Re: Re: Reply to Dennis from Patsy regarding family clusters of RA

[Guest guest]

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for your reply. I did not think to mention that I was also an avid

tennis player in my youth. When the DDT wagons went by the courts -- I was in

Florida at the time -- we did not even slow down our game. On our family farm

in Missouri DDT killed the turtles, snakes, cranes, etc. I can't help but

wonder what it did to the rest of us. Like , I think there is a genetic

predisposition and anything or a bunch of things can bring RA or various other

immune diseases out. A friend of mine was the supervisor of all the city

gardeners in the city of Glendale. He replaced a guy who had severely crippled

hands from RA. Then he got RA too. He worked with weed killers, etc. Art has

had tremendous success with antibiotic treatment at a clinic in Riverside, CA.

He had a heart attack and the drugs he took intraveniously in the hospital took

the RA away for several years. When it eventually came back, he checked out the

antibiotic theory and continues to be in

remission. Recently, he has had surgery on his hands and feet to correct the

damage -- one foot/hand at a time.

Years before I had severe RA, I had an abcessed tooth. Suddenly I could not

walk without holding on to walls. As soon as the tooth was removed and

antibiotics were prescribed for the infection, the arthritic symptoms went away.

I realize that I am lucky that I did not get full-blown RA at that time. One

day the mystery will be solved, but in the meantime I think stem cell research

is our best bet for a cure in our life time.

I suppose you have heard that scleraderma (sp) trials for stem cell

replacement with cells made from a patient's tissue is being strated here at

UCLA Medical Center. I saw a man on TV who has already experienced improvement

after a doctor helped him. I can't remember if he was in Europe or here in the

U.S.

Good luck to you!

Patsy

betnden@... wrote:

Patsy, I worked for a crop dusting service in the rice fields and

pastures

of southeast Texas during the summers through high school. The only

protection we had was the flag to cover us when the sprayer went over us. I

realize that everybody reacts to things differently, but it didn't seem to

affect me in any way. My introduction to RA was a case of the flu during a

time I couldn't get to a doctor. I'm predisposed to it also, because many of

my mother's side of the family had/has it. Now my 40 year old daughter is

showing signs of RA, but is afraid to go to the doctor because she doesn't

want to know the answer.

Dennis in Eastexas

" It's not Rocket Surgery "

Re: [ ] Re: Patsy re: RA clusters in families

> Hi ,

>

> I just wanted to comment on the family question regarding RA. I usually

> substitute teach here in Pasadena, CA., but last year I taught full time

> and was shocked when I met the office manager of my school. She has

> severe RA, but manages to keep working. Like me, she feels she is better

> off working since it takes her mind off her pain. She takes Plaquinil

> (sp), and Remicade, but recently had to go off Methotrexate due to liver

> problems.

>

> She has two sisters and two half sisters -- mother's side of family --

> and all of the sisters have RA also. I discussed this with my UCLA

> rheumatologist and was surprised at his thoughts on the subject. He told

> me that the current thinking is that in a case like Marilyn's family the

> cause is environmental. Have you heard this before. Most of us in my

> clinic do not have others in the family who suffer from RA.

>

> I have always felt that my RA was related to chemicals I have been

> around, which included being drenched in chemicals from a crop duster at

> one point. I have met others at my clinic who worked exclusively with

> chemicals and feel the same way.

>

> Your comments please!

>

> Patsy

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