Introduction

[Guest guest]

Welcome : We have many wonderful simple recipes in the " files " area of

the website. Just go to the home page at:

/ and click on " files " in the

left hand margin. In addition to our original recipes, we give links to

many other recipe sites in our files. Let me know if you have any problems

finding these.

on 7/21/2003 11:42 AM, camfambmw540 at bmw@... wrote:

> Currently I am extremely motivated to practice CRON and

> am looking for recipes that are simple, filling and effective (asking

> the world here). So, if anyone has suggestions, great. I will try

> to be of help to others when I can.

[Guest guest]

Hi and welcome,

Congratulations on your weight loss success and upon discovering CRON. As to finding recipes that are "simple, filling and effective," I might suggest that you look at the concept of "Volumetrics." There's actually a book by that title that helped me figure the nitty-gritty of "simple, filling and effective."

Suz

----- Original Message -----

From: camfambmw540

Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 8:42 AM

Subject: [ ] introduction

I just want to say Hi and introduce myself.My name is , I am 43 (44 next month). Married (2nd time...learned a great deal about relationships and how to build and destroy them...mostly caused by neglect...love is something that must be worked on, now I understand...better late than never). I am a VP of a Fortune 500 in the investment banking field. I weigh 221, am 6'2", weighed 236 2 months ago (this was before I saw a PBS special featuring Dr. Walford..Alan Alda was the host). Up to the age of 30, I weighed 180lbs, then boom, kids, sedentary job....236. Currently I am extremely motivated to practice CRON and am looking for recipes that are simple, filling and effective (asking the world here). So, if anyone has suggestions, great. I will try to be of help to others when I can.Chicago Suburbs

[Guest guest]

As a real newbie (22 hours) I am relishing every snippet of information that appears on my laptop! Peg

[Guest guest]

Hi y'all,

I suspect I'm like a number of people who follow the email chain, but rarely write in to respond. I thought I'd write to encourage the new folks. I thought a useful tip for newer people (i.e. one that worked well for my wife and I ) in the transition to the CRON diet is to use the leaner recipes from Weight Watchers cookbooks. In particular, they have several books geared toward low effort meals ("Make it in Minutes") that often emphasize vegetable quantity. We've been able to continue using several of these recipes on the full CRON diet because their nutrient profile, based on Walford's Interactive Diet Planner program, is remarkably healthy. Also, the less healthier recipes can be easily modified.

On a personal note, my wife and I have finished a one year transitional period (in Feb/March), and are now moving in to the more serious CRON diet (<1500 Kcal/day). She read about CRON repeatedly, (as "CR" in the research literature), in a graduate level gerontology/physiology/medical class (Biology of Aging) at the University of Kentucky. On every aspect of the aging process, CR was the only consistent factor to slow the process. That, plus the Scientific American Frontiers show did it for us.

Ironically, two weeks ago I went to my grandfather's 93rd birthday party and discovered a book by a CR researcher on his reading table. I asked him about the book, and he said "I've been advocating calorie restriction for 30 years". He lives independently, after an evaluation recently his doctor refused to take his driver's license, and he continues to walk just under a mile a day. However, he doesn't stick closely to a CRON diet, as the ability to track nutrients has only recently been practical since the advent of desktops. So, he's essentially on a partial CR diet with conscientious attention to healthy foods. On the down side, he'll have to get his pacemaker changed next year, as they only last 20 years and he's now outlived his.

R.

-----Original Message-----From: Suzanne Cart [mailto:massuz@...]Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 11:22 PM Subject: Re: [ ] introduction

Hi and welcome,

Congratulations on your weight loss success and upon discovering CRON. As to finding recipes that are "simple, filling and effective," I might suggest that you look at the concept of "Volumetrics." There's actually a book by that title that helped me figure the nitty-gritty of "simple, filling and effective."

