Cingles Info

you are soooooooooo my pal..hope to make it up to PA sometime..and when I get up
there I'll be sure to look you up.Stay well dear Al..I'll catch up with you
after I get home..and I'll have photos no doubt..loads and loads of ME photos!
~Bayla~
SVRnWaiting
'C' It! Treat It! Beat It!
"Hepatitis C is four times
more prevalent
than AIDS"

Hey Tierra,

I think so many people are afraid of it, don't want to know anything about it
and may even think if they learn enough that they should be tested too. I do
not find a whole lot of people who want to learn about it either. I wish that I
did. It would certainly make my life easier and make me feel less guilty when I
have to cancel or cannot do certain things or am just tired. Dana
alien39_13069 wrote:WHY IS IT THAT PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE THIS WON'T EVEN TAKE
THE TIME
TO LEARN???? DON'T THEY THINK THAT WE HAVE FEELINGS TO? I THINK
NOT... FOR WHEN YOU ARE HONEST WITH THEM..THEY TELL YOU THAT THEY
UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY DON'T OR THEY HURT YOU EMOTIONLY....... DON'T
THEY THINK THAT YOU HURT ENOUGH EMOTIONLY ALL READY.....

Sorry........ I forgot you can't send attachments or HTML to the site...........
the addy is http://www.realage.com and it does have some very good and useful
info on health daily :-)
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. -- Missy
Dizick

RealAge Tip of the DayDo we have any hummers out there?? LOL I also heard
that if you are alone and think you are having a heart attack to make yourself
COUGH as hard as you can! Some of these *tips* are really good to know when
nothing else is available :-) And I am sending the WHOLE message this time as
some of you have asked out the Real Age link. So here it is ;-)

Hi everyone....... just a quick note to tell you I am leaving town tomorrow and
will be gone until Sunday. Have no idea if I will have computer access or not
so don't worry if I am not *out and about* until next week. Take care of
yourselves and I will TTYL
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. -- Missy
Dizick

WHY IS IT THAT PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE THIS WON'T EVEN TAKE THE TIME
TO LEARN???? DON'T THEY THINK THAT WE HAVE FEELINGS TO? I THINK
NOT... FOR WHEN YOU ARE HONEST WITH THEM..THEY TELL YOU THAT THEY
UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY DON'T OR THEY HURT YOU EMOTIONLY....... DON'T
THEY THINK THAT YOU HURT ENOUGH EMOTIONLY ALL READY.....

Now see TC-
I don't mind cleaning up!
Tierra

WOW! This is something I never thought about before! What a scary world we
live in :-(
BBC
Thursday, 25 July, 2002, 01:15 GMT 02:15 UK
Suicide bombers' lasting legacy
Suicide bombers may not just cause carnage when they blow themselves up -
they may also spread disease from beyond the grave. Israeli doctors have
analysed bits of bone embedded in a bomb survivor, and found that they
tested positive for the liver infection hepatitis B.
The team believe this is the first recorded instance of human fragments
acting as foreign bodies in a blast injury.
New Scientist magazine reports a team of emergency staff at the Hillel Yaffe
Medical Centre in Hadera headed by Dr Itzhak Braverman treated 32 victims of
one blast.
They used CT scans to check for metal fragments in the survivors.
In one 31-year-old woman, the scan revealed dense fragments in her neck,
breast and groin.
Further analysis revealed they were not bits of metal but shards of bone
from the suicide bomber.
Dr Braverman sent a fragment to the Institute of Forensic Medcine in Tel
Aviv to be tested. It came back positive for hepatitis B.
No-one had considered this danger before.
Dr Braverman said: "As a result of that case, all survivors of these attacks
in Israel are now vaccinated for hepatitis B."
Other diseases
He said it might also be wise to test for other diseases that could
potentially be spread in the same way.
These include four kinds of hepatitis, dengue fever, syphilis, CJD and
possibly malaria.
Doctors are most concerned about the potential for spreading HIV.
Dr Braverman said HIV tests on the bone fragment taken from the woman tested
negative.
However, he added: "These test kits are designed for blood. It is very hard
to test bone."
Only 50 cases of HIV/Aids have been reported in the West Bank and Gaza.
However, the true extent of infection is difficult to assess.
Dr Mary Ramsey, a consultant in public health medicine at the UK Public
Health Laboratory Service, said there was a risk of infection from hepatitis
B whenever the virus came into contact with an open wound.
"This is why health workers in the UK are generally vaccinated against the
disease," she said.
"The good news is that we can vaccinate after exposure to the virus."

Here is another site I ran across that I hadn't seen before :-) Just
sharing!
http://www.battlinghepc.com/index.html

And they are all thown off the group. We (Vickie Pam and little me) want to put
this poop behind us.
Sooooooooooooo how'd your weekend go girl?
I'm certain we need DETAILS..lol..ok I WANT DETAILS...send me an e-mail or
call me
Bayla
'C' It! Treat It! Defeat It!

Hepatitis C May Cause Erectile Dysfunction
Tue Aug 13, 5:35 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Infection with the hepatitis C virus may
increase the risk of erectile dysfunction, the results of a new study
suggest.
The virus itself may play a direct role in causing erectile dysfunction, the
findings suggest, since investigators took into account liver failure and
treatment for hepatitis C, both of which are suspected of increasing the
risk of erectile dysfunction in men with hepatitis C.
Nearly 4 million American have hepatitis C, making it the most common
chronic viral infection in the US. Chronic inflammation of the liver
develops in many patients, and about 20% of people with hepatitis C will
develop cirrhosis, a
severe and sometimes fatal scarring of the liver. Cirrhosis increases the
risk of liver cancer.
Hepatitis is spread through contact with blood and other body fluids, but
the route of transmission remains undetermined in a substantial percentage
of infections. People who share needles to inject drugs have a high risk of
contracting the disease.
Cases of erectile dysfunction in men with hepatitis C have been reported,
but it is unclear whether the blame should be placed on the virus itself or
on poor liver function caused by the infection. A drug used to treat
hepatitis C, interferon alfa, is another prime suspect.
A team led by Dr. Clodoveo Ferri of the University of Pisa in Italy,
compared the frequency of erectile dysfunction in 207 men with hepatitis C
and 207
healthy men. Among men with hepatitis C, 39% had erectile dysfunction,
compared with 14% of healthy men, according to a report in the August 14th
issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association ( news - web
sites).
But neither the presence of liver failure nor interferon alfa therapy seemed
to affect a man's odds of having erectile dysfunction, according to the
researchers.
"Nonetheless, both liver failure and interferon alfa may also contribute to
erectile dysfunction, and treatment should be individualized," Ferri's team
writes. Suggesting that antiviral treatment may relieve erectile
dysfunction, the researchers recommend that this approach be studied in
clinical trials. They also advise physicians to consider hepatitis C
infection when diagnosing
erectile dysfunction.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association 2002;288:698-699.

Dear fellow slayers,
I have been personally appalled by the lack of information available to the
general public about the epidemic of Hepatitis C and it's affects on those
who live with it. There is a group, however, whose accumulated knowledge is
its own expertise. That group consists of you and me.
It therefore seems apparent to me that we, who are fighting this Dragon on a
daily basis, and the devastating side effects of it's treatment, should be
prevailed upon to share our very valuable information with both the general
public, and the medical community. This is your chance to speak out and be
heard.
This survey will be strictly anonymous. No names or private information will
be asked. Once the data is gathered, it will be formulated into a book with
organ donor card inserts. It is my hope that the book will then serve, not
only as a tool for awareness and a promotion for organ donation, but the
sale of the book will raise funds for the research and development of a
cure.
Please take a few minutes to visit
http://members.aol.com/hepcawareness/index.html
Look over this survey and answer as few or as many questions as you feel
comfortable completing. Either copy and print the form and send it to the
address below or fill out on line and submit. If everyone who takes the
survey passes this on to one other person we will soon be able to complete
the book. Together we can make our fight count. Thank you in advance. May
you all be blessed and well.
Karen M. Bell
Dragon Slayers
PO Box 4793
Middletown, RI 02842

Tuesday, 30 July, 2002, 16:46 GMT 17:46 UK
'Liver transplant transformed my life'
Carol's operation took place at Addenbrookes Hospital
Carol Maskell says her life has been transformed by a successful liver
transplant.
The 57-year-old mother of two who lives near Cambridge underwent surgery
last year.
In 1994, Carol contracted a virus which ended up attacking her liver. She
was diagnosed with cirrhosis and told she would eventually need a
transplant.
"I was not feeling well at all," she told BBC News Online. "I felt dreadful.
I was very tired and was suffering from total exhaustion.
"It was like having a hangover every morning and since I didn't drink I
thought it was unfair. I was in a lot of pain and was on heavy medication."
Tremendous fear
In October 2000, she was put on a waiting list to undergo the life-saving
procedure.
"It is a horrible time," says Carol. "It is very difficult. There is a
tremendous fear, a fear of the operation, a fear of the outcome."
Eight and a half months later Carol received the call from Addenbrooke's
Hospital in Cambridge telling her a suitable donor liver had been found.
"I was very excited and was really looking forward to it," she says.
"The operation took six and a half hours. I woke up in a high dependency
unit with my husband and daughters with big smiles. I was so happy and
relaxed and relieved."
Carole left the hospital 12 days later. The impact of the transplant
operation has been immense.
"The transplant has changed my life completely. I feel 20 years younger. I
think I've been making up for the last eight years. I've been skiing and
sailing recently. Every single day is special."
From time to time, Carol casts her mind to the 50-year-old married man whose
liver she received.
"You do think about the donor. My family were around the bed rejoicing after
my transplant but at the same time we felt tremendous sadness for the
family. We are so thankful to him.
"I just wish everyone would carry a donor card so that people like me can be
given a chance to live."

