Wow! I have several friends with MS. I am always on the lookout for the latest information in understanding and treatment of this debilitating disease. This investigation and treatment is thrilling! I have sent them each a link. Thanks phineas!
I sent the link to my friend and his wife. He's not interested in looking into treatments. And his wife is loonie.
Researcher's labour of love leads to MS breakthrough
New way of thinking about debilitating disease has yielded stunning new treatments – but MS societies urge sufferers to be cautious before experimenting.
Wow! I have several friends with MS. I am always on the lookout for the latest information in understanding and treatment of this debilitating disease. This investigation and treatment is thrilling! I have sent them each a link. Thanks phineas!
The initial studies done in Italy were small but the outcomes were dramatic. In a group of 65 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (the most common form) who underwent surgery, the number of active lesions in the brain fell sharply, to 12 per cent from 50 per cent; in the two years after surgery, 73 per cent of patients had no symptoms.
This is incredible. One of my dear friends has terrible MS. The results seem to be overwhelmingly positive. It's such a horrible horrible disease. Wow, I hope this turns out to be true.
I also suspect that poor vasculization has a role to play in a host of other ailments as well.
Researcher's labour of love leads to MS breakthrough
New way of thinking about debilitating disease has yielded stunning new treatments – but MS societies urge sufferers to be cautious before experimenting.
The initial studies done in Italy were small but the outcomes were dramatic. In a group of 65 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (the most common form) who underwent surgery, the number of active lesions in the brain fell sharply, to 12 per cent from 50 per cent; in the two years after surgery, 73 per cent of patients had no symptoms.
This is incredible. One of my dear friends has terrible MS. The results seem to be overwhelmingly positive. It's such a horrible horrible disease. Wow, I hope this turns out to be true.
Researcher's labour of love leads to MS breakthrough
New way of thinking about debilitating disease has yielded stunning new treatments – but MS societies urge sufferers to be cautious before experimenting.
Researcher's labour of love leads to MS breakthrough
New way of thinking about debilitating disease has yielded stunning new treatments – but MS societies urge sufferers to be cautious before experimenting.
Now, where are the bio-chemists and neurologists here, for I have a question: The article states:
It is well-established that the symptoms of MS are caused by a breakdown of myelin, a fatty substance that coats nerve cells and plays a crucial role in transmitting messages to the central nervous system. When those messages are blurred, nerves malfunction, causing all manner of woes, including blurred eyesight, loss of sensation in the limbs and even paralysis.
I thought I had read about myelin in my reading on Alzheimers and I just went hunting for it but couldn't find anything. Is there any connection between Alzheimers and the breakdown of myelin? ...or is my memory impaired?
Researcher's labour of love leads to MS breakthrough
New way of thinking about debilitating disease has yielded stunning new treatments – but MS societies urge sufferers to be cautious before experimenting.
I have not used this site myself yet, but somebody close to me says this site is excellent, and she highly recommends it for everybody... it supposedly has great prices, plus the huge bonus that you don't have to pay taxes on the products, because this store does not have a physical location... and looking at the site right now, it says if you get over $25 worth of stuff, the shipping is free... (I think with prescription stuff, shipping is free for over $50...) it has everything here, from toothpaste onward etc. etc...
if anyone tries this site, let me know what it was like...
Some people whose jobs involve intensive keyboard use have reported experiencing pain in their wrists, arms, and neck. This type of disorder has been variously categorized as regional musculoskeletal disorder (R-MSD), cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), and repetitive stress injury (RSI). These are "catch-all" terms that refer to a variety of soft-tissue ailments in the upper limbs such as tendonitis, tenosynovitis, rheumatism, and carpal tunnel syndrome, and are not specific medical diagnoses. Pain or discomfort that persists or impairs your normal activities should be evaluated by a qualified medical practitioner to define the precise nature of the disorder, institute appropriate treatment, and identify causal or aggravating factors amenable to modification.
I have not used this site myself yet, but somebody close to me says this site is excellent, and she highly recommends it for everybody... it supposedly has great prices, plus the huge bonus that you don't have to pay taxes on the products, because this store does not have a physical location... and looking at the site right now, it says if you get over $25 worth of stuff, the shipping is free... (I think with prescription stuff, shipping is free for over $50...) it has everything here, from toothpaste onward etc. etc...
if anyone tries this site, let me know what it was like...
