Cingles Info

Age at Infection Influences Outcome of Hepatitis C
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 19 - In patients with transfusion-associated
hepatitis C, age at infection influences the likelihood of progression to
cirrhosis, according to Italian researchers.
Dr. Dario Conte of Ospidale Maggiore, Milan, and colleagues note that during
the 1980s, before screening of donors was introduced, about 10% of patients
receiving transfusions in Italy developed hepatitis C.
In order to assess risks factors for progression to cirrhosis, the
researchers eventually identified 268 patients with hepatitis C who recalled
a single and precisely dated transfusion event and showed no other cause of
chronic liver disease. All underwent ultrasound-guided liver biopsy.
As reported in the June 15th issue of Blood, 54 of these patients (20.1%)
were found to have cirrhosis, at a mean of 18.4 years after blood
transfusion. Multivariate analysis showed that this was independently
associated with serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and with age at
biopsy, duration of followup and age at infection.
The investigators calculate that over a period of 30 years, patients aged 21
to 30 years at the time of hepatitis C virus infection are 4.51 times more
likely to develop cirrhosis than those aged 20 years or less. In those
older than 31 years at infection, the corresponding risk ratio is 12.29.
The researchers recommend that "an aggressive therapeutic approachshould be
adopted in patients infected by hepatitis C virus at an older age to prevent
progression to end-stage liver disease."
Blood 2002;99:4588-4591.

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http://www.gastrohep.com/news/news.asp?id=1463
Interferon therapy can prolong life expectancy among chronic hepatitis C
patients
Life expectancy can be increased in chronic hepatitis C patients undergoing
interferon therapy due to its preventative effect in liver-related deaths
reports a study in the latest issue of Gastroenterology.
The effects of interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients on
survival are unclear. However, a Japanese study has now attempted to cast
some light on this subject.
Researchers from several universities and medical schools in Japan analyzed
survival rates among 2889 chronic hepatitis C patients using a retrospective
cohort study.
All subjects in the study had histologically proven hepatitis C, with 2430
patients receiving interferon therapy, and 459 patients remaining untreated.
For intervention, the median dose and duration of interferon administration
were 480 million units and 137 days, respectively.
Medical records or direct questionnaires were used to confirm survival
status.
The effect of interferon therapy on survival was assessed by standardized
mortality ratio (SMR) based on published mortality among the Japanese
general population and by risk ratio, calculated by proportional hazards
regression.
A total of 30 of 459 untreated patients, 7 of 817 virologic sustained
responders, and 49 of 1613 non-responders died in 5.4-years follow-up.
Of these 86 deaths, 58 (67%) were due to liver diseases (39 to
hepatocellular carcinoma).
Compared with the general population, overall mortality was high among
untreated patients (SMR: 1.9; CI: 1.3-2.8) but not among interferon-treated
patients (SMR: 0.9; CI: 0.7-1.1).
More specifically, in the case of liver related death, the likelihood of
dying was reduced, both among interferon-treated patients and sustained
responders, when compared to the untreated group.
The researchers therefore conclude that interferon therapy improved survival
of hepatitis C patients by preventing liver-related deaths.
Gastroenterology 2002; 123(2): 483-491
30 July 2002

If you are dealing with hepatitis, it is particularly important that you
understand how the insurance world works. Once diagnosed with hepatitis B or
C, insurance carriers are likely to regard you as a "high-risk" individual.
But health insurance coverage is regulated by federal and state laws. They
extend varying degrees of protection to people with chronic illnesses like
hepatitis. You will want to find out what regulations and safeguards your
state's insurance laws provide for you.
Health insurance
If you or a spouse are covered by a group medical policy when you are
diagnosed with hepatitis, your family will not be excluded. But the extent
of coverage may depend to a great extent on whether coverage is through a
fee-for-service plan, a preferred provider organization (PPO), or a health
maintenance organization (HMO). While the latter two (often referred to as
managed-care plans) are generally more economical, their goal is to keep
costs down -- which frequently raises more issues for a person with chronic
hepatitis.
Fee for Service:
This is the most expensive form of health insurance, and but usually offers
a patient full freedom of choice in terms of which doctors to see for
medical care. These plans typically have an annual deductible amount you
must spend on health care before the insurance company pays. Beyond that
amount, the insurance company generally pays 80 percent of what they view as
a reasonable charge for a service -- even if your doctor charges a higher
amount -- leaving you to pay the difference.
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO):
The preferred provider organization gives patients the choice of seeing a
doctor who is part of that PPO's network, or seeking care with a
non-participating physician. While 90 percent of the cost normally is
covered if you go inside the network, typically only 70 percent is covered
if you see a doctor outside the network.
Health Maintenance Organization:
In a Health Maintenance Organization, the patient's care generally is
coordinated by a primary care physician, who acts as a gatekeeper and
controls your access to specialists, tests and procedures. Some HMOs may not
even have hepatologists or gastroenterologists familiar with hepatitis as
part of the HMO network. Others may require that you get approval from the
gatekeeper before you can go to an emergency room.
With any of these plans, it is important to find out what access you will
have to treatments, medications, and tests. Most plans now have
"formularies" -- lists of drugs for which they will pay. It is crucial to
find out what medications are covered. And even if the medication is
covered, will your plan pay for it if it has not yet been officially
approved by the FDA for your condition
Another question of particular interest to a patient with chronic hepatitis
is whether your plan has a lifetime coverage cap -- or maximum dollar
amount -- for each insured person. Many plans have a lifetime cap of $1
million, which can be exhausted in not too many years by a person with a
chronic condition like hepatitis. Some plans also set annual caps, and caps
on the amount they will pay annually or over the lifetime toward for
medications.
The Good News:
While you may have to cope with a variety of restrictions, group insurance
plans cannot deny you coverage because you have hepatitis.
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
(HIPPA), if you had prior health insurance coverage for 12 consecutive
months, with no lapse in coverage of more than two months, the insurer
cannot refuse coverage on any pre-existing conditions.
And even if you did not have prior coverage, the group policy can only
refuse to pay for pre-existing medical problems such as hepatitis for a
maximum of 12 months (up to 18 months for late enrollees in group health
plans).
The Not-So-Good News:
HIPPA does not apply to individual health insurance policies, so treatment
for hepatitis may be excluded. It is always best to ask questions and
research new policies very carefully. State laws may also help restrict
limitation of pre-existing conditions in individual health insurance
policies.
Whether you are enrolling in a group or an individual health insurance plan,
the insurer usually asks general health questions. It is important to answer
honestly with all relevant information. Insurance companies frequently use
an organization called the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) to obtain
information about an individual or a family's medical claims history.
Life insurance
Insurance companies can refuse to underwrite life insurance for those
infected with hepatitis. For most policies, a routine blood test is
required. Liver enzymes in the blood are tested and if they are high
(indicating hepatitis), most applications for life insurance will be denied.
Adverse medical and blood test information is usually reported to the
Medical Information Bureau and shared with other participating insurance
companies. An insurance report of "liver enzymes, abnormal" may also prevent
you from receiving coverage from other companies.
Some insurance companies may underwrite hepatitis and will offer a policy
for those at risk with surcharges of 200-to-400 percent of a standard rate.
As a service to Hepatitis Week subscribers, we will list some of the
companies providing life insurance for hepatitis patients in the months
ahead.
Other options include group life insurance through an employer, an
association or organization. Group insurance generally provides relatively
low amounts of coverage, and blood tests generally are not required. When
you leave the group, you may also lose your insurance.
If You Can't Obtain Insurance
Disability Benefits in the United States
If you suffer from hepatitis, and cannot obtain health insurance coverage,
you may be eligible to receive disability benefits from the Social Security
Administration.
According the to Social Security Administration the definition of
"disability" is as follows:
"Disability under Social Security is based on your inability to work. You
will be considered disabled if you are unable to do any kind of work for
which you are suited and your disability is expected to last for at least a
year or to result in death."
To get information from the Social Security Administration, call
1-800-772-1213.
If You Can't Afford Interferon Treatment
Schering-Plough, the manufacturers of Intron-A interferon, have a cost
sharing program called "Commitment to Care" designed to help those in need
of interferon therapy who are unable to afford it. The program is based on a
sliding-scale based on income, with the cost ranging from free in some cases
to whatever their scale says you can afford. They will first try to find
programs in your State that may help, and if none is found, they will
determine what you are able to pay and absorb the rest of the cost.
In the US: The number to call for the "Commitment to Care" program is
1-800-521-7157, extension 147.
In Canada: The number to call is 1-800-603-2754 extension 2121
http://hepcvets.com

http://www.gastrohep.com/news/news.asp?id=1444
Donor age has a major impact on graft outcome following transplantation for
HCV
Donor age has a major influence on fibrosis progression in grafts following
transplantation for HCV, claims a team from Birmingham, England.
The researchers investigated fibrosis progression following liver
transplantation for hepatitis C, and the impact that donor age has on this.
The results of the study were published in the August issue of Gut.
A total of 101 post-transplant specimens from 56 HCV-infected liver
transplant patients were examined.
The biopsies were looked at to assess histological activity, including
fibrosis stage (scored 0-6 units, 6 representing established cirrhosis), and
to calculate fibrosis progression rates.
Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine the impact of
parameters, including recipient and donor age and sex, on fibrosis
progression rate and on predicted time to cirrhosis.
The median fibrosis progression rate was found to be 0.78 units/year, and
median interval from transplantation to development of cirrhosis was 7.7
years.
In multivariate analysis, donor age (not recipient age) was a powerful
determinant of fibrosis progression rate.
Interval to cirrhosis:
Donors < 40: 10 years
Donors
When the liver donor was younger than 40 years, median progression rate was
0.6 units/year and interval to cirrhosis was 10 years.
However, when the donor was aged 50 years or more, median progression rate
was 2.7 units/year and interval to cirrhosis only 2.2 years.
The investigators found that, during the observation period, there was a
significant increase in donor age. However, date of transplantation per se
was not a determinant of progression rate when included in multivariate
analyses.
Author M. Wali, of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, said on behalf
of the group, "Donor age has a major influence on graft outcome following
transplantation for HCV.
"The changing organ donor profile will affect the long-term results of liver
transplantation for HCV."
"These observations have important implications for donor liver allocation,"
it was concluded.
Gut 2002; 51: 248-52
22 July 2002

