapy, aswell as a powerful adjunctive ther-apy.

Normally, the earth'satmosphere exerts approximately15 pounds per square inch of pres-

sure (psi) at sea level. In hyperbar-ic medicine, the pressure at theearth's surface is defined as 1atmosphere absolute (1ATA).Human beings breathe about 80%nitrogen, and 20% oxygen. DuringHBO, the atmospheric pressuredoubles to 2 atmospheres absolute(2ATA), while breathing 100%pure oxygen. The increase in oxy-gen, combined with the increase inatmospheric pressure allows sig-nificant physiological changes totake place in the body.

As the oxygen penetratesdeep into the blood plasma and tis-sues, it stimulates the formation ofnew blood vessels, increases circu-lation to existing blood vessels,

and helps those with decreased cir-culation heal. Most importantly forLyme disease treatment is thepotential for HBO to increase theeffectiveness of antibiotics. Asdocumented by Dr. Glen Burklandin a " Retrospective Review ofLyme Patients who receivedHyperbaric Oxygen," Borreliaburgdorferi cannot survive in anoxygen-rich environment becauseit is a facultative anaerobe. HBOtherapy increases the amount ofoxygen in the body, which in turncauses spirochetes to die. Whencombined with HBO, the effec-tiveness of antibiotics to kill theLyme organism is increased as themedication is pushed deep into thebody, attacking the spirochetes.

When a patient is pressur-

ized in a hyperbaric chamber, theforces acting on the body are quitesimilar to diving under the ocean.Patients who are undergoing HBOexperience "diving" much thesame way as SCUBA divers do.The beginning of an HBO treat-ment starts with pressurization, orgoing down. Once the chamber ispressurized to the desired depth,the patient remains "at pressure"for 60-90 minutes. It is common totake a five minute "air break" toavoid oxygen toxicity and breath-ing compressed air through a spe-cial mask inside the chamber. Thefinal phase of an HBO treatment isdepressurization, or coming up.

There are three basic types

of HBO chambers, all which Ihave experience with. The first is asingle person, or monoplace cham-ber. A monoplace chamber lookslike a large capsule, with a controlpanel on the outside for the hyper-baric technician. Monoplacechambers are capable of "diving"to pressures of 3.0 ATA. A singlepatient lies on a moving stretcheras the entire body is exposed to100% pure oxygen. Monoplacechambers appear to be the bestchambers for chronic Lyme dis-ease patients because 100% pureoxygen is pushed in through theskin, where spirochetes like tohide out.

The second type of hyper-baric chamber is called a multi-place (multiple person) chamber.

Multiplace chambers are commonin hospitals and clinics becausethey can accommodate up to 12people, depending on chambersize. Treatment in a multiplacechamber requires that you wear aplastic hood over your head andbreathe oxygen through vents inthe hood. Multiplace chambersare a good choice for parents andchildren, or for those patients whoneed a nurse to accompany themin the chamber.

The third type of chamberis called the mild hyperbaricchamber. Mild chambers are basi-cally inflatable heavy plasticcocoons. Mild chambers requireno supervision from medical pro-fessionals, and can be done at anytime in your own home. Mildchambers cost about $15,000 for aused chamber, and are only capa-ble of "diving" to the equivalent ofabout 10 feet below the ocean sur-face while breathing compressedroom air. Although mild chambersmay help boost the immune sys-tem, they do not have the ability todive to the pressure necessary totreat Lyme disease.

Your Lyme literate medicaldoctor will help you determinewhich chamber is best for yourpersonal needs, and a prescriptionis required to begin HBO treat-ment. There is a whole list of pre-cautions and preparation, which Iwill be explaining in part 2 of"Deep Diving for a Cure."

I began HBO as an adjunc-tive therapy to my antibiotic proto-col. My treatment began with aseries of 60 treatments in a mono-place hyperbaric oxygen chamber.My prescribed HBO protocol con-sisted of a series of two treatmentsdaily, at 2.4 atmospheres, (ATA)the pressure and depth shown instudies by Dr. William Fife, to killborrelia burgdorferi. A pressure of2.4 atm is the equivalent to anocean depth of 49 FSW (feet of

“HBOT”...cont’d on pg 8


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Diving Deep for a Cure: Part 1The Use of Hyperbaric Oxygen in Lyme

Disease Treatment

Photo printed with permission from Sechrist.

by Tami DuncanMany leading

doctors andresearchers arenow suggest-ing that up to90% of chil-dren withAutism areinfected with

the borrelia bacteria, which is thecausative bacterial agent that caus-es Lyme disease. With Autismnumbers increasing to a staggering1 out of 150 children, it is clearthat physicians and parents need toeducate themselves on how to helpthese children.

Parents have formed theLyme Induced Autism (LIA)Foundation with goals focusing onawareness, education and research.The LIA Foundation held it's firstphysician's "think tank" in January2007, which was considered agreat success. However, it isclear that more work needs to bedone.

The foundation is holdingit's first Lyme-Autism ConnectionConference in Irvine, CA on June22nd through the 24th. The con-ference is geared for parents, prac-titioners and Lyme diseasepatients. Co-Founder TamiDuncan states, "The Lyme-AutismConnection conference is a fabu-lous opportunity to bring the mostknowledgeable of the Lyme physi-cians and Autism physicianstogether to educate the family onthe proper treatments available.

Parents want to know how to helptheir children. Our conferencewill bring the most cutting-edge,updated information so that par-ents can do just that, help healtheir children"

The conference will consistof a very intensive program whichincludes a general sessions withtopics such as, chronic co-infec-tions in Autism SpectrumDisorders, immunology of Lymedisease and associated disorders, astory of recovery, nutritional andbiomedical approaches to patientswith chronic infections, and manymore. A special physician'sroundtable session in which physi-cian's can learn proper testing,diagnosis and treatment methodswill also be held.

Duncan says, "We are absolutelypleased to announce that the lead-ing Pediatric Lyme Specialist inthe country, Dr. Charles RayJones, will be conducting thephysician's training and he is ourkeynote speaker." Children aresent from thousands of miles awayto get proper treatment of their dis-ease from this pediatric specialist,Dr. Jones. He has treated over7,000 children who are infectedwith Lyme disease, many of whichare also autistic.

In addition to Dr. Jones,other well-known speakersinclude, Anju Usman, M.D., Dr.Robert Bransfield, Dr. LeeCowden, Professor GarthNicholson of the Institute for

Molecular Medicine, Doris RappM.D., Dr. Jeff Wulfman, andGeoffrey Radoff, M.D. A specialFriday night workshop from theHomeopathy Center of Houstonwill also be presented.

"There are many moreincredible speakers on the sched-ule as well," says Duncan, "theseare the experts in their respectivefields and we are excited at howthe agenda is shaping up."

The Hyatt Regency inIrvine will be the location of thisimportant event. Registration isnow available online atwww.liafoundation.org. Discountregistration is available for peoplewho register before May 30th.Exhibitor spaces are also available.There is a limited amount of spaceavailable so attendees are encour-aged to take advantage of the earlybird registration price.

For more information onthe LIA Foundation, please logonto www.liafoundation.org.

About AutismAutism is a disorder that

currently affects 1 out of 150 chil-dren. Boys are the majority ofthose affected. The numbers ofAutism cases spiked in the mid-late 90's and continues to remainhigh. The exact cause of Autismis still unknown. However, manytheories exist. Most children doimprove with some sort of bio-medical intervention.

About Lyme diseaseLyme disease is generally

caused by a tick bite, thought theborrelia bacteria has also beenfound in mosquitoes, fleas, mitesand biting flies. Lyme disease canmostly be eradicated with antibi-otics. Chronic Borrelia is a long-term infection that exists and canbe undiagnosed Lyme disease.Current research suggests Lymedisease can potentially be transmit-ted via body fluids. Mother tochild transmission has been seenthrough pregnancy. The borreliaspirochete has also been found inbreast milk, and blood productsthat have been in storage supply.Symptoms include, achy joints,confusion, slurring words or wordretrieval problems, brain fog, sen-sitivity to light and sound. Lymedisease in its late stage can befatal, causing MS like symptomsand debilitating its victims. Oneof the disorders in which Lymedisease is known to mimic isAutism Spectrum Disorder.

About the LIA FoundationThe foundation was started

in September 2006 by the parentsof children with Autism and Lymedisease. Kathy Blanco ofBeaverton, Oregon and TamiDuncan of Corona, California arethe founders. The foundation'sgoals are to provide awareness,education and research on the linkbetween borrelia and Autism. phapha

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The Chickenpox VaccineAn Interview with Gary S. Goldman, PhD.

by Sue Vogan

What is Dr. Goldman's back-ground?

Dr. Goldman served from1995 until his resignation in 2002,as Research Analyst for theVaricella Active SurveillanceProject in Antelope Valley in coop-eration with the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention.Dr. Goldman has served as areviewer for the Journal of theAmerican Medical Association(JAMA), Vaccine, and TheAmerican Journal of ManagedCare. He created a medicalresearch search facility atwww.MedicalVeritasi.com. Heserves on the Editorial Board ofResearch and Reviews inBioscience.

His educational back-

ground, quantitative and intuitiveskills, and creative experiences inmany state-of-the-art endeavorsmade him uniquely qualified todiscern trends that likely wouldhave gone unnoticed by tradition-ally trained epidemiologists.

Dr. Gary S. Goldmanserves as Editor-in-Chief ofMedical Veritas: The Journal ofMedical Truth and his biography isincluded in Marquis 21st CenturyEdition of Who's Who in Scienceand Engineering 2005-2006, 8thEdition, December 2004.

You resigned on "ethicalgrounds" from your position as"the sole Research Analyst onthe Varicella Active SurveillanceProject." Please explain whathappened that you found the"documenting" was "seeminglysuppressed."

All positive trends andresults I presented were published;in some cases, abstracts wereapproved the same day they weresubmitted to the CDC for laterpresentation at symposiums.However, when I wrote a paperentitled "Varicella Susceptibilityand Incidence of Herpes Zoster", Iwas told to "delete the half of thepaper concerning Herpes Zoster".The portion concerning "VaricellaSusceptibility" was published vir-tually as I wrote it--word-for-word. When I presented a calcula-tion for the incidence of recurringherpes zoster (in a manner similarto that calculated in another scien-tific paper), the calculation andcommentary were simply deletedfrom the Annual Report with noexplanation. When I desired tocontact the 10 individuals with 2

cases of herpes zoster occurringgreater than 6 months apart (todetermine if there were any under-lying immunosuppression issues),I was never granted permission--even though we had contactedthousands of parents/patients withVaricella (chickenpox).