The lumbar region is sometimes referred to as the lower spine. The five vertebrae in the lumbar region of the back are the largest and strongest in the movable part of the spinal column, and can be distinguished by the absence of a foramen in the transverse process, and by the absence of facets on the sides of the body. In most mammals, the lumbar region of the spine curves outward.
The actual spinal cord (medulla spinalis) terminates between vertebrae one and two of this series, called L1 and L2. The nervous tissue that extends below this point are individual strands that collectively form the cauda equina. In between each lumbar vertebra a nerve root exits, and these nerve roots come together again to form the largest single nerve in the human body, the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs through the back of each leg and into the feet. This is why a disorder of the low back that affects a nerve root, such as a spinal disc herniation, can cause pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve (sciatica) down into the foot.
There are several muscles in the low back that assist with rotation, flexibility and strength. These muscles are susceptible to injury, especially while lifting heavy objects, or lifting while twisting. A low back muscle strain can be extremely painful but will usually heal within a few days or weeks.
The lumbar portion of the spine bears the most body weight and also provides the most flexibility, a combination that makes it susceptible to injury and wear and tear over time. This is why low back pain is so prevalent.
Function: adjective Etymology: New Latin lumbaris, from Latin lumbus loin Date: circa 1656 : of, relating to, or constituting the loins or the vertebrae between the thoracic vertebrae and sacrum
What Makes People Better? Time, knowledge, strength, body mechanics, braces, anti-inflammatories, specific steroid injections, surgery
What Makes People Worse? Ignorance, prolonged bedrest, prolonged short acting narcotics and CNS depressants, surgery
Imaging MRI-best screening test. Doesn't show stenosis as well as CT but covers conus to sacrum. Skip lesions are common in stenosis. CT-radiation. Visualizes bone. Myelography-new contrast agents relatively benign. Will occasionally elicit a lesion that is dynamic or positional missed by other tests. Best view of central stenosis. Discogram-only test to show what hurts. Disco-CT scan is most sensitive test for disc abnormalities. l/lOOO infection rate. A pre-operative test usually for staging the scope of the procedure. EMG-uncomfortable but very useful in following nerve damage, diagnosis of neural abnormalities.
Medications Back problems often last a long time. Narcotics inhibit recovery in general, make people irritable, depressed, insensitive to body mechanics, lower pain tolerance and create occasional albatrosses. They are ok for a week or so. The same is true for CNS depressants like Valium. Tricyclics and heterocyclics very useful in the long run. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories sometimes help. Oral steroids not as effective as injection into the site of pathology but avoid the injection.
I had Grave's Disease so now I have to med-diddly-edicine forever or until the apocal-diddly-aocalypse comes to burn our hair off and carry us all off to Hello Kitty.
A Look at Autoimmune Thyroid Disease and Underactive Thyroid Conditions By Mary Shomon, About.com
Updated: June 18, 2009
Hashimoto's disease is a disease, and hypothyroidism is a condition. Hypothyroidism is most commonly caused by Hashimoto's disease, but the two terms are not interchangeable. Here is more information to help understand the difference.
HASHIMOTO'S DISEASE
Hashimoto's disease, sometimes known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, autoimmune thyroiditis, or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is an autoimmune disease. In Hashimoto's, antibodies react against proteins in the thyroid gland, causing gradual destruction of the gland itself, and making the gland unable to produce the thyroid hormones the body needs.
Diagnosis
Hashimoto's disease is typically diagnosed by clinical examination that demonstrates one or more of the following findings:
Enlargement of the thyroid, known as a goiter High levels of antibodies against thyroglobulin (TG) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO), detected via blood test Fine needle aspiration of the thyroid (also known as a needle biopsy), which shows lymphocytes and macrophages A radioactive uptake scan, which would show diffuse uptake in an enlarged thyroid gland Ultrasound, which would show an enlarged thyroid gland
Symptoms
Symptoms of Hashimoto's can vary. Some people have no symptoms whatsoever, and will have no demonstrable symptoms of the underlying condition. For many Hashimoto's patients, the thyroid becomes enlarged, a condition known as a goiter. The goiter can range from slight enlargement, which may have no other symptoms, to a substantial increase in size.
Some people with Hashimoto's, especially those with a larger goiter, may feel discomfort in the neck area. Scarves or neckties may feel uncomfortable.