Hey Jak,
Today is your birthday? HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! (you know how the song
goes...just play the rest of it in your head for me please, Hon. :-)
A wipper-snapper? I don't THINK so...I'll be 48 in Oct. (and dam proud of it!
:-) In my planning, I was never supposed to get this old...but, I'm making the
best of it...just pretend like I'm 18....with a lot of experience (well, and
wrinkles and gray hair and aches and pains :-)
ROTF means Rolling on the Floor...a step up from LOL (Laughing out Loud). Then
there's LMAO, which means Laughing my ass off...then there's ROTFLMAO...On
occasion I've had to add TIWMP to all that (let's see if you can figure that one
out on your own :-)
Have a good one yourself, Hon. TTYL (talk to you later :-)
Love,
Nancy
Jak Thomis wrote:High Nancy!
You must be a real wipper-snapper! AHHHh, just show my age. Today's my 58th
new beginning, but that sand keeps washin' out from under my castle.
We've agreed on other things (both important and un-) before, so i guess you
catch my drift. But what does "ROTF" mean?
Hope today and every day is as good to you as Monday was.
;--)))
Jak

Happy Birthday to Jak! Happy Birthday to Jak! and many more :-) Hope
you are having a great day and happy 58!! :-)
BTW..... there is a *cheat sheet* that will clue you into all the
abbreviations under the *files* section :-) Take care TTYL
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. --
Missy Dizick

Harnessing Hep C
Activists want the government to increase treatment funding and the public
to get better informed about the risks.
BY MITCH E. PERRY
An outbreak of Hepatitis A in Polk County earlier this year killed a
29-year-old woman. More than 100 others were stricken. Health officials
linked her death to a worker infected with the virus at a Bartow restaurant
where the victim ate and where five other diners also got infected.
Florida Department of Health Secretary John O. Agwunobi says that the Polk
story highlights that "hepatitis is a significant public health concern."
But what Tampa Bay area residents need to know is that the A-strain is not
the most virulent in Florida right now.
Hepatitis C is. It has infected an estimated 270,000 Floridians and
3.9-million nationwide. Those numbers are expected to grow in the next
decade.
Hep C is a blood-borne virus that was first identified in 1989. Like all
forms of hepatitis, it causes inflammation of the liver, which can lead to a
decrease in the liver's ability to function. If it's diagnosed quickly
enough, the odds increase that it can be successfully treated. But because
it can remain dormant for years, most people don't know they've been
infected until the virus has already done a number on their liver.
A May 11 rally in St. Petersburg brought out more than 60 hepatitis virus
carriers and their supporters. They walked the downtown streets to warn
people about the virus and to pressure government to spend more on finding
efficient drugs to treat it.
Although the virus was discovered 13 years ago, a confluence of factors has
led to its current surge.
In March, Newsweek magazine devoted a cover story to the virus. Within the
next decade, the magazine reported, Hep C will kill more Americans than
AIDS. In the past few years, more people have become sick enough to go to a
doctor - in many cases, for the first time - and discover that they
contracted the virus as far back as 30 years ago.
You can get Hep C only from bad blood. That means if you had something as
seemingly medically safe as a blood transfusion before July 1992, you could
easily have been exposed.
Such was the case for St. Petersburg resident Debbie Barnes. She says she
now knows she became infected in 1977, when her appendix burst and she was
given a blood transfusion.
Barnes wasn't diagnosed with Hep C until 1995. During the '80s, she
remembers having powerful bouts of fatigue, one of Hep C's chief symptoms,
and not knowing why. After frequently calling in sick, she lost her job.
Barnes ultimately received a liver transplant, which becomes the only option
when the liver is on the verge of total collapse.
Another source of transmission is shared needles. Health care workers who
work with needles have become infected, as have others who have shot heroin,
whether experimentally or regularly, using intravenous methods.
Steve Kersker, another St. Petersburg resident, says he knows that's how he
got the disease, sometime back in the late '70s before he kicked his habit.
The homeless advocate is now using his Hep C experiences to try to jumpstart
a movement to get government to do more.
Kersker was diagnosed with Hep C in 1989 but did nothing. A fitness freak,
he soon began feeling tired. That forced him to cut back his workouts. He
said his thinking got "blurry."
Finally, in January, Kersker was told that his liver was severely impaired
and he would need immediate treatment. But he was terrified about taking
Interferon, the only FDA-approved treatment, which is usually taken in
combination with Ribarivin. Kersker heard horror stories about side effects.
Ultimately, Kersker opted for the treatment. Because he is a Vietnam
veteran, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs foots the bill. (The cost
of Interferon combinations range from $25,000 to $40,000.)
Kersker says he's doing pretty well so far. He's energetic enough to start
the movement to get state and federal agencies involved. "We need to find
medications that are more effective," he said.
Since 1999, the state has spent more than $9-million on the three strains of
hepatitis, A, B and C. That money has mostly been spent on a statewide
Hepatitis C hotline (1-866-FLA-HEPC), vaccines for Hep A and B, free tests
for Hep A and C for those at increased risk, and a comprehensive program in
six counties, including Pinellas and Polk.
But Kersker wants the state to do a lot more. He's working with officials to
come up with legislation. "Hep C treatment is like where AIDS was at in
1985," Kersker said.
In the federal budget, $101-million is to be allotted to Hep C research in
2003, up from $88-million. A march on the office of U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill
Young (R-Largo) in February prompted an aide, George Cretekos, to meet with
protesters. Kersker said he wanted $500-million for Hep C.
Cretekos told Kersker and the media: "Sometimes picking a number out of the
air and giving it to (doctors and scientists) doesn't mean they're equipped
to do that kind of research."
Another Hep C carrier angry at the lack of government funding is Rick
Wallace. "Right now, we get less than 1 percent of funding compared to
HIV/AIDS, but we have four times as many people on this virus," said
Wallace, who lives in St. Petersburg.
Pinellas is one of six Florida counties with free screening. The federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chose the county to receive
additional funding for acute hepatitis cases.
Julia Gill, Pinellas epidemiology program manager, says county health
officials are trying to raise awareness among physicians. "The general
mindset has been, "OK, you've got HCV, don't worry about it. When you have
symptoms, we'll deal with it,'" said Gill.
Gill says that's the wrong approach. Treating Hep C early - and
aggressively - increases the chances for recovery.
Many at the rally were members of the Tampa Bay Hepatitis and Liver Disease
Support Group. The organization holds monthly meetings to discuss what's
happening with the virus, occasionally bringing in a nutritionist or other h
ealth official.
Dale Vauiso started the group eight years ago after her husband had a liver
transplant. She says the group has become a hub where people with the virus
can calm those who just learned they have it. "You can read all types of
articles, but having a face-to-face with somebody having the same thing you
have, to know you're not alone, is important," said
Vauiso.
Like everybody at the rally, she urges people to get tested.
"Liver disease is a silent disease," said Vauiso. "You don't know you're
sick until you're very sick. That's why you should be tested."
There are a lot of Hep C carriers who to this day have no idea how they
contracted the disease. But what about the thousands out there that public
health officials say are carrying the disease and don't know it?
The data are contradictory. There have been divergent studies about whether
getting a tattoo creates a risk. There are other statistics showing Vietnam
vets make up an unusually large percentage of the infected population - but
the reasons are yet to be documented.
And though very few cases have been reported, infection through cocaine use
is possible. The CDC cites a report saying the strength of the association
between intranasal cocaine use and Hep C infection "does not support routine
testing based solely on this risk factor."
Still wondering if you might be among the legions that don't know they have
Hep C? If you're uncertain, the only way to calm your anxiety is to take a
blood test.
Contact Mitch E. Perry, assistant news director at WMNF-88.5 FM, at
mitch@....

Hey Willie
I am no Doctor, but I have read a hell of a lot of shit and maybe
your case is special. Get another opinion and take your medical info
with you.