I had developed 3 papersthat I had submitted for formalreview with the hopes of subse-quent publication; these paperswere never reviewed for 1 to 2years and this ultimately led to myresignation so that I could publishthe data and results independently.When I attempted to publish, I wasserved a notice to "Cease andDesist" publication in a medicaljournal by the Los Angeles LegalDepartment. My attorney wasable to overcome the stipulationsin that notice, and I was able to

“Vaccine” ...cont’d on pg 16

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The Hidden Epidemic

GivingLyme theboot!

www.txlda.org

by Dana Floyd

2006 is a year I will neverforget. It was the year thatchanged my life forever and pro-pelled me into a new direction. Itwas when I began fighting a dis-ease I had heard about, but ofwhich I knew very little.

To tell this story I mustsummarize the previous 10 years.My husband and I have one child,a son. All three of us between1996-2006 had experienced somesevere illness that was not diag-nosed. In 1996 at age 7, my sondeveloped a mystery illness thatwas so severe I was sure he woulddie. Eventually this illness landedhim in the hospital on IV antibi-otics. Thankfully he recoveredwithout ever having a definitivediagnosis.

I had been in several caraccidents over the years resultingin broken bones and herniateddisks. I knew pain all too well. Asthe injuries healed, I settled intochronic pain and I was diagnosedwith Fibromyalgia. I also hadmigraines and vertigo that wouldcome and go. I eventually saw aneurologist and was tested andcleared of Multiple Sclerosis.

In 2003 my husband had amysterious body-wide pain explo-sion after many months of notfeeling well. Ultimately, thisextreme pain landed him in thehospital and he was released with-in 10 days after many tests, bonescans, MRIs, blood tests and moreshowing "nothing wrong". Hisdoctor diagnosed him withSomatoform (a technical word forhypochondria). He was in so muchpain at home that he could barelywalk and had to use a walker. I felthelpless and knew something wasvery wrong. I eventually took himto a nuero-surgeon, outside of hisHMO, who did an "exploratory"back surgery. "Fragments" of diskwere found and the pain did abateafter surgery, for a short time.Eventually, he developed chronic

pain and was diagnosed withChronic Fatigue Syndrome. Hissymptoms became so disablingthat he had to "retire" at 38 yearsold.

My pain, over the years,remained manageable with thehelp of my wonderful pain man-agement doctor. Strangely, myolder sister was experiencing simi-lar symptoms and she eventuallyalso was diagnosed withFibromyalgia. Her husband had hisown unexplained illness that hadbeen going on for years. We allstarted to joke that it must besomething in the water.

One night in 2006, out ofnowhere, I felt suddenly as ifsomeone had buried a knife intomy shoulder blade. The pain wasextremely intense. It was a sinisterpain with indescribable sensations.It was deep and within a week itfelt as if that "knife" came throughmy chest.

Within 7 weeks I had seenmany doctors. I had been putthrough many tests, blood tests,MRIs, ultra sounds, CAT scans…all normal. I had a sense ofurgency in my mind that someonehad to stop this pain. I feared thepain spreading for some reason.

I went to a doctor thatcame highly recommended. Hewas certain I had a pulled muscle.I explained that I had done nothingto "pull" a muscle. He recom-mended cortisone injections. I hadbeen in such pain for so long, Iwas willing to do anything. I hesi-tantly accepted the treatment. Hedecided he wanted me to do atreadmill test to "make sure" thepain wasn't heart related. Threedays later the treadmill test wasscheduled and my shoulder bladepain was torturous. I didn't thinkI'd make it through the test, but Iwas determined, and I too, wantedto make sure it wasn't my heart. Iwent through with the test andwhen it was over, strangely I hadno pain what so ever.

The next morning I awoke

to what felt like a horrible case ofthe flu. I called the doctor whogave me the cortisone shots. Bythe time my appointment dayarrived, I now felt the pain spread-ing from my shoulder blade down-ward to my kidney and right to theother shoulder blade. The doctorordered a kidney ultra sound. Bythe time test day arrived, my painhad spread to the other kidney aswell and was now wrappingaround to my rib cage area. I couldno longer eat. I had pain every-where from the waist up. Myesophagus felt burned, there wasburning pain in my spine, and mystomach and intestines feltdestroyed. I dropped 20 poundswithin 2 weeks. The kidney ultrasound was normal.

I started to develop anexcruciating painful tingling andnumbness all over my bodyincluding my jaw, teeth and scalp.The pain was driving me crazy. Iwent to more doctors and emer-gency rooms and more blood wastaken, as well as MRIs, CAT scansand still no diagnosis. I askedabout the possibility of a bacterialor viral infection but they said mywhite cell count was normal (Iknew this was surpressed by thecortisone injections).

Several months had passedby now and the pain now was rip-ping through me from every angle,stabbing, burning shooting painseverywhere… always… and nevera moments rest. I became bedrid-den. My mind was breaking andthe pain was now everywhere inmy body. It was too much. Iprayed to God to kill me or healme, just end the pain, howevernecessary. For a strong-willed,focused woman, I had lost myself.When my husband and son wereasleep I would go into my (walk-in) closet, lie on the floor and begGod for help, crying, begging forHim to end my pain. I promisedthat when I found out what waswrong with me, I would let theworld know. People could not be

allowed to suffer like this andwithout knowing why.

My family was at a lossand very worried, but thankfully,so very supportive. They knew mewell enough to know somethingwas being missed. My sister begana search for doctors out of ourarea. I was now mindless of any-thing else but my own world ofagony. I secluded myself from theworld, not answering the phone orreturning calls. There was nothingnew to report and I was tired ofanswering the question, "How areyou doing?".

I was becoming somewhateducated about Lyme disease(LD). I asked one of the doctors toorder another LD test. Before I leftthe office, I demanded antibiotics.He prescribed 2 weeks ofAmoxicillin and then told me,"Stop reading the internet, and letme be the doctor!" Thankfully, Ididn't take his advice.

I started the Amoxicillinand was sure within a few days Iwould be feeling better, but insteadby day 3 my pain was worsening,how could I get any worse? I start-ed research on Lyme that went onfor days. While my Lyme testresults were still pending, I learnedabout the unreliability of the stan-dard Lyme test, the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction (herxing),and IgeneX labs (a specialized lab-oratory for tick-borne pathogens).I was now getting somewhere. Bythe time the Lyme test resultscame back, I knew it would benegative. Of course, it was….andI was diagnosed with "anxiety".

That same night while tak-ing a shower, I felt my mindbecoming "unhinged", a feeling Inever experienced. I was shaking,in pain from head-to-toe and I sliddown to the floor of the showerdazed from the non-stop pain. Thewater was swirling around me. Iwished I could drown there. Was Ilosing my mind? I planned to endit. I pictured in my mind a dramat-

“Blazing a Trail”...cont’d on pg 17

Blazing a Trail for a California Family With Lyme

Turn the Corner Foundation Raises the Bar on Lyme Disease Research with Its

2007 Grant Recipientsby Turn the Corner Foundation

Turn the CornerFoundation (TTC) has announcedits 2007 grant recipients. Theresults of the groundbreakingresearch and programs that arebeing implemented with fundingfrom TTC are certain to have amonumental impact in the Lymedisease community. All grantswere awarded for a one-year peri-od of time in four different statesincluding California, Colorado,Maryland and New York. TTC isdedicated to the support ofresearch, education, awareness andinnovative treatments for Lymedisease and other tick-borne dis-eases.

Programs funded by TTCaddress areas not currently coveredby other Foundations. TTC has athree-pronged approach in 2007that consists of training health careprofessionals to treat patients,funding innovative research stud-ies to advance the diagnosis andtreatment of Lyme disease andfunding research that exploresways to reduce the existence ofLyme disease in ticks.

TTC congratulates all of its2007 grant recipients. TheFoundation's continued commit-ment to funding cutting-edgeresearch is evident in the studiesselected and it looks forward to theresults of this pioneering research.If you are interested in learningmore about TTC or applying for agrant, please email your request [email protected]. If youwould like to make a donation toTTC to ensure continued fundingto these exceptional programs thataggressively address Lyme diseasearound the world, please visit ourwebsite at www.turnthecorner.org.

2007 Turn the CornerFoundation Grant

Recipients:

Columbia University MedicalStudent Lyme-Literacy Program New York, NY

This program, cre-ated by TTC, gives medical stu-dents the tools to become Lyme-literate through participation in arotation in which they learn aboutLyme disease. Students chosen forthis program have the opportunityto train with physicians for aneight-week period. To learn moreabout this program, please contactTTC at [email protected].

Dr. Joseph J. Burrascano Jr. -Lyme Disease Database ProgramWatermill, NY

The Database Program col-lects information from physiciansdomestically and internationallyon the treatment and diagnosismethods used for Lyme disease.This program has the unique abili-ty to filter all of the methods usedby health care professionals into acomprehensive database system.This database will ultimately allowresearchers to identify and publi-cize the most commonly used andeffective measures for the diagno-sis and treatment of Lyme diseaseand is a critical component to find-ing a cure.

Genesis Laboratories -Decreasing the Risk of LymeDisease Using Hosts, Wellington, CO

This program develops anovel approach for Lyme diseasecontrol by decreasing deer tickburdens on wild white-footedmice, the most common mam-malian host of the tick.Suppression of ticks on potentially infected hosts could be obtainedby the use of rodent baits contain-ing orally delivered insecticidescalled insect growth regulators.

International Lyme andAssociated Diseases Society -Physicians Training ProgramBethesda, MD

This program provides medicalpractitioners, from naturopaths toMDs, the opportunity to studywith a Lyme-literate physician.Through this experience, partici-pants develop the skills necessaryto properly diagnose and treatLyme disease. These professionalsthen bring this skill set back totheir community in order to bettertreat their patients and give reliefto the many who suffer from thedebilitating effects of Lyme dis-ease.

Lyme Induced AutismFoundation - Connectionsbetween Lyme Disease & Autism Corona, CA

This grant funds the study titled:Determination of Lyme DNA inBlood Samples of Subjects withAutism. This study explores theidea that Lyme disease is passedcongenitally from mother to new-born and that Lyme disease isfound in newborns that have later

been diagnosed with autism. Wefeel that the results of this studywill bring the Lyme disease,autism and government healthagency communities together toaddress the potential connectionbetween autism and Lyme disease.