Experts Debate Cleansing Blood
CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update
Thursday, August 08, 2002
"Experts Debate Cleansing Blood"
St. Petersburg Times (08.08.02)::Wes Allison
The giants of America's blood-banking world, along with the makers of
medical devices and federal regulators, convened Wednesday at the National
Institutes of Health for a workshop on cleaning blood of HIV, hepatitis C
and a host of viruses, bacteria and parasites. The meeting comes on the
heels of an announcement by Florida Blood Services that HIV-positive blood
went undetected and infected two transfusion recipients.
Since 1999, American blood banks using highly sensitive nucleic acid have
tested for HIV in donated blood, cutting the transfusion transmission risk
to just 1 in 2 million. The
procedure works very well except when a donor gives blood up to ten days
after becoming infected, as is believed to have happened in the Florida
Blood Services case. Within that window there may not be enough virus in the
sample for the test to detect.
Over 100 deaths and hundreds of illnesses each year stem from transfusions
due to a wide array of bacteria, from staphylococcus to streptococcus. Most
susceptible are platelets, the blood's clotting agent. Unlike other blood
products, which are chilled or frozen, platelets must be stored at room
temperature, allowing bacteria to grow.
"This is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality from blood
transfusion, way more than HIV, way more than hepatitis, way more than
anything you've heard of," said Dr. Rosalyn Yomtovian, director of the blood
bank and transfusion medicine at University Hospitals of Cleveland.
Experts are turning to a new procedure called pathogen inactivation. The
process works by infusing blood products with chemicals that make pathogens
vulnerable to destruction. The goal is not to filter the blood, but to
destroy the DNA of any bugs in it, rendering them inert.
Experts from the United States, Europe and Canada, however, have misgivings
about pathogen inactivation. Cleansing could double or triple blood
processing costs. Also, the treatment damages blood cells, meaning more
blood would have to be collected. And it will take years of testing to
determine the procedure's safety.
Cerus Corp.-Baxter Healthcare has cleared the first of several regulatory
hurdles for approval of its Helix pathogen inactivation system in the
European Union. And three companies have submitted early test results to the
FDA. FDA licensing of one system or another will likely lead to its becoming
the de
facto standard of care

The People's Pharmacy
Watch What You Take With Medications
LA Times
Question: Some of my friends don't seem to know that beverages might
interact with medications, and when I watch them take pills with a sip of
coffee, grapefruit juice or milk, I cringe. Could you give us some updated
information?
Answer: Avoiding food and drug interactions is more complicated than many
people realize. A woman who takes her antibiotic (tetracycline, Cipro or
Noroxin) with milk or calcium-fortified orange juice might not get over a
urinary-tract infection or bronchitis, for example, because calcium
interferes with absorption of the medicine. Cipro can also boost the
caffeine effect.
Grapefruit juice can interact with dozens of medications. Foods that might
affect certain medicines include cheddar cheese, broccoli, avocado, oat
bran, cabbage, licorice and watercress. When in doubt, swallow pills with a
water.
Q: I understand that eating licorice lowers testosterone levels in men. Will
it have the same impact on testosterone levels in women? Could this hormonal
effect be a solution to eliminating unwanted facial hair in women?
A: An Italian study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Oct.
7, 1999) suggests that men who eat licorice have lower circulating
testosterone levels. Although this herb might also lower testosterone levels
in women, the risks might be too great.
Licorice has a number of potential side effects, including high blood
pressure, fatigue, mineral imbalance and loss of libido.
There are better options for controlling facial hair in women, but they
require a doctor's prescription. The diuretic spironolactone has long been
used for this purpose. Vaniqa cream is also effective.
Q: I keep reading that tea might have benefits over coffee because of its
antioxidants. I prefer decaffeinated tea. Does decaffeinated tea retain its
antioxidant potency?
A: Recent studies demonstrate that tea drinkers are less likely to suffer a
heart attack and less likely to die if they do have a heart attack.
Researchers speculate that antioxidants in tea are responsible.
Both green and black tea contain caffeine, although the dose per cup is
substantially lower than that in coffee. Decaffeination does seem to remove
many beneficial antioxidant compounds.
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical
anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Send questions to People's Pharmacy,
King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019, or e-mail
them at pharmacy@....

Wonderfulllllllllllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bayla <bgumins@...
to PA sometime..and when I get up there I'll be sure to look you up.Stay well
dear Al..I'll catch up with you after I get home..and I'll have photos no
doubt..loads and loads of ME photos!
~Bayla~
SVRnWaiting
'C' It! Treat It! Beat It!
"Hepatitis C is four times
more prevalent
than AIDS"

Health & Science: Study finds food pathogens in ready-to-eat shrimp
Copyright © 2002
Scripps Howard News Service
By LANCE GAY, Scripps Howard News Service
WASHINGTON (August 9, 2002 11:09 p.m. EDT) - A shrimp cocktail is a culinary
delight, but scientists warn that cooked and ready-to-eat shrimp bought at
supermarkets may still harbor dangerous food pathogens.
Douglas Marshall, a professor of food science at Mississippi State
University, said Thursday he was surprised that he could isolate so many
pathogens on a popular ready-to-eat product. The pathogens should have been
killed when the shrimp were processed as ready-to-eat food, he said.
Marshall speculated that the problem could be caused by inadequate cooking
of shrimp at plants, poor sanitation, contamination by workers or poor water
quality in Third World countries where some of the products were processed.
Some of the pathogens he found, he explained, are not normally found in
seafood, but are commonly found carried by humans or animals.
"We found several pathogen strains we didn't expect to find, and that's
quite troubling," Marshall said. "We got a whole host of critters that from
an innocent perspective we didn't anticipate."
The study results were presented in May at a conference of the American
Society for Microbiology in Salt Lake City.
The Institute of Food Technologists earlier this year warned that
supermarket trends towards ready-to-eat products could lead to outbreaks of
food-borne diseases. Some scientists recommend that, as a precaution,
prepared foods be re-cooked to kill any pathogens that might have developed.
Marshall and graduate student Gianna Duran launched their study to see if
shrimp might have antibiotic-resistant bacteria. They purchased 13 packages
of ready-to-eat shrimp from different manufacturers at local grocery stores.
Some were refrigerated products, and others frozen. The frozen shrimp were
then thawed for the study.
The scientists concluded that 42 percent of the bacteria cultured from the
shrimp were drug-resistant. Marshall said fish and shrimp farms use drugs to
treat diseases in their stock, and that it is not surprising there should be
drug-resistant strains in the shrimp sold at supermarkets.
But the study also found pathogens that should have been killed in the
preparation process, including a waterborne agent called vibrio vulnificus.
Cases of diarrhea and even death have been linked to raw oysters and clams
tainted with the pathogen.
Other pathogens, like E. coli, staphylococcus and shigella, were also found
in the shrimp, although they are carried in the intestines of warm-blooded
animals. The study said that this suggests fecal contamination of shrimp,
probably after cooking by workers using unsanitary practices.
Marshall suggested that people with compromised immune systems should
re-heat prepared foods before consuming them.

--- In HepCingles2@y..., Grace Mercy <tierra_87529@y...

Hi and Welcome
Of course we understand what your saying, but a lot of us here have
went through what your saying, for me it was a couple of years ago.
Your at the right place to ask questions. Some of us have met and we
have had a great time. Everyone wants to find someone.
First we need a name. Also you can put your picture in the photo
section. By the way where are you from, I'm Tom aka TC in Michigan.
If you got questions ask away.