Suz

----- Original Message -----

From: camfambmw540

Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 8:42 AM

Subject: [ ] introduction

I just want to say Hi and introduce myself.My name is , I am 43 (44 next month). Married (2nd time...learned a great deal about relationships and how to build and destroy them...mostly caused by neglect...love is something that must be worked on, now I understand...better late than never). I am a VP of a Fortune 500 in the investment banking field. I weigh 221, am 6'2", weighed 236 2 months ago (this was before I saw a PBS special featuring Dr. Walford..Alan Alda was the host). Up to the age of 30, I weighed 180lbs, then boom, kids, sedentary job....236. Currently I am extremely motivated to practice CRON and am looking for recipes that are simple, filling and effective (asking the world here). So, if anyone has suggestions, great. I will try to be of help to others when I can.Chicago Suburbs

[Guest guest]

What an absolutely marvelous life story. Your Dad sounds like a wonderful

person! Thank you for sharing this with us; it was what I needed to hear today.

Ruth

Original message attached.

Hi y'all,

I suspect I'm like a number of people who follow the email chain, but rarely write in to respond. I thought I'd write to encourage the new folks. I thought a useful tip for newer people (i.e. one that worked well for my wife and I ) in the transition to the CRON diet is to use the leaner recipes from Weight Watchers cookbooks. In particular, they have several books geared toward low effort meals ("Make it in Minutes") that often emphasize vegetable quantity. We've been able to continue using several of these recipes on the full CRON diet because their nutrient profile, based on Walford's Interactive Diet Planner program, is remarkably healthy. Also, the less healthier recipes can be easily modified.

On a personal note, my wife and I have finished a one year transitional period (in Feb/March), and are now moving in to the more serious CRON diet (<1500 Kcal/day). She read about CRON repeatedly, (as "CR" in the research literature), in a graduate level gerontology/physiology/medical class (Biology of Aging) at the University of Kentucky. On every aspect of the aging process, CR was the only consistent factor to slow the process. That, plus the Scientific American Frontiers show did it for us.

Ironically, two weeks ago I went to my grandfather's 93rd birthday party and discovered a book by a CR researcher on his reading table. I asked him about the book, and he said "I've been advocating calorie restriction for 30 years". He lives independently, after an evaluation recently his doctor refused to take his driver's license, and he continues to walk just under a mile a day. However, he doesn't stick closely to a CRON diet, as the ability to track nutrients has only recently been practical since the advent of desktops. So, he's essentially on a partial CR diet with conscientious attention to healthy foods. On the down side, he'll have to get his pacemaker changed next year, as they only last 20 years and he's now outlived his.

R.

-----Original Message-----From: Suzanne Cart [mailto:massuz@...]Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 11:22 PM Subject: Re: [ ] introduction

Hi and welcome,

Congratulations on your weight loss success and upon discovering CRON. As to finding recipes that are "simple, filling and effective," I might suggest that you look at the concept of "Volumetrics." There's actually a book by that title that helped me figure the nitty-gritty of "simple, filling and effective."

Suz

----- Original Message -----

From: camfambmw540

Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 8:42 AM

Subject: [ ] introduction

I just want to say Hi and introduce myself.My name is , I am 43 (44 next month). Married (2nd time...learned a great deal about relationships and how to build and destroy them...mostly caused by neglect...love is something that must be worked on, now I understand...better late than never). I am a VP of a Fortune 500 in the investment banking field. I weigh 221, am 6'2", weighed 236 2 months ago (this was before I saw a PBS special featuring Dr. Walford..Alan Alda was the host). Up to the age of 30, I weighed 180lbs, then boom, kids, sedentary job....236. Currently I am extremely motivated to practice CRON and am looking for recipes that are simple, filling and effective (asking the world here). So, if anyone has suggestions, great. I will try to be of help to others when I can.Chicago Suburbs

[Guest guest]

Rob: welcome to the group. That is exactly what you should be doing! Easy

does it and you are starting off the right way.

on 10/2/2003 3:49 AM, Rob at mrbosco77@... wrote:

> Since I intend to be in this for the long haul, I

> think that it is better for me to start slow and

> steady, by cutting out the things I know I should not

> eat (and drink), but not worry so much about calorie

> intake.

[Guest guest]

Malinda: welcome to the group.

That said, you are not going about this correctly. One should never eat as

few as 600 cal a day or try to lose weight too fast. Please read the books

recommended in our " resources' file and read the other files. The main book

to read before asking questions here is " Beyond the 120 Year Diet " by Dr Roy

Walford. It's available in most public libraries.

on 11/6/2003 7:30 PM, malinda cumberland at bootsybbw@... wrote:

>

> Hi Everyone, I am new to CR. Currently my weight is 280. I am 5'7 " , age 41. A

> real carb addict but I have been sticking to a very low cal diet for the past

> couple of weeks and feel great.