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sea water). My first dive took some

getting used to, but I did wellthanks to what my nurse called my"divers ears." The chamber wascomfortable with a mattress, pil-low and blanket if I needed it. Icould watch TV, movies, and listento music thanks to special speak-ers. I had a hyperbaric technician,a registered nurse, and a doctor allwith me to monitor my treatments,so I was not afraid. It took about10 minutes to dive to pressuredepth (compression), during thattime I had to equalize my ears.The chamber atmosphere pressur-ization was gradual, allowing metime to adjust slowly to ear pres-sure changes. As the air pressureincreased, I popped my ears byholding my nose and attempting toblow air out my nose. I foundequalizing my ears very simpleusing the procedure the technicianstaught me. I did learn that HBOcould increase blood pressure,which was wonderful for me since I suffer from neurally mediatedhypotension (NMH). HBO canalso lower blood sugar, so I alwaysate a protein rich snack before mytreatments. To prevent oxygentoxicity, I was instructed to take

400 IU of Vitamin E daily, and ahigh quality multivitamin.

Beginning with my firstHBO treatment, the impact on mybody was dramatic. I began hav-ing herxheimer reactions immedi-ately. The worst of my neurologi-cal symptoms came out duringHBO. I had panic attacks, halluci-nations, nerve pains, musclespasms, encephalitis, fevers, facialflushing, joint swelling, edema,and total exhaustion. I grew sodebilitated from the herxing thatmy Mom had to stay with me allthe time, feed me and help admin-ister my IV's. The flushing in myface was so bad it felt like I had asevere sunburn 24/7, and I was sodizzy because all my blood was inmy skin. To manage the Lymeanxiety brought out from all theherxing, my LLMD prescribedZoloft and Xanax to help me con-trol my symptoms.

After the initial threeweeks of HBO, I went home to liein bed while the herx cleared. Icould not handle lights being on,cars driving by the house, anynoises or sounds. Even peopletalking had me shrieking in painfrom my brain inflammation. All Idid besides sleep was stare at my

lava lamp for hours in the dark-ness. Monoplace chambers mademe herx so hard; I had visibleshakes, muscle twitching, rashesand nerve pain during my dives.

I continued with the treat-ments in the monoplace chamberfor over a year. I started with 60dives, and then did 10-15 treat-ments every 4-6 weeks as mainte-nance. I infused my IV an hourbefore each treatment to maximizethe effect. I also did hot bath treat-ments before and after each dive.According to my LLMD,Hyperthermia treatments with hotbaths would make the antibiotics16 times more effective. I figuredwith the hot bath, and infusing myIV right before my HBO treat-ment, I was getting the mostaggressive Lyme disease treatmentavailable.

Right in the middle of mytreatment, I decided to try a differ-ent type of oxygen chamber, themultiplace (multi-person) chamber.It was less expensive than themonoplace, and closer to home.My experience in the multiplacechamber was not positive. I foundthe lack of individual attentionfrustrating, as well as very uncom-fortable. I had to sit up and wear a

mask over my head. The maskkept leaking air out of the neckgasket and deflating on my facetrying to suffocate me. My treat-ments were interrupted countlesstimes, and the other patients divingwith me were being treated for dif-ferent medical conditions than Iwas, and they did not want to goas deep as 2.4 ATA. I was veryfrustrated at the lack of qualitytreatment. Unlike the monoplacechamber, where I could fall asleepfor 90 minutes, I could not rest inthe multiplace chamber. I wasforced to sit upright, which mademe weak and dizzy. I did not expe-rience any herxing from the multi-place chamber, which to me meantthat it was not powerful enough.After 2 weeks in the multiplacechamber, I knew it was not work-ing for me, and went back to themonoplace chamber.

I found out later from myLLMD that in the multiplacechamber, I did not absorb the pres-surized oxygen through my skin,which is where spirochetes like tohide. The hood had a design flaw,and it lost its potential effective-ness through air leaks. I was alsotold that seated in the multiplace


“HBOT” ...cont’d from pg 4



by J. David Kocurek, Ph.D.Austin/Ft. Worth

The conventional orderthat has come to be known as themedical establishment was notrenewed in the fermenting 1960sthat shaped so many changes inlong standing institutions.Rather, it has remained a segmentof science that has been wellentrenched in dogma since thetime disease was believed to becaused by the vapors rising fromthe swamps. Fresh thoughts fromthe intellectually curious or thedeep thinkers within the medicalprofession have always been metwith distrust when such braveexplorers, in the fight forprogress, have challenged the sta-tus of traditions… whether thosecustoms are right or outright dan-gerous.

That's not to say that iner-tia doesn't play an important rolewhen transitioning new conceptsinto medical practice. The FDAhas given us many recent exam-ples of drugs rushed to marketwithout sufficient scrutiny caus-ing harmful results, even patientdeaths. Either could have beenmitigated or prevented by stricteradherence to protocol. Even now,the necessity of arterial stents isbeing questioned in angioplastyafter many years of developmentand "improvement". Questionablepractices and procedures appearto be as difficult to halt as helpfulones are to introduce. This iswhere one must distinguishbetween the habitual dogma ofwell-conceived best practice, andthe restraint not to rush a new, butsound, medical idea into themainstream.

Most importantly, though,when the keepers of medicalknowledge reject change and newunderstanding, stagnation anddogma follows. When thatdogma persists for its own sake, toprotect reputation, or worse, onlyto sustain tradition or financialinterests, it then becomes danger-ous and sets up the high probabil-ity for sub-standard patient care.History abounds with examples.

One of the best knownexamples is the introduction by

Ignatz Semmelweis of surgeonhand washing with a disinfectant.Survival rates from amputationsas well as childbirth improveddramatically. Yet Semmelweiswas fired and chastised by themedical establishment and he wasultimately driven from the profes-

sion. Now the Doctrine ofSemmelweis is unquestioned.Similar accounts are numerousthroughout history. One can for-ward in time, for a recent exam-ple, to that of Barry Marshall whobrilliantly conceived that bacteriacaused stomach ulcers and gastri-tis. Rebuked for years by thepractitioners of establisheddogma, Marshall won the 2005Nobel Prize along with RobinWarren for discovering the truecause and the cure of these ail-ments.

A current example isrevealed in a recent article fromTexas that illustrates the issue ofentrenched dogma harming notonly the quality of medicine, butalso that of patient care. Thisarticle frames the persistent prob-lem and clearly demonstrates thateducation doesn't necessarilyequate to enlightenment.

Published in a popularcommunity newspaper serving thegreater Austin, Texas area ["AnEveryday Struggle," Amy Fowler,Hill Country News, April 6,2007], the article described theplight of a young man withchronic Lyme disease and hiscontinuing dilemma in not beingable to access competent medicaltreatment locally, or anywhere inTexas, for that matter. In theinterest of being fair and bal-anced, the reporter also inter-viewed an infectious disease doc-tor affiliated with a clinic that ispart of the prestigious Scott&White hospital system based inCentral Texas. Scott & White is a"Top 15" teaching hospital inAmerica and one of the top 100hospitals.

Dr. Lisa Cornelius, M.D.,M.P.H., an Assistant Professor ofInternal Medicine, makes numer-ous "party line" statements thatone would expect of an InfectiousDiseases Society (IDSA)Member. But then she goes on toreveal her lack of independentstudy on a subject that shouldbe at her command.

For instance, her asser-tions that, "Chronic Lyme gener-ally doesn't exist", and that forthose who show symptoms aftertreatment the preferred term is"late Lyme" are clearly unsub-stantiated if one reviews all thecurrent research, not just theresearch supported by the IDSA.Initially Lyme was staged intothree phases: I, II, and III. It waslater recognized that the moredescriptive terms of acute, dis-

seminated, and chronic Lymeserved to better distinguishpatient symptoms and presenta-tions. Even the term "disseminat-ed" is considered too broad bymost specialists as the process ofdissemination by the causativemicrobe occurs so rapidly that themicrobial load , although chal-lenging to quantify, is probablythe more important measure ofdisease progression. The term"chronic Lyme" has been down-played to the point of denial bythe IDSA itself, and in their pre-vious and current guidelines[Clinical Infectious Diseases2006; 43:000-000]. The term is,however, handily used by theguidelines' co-author, Raymond J.Dattwyler, and colleagues to justi-fy their recent chimeric Lymevaccine patent [U.S. PatentNumber 7,179,448, February 20,2007]. It appears that even themost dogmatic can sway fromtheir path when a product market-ing opportunity and potentialprofits present.

Furthermore, Dr.Cornelius states that a Lyme diag-nosis "can only be made if apatient presents with the "bulls-eye" rash . . . as well as otherphysical symptoms," according tothe IDSA's guidelines. The arti-cle then goes on to cite her obser-vation that she sees very fewcases of Lyme "because it's nothere." The reporter explains thatthis means the causative spiro-chete has not been isolated inlocal ticks.

Dr. Cornelius, Lyme ishere. The Texas Department ofHealth (now the TexasDepartment of State HealthServices) identified Lyme diseasein Texas in 1984. Even by feder-al CDC standards, most of Texasis Lyme endemic. In fact, Lymehas been reported in all of thestate's eleven public healthregions. This writer and manypatients he knows are painfullyaware that Lyme and other tick-borne diseases were in Texas longbefore 1984. The writer is alsopersonally aware of two familiesin the Hill Country that are eachfour generations deep with Lymediagnosed by knowledgeable clin-ical specialists. They were infect-ed on their rural agricultural prop-erties, and there is strong suspi-cion that the youngest patientshave congenital infection. ManyTexans, including this author,experienced symptom onset at anearly point in their lives, long

before ever leaving the state. Yet,diagnosis and treatment resourceswithin the state grow ever moreelusive. They are now virtuallynonexistent because so manyfrontline physicians succumb tothe propaganda that there is noLyme in Texas.

Patients in Texas, includ-ing the region you serve, becomeinfected principally with Lymeborreliosis due to two sub-speciesof the Borrelia bacterium:Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelialonestari. Infection caused byburgdorferi can often be support-ed with positive serology.Diagnosing infection with lones-tari, which causes Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI),is problematic, as no specificserology exists. The bacteriummay be detectable through DNAtesting of tissue samples, but thiskind of testing can also be elusivedue to the inability to test tissuesand organs where the pathogenresides. In either case, diagnosisis always made on a clinical basisalthough testing can support adiagnosis of infection fromburgdorferi when evaluated by aknowledgeable practitioner.These informed practitioners alsoknow to ignore negative testswhen symptoms and history dic-tate. In either case, burgdorferi orlonestari, the diseases arereportable to the state which clas-sifies both as Lyme disease.Fortunately, both illnesses usuallyrespond to antibiotic protocols,which are adapted to each indi-vidual patient's needs and sus-tained until symptoms are inremission.

Dr. Cornelius, the univer-sity where you completed yourundergraduate studies, and theone at which you now teach, havea number of very knowledgeablefaculty researchers who studyticks and tick-borne microbes.Unfortunately, there continues tobe no apparent communicationamong most clinicians and theseexpert researchers.