HEY I KNOW HOW IT IS I WAS MARRIED FOR 28 YEARSS LOST
IT BECAUSE OF THIS DRAGON AND I AM LOOKING TO MEET
SOMEONE THAT IS PRETTY BECAUSE I FAR FROM BEING UGLY

Hepatitis Awareness Month --- May 2006
May 2006 marks the 11th anniversary of Hepatitis Awareness Month. In the United
States, one of three persons has been infected with hepatitis A virus (HAV),
hepatitis B virus (HBV), or hepatitis C virus (HCV) (1).
HAV is spread by close contact with infected persons or through contaminated
food. Since the introduction of hepatitis A vaccines in 1995, reports of
hepatitis A have declined 84% (CDC, unpublished data, 2004).
HBV and HCV are spread by blood or sexual contact. In 2004, an estimated 60,000
new HBV infections and 26,000 new HCV infections occurred (CDC, unpublished
data, 2004). In 1991, CDC adopted a national vaccination strategy to eliminate
HBV transmission in the United States. Since then, acute hepatitis B has
declined 75%, with the highest incidence remaining among adults.
Approximately 5%--25% of persons with chronic HBV and HCV infection will die
prematurely from cirrhosis and liver cancer. Approximately 1 million persons in
the United States have chronic HBV infection, and 3 million have chronic HCV
infection (1; CDC unpublished data, 2004). Although effective therapies for
viral hepatitis are available, the majority of persons with chronic HCV
infection are unaware of their infection (1).
This issue of MMWR reports on the prevalence of chronic HBV infection among
Asian/Pacific Islander populations in New York City and progress to eliminate
HBV transmission through vaccination of adults. Additional information regarding
hepatitis and Hepatitis Awareness Month is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5518a1.htm

Hi Amanda,
Sage would be good to burn and purify. I should just
break down and buy a juicer HUH? Two years ago I
broke my leg-A Harley and I had an argument and guess
who won-A friend brought a juicer over and we made
carrot/ginger/apple and whatever else and it was
ummmmmmgood! BUT-Whoa is me cause I can not always do
the right thing and sometimes salsa and chips and
guacamole and butterscotch krumpets are really just
the ticket. BUT-I know what you mean. I quit sugar
for three months and I felt like wonder woman. I know
I would do much better if a really nice man would come
here and cook for me. Any takers? Tierra

Hi,
I am right there with you. You are way ahead of me as
I have not even told my friends. I think the idea is
to trust it will happen. Having Hep C weeds out
certain people right away. Male and female.
I ran into an old friend yesterday and the
conversation we had was outrageous in a very good way.
He told me to have low expectations-his idea of
unconditional love. Human nature is the ultimate
isn't? So many people have Hep C and don't even know
it. I have a friend that talks about it and will not
go get tested. It ain't easy being honest and
responsible-but-I think in the end it's a much cleaner
idea. Hang in there sister. It's all good! Tierra

Two years ago I ended a long term relationship with a man who became
afraid of me physically after I was diagnosed with Hep C. Now I want
someone in my life again but I'm afraid of the same thing happening.
The only date I have been on was the other night and the guy got all
freaked out when I brought up the topic. I'm pretty much at peace
with the illness and it's part in my life except where a relationship
is concerned. My close friends don't understand when I try to talk to
them and the one's with the illness are married. I'm feeling real
isolated and alone. Can any of you relate to this. I have read alot
of the e-mails from this group but they are mostly dealing with the
medical end. We with this illness will still face the aftermath of
the intial knowledge of the who, what, where, hows, and whens. I
still want a full life dispite this thing.

TC,
My other problems were an old torn acl which caused a lot of pain,
inflammation and stiffness (which I "fixed" when I got my feet tangled in my
pants and fell down the week before I finally went to see THAT doctor LOL!
Actually, Glo explained it to me...I broke loose adhesions that had formed
around the knee injury...she did the same thing falling down the stairs on
her titanium knee) and an old foot fracture (hey, I made that feel alot
better too by kicking a wall during the move from my house...After the knee
thing, I figured, what the hell...I'll just start slamming myself against
walls and floors and fix my own problems...and avoid the aggravation of
doctors! :-)
Let's see, I also have hypoglycemia and arthritis but I've had those since I
was young and they don't mimic many of the "extrahepatic" symptoms I started
having a couple of years before I got the antibody test. And, I didn't
really get depressed til I lost my job.
But, I suppose that's possible...You know me...I've always had a burning
need to be like everybody else. LMAO
I think you're right about taking Sybil with me...if you'll quit slinking
off to private chat rooms with her long enough for me to get her on her
short leash again! LOL
Love Ya (you old "hypochondriac" :-)!
Nancy

Hey Nancy
It is possible that some of your symptoms are induced by reading to
much stuff and wanting to fit in.LOL I don't remember all your posts
in the past but I know you had some other problems too, plus your
weight loss is a bothersome effect! Of course Depresson can cause a
lot of shit. Better stick with the "wacko" thing.lol~~~~~~~~TC
ps. maybe Sybil can testify on your behalf!

Hi Pam
I didn't really want to bring that up Pam.lol

Hepatitis C: An Epidemic Ignored?
Hepatitis C: An Epidemic Ignored?
Howard J. Worman, MD, New York Presbyterian Hospital - Columbia University
College of Physicians and Surgeons
More than four million Americans are thought to be carriers of the hepatitis
C virus, making it the most common blood-borne infection in this country
today. According to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
as many as seventy percent of those infected with the virus will develop
liver disease. And although some of those infected with the virus will never
get sick, liver failure and other disease complications kill an estimated
eight thousand people each year.
But hepatitis C has, in large part, eluded public consciousness. While most
Americans have learned about AIDS prevention, few know what hepatitis C is,
let alone how to avoid it.
Below, Dr. Howard Worman of Columbia University and the New York
Presbyterian Hospital, sheds light on one of the biggest, and least
understood, health threats today.
Why is hepatitis C so under-diagnosed?
HOWARD J. WORMAN, MD: Hepatitis C is a very new disease. The virus that
causes it was only discovered about a dozen years ago.Consequently, most
doctors practicing today never heard about hepatitis C in medical school,
and I think some of them are still just beginning to learn about this
disease.
In your opinion, who is ultimately responsible for public awareness of the
disease?
That's a tough question. To some extent, I think the government has to do
its job in making the public aware. I think physicians and specialists who
know about the disease should be more involved in public awareness.
Foundations such as the American Liver Foundation have played, and should
play, an important role in making the public aware.
Why are there so many people familiar with HIV risk but not familiar with
hepatitis C, which is far more common?
I think there are a few reasons. For one, HIV was really a killer. When HIV
was first discovered, you made the diagnosis, and your patient was dead
within one to two years. That's not true with hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a
very indolent disease. It doesn't kill the majority of people infected with
it, and I think therefore there was a little less alarm.
The other thing is, there were groups that were very instrumental in making
the public aware of the HIV virus at the beginning. The gay community was
very active in educating the public, as was the entertainment industry. And
with hepatitis C, it just hasn't happened to that degree.
I think the public associates liver disease with alcohol abuse and IV drug
use, and therefore, to some extent, it has a negative connotation among
certain groups of people.
Is that unfounded?
Well, it's true that people who drink too much alcohol get liver disease.
That's the number one cause of liver disease in the United States. It's also
true that IV drug use is, in the United States, the number one way that
hepatitis C is spread. But I still don't think that's a good reason for
people not to talk about this disease or make the public aware.
What do you think is the most important thing that the public needs to
understand about this virus?
There are some people who think that if you have hepatitis C it's a death
sentence, or that you're going to die in a few years. That's not true in the
large majority of cases.
There are other people who think, "I have hepatitis C. I don't have any
symptoms. Forget about it. Nothing can ever happen to me." I think it's
important for people to understand the virus and how it functions in the
body. The outcome of having hepatitis C infection is very unpredictable in
most cases, and it can span a broad spectrum of possibilities from never
being sick your entire life to actually dying or needing a liver
transplantation from complications of liver disease. I think there's a real
lack of education about what the disease really is and all of the possible
outcomes.
How effective are current treatments for hepatitis C?
The best data suggests that up to fifty percent of the people treated with
the current drugs may be most likely cured. At least to the best we can
detect. In other words, the virus can't be detected after treatment. But
that's still far from ideal if you're only curing less than half the people,
and the drugs are very expensive and hard to administer, and there's a lot
of toxicity.
I think what we really need is more basic research. The amount of basic
research or government funding for research on hepatitis C should be
comparable to that of HIV research funding, or more. Basic research on this
virus, how it lives, how it infects people - very little is known about
that.
As a researcher, is it a source of frustration for you that funding for
hepatitis C research is not as ample as that for less common conditions?
Well, when you look at funding from an organization such as the National
Institutes of Health, a lot of it goes to very basic research, and that
research is extremely important, because some of it has implications for any
disease.
A lot of disease-targeted funding from the government and from private
foundations really depends on public influence. If the public has a great
outcry about HIV, the government will fund more research related to HIV, for
example. If a lot of people are interested in the disease, they might give
more to a foundation devoted to that disease. So I think the public
understanding has a lot to do with what diseases get targeted for more
research funding.
Is there adequate funding in hepatitis C to make aggressive strides in new
treatment?
I would say the research in this disease is not well enough funded and not
well enough supported. I think there will be incremental improvements in
treatment over the next several years. There's a lot of effort to develop
new drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. And I think we might start seeing
the entry of some more specific drugs into clinical trials in roughly the
next two years. But I think it's probably going to be much further out than
two years until an extremely effective drug treatment for most cases of
hepatitis C is available.
Copyright 2002 Healthology, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://hepcvets.com