The neck may feel swollen or uncomfortably enlarged, even sore. Sometimes the neck and/or throat is sore or tender. Less commonly, swallowing or even breathing can become difficult if a goiter is blocking the windpipe or esophagus.
Hashimoto's typically involves a slow but steady destruction of the gland that eventually results in the thyroid's inability to produce sufficient thyroid hormone — the condition known as hypothyroidism. Along the way, however, there can be periods where the thyroid sputters back to life, even causing temporary hyperthyroidism, then a return to hypothyroidism. This cycling back and forth between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism is characteristic of Hashimoto's disease. So, for example, periods of anxiety/insomnia/diarrhea/weight loss may be followed by periods of depression/fatigue/constipation/weight gain.
In some cases, the onset of Hashimoto's and elevation of antibodies will be accompanied by a variety of symptoms, including anxiety, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, weight changes, depression, hair loss, muscle/joint aches and pains, and fertility problems, among others.
Treatment
If a goiter causes difficulty swallowing or breathing, or is a cosmetic problem, then thyroid hormone replacement drugs (i.e., levothyroxine or natural desiccated thyroid) will usually be given to help shrink the thyroid. If drug treatment does not work, or the goiter is too invasive, then surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid may be recommended.
Except in the case of a goiter, most endocrinologists and conventional physicians will not treat Hashimoto's disease, as diagnosed by elevated antibody levels, unless other thyroid function tests such as TSH are outside the normal range.
There are, however, some endocrinologists, as well as holistic MDs, osteopaths and other practitioners, who believe that Hashimoto's disease — as confirmed by the presence of thyroid antibodies — along with symptoms, are enough to warrant treatment with small amounts of thyroid hormone.
The practice of treating patients who have Hashimoto's thyroiditis but normal range thyroid function tests is supported by a study, reported on in the March 2001 issue of the journal Thyroid. In this study, German researchers reported that use of levothyroxine treatment for cases of Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis where TSH had not yet elevated beyond normal range (people who were considered "euthyroid") could reduce the incidence and degree of autoimmune disease progression.
In the study of 21 patients with euthyroid Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (normal range TSH, but elevated antibodies), half of the patients were treated with levothyroxine for a year, the other half were not treated. After 1 year of therapy with levothyroxine, the antibody levels and lymphocytes (evidence of inflammation) decreased significantly only in the group receiving the medication. Among the untreated group, the antibody levels rose or remained the same.
The researchers concluded that preventative treatment of normal TSH range patients with Hashimoto's disease reduced the various markers of autoimmune thyroiditis, and speculated that that such treatment might even be able to stop the progression of Hashimoto's disease, or perhaps even prevent development of the hypothyroidism.
In the area of nutrition, promising findings from a number of research studies have pointed to the value of the mineral selenium in helping to combat autoimmune thyroid disease.
Some studies have shown that selenium supplementation at the typically safe dose of 200 mcg per day can return elevated thyroid antibody levels to normal, or reduce them significantly, therefore warding off development of full autoimmune thyroid disease, and resulting hypothyroidism.
Ultimately, however, the autoimmune attack on the thyroid makes the gland slowly less able to function, and eventually, the thyroid becomes underactive. When hypothyroidism itself can be measured by blood tests, many practitioners will finally diagnose the hypothyroidism, and treat the patient with thyroid hormone replacement drugs.
Autoimmune Thyroiditis Atttacks
In some cases, the thyroid becomes particularly inflamed, known as a thyroiditis attack. Dr. Steven Langer, author of the book Solved: The Riddle of Illness, refers to thyroiditis as like an "arthritis of the thyroid." He explains that just as arthritis attacks the joints with pain and inflammation, thyroiditis can mean pain and inflammation in the thyroid for some sufferers. And in particular, during a thyroiditis attack, common symptoms are anxiety, panic attacks, heart palpitations, swelling in the thyroid area, problems swallowing, and frequently, problems sleeping.
"Thyroiditis attacks classically happen in the middle of the night," says Dr. Langer, which can be particularly troublesome in terms of the ability to sleep.
Dr. Langer suggests taking some calcium/magnesium, which are nutrients that have a sedative effect, along with a pain reliever to relieve inflammation — buffered aspirin or ibuprofen — before you go to bed, this might help. He's found that this helps about two-thirds of his patients suffering from nighttime thyroiditis symptoms.