Experienced treating clini-cians are very familiar with actualstatistics from the literature thatindicate that only 35% to at most50% of patients experience anerythema migrans (EM) rash.Among those that do, approxi-mately only 10% show the "bulls-eye" characteristic so often erro-neously claimed to be requiredfor diagnosis. The false belief ofrequiring that the diagnosing

“Dogma”...cont on pg 15

Entrenched Dogma Underwrites Sub-Standard of Care



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There is frequently a leapto a diagnosis and, with that leap,the mechanism that underlies thecore problem isoften overlooked.It is important thatwe look deeper interms of recogniz-ing that there maybe more than justan infection withLyme disease or anexposure to moldat the core of one'songoing symptompicture. Biotoxins,and the inflamma-tory responseswhich they initiate,may be at the cen-ter of the illness.

If a personis genetically sus-ceptible to abiotoxin-associatedillness, it is likelythe case that thebiotoxins them-selves, rather thanLyme infection ormold exposure, arecausing many ofthe symptoms being experienced.Even further, it is plausible to sug-

gest that infection could becleared, or the exposure entirelyremoved, and yet the remaining

symptoms may be almost entirelydue to circulating biotoxins. It

comes down to a genetic predispo-sition which results in the body'sinability to remove these biotox-

ins. Long after the initial exposureor infection is gone, the toxins

may live on. Understanding thatcore idea alone is profound!

There aremany sources ofbiotoxins thatmay be encoun-tered includingBorrelia spiro-chetes andBabesia infec-tions found inLyme disease,fungi and mold(Aspergillus,Penicillium,Stachybotrys, andothers), ciguateratoxins fromseafood, dinofla-gellates such asPfiesteria, somealgaes, varioustypes of bacteria,and recluse spi-ders. With eachof these sourcesof biotoxins,there is one thingin common.

“Biotoxins”...cont’d on pg 14

“Biotoxins”...cont’d from pg 1



Blood Donation Can Save Lives...

Or Destroy Them.Lyme Disease is the second leading infectious disease in the

United States. There is no test currently available to prove thatLyme Disease has been eradicated from one’s blood supply.

The Red Cross does not screen the blood supply for LymeDisease.

A general rule of thumb if you have ever had Lyme Disease:

Never donate blood or blood productsNever donate your organs

by Dr. James Schaller, M.D.

In my recent past articles Idiscussed the 11 new humanBabesia species, the problem somehave removing Lyme's surfacebiotoxins, the trouble with havingindoor mold while treating tickinfections, and I mentioned thatBartonella has 30 ways of damag-ing the body dangerously and ithas 200 symptoms. These weresample reasons for treatment fail-ure.

But I am increasinglymeeting smart doctors and patientswho do not know how to read aWestern Blot. This is the testwhich usually gets you a basicLyme diagnosis. So let us go overthis so you understand why somelabs are better than others. Andhelp you make sense of this med-ical test which is so very confus-ing.

StrainsLyme has many varieties

and it is amazing that some com-panies soberly use Lyme strains intheir test which are not representa-tive of more than a small region.So this obviously makes thechances of a positive virtuallyzero. If you are looking for Asianpeople in Alaska, can we agreeyou will find few compared toJapan?

Proteins TestedThe numbers on a Western

blot such as 18kD merely meanthey have identified a piece of theLyme bug that weighs 18 kiloDaltons. Over the years, labs havebecome very good at separatingout these parts of Lyme. In a quali-ty lab, the Western Blot tests formany proteins and not just a few.

But I would imagine manystill feel the source of the eccentricnumbers on the Western Blot donot make any sense. The numbersare simply parts of Lyme in thesame way you have a nose, mouth,arm, and liver. Some labs onlycheck for the "nose" and otherscheck for up to 13 Lyme parts.

One important feature of atop Lyme lab is the way they getthese proteins. One lab growsLyme for a long period and har-vests key proteins as the Lymemodifies itself-just like when youchange your outer clothing eachday. Other labs do not harvest allthese changing outer proteins. Andif they have some they are not inequal amounts. IgeneX(www.igenex.com) is the only labI know which has 13 proteins test-ed from 2 important strains repre-sentative of international Lyme.And amazingly, they have equalamounts of the search proteins.

Valid Results or NonsenseIn order to be licensed in

New York State you are sent clearnegative samples and clear posi-tive samples of Lyme proteins inblind tubes. IGeneX results havebeen exceptional and approximate-ly 100% year after year. I have thisposted on my site along with theexact results and all of their licens-es at www.HopeAcademic.com. Incontrast, I have had patients cov-ered in deer ticks or with a classic,grossly obvious bull's eye rashwho, months after the rash whenseeking treatment, were negativeat many labs. Some of these wellknown labs have dummied downtheir results and testing because"they were getting too many posi-tives."

The Dr. Jones' Approach toReading Western Blots:

A Common Sense Position

One of the happiest days ofmy recent career was when this78-year-old veteran doctor,beloved all around the USA for histreatment of over 10,000 Lyme-infected children, agreed to treatmy children. His reading ofWestern Blots is not affected byany Big Government agencies. Heis not accountable to any lab over-sight government entity. And noone at the CDC, FDA or any med-ical board in the USA has his mas-sive experience in treating Lymein youth and reading WesternBlots. So read below his clear andconvincing reasoning on the inter-pretation of the Western Blot.

Before I offer Dr. Jones'smaterial, let me put in them incontext, and share a few basics.First, the Western Blot measuresthe antibodies your body makes toattack the Lyme infection. Oneproblem I have found with this isthat if a child has the infection at avery young age the Lyme can hideand be missed on rare occasionseven with a top lab. In my Babesiatextbook, I quote the brilliant Dr.Robert Bransford (page 312--314),who lists 28 ways Lyme hidesfrom the immune system. How doI know these "negative" WesternBlot little children had Lyme? Ifound all the other co-infections.And after treatment, they began tomake Lyme antibodies and becamepositive over time.

Also, it is important to notethat like most progressive Lymeexperts, Dr. Jones assumes youhave a Western Blot from IgeneX,which is an internationally famous,tick-only lab, with full lab certifi-

cation in every possible state offer-ing a license and also is CLIA andMedicare approved. Other massivecheap national labs process hun-dreds of types of tests, and mil-lions of patients. They rarely finda positive result even in epidemiccounties, in people who have pro-found and advanced Lyme clinicalsymptoms.

However, if you have had aWestern Blot done at a junk lab,please still glance at the result.Why? Because you may find, as Idid with one relative, that one ofthe antibodies or "bands" was pos-itive. In this relative, the band wasa "fingerprint" band. Meaning,Lyme is the only organism thatmakes the human body make thisantibody. The child was positive.

But what is a "finger-print" band or the importantnumbers on a Western Blot?

Simply, if you are blind-folded and touch the side of anelephant, you may not be sure it isan elephant-perhaps this is arhino? This is the 41 band. It isfrom the flagellas, the parts insideLyme that help it move-they get alot of attention in the body, in thesame way a whip snaps and getsattention in the hands of an expertuser. However, the 41 antibody isnot specific to Lyme, since manyorganisms have flagella.

Now, what if you touchthis same elephant on its tusks oron its long peanut-eating tubularnose? You know it is an elephant.Period. One touch and you arecertain, because these parts arevery unique to this huge animal.This is Dr. Jones' point. It you seea Western Blot 18 antibody thathas a positive, you have Lyme.You do notneed to checkany otherbands, becausethe 18 antibodyis highly specif-ic to Lyme-justlike doubletusks on an ele-phant.

What Do theNumber ofPluses Mean?

IGeneX giveslevels of anti-bodies. One +means you havesome antibodyof that type. Asingle positiveis plenty strong,because that isthe same levelof brightnessseen in the pos-

itive control run next to your bloodtest. This means they run a fakesample with all 13 proteins whichshould show always show 13 posi-tives. It helps confirm no error inthe testing. If you have a ++ or arare +++, this means you have avery large amount of antibody ofthis Lyme part. However, Lymeruins immune system functioningand the number of positivessometimes goes up with treatmentand healing of the immune system.People with no aggressive pastLyme treatment, should be luckytheir body has made any antibod-ies at all, since Lyme is very goodat both hiding from the immunesystem and hindering it.

Also, many people have"IND" or indeterminate findingson an antibody. This means the labtech is seeing something, but is notready to call it a clear positive.Consider a simple positive (+) toresult in a lab band that is like asharpie flair black line. I considerthe IND to be a black pen line. Inmy experience, many of thesepatients also show high EpsteinBarr labs, which means this com-mon infection is not in check andthe immune system is very weak.And after we treat the patient, theIND sometimes becomes a clear +which means you now have newand clear antibodies against thispart of the Lyme bug. I considerall IND's as weak positives. This ismy opinion.

Currently, IGeneX does notuse Dr. Jones' criteria. I have notasked them why. Perhaps becausethey are accountable to differentlaboratory regulating agencies andin general the government is per-haps decades behind real-world

“Western Blot”...cont’d pg 13



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Western Blots Made Easy



clinical medicine. Apparently, thegovernment and many insurancecompanies blindly follow 14 indi-viduals who actually think theycan control 800,000 physiciansand 300 million Americans.

Charles Ray Jones, M.D.Quotes Regarding

Western Blots

There are nine known[Lyme] Borrelia burgdorferispecies specific Western Blot anti-bodies (bands): 18, 23, 31, 34, 37,39, 83 and 93.

Only one of these Borreliaburgdorferi genus specific bands isneeded to confirm that there is labevidence of exposure to theBorrelia burgdorferi spirochete andcan confirm a clinical diagnosisof Lyme disease.

CDC Criteria areConfusing in Real Clinical

Settings

CDC Western Blot IgMsurveillance criteria includes onlytwo burgdorferi genus species spe-cific antibodies for IgM 23 and 39and excludes the other sevenBorrelia burgdorferi antibodies.

CDC Western Blot IgGsurveillance criteria include 18, 23,30, 37, 39 and 93 and excludebands 31, 34 and 83.

It does not make sense to

exclude any Borrelia burgdorferigenus species-specific antibodiesin a Lyme Western Blot, and toinclude only two of these antibod-ies in IgM because all the antibod-ies in IgG were once IgM.

The CDC wrongfullyincludes five non-specific cross-reacting antibodies in its WesternBlot surveillance criteria: 28, 41,45, 58 and 66. This leads to thepossibility of false positive LymeWestern Blots. There can be nofalse positives if only Borreliaburgdorferi genus species-specificantibodies are considered. One canhave a CDC surveillance positiveIgG Lyme Western Blot with thefive non-specific antibodies with-out having any Borreliaburgdorferi genus species specif-ic antibodies.

This does not make sense.