>

> Today I ate a mango and a sandwich with bran bread, imitation bacon, tomatoe

> and onion and mustard. I take vitamins as well as a couple calcium chews (my

> big treat). I am trying to stay under 600 calories until I am under 200. I am

> also trying shrink my stomach. I am ashamed to say I could easily eat a whole

> pizza...and actually did before I started. I was VERY hungry when I started

> this calorie restriction diet but now am not hungry in the least. I feel very

> energetic. I also walk about 3 miles a day, I have always been a big walker

> and hope to up it to 6 miles a day in the coming weeks.

>

> My question is this: how long until my stomach shrinks to a much smaller size?

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

This is amazing progress and a remarkable report.

Take it slow by gradually transitioning over to healthy

foods, and CR will be fun for you!

Oh, how long to shrink your stomach? Good question.

The size of your stomach is the size of your eyes.

It will always be that way -- Allow temptations

to seduce you, and you will find infinite room

in your stomach.

-- Warren

-----Original Message-----From: malinda cumberland [mailto:bootsybbw@...]Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 4:30 PM Subject: [ ] intoduction

Hi Everyone, I am new to CR. Currently my weight is 280. I am 5'7", age 41. A real carb addict but I have been sticking to a very low cal diet for the past couple of weeks and feel great.

Today I ate a mango and a sandwich with bran bread, imitation bacon, tomatoe and onion and mustard. I take vitamins as well as a couple calcium chews (my big treat). I am trying to stay under 600 calories until I am under 200. I am also trying shrink my stomach. I am ashamed to say I could easily eat a whole pizza...and actually did before I started. I was VERY hungry when I started this calorie restriction diet but now am not hungry in the least. I feel very energetic. I also walk about 3 miles a day, I have always been a big walker and hope to up it to 6 miles a day in the coming weeks.

My question is this: how long until my stomach shrinks to a much smaller size?

[Guest guest]

Jane,

I am sorry to hear you and your son are sick from mold. I as well am very ill from it. Takes away your whole life. I just wanted to say welcome and this group has been great support for me for a year now.

Janet

South Berwick, Maine

[Guest guest]

Dear Jane - Imagine your luck running into ! There are few

people on this earth who have researched this issue and have

assimilated the wealth of knowledge that has. Both of us were

searching at the same time for information about mycotoxin exposure,

in fact, I was following in his footsteps. When we exchanged a

flurry of e-mails, I was amazed to see that had proceeded with

perfect right brain logic in his search - just as I had. We had

contacted the best people and had followed all the clues. Finally,

we both came to the conclusion that our best chance for successfully

overcoming the worst aspects of our exposure was more a function of

one's left brain activity. The more we become attuned to and

listened to our feelings - the more we are aware of what is going on

around us and can quickly change venue if we feel the effects of

environmental toxins. Believe it or not, your mind can be trained

to warn you of an impending exposure and you can become very

sensitive even to low levels.

I recently attended the funeral of a former neighbor in an old

church downtown and within minutes of sitting down I felt the impact

of mold toxins. Like an idiot I stayed for the service. For a

week, I lost my voice and my pain and fatigue levels went up.

Hopefully we can be of assistance. My son Max also has a form of ME

called fibromyalgia and I know how hard it is on our little ones.

Thankfully more and more schools are paying attention to indoor air

quality - since so many children have asthma. It is sad that so

many little ones have to suffer in order to have the closed minds of

the adults around them open up.

Barbara

> My name is Jane and I live in London UK with my little boy who has

> been so very sick with ME for two years now. Living behind four

> walls.

>

> It is who has introduced me to your Group and has

been

> so kind as to give me a rudimentary education on mold and what it

can

> do. Thank you very much indeed .

>

> I have been looking through the Archives of your group. I am very

> impressed. Boy have I got a lot to learn!

>

> Jane

>

> London UK

[Guest guest]

Welcome, Jane, I am sorry you had to join this group, but I hope you will get as much information as it takes to restore the health of your son and yourself. I, too, am ill from mold.