Reducing swelling is a key aspect of dealing with thyroiditis attacks, according to Dr. Langer. "Just as with arthritis, an anti-inflammatory pain reliever doesn't cure the problem, but it temporarily ameliorates the symptoms."
HYPOTHYROIDISM
Many people with Hashimoto's disease end up hypothyroid, the situation where the thyroid is either underactive or, eventually, totally unable to function. Hashimoto's disease is a disease, and is the leading cause of hypothyroidism, which is a condition. The other causes of hypothyroidism include, among others:
Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism treatments including radioactive iodine treatment (RAI) and surgery thyroid cancer treatment, including surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid as a treatment for goiter or nodules use of antithyroid drugs (such as Tapazole or PTU) to reduce thyroid activity use of certain drugs, such as lithium The diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism itself is a detailed topic, and you can read more about it here at the site: Hypothyroidism Symptoms Checklist HELP! My TSH Is "Normal" But I Think I'm Hypothyroid How to Tell If You Are Hypothyroid Quiz: Could You Be Hypothyroid?
REFERENCES
Thyroid, 2001 Mar;11(3):249-55, "One-year prophylactic treatment of euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients with levothyroxine: is there a benefit?"
June 2001 Findings of the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society, Denver, Colorado
Beckett GJ, Arthur JR. "Selenium and endocrine systems." J Endocrinol. 2005 Mar;184(3):455-65.
Oct. 2002, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 87, No. 4 1490-1498
This is really good news, because aspirin is inexpensive, and easy to take...
Aspirin may cut death in colon cancer patients Updated Thu. Aug. 13 2009 11:36 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Good old-fashioned aspirin appears to cut the risk of death in colorectal cancer patients by almost 30 per cent, a study has found.
The research, published in JAMA, the Journal of American Medical Association, is exciting because it appears to show that an inexpensive, commonly used drug can help prevent colon cancer from recurring.
As well as being an effective pain reliever, aspirin is also often recommended for preventing blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. The drug has also been shown in previous research to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, but it's also known to lead to stomach or intestinal bleeding.
Because of these side effects, long-term aspirin use for the prevention of colon cancer is not recommended. But this new study suggests patients who already have colon cancer may benefit from the little white pills.
Researchers led by Dr. Andrew T. Chan, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, looked at nearly 1,300 people with colorectal cancer who'd been followed for an average of 12 years through two large ongoing studies, the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. All the patients had had surgery for colon cancer and many also had chemotherapy.
Among the 549 participants who reported that they used aspirin regularly after their diagnosis, 81 died from colorectal cancer (about 15 per cent). In contrast, among the 730 people who didn't use aspirin, 141 died of the disease (about 19 per cent).
Taking into account other cancer risk factors, such as family history, the researchers calculated that those who took aspirin were 29 per cent less likely to die of colorectal cancer and 21 per cent less likely do die overall.
Aspirin seemed to help mostly those patients whose tumours tested positive for COX-2. That appears to make sense, since aspirin has been shown to block COX-2, an enzyme that promotes cell proliferation and allows cancer to spread.
Among those patients known to have a COX-2 positive tumour, the death rate among aspirin takers plunged by 61 per cent. Overall for this group, aspirin reduced death from all causes by 38 per cent.
"These results suggest that aspirin may influence the biology of established colorectal tumors in addition to preventing their occurrence. Our data also highlight the potential for using COX-2 or related markers to tailor aspirin use among patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer," the researchers noted.
But they cautioned that it's too early to recommend that all colorectal cancer patients start taking a regular dose of aspirin a few times a week. That because the study was observational, meaning researchers merely observed what patients were already doing, such as taking aspirin regularly for headaches. It's possible that factors other than aspirin accounted for the difference in cancer deaths.
The results need to be confirmed in an experiment where cancer patients would be randomly assigned to take aspirin or placebo. Such a study, based in Singapore, is now underway.
I have got to start taking an aspirin a day again.