Pammie,
Thank you for this...(although it maked me cry)...my little sister (46) has
CFIDS, COPD, and Fibromyalgia and in the past 6 years I've had to watch her
go from being one of the greatest human dynamos I've ever known to having to
take constant massive dosing of major narcotics all day and walking like a
very old crippled person in constant pain...But, she still keeps
going...just as much as she can (and it kills me to watch...and makes me
feel like SUCH a wimp!)
Love,
Nancy

Pam,
Thank you! I love all the info you give us. I was doing allot of research
before. Now it seems like you give allot of info. I don't have to go on such a
chase! Tehee! Thank you again! Dana
PeachStatePam wrote:http://www.hepcchallenge.org/manual/sitemap.htm
I always try to share when I run across a new site I haven't seen before
:-)

hey tc....... haven't you figured out yet that i am in la la land half the
time LOL I mean we have been on these lists together for YEARS :-) I
would have thought you had my number by now ROFLOL Anyway, i guess it
never registered before......... but I really am hap hap happy for you!!
WOOHOO!!
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. --
Missy Dizick

http://www.hepcchallenge.org/manual/sitemap.htm
I always try to share when I run across a new site I haven't seen before
:-)

Why Seeing is NOT Believing When Dealing With a Chronic Illness!
http://www.invisibledisabilities.com/lookgood.htm

Hi Pam, Good to see you back.
I thought you knew I cleared the hepc virus! Been on the lists for
about 3 years and they screwed up my pcr viral load tests, so I
didn't have the $$ to get them done again till recently and I have
had two of the tests done, one down to fifty virie(spell), both
negative! So I have for the past 3 years had an extreme case of
Hypchrondia.LOL Actually a lot of my sides were caused by Depression.
Life is strange. I said why me when I found out I tested positive to
hepc anti-bodies! I said why me again when I tested negative for any
viral load!

yes you did post tony

Veritas Medicine: Printed Information
Amantadine in chronic hepatitis C therapy (Part 1) 08/02/2002
Amantadine, a drug known to be effective against the influenza virus, has
also been studied over the last few years as a possible treatment for
chronic hepatitis C infection. This viewpoint will examine the data on the
use of amantadine to treat hepatitis C patients who have not had prior
therapy for
HCV ("naïve" patients). Next month's Viewpoint will examine its role in the
yreatment of patients who have relapsed from or failed prior therapies.
The role of amantadine in the therapy of naïve patients has been the subject
of several studies. Because of the controversy around amantadinme, it may be
worth discussing these studies in some detail. First, in one study, Zeuzem
and colleagues assigned 119 patients randomly to a regimen of either
interferon plus amantadine or interferon alone. After one year, one-third of
patients receivign either treatment had undetectable amount of HCV in their
blood. Six months later the so-called "sustained virologic response rate,"
or SVR, were 10% in the group receiving amantadine and 22% in the group who
received only interferon.
Three additional studies also found that amantadine added little benefit to
treatment with interferon. Caronia et al. reported SVRs of 23% and 17%,
while Tabone et al reported SVR's of 24% and 17%, for combination treatment
an interferon alone, respectively. A third study, published in February of
this
year, showed similar sustained virologic response rates of 21% and 14%,
respectively. While the amantadine patients had SVRs that were slightly
higher, the conclusion was that addition of amantadine did not lead to
statistically significant differences in response rates.
In one final report of more than 200 patients, those taknig amatadine did
appear to have a slightly better result, with nearly 30% responding to
amantadine plus interferon, against only 17% for interferon alone. There is
no clear explanation for the discrepancy between this last study and the
ones
noted above.
Why should we care? The most effective therapies currently available for
hepatitis C infection (alpha interferon/pegylated interferon in combination
with ribavirin) produce sustained virologic response rates that are far
superior to those reported above--as high as 60%. We can undoubtedly expect
to see reports on the combination of pegylated interferon with amantadine.
But I am not optimistic that these studies will add more to the management
of naive, HCV-infected patients. If there is any role for amantadine it may
lie in its use combined with future, non-interferon based drugs, or in the
patient who has relapsed or failed to respond to interferon and ribavirin
combinations-- a topic we will discuss in more detail in my next Viewpoint.
References:
Zeuzem S, Teuber G, Naumann U, Berg T, Raedle J, Hartmann S, Hopf U
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of interferon alfa2a with
and without amantadine as initial treatment for chronic hepatitis C.
Hepatology. 2000; 32:835-41
Mangia A, Minerva N, Annese M, Leandro G, Villani MR, Santoro R, Carretta V,
Bacca D, Giangaspero A, Bisceglia M, Ventrella F, Dell'Erba G, Andriulli A.
A randomized trial of amantadine and interferon versus interferon alone as
initial treatment for chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology. 2001;33:989-93
Caronia S, Bassendine MF, Barry R, Mills P, Naoumov NV, Fox R, Lowes J,
Hollanders D, Murray-Lyon L, Irving WL, Goldin RD, Foster GR; UK Amantadine
Study Group. Interferon plus amantadine versus interferon alone in the
treatment of naive patients with chronic hepatitis C: a UK multicentre
study.
J Hepatol. 2001;35:512-6.
Tabone M, Laudi C, Delmastro B, Biglino A, Andreoni M, Chieppa F, Bonardi R,
Cariti G, Cusumano S, Brunello F, Calleri G, Manca A, Della Monica P, Sidoli
L, Rizzetto M, Pera A. Interferon and amantadine in combination as initial
treatment for chronic hepatitis C patients. J Hepatol. 2001;35:517-21
Helbling B, Stamenic I, Viani F, Gonvers JJ, Dufour JF, Reichen J, Cathomas
G, Steuerwald M, Borovicka J, Sagmeister M, Renner ELInterferon and
amantadine in naive chronic hepatitis C: a double-blind, randomized,
placebo-controlled trial. Hepatology. 2002; 35:447-54.
Written by Chinweike Ukomadu, M.D., Ph.D.
Content created 8/2/02
Content last reviewed August 2, 2002

Older article but worth recycling. My new internist suggested I take Motrin
for my leg pains.......he thought it was better than Tylenol. So many that
know so little ;-)

May 12, 2006 / Vol. 55 / No. 18
The MMWR weekly contains data on specific diseases as reported by state
and territorial health departments and reports on infectious and chronic
diseases, environmental hazards, natural or human-generated disasters,
occupational diseases and injuries, and intentional and unintentional injuries.
Also included are reports on topics of international interest and notices of
events of interest to the public health community.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_wk.html?s_cid=mmwr_wk_e
a.. Hepatitis Awareness Month --- May 2006
b.. Screening for Chronic Hepatitis B Among Asian/Pacific Islander
Populations --- New York City, 2005
c.. Hepatitis B Vaccination Coverage Among Adults --- United States,
2004
d.. Vaccine Preventable Deaths and the Global Immunization Vision and
Strategy, 2006--2015
e.. Errata: Vol. 55, No. 17
f.. QuickStats: Percentage of Hospital Inpatients Transferred to
Long-Term--Care Facilities, by Age Group --- United States, 1990, 1995, 2000,
and 2004
g.. Notifiable Diseases/Deaths in Selected Cities Weekly Information
*Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 is needed to view the PDF files downloaded from
this site. Click here to download a copy of the Adobe reader for your platform.

Medical center recalls body parts out of fear they carried infectious diseases
Tue Aug 6, 6:30 AM ET
HOUSTON - A medical center in Texas has issued a recall of body parts shipped to
research facilities across the United States, warning that some may have carried
infectious diseases, including HIV ( news - web sites).
The University of Texas Medical Branch said Monday that the diseased body parts
may have been shipped accidentally because of poor record keeping. Officials
alerted about 60 research programs and issued a recall of parts shipped within
an 18-month period.
"Unembalmed body parts shipped between November 2000 and May 2002 may not have
been tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV," spokeswoman Chris Comer said
in Tuesday's Houston Chronicle.
It was not known Monday whether any researchers were exposed to or became
infected with dangerous viruses, but officials urged that anyone involved in
research with body parts shipped from the medical center's Willed Body Program
during that period take precautions.
The concern arose after officials discovered that records in the program were so
jumbled that they could not determine whether any of the parts had been tested
for the viruses.
"We just don't have confidence in the completeness or accuracy of the records,
so what we're doing is sending letters of notification to these medical research
programs," Comer said.
The warning is the latest of several bizarre disclosures about the Willed Body
Program that have emerged since early July, when officials said the FBI ( news -
web sites) was investigating the possible illegal sale of body parts by a
program employee who was fired on May 9.
In recent weeks, officials with the center also announced that the ashes of
scores of body donors, whose families had expected to receive their cremated
remains, instead were commingled.
The fiasco has been blamed on Allen Tyler Jr., who worked in the program for 36
years and supervised the handling of donated bodies from their arrival to their
delivery to an on-campus crematorium.
Comer said Tyler's alleged faulty bookkeeping may be to blame for the latest
problems as well.
Tyler, 56, has not been charged with any crime and has refused to comment on the
case.
Officials said they began detecting discrepancies in Willed Body Program records
as early as March. Because the program involves shipping bodies and body parts
across state lines, they contacted federal officials and the FBI began
investigating.