May 10, 2006, 10:47PM
Treatment that saved a life to be tried again
By LEIGH HOPPER
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
An experimental treatment doctors hope will save the life of an Humble teen
infected with rabies could become the standard of care - whether or not it works
this time.
Such is the desperation of physicians in the face of a truly horrifying disease.
Rabies paralyzes its victims, robs them of speech and causes convulsions and
coma before certain death.
With one exception.
A Milwaukee teen, Jeanna Giese, became the world's first known unvaccinated
rabies survivor in 2004, after being treated with a unique combination of
existing drugs described last year in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Today, her doctor, Dr. Rodney Willoughby, a pediatric infectious disease
specialist at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, is meeting with officials at the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to standardize that regimen in
hopes his sole success story will be repeated.
Since that 2004 success, the CDC has paired Willoughby with doctors treating
other patients diagnosed with rabies on four occasions, including the critically
ill Humble student at Texas Children's Hospital.
"If it can be done again, if you have a 100 percent fatal disease and you do
something not once, but twice ... suddenly you've got yourself a cure,"
Willoughby said Wednesday. "If we can get one more, or two more (survivors),
then scientifically it's a slam-dunk and we can start figuring out which piece
is important."
In the New England Journal of Medicine, Willoughby and his colleagues described
how they treated Giese with sedating and antiviral drugs, such as ribavirin and
amantadine, after cautioning her parents "about the probable failure of
antiviral therapy and the unknown effect of the proposed therapy, as well as the
possibility of severe disability if the patient were to survive."
The Milwaukee doctors improvised the treatment approach after combing through
reports of other human rabies cases. One hypothesis was that death resulted from
a "neurotransmitter imbalance" in the brain. A search of neurotransmitters
involved in rabies identified a drug called ketamine with specific activity
against rabies in lab animals, so that drug was added to the mix.
Ribavirin, which Willoughby didn't consider useful for rabies, was recommended
by the CDC. Since ribavirin protects the heart - and some patients with rabies
die from cardiac arrest - he agreed to give it a try.
Giese was put into a medically induced coma to give the drugs and her immune
system a chance to fight the disease. On the eighth day of her hospitalization,
the teen's salivation - a hallmark of rabies - decreased. On the 10th day, she
developed a high fever. But by the 19th day, she was able to wiggle her toes,
gaze at her mother, and squeeze hands in response to commands.
Scientists still don't know precisely why Giese lived.
Willoughby said the protocol has not rescued other patients since then, but
"none of those attempts have been even close to ideal." In one case, a
transplant patient who developed rabies from infected tissue lived for 56 days.
In another, a boy from India developed rabies despite being vaccinated.
Last month, Willoughby tried to help physicians treating a patient in Bangkok,
but doctors could not obtain the necessary medications. The patient died.
Of the world's 55,000 human rabies infections each year, most occur in remote,
poor settings where medical care is out of reach.
Willoughby said Giese's parents, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday,
usually welcome the chance to talk about their daughter.
"But I wish they'd stop it," Willoughby said, "because she's got to go back to
being a regular teenager."
leigh.hopper@...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/health/3855589.html

Hi Dale,
What city is your support group in now?
(That you drive a ways to get too)
searam4life wrote:I am looking for support groups in the area I live, and seem
to be
havng a difficult time accomplishing that. I live in Palm Springs,
California, and would travel and hour, to meet with others. I have
spent time looking, but keep hitting road blocks. If anyone has a
suggestion, or knows where I should be focusing, I would appreciate
that very much. I can't believe that they don't exist, as certain
others would say; it is those darn FBI guys, messing with my e-mail!
Lets just hope that is not true, and maybe one or two of your e-mails
can slip through, to help me come in contact with others in my
approximate area. Thanks to all, and keep under the radar.
Dale

I am looking for support groups in the area I live, and seem to be
havng a difficult time accomplishing that. I live in Palm Springs,
California, and would travel and hour, to meet with others. I have
spent time looking, but keep hitting road blocks. If anyone has a
suggestion, or knows where I should be focusing, I would appreciate
that very much. I can't believe that they don't exist, as certain
others would say; it is those darn FBI guys, messing with my e-mail!
Lets just hope that is not true, and maybe one or two of your e-mails
can slip through, to help me come in contact with others in my
approximate area. Thanks to all, and keep under the radar.
Dale

Shark Cartilage Flagged for Safety Evaluation for Possible Hepatitis Risk
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has picked shark cartilage as one of six food
supplements that it believes should be evaluated for its safety and efficacy due
to reports that it can lead to hepatitis.
Shark cartilage, one of the six food supplements chosen by the IOM to test a new
evaluation program, is widely available on the Internet and in health food
stores.
According to the IOM's preliminary report issued July 24th, shark cartilage was
"flagged" because the panel was aware of a case report of hepatitis following
ingestion.
Websites that sell shark cartilage tout the product as potentially having
anti-inflammatory properties that could be useful in the treatment of prostate
cancer, psoriasis and lupus.
Some of these sites acknowledge that shark cartilage is considered by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration to be a food supplement and not a drug since no
proven therapeutic effects have been found.
The FDA is expected to act on the IOM's recommendation in the fall.
Other sources: IOM

Valopicitabine plus Peginterferon Alfa-2a (Pegasys) Is More Effective in
Nonresponders Compared to Peginterferon alfa-2a/Ribavirin Combination Treatment
Nonresponders (NR) to pegIFN/RBV with HCV genotype 1 comprise the majority
(
effective treatment options.
Valopicitabine (NM 283) is an experimental oral nucleoside analog from Idenix
Pharmaceuticals. The drug has shown anti-HCV activity alone and in combination
with pegIFN in early studies, without viral breakthrough for study periods up to
6 months.
Interim (24-week) results of an ongoing Phase IIb trial of valopicitabine as
monotherapy and in combination with peginterferon alfa-2a were presented at the
41st EASL in Vienna, Austria, April 26-30, 2006). The trial compares 5 treatment
regimens in NR patients with HCV-genotype 1, whose HCV RNA never became
PCR-negative with
All patients had HCV RNA
compensated disease.
Patients were randomized 1:2:2:2:2 among 5 treatments: NM283 monotherapy (800
mg/d), 3 combination (comboRx) arms with different NM283 dosing (400 mg/d; 800
mg/d; or dose-ramping 400 to 800 mg/d) +pegIFN, or pegIFN/RBV retreatment as
control.
PegIFN alfa-2a (Pegasys) is dosed at 180 microgram SQ/week with weight-based RBV
(1000-1200 mg daily). Virologic response criteria are stipulated for week 4
(
fail these criteria are designated treatment failures and discontinue.
The authors conclude, "In non-responders to pegIFN/RBV, valopicitabine plus
pegIFN treatment at optimal dosing produces significantly greater HCV
suppression compared to pegIFN/RBV retreatment, with antiviral efficacy
proportional to valopicitabine dose."
"Continued treatment will determine if these encouraging viral responses at 24
weeks will result in viral clearance and SVR."
05/12/06
Reference
N Afdhal N, C O'Brien C, E Godofsky, and others. Valopicitabine (NM283), alone
or with peg-interferon, compared to peg-interferon/ribaviri (pegIFN/RBV)
re-treatment in hepatitis C patients with prior non-response to pegIFN/RBV: week
24 results. Abstract 483. Program and abstracts of the 41st Annual Meeting of
the European Association for the Study of the Liver. April 26-30, 2006. Vienna,
Austria.
http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2006icr/easl/docs/051206_a.html
24-week Interim Results
ITT results for the 162 patients who have reached week 24, including dropouts
and failures:
HCV RNA responses in the 2 higher-dose NM283+pegIFN combination treatment arms
arms are significantly greater vs pegIFN/RBV retreatment.
By comparison to other Phase IIb data, early HCV RNA reductions are
substantially greater in HCV-1 treatment-naïve patients with similar
NM283/pegIFN regimens, confirming the difficulty in suppressing HCV in NR
patients.
No viral breakthrough seen to date.
GI side effects common with valopicitabine/pegIFN
http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2006icr/easl/docs/051206_a.html

Senate Rejects Medicare Drug Plan, OKs Generics
Wed Jul 31, 4:51 PM ET
By Joanne Kenen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill designed to make it
easier for consumers to get cheaper generic "copycat" drugs but deadlocked on
the politically sensitive issue of adding a prescription drug benefit to
Medicare.
After the Senate rejected a fourth and final Medicare drug proposal, Democrats
and Republicans immediately began swapping charges of playing politics with
Medicare -- a top concern of voters in November's congressional elections.
At the same time, lawmakers predicted that if they get an earful from
disgruntled constituents during the August recess, they could return to the
Capitol in September with a new-found appetite for finding the middle ground
that has eluded them for the last five years.
"We will continue to seek the formula that unlocks 60 votes," the number
required to overcome procedural hurdles in the 100-member Senate, said Florida
Democrat Sen. Bob Graham, a leading proponent of adding a drug benefit to the
37-year-old federal health program for the elderly and disabled.
The generics bill, which aims to make it easier for generic drugs to make it
onto the market, seemed like a long-shot earlier in the year. But it kept
gaining ground and passed with a bipartisan landslide 78-21 vote.
The House however has not yet taken up legislation on generic drugs, fiercely
opposed by the influential brand-name pharmaceutical companies, but a strong
Senate vote can sometimes create momentum in the House.
New York Democrat Charles Schumer and Arizona Republican John McCain, the main
sponsors of the generics legislation, said it would save $60 billion over 10
years, with most of that savings going directly to consumers.
The bill closes loopholes and stops abuses in drug patent law that have delayed
generics' entry into the market. Critics said it will stifle innovation and
research by brand-name companies, but backers said it will restore the
competitive balance between the two sectors.
The Schumer-McCain bill also could allow imports of cheaper drugs from Canada,
although that faces some safety certification hurdles which could block its
implementation.
During the grinding two week debate, the Senate rejected four separate proposals
on Medicare drugs, with 10-year price tags ranging from under $300 billion to
nearly $600 billion.
The fourth and final vote came on Wednesday, when the Senate voted 49-50 against
a $400 billion plan by Graham and Oregon Republican Gordan Smith that would
focus benefits on old people with low incomes and those with drug costs above
$3,300 a year.
'ROAD BLOCK'
For Democrats, who had wanted a comprehensive plan giving benefits across all
income levels, the Graham-Smith bill was a concession, so much so that a few of
them voted against it.
But most Republicans lambasted it for costing more and doing less than their own
preferred approach that would rely more heavily on private insurers or health
maintenance organizations (HMOs).
Republican Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania charged that Democrats would
"milk" Medicare politically until "they realize the udder is dry."
Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, accused Republicans of giving
"lip service" to Medicare drug benefits but backing private-sector proposals
that won't do the job.
Many polls have shown that Medicare is one of the top issues in the November
congressional elections, when control of both the House and Senate is at stake.
And senior citizens are more likely to vote than other age groups in off-year
elections, when there is no presidential race.
The issue will not go away, and it will get even costlier to solve with each
passing year. A new eight-state study by the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, the
Commonwealth Fund and Tufts-New England Medical Center released on Wednesday
found that one in four elderly people said they skip doses of their medicine or
don't get prescriptions filled because they can't afford them.