----- Original Message -----

From: Jane

Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2003 4:09 PM

Subject: [] Introduction

My name is Jane and I live in London UK with my little boy who has been so very sick with ME for two years now. Living behind four walls.It is who has introduced me to your Group and has been so kind as to give me a rudimentary education on mold and what it can do. Thank you very much indeed .I have been looking through the Archives of your group. I am very impressed. Boy have I got a lot to learn!JaneLondon UK FAIR USE NOTICE:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

[Guest guest]

When you joined the group you should have received an automatic e-mail

explaining this. Once again: here's how to access the files: Go to the

home page: /

Click on " files " in the left hand margin. Now click on the file you want

to read. All the files have valuable info. " CR Made Easy " is probably the

best one to start you off.

on 1/6/2004 7:51 AM, ecuadame at ecuadame@... wrote:

> In my intro to the group letter " CR easy " was recommended. How do I

> access that?

[Guest guest]

Hi Carolina,

I have a 9, 14, 18 still at home and yes, I cook differently for my husband and kids. I eat my own way. I stopped trying to convert them, because they would have none of it! It is easier now...and a little more work..but emotionally easier.

Kim

[Guest guest]

On feeding non-CRON family members, I feed my husband the meat, veggies and starch he wants, but I take a high-quality canned vegetable soup, add a little of the meat, some veggies, extra broth, and our new friend tomato paste and have a big,filling ON soup. Peg

[Guest guest]

Got kids also. My wife doesn't do CR, but eats relatively healthy stuff,

predominantly. Our kids eat variable well. We enforce limits on the " junk "

type food, and, occasionally, they spontaneously ask for salads, vegetables,

and fruit.

>From: kimlynette@...

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Re: [ ] Introduction

>Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2004 14:36:32 EST

>

>Hi Carolina,

>I have a 9, 14, 18 still at home and yes, I cook differently for my husband

>and kids. I eat my own way. I stopped trying to convert them, because they

>would have none of it! It is easier now...and a little more work..but

>emotionally

>easier.

>Kim

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi, my name is and I will be starting Xolair soon. I have

had horrid

> allergies all my life including life threatening food allergies -

egg and

> cucumber are my biggies, though I also have less severe ones too

to dairy,

> soy, melon, citrus and others I have just gotten used to avoiding.

I have

> also developed a latex allergy. I get allergy shots though this is

the 4th

> try and after 2 years I am just getting to maintenance levels now.

I react

> to the shots so we have to take it real slow.

>

>

>

> My asthma had been fairly well controlled until last year when I

had food

> get stuck in my esophagus. I had GERD surgery done 6 years prior

to help

> reduce reflux that was triggering asthma as well as causing

esophageal

> erosion. At first it was thought I had opened the fundoplication

and the

> severe chest pain was heartburn again. But after lots of testing

and

> increased asthma attacks, they found decided to treat my asthma

attacks. I

> went from Advair 100/50 once a day to 500/50 twice a day in 3

months trying

> to get my asthma under control. It still is not stable, but so far

I have

> been able to avoid oral prednisone. It still impacts my life

dramatically

> as I can't do my usual Taekwondo without trouble breathing.

>

>

>

> My allergist was unsure whether Xolair would help as they are not

sure yet

> if the asthma attacks are allergy triggered or GERD triggered. But

I am

> hopeful it will make a difference. I can't be outside if anyone

has cut

> their lawn in our neighborhood or I can't breathe. I also had an

asthma

> attack (start of anaphylaxis actually) when I was in a room where

egg

> omelets were being cooked. Latex balloons are enough to trigger an

attack

> too.

>

>

>

> The allergist has decided to give it a 6 month trial to see if it

makes a

> difference. Do most find it helps by then? I had an IgE level of

88 so I

> will only need 150 ml once a month. It would be nice to have

everything

> stable again, and maybe even my food and latex allergies not as

threatening.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

I have a latex allergy that has made me housebound prior to xolair. Now I can

go out a have less and less reactions. i call xolair my mircle cure. I hit the 1

year anniversary of no ventaltor after many times for 8 years. I am so glad they

have this drug to help us.

----- Original Message -----

From: asperqu

Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 3:23 AM

Subject: [ ] Re: Introduction

>

> Hi, my name is and I will be starting Xolair soon. I have

had horrid

> allergies all my life including life threatening food allergies -

egg and

> cucumber are my biggies, though I also have less severe ones too

to dairy,

> soy, melon, citrus and others I have just gotten used to avoiding.