This site below does not have the greatest grammar, but it does have excellent data, which I have posted beneath the link... I would add to it, in my humble opinion, that over-the-counter toothpaste for tooth sensitivity doesn't really work, compared to a prescription from your dentist for something like Denta 5000 Plus... this stuff is not for kids... adults should use this right before they go to bed... brush your teeth regularly, then after you finish rinsing, use a toothbrush, Q-tip, or your finger and rub a thin coat of the Denta 5000 Plus around the base of your sensitive tooth area for a couple minutes, then spit it out, but do NOT rinse... just keep spitting a few times, then go to bed without drinking anything...
what is making your tooth so sensitive is the dentinal tubules are being exposed on your tooth below the hard enamel because your gums are receding... the Denta 5000 Plus gradually blocks the dentinal tubules with fluoride... it take a few weeks for this to really start working... you need to quit drinking sodas, and quit using mouthwash (except for specific fluoride wash) because these sorts of things will strip the new fluoride out of the dentinal tubules...
anyway, that is my humble opinion, and I ain't no dentist; I am just the humble voice of mumble's mumbles... here is the site I was talking about in the first sentence, and the data from it—
Hypersensitivity affects 45 million adults in the United States and 10 million are chronically affected with sensitive teeth. Tooth sensitivity is tooth discomfort after eating cold or hot foods or liquids or even breathing cold air.
This problem often happens when gums recede and/or cementum is not presence. The gum tissue acts like a protective blanket to cover the roots of the teeth. As the gums recede the underlying tooth roots are exposed. They are not covered by hard enamel. Thousands of tiny dentinal tubules (channels) leading to the tooth's never center (pulp) are then exposed. These tubules allow more stimuli like heat, cold or pressure to reach the nerve in the tooth and you feel pain!. Think of your gums and the enamel on your teeth as a down comforter covering and protecting your body from the cool winter air. Over time, the gums may recede or the enamel or dentin on your teeth may wear down, creating the condition for tooth sensitivity.
Tooth sensitivity is caused by: Brushing too hard or with too much pressure which removes gum tissue. 2 our of 3 people brush too hard. Aging, sensitivity is highest between the ages of 25-30 Using a hard tooth brush instead of a soft one Poor oral hygiene which leads to plaque build-up around the teeth and gums. This plaque hardens into tartar. The bacteria that live in plaque cause gum disease and gum recession The exposed roots contain small pores or tubules which lead directly to the nerve of the tooth. Pain, pressure and cold stimuli can travel down the tubules and trigger the tooth nerve causing pain and discomfort Stimulation from hot beverages or foods Tooth whitening-often beautiful, but sometimes uncomfortable, at least for a few days Hypersensitivity Cracked teeth Grinding your teeth Long term use of mouthwashes such as Listerine or Oraldene damage dentine and cause dentin sensitivity and reverse the beneficial effects of toothpaste Enamel erosion by acidic foods Root sensitivity can occur after having your teeth cleaned, following root planning , crown placement, or even having fillings. The good news is this sensitivity will disappear in about four to six weeks People with sensitivities to sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch also usually have sensitive teeth. # Decreased saliva flow-simple test is to invert the lower lip, dry the mucous membrane off and see how long it takes for small droplets of saliva to flow from the minor salivary glands. If it takes more than a minute, the saliva flow is down. PH test resulting in an "acidic mouth" Dental treatments-simple cleanings, orthodontics or restoration Dehydration due to diuretics such as alcohol beverages, caffeine-containing drinks like coffee and Mountain Dew.
There are many other causes, some of which can require a more comprehensive treatment plan... Broken, chipped or fractured teeth Nerve damage in the root, cant' sleep at night-root canal Grinding and/or clenching the teeth-mouthguard Gum disease-begin a comprehensive oral hygiene regimen Receding gums-gum disease and/or oral habits?
The key to preventing tooth sensitivity is to keep your gums healthy by reducing the pressure you use while brushing, use a soft toothbrush and to maintain good oral health habits. This means brushing all your teeth for 2-3 minutes, not the usually 30- 45 seconds that most people brush. Flossing is crucial in order to reach the 35% of the tooth surfaces where brushing can not reach.