High Nancy!
You must be a real wipper-snapper! AHHHh, just show my age. Today's my 58th
new beginning, but that sand keeps washin' out from under my castle.
We've agreed on other things (both important and un-) before, so i guess you
catch my drift. But what does "ROTF" mean?
Hope today and every day is as good to you as Monday was.
;--)))
Jak

Just got back biopsy test and have cirrohsis. My GI said that
treatment may actually exacerbate it. Any comments, as i am now
just like I have been the last 53 years, completely clueless.
Thanks - willie

REGISTRATION COMPLETEYou have registered the following telephone number in the
National Do Not Call Registry:
(407) *******
This registration will be effective until 1/30/2011.
~ Bayla ~
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...
It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things
that give value to survival."
C.S.Lewis

Dear collaalbert,
You could try contacting the local office of the EEOC and see what they say
(course, in Fla they said Florida is a Right To Work state and employers can
fire you for any reason....made me wonder why the govt. even bothered to
open an EEOC office down here!)
Love,
Nancy

amen to that........... i KNOW my immune system is zilch and i have made
EVERYONE i have had *contact* with get tested for everything since AIDS
became a somewhat big deal in the mid 80's..........if someone truly wants
to be with you they won't have a problem *getting tested* :-) Take care!
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. --
Missy Dizick

i lost my job due to having hep-c i cant belive that this is right.
that when the company finds out how much the meds cost they can come
up with anything that they want to let you go my D.R. even says that
it was wrong also the state of texas unemploment sad that it is not
right all the lawyers in F.T.worth T.X. want money up front that i
dont have is there anyone out there that knows a lawyer that will
help me with this please let me know the company is a nation wide
trucking company main office is in O.K. please e-mail me at
collaalbert2002@...
Thankyou

Wow Pam,
This is scary! I am 40 now. The good thing is, even
with the vaccines, I still make the person I am in a
relationship to be tested for all deseases. I am so
afraid of getting anything else! Just getting a cold
can turn into a mess for me! Thanks Dana

This was interesting......... TwinRix is who paid me to help pick out a
campaign slogan!
Man Contracts Hepatitis A Despite Vaccination
Mon Jul 29, 5:43 PM ET
FRANKFURT (Reuters Health) - Germany's Paul Ehrlich Institute said on Monday
it would investigate the case of a man reported to have contracted hepatitis
A despite having been vaccinated.
The case was first reported in the journal Deutsche Medizinische
Wochenschrift by a team of doctors in Bielefeld, led by Prof. Ulrich Junge.
On Sunday, Germany's mass circulation Bild newspaper ran a story about the
case, bringing it national attention.
The 55-year-old German man was said to have received a full immunization
with Twinrix Adult, marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, but some 47 days later
became ill after eating shellfish.
Junge and his team concluded that "combined hepatitis A/B vaccination
according to the recommended schedule does not guarantee protection in
elderly persons."
Dr. Johannes Loewer, head of licensing and inspection at Paul Ehrlich
Institute, said in a statement that the agency took Prof. Junge's data
seriously and would conduct an investigation. However, he said he currently
sees no reason to question the use of Twinrix.
He noted that immunity in people over 40 years old can be less than in
people younger than 40. Twinrix Adult was approved in 1996 by the European
Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products, and during the approval
process it was found to be effective for older people, he said.
Loewer suggested that any older people who have been vaccinated with Twinrix
Adult and are nonetheless concerned could be tested to ensure
they have effective levels of antibodies against hepatitis A virus.
The Institute said it believed the vaccine to be safe and effective and saw
no reason to question its use.
"We are nearly certain that this was not a quality problem," said Susanne
Stoecker, spokeswoman at the Institute.

Just so you all know that I am not really ignorant or crazy (well, ok...that
last one is a lie :-) ...my messages have been coming in bass-ackwards and
late and sometimes not atall the past couple of days and it's got to be
either the FBI boys taking long breaks and just not caring about doing their

Cool...I'll use this the next time people start giving me 'that look' ...as
I walk around giggling like an idiot half the time..."I am a Giggle Club (of
One)" LOL!

Got the Giggles? Join the Club
By ERIC TRUMP
In Jan. 30, 1962, at Kashasha village near Lake Victoria in what is now
Tanzania, three schoolgirls got the giggles. Tears rolling down their
cheeks, they couldn't stop laughing or keep their contagion of chuckles from
spreading to almost half the other girls at their boarding school. Some fits
were lasting minutes, others hours, some up to 16 days, until exasperated
administrators closed the school five months later. Afflicted girls were
sent home to their villages around Lake Victoria, where they duly infected
more children and young adults with their "sickness." Before the epidemic
finally relented, in 1964, it forced the temporary closing of more than 14
schools, all because of unstoppable laughter.
What was so funny no one ever discovered, but the mirth gathered a momentum
that caught hundreds of unsuspecting villagers in its riptide. At the time,
it was considered a pathology to be quarantined and quashed. But today, this
unmoored laughter is celebrated in over 1,000 laughter clubs worldwide as a
therapy to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system
and perhaps even lead to world peace.
The first club began with Dr. Madan Kataria, known as the Giggling Guru, in
Bombay. In 1995, having read about the health benefits of hasya (laughing)
yoga, he gathered a few friends in a park where they told jokes to one
another. But over time the jokes fell flat or got smutty, so Dr. Kataria
developed a catalog of comical expressions and sounds that he and his
confreres used to stimulate and simulate laughter. The guiding principle was
that while humor can fail to produce the expulsion of air and muscle
contractions known as laughter, forced laughter always works because it
transcends thought.
Dr. Kataria's trick worked. His most famous stance, the lion laugh (eyes
bulging, voice roaring and hands pawing the air), got even the most
world-weary laughing. His group grew, meeting regularly to force laughter
into the morning air. By 1998, it was a movement, with 12,000 people
gathering at a Bombay racetrack to celebrate the first World Laughter Day, a
day that this year was celebrated here and in India on May 5.
Since then, laughter clubs have been erupting all over the world. They were
introduced to America through Dr. Kataria's friend Steve Wilson of Columbus,
Ohio, a self-described "joyologist" and former psychologist who trains club
leaders and was a co-founder of the World Laughter Tour Inc., a
clearinghouse for what participants call the American laughter movement.
Naturally the group has a Web site (www .worldlaughtertour.com) directing
the curious to local chapters or "a Certified Laughter Leader in your area."
"The human spirit always comes back to laughter," said Mr. Wilson, who is
also known as the Cheerman of the Bored. "Misery loves company, but laughter
loves it more. It's a sign of health and perseverance. We've got 5,000 years
of proof."
Human beings, of course, have been laughing a long time. Robert Provine, a
behavioral neurobiologist at the University of Maryland in Baltimore,
believes that the first laugh rang out about six million years ago, when
hominids first stood upright, a position that allowed for respiratory
control and freed the lungs and larynx to laugh. Laughter developed, he
writes in "Laughter: A Scientific Investigation" (Viking, 2000), before
language, and was the result not of jest, but of fear, giddiness,
disappointment - a passing mammoth. Mr. Provine, who has recorded hundreds
of episodes of people laughing, says that some 90 percent of our laughter is
not the direct result of a specific joke.
Laughter has been the subject of serious speculation for a long time. Plato
was wary of the sound's effect on the republic's guardians and wanted it
censored. Aristotle argued for moderation: excess laughter was for
"buffoons." By the Renaissance, laughter studies had emerged. In the 17th
century, Hobbes supported the superiority theory, which held that laughter
was a "sudden glory that arises" when we realize how great we are compared
to everyone else. (Perhaps that's what behind the gleeful mirth of the evil
genius in the old James Bond films.) Later, Kant and Schopenhauer thought
laughter arose from incongruity, that is, when events don't conform to
expectations (30 clowns emerge from a tiny car). And third, the relief
theory, best elucidated by Freud, says that we laugh to release pent-up
energy. Recall that passing mammoth.
These theories aside, laughter's health benefits have been touted for
centuries. Norman Cousins's 1979 book, "Anatomy of an Illness," describes
beating cancer with "Candid Camera" episodes and Marx Brothers films; the
Viennese psychiatrist Viktor Frankl wrote that at Auschwitz laughter was
"another of the soul's weapons in the fight for self-preservation"; and the
seventh-century Zen monks Kanzan and Jittoku believed in laughter as the
path to inner peace.
For Stephan Wischerth, a certified laughter club leader in New York, no one
needs a reason or a theory to laugh. Each week, he leads a handful of men
and women in laughter at Healing Works Midtown Manhattan, a center that
offers free holistic programs to low-income people.
"I'm not making anyone laugh," Mr. Wischerth explained. "We're not laughing
at - we're just laughing. We're giving each other license to laugh without
embarrassment." After breathing and stretching exercises, followed by the
laughter movement's mantra, "Ho-Ho-Ha-Ha-Ha," Mr. Wischert is ready to
begin.
"Have you had a vowel movement today?" he asks, bending low and then
stretching up in a moan that ends in a shriek-laugh, his face resembling the
"before" photo of an Ex-lax commercial. The three others - a registered
nurse, an outreach worker, a minister - follow suit with bulging veins and
red faces. The room fills with the groan of vowels stretching into laughter.
More exercises follow: the opera laugh, the chicken laugh, the subway laugh.
The "Why Me?" laugh begins as a parody of misery and weeping, but the
falsetto repetition of this threadbare query demonstrates, after about 45
seconds, that William Blake was right: "Excess of sorrow laughs."
Still, Mr. Provine, the behavioral neurobiologist, says there is little
scientific evidence that laughter is good for you. "The presumed health
benefits are few and far between," he said. Rather, laughter may be a side
effect of good health.
"Laughter is about relationships," he said. "It may not be laughter that is
healthy, but the environment - the friends and family - that lead to
laughter. Laughter probably doesn't make us live longer, but if you like it,
go for it."
Laugh clubbers are. Mr. Wilson dreams of the day when he'll lead the United
Nations in a lion laugh for peace, and Dr. Kataria wants to see the Olympics
begin with a laugh. Laughter is certainly more democratic now than it was
back in Voltaire's day, when aristocrats went to the local asylum and
taunted the inmates to get some kicks.