I have

> also developed a latex allergy. I get allergy shots though this is

the 4th

> try and after 2 years I am just getting to maintenance levels now.

I react

> to the shots so we have to take it real slow.

>

>

>

> My asthma had been fairly well controlled until last year when I

had food

> get stuck in my esophagus. I had GERD surgery done 6 years prior

to help

> reduce reflux that was triggering asthma as well as causing

esophageal

> erosion. At first it was thought I had opened the fundoplication

and the

> severe chest pain was heartburn again. But after lots of testing

and

> increased asthma attacks, they found decided to treat my asthma

attacks. I

> went from Advair 100/50 once a day to 500/50 twice a day in 3

months trying

> to get my asthma under control. It still is not stable, but so far

I have

> been able to avoid oral prednisone. It still impacts my life

dramatically

> as I can't do my usual Taekwondo without trouble breathing.

>

>

>

> My allergist was unsure whether Xolair would help as they are not

sure yet

> if the asthma attacks are allergy triggered or GERD triggered. But

I am

> hopeful it will make a difference. I can't be outside if anyone

has cut

> their lawn in our neighborhood or I can't breathe. I also had an

asthma

> attack (start of anaphylaxis actually) when I was in a room where

egg

> omelets were being cooked. Latex balloons are enough to trigger an

attack

> too.

>

>

>

> The allergist has decided to give it a 6 month trial to see if it

makes a

> difference. Do most find it helps by then? I had an IgE level of

88 so I

> will only need 150 ml once a month. It would be nice to have

everything

> stable again, and maybe even my food and latex allergies not as

threatening.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

phine- Ignoring a positive RA test repeatedly and NOT treating it is grounds for a lawsuit. Go to www.arthritisfoundation.org. Call your local chapter office. They will help you find someone in your area for support and treatment. What you need is a biologic. It is expensive and it sounds like the Drs dont like the reality of the cost. You need to be on disease modifiers among other things. Call the office for veterans affairs and explain what is going on. Finding a good Rheumy is a rare thing but any RD must treat you. Threaten to lodge a complain with the AMA and see how fast they have you in the office with prescriptions in hand. I have had RA since 1994 so know what you have gone through. Patient advocacy groups in your area will also help you. Treat your pain and inflammation, then your disease. We are here for you. Hugs, Deborah

On 11/22/06, tjaskren <tjaskren@...> wrote:

My name is Jo and I am 42, married, no children.

I was dx with RA in 1998. I had the flu and several days after recovering from it I awoke to terrible pain, every joint, literally, was swollen to the size of golf balls and fire red, even the bottoms of my feet were swollen. I could not walk. My fever was up to over 102. My husband took me to the ER and the first thing they said was does she have RA? They did many tests and said it was viral arthritis brought on by the influenza. I was in the ER 3 times, admitted once and bed ridden for 6 weeks and it took roughly 4 months for all the swelling to go down. They had me on steroids and other meds I cant remember off the top of my head and of course pain pills.

As far as they told me I would never have any more problems despite the DX of RA. My joints began to become increasingly more painful and would swell, becoming very red and tender over the years, many times so bad I would just lay and cry, trying heating pads to help and took lots of motrin which didn't help.

I said something 3 years ago to my doctor at the VA and he did an RF , Sed Rate, and ANA, which came back positive. He said yes it is RA and sent me to the rheumatologist at the Indianapolis VA to get treatment, but the docs there only did more blood work, which was pos and more x-rays and then did nothing. The VA does my blood work every 6 months and it is always the same and they never do anything for me. I cant even get anything for the pain.

I use ultram for a back injury, that is my disability from the Air Force, which doesn't do much if anything for the RA when I have what I call an episode.

I went to a private doctor and he said he disagreed with both of the DX and that he doesn't treat lab results and then said he needed more labs done. He charged me $500 and told me it was all in my head! I didn't have deformed joints so it cant be RA. I got those records and found that my private civilian doctor wrote a note saying that it was not RA and that I have depression and it is all in my head.

Now my finger joints are becoming deformed, I am sick most of the time, and spend much of the morning just working through the pain and stiffness so I can get moving.

I am frustrated. I can not get any doctor to treat me. I have read the book Living with RA by Hopkins Univ. and have educated myself on this disease. We have no insurance and I must rely on the VA system mostly, which is terrible to say the least. I am a disabled veteran.

