RA and Pollution: Is there a connection?

Copy and paste the web site below into your browser. New research is showing that people who live near highways or heavily traveled roads tend to develop RA more often. Whether this is a cause or not is not known yet for sure. More research is needed.



I lived on a busy road for about 20 years of my life. T his is an interesting study to say the least. Pollution is not good for us no matter where it comes from. Is this something we can believe when it comes to RA? Can we de-toxify? I am looking into just that. I've tried the RA drugs. I stopped taking them 2 years ago. They didn't help. I am told that even if the drugs help, they don't work past 5 years, then they wear off. The best I can expect from poisonous drugs is "remission", but that is only temporary. Then what? Remission is not a cure. There are also side effects from these drugs. Two of these side effects can be fatal: tuberculosis and lymphoma. No thanks. Some clinicians suggest that the patients who develop TB or lymphoma would have developed it whether they were on the RA drugs or not. Really? That's scary. It reminds me of the statement "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" What surprises will medical science come up with next? I know they mean well, but when Big Pharma is involved, I'm sure the almighty dollar is involved too. Don't experiment with my health, thank you very much. Why do they insist on releasing drugs to the public just to be recalled in a year or two? We're guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical industry. Did you know that you don't have to be a nurse or physician to be a drug rep? That's scary too!



http://www.ehponline.org/members/2009/0800503/0800503.pdf



In conclusion, I guess what I'm trying to say is "do your own research." Don't just take a pill because your doctor prescribes it. He/she doesn't really know for certain if that pill will work anymore than you do. They just have the "experimental science" and the drug reps to rely on. So, I have provided you with some of the same. This report may be hard to understand, but do your best. I think it's time for patients to try to cure themselves. Patients should still visit their physicians. I do not recommend stopping your doctor visits. It's important to have your blood checked and x-rays taken of your joints every so often. However, trying the healthy approach can't hurt either. Check out http://www.youcanbehealthy.org/ and http://www.maximizedlivinghealthsite.com/ and see what natural health care can do for you.



I have this vision: What if RA patients started to improve or better yet, their RA was cured? And, all they did was start eating healthier, exercising, and avoiding pollutants and medications? Wow! That would certainly open the eyes of the medical community, wouldn't it?

Until next time,

Oh My Aching Bones, Part I

In July, 1985, I had just started a new job working in the laboratory at a local hospital. It was an exciting job, something I truly enjoyed. I was a medical transcriptionist for two pathologists. I loved my job. I eventually went to nursing school as a direct result of working in the laboratory. I wanted to be part of the medical team. One day, however, I woke up feeling a little "stiff". When I placed one foot on the floor, then the other, I felt excruciating pain that I had never before experienced. My feet felt like they were on fire. I could barely walk to the bathroom to get ready for work. Every inch of my body hurt. I had severe neck pain. Since my job was new, I decided not to call in sick and hoped that this pain would go away.When I arrived at work, my boss was concerned about the way I was walking. She decided to run a few blood tests on me. Everything came back negative and the mystery continued. I didn't have a cold or flu. I didn't have a fever, sore throat, or runny nose. I just hurt all over. It would be years before I found out what I had, and for years, I went from doctor to doctor trying to find out what was causing my pain. I was prescribed antidepressants, high-dose anti-inflammatory medications (ibuprofen, etc.), and I watched everything I ate. One doctor treated me like a drug addict looking for pain medicines. Unfortunately, the medical community labels people who go from doctor to doctor as drug addicts and hence, the term "drug-seeking" behavior was born. This just adds insult to injury. Doctors can certainly be cruel when they can't figure out what is wrong with a patient. Sometimes it's easier to label a patient than to research and find out what is really going on, especially if the patient appears to be otherwise healthy. And so, it would be another 16 years before I found out what was causing my pain, and an unlikely doctor would solve the puzzle.