Also in Slate: The "XX Factor" examined Michelle Obama's speech [1].
[2]I want to vote for Michelle Obama's father. After listening to her speech to the Democratic Convention, it was his story of living with multiple sclerosis that sticks with me. He fumbled with his buttons every morning to put on his shirt. He walked on two canes just to make it across the room so that he could kiss his wife. When even the simplest daily routines got harder, he kept smiling. "He just woke up a little earlier, and worked a little harder," said Michelle Obama. When the cameras cut to his widow with tears in her eyes, the moment was sealed.
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PPMSi [3]i [3]-misdiagnosed 2001-diagnosed 2006. Also maybe csf and Lyme -- who knows?! Minocycline 7 mos.- resulting bronchitis 5 months. Deserted by Hopkins neurology dept. and going to private md. out-of-plan. Wheldon CAPi [4] 3/2/07 - 200 doxyi [5]i [5]; azith MWF. 5 pulses.
Links:
[1] http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/xxfactor/archive/2008/08/25/michelle-s-marks.aspx
[2] http://www.slate.com/id/2198628/
[3] http://www.cpnhelp.org/glossary/term/185
[4] http://www.cpnhelp.org/glossary/term/168
[5] http://www.cpnhelp.org/taxonomy/term/39
[6] http://www.cpnhelp.org/dr_powell_0
[7] http://www.cpnhelp.org/thisisms_denial_death_ms
[8] http://www.cpnhelp.org/taxonomy/term/6
[9] http://www.cpnhelp.org/glossary/term/170
[10] http://www.cpnhelp.org/taxonomy/term/41
[11] http://www.cpnhelp.org/taxonomy/term/44
[12] http://www.cpnhelp.org/glossary/term/171
[13] http://www.cpnhelp.org/glossary/term/167
[14] http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-4375.html
[15] http://www.cpnhelp.org/glossary/term/163
[16] http://www.cpnhelp.org/taxonomy/term/22
[17] http://www.cpnhelp.org/taxonomy/term/40
[18] http://www.cpnhelp.org/chlamydia_pneumoniae/an_0
I was very impressed by her
I was very impressed by her speech (yes, I stayed up very late to listen to it!); it took me back many years to when I was getting up earlier and earlier in order to get to work on time. I remember looking longingly at my bed before leaving home - didn't know then that I had MSi [8] - just thought that I was getting lazy, but nowhere near as bad as Michelle's father. I suspect that she would be a good advocate for MS research.
This presidential race has been very interesting from this side of the pond.
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Progressive MSi [8] dx2006. LDNi [9] & CAPi [4]: Wheldon version. All supps. Doxyi [5] 200mg. Zithi [10] 250mg. Metroi [11] 400mg.Pulses #17...I can because I think I can.
A friend sent me this - I
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Rica PPMSi [3] EDSSi [12] 6.7 at beginning - now 2. Began CAPi [4] Sept, 2004 with Rifampin 150 mg 2xd, Doxyi [5] 100 mg 2xd, added regular pulses Jan 2005. Jan 2006 switched to Doxy, Azith, cont. flagyli [11] total 55 pulses LDNi [9] Rifampin 8/08 again NC USA
Nancy, I didn't watch it,
Nancy, I didn't watch it, so I didn't know until you posted. I'll go out on a limb here. IF he is elected, I will make it my personal crusade to contact the family and get her exposed to the cpni [13] materials. Getting something past the screening secretaries in the White House is a challenge.
If he is not elected, I will do the same thing, but in a different manner. (She will be far more accessible if she is not the wife of the president, but she will have less 'pull'.) Since they are Chicagoans, I think I could get the info to her personally after the election.
Now isn't the time, obviously, as the envelope would get lost in the confetti, but I will do it the second week of November, whichever way it goes.
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The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems. Mohandas Gandhi
Rica, that really is
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PPMSi [3]-misdiagnosed 2001-diagnosed 2006. Also maybe csf and Lyme -- who knows?! Minocycline 7 mos.- resulting bronchitis 5 months. Deserted by Hopkins neurology dept. and going to private md. out-of-plan. Wheldon CAPi [4] 3/2/07 - 200 doxyi [5]; azith MWF. 5 pulses.
I second that. I'm not
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In pursuit of ABX [14]
Pathobiology is pretty
Pathobiology is pretty arcane. Why should or would a politician, one without any heavy duty biology knowledge, try to advocate for a particular line of research?
My bet is that it would be more effective to find a wealthy private citizen, or group of them, who can directly provide one or more labs with the princely sums needed to replicate the works of Balin, J Miklossy, Stratton, the Brorsons, etc (assuming all these findings are correct) - and also figure out why, at least in Balin and Mikossy's cases, other labs failed to repeat the work (assuming there was any particular reason).
Politics is a screwed up business, anyway. Science is better than politics - at least, I am certain that it is. Naturally, I would be. Most people think their own background is the privaleged window on the world, and their job or role is the hardest and craziest job around. Maybe some of them are more right than others, but they can't all be right. Mostly their conviction is an expression of innate human tribalism. Anyway, when scientists see politics pushing on science my guess is that they naturally resist, out of human nature, out of devotion to the pillars of science, whatever. The only thing they obey is widespread independent replication of clear experiments.
If a foundation were to give a scientist a generous grant with which to try their hand at the Balin, Brorson, Stratton, Miklossy business - and explicitly exclude the possibility of future funding to that scientist - then maybe the results would be seen as pretty objective despite being funded by a group with an explicit interest in infectious causation of chronic disease. I'm guessing. I don't really know much about how power and credibility work in the science world, other than knowing that it is pretty complex.
Certainly, the recent arrival of new-school publishers like PLoS that are already breathing down the neck of Nature, PNAS, and Cell, seems like it may create a more favorable climate for new ideas.
Eric, I don't think one
Eric, I don't think one necessarily precludes the other. A first lady who makes a disease her personal crusade is a very effective focal point and can crowbar a bit of movement from dead weight.
A rich philanthropist cpni [13] believer, especially one with MSi [8] or CFSi [15] or crippling RAi [16], would be a huge help, as well.
I'm still working on the two most public faces I can think of. I honestly believe one appearance on Oprah can accomplish what NOTHING else can in this country. A friend with access has promised some help on that front.
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The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems. Mohandas Gandhi
MacKintosh, I totally
MacKintosh, I totally support your endeaveours. I am grateful beyond words. In the midst of all this brain fog, just say or write the word(s) and I will do utmost to follow your suggestions! Thank you.
Eric, I, too agree and have lived what you are describing in world of medicine.It's definitely time for some action. Think ,probable first lady will hopefully have that platform?
Loulou
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diagnosed MSi [8] Jan.2000 , chronic neurological lyme disease Nov.2002.
doxyi [5] 100 mg. 1BID. roxyi [17].150 mg.? BID,adding rifampin soon, pulsed tinii [18]. every 3 weeks, as of oct.17/08, no rifampin as yet, just doxy and 1 gram daily of IV ceftriaxone, soon to