Hope to find some support on this list.

phine Askren

[Guest guest]

I found this link.http://www1.va.gov/health/

On 11/28/06, Deborah Bargad <dbargad@...> wrote:

phine- Ignoring a positive RA test repeatedly and NOT treating it is grounds for a lawsuit. Go to

www.arthritisfoundation.org. Call your local chapter office. They will help you find someone in your area for support and treatment. What you need is a biologic. It is expensive and it sounds like the Drs dont like the reality of the cost. You need to be on disease modifiers among other things. Call the office for veterans affairs and explain what is going on. Finding a good Rheumy is a rare thing but any RD must treat you. Threaten to lodge a complain with the AMA and see how fast they have you in the office with prescriptions in hand. I have had RA since 1994 so know what you have gone through. Patient advocacy groups in your area will also help you. Treat your pain and inflammation, then your disease. We are here for you. Hugs, Deborah

On 11/22/06, tjaskren <tjaskren@...

> wrote:

My name is Jo and I am 42, married, no children.

I was dx with RA in 1998. I had the flu and several days after recovering from it I awoke to terrible pain, every joint, literally, was swollen to the size of golf balls and fire red, even the bottoms of my feet were swollen. I could not walk. My fever was up to over 102. My husband took me to the ER and the first thing they said was does she have RA? They did many tests and said it was viral arthritis brought on by the influenza. I was in the ER 3 times, admitted once and bed ridden for 6 weeks and it took roughly 4 months for all the swelling to go down. They had me on steroids and other meds I cant remember off the top of my head and of course pain pills.

As far as they told me I would never have any more problems despite the DX of RA. My joints began to become increasingly more painful and would swell, becoming very red and tender over the years, many times so bad I would just lay and cry, trying heating pads to help and took lots of motrin which didn't help.

I said something 3 years ago to my doctor at the VA and he did an RF , Sed Rate, and ANA, which came back positive. He said yes it is RA and sent me to the rheumatologist at the Indianapolis VA to get treatment, but the docs there only did more blood work, which was pos and more x-rays and then did nothing. The VA does my blood work every 6 months and it is always the same and they never do anything for me. I cant even get anything for the pain.

I use ultram for a back injury, that is my disability from the Air Force, which doesn't do much if anything for the RA when I have what I call an episode.

I went to a private doctor and he said he disagreed with both of the DX and that he doesn't treat lab results and then said he needed more labs done. He charged me $500 and told me it was all in my head! I didn't have deformed joints so it cant be RA. I got those records and found that my private civilian doctor wrote a note saying that it was not RA and that I have depression and it is all in my head.

Now my finger joints are becoming deformed, I am sick most of the time, and spend much of the morning just working through the pain and stiffness so I can get moving.

I am frustrated. I can not get any doctor to treat me. I have read the book Living with RA by Hopkins Univ. and have educated myself on this disease. We have no insurance and I must rely on the VA system mostly, which is terrible to say the least. I am a disabled veteran.

Hope to find some support on this list.

phine Askren

[Guest guest]

Deborah

Thanks so much for your reply.

I have spoken with the VA patient advocate in Indy and she took the doctors side. She told me to get more labs done like he said, which I did, and then I heard nothing. I have spoken with the pt advocate in Danville VA and gotten no where. My doctor in Danville accused me of drug seeking, which shocked me since he is one who made the dx of RA. He said the meds are too expensive and the VA wont pay for them. He actually gave me a verbal warning, saying I better be careful about what I was doing and had me in tears. I am so depressed and frustrated with the VA I just gave up and go for the blood work and to get my meds refilled.

They did a work up with mri and many tests 3 years ago for my disability and they were to trying to get my rating increased. They found much damage in the spine and the radiology report said this needed attention right away but they have just blown it off. And that is why I have disability. I injured myself during active duty.

The doctor here who took my $500, which they made me pay up front before I even saw the doctor, which was humiliating, just blew me off. I thought of reporting him but to be honest I am just so overwhelmed with the stress of trying any more.