Hepatic Encephalopathy
http://www.hepatitis-central.com/index.html
Alternative names:
hepatic coma; encephalopathy - hepatic
Definition:
A group of symptoms that may occur when there is damage to the brain and
nervous system as a complication of liver disorders, characterized by
various neurologic symptoms including changes in consciousness, behavior
changes, and personality changes.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Hepatic encephalopathy is caused by disorders affecting the liver. These
include disorders that reduce liver function (such as cirrhosis or
hepatitis) and conditions where blood circulation bypasses the liver. The
exact cause of the disorder is unknown. The liver cannot properly metabolize
and detoxify substances in the body. Accumulation of toxic substances causes
metabolic abnormalities that lead to damage in the central nervous system
(brain and spinal cord). The most common toxic substance is ammonia, which
is produced by the body when proteins are digested, but normally is
detoxified by the liver. Many other substances also accumulate in the body
and damage the nervous system.
In people with otherwise stable liver disorders, hepatic encephalopathy may
be triggered by episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding, excessive dietary
protein, or electrolyte abnormalities (especially decrease in potassium,
which may result from vomiting or treatments such as diuretics or
paracentesis). The disorder may also be triggered by any condition that
results in alkalosis (alkaline blood pH), low oxygen levels in the body, use
of medications that suppress the central nervous system (such as
barbiturates or Benzodiazepine tranquilizers), infections including viral
hepatitis, bile duct obstruction, surgery, or any coincidental illness.
Disorders that mimic or mask symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy include
Reye's syndrome, alcohol intoxication, sedative overdose, complicated
alcohol withdrawal, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, subdural hematoma,
meningitis, metabolic abnormalities such as low blood glucose, and Wilson's
disease. Hepatic encephalopathy occurs in approximately 4 out of 100,000
people. It may occur as an acute, potentially reversible disorder or as a
chronic, progressive disorder.
Prevention:
Treatment of liver disorders, particularly when that treatment includes
restriction of dietary protein (a primary source of ammonia), may prevent
some cases of hepatic encephalopathy. Any neurologic symptoms in a person
with known or suspected liver disease should be referred to the health care
provider immediately.
Symptoms:
changes in mental state, consciousness, behavior, personality forgetfulness
confusion, disorientation delirium (acute, severe confusion with fluctuating
level of consciousness) dementia (loss of memory, intellect, reasoning, and
other functions) changes in mood decreased alertness, daytime sleepiness
decreased responsiveness, progressive stupor, coma, decreased self-care
ability, deterioration of handwriting, or loss of other small hand
movements, coarse muscle tremors, muscle stiffness or rigidity, seizures
(rare), yellow skin, jaundice, speech impairment, movement, uncontrollable
movement, dysfunctional breath odor, gynecomastia, breast development,
agitation, Babinski's reflex, decerebrate posture
Signs and tests:
Neurologic symptoms may fluctuate. Asterixis (coarse "flapping" muscle
tremor) may be observed during voluntary movement, such as when the person
attempts to hold the arms out in front of the body. Liver disease may be
known or may be suspected. Skin may be jaundiced (yellow skin and eyes).
Ascites (fluid collection in the abdomen) may be noted because of increased
body weight, abdominal enlargement, and abdominal examination that shows
free fluid in the abdomen. Occasionally, there is a characteristic musty
odor to the breath and the urine. Blood tests may be nonspecific, or may
show liver failure. Blood chemistry may show low albumin, high bilirubin, or
other abnormality. Serum ammonia levels are commonly high. Prothrombin time
may be prolonged and not correctable with vitamin K.
CT scan of the head may be normal, or may show general atrophy (loss of
tissue).
EEG (electroencephalogram, a reading of electrical activity in the brain)
shows characteristic abnormalities.
Treatment:
Hepatic encephalopathy is an acute medical condition that may become a
medical emergency. Hospitalization is required.
The goals of treatment include life support, elimination or treatment of
precipitating factors, and removal or neutralization of ammonia and other
toxins. Life support including support of breathing or circulation may be
required, particularly if coma develops. Cerebral edema (brain swelling) may
occur and may be life threatening.
Precipitating factors must be identified and treated. Gastrointestinal
bleeding must be stopped. This often requires endoscopy (use of a scope) and
cauterization or other means to control bleeding. The intestines must be
emptied of blood. Blood breaks down into protein components that are
converted to ammonia. Magnesium citrate or other laxatives, and/or enemas
are used to evacuate the intestines.
Reduced or no protein in diet is prescribed to reduce ammonia production.
Vegetable protein may be tolerated better than animal protein. Specially
formulated intravenous or enteric feedings (tube feedings) may be necessary.
Lactulose prevents absorption of ammonia from the intestines and acts as a
laxative to evacuate blood from the intestines. Neomycin may be given by
mouth to reduce ammonia production by intestinal bacteria. Sedatives,
tranquilizers, or any other medication that is metabolized or excreted by
the liver should be avoided. Medications containing ammonium (including
certain antacids) should be avoided. Other medications and treatments may be
recommended, with variable results.
Expectations (prognosis):
Acute hepatic encephalopathy may be reversible, while chronic forms of the
disorder are often progressive. Both forms may result in irreversible coma
and death, with approximately 80% fatality if coma develops. Recovery and
recurrence are variable.
Complications:
cerebral edema (brain swelling) brain herniation progressive, irreversible
coma
permanent neurologic losses (movement, sensation, or mental state) increased
risk of:
sepsis
respiratory failure
cardiovascular collapse
kidney failure
side effects of medications
Calling your health care provider:
Call your health care provider if any change in mental state or other
neurologic function occurs, particularly if there is known or suspected
liver disorder. Hepatic encephalopathy can rapidly progress to become an
emergency condition!
Permission Granted for use from Health Central.

WOW!! IT IS good to see you again Louise and I hope that you will update us
when you get some time and yes I will certainly pray for you as well :-)
but TC when did you clear the virus? What great news!! I guess it hadn't
registered before now if you posted it! YOU GO TC! and take care of
yourself LOUISE......... prayers ARE in force ;-)
Peace and Love,
Pam
Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you. --
Missy Dizick

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
NIH News
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
http://www.nida.nih.gov/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, May 11, 2006
CONTACT: Sara Rosario Wilson, 301-443-6245, media@...; Contacto en
Español: 301-594-6145
NIDA RESEARCH UNCOVERS THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF DREAD
In what is the first brain imaging study of dread, new research supported by the
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, has
shown that people who experience substantial dread about an adverse experience
can be biologically distinguished from those who can better tolerate the
experience. Understanding how the brains of nonaddicted people guide them in
selecting what actions to take when the outcome of a decision is unpleasant lays
the foundation for further investigations that can compare how drug abusers'
brains make such choices. The study is published in the May 5, 2006 issue of the
journal "Science".
"Brain imaging technology offers unique insight into the biological mechanisms
involved in decision-making, which is invaluable in developing tailored
treatment strategies for addiction and drug abuse," says NIH Director Dr. Elias
Zerhouni.
"There is substantial evidence that drug abusers place more value on short-term,
rather than long-term outcomes," says NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. "Past
investigations that have looked at how drug abusers make choices have used
positive rewards. But this study looked at how people made choices when faced
with unpleasant stimuli."
In the study, Dr. Gregory Berns of Emory University School of Medicine and his
colleagues used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to create images of
brain activity in 32 nondrug-abusing participants awaiting brief electrical
shocks to their feet. By charting which regions experience increased blood flow
over time, fMRI helps scientists understand the relationship between particular
types of mental activity and specific areas of the brain.
They observed that activity patterns associated with the dread of waiting
involved areas of the brain that govern human pain perception. Specifically, the
responses were seen in brain areas that appear to be ruled by attention more
than regions associated with fear.
The scientists determined each participant's maximal pain threshold and then
presented them with a series of choices from 36 possibilities. For example, each
person could elect to receive a shock that was 30 percent of their threshold in
27 seconds or one that was 60 percent in 9 seconds.
"We noted that normal, healthy subjects could be divided into two groups --
extreme dreaders, who could not tolerate a delay and preferred an immediate (and
stronger) painful stimulus; and mild dreaders, who could tolerate a delay for a
milder shock," says Dr. Berns. "We saw that the extreme dreaders could be
distinguished from the mild dreaders by virtue of the information captured on
the brain scans. The findings suggest that dread derives, in part, from the
attention devoted to the expected physical response and is not simply a fear or
anxiety reaction."
"Continuing to use drugs despite the expectation of the practice's negative
effects is a hallmark of addiction," says Dr. Volkow. "The results of this study
form the foundation for future research to determine whether drug abusers
exhibit disruption in the brain systems that process the anticipation of
unpleasant consequences."
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes
of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of
the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The
Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid
dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and
practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on
NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at
http://www.drugabuse.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- "The Nation's Medical Research
Agency" -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for
conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare
diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Well Tierra, I heard awhile back on another list from someone who
has been researching this "eat right stuff", for some time and her
final conclusion was that "If it tastes Good, Spit it Out".~~~~~~~TC