The CDC recommends thatthe Lyme Western Blot be per-formed only if there is a positiveor equivocal Lyme ELISA. In mypractice of over 10, 000 childrenwith Lyme disease, 30% with aCDC positive Lyme Western Blothave negative ELISA's. The LymeELISA is a poor screening test. Anadequate screening test shouldhave false positives, not false neg-atives.

[Dr. Schaller inserted allbolding in Dr Jones' article above,inserted some spacing and simpli-fied a number of medical terms.]

Dr. Schaller isworking withDr. Jones on aPediatric Lymebook which is50% completed.Dr. Schaller isthe author of 19

books including: The Diagnosisand Treatment of Babesia, MoldIllness and Mold RemediationMade Simple, The CompleteGuide to Artemisinin, WhenTraditional Medicine Fails, 100Solutions to Out of Control Youth,Suboxone-Pain Treatment withAddiction Relief. He is currentlypreparing the most up to date text-book on Bartonella, which he feelsis the top vector infection in theworld--possibly more commonthan Lyme. Dr. Schaller has 25National and International MedicalPublications in such journals asJAMA, Medscape, and some ofthe largest pediatric journals in theworld. He was the first to publish apractical cancer cure which blocksa single enzyme for a deadly bloodcancer, which has become the stan-dard treatment internationally. Hehas also designed wholesale nutri-tional products and publishednutrition and herbal purity andpotency research. Dr. Schaller is astrong advocate for looking atmany treatments and illness causesas can be seen from his main website, www.PersonalConsult.com.

phapha

“Western Blots”...cont’d from pg 12 Legal Fund

chamber I was only experiencingapproximately 1.7-2.0 ATA,despite what the pressure gaugeread. Even when the hood waschanged to a mask, and I wastaken to 2.4 ATA, the treatmentstill felt "wimpy", and I was frus-trated at the amount of time andmoney I wasted.

On a break from my mono-place hyperbaric treatments, justfor kicks, I tried out a portable,mild hyperbaric chamber that afriend of mine bought. The ideamade sense, a portable chamber inyour own house. After a week ofdaily mild HBO treatments, thelaugh was on me, and my experi-ment over. I got no benefit, or theslightest hint of a herx from thatlittle capsule. As far as Lyme dis-ease treatment goes, I would notrecommend a mild chamberbecause of its inability to dive to2.4-3.0 ATA.

As soon as I went back intothe monoplace chamber, the herx-ing began. I experienced muscle

twitching, neuropathy, and evenrashes coming back again on myskin from my original tick bites,amazing things! My herxing wasso strong back in the monoplacechamber that I needed medicalintervention to calm it down, and abreak from the antibiotics. All thebacteria die-off and herxing causeda build up of toxins in my body. Idid everything possible to detox,including FIR sauna, hot Epsomsalt baths, acupuncture, coloncleansing, Questran, and a largevariety of supplements. After amonth's rest, I continued my dives,all the while taking multipleantibiotics, both IV, and oral.

My energy and staminaincreased steadily after my HBOtreatments ended. Each day I feltbetter and better. My brain fog dis-appeared, my skin rashes weregone for good, and my musclesand joints were no longer painfuland swollen. Antibiotics took meto a certain stable level of func-tioning, and HBO raised me up to

an even higher level of function-ing.

Based on my experiencewith HBO, I strongly recommendit as an adjunctive treatment forLyme disease patients. In my opin-ion, HBO is the most powerfulwhen combined with aggressivedoses of multiple antibiotics. Aftercompleting over 200 HBO treat-ments, all combined with aggres-sive antibiotics, my healthimproved dramatically. After myfirst 90 dives, I began to functionat a much higher level, and finallybecame independent. After 200dives, I was back to climbingmountains, traveling, and enjoyinglife once again. Five years aftercompleting my 200 dives, myhealth has remained strong, and Ihave never relapsed to my pre-HBO state.

There is anecdotal evidencethat indicates that the Lyme dis-ease organism can be killed byoxygen free radicals. HBOincreases the production of free

radicals, and it appears that thedeeper the depth of treatment, thegreater the number of free radicalsare produced. Combined withantibiotics, there is little doubt atwhat a powerful combination treat-ment HBO offers. According tothe Lombard/Birkland study, thesimultaneous use of antibioticswith HBO is strongly recommend-ed. HBO therapy can enhance thefunction of the body's immunesystem. HBO may help Lymepatients because of the seeminglyendless fight to eradicate invadingorganisms our immune systemsmust endure.

Although HBO can beexpensive and time consuming, Ibelieve Lyme disease treatment islike climbing a mountain, withnew treatment possibilities pop-ping up around every corner. Itwas well worth the time andmoney to get my health back, andthanks to a brilliant LLMD, andHBO, I have made tremendous


“HBOT”...cont’d from pg 8

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Dr. Charles RayJones

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FEATURES

People that are impacted by thesetoxins, regardless of their origin,have the same or very similarsymptom presentations. The simi-larities, which are confirmed bysophisticated statistical analysis,are compelling.

A very simple and easy toperform screening test for deter-mining the presence of biotoxins isthe Visual Contrast Sensitivity(VCS) test. It can be performedonline or at your doctor's office.The test was described in detail inthe November 2006 edition of thePublic Health Alert. It evaluatestwo sets of nerves in the eye thatallow one to differentiate betweenwhite, black, and gray on a graybackground. It has been foundthat a subject with biotoxin-associ-ated illness will demonstrate adeficit on this non-invasive neuro-logical evaluation in that they willnot be able to identify the directionof various patterns presented.Failure to successfully completethis test is a strong indicator of abiotoxin illness. Though it is pos-sible for a person impacted bybiotoxins to pass the test (a falsenegative result), this occurs only inabout 8% of test subjects. Thus,the VCS test supports diagnosis inabout 92% of affected people.False positives are quite rare.

Once a biotoxin enters thebody, the resulting downstreameffects can be largely predictedregardless of the origin of thebiotoxin. Understanding one'sgenetic predisposition to a biotox-in-illness is a critical part of thejourney back to health in manycases. For those with a diagnosisof Lyme disease, it is important tounderstand other potential sourcesof biotoxins that may be contribut-ing to the overall state of illness.In many cases, ubiquitous moldbiotoxins may be an additionalsource of exposure that should beinvestigated and a well-plannedtreatment strategy defined.

There are specific geno-types associated with specific sus-ceptibility to biotoxins. Forpatients with Lyme disease ormold exposure, approximately25% of the population has a genet-ic predisposition which results inan inability to clear biotoxins natu-rally. Understanding whether ornot one is in this population canprovide key insight into the causeof illness. Though the result maysuggest a genetic make-up whichcannot itself be corrected, onceknown, specific interventions canbe put into play that may signifi-cantly improve the outcome.

The test is called HLA DRand it is commonly known as a

test which provides insight intopossible organ rejection after atransplant operation. HumanLeukocyte Antigen (HLA) is agrouping of genes that lie on chro-mosome 6. In the case of biotox-ins, HLA codes for whether or nota person is capable of clearingbiotoxic substances following anexposure. For these people thatare genetically incapable of clear-ing these toxic substances, biotox-ins will continue to circulate with-in the body indefinitely and mayreduce one's chances of recovery.There is generally no "self-heal-ing" in these cases without appro-priate interventions.

Once the results of theHLA DR test are obtained, Dr.Shoemaker provides an interpreta-tion guide which maps the HLADR combination to specific condi-tions which may be associated.For example, some combinationsare susceptible to mold biotoxinswhile others are susceptible toLyme biotoxins while still othersare susceptible to both mold andLyme biotoxins in what is termeda "multi-susceptible" genotype. Ifthe HLA DR test results in a com-bination that suggests any of these,it is time to better understand the"Biotoxin Pathway" and possibletreatment options. These optionsmay result in significant relief.

The "Biotoxin Pathway"illustrates an ongoing, amplifyingcascade of events that starts withexposure to a biotoxin in thoseindividuals who are geneticallysusceptible. The biotoxin thenbinds to Toll receptors, primarilyin fat-cells and cells that line bloodvessels, resulting in the productionof proteins called cytokines whichare involved in immune responseand inflammatory processes.Cytokines recognize invaders andrecruit additional cytokines inresponse. In the world of biotox-ins, it is the biotoxin itself thatcontinuously signals the body toproduce more cytokines. It is thisexcess cytokine production thatmakes us feel unwell. Excesscytokines result in flu-like symp-toms, body aches, temperaturefluctuations, cognitive difficultiesand other symptoms. Thisincrease in cytokines has furtherdownstream effects.

VEGF (vascular endothe-lial growth factor) is often reducedwhich leads to fatigue and reducedblood flow. Hypoperfusion, thisresulting reduction in blood flow,results in a starving of cells fornutrients and oxygen. There isalso an increase in MMP9 (matrixmetalloproteinase) as the cytokineitself causes the white blood cells

to release MMP9. MMP9 is asuperb marker for the presence ofexcess cytokines.

MMP9 may be responsiblefor delivering inflammatory com-pounds out of the blood and intothe brain which causes plaque for-mations similar to those seen inMS. In Lyme disease, MMP9 lev-els may skyrocket as the result oftreatment with antibiotics and theresulting bacterial die-off in whatis commonly referred to as aHerxheimer reaction. Taking thiseven further, if you give a Lyme-infected person antibiotics andthey are not HLA-susceptible, theygenerally have an uneventfulrecovery.

An increase in cytokinesmay also trigger auto-immunity.There are three key types of anti-bodies observed in those withbiotoxin-associated illnesses.These are myelin (the protectivesheath around nerve cells) antibod-ies, gliadin (a protein found ingluten) antibodies, and cardiolipinantibodies which impact circula-tion in the small blood vessels.

There may be notableincreases in markers which reflectactivation of the complement sys-tem, namely in C3a and C4a.There is a significant difference inC3a and C4a levels between con-trols and the Lyme or mold popu-lation. In fact, C4a levels invari-ably become elevated, often asearly as twelve hours after a tickbite. In the case of those with amold-susceptible HLA type, C4asignificantly increases within four hours after re-exposure to a moldyenvironment. C4a can be a helpfulmarker in determining whether ornot a remediated home is still adanger for someone with moldbiotoxin susceptibility. If C4a lev-els have been reduced via appro-priate interventions and C4a levelsrise upon reintroduction to the sus-pect environment, it is a sure signthat the environment is not safe forthe patient.

We have seen some of thedownstream effects that resultfrom elevated cytokine levelsresulting from biotoxin exposurein susceptible individuals. This isonly the beginning. Beyond anincrease in cytokines, there is anobserved increase in leptin. Leptinis a hormone made by fat cellswhich helps to regulate the storageof fat. When leptin increases asthe result of a biotoxin exposureand MSH (alpha melanocyte stim-ulating hormone) is reduced, peo-ple become obese and weight lossbecomes difficult. Wait a minute!Who ever imagined that weightgain could be related to exposure

to Lyme disease, to mold, or toany number of biotoxins?