I say ignore him.
huh? hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I just privately told Lisa the same
thing..hey sista alfie..please come to Orlando for the
springtime...ladadadadada...tada!! like my song? will you date me gurlie?
Bayla
'C' It! Treat It! Defeat It!

I always try to share everything I run across Jak because there will always
be someone that hasn't seen it yet :-) So thanks for sharing........ even
if it was a little late LOL I do that all the time :-)
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. --
Missy Dizick
http://www.diac.com/~ekwall2/hepchat/links.shtml

Hemochromatosis Case Definition: Out of Focus?
Posted 04/28/2006
Paul C Adams
Although hemochromatosis was first described in the 19th century, John Sheldon's
1934 description of 300 cases remains a landmark publication in defining the
clinical characteristics of the disease. Since that time there have been many
advances, including the discovery of the hemochromatosis (HFE) gene in 1996,
mutations of which (e.g. 845G·A [C282Y]) are found in the majority of patients
with typical hemochromatosis. Expert opinion is, however, varied regarding what
constitutes the ideal case definition for hemochromatosis. This has led to
confusion amongst clinicians and patients.
Why do we need a case definition for any medical condition? Has the
subclassification of any group of clinically similar diseases improved life for
the patient with a single subclass of those diseases? A precise case definition
is useful to study the natural history of a disease, direct appropriate
treatment, and judge response to therapy. Furthermore, a consistent case
definition is particularly important when studies are compared and outcomes are
combined, such as in a meta-analysis.
Most of the debate regarding hemochromatosis centers on its phenotypic or
genotypic diagnosis. Whether a clinically asymptomatic patient with elevated
iron levels should be classified as having hemochromatosis is currently an issue
of debate. Some investigators have proposed a case definition for
hemochromatosis comprising a sustained elevation in serum ferritin levels (
&181;g/l in women and
women and
overload. This approach has the advantage of simplicity, but it would probably
identify a number of patients who do not have iron overload. A screening study
demonstrated that a transferrin saturation of
value of only 4.4% for identifying male 845G·A (C282Y) homozygotes.[1]
Other researchers insist that iron overload should be documented and quantified
by liver biopsy. The pattern of iron distribution might be helpful in defining
the cause of disease. The hepatic iron index (hepatic iron concentration divided
by patient age) was devised before genetic testing, and originally used to
differentiate patients with alcoholic siderosis from those with genetic
hemochromatosis. Later it was extrapolated for use in the case definition of
hemochromatosis. This introduced the concept that a quantitative measure of iron
overload should be used to define the disease. Subsequent studies using genetic
testing, however, have shown that many patients with early hemochromatosis do
not have an elevated hepatic iron index (
types of iron overload do have an elevated hepatic iron index.[2] Liver biopsy
is unappealing to patients with mild abnormalities (serum ferritin levels <1,000
&181;g/l), and MRI has a poor sensitivity for the detection of mild iron
overload.
Quantitative phlebotomy is another method to measure iron overload. The removal
of 5 g of mobilizable iron by phlebotomy (approximately 20 × 500 ml
phlebotomies) followed by a fall in serum ferritin levels to under 50 &181;g/l
has been considered as a case definition.
The creation of arbitrary quantitative thresholds for any of these variables
(serum ferritin levels, transferrin saturation, liver iron, iron removed) in
order to define hemochromatosis has obvious limitations. A patient just below a
threshold might have a clinical diagnosis as strong as another patient just
above a threshold.
Another perspective on the case definition for hemochromatosis is that patients
should have a constellation of clinical signs and symptoms. The association of
any symptoms of hemochromatosis with elevated iron levels or 845G·A (C282Y)
homozygosity has, however, come under increased scrutiny.[3, 4, 5] Patients with
bronze diabetes (a type of diabetes associated with hemochromatosis) probably
represent <1% of all hemochromatosis patients, and studies have shown that the
prevalence of diabetes is similar in both 845G·A (C282Y) homozygous and control
populations. Other symptoms associated with hemochromatosis, such as fatigue and
arthralgia, are nonspecific and very common in the general population. Of all of
the putative symptoms of hemochromatosis, liver disease is the most consistently
identified abnormality. Many patients with liver disease are, however,
asymptomatic-even those with hepatic fibrosis.
A purely phenotypic case definition of hemochromatosis seems to combine apples
and oranges (HFE-related and nonHFE-related iron overload) and it defeats the
original purpose of having a case definition: to characterize the disease
prognosis and natural history and, most importantly, guide its management.
Following the discovery of the HFE gene, a simple genetic test became available
for the diagnosis of hemochromatosis. In tertiary referral centers for
hemochromatosis in Canada, Australia and France, over 95% of typical
hemochromatosis patients were homozygous for 845G·A (C282Y). By contrast,
reports continue to be published that suggest only 60-80% of patients with
hemochromatosis are homozygous for 845G·A (C282Y);[6] however, the phenotypic
case definition for hemochromatosis in these studies might not have been as
stringent, and family studies are not often performed. The use of the genetic
test as a 'gold standard' test for hemochromatosis has not, therefore, been
widely accepted. Furthermore, it has been recognized that approximately 20% of
male and 50% of female 845G·A (C282Y) homozygotes have normal serum ferritin
levels, making iron overload in these individuals an unlikely possibility.[5] If
iron overload is the cornerstone of the diagnosis, how can these patients be
classified as having hemochromatosis? There was also concern that the
identification of a nonexpressing 845G·A (C282Y) homozygote could lead to
anxiety and genetic discrimination, but this has not been verified in large
international studies.[7-9]
Previous studies have suggested that the classification of hemochromatosis
should be based on genetic testing for HFE, ferroportin, transferrin receptor 2,
hemojuvelin and hepcidin. Genetic testing for nonHFE-related iron overload might
never be broadly available clinically because of the rarity of these diseases.
Furthermore, genetic sequencing will often be required for diagnosis in many
cases because of the heterogeneity of the mutations involved. For most
clinicians there are only two types of hemochromatosis: typical 845G·A-related
(C282Y-related) and atypical. The term nonHFE-related iron overload is preferred
to the term nonHFE hemochromatosis.
I favor the case definition for hemochromatosis as being 845G·A (C282Y)
homozygosity with an elevated serum ferritin level. An 845G·A (C282Y) homozygote
with normal iron tests has a genetic predisposition to develop iron
overload-related symptoms. A compound heterozygote (845G·A [C282Y]/187C·G
[H63D]) or 187C·G (H63D) homozygote with elevated serum ferritin and no other
risk factors probably has HFE-related iron overload. As patients with these
genotypes usually have much milder degrees of iron overload, they should be
considered separately in clinical studies. A disadvantage of a mixed
genotypic/phenotypic case definition is that it will not be suitable for studies
comparing the effect of genotype on phenotype. Until rapid total genome
sequencing is introduced into clinical practice, a small category of patients
will remain with nonHFE-related familial iron overload that cannot be classified
without substantial genetic sequencing efforts. Most experts in the area agree
to disagree on a case definition for hemochromatosis. It is most important for
individual studies to have precise case definitions. Will a standard case
definition be developed by the 100th anniversary of John Sheldon's landmark
monograph, in 2034? Definitely maybe.
CLICK HERE for subscription information about this journal.
References
1.. Adams PC et al. (2005) Comparison of the unsaturated iron binding
capacity with transferrin saturation as a screening test to detect C282Y
homozygotes for hemochromatosis in 101,168 participants in the HEIRS study. Clin
Chem 51: 1048-1051
2.. Adams PC et al. (1997) Evaluation of the hepatic iron index as a
diagnostic criterion in hereditary hemochromatosis. J Lab Clin Med 130: 509-514
3.. Beutler E et al. (2002) Penetrance of the 845G to A (C282Y) HFE
hereditary haemochromatosis mutation in the USA. Lancet 359: 211-218
4.. Asberg A et al. (2002) Persons with screening-detected
haemochromatosis: as healthy as the general population? Scand J Gastroenterol
37: 719-724
5.. Adams PC et al. (2005) Hemochromatosis and iron-overload screening
in a racially diverse population. N Eng J Med 352: 1769-1778
6.. Pietrangelo A (2005) Non-HFE hemochromatosis. Sem Liv Disease 25:
450-460
7.. Delatycki M et al. (2005) Use of community genetic screening to
prevent HFE-associated hereditary hemochromatosis. Lancet 366: 316-318
8.. Patch C et al. (2005) Comparison of genotypic and phenotypic
strategies for population screening in hemochromatosis: assessment of anxiety,
depression and perception of health. Genet Med 7: 550-556
9.. Hall M et al. (2005) Concerns in a primary care population about
genetic discrimination by insurers. Genet Med 7: 311-316
PC Adams is a Professor of Medicine at University Hospital in London, ON,
Canada.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/529581?src=mp

I am hosting a San Diego Fest.EVERYONE is welcome! if you would like
info Please Email me
San_diego_gulls_girl@...