Hi and Welcome and you just did post

I just joined this group and i want to see if I can post

--- In HepCingles2@y..., "samraniam" <samraniam@h...
but we do have a bud of sage that I can burn around the house..... I
think it needs it..... don't think the girls purified this place
after the crack heads gave the place up and they moved in....LOL
Love Amanda
Well...we burned Something around here...but I don't think it was
Sage. LOL
Love, Da Goddess :-)

Ah Tierra...you are one of US then, eh? :-) COOL!!! C'mon down! We will
REALLY terrorize the locals then! Those biker boys won't know What to
do!...LOL
I've worked a couple of those too...and I've never ever met better
people...that really take care of each other...no better friends in the
world (well, cept for my hepper family here :-)!
Love,
Nancy

Tierra,
I don't follow directions well so I can't go by any books :-) I just became
sensitive to how I felt after eating certain things (like fried foods, for
example) and started listening to my body. If I feel like crap after eating
something, I don't eat it. Simple enough, eh? :-)
Love,
Nancy

Hey,
Let me intro myself.... I am the imfamous Amanda....
You caught my attention with the emergent C.... my favorite is
raspberry. As far as a book for a good diet I'm not real sure but I
have been trying to keep it clean food. Organic fruits, veggies, and
nuts, when I eat meat I try to get free range and eggs are a big part
of my protien intake(veggie fed of course). I find that since the
treatment and the onset of diabetes that if I avoid grains that I
feel much better. I also do Greens Plus daily which is just packed
with good stuff. The change in diet has really improved my health and
activity level which makes me feel better which improves my activity
level which makes me feel better....
Now blue corn is not good for eating.... way too starchy, but we do
have a bud of sage that I can burn around the house..... I think it
needs it..... don't think the girls purified this place after the
crack heads gave the place up and they moved in....LOL
Well take care and Nancy should be back later to take the computer
duties back from me.... thank goodness....lol
Love Amanda

Tierra,
I'm just not very coordinated...and Really THROW myself into whatever I do!
LOL
So...I'd be ALL done up in Blue Corn Flour, ya know?...specially when wet!
:-)
And yes...if you want real rowdy...you need to visit our NewHepSingles
group. It's in the "Adult" section...so we can say words without using all
the top symbol keys on our keyboards..and post "naughty" pics (We have a
Girls photo album...for the girls visual pleasure...and we even let the boys
have their own album too :-)
Love,
Nancy

Hi Pam.
Thanks for the info. I am not doing the
anti-depressant. I decided to try the St. John's Wort
because I used it years ago and felt so much better.
I want to give this a chance first.
I know a woman here who was on Prosaic for years and
got off of it with the St. John's Wort. There is a
book I own somewhere around here that a medical doctor
wrote about St. John's Wort. Give me a few days or
more and I will try to find it and give you the info.
By the way I read your article about the Vitamin C.
This is so scary. I have been using "Emer'gen-C" I
pour into water. It is 1,000 mg of vitamin C. I like
the Strawberry flavor. I can no longer take a pill
form-even the chewables. This seems to do the
trick-though- a bit pricy.
I really appreciate all of the articles you write and
send to us. Thanks again
Tierra

Thanks TC,
Since this is the "Conservative group" yeah right!
Sounds like my tribe! Tierra

Hey Nancy,
I'll bring my motorcycle too. I really do ride one. I
have put in a transmission in a 65 dodge dart with a
boyfriend years ago...I would imagine running lawn
equipment would make me feel superior. Creepy crawly
things? We got em here.
Biker Bars-my favorites-I've worked in a few. Good
people!
The saying is actually a bumper sticker that I would
like to have. If you ever see it let me know!
Wild women? There just ain't enough of them.
Tierra

Hey everyone,
Besides the cosmos and all that other stuff...does
anyone have a favorite book for eating right and it
being simple too?

Nancy-Ma Dear-
The blue corn flour is for sprinkling around yourself
or home to ward off the spirits that are not nice.
Also it's good for making tortillas and there is even
"blue popcorn." I mean when you do sprinkle it some
may get in your hair and eyelashes...
This is the conservative group?...Oh my stars!
Tierra

New liver; hope for new life
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
By JASON LAUGHLIN
Courier-Post Staff
DELANCO
Emma Paygar sat in a darkened hospital room with a Bible on her lap, holding her
daughter's hand.
"God, you know everything," Paygar prayed. "I cannot do it alone. Only you can
do it. We have been through all this and you have pulled us through."
It was the pre-dawn hours of April 4 at Camden's Our Lady of Lourdes Medical
Center. Paygar's daughter Ling Fasulo was near death.
"It was like waiting for your last day," Fasulo, 32, remembered of the hours she
spent, sleepless, waiting for 3:30 a.m., when nurses would come to prepare her
for a liver transplant.
"It was really very questionable whether or not she was going to survive," said
Fasulo's doctor, John Radomski, the hospital's head of surgery.
Today Fasulo's back at her mother's Delanco home and is willing to show off the
upside down "Y" scar that spans her belly. Her high-cheeked face is gaunt and
she gets fatigued easily, but she's animated when she talks. She laughs as her
sisters Eve, 18, and Mandie, 10, tease her about things only sisters could say.
She downplays the danger she faced, saying she always believed she would
survive.
Fasulo, a Liberian, spent most of her adult life surviving the 14 years of civil
war in her West African nation. She believes one of two soldiers in Liberia who
raped her gave her the hepatitis B that ravaged her liver. Her illness has
forced her to confront experiences she has lived with by burying them.
"I just put it behind me because I just know that it happened to me and there's
nothing to do about it and nothing I can feel about it and I just have to live
with it," she said.
Fasulo, whose father is a white American, said she was targeted in her home
country because of her light skin, a feature considered attractive in Liberian
women. When she was 18 one soldier took her to live with him and raped her
almost daily for eight months, she said. If she said no, he threatened to kill
her.
"It was just constant," she said. "Every day, every day, every day. You're just
like another (stick of) furniture they want and they can use you any way they
want to."
She still carries a scar on her leg from that man's knife. He cut her deeply
once when she fought off his sexual advances.
Two years later, another soldier took her to live with him. By then he had
separated her from her year-old daughter. That man raped her twice, but
ultimately helped her escape after two months, she said. She considers him
someone who did her a favor.
Recently she has tested negative for the virus, and her doctors said in some
cases the virus simply passes out of the system.
Fasulo escaped from Liberia to Senegal, but developed a swollen spleen doctors
said could kill her. She arrived in the United States in March 2004.
America didn't offer an easy solution. The root problem wasn't her spleen. In
2005, doctors realized Fasulo's hepatitis B necessitated a liver transplant.
That began five months of waiting for a donor liver.
Fasulo experienced the tightrope walk faced by the 18,000 people every year
waiting for livers. Typically a patient has to be near death before they qualify
for a transplant.
"That's a fine line because it's a big operation to do a liver transplant and
patients can get to the point where you think they're too sick to undergo the
procedure," Radomski said.
Ten to 15 percent of people on the waiting list each year will probably die
waiting, he said.
In the past year Fasulo's family became accustomed to a state of constant vigil.
Mandie shares a bedroom with Fasulo and still has trouble sleeping.
"Sometimes I get afraid to sleep in the room with her, because I get anxiety
with her in the room," Mandie said.
Eve Paygar transferred from Shaw University in North Carolina to Burlington
County College to help her family.
"My mom is like my best friend and I'm the only person she could talk to so I
just wanted to be close by," she said. "And, I mean, that's my sister and I was
stressed out too."
in a hospital bed, comatose, tubes sprouting like weeds from her nose, mouth and
body. She twitched and shifted silently, as if still feeling pain.
Sometimes conscious, Fasulo was rarely lucid.
"I felt terrible," Paygar, 47, said. "She became like a baby. She began to cry
and she could not sleep. All she would do is cry. She was blind. She couldn't
see anything, she didn't know what was going on."
A small piece of good fortune came from the results of DNA tests that proved
Fasulo's father was a Massachusetts man who had an illicit relationship with
Paygar while he was in the Peace Corps. That allowed Fasulo to receive Medicare
coverage that paid for her treatment. It also allowed her to stay in the country
long after her original six-month visa expired.
Fasulo's father did not return calls for comment.
Fasulo was so ill by the time she qualified for a donor liver, she probably
would not have lived one more month, Radomski said. He credited the medical team
at the hospital, specifically Dr. Raza Hamdani, with keeping her alive until the
transplant surgery.
Fasulo's not out of the woods. If a body's going to reject a transplanted organ,
it's most likely to do it in the three to six months after the surgery, Radomski
said.
And Fasulo may still need her spleen removed. Parts of it's dead and it's
causing her serious pain. That's a decision that'll be made after Fasulo has
recovered from the transplant.
After years of living with the threat of death Fasulo's grateful for a reprieve.
"At least somebody gave me the chance to live," she said.
Reach Jason Laughlin at (856) 486-2476 or jlaughlin@...
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060510/NEWS01/6051\
00348