MSH, which is made in thehypothalamus, is the most potentanti-inflammatory compound wehave. It is responsible for regulat-ing innate immune response and isinvolved in numerous hormonepathways. Reduced MSH is at theheart of the "Biotoxin Pathway" inthat many negative downstreameffects result when MSH is low.Of interest here is that in Lymedisease, chronic fatigue syndrome,mold illness and any other biotox-in illness regardless of the sourceof the biotoxin, MSH is low inabout 95-98% of patients.

When MSH levels are low,people become sleep disturbed;they have chronic pain; they expe-rience leaky gut syndrome; theirrecovery from illness is delayed;they develop multiple antibioticresistant coagulase negative staphcolonization (MARCoNS); they have frequent thirst as a result oflowered anti-diuretic hormone (ADH); they have a loss of libido due to a lowering of sex hormonesand more.

MSH is involved in theproduction of melatonin andendorphins. This resulting lack ofendorphins increases our percep-tion of pain. MSH regulates theprotective cytokine responses inthe blood, skin, digestive tract, andrespiratory membranes. LoweredMSH results in abnormalities inproduction of cortisol and fluctua-tions in ACTH (adrenocorticotrop-ic hormone) which regulates adre-nal function. It is when thebiotoxin illness disrupts the pro-duction of MSH that so many ofthe symptoms begin to appear.When looking at the results of labtests for reduced MSH andincreased C4a, the differencebetween patients and controls isclear. Using these markers, thediagnostic accuracy of theShoemaker model is compelling.

Now that the importance ofthe "Biotoxin Pathway" is under-stood, we shift focus to the inter-ventions that can be put in place toimprove one's state of wellness.

Cholestyramine (CSM) is aresin which has been historicallyused for lowering cholesterol. Ithas a positive charge that binds toa wide range of different low-molecular-weight, negatively-charged toxins and helps to shuttlethem out of the body through thedigestive tract. It is not systemi-cally absorbed. Without CSM,these toxins are largely reabsorbedand continue in circulation indefi-

“Biotoxins”...cont’d on pg 18

“Biotoxins”...cont’d from pg 10

use of laxatives. There is also a non-purging

type of bulimia. The person withthe nonpurging type of bulimiawill fast for prolonged periods orexercise intensely to keep fromgaining weight. The bulimic isoften concerned about body shapeand has an intense fear of weightgain. Therefore, the characteristicsassociated with bulimia includebinge eating followed by attemptsto keep from gaining weight.Binge eating is described as theingestion of excessive amounts ofhigh caloric food. When bulimicsbinge, they feel out of control, andtheir serious attempt to keep fromgaining weight by purging offersthem a form of control. Followingan episode of binge eating, bulim-ics may totally stop eating and fastfor a day or more.

Frequently, the bulimicattempts to hide her abnormal eat-ing patterns. Family members,friends, or medical caregivers maysuspect an eating disorder andencourage the bulimic to seek pro-fessional help.

A mental health profession-al may diagnose bulimia by takinga careful personal history from theclient/patient. It is important to thetherapist to learn the details of thatperson's life. It is also very impor-tant not to overlook a physical ill-ness that might mimic or con-tribute to this psychological disor-der.

The diagnosis of bulimia ismade when the history reveals thatthe person eats a large quantity offood within a two-hour period,which is followed by a sense oflack of control. The person thentries to prevent weight gain byinducing vomiting, overusing laxa-tives, using diuretics, and/or ene-mas. The person may also engagein fasting or excessive exercise.Also, the person with suspectedbulimia will be overly concernedabout body shape and weight. Inorder to make a diagnosis ofbulimia, this behavior must occurat least twice a week for a periodof three months.

Helping the individualestablish a healthy body conceptand learn correct eating habits isoften used in treating bulimia.Usually this is accomplishedthrough therapy, which includes aneducational focus. Part of that edu-cation emphasizes the destructivenature of the bingeing and purgingpattern. A cognitive behaviorapproach, group therapy, familytherapy, and/or the use of medica-tions may be used. Most patientswith bulimia can be treated as out-

patients.Another more common eat-

ing disorder is Anorexia.Anorexics have a problem keepingtheir body weight in a normalrange or even above a minimalweight level considered to behealthy.

The first type of anorexia,called restricting, is found in thoseanorexics who severely limit theircaloric intake and/or who exerciseto excess to cause weight loss.

The second type of anorex-ia, called binge-eating/purging, isfound in those anorexics who eatin binges and then purge the bodyof the ingested food either by self-induced vomiting, the ingestion oflarge quantities of laxatives, theoveruse of diuretics and enemas torid the body of food.

Anorexics don't see them-selves like other people see them.They fear weight gain, and theywork hard to stay thin.

In most cases anorexicsactually lose weight. Weight lossusually occurs because of a severereduction in caloric intake. Inaddition, weight loss is achievedby self-induced vomiting, the useof diuretics (water pills), and theuse of laxatives. Many anorexicsalso exercise to excess in anattempt to burn calories.

Anorexia is usually diag-nosed when the young person isbetween the ages of 15 and 20years. It is quite common for thefirst signs of anorexia to appearfollowing a personally stressfulevent during adolescence. Peoplein their 20's and 30's may haveanorexia however, it is rare to seeanorexia in an individual over 40years of age.

Individuals with anorexiado not worry about their weightloss. Therefore, they generally donot seek professional help. Parents,other relatives, or friends are oftenresponsible for getting the neces-sary help for the family membersuffering from anorexia.

The diagnosis of anorexiais made when the anorexic eitherloses fifteen percent (15%) of theirweight or when the growing childfails to acquire eighty-five percent(85%) of the minimal weight fortheir particular age and height. Asmentioned above, young peoplewith anorexia do not see them-selves as overly thin, and they gaina great sense of achievement bykeeping themselves trim. A historyof excessive exercise, self-inducedvomiting, and the overuse of laxa-tives or diuretics helps the mentalhealth professional make a diagno-sis of anorexia. phapha


FEATURES

“Eating Disorders”...cont’d from pg 3

physician must witness the EMrash to make a valid diagnosis is not unique to Texas.

In making your dismissivecomments, you rely on and quote"the textbook" for infectious dis-ease, Mandell's (et al) Principlesand Practice of InfectiousDisease(s). You read that Lyme isprimarily in the Northeast,Midwest, and Western regions ofthe U.S. You then conclude thatTexans with the disease most like-ly contracted it in one of thoseregions.

Again, Dr. Cornelius, thoseregions have been known to behighly endemic for Lyme andother tick-borne diseases for atleast 30 years. The first U.S. casedocumented in the medical litera-ture was in Wisconsin in 1970, notin Connecticut where late arrivinginvestigators from Yale claimedthe discovery prize. Borrelialinfection has now been document-ed in all 50 states. The informa-tion you quote is trite, made evenmore so by the fact that the worldbody of medical literature hasrecorded for 125 years variousmanifestations and technicaldetails of Borrelial infection, nowon six continents. If you are goingto speak as a medical expert onLyme disease, then at least be per-sonally familiar with its historyand range.

As to where Texas patientswere infected, I have alreadyaddressed the existence of in-stateexposure. Surely, some patientswere infected by traveling to moreendemic regions, and othersinfected elsewhere have chosenTexas as their home. Still othershave indeed been infected in

Texas. Ticks do not recognizepolitical boundaries, nor do themigrating birds and animals onwhich they travel and from whichticks fall en route. The issue is ofinterest if ever the data could beassembled for epidemiologicalstudy. However, it really bears noweight in the argument for experi-enced and accessible healthcarefor the patients that are here,regardless of where they wereinfected. It is your challenge,indeed more particularly yourobligation, to provide that health-care. Your oath commands younot to blindly follow theentrenched dogma of an organiza-tion that has been shown to cullthe literature which supports theirpoint of view and ignores thosewhose research and clinical expe-rience have given thousands ofLyme patients their lives back.

Dr. Cornelius, you andScott & White have the opportuni-ty, and the responsibility, to pro-vide a much needed and importantresource to Texas, and the greaterpatient community, by becoming aleader in the diagnosis, treatmentand clinical research of Lyme bor-reliosis and related co-infections.The organizational componentsand facilities exist at Scott &White. The Scott & White leader-ship and its capable physicianshave only to open their eyes to theneed, and open their hearts andminds to the great benefits andpossibilities that would further theinstitution's national reputation forexcellence reached through com-mitment to patient care.

Texans deserve the beststandard of care. Will you takethe challenge? phapha

“Entrenched Dogma”...cont’d from p. 9

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IN THE NEWS

proceed with publication.

Why did you write "TheChickenpox Vaccine: A NewEpidemic of Disease andCorruption?"

The corruption and con-flicts of interest associated withthe Varicella Active SurveillanceProject, the CDC, the local HealthDepartment, the FDA, and thePharmaceutical Company--which Iexperienced--was not just an iso-lated case. Virtually all medicalreports and studies (especiallythose financed and conducted bythe pharmaceutical company thatmanufactures the vaccine/drug)represent pseudo-science, i.e.,reports prepared by statisticalexperts that mask the negativefindings and promote the positiveoutcomes. There are many prob-lems with the Hepatitis B vaccine,fluoridated water, instant cordclamping (ICC) of newborns, etc.

Explain exactly what your jobwas for the CDC.

I was a Research Analystwith the following responsibilities. Every piece of data went throughme and was tabulated by me. Thefollowing is a job description:

TITLE: Research/EpidemiologyAnalyst

DEFINITION: Assists, designs,conducts, reviews, and analyzessurveillance surveys to determinethe patterns of disease in the com-munity; advises staff membersregarding communicable disease,and contributes to departmentalpolicy decisions.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:o Writes computer pro-

grams and constructs codes for themachine processing of researchdata.

o Assists in developingproject methodology.

o Provides technicaladvise, educational services, andconsultation to project membersregarding use of computer entry ofsurveillance data.

o Designs, conducts, ana-lyzes, and assists in the prepara-tion of newsletters and quarterlyreports based on research findingsby analyzing available surveillancedata and project variables.

o Designs graphic imagesand other computer artwork usingboth word processing and graphicsapplications to produce publishingquality quarterly reports andnewsletters.

o Designs and imple-ments databases to allow quantita-tive analysis of all project vari-ables.

o Reads professional,technical, and scientific literatureand governmental reports relatingto communicable disease to keepabreast of the latest developmentsin the field.

o Acts as consultant tothe Project Director in interpretingtechnical material and in makingrecommendations concerningdepartmental policy for data col-lection and entry.

o Compiles and organiz-es data for statistical analysis, per-forming computations of standarddeviations, correlations, tests ofsignificance (including Chi-squaretest, and use of contingencytables), and comparison with theo-retical distributions.

o Prepares recommenda-tions and submits for review inves-tigative, factual, and analyticaldata in appropriate format; pre-pares tabular and graphic presenta-tions of raw and analyzed data.

o Confers with depart-mental staff on research projectsand to obtain information neces-sary to carry out projects.

o May supervise clerical

personal in connection with dataentry procedures.

o Speaks to professionalgroups or associations comprisedof technical personnel; participatesin orienting Health Departmentprofessional personnel.

o Make recommenda-tions on computer hardware/soft-ware required by project.

