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6148. alistairConnor - 6/20/2004 7:03:46 PM Kuligin :
As Judith and Pelle have pointed out, the dates of the "myth" articles are telling.
In 1994 or 1996, there may well have been a valid base for scientific scepticism about the link between the HIV virus and AIDS, and about the effectiveness of the treatments that were available at that time (AZT was a pretty horrible treatment, and not a very effective one).
However, by about 2000, with the development of tri-therapy protocols, people were routinely being brought back from death's door. People who were dying of AIDS, and who (coincidentally!) had extremely high HIV virus counts, which (coincidentally!) diminished as the symptoms receded. Today, very few people who have access to the latest treatments actually die from AIDS; there is no cure, but they live with it.
Science-based scepticism is good; it should not be rubbished, but examined on its merits. It turns out that the sceptics were wrong in this matter.
The problem is that people with an axe to grind will continue to feed their obsession with outdated articles.
In particular, that article about the alleged prevalence of immune deficiencies in Africa was written in 1996; the soaring AIDS death rate would make such an article unthinkable today, and even Mbekei has changed his mind. 6149. alistairConnor - 6/20/2004 7:09:01 PM Note that the sceptics were citing the lack of data for their scepticism. The data is now abundant and conclusive; which explains why we are no longer hearing from (knowledgeable) sceptics.
I may have more to say on epidemiology and large-scale treatment in Africa. I have no more than vague general knowledge myself, but as it happens I have a sister who is an epidemiologist, and has recently addressed a major WHO conference on the question. (and I have faith in her!) 6150. Absensia - 6/20/2004 11:49:14 PM Arky,
How are your allergies doing? Have you noticed any improvement since you made the changes?
I don't know if you've checked out the American Diabetes site but it has a lot of helpful information including a newsletter: http://www.diabetes.org/home.jsp 6151. arkymalarky - 6/21/2004 2:57:21 AM Hey Abs! Thanks for asking. I'm still having problems at the moment, but I'm in the big middle of cleaning up all the stuff that's bugging me, which I can already see will help immensely. I'm going back on the antihistimine which worked best for me but was expensive compared to others--Zyrtec. I'll stay on that and on an expectorant as opposed to a decongestant until the shots (hopefully) begin to work in a few weeks or months. What I'm hoping is that when we leave from CO a week from today that I'll dry up up there (I always do) and have a clean, mold-free, dehumidified house to come home to. We are scheduled to have the carpets (low-pile tight-weave berber, but filthy) cleaned while we're gone.
When school starts I'm going to clean my room top-to-bottom and run a purifier. This past year I couldn't get through a class without eating ice or a cough drop the entire time.
Thanks for the good tips, and they're helping. Once I finally get this house cleaned up and the mold and mildew killed and maintain the humidity level I can tell I'll feel better than I have for years. I had gotten to the point that just bending my head was miserable.
And on the subject of diabetes, Bob is completely off his medicine and has lost about 50 pounds. He walks 5-6 miles a day. I think he needs to find work as a before-and-after model for diabetes control and supplement our income. 6152. arkymalarky - 6/21/2004 2:58:43 AM One thing I'm glad I already had is a built-in vacuum cleaner that empties in a canister in the garage. 6153. thoughtful - 6/21/2004 3:04:22 AM congrats to bob...no easy achievement...but the payoff is well worth it. That's wonderful news. 6154. arkymalarky - 6/21/2004 3:15:31 AM Thanks Thoughtful. The best thing is he feels so much better than he has in years. His dad's long illness and death had consumed him for about three years and had taken such a toll that he'd had diabetes no telling how long before it was diagnosed. 6155. Absensia - 6/21/2004 8:13:10 AM Great news for both of you, Arky. I'm sure you will soon notice the difference. Bob's progress is outstanding! I saw my doctor today and she's taken me off all my meds as well. Losing weight and exercise, plus eating wisely really is the key! 6156. KuligintheHooligan - 6/21/2004 9:13:58 AM alistair
Thanks for your comments. Judith noted earlier the dates of the hotlinks, mostly a decade or older.
"In particular, that article about the alleged prevalence of immune deficiencies in Africa was written in 1996; the soaring AIDS death rate would make such an article unthinkable today"
Actually, not to put too fine a line on things, but I doubt this would make much difference. The one thing I do find believable in the articles is HOW AIDS is reported in Africa. I find it highly plausible that it is ASSUMED that HIV is present when it isn't, because often people die of AIDS-like symptoms which could also fall under any number of African diseases which have existed long before HIV was discovered, and which have been categorized in the past under other diseases such as TB. Although the epidemiology facts are basically Greek to me, I think my reading on this topic has changed my perspective on how the disease is reported and verified (or not verified).
Put another way, I always figured that AIDS figures in Africa were much lower than reality, but now I'm not so sure. I now tend toward the notion that many people are reported to have died of AIDS, but their HIV status has in fact never been verified, perhaps making the actually number of AIDS sufferers lower, not higher, than present estimates.
And I didn't know Mbeki changed his mind. I've never seen anything reporting that he did. 6157. KuligintheHooligan - 6/21/2004 9:14:41 AM "What's your defintion of shit food."