hi pam.....WHOOPS! That AARP Bulletin didn't arrive 'til after the Senate's
vote according to a post at Delphi and my e-message was a few days too late
for that S.bill. Maybe the attached cartoon hits the mark even closer then i
thought.
However, if the message promotes a little activism on our part for HCV
research, etc. then it's good in two ways: it might have some effect someday
on somebody and, at the least, it might help some of us to get our minds off
how rotten we're feeling or how worried we might be about the future of our
condition.
Thanks for the addys - if you say they're good and have helped you, then
they must beeee :-))))))
LOLove,
Jak

Aerobic Exercise Effective in Treating Fibromyalgia
Fri Jul 26, 5:39 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study shows that aerobic exercise can ease
pain in patients with fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition marked by widespread muscular and joint
pain, as well as specific "tender" points that typically occur in the neck,
spine, hips and shoulders. Other symptoms include sleep disturbances and
fatigue, depression and irritable bowel syndrome. The condition affects an
estimated 2% to 4% of the population, but is seen most often in women of
reproductive age.
In the current study, Dr. Selwyn C. M. Richards from Poole Hospital NHS
Trust and Dr. David L. Scott from King's College Hospital, London, randomly
assigned 136 patients with fibromyalgia to a program of aerobic exercise or
relaxation and flexibility exercise. They report their findings in the July
27th issue of the British Medical Journal.
The researchers assessed study participants' tender point count and other
symptoms and asked them to assess their own improvement.
At 3 months, 24 of 69 of the patients in the aerobic exercise group rated
themselves as "much or very much better," compared with 12 of 67 of the
patients in the relaxation and flexibility group, Richards and Scott found.
After 1 year, the benefits of the exercise program continued for 26 of the
patients in the aerobic exercise group and for 15 of the patients in the
control group.
Compared with controls, patients in the aerobic exercise group also had
greater reductions in tender point counts and in scores on questionnaires
measuring fibromyalgia symptoms, the researchers note. Based on tender point
counts, only 75 patients in both groups still met the criteria for
fibromyalgia after 1 year. Fewer of these patients were in the aerobic
exercise group (31) than in the control group (44).
Richards and Scott conclude that "prescribed graded aerobic exercise is a
simple, cheap, effective and potentially widely available treatment for
fibromyalgia."
The major drawback of their program, they add, was compliance-only 72 study
participants attended more than one third of the classes. "Future strategies
to increase the efficacy of exercise as an intervention should confront the
issue of compliance," Richards and Scott add.
SOURCE: British Medical Journal 2002;325:185-187.
Aerobic Exercise Effective in Treating Fibromyalgia

Alfie,
So good to hear that you are having a good time - I bet it's beautiful
there. I am out in Colorado and were still somewhat cold, although I do
enjoy the snow and cold, I did think or kind of pictured you there and was
wishing I could be somewhere like that right about now... LOL
Maybe someday when I get through this next round of treatment - I will get
back on my feet and could volunteer. I love to do fund raising.
I actually did fundraising for the USABA ( United States Assoc. For Blind
Athletes), which is out Colrado Springs, and they are affiliated with the
paraylimpics and the Olympics.
I actually spent about 20 hours a week or much just strictly fundraising as
in getting Companies and major Corporations to donate. Every year we had a
million dollar hole in, of course we had the insurance policy for it - no
one ever made it year after year.
However, I did manage to get 2 new Grand Cherokee Jeeps donated one year for
second place.
I am very outspoken and very much a people person, and I had no problem
asking others for help. And it worked out wonderful for all. We also had
softball tournaments and gave away a new Chevy Z-71 truck. Like I said it
worked out great for all, and it was one of the most gratifying volunteer
work I had ever done. So if there is every anything I can do to help - know
that as long as I am able I would love to.
And I just wanted to say "thank-you" for doing all you do for us heppers and
making others aware.
May God Bless you on your journeys
Love, hugs and prayers
Lisa Marie

I'm on another 400 hep boards..ok another ONE..this was on there..maybe it will
help someone..also
Mike..Pam thinks your a doll! If she didn't reply to your
e-mail its because she's so busy getting ready. She read it to me on the
phone.
Amazing what people can think about on how to cheat ya.....
These 3 scenarios are very good ones to read if you have a credit
card. What they won't think of next !
Credit Card Fraud
Be sure to read 'Scene 3'
SCENE 1. This is a new one. People sure stay busy trying to cheat us,
don't they??
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the
locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker
open, and thought to himself, "Funny, I thought I locked the locker.
Hmmmmm." He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was
in order. Everything looked okay - all cards were in place.
A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whoop ing bill of
$14,000!
He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying
that he did not make the transactions. Customer care personnel
verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his
card had been stolen.
"No," he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit
card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made. An expired
similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thief
broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards.
Verdict: The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card
missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them. How
much did he have to pay for items he did not buy? $9,000! Why were
there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Small amounts rarely
trigger a "warning bell" with some credit card companies. It just so
happens that all the small amounts added up to big one!
SCENE 2. A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his
credit card. The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the
waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along.
Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket.
Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and
behold, it was the expired card of another person. He called the
waitress and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and
hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man. All
the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong
expired card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier
immediately looked down and took out the real card. No exchange of
words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an
apology.
Verdict: Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours. Check
the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the
card is taken away for even a short period of time. Many people just
take back the credit card without even looking at it, "assuming" that
it has to be theirs. FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING
YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!
SCENE 3: Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order
that I had called in. I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of
course, is linked directly to my checking account.
The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid
it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty
standard procedure. While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and
started dialing.
I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing
seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my
phone sounds when I take a picture. He then gave me back my card but
kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons.
Meanwhile, I'm thinking: I wonder what he is taking a picture of,
oblivious to what was really going on. It then dawned on me: the only
thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to
what he is doing.
He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds
later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been
saved.
Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just
took a picture of my credit card. Yes, he played it off well, because
had we not had the same kind of phone, I probably would never have
known what happened. Needless to say, I immediately canceled that
card as I was walking out of the pizza parlor.
All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times.
Whenever you are using your credit cards, take caution and don't be
careless. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing
when you use your card. Be aware of phones because many have a camera
phone these days.
When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card
and receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the number off.
Some restaurants are using only the last four digits, but a lot of
them are still putting the whole thing on there. The
truth is that they can get you even when you are careful, but don't
make it easy for them.
Bayla
'C' It! Treat It! Defeat It!

hi there jak......... we all need to get and stay involved in alot of things
concerning hep c and medicare.......and other issues surrounding this
disease......thank you for reminding me........ i usually go to the hep c
activist site at http://www.hepatitisactivist.org/
at least once a month and try to write to my senators and
congressmen.........it is a really good site............ also I do rely on
the drug companies and their patient assistance programs for my meds........
i certainly could NOT afford to buy them each month.......... there are now
7 drug companies with 150 meds that participate at
http://www.together-rx.com That is another good addy........... take care
and TTYL :-)
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. --
Missy Dizick
http://www.diac.com/~ekwall2/hepchat/links.shtml

To: ALL hepCers who are on S.S. Disability, collect Social Security and/or
Medicare or Medicaid, or who one day hope to get something back for all the
money we've paid into it all these years
From: Jak Thomis, age 57
RE: PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT IN MEDICARE - VOTE DUE IN SENATE SOON!!!
This is our opportunity as a relatively small minority (4 million = 1.5%
infected, .5% dx-ed (+ or - some)) to join with a MUCH LARGER minority (57
million member strong) that are members of AARP (the American Association of
Retired Persons, although you don't have to be retired and only have to be
over 50 to join). Here's part of their article:
"AARP Urges Members To Call the Senate TODAY - The U.S. Senate will vote
(soon) on a bill to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare.
'The Senate must act now to pass prescription drug coverage that is
affordable, contains no gaps in coverage and helps bring down the soaring
drug costs,' says Kevin Donnellan, AARP director of grassroots and
elections.
Call your senators today at (800) 869-3150 and say: 'It is time to pass a
permanent Medicare drug benefit at least as good as the Graham-Miller
proposal.'
Or contact them via AARP's website -
www.aarp.org/prescription drugs
and click on 'Contact Congress.' "
My July/August, 2002 "AARP Bulletin" arrived today!? That vote might have
already taken place but IT CAN'T HURT TO CALL, GO TO AARP's website, WRITE
YOUR OWN HARDCOPY LETTER (That's the most effective way as they then know
you've gone to A LOT of trouble and feel strongly about this issue.), call
your senator's local office, etc.
NOTE: If the vote has already occurred, then BE SURE TO ASK HOW YOUR SENATOR
VOTED AND WHY HE VOTED THAT WAY. Then tell ALL your family and friends
whether they should vote for him in November. That's the essential nature of
a representative form of government. VOTE!!! Just look what happened in the
last Presidential elections - a few more votes one way or the other would
have settled it without the S. Court.
Like that person suggested a few days ago, we've got to make our voices
heard. The problem is, however, twofold: 1. We're a very tiny minority; and
2. The CDC and the news media have and continue to label ALL of us as
druggies, jailbirds (The Philadelphia Inquirer just did a superficially
compassionate article about a person who couldn't finish his tx because he
had to go to jail and the warden wouldn't allow it. Then they go on to
explain how over 30% of convicts in prison have HCV...) etc., etc.
Nancy: I don't "do soaps" either but we don't have to. Just read your local
papers and follow what the politicians are doing. Real life, including our
families, friends, etc. is always sadder, happier and much more
unpredictable than anything ANY script writer could dream up.
May we ALL be well, happy and peaceful,
LOLove,
Jak