Do you feel there is a new epi-demic disease? If so, who shouldbe warned and why?

There is a new epidemic ofShingles, the risk for adults hasdoubled and the risk of shingleshas increased for children as well.Also, there appears to be anincrease in the number of 2ndcases of chickenpox. Because abooster is required at periodicintervals, there will continue to beoutbreaks of chickenpox. Also,there are at least some individualsthat will experience a severeadverse reaction to the vaccine.

What is the corruption associat-ed with the chickenpox vaccine?

No one knows how longthe immunity (or protection) willlast--even with a booster dosenow. Chickenpox was a relativelybenign illness. The increase inherpes zoster (shingles) amongadults will offset any benefit asso-ciated with the chickenpox vac-cine. No cost analysis was donethat included a booster dose forchildren. Nor have cost-benefitanalyses included adverse vaccinereactions or the effect of theVaricella vaccine on the increasedincidence of shingles in adults.

Is it the CDC, the pharmaceuti-cal companies or the researchersthat are corrupt? Why, do youbelieve they are corrupt (money,power, NWO, population con-

trol)?

The Federal Governmentpays for each qualified child that isvaccinated if that child does nothave health insurance. There is adistribution channel of vaccinesfrom the CDC to the local healthdepartments. The pharmaceuticalfund, in part, the CDC to conductstudies; researchers are not permit-ted to perform object research--only investigate what will lead topositive results ordered by theresearch sponsor.

Should parents be subjectingtheir children to the chickenpoxvaccine? Why or why not?

Vaccination should be aparental choice. Will the vaccinecontinue to protect into adulthood?Likely not, and adults have 20times the risk of severe complica-tions with chickenpox. Motherspreviously passed on antibodies totheir babies to protect them againstchickenpox...this likely will nolonger occur. Varicella syndromecan occur if the mother catcheschickenpox while pregnant andpasses on the infection to the fetus.This can result in death or defor-mities of the newborn.

Please, briefly explain the histo-ry of this vaccine.

The FDA used the vaccinefor 20 years in Japan prior to itsacceptance on March 17, 1995. InJapan, however, only 1 in 5 (20%)of the children were vaccinated,thus the incidence of natural chick-enpox remained high in the com-munity and provided an immunityboost to adults to postpone or helpsuppress the reactivation of theVaricella-zoster virus as shingles.

“Vaccine”...cont’d on pg 18

“Vaccine”...cont’d from pg 5

Calling All Teenagers!!The PHA has a place for you!

Your Place in the Spot Light!

Have you ever wanted to write andjust get your feelings down onpaper?Have you ever wanted your voiceto be heard?

The PHA wants to hear from you!We are now accepting article submissionfrom Tweens & Teens!

Teen Perspectives:

We are looking for articles relating to teenhealth issues and social problems teens face.

* Dealing withChronic Illnesses* Eating Disorders* “Cutting” or Self Injury*Living with parents who are Chronically Ill

Send article submissions to [email protected] in a Word doc format.


IN THE NEWS

Medical News Briefs Around the Nationby Susan Williams

Researchers DiscoverSurprising Contributors To

Weight Gain

A July 2006 article in theInternational Journal of Obesityreported that there is too muchemphasis on diet and exercisebeing the factors for causing obesi-ty, while other lesser-known butcritical factors are being complete-ly ignored. A few of these moreobscure reasons for our obesityepidemic, according to researchersat Yale, Cornell and JohnsHopkins, include:Too Little Sleep: Inadequatesleep (less than 7-9 hours) increas-es hunger and appetite and inter-feres with the hormonal regulationof fat metabolism, leading toincreased body weight.Pollutants: Levels of man-madechemicals in the environment haveincreased, and can enter the humanbody through the food chain.Many of these toxins interfere withthe work of hormones, disturbinghormonal regulation and leading toincreased fat deposition. Comfortable Temperatures:Before the invention of air condi-tioning and central heating, peoplehad to use up body energy to keepwarm or cool, which burned calo-ries. "Exposure to temperaturesabove or below the thermoneutralzone increases energy expenditurewhich decreases fat," say the sci-entists.Use of Medicines:Antidepressants, anticonvulsants,antidiabetics, anti-hypertensives,

contraceptives and antihistamineshave all been linked to weightgain. "Most (of these) pharmaceu-ticals were introduced or had theiruse dramatically increased in thepast three decades," say the scien-tists.

The Age of Your Mother:Studies of children in Britain havefound that the risk of obesityincreases with the age of mother.One theory is that as women age,their offspring get lower levels ofthe proteins they need to regulatefat. The age at which women havechildren is increasing worldwide.

New Studies ShowChocolate Boosts

Brain Power

Giving a gift of chocolatereally does show how much youcare.

Previous research hasshown that chocolate can affect thebrain by causing the release of cer-tain neurotransmitters such asendorphins and serotonin, whichcan help reduce stress anddecrease pain. Additional studieshave shown that dark chocolatehas some heart-healthy benefitssuch as lowering LDL cholesterol(the "bad" cholesterol) anddecreasing blood pressure.

Now new findings suggestthat some chocolate could alsohelp sharpen the mind and providea short-term boost to cognitiveskills.

Several recent studiesfound that consumption of a spe-cial cocoa made to be rich in fla-vanols, a naturally occurring nutri-ent abundant in fresh cocoa, mayenhance brain blood flow andmaintain healthy brain function.The increase in blood flow to thebrain may help increase perform-

ance in specific tasks and boostgeneral alertness over a short peri-od. The study also suggests thatthe cocoa flavanols could be usefulin enhancing brain function forpeople fighting fatigue; sleep dep-rivation, vascular impairmentssuch as dementia and strokes, andeven the effects of aging.

Researchers found that theindigenous population of KunaIndians living on islands nearPanama, who consume a type offlavanol-rich cocoa on a dailybasis, had significantly lower ratesof heart disease and cancer com-pared to those on the mainland.The relative risk of death fromheart disease on the Panama main-land was 1,280% higher than onthe islands and death from cancerwas 630% higher.

Researchers emphasize thatthe most beneficial chocolates areraw and unprocessed organiccocoa powders, followed byorganic dark chocolate with thehighest percentage of cocoa liquoror cocoa powder and the lowestpercentage of refined sugar (suchas bitter or semi-sweet dark choco-late). Chocolate that has under-gone extensive processing or treat-ment with alkalis does not containthe same benefits.

A panel of scientists pre-sented the results of these studiesat the February 2007 meeting ofthe American Association for theAdvancement of Science (AAAS).The AAAS, founded in 1848, isthe world's largest general scientif-ic society and publisher of theinternational journal Science. phapha

ic end to it all, getting into my carand slamming into a telephonepole, sparks flying, at least theautopsy would show what waswrong. Thankfully, I never wentthrough with my plan. Hindsightis 20/20 and I never knew thathelp was right around the corner.

My sister found a doctorwho was known for "mystery ail-ments" and in-depth blood testing2 hours away from me. I had towait 2 weeks until my appoint-ment. I spoke with a woman intheir office who assured me theycould diagnose me. I was con-vinced and realized I had to seethis doctor.

I found out when I got tothe doctor's office that they prima-rily dealt with tick-borne illnesses.I had literally fallen into the handsof a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor

(LLMD) thanks to my sister'sresearch, but even she had no ideahe was a LLMD. My blood workwas sent to Igenex labs and 2weeks later I received the call.According to the LLMD I was "astrong positive for Lyme disease,as well as the 2 co-infectionsBartonella and Ehrlichiosis." Iwas started on antibiotics rightaway.

It has been a rough road. Iam still not well, but I am makingprogress. My pain is more man-ageable and I have days that aregood, that's a good sign. I am in itfor the long haul. I have no choice.To complicate matters, I have 3active viruses as well. The corti-sone disseminated both viral andbacterial diseases. But I believe Iwill be well one day. Since being diagnosed, my son,

husband, sister and brother-in-lawall tested positive for Lyme diseaseas well. None of us has the sameexact mix of symptoms. My son'sLyme is currently inactive.

I ended up having 35+symptoms in all; mostly neurologi-cal. Some of my symptoms includ-ed, tender painful scalp, sparkingnerve pain in my scalp, jaw, teeth,muscle twitches, migrating pain,shooting, burning, stabbing, pinsand needles, numbness, blurryvision, deep ear pain, burningspinal pain, stomach, intestinalpain, rib cage pain, chest pain,shoulder blade pain, kidney pain,bladder pain, pulling stretchingburning nerve pain in my legs, legweakness, joint pain, tendon painand even shooting pains rectally.There aren't any places I haven'thad pain.

I have endured tremendoussuffering and pain that I nevereven knew existed. It has made mea different person, a better person,stronger, more compassionate, andmore understanding. It has givenme endurance. But most of all ithas given me drive and purpose toeducate the world of this devastat-ing disease. I have recently starteda website,truthaboutlymedisease.com that isfor educational purposes and wehave also formed an online Lymesupport forum with wonderful,helpful members. I find support isan essential with this disease. As Icontinue down this bumpy road towellness, my hope and dream isthat my website will help countlesspeople who are suffering and inneed of answers and support. phapha

“Blazing a Trail”...cont’d from pg 6


FEATURES

“Biotoxins” cont’d from pg 14 by Scott Forsgren [email protected]. Though gastrointestinal side effects are not uncommon andinclude constipation and other digestive issues, less than 10% of patientsstop using CSM due to the side effects experienced.

Before one can expect to see results from CSM therapy, thesource of the biotoxin must be addressed. This may mean treating Lymedisease or removing yourself from an ongoing mold exposure. If CSMtherapy is implemented while there is a continued ongoing exposure tobiotoxins, the likelihood of any lasting improvement is reduced and thepatient will generally remain ill.

The vast majority of people treated with CSM will have anotable fall in C4a if the inflammatory activation from the biotoxins hasnot gone on too long. A small group of patients, especially those withlonger-duration illnesses, may not see this fall in C4a while on CSM.Even in this small group, effective interventions have been recentlyidentified.