Hepatitis C and Stigma
Our recent poll showed the overwhelming majority of respondents believed
in, or experienced, the stigma associated with viral hepatitis. Here is a
beautifully written, sensitive, and thorough document dealing with the stigma of
HCV, and how to live with it. What's unique about this document is that it
emphasises the inner costs of stigma, and addresses dealing with your own
emotions regarding your stigmatized disease.
http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/stigma_guide.pdf
http://hepatitis.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=hepatitis&zu=http%\
3A%2F%2Fwww.hcvadvocate.org%2Fhepatitis%2Ffactsheets_pdf%2Fstigma_guide.pdf&nl=1

Hey all, Pammie called today to say that her ISP has been down for a few
days (dam, bet that's inducing some serious withdrawal symptoms!...It did me
when I wasn't "connected" for a bit there! :-)...she just wanted to let
every one know that she hasn't abandoned us :-)
(Also told Amanda that she's Very jealous of our Female Only Paradise
Tropicale Nature Showers...I think she's on her way down. hehe)
Love,
Nancy

Hi,
I'm quite new to all this. briefly I'm a 56 year old male in
search of a special lady. She is between mid 50s to 60. She has hepc
and would like a good male in her life who has hepc also. If she is
reading this please contact me here or L4uhm@... for more info.

I will be going to be evaluaded next Monday, in Omaha, Nebraska for a
Liver Transplant. 3 treatments since 1997, Genotype 1B. Have HHC.

Are You Newly Diagnosed?
Your Guide to Hepatitis
Chronic Hepatitis
If you've just been diagnosed with any type of chronic hepatitis, whether
autoimmune, viral, or Wilson disease, you probably have many questions. You may
be anxious, afraid, lost, and you're not sure who to turn to. The tips below are
meant to give you some initial pointers, and help you concentrate your energies
on the journey ahead.
The first mantra: Hepatitis is Not A Death Sentence!
While chronic (lasting) hepatitis can possibly lead to life-threatening
conditions such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, these conditions may take
decades to develop, and they do not develop in everyone with chronic hepatitis.
The fact is, we still don't know what makes some people more susceptible to
complications, while some people never have symptoms. Certainly, genetics plays
a role. Caring for your liver is important whether or not it is ill, but more so
when you have a chronic liver inflammation (which is what happens in hepatitis).
When your liver is already injured (inflamed), it has trouble working. If you
abuse it (with drugs, alcohol, certain medications), you will cause further
damage and your symptoms will worsen.
Positive attitude and good self-care, which includes complying with treatments,
should take you far on the road to well being, both emotional and physical.
The second mantra: Your Liver is not the Only Thing that Needs Support Right
Now.
The diagnosis of chronic hepatitis is frightening. When facing a potentially
life-threatening situation, you need all the support you can get. But where do
you turn for help?
If you have chronic viral hepatitis (hepatitis B or C), you may be reluctant to
tell people about it. Viral hepatitis, unfortunately, has a stigma associated
with it. Worse, it is sometimes misunderstood. Just as people used to consider
HIV infection contagious through casual contact (and some people still do), they
worry about viral hepatitis infection being passed through casual contact.
Turn to the people you trust the most, those closest to you (whether they are
family members or friends). But even the most loyal people will need to
understand more about your condition. Before you tell, make sure you have a good
understanding of the facts. Ask your doctor if he or she has any educational
pamphlets about your particular type of hepatitis. Educational material can also
be ordered from the CDC (free) and from the American Liver Foundation ($0.75
each). You may be asked how you were infected, if your hepatitis is viral.
Sometimes, no one knows the answer to that. It really isn't important, either.
The fact is, you have this disease, and you need to concentrate on getting
better (or staying well). Emphasize that point.
Burning Question #1: Can I make my Houeshold Contacts Sick?
If you have infectious hepatitis, reasonable precautions will keep those who
live with you safe. Other forms of hepatitis are not contagious.
a.. Don't share personal items such as toothbrushes, razors, combs / brushes
b.. If you are bleeding, cover the cut with an adhesive waterproof bandage, no
matter how small it is
c.. If your blood dripped on ay surfaces in the house, wash the area with
bleach
d.. Bloody bandages, sanitary napkins etc. should be disposed of safely,
preferably in 2 plastic bags
e.. If you have hepatitis A or B, those who live with you should be vaccinated
f.. Use latex condoms, especially if you have hepatitis B and your partner
doesn't
Burning Question #2: Do I have to Tell My Boss?
The short answer is no, you don't. Of course, as is the case with all short
answers, there is always a "but."
You are not obligated to inform your employer of your condition, as long as
you can do your work effectively, and you're not risking others. On the other
hand, if the time comes when you need special accommodations to continue doing
your job effectively, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will not protect
you if you have not informed your employer of your condition.
The ADA is meant to help people with disabilities continue their job
effectively. In order to qualify under the ADA, the disability must be
documented and known to your employer. You can't demand accommodations for an
unspecified medical condition.
Burning Question #3: Do I have to tell any Healthcare Workers?
People with infectious hepatitis should notify healthcare workers, including
dentists, of their hepatitis status. This will also help you avoid treatments
that can further injure your liver. For example, your dentists may tell you not
to take Tylenol for pain, but rather something that doesn't tax the liver.
http://hepatitis.about.com/od/ihepatitisoverview/a/newlydiag.htm

Tierra Honey....this IS the "conservative group" LOL!
(Hey, thanks for the visual...I'll be walking around all day picturing
myself dressed in Blue Corn flour now...Cool! :-)

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/community/community_pdf/Cross_3.pdf

The Cosmos changes administration?....like the U.S.?! (Oh oh, we could be
in BIG trouble! :-)
Can't think of any good jokes at the moment...(got a little funnie
tho...took my 17 yo to the store to exchange some pants yesterday and he
said "Mom...they've got t-shirts here that are just for you...say things
like "You are the reason I take medications" and "You don't want to know
what the voices in my head are saying about you"...the kid knows me far too
well! :-)
I just love to laugh...figure any day I wake up breathing is a dam good
start to a good day, ya know? (AND...now Pammie has found and posted
scientific data supporting the healing qualities of laughter! Hmmm, does
that make me a "Healer"? LOL)
Love,
Nancy

Hey Tierra,
Do you know how to run lawn equipment...oh, and sweat alot...and don't mind
creepy crawly things, Hon? If so, come on down...We'll just mow some more
asshigh grass to make room for your truck. LOL
Amanda and I went out and terrorized the neighborhood last night. We WERE
heading to the Super Walmart for foodstuffs BUT....as others who have met me
can attest, I am a "Very Bad Influence" on people...I Make them smoke and
drink and do all kinds of things that they wouldn't do if I wasn't
around...(eh, Deb and TC? :-)
Hehe....Amanda just walked in and called me a Bitch (like that were a bad
thing :-) for "getting her drunk"! (It wasn't like I was trying to take
advantage of her for cryst sake! :-)...Took her to a couple of my local
biker bar dives (the Best Places! :-) We are not feeling at our best this
morning but, Dam, did we have a hoot...(she is a WildWoman...as opposed to
very quiet, shy, prim and proper, reserved me...LOL)...and at least we
didn't dance on any tables or enter any Wet T-Shirt contests or whatnot.
BTW...I LOVE the subject line! I will have to remember that (probably
better write it down and put in on the wall in front of me here then...since
I'm completely out of "resident memory" :-)
Love,
Nancy
(Mmmmm, think I need to go eat something :-)

I know Nancy and Amanda, Tierra and they are fun people to be
with.~~~~~~~~~TC

Hey Pam
I don't know about turkey rhubarb, but other rhubarbs, one has to be
very careful when cooking, that you don't cook the leaves, a very
strong poison oxalic acid may be released, If I remember right!~~TC

Hey you all-
Just when I thought this was a conservative group-well
my stars-here we are talking about dancing in the
moonlight-naked? Gasp! Humor? Compassion? Just
remember-it's all good! Tierra- Can anbody show me
that dance?