Glad to see you're feeling better, sorry to hear you
had a tough time there.
Hang in there Charlie - and keep smiling.
Grace

Charlie,
I'm really glad that you decided to come back (although actually I THINK it
was Hepsingles1 where you were venting and going to quit, Hon :-)
I know how it is to feel like throwing in the towel at times but, at least
you recognized what was happening and understand that you need to reach out
instead of close up when you feel that way.
So, you're still in treatment (again)...and you're undetectable? That's
great that you're undetect!
I want your job kiddo! LOL How do I get one like that?
Take care hon and keep in touch...join the other groups on Pammie's list
too...we're a whole lot of fun actually...and there are women in CA on many
of these lists.
Love,
Nancy

Hello Nancy,,, Ricky and all of the nice people here at this cool
site.
Im soryy but I was venting and that led to "Interferion vacum"
This my third shot ,,, in 5 years,, It all added up recently and I
became so depressed I lashed out instead of asking for help.
I will not give up on this group...sometimes I give up on me ..that
is when I should ask for help from you all. ( sucks...but at times I
get my ass "KICKED" my the sustained sides over the years). The good
news is I have "responded" and Im undetectable!!!.So for Geno types
1b like me there is a 30% chance of SVR..sustained viral response.
I'm 5'10" 195 lbs and love to jog and throw the football.
I feel like a kid with my job, making video game art and getting paid
very well,,, its a dream come true.
So "IM BACK"
rather then giving in to the sometimes "world is out to get me and I
suck" thinking during Treatment mental melt downs.
I send all healing thoughts and positive energy.
Charlie "Chopper" Navarro

Hi and Welcome
I'm Tom aka TC in Michigan. This summer we had one of your fellow
Brits (actually he lives and works in Holland) come and visit a bunch
of us in the states and we had a Super time. later~~~~~~~~TC

Hi and Welcome Magic Dragon,
I'm Nancy...47 (well my body is, at least :-) from Florida (US :-)....and
have two sons who live away.
I was diagnosed in May of 99 and yes, it is a bit of a shock at first
(actually I pretty much freaked about it! :-) ...but it sounds like you're
dealing well.
Look forward to hearing more from you.
Love,
Nancy

Just discovered this site and wanted to say hello to you all. Hoping
you're all doing well. I was diagnosed May 2002. Am feeling very
well right now and thinking about getting back to work soon. I am
50yrs old (young ha ha),live in England and have two grown up
daughters who have left home. It was a bit of a shock at first to
discover I had this HepC, now I'm really trying to come to terms with
it. Be nice to be in touch with others in the same situation. Bye for
now.

Design Of An Antismoking Pill
The makers of varenicline got their inspiration from two natural products
AMANDA YARNELL
More than two-thirds of the U.S.'s nearly 50 million smokers want to quit
smoking-but only about 5% of those who try actually manage to kick the habit
cold turkey, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control &
Prevention. Pfizer is hoping that varenicline, a smoking-cessation agent now in
late-stage Phase III clinical trials, could improve quitters' chances.
If approved, varenicline will join a market for smoking-cessation drugs that's
currently dominated by nicotine replacement therapy. Patches, gums, nasal
sprays, and inhalers help lessen smokers' cravings to light up by providing low
levels of nicotine, the addictive ingredient in tobacco. The only nonnicotine
antismoking medication currently on the market is GlaxoSmithKline's Zyban, a
drug originally used to treat depression.
Varenicline, in contrast, "is the first nonnicotine antismoking medicine
designed specifically to help smokers stop smoking," notes Jotham W. Coe, a
research fellow at Pfizer. His team recently detailed the chemical logic behind
the development of this molecule (J. Med. Chem. 2005, 48, 3474).
ADDITION TO nicotine is thought to stem from the molecule's ability to bind to a
class of ion channels in the central nervous system. Called neuronal nicotinic
acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), these channels normally bind the messenger
molecule acetylcholine. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the part of the
brain that responds to pleasurable or "reinforcing" stimuli-for instance, food,
sex, drugs, or gambling-trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter
associated with addiction.
Nicotine binds these same receptors to trigger dopamine release. Once smokers
become dependent on the modest but pleasurable bursts of dopamine that accompany
each drag on a cigarette, quitting smoking can be difficult.
"What we were after was a dopamine 'nightlight' that would be on at a low level
until the smoker quit," Coe says. He and Pfizer chemists Eric P. Arnold, Paige
R. Brooks, Michael G. Vetelino, and Brian T. O'Neill set about designing a
molecule that would partially activate a particularly abundant nAChR subtype
called 42. Like nicotine replacement therapies, such a molecule would reduce
cravings and withdrawal symptoms by causing the release of a constant low level
of dopamine, Coe says. "But importantly, we also wanted the molecule to block
nicotine from binding" so that smokers wouldn't get any satisfaction from
lighting up, he adds.
The Pfizer team first searched for compounds that might partially mimic
nicotine's ability to activate 42. Their hunt turned up (-)-cytisine, a bicyclic
plant alkaloid. A Bulgarian pharmaceutical company currently markets cytisine
for smoking cessation. The drug has met with little success, however, presumably
because it suffers from poor absorption and brain penetration properties, Coe
hypothesizes.
In hopes of improving upon cytisine, the Pfizer researchers, led by O'Neill,
devised a pair of practical synthetic routes to the alkaloid for medicinal
chemistry studies (Org. Lett. 2000, 2, 4201 and 4205). They experimented with
various derivatives, but these proved unworkable. Things began to look gloomy,
until Coe-who had worked on morphine chemistry before joining Pfizer-made a
pivotal observation.
Coe recognized that cytisine's structure is similar to that of the significantly
larger alkaloid morphine, notes Craig A. Townsend, an organic chemistry
professor at Johns Hopkins University. The two molecules' [3.3.1] bicyclic
skeletons differ only by the position of a single nitrogen atom.
Organic chemists have spent lots of time and energy simplifying morphine while
retaining the activity in the simplified versions, Townsend notes. Coe's team
cleverly used this information to guide their attempts to simplify cytisine
while maintaining its activity, Townsend points out. The result was a [3.2.1]
bicyclic benzazapine that potently blocks nicotine binding to 42. Unfortunately,
however, this simplified molecule lacks cytisine's ability to partially activate
42 and release low levels of dopamine. The team serendipitously restored this
property by fusing heterocycles onto the benzazapine's aromatic ring via an
unexpectedly regioselective dinitration reaction.
One derivative, dubbed varenicline, has the best of both worlds: It partially
activates 42 "to give some dopamine release so the person won't have so much
craving," notes Susan Wonnacott, a neuroscience professor at the University of
Bath, in England. "But at the same time, varenicline prevents nicotine from
exerting any effect by blocking nicotine's access to these receptors," she adds.
The oral drug is well-tolerated, Coe notes. In clinical trials, about half of
the smokers taking varenicline twice daily ceased smoking by the end of 12
weeks, compared with 12% of those on a placebo. These quit rates are roughly
double those reported for Zyban, Coe tells C&EN. Late-stage Phase III studies
now under way are examining whether varenicline helps smokers remain smoke-free
in the long term.
If approved, varenicline is likely to face some stiff competition as drugmakers
scramble to create products to help the world's 1.25 billion smokers kick the
habit. Last month, Sanofi-Aventis asked the Food & Drug Administration to
approve Acomplia for both obesity and smoking cessation. The drug, originally
designed to help people lose weight, also curbs nicotine cravings (and
presumably other types of cravings, too) by blocking the brain's endocannabinoid
reward system. In addition, Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, Rockville, Md., and
Zurich-based Cytos Biotechnology both have antinicotine vaccines in development.
These vaccines are intended to eliminate the pleasure of smoking by sopping up
the nicotine that smokers get from every drag, preventing it from ever reaching
the brain.
Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/83/i23/8323antismoking.html

Sorry Pammie, I don't do the soaps. (My family is such a soap that it is
too much real life for me...LOL) Dam, that reminds me...I spent the past
couple of years convincing my mom that I DIDN'T catch this from
Sex!!!...Think I'll just stop going over to her house til this episode
resolves it's self...Let me know if things change and they decide she got it
from a transfusion or something, K? :-)
TV will destroy brain cells, ya know?
:-)
Love,
Nancy

Hey Guys
sorry If I missed some post's and didn't answer anyone, but I have
been real busy with the michigan Hepc picnic,ebay,my Mom,etc,etc.
Hope to be back to normal next week.

hi pam.....THANKS for ALL of your generous help. i'll check out local
hepatologists as soon as i clean up this mail box. now i'm gettin'
tripicates od everything AND in random order (not time/date sequenced).
this is the same isp i use at work but i trying hotmail as my personal
e-address and i guess it's trying my patience a little too much.
thanks again. LOL = lots of love or luck? both are good and needed.
:-))))))))))))
Jak

Here is a copy of a note I wrote to another list. I wanted everyone to be
aware of both Pam and As The World Turns and didn't want to type it a
zillion times..... so please bear with me copying it to several lists!