Thanks for the link. I went to the sight and found the Indiana office and will contact them.

phine Askren

----- Original Message -----

From: Deborah Bargad

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 3:57 AM

Subject: Re: Introduction

phine- Ignoring a positive RA test repeatedly and NOT treating it is grounds for a lawsuit. Go to www.arthritisfoundation.org. Call your local chapter office. They will help you find someone in your area for support and treatment. What you need is a biologic. It is expensive and it sounds like the Drs dont like the reality of the cost. You need to be on disease modifiers among other things. Call the office for veterans affairs and explain what is going on. Finding a good Rheumy is a rare thing but any RD must treat you. Threaten to lodge a complain with the AMA and see how fast they have you in the office with prescriptions in hand. I have had RA since 1994 so know what you have gone through. Patient advocacy groups in your area will also help you. Treat your pain and inflammation, then your disease. We are here for you. Hugs, Deborah

On 11/22/06, tjaskren <tjaskren@...> wrote:

My name is Jo and I am 42, married, no children.

I was dx with RA in 1998. I had the flu and several days after recovering from it I awoke to terrible pain, every joint, literally, was swollen to the size of golf balls and fire red, even the bottoms of my feet were swollen. I could not walk. My fever was up to over 102. My husband took me to the ER and the first thing they said was does she have RA? They did many tests and said it was viral arthritis brought on by the influenza. I was in the ER 3 times, admitted once and bed ridden for 6 weeks and it took roughly 4 months for all the swelling to go down. They had me on steroids and other meds I cant remember off the top of my head and of course pain pills.

As far as they told me I would never have any more problems despite the DX of RA. My joints began to become increasingly more painful and would swell, becoming very red and tender over the years, many times so bad I would just lay and cry, trying heating pads to help and took lots of motrin which didn't help.

I said something 3 years ago to my doctor at the VA and he did an RF , Sed Rate, and ANA, which came back positive. He said yes it is RA and sent me to the rheumatologist at the Indianapolis VA to get treatment, but the docs there only did more blood work, which was pos and more x-rays and then did nothing. The VA does my blood work every 6 months and it is always the same and they never do anything for me. I cant even get anything for the pain.

I use ultram for a back injury, that is my disability from the Air Force, which doesn't do much if anything for the RA when I have what I call an episode.

I went to a private doctor and he said he disagreed with both of the DX and that he doesn't treat lab results and then said he needed more labs done. He charged me $500 and told me it was all in my head! I didn't have deformed joints so it cant be RA. I got those records and found that my private civilian doctor wrote a note saying that it was not RA and that I have depression and it is all in my head.

Now my finger joints are becoming deformed, I am sick most of the time, and spend much of the morning just working through the pain and stiffness so I can get moving.

I am frustrated. I can not get any doctor to treat me. I have read the book Living with RA by Hopkins Univ. and have educated myself on this disease. We have no insurance and I must rely on the VA system mostly, which is terrible to say the least. I am a disabled veteran.

Hope to find some support on this list.

phine Askren

[Guest guest]

You need to report all the doctors’ intimidation to the patient advocate. What do you care if they yell at you. They are supposed to treat you and they aren’t. Sounds as though they are just lazy. My father goes to the VA hospital in NJ and they get him the meds he needs. It’s not the best system, but it’s not supposed to work the way you describe.

You need to report the doctor who refused to treat you. The fact is they HAVE to give you the medications your disease calls for. They don’t have a choice. Of course you are drug-seeking, you are seeking treatment! You could even consider getting media involved.

From: tjaskren <tjaskren@...>

Reply- " Rheumatoid Arthritis " <Rheumatoid Arthritis >

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:38:37 -0500

<Rheumatoid Arthritis >

Subject: Re: Introduction

Deborah

Thanks so much for your reply.

I have spoken with the VA patient advocate in Indy and she took the doctors side. She told me to get more labs done like he said, which I did, and then I heard nothing. I have spoken with the pt advocate in Danville VA and gotten no where. My doctor in Danville accused me of drug seeking, which shocked me since he is one who made the dx of RA. He said the meds are too expensive and the VA wont pay for them. He actually gave me a verbal warning, saying I better be careful about what I was doing and had me in tears. I am so depressed and frustrated with the VA I just gave up and go for the blood work and to get my meds refilled.

They did a work up with mri and many tests 3 years ago for my disability and they were to trying to get my rating increased. They found much damage in the spine and the radiology report said this needed attention right away but they have just blown it off. And that is why I have disability. I injured myself during active duty.