Hi Nancy,
Oh the woods. Naked in the daytime....My neighbors
would be up in arms over that. Well-some of them. I
just had to introduce my self once a long time ago but
every now and then I feel I must do it again. Just
incase the administration has changed in the cosmos.
Ya know-new superintendent. What B. S. I am
sprouting? no shouting? no pop- tarts. Hanging out in
the woods without a job and no stress sounds like the
ultimate prayer. Dancing, singing, praying for
others-it's all good. P. S. Jokes are good too.
Tierra

Hey Nancy,
Capt. Amandadanna and you and films with good-looking
men in them? Sounds dangerous to me and where do I
sign up? Keep talking like that and I may well be on
my way. I have two dogs. A Jack Russel and a
cocker-spaniel mix. Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Tierra P.S Alas,
I just have a pick-up truck with a camper that does
not match but the "good for the skin" climate is
tempting.

Yessss indeedy...Capt. Amandadanna pulled in with her camper (with the front
two wheels of her Cherokee airborne...LOL!) yesterday evening. And, we
unloaded all her worldly possessions...IN the Lightning Storm! (She is a
fanatical slavedriver! LOL) And then, we stayed up half the nite doing the
"girltalk" thing :-) and watching movies (with good-looking men in them
hehe)
This a.m. we backed her camper into it's spot (that I hacked away for her
:-) and now we are sitting here...sweating like pigs! ROTF
She has got the COOLEST dogs too!!! Fred and Ginger (siblings)...6 year old
BigAss Rhodesian Ridgebacks...BEAUTIFUL they are...and SO mellow! (as
opposed to my lunatic BigAss uncontrollable puppy staying with my mom and
sis now :-)
Now, my roomie (Sue) says she wants to make our little ramshackled overgrown
"paradise tropicale" into a hepper commune. It's a little warm here right
now but..."it's a Wet Heat"! So...Hey Ya'll...C'mon Down! LMAO
Well, off to sweat somemore...ta ta! (I've figured out that this is REALLY
good for my complexion...kinda like Living in a Sauna all the time! LOL)
Love,
Nancy
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.381 / Virus Database: 214 - Release Date: 8/2/02

http://www.essiac-info.org/herbs.html
TURKEY RHUBARB (Rheum palmatum)
Rhubarb is commonly used for pies, jams and as stewed rhubarb. Its red,
bittersweet stems are found in supermarket produce shelves each spring and
many people have it in their backyards. The Turkey Rhubarb is a member of
the rhubarb family with roots which have a particularly strong and desirable
potency.
The leaves of the Turkey Rhubarb are somewhat rough. The root is thick, of
an oval shape, sending off long, tapering branches. Externally it is brown,
internally a deep yellow color. It has a long thick root, brownish on the
outside and full of reddish veins inside, similar to Garden Rhubarb. It
flowers early to midsummer. It is also known as East Indian Rhubarb or China
Rhubarb and has been used in China for more than 2,000 years.
Turkey Rhubarb must be purchased because its natural habitat is in China and
Tibet. Rene Caisse preferred this variety to the common rhubarb because its
medicinal properties were stronger and the taste less bitter.
The Turkey Rhubarb root contains vitamin A, many of the B complex, C, and P;
calcium, chlorine, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous,
potassium, silicon, sodium, sulfur, and zinc.
The rhubarb root exerts a gentle laxative action by stimulating the
secretion of bile into the intestines. It also stimulates the gall duct to
expel toxic waste matter, thus purging the body of waste bile and food. As a
result, it is alleged that the liver is cleansed and chronic liver problems
are relieved. In small doses, the powdered root is an astringent and checks
diarrhea, but in larger doses it irritates the colon causing the bowels to
evacuate (diarrhea).
If diarrhea or abdominal discomfort develops, contact a qualified health
practitioner. It may be necessary to either lower the dosage until the body
adjusts to it, or stop taking it.

For those who can't get the attachments this is what the press release said.

Pammie,
The link is missing but...maybe that can help explain why they can't find
the dam virus in me anymore...ya think?
Love,
Nancy
Singing, Dancing, Giggling like an Idiot, Old Hippie, Oldest Teenager still
walking upright! LOL

hehe...yessss I am Honey ;-)
(but, I think it helps to think like a woman on that one :-)
Love,
Nancy

The real significance of this study is the great response in the vx950 group
on its own. This suggests that we can now look forward to an effective
antiviral therapy which does not include the dread interferon or ribavirin.
The health cost benefit ratio is far better for this new drug than existing
therapy. Because it si so much safer there would be no problem taking this
over an extended period.
No doubt interferon manufacturers will initially try to bundle it with
interferon but I conclude that this can only be justified by downplaying the
serious adverse clinical side effects so common in ifn therapy for hcv. So
this may be the beginiing of the end for intereeron ribavirin, both of which
are, after all, old drugs, not specifically designed for hcv.
Matt

Writing on the Wall
Imagine dropping by your favorite health food store to find it boarded up
and out of business. So you go around to your local drug mart to pick up some
vitamin C, but the only dosage on the shelf is ridiculously low. The druggist
informs you that 60 mg is now the maximum dosage available without a
prescription. So if you've been taking a mega dosage of vitamin C to help fight
heart disease or build up your immunity against cancer, you'll have to find a
doctor willing to prescribe that dosage - you're no longer free to decide on
your own how much of this natural vitamin you want to take.
Sounds like a nightmare? It gets worse.
Imagine that all of this is the result of new legislation imposed by
lawmakers with direct ties to pharmaceutical companies - powerful companies that
will use the law to create an enormous new source of profits. Now that's a real
nightmare. But what makes it truly nightmarish is that, incredibly, it will soon
become a reality in the United Kingdom and most of Europe - if the global
pharmaceutical industry has its way.
Outlawing prevention
On March 13th the European Parliament - a 626-member legislative body
representing the 15 European Union countries - passed the "EU Directive on
Dietary Supplements," which classifies vitamins as medical drugs rather than
food supplements. The Directive grants a transition period of three years for
vitamin supplements already on the market. But in 2005, every EU country will be
required to implement the Directive.
As it currently stands, in just three years a wide range of natural
remedies will be banned across most of Europe, making as many as 300 ingredients
- including chromium picolinate, yeast, lysine, and selenium - illegal for
over-the-counter sale. Other supplements that remain in stores will contain very
low dosage amounts - not enough to provide any real therapeutic value.
It's almost like they're passing a law against prevention. So not only are
the pharmaceutical companies eliminating competition from natural products for
treating illnesses, they are essentially forcing greater need for prescription
products for citizens of the EU. After all, without prevention, where will
people be forced to turn when they get even the slightest bit ill? To physicians
who will prescribe mainstream pharmaceuticals or super-strength,
prescription-only vitamins supplied by - guess who - the Pfizers, Mercks, and
Bayers of the world.
Nothing strange about these bedfellows
To make things even worse, a number of European Union Commissioners have
direct links to international pharmaceutical companies. For instance, a
prominent EU Commissioner, Frits Bolkenstein of the Netherlands, is also a
member of the supervisory board of the second largest pharmaceutical company in
the world - Merck, Sharp and Dohme. The blatant pharmaceutical industry
influence on this directive would be laughable if the consequences weren't so
great.
In a smooth double-speak that's almost frightening, the EU Directive
states: "In order to ensure a high level of protection for consumers and
facilitate their choice, the products that will be put on the market must be
safe and bear adequate and appropriate labeling."
The good news is that the "consumers" are not buying it. "Protection?" To
"facilitate their choice?" More than 600 million people read that and shouted
back a resounding, "No!" In what is believed to be the largest global online
petition ever, a staggering 604 million people (to date) have added their names,
demanding continued free access to natural remedies.
Lend your voice - no matter where you live
I have signed the petition and I encourage you to do so too if you believe
the availability of natural supplements should not be controlled by the
international pharmaceutical industry. Anyone can sign the petition - you don't
have to be a citizen of a European Union nation to add your name - and you can
find more information and read the petition at www.vitamins-for-all.org. This
web site was created by Dr. Matthias Rath, a leading researcher in the field of
natural treatments for cancer, and one of the most prominent campaigners against
the EU Directive
And for those of you who think this is a European issue - that this
couldn't happen here - consider this: the United States and the European Union
are each other's largest trade and investment partners. In 2000, two-way trade
in goods and services between the EU and the US totaled more than $557 billion.
With economic ties this deep, any European law that gives the global
pharmaceutical industry such sweeping power over the health choices of millions,
will have global effects. Once they've conquered Europe, how long before they
set their sights on the US marketplace? Just look at recent directives from the
FDA; it's already happening.
The EU Directive is not yet law. Our HSI associates in London believe that
by the time the Directive is implemented in 2005 there's a chance that the mos