If there is an ongoing infection, as may be the case in somepatients with Lyme disease, C4a will often fall but slowly rises back topre-treatment values after the cessation of treatment. This may be anindication that living Lyme organisms are still present and may be anindication that further antibiotic therapy is justified. A rapid rise of C4aback to pre-treatment levels may also suggest that mold biotoxins are toblame.

Treatment for biotoxins will often incorporate targeted gene ther-apy using Actos. Actos is a drug approved for the treatment of diabetesthat also has a significant number of benefits for those with biotoxin-associated illness. Beyond being anti-inflammatory, Actos lowers leptin,lowers MMP9, raises VEGF, and positively affects other markers notdiscussed in the scope of this article. It is one of the most importantinterventions known in treating biotoxin illnesses.

In fact, for people with Lyme disease, CSM alone may create asignificant intensification of symptoms similar to a Herxheimer reaction.This intensification is observed in over 50% of patients and is likely theresult of a cytokine storm. This storm is effectively blocked by pretreat-ment use of Actos. This is a very important part of treating a biotoxinillness in someone with Lyme disease. CSM alone is generally moredifficult for that patient to tolerate and less successful in terms of even-tual outcome. The benefits of CSM therapy are limited to the binding oftoxins; it cannot do more than that.

Unfortunately, Actos confers none of these important benefits ifthe patient continues to consume a high-glycemic index diet. Dr.Shoemaker specifically uses a no-amylose diet that restricts the intake ofcarbohydrates which contain amylose. These consist of wheat, rice,oats, barley, rye, bananas, and any vegetable that grows beneath theground. Failure to implement this restriction will result in a less than

optimal outcome.Generally, if one corrects MARCoNS colonization, VEGF defi-

ciencies, and avoids gliadin, treatment with CSM and Actos will resultin more than 92% of patients showing a 75% or greater reduction insymptoms.

To summarize, in susceptible individuals, biotoxins lead toincreased leptin, increased cytokines, increased MMP9, increased C4a,reduced VEGF, reduced MSH, reduced ADH, reduced sex hormones,changes in cortisol and ACTH, prolonged illness, resistant staphylococcicolonizations, gastrointestinal problems, chronic pain, and sleep distur-bances. All of these are downstream effects of the "Biotoxin Pathway"in an HLA-susceptible individual.

It is mind-boggling to try and comprehend the magnitude of theeffect of these biotoxins on so many body systems. The beauty ofunderstanding the "Biotoxin Pathway" however is, once understood,there are options for resolving the effects of the biotoxins and regaininghealth and wellness. Onward and upward! phapha

Resources:Dr. Shoemaker has recently released a comprehen-

sive web site on biotoxin illness athttp://www.biotoxin.info. This site is a must read foranyone with chronic illness.

For information on the VCS test or to take the testonline, visit www.ChronicNeurotoxins.com orwww.biotoxin.info.

For a full listing of tests commonly performed by Dr. Shoemaker,visit the "Testing" section at www.biotoxin.info.

To learn more about biotoxin-associated illnesses and the"Biotoxin Pathway", the book "Mold Warriors" is an impressiveresource. Even if one is of the opinion that mold is not part of theirissue, the book is an invaluable source of information. Remember,biotoxins are biotoxins and whether they are from mold or from Lymedisease, or any number of other sources, the concepts, symptom-presen-tation, and treatment options are very similar.

To hear a recent radio interview with Dr. Shoemaker visithttp://communityradio.coop/Audio/RIV08022006.mp3.

Scott Forsgren has been impacted by Lyme disease for over 10years. Through the work of Dr. Shoemaker, Scott learned that he has amulti-susceptible HLA genotype and is impacted by both Lyme diseaseand mold exposure. Scott shares the information he has learned on hisjourney on his website at www.BetterHealthGuy.com and can be con-tacted at [email protected].

By contrast, the U.S. adopted a "Universal Varicella VaccinationProgram", whereby all healthy children were vaccinated. Thus, the out-side (or exogenous) exposures to natural chickenpox would at somepoint become rare. Vaccinated children would no longer receive animmunity boost by exposure to other children with natural chickenpox.Also, adults no longer would receive the immunity boost afforded byexogenous exposures to children infected with natural chickenpox. Sobasically, such a program was embarked upon as a huge experiment.Adults were not properly informed (and therefore did not consent to)their increased risk of shingles. It was thought that immunity from asingle vaccine in children would last lifelong or at least 20 years.However, in the absence of natural chickenpox, it appears that the dura-tion of immunity is approximately 3 to 5 years based on a recent CDCstudy. phapha

Dr. Goldman's book is available at:www.DrGoldmanONLINE.com.

“Vaccine”...cont’d from pg 16

Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D. is Pres./Founder of Medical Veritas International Inc., anon-profit 501(c)3 public charity that supports medical/scientific research and edu-cation. Since 2004, Dr. Goldman has served as Editor-in-Chief of Medical Veritas, ajournal free from the conflicts of interest of the pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Goldman is a reviewer for the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA), The American Journal of Managed Care, and Vaccine. He serves on theEditorial Board of Research and Reviews in Bioscience. His biography is includedin Marquis’ 2005-2006 Who’s Who in Science and Engineering and 2006 Who’sWho in the World.

The Book You Can’tAfford to be Without!

by Dr. James Schaller, M.D.available at:

www.amazon.comDr. Schaller writes in an engaging

manner that draws professionals and is clearenough so those who are struggling withthese symptoms can understand the etiolo-gy, description and treatment of the disease.

The book freely and exhautivelyshares a bibliography so those who needmore already have a lot of the researchsources completed for them. I am not amedical doctor but in my work with indi-viduals, couples and families it gives meabundant resources to spot potential symp-toms and refer people knowledgably for fur-ther evaluation. Dr. Sahaller is a prolificwriter but he takes no shortcuts in his work.

Ralph W. Eckardt DSW40 years experience.


NATION WIDE SUPPORT GROUPS

Ticktoons

by Terri Reiser

National MultipleSclerosis Association:

www.nmss.orgAlabama

3840 Ridgeway DriveBirmingham, AL 35209Phone: (205) 879-8881

Phone: 1-800-FIGHT-MSEmail: [email protected]

www.nationalmssociety.org/alcNorthern California

150 Grand, Oakland, CA 94612Phone: 510-268-0572

toll-free: 1-800-FIGHT MSEmail: [email protected]://www.msconnection.org

Colorado700 Broadway, Suite 808Denver, CO 80203-3442

Phone: 303.831.07001.800.FIGHT.MS

Georgia455 Abernathy Rd. NE,

Suite 210Atlanta , GA 30328

Phone: 404-256-9700Phone: 1-800-FIGHT-MS

[email protected]

2701 Maitland Center Pkwy,Suite100

Maitland, FL 32751Phone: (407) 478-8880

Email: [email protected]/flc

Texas8111 N. Stadium Drive,

Suite 100Houston , TX 77054Phone: 713-526-8967

www.nationalmssociety.org/txh

ALS AssociationDC / MD / VAhttp://www.alsinfo.org/

7507 Standish PlaceRockville, MD 20855

(301) 978-9855toll free: (866) 348-3257

fax: (301) 978-9854

Great Philadelphia ALS Chapter

321 Norristown Road, Suite 260Ambler, PA 19002

Phone: 215-643-5434Toll Free: 1-877-GEHRIG-1

(1-877-434-7441)Fax: 215-643-9307

[email protected]

South Texas Chapterhttp://www.alsa-south-tx.org/

(210) 733-5204 toll free at (877) 257-4673

North Texashttp://walk.alsanorthtexas.org/site/

PageServer1231 Greenway Dr., Ste.385

Irving, TX [email protected]

972-714-0088 877-714-0088

The ALS AssociationUpstate New York Chapter

323 Route 5 WestP.O. Box 127

Elbridge, NY 13060315-689-3380

Toll Free for PALS: 1-866-499-PALS

[email protected]

Lyme Disease Associationlymediseaseassociation.org/

Pat Smith 888.366.6611Arizona

Scottsdale, AZ 85259Group facilitators :

Karen Genest 480-632-6444 Larry Levy

[email protected] Arizona - Tina Caskey:

[email protected] 928-779-2759

Southern Arizona - Donna Hoch:[email protected] 520-393-1452

L.E.A.P. ArizonaTina J. Garcia

Lyme Education Awareness http://www.leaparizona.com

480-219-6869 PhoneArkansas

Mary Alice Beer (501) 884-3502

[email protected]

ROBIN SCHUMACHER 1057 R St.

Fresno, CA 93721Phone: (559) 485-5445Fax: (559) 570-0500

[email protected] Parker

303-447-1602 [email protected]

AlabamaJim Schmidt (334) 358-3206

[email protected] Arkansas

Mary Alice Beer (501) 884-3502 [email protected]

National Support:truthaboutlymedisease.com/forum

Dana Floyd, director

Lyme Disease SupportGroups cont’d

Kansas913-438-LYME

[email protected] Montana

[email protected] CarolinaStephanie Tyndall

[email protected] Lenoir County Hospital,

Kinston, NCNew Mexico

Veronica Medina (505)459-9858 [email protected]

OklahomaJanet Segraves 405-359-9401

[email protected]

Portland, Oregon Meets 2nd Sunday of each month

2010 NW 22nd StreetSecond Floor from 1 PM to 3 PM.

503-590-2528 TEXAS: Dallas/Ft Worth

[email protected]

817-455-8520Houston

Contact: Teresa [email protected] State

Alexis Benkowski [email protected]

WI / IL / MN Regional areasContact PJ Langhoff

(920) 349-3855www.Sewill.org

www.LymeLeague.com (Intl)Lyme Coalition of N. Wisconsin

Pat Jackson (715) 356-3364www.pattyknack.com

[email protected]

progress. If you are interested in

more information on HBO, or indoing HBO treatment yourselfplease refer to the links providedbelow. Many thanks to JuliaSudylo, Registered Nurse andCertified Hyperbaric Technician,of Julia's Hyperbaric, for all ofher insight and assistance in thewriting of this article.

Resources:http://www.juliashbot.com/ http://hbot4u.com/lyme.html www.personalconsult.com/articles/hyperbaricoxygeneffica-cy.html phapha

“HBOT”

Laura Zeller is anadvocate for patient

rights & publicawareness. Laurahas BS degree in

EnviromentalScience and an

A.A.S. inEcosystems

Ecology.

WildCondor’sWorld

Lyme DiseaseInfo

& [email protected]

cont’d from pg 13


IN THE NEWS

ublic health alert · public health alert vol. 2, issue 6 investigating lyme disease & chronic...

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