Trip Report: To the Land of Oz (or near it anyway) and Back Again

I just got back from the VA Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, having been driven there and back by a really nice guy in a DAV (Disabled American Veterans) van (thanks Fred). While at the hospital, I had a rather friendly consult with a neurosurgeon. He was advising me with regard to the bone spurs (calcium outgrowths) on my spine and the resultant pains caused by them. The subject was pretty much: To operate or not to operate. Surgery could fix the pain in my legs by unpinching the nerves in my lumbar region (discs L1-S1), but this surgery is delicate and potentially dangerous. According to the good doctor, this surgery is not capable of removing the pain in my lower back because that is caused, as this doctor says, by my “Extreme Arthritis Disease.” So now arthritis is a disease? Or is it just my arthritis? Is that worse than the “Advanced Degenerative Arthritis” that the last neurologist called it? We know Big Pharma uses these names to push new drugs, but I wonder if all these fancy names make the doctors feel more important? I see it as simply plain old arthritis that went unchecked (by me) for far too many years. In any case, I opted to not have the surgery.

I did not mention mycology, mycotoxins, or fungi during this visit, so there was no negative confrontation (see, even old bad dawgs like me can learn new tricks), but the doctor did say, “I have no doubt, with an attitude and determination such as you have, that you will find a way to get better.” At no time did he suggest any new medications, for which I applaud him.

While I do not, at present, know of any way to dissolve these spurs without harming the actual bones, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way; it only means I haven’t found it yet (nor has medical science, or so it would seem). But, hey, I have plenty of time to do the research and I’m willing to do limited experiments on myself if I can find a way to fix this and then pass the solution on to you folks.

Supplements

I have had a few requests (some in person, some via e-mail) about what are good supplements to take. Because it is my practice not to advertise directly, I’m going to make up a table here to describe some generic stuff and you can buy whatever brand you want. Do be aware, however, that some brands are better than others, so read those labels and act with caution. Most of this data in the following table was borrowed from a supplement article in Esquire magazine (the word is getting around, eh?). We do not use all of these ourselves, so other than Glucosamine, MSM, probiotics (Natren), and several vitamins, we cannot vouch for the efficacy of these items.

New News Updates

Here’s a way to make the newsletter a bit shorter and still get you to the articles you might need to see. For the few people who get this as a hardcopy only, I apologize, but if one of these trips your trigger, let me know and I’ll try to snail-mail you a copy.

The news on the dangers of prescription drugs just keeps getting worse. Just today, we’re learning that the antidepressant drug Paxil might increase the risk of birth defects by 50% when taken by pregnant women. Check out this Forbes site (then press “skip the welcome page” at the top right corner):

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/09/28/hscout528227.html

We’re also finding out that drugs given to children for ADHD might cause suicidal thoughts. A new black-box warning will be issued for the drug Strattera. Check this site: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N29545078.htm

Meanwhile, the mysterious and sudden resignation of the head of the FDA, Lester Crawford, is leading to suggestions that Crawford might have had undisclosed ties with drug company money, which would have been a blatant conflict of interest. This Boston Globe article says a lot:

http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2005/09/29/lawmaker_examine_ex_fda_chiefs_finances/

Meanwhile, the new FDA chief, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, is already embroiled in controversy over the fact that he is also the head of the National Cancer Institute, an organization that works side-by-side with drug companies to conduct research on new “cancer drugs.” As a result, Dr. Eschenbach is now in a position to simultaneously run the drug research and approve the results as “safe.” There’s nothing like being both judge and jury when it comes to your medicine, huh? Full story at this Washington Post site:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/27/AR2005092701259.html

In spite of all the bad news about drugs and the FDA, the good news about the healing power of foods just keeps getting better! New research shows phytoestrogens (found in plant foods) might help prevent lung cancer: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26145530.htm But don’t jump to conclusions because clearly these people do not know about mycotoxins, and you do!

Likewise, prostate cancer might be held at bay with pomegranate seeds or juice. Go to: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/4125.html Read with caution and ignore the parts about PSA tests because we already know they aren’t what they’re supposed to be.

More Fungi Data

I may have used words like “critters” or something in the past because a few of you seem to think that these fungi we’ve been ranting about are single-cell animals or something. If I have misled you folks, I am sorry. Fungus is a simple plant that lacks chlorophyll. Fungi include yeasts, rusts, molds, and mushrooms. They live as either saprophytes (cells that feed on dead or dying material) or parasites (cells that feed on living organisms without returning any value to the host) of plants and animals, including man. Some species infect and cause diseases in man. Now the only problem I have with this definition, which came right out of the Bantam Medical Dictionary, is that I, personally, contend that they are, or were, all originally saprophytes and they only appear to be parasites because they perceive a person with an unbalanced immune system to be in the process of dying. I guess that is a fine line in scientific definition. Oh well.

The number of fungal species identified so far is approaching 100,000 and it is estimated that more than 1.5 billion have yet to be recognized. – CAST 2003

Well, that was two years ago. The current figure for identified fungal species is now over 150,000, and you should be aware that all of them produce some form of mycotoxin.

Microscopic fungi can be confused with both normal healthy cells and even malignant cells, making diagnosis of a fungal infection extremely difficult. – Mattman, L., 1993, Cell Wall Deficient Forms: Stealth Pathogens

Misdiagnosis of fungal infections can lead to serious consequences. The pathologists who receive tissue work-ups of lesions from physicians who are trained (the pathologists are trained, not the doctors) to find cancer cells – have not been adequately trained how to recognize cells sickened by fungal spores. – Kaufmann, C., MD, Non-Resolving Pneumonia: is endemic of mycosis to blame? The Journal of Respiratory Disease, Vol. 15 No.11, Nov 1995

There are no rapid, accurate diagnostic tests that can confirm with certainty the presence of invasive fungal disease. – Dr. John Rex, MD There are tests out there, but not rapid and perfectly accurate, so why doesn’t one of these guys invent one that is?

Because there are no really good medical tests, Dr. Dave Holland has come up with a way to test your fungal quotient, which is reproduced here with permission:

The following questionnaire is designed to aid you in measuring how much you have been exposed to fungi and their mycotoxins. Physicians may also use this questionnaire to assess their patients’ histories. (I have cut the portion of the questions that the doctors might ask.)

Because the degree of exposure varies from incident to incident, and because consumption of natural, antifungal nutrients can often neutralize a portion of such exposure, we are unable to provide a meaningful index to which you might map your final score. However, a high number of positive answers would suggest that your condition has been caused by fungi and their mycotoxins. If a couple of weeks on the Antifungal Program improves your health, very likely a fungus does lie at the root of your problem.

1. Have you ever taken repeated or prolonged rounds of antibiotics?
2. Have you taken repeated or prolonged courses of steroids or cortisone-based pills?
3. Have you been diagnosed with fibromyalgia?
4. Do you have, or have you ever had asthma?
5. Have you been diagnosed with arthritis?
6. Do you have diabetes?
7. At any time in your life, have you been treated for worms or other parasites?
8. Have you traveled to less developed countries? When and where?
9. Have you ever been diagnosed with cancer?
10. Do you have, or have you had, ringworm, fingernail or toenail fungus, or jock itch?
11. Have you ever been diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder?
12. If you are currently ill, were you in and around areas such as construction sites at the time you became sick?
13. Do you suffer from fatigue
14. Do you suffer from irritability, frequent memory loss, or a feeling of constantly being “spaced out”?
15. Do your muscles, bones, or joints bother you?
16. Do you get headaches?