Everything I really like to eat. 6158. arkymalarky - 6/21/2004 11:21:58 AM That article I read on Clinton basically said that. I noted that he named AIDS in Africa one of the major issues he was working on now.
Abs,
That's great about the medicine. Congratulations. When you need it you need it, but it's nice not to have to take it.
Another health question: I was prescribed "Rhinocort" (I think--nasal steroid) by the allergist. I really don't want to take it. I took a six-day prednisone pack and am finishing up antibiotics (avelox), but I don't want to do a daily steroid unless I really need to. Anyone know anything about that sort of thing? 6159. Absensia - 6/21/2004 12:01:57 PM I don't Arky. I guess I'd call the doc and ask. I found a site that describes the drug, though: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/202012.html#GXXg20201202 6160. arkymalarky - 6/21/2004 12:03:58 PM Thanks. I'll check that out. 6161. thoughtful - 6/21/2004 9:18:14 PM steroids and prednisone are very dangerous and should be used only for short periods of time if at all.
I always err on the side of the fewer drugs the better.
My doc says if you want to stay healthy, stay away from docs. I agree. After all, all a doc can do is prescribe a substance so toxic it needs to be issued by prescription only...or cut it out. 6162. alistairConnor - 6/21/2004 9:59:09 PM Very true, T... I was listening this morning on the radio to a bigwig doc who was analysing our modern need to medicalise everything; whereas medicine has only a very limited influence on wellbeing. Heredity, culture, personal choices, and luck are much greater influences.
With respect to shit food - I'm sure I'd each much more of it if I didn't have children. Not because I actually like it (most of the stuff I really really like is too rare, or too expensive, or too complicated to prepare, to eat very often) because it's convenient and gratifying. Well-engineered products, designed to lead us into poor habits and bad nutrition. 6163. thoughtful - 6/21/2004 10:09:00 PM I would've agreed awhile back, AC, but since doing schwarzbein, i've found very amazing things happening. Not only are my chocolate cravings almost nonexistent, but junk food doesn't even appeal to me anymore.
On our trip, the hotel included breakfast. I was eating my omelets with peppers onions and mushrooms as it was the only way to get in my a.m. veggies. I actually MISSED my a.m. veggies. I broke down and had a pancake one a.m. and was most disappointed. It was made with white flour and tasted like I was eating nothing. Most unsatisfying.
Another hotel offered only a "continental" breakfast...there was a time when I'd have used that excuse to scarf down the fruit pastries dripping with icing. But I looked and went YUCK and struggled to find anything real to eat. Pastries, donuts, white flour breads and such just don't stick to my ribs and are no longer even appealing. Give me whole grains. Give me real food of substance. 6164. arkymalarky - 6/21/2004 11:14:14 PM The thing about any medicine is knowing when you need it and when you don't. It's as foolish not to take medicine as to take it sometimes. Bob and I both waited too long to deal with ailments that weren't going away and were leading to complications. Bob's is under control now, but he had to have help getting started. I've had this infection at least six months, it's one of countless I've had in 30+ years of living here (most untreated because I don't like to be on medicine other than antihistimines, which are a necessity), and I will be allergic all my life. I'm not planning to move if I can control them here, and no matter where I go I will need to stay on an antihistimine. I'm not going to live in a bubble.
I'm leery of the Rhinocort, but I also know the inflammation in my sinuses is going to keep infections coming if I don't deal with it. I'm planning to try to do without it until during/after my vacation to see how the change in climate affects the swelling.
On food, I like junk food to a point, but pastries like that are not good. I had my first Krispy Kreme this spring when our principal brought some in from somewhere she'd been. They were plain glazed donuts, but I much prefer the traditional ones. Besides pixy stix (which are like a sugary gum habit), the only junk food I'm ever tempted to buy is chips. We really have a problem with fast food (which is junk, usually) because of our lifestyles. If you live in the country, when you go somewhere you usually end up eating at least one meal out and you grab what's fastest and cheapest, especially when you're in a rush and running twenty directions at the same time like Bob and I did the last two years or so. 6165. thoughtful - 6/22/2004 3:01:40 AM For grabbing fast and cheap food while on vacation, we went to subway and were able to get a 6" sub which we split made with whole wheat bread, turkey or tuna, let, tom, green pepper, pickles, oil and vinegar. Delish, cheap, fast and healthy to boot...all 4 food groups, nonstarchy veggies, protein, carb and fat. Far better than anything mcd's offers. 6166. arkymalarky - 6/22/2004 3:31:40 AM I like Subway pretty well. Mose loves them. Bob doesn't like them, but he eats a completely different, easy to take menu now. Arby's is my favorite, but I think it's higher in fat and calories. I love their Market Fresh sandwiches.
Not fast food but it just made me think of it--Mose works in a great deli-style restaurant when she's in school. If we visited her more often I'd go there. And that made me think that it's good Mose is on a scholarship that pays for meals, because she eats in the cafeteria. There the junk food really tastes bad, so she opts for soups and salads and balanced plate dinners. She's eating out all the time at home this summer. She works at a pizza place and both it and her school-year deli job make the employees pay for their food, so she's as likely to eat elsewhere as there. 6167. Magoseph - 6/23/2004 7:24:09 AM Does anyone know if there is any validity to the claim that regular use of Ibuprofen wards off Alzheimer's disease?
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