What to do once you already have sensitive teeth: Use a toothpaste for sensitivity. They work in a cumulative fashion to cover the open tubules. They contain strontium chloride and/ or potassium nitrate which act to remineralize the tooth surface by diffusing into the open pores (tubules) on the enamel. This process helps block transmission of sensation from the tooth surface to the tooth nerve. They need to be used 4-6 weeks before any changes can be noted. Continue to practice brushing gently and carefully around the gumline so you do not remove more gum tissue or continue demineralize the tooth surface Avoid highly acidic foods like citrus or soda pop that can work against the sensitivity toothpaste Brush gently with a soft toothbrush twice/day using a low abrasion desensitizing toothpaste Use fluoride mouth rinse to help remineralize the tooth surface. Fluoride gels and varnish are effective also. Don't use a tartar control toothpaste, use a fluoridated toothpaste or desensitizing toothpaste Try spreading a thin layer of desensitizing toothpaste on the exposed roots with your finger or a Q-tip before you go to bed Avoiding very cold foods Monitor intake of fruit drinks or sports drinks that are high in sugar and/or acid; tomatoes; pickles; citrus, pop; tea Always use a de-sensitizing toothpaste for 2-3 weeks prior to having your teeth "cleaned" or before having Root Planning and Scaling Avoid teeth grinding and clenching by using a nightguard Having professional tooth cleaning, oral hygiene instructions and fluoride treatments. Our office uses ultrasonic scaling to help minimize dentin sensitivity Home care must be evaluated and adjusted as necessary. Chemical desensitization (Gluma/ Hurriseal / Pain-Free) provided by your dentist is the most common method of treatment. Surface sealers or self etch primers (Seal & Protect/Clearfil SE Bond ) can be a costly If you drink orange juice in the morning and than brush soon after you may want to either wait at least an hour before brushing, or at least use water only when brushing, then rinse with mouthwash. This gives give time for your saliva to remineralize the enamel.
If these suggestions do not give you relief please see your dentist. One way your dentist can gauge the severity of your sensitive teeth is by using the air test. The dentist sprays the air gum across each area of a your teeth to pinpoint the exact location of sensitivity. The decision of whether a restoration is needed comes in after an in-office desensitizer has been applied and you have been sent home for a week with desensitizing tooth paste to see whether a more aggressive approach is needed. An in-office desensitizer can be painted or sprayed on. This is a quick and relatively painless procedure. Your dentist can apply varnishes; high fluoride mouthwashes and toothpaste or gel; dentin sealer or white fillings (bonding) to cover exposed surfaces and close the pores of the tooth root.
Delay Brushing After Eating Erosive Foods If you are at risk for erosive tooth wear you should avoid brushing your teeth for at least 60 minutes after consuming erosive food or drink such as fruits, salads and sports drinks. Instead of brushing right after eating erosive foods try: Rinsing with water Rinsing with a fluoride solution Chewing sugarless gum. And always remember to brush with a soft bristled toothbrush.
Well the vaporizer arrived and I think its a wonderful invention! It works very well. I will approach my Doc on the "off the record" discussion - if he isn't open to it, then I obviously have the wrong Doc. This guy is new to me, a specialist I saw to find out what was giving me such symptoms (allergy type) - I was afraid I was either allergic to my dog or to my herb. After testing, it was shown that I do not have allergies - at least to anything for which they tested. BUT he said - you have asthma and it has gone untreated for a long time. My PFT's are not good I guess.
The thing is, I very seldom suffer from actual asthma symptoms like difficulty breathing or having to use an inhaler - maybe once or twice a year even for an inhaler.
I am not in favor of using manufactured chemical compounds unless its absolutely necessary. I think they are dangerous to our immune systems at this point in time. Who knows, we may evolve to require them!
I would like to treat all of my medical issues, which I don't think are so bad actually (they could be so much worse), using natural remedies as I am a believer in Nature as the provider. I have worked in hospitals though, so I do recognize the need to develop and use life saving techniques when necessary.
Do not be too concerned about pot and asthma. Back when it was legal, marijuana used to be prescribed for asthma. They were actually called "asthma cigarettes". Its ironic that after 40 plus years of "knowledge", I am the only one in my family who does not have asthma. On the other hand marijuana does contribute to bronchitis. Its a trade off, but I see no reason to stop smoking pot. If it helps you make it through the day, then continue. I have thoroughly discussed marijuana with my doctors and only during certain phases of my treatment was it a no no. This is just my opinion. I make no profesional recommendations.
Hopefully your Doctor is approachable enough for an "off the record" discussion. Just ask, most Doctors will tell you if you can have a discussion on that basis.
Good luck and keep posting.
Yeah, when I was trying to grow my bone grafts I was told to stop smoking...Actually stopped smoking before the surgery so it has been almost 15 months since I've had tobacco, I made it clear that I had stopped tobacco only and he said that was all he was asking...
I also suspect that poor vasculization has a role to play in a host of other ailments as well.
thanks for this Glerg! really encouraging news!! 