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pamela Anderson, the small-town Canadian girl who
became one of the world's most famous women, said on Tuesday night she would
take time away from her career to undergo a sometimes debilitating treatment
for hepatitis C that could save her life. Anderson, the former "Baywatch"
star, said she plans to take injections of powerful antiviral drugs to treat
her hepatitis C, a sometimes fatal liver disease she blames on a tattoo
needle shared with ex-husband Tommy Lee.
"There's lots of side effects. ... It's going to be a year of basically
having the flu. Your hair falls out. It's a little kind of chemotherapy,"
the Canadian-born actress said in an interview with CNN's
Larry King Live on Tuesday.
"I want to do it for my kids, because I don't want to die, basically." she
said.
In April, Anderson, 35, made headlines when she announced that she and
recording star Kid Rock, her boyfriend of a year, were engaged to be
married.
But in the interview with King, she appeared to hedge: "I could say right
now we're in the trenches. We're just working on things. ... We love each
other very much but it's a difficult life, a difficult life. And I want
what's best for my kids. And he has a son."
Anderson said a biopsy showed that her liver was still relatively healthy
and she planned to take interferon in combination with other drugs starting
in December, enough time to make arrangements for her two sons.
Antiviral drugs -- such as interferon -- usually result in flu-like symptoms
and can also cause hair loss, low blood count, moodiness and depression,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interferon
combined with ribavirin, another antiviral drug, works on about 30 to 40
percent of U.S. patients with the chronic disease,
according to the CDC.
Most people with hepatitis C eventually develop chronic liver disease, with
a far smaller number at risk of liver cancer or cirrhosis, potentially fatal
conditions.
Lee, former Motley Crue drummer, has denied Anderson's charge that he also
suffers from hepatitis C or that the pair shared a tattoo needle.
The couple divorced in 1998 and have been in a bitter custody battle over
their sons, Brandon, 6, and Dylan, 4.
Anderson said Lee was "in denial" about his own disease, estranged from his
children who fear him, and unable to take care of them without a
court-appointed monitor.
"They've never had a relationship with their father since they were born.
They've always been afraid of their father, and their father has had no
contact, really, with them," Anderson said.
Anderson's failed marriage to Lee, which came after a whirlwind romance and
became linked in the public mind with an infamous sex videotape, had left
her scared, she said.
"I need to resolve a lot of issues ... I think, before I can really move on
and have another serious commitment," said Anderson.

Got that old hippie song playing on the internal (8-track :-) in my head
now..."Got a Revolution, Got a Revolution" (who is that singing...Gracie
Slick? :-)
Ah yes, the "Good Ol Daze"...(before MSNBC and continuous coverage of "The
War on Terrorism" promoting "King" Dubya's plan to turn the US into a police
state by instilling fear and blind patriotism in the TV spoon-fed news
watching majority)
I get most of my news from other countries...like the UK, in order to find
out what's REALLY going on in mine anymore....Scary it is! I just hope the
world lasts long enough for our grandchildren to have the chance, ya know?
Going into "Flashback" mode now...Ta Ta :-)
Love,
Nancy

SO Bill....you're 30...and single, eh?...and evidently have a good sense of
humor and, I'm assuming, no third eye or anything like that, right? :-)
Welcome to our group and...what are you wearing, Baby? ;-) hehe
Love,
Nancy
(The perverse older woman in Florida :-)

Thanks Pam,
I have always had this thing for mountains and for some reason Colorado keeps
sticking in my head. Maybe God is trying to tell me something. Can I pick your
brain a little on it? I have sent off for information in the southern part of
Colorado. I was interested in the cost of living, weather and medical treatment
there. I understand it has the change of seasons still, but the climate is dry
weather rather than humid and the sun is out much more. Here it is humid and
in the winter your lucky if you see the sun that often. Remember, I was born
and raised in Texas. But it is way to hot and humid there. I get athritic like
symptoms and find myself going to a tanning salon twice a week in the winter
here to keep that dry heat and ("sun like Bahama's") in my system. Seems to
help my symptoms a little, but each year the pain seems to get worse. Was
thinking dry climate and sun would help. Can you tell me a little more about
the climate and do the Doctors seem to be more up to speed than I have here in
the pocono's? I have to drive 1 and a half hours to 3 hours to good specialist
that seem to keep up with the times here. Tehee
PeachStatePam wrote:there isn't any place on earth more awesome than the
colorado mountains :-)
I lived there for over 20 years and loved it!! :-)
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. --
Missy Dizick

Greetings - I was diagnosed with Hep-C sometime ago and went through the
Interferon-Riboviran treatment for a year around 97-98. At the end of that
time, I was declared clear of the virus by my doc. A lot of water has gone
under the bridge since then, including lossing my cushy corporate job. I'm now
self-employed. About a year ago, I finally was able to secure health insurance
(as many of you know, difficult to do under ANY circumstances if your not part
of a group plan). I didn't tell them about the Hep-c since I'd been clear for
at least six years (plus I knew they'd turn me down faster than I could take a
breath). About that same time, I had a physical exam with my regular doc who
informed me that the virus had returned. He recommended that I contact the
specialist I'd seen when I did the original treatment which I finally did this
week. He did a blood test (results not back yet) and recommended a biopsy to
check out the condition of my liver (which showed
minimal damage prior to my treatment program in 97-98). I'm considering doing
that and paying for it out of my own pocket (ouch!!) because I'm scared shitless
of informing my insurance company). Does anyone have any suggestions or
experience with this kind of situtation? I'd really appreciate hearing from
you. BTW- I feel fine (felt ok even throughout the treatment years ago) and my
inclination is that, if the biopsy were to come back ok (which I expect) I
wouldn't do any medical treatment.
Thanks very much
J.D.
Denver, CO

welcome bill and WOW.......... quite an introduction!! :-) wish everyone
would do that!! then we could ALL get to know each other better :-)
Anyway, as i have told others....... it always pays to get out there and
post to as many hep singles sites as possible....... my links page has many
of them.......... sorry you have so many complications along with the
hep......... and sorry you have had so many rejections because of the
hep........ i have been fortunate i guess in that i have never had that
problem........ my current boyfriend is negative but doesn't have a problem
with it........ i carted him to group meetings, and to meet other couples
where one had it and one didn't, and sent him TONS of info emails about it
and just educated the heck out of him LOL I think education really is
the solution to alot of things....... anyway, i hope that the right hepper
lady turns up on one of these lists for you soon......... keep your eyes
pealed and post, post, post....... you just never know.......... take care
of yourself and good luck!! and i have been single since 1979 ROFLOL
So i don't consider 7 years a very long run yet ;-) anyway, there IS
someone out there for everyone......... keep looking around......... these
lists have paired up many people :-) TTYL
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. --
Missy Dizick

there isn't any place on earth more awesome than the colorado mountains :-)
I lived there for over 20 years and loved it!! :-)
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. --
Missy Dizick

Interview With a Humanoid
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
EFOREST, Wis. - In a secret, locked barn near DeForest, five black-and-white
calves look up from their hay with huge, friendly eyes. No. 313 approaches,
as if to grant an interview, for these are not the ordinary bovines they
seem - all five are part human.
The five calves are clones, which is eerie enough. In addition, human DNA
was added to their genetic makeup when they were embryos.
Their DNA is still more than 99.9 percent bovine, less than 0.1 percent
human, but the human component means that they are expected to produce a
human protein, C-1 Esterase Inhibitor, in their milk. That could treat
humans suffering from angioedema, an ailment that arises from a lack of C-1.
These humanoid calves offer a window into a future in which lines are
blurred between humans and other species. Biotechnology is transforming the
world around us, far more quickly than we can build a regulatory structure
to accommodate it. Human cloning gets the attention, but for the next 15
years the greater impact will arise from the genetic manipulation of
animals.
Infigen, a biotech company in DeForest, near Madison, has itself cloned 193
cattle and 125 pigs. Jenny Endres, the manager in one of Infigen's barns,
last week showed off a line of cow clones that all look alike. "These clones
have the same personalities," she said, beaming.
Cows? Personalities?
"They bellow all the time," she insisted. "They're hungry all the time.
They're easygoing, friendly."
Later this year the Food and Drug Administration may lift its ban on the
sale of milk and meat from cloned animals. In the interests of science, I
took a sip of cloned milk to see what might happen. Fresh from the udder,
the raw milk was warm and tasted excellent. (Then I took another sip with
each of my three new heads.)
The possibilities are dizzying. Michael Bishop, Infigen's president, says
that cows could be engineered to produce extra beta casein, which would make
them ideal for producing mozzarella cheese. Other cows could specialize in
producing infant formula or even, by splicing in human DNA, someday be made
to produce torrents of genuine human breast milk from their udders.
Infigen is already cloning cows with human DNA to produce products such as
human collagen (cosmetic surgeons now use animal collagen to create fuller
lips); human fibrinogen, used to treat wounds; and human factor VIII, used
for blood clotting.
In a pig barn nearby, Mr. Bishop showed off his pride: a piglet bred to be
perfect for producing organs for humans who need transplants. The piglet has
had a gene knocked out to reduce the chance that the human body will reject
organs from it.
Biotechnology faces crippling obstacles, including a drought of venture
capital that will kill off plenty of companies. But eventually, genetically
modified pigs (perhaps slightly human in their genetics) will be able to
produce livers, kidneys, hearts and pancreases for ailing patients.
These technologies could help the 80,000 Americans now on waiting lists for
organ transplants. But there are also ethical and philosophical questions
about whether it is wise to blur the distinction between what is human and
what is not.
Francis Fukuyama, in his brilliant new book on cloning, "Our Post-Human
Future," warns that we could face a future "in which any notion of `shared
humanity' is lost, because we have mixed human genes with those of so many
other species that we no longer have a clear idea of what a human being is."
My instinct is that the benefit in saving lives outweighs the risks. But Mr.
Fukuyama is right that if we are to embrace this future, we must do so with
eyes wide open. A first step would be to establish a cabinet-level Science
Department (replacing the dinosaur of an Agriculture Department, which
should be downgraded to an agency).
The Science Department would regulate biotechnology, but would also be
charged with puzzling through its philosophical implications and educating
the public about our choices, acting as a sounding board for the nation. We
must ensure that we consciously choose our future, rather than let advancing
science drive us into one by default.
I sought a comment from Ms. 313. (In this newspaper even part-humans get
honorifics.) After a moment's reflection, she put it