The doctor here who took my $500, which they made me pay up front before I even saw the doctor, which was humiliating, just blew me off. I thought of reporting him but to be honest I am just so overwhelmed with the stress of trying any more.

Thanks for the link. I went to the sight and found the Indiana office and will contact them.

phine Askren

----- Original Message -----

From: Deborah Bargad <mailto:dbargad@...>

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 3:57 AM

Subject: Re: Introduction

phine- Ignoring a positive RA test repeatedly and NOT treating it is grounds for a lawsuit. Go to www.arthritisfoundation.org <http://www.arthritisfoundation.org> . Call your local chapter office. They will help you find someone in your area for support and treatment. What you need is a biologic. It is expensive and it sounds like the Drs dont like the reality of the cost. You need to be on disease modifiers among other things. Call the office for veterans affairs and explain what is going on. Finding a good Rheumy is a rare thing but any RD must treat you. Threaten to lodge a complain with the AMA and see how fast they have you in the office with prescriptions in hand. I have had RA since 1994 so know what you have gone through. Patient advocacy groups in your area will also help you. Treat your pain and inflammation, then your disease. We are here for you. Hugs, Deborah

On 11/22/06, tjaskren <tjaskren@...> wrote:

My name is Jo and I am 42, married, no children.

I was dx with RA in 1998. I had the flu and several days after recovering from it I awoke to terrible pain, every joint, literally, was swollen to the size of golf balls and fire red, even the bottoms of my feet were swollen. I could not walk. My fever was up to over 102. My husband took me to the ER and the first thing they said was does she have RA? They did many tests and said it was viral arthritis brought on by the influenza. I was in the ER 3 times, admitted once and bed ridden for 6 weeks and it took roughly 4 months for all the swelling to go down. They had me on steroids and other meds I cant remember off the top of my head and of course pain pills.

As far as they told me I would never have any more problems despite the DX of RA. My joints began to become increasingly more painful and would swell, becoming very red and tender over the years, many times so bad I would just lay and cry, trying heating pads to help and took lots of motrin which didn't help.

I said something 3 years ago to my doctor at the VA and he did an RF , Sed Rate, and ANA, which came back positive. He said yes it is RA and sent me to the rheumatologist at the Indianapolis VA to get treatment, but the docs there only did more blood work, which was pos and more x-rays and then did nothing. The VA does my blood work every 6 months and it is always the same and they never do anything for me. I cant even get anything for the pain.

I use ultram for a back injury, that is my disability from the Air Force, which doesn't do much if anything for the RA when I have what I call an episode.

I went to a private doctor and he said he disagreed with both of the DX and that he doesn't treat lab results and then said he needed more labs done. He charged me $500 and told me it was all in my head! I didn't have deformed joints so it cant be RA. I got those records and found that my private civilian doctor wrote a note saying that it was not RA and that I have depression and it is all in my head.

Now my finger joints are becoming deformed, I am sick most of the time, and spend much of the morning just working through the pain and stiffness so I can get moving.

I am frustrated. I can not get any doctor to treat me. I have read the book Living with RA by Hopkins Univ. and have educated myself on this disease. We have no insurance and I must rely on the VA system mostly, which is terrible to say the least. I am a disabled veteran.

Hope to find some support on this list.

phine Askren

[Guest guest]

I’m not a doctor but I do believe

that RA can be hard to diagnose. I’m surprised with a diagnosis of

RA you were not given some of the less expensive RA medications. Probably

Methotrexate is the most common but some doctors start with Plaquenil or

Sulfasalazine. A few start with Arava but that is more expensive and

generally similar in effectiveness to Methotrexate. It usually takes

several weeks to several months for an RA medication to become effective and

for short-term relief doctors often use Prednisone (a corticosteroid) that

usually helps symptoms quickly but does not do much to slow or stop joint

damage and also has some troublesome side effects. The American College

of Rheumatology has seven criteria for diagnosing RA but it is so variable that

any four of the symptoms qualify for a positive diagnosis. Also there are

over 100 kinds of inflammatory arthritis that have symptoms and treatments that

can overlap RA considerably.

RA Criteria (Any 4 qualify for positive diagnosis)

1. Morning stiffness, lasting for at least an hour, present daily for

at least 6 weeks

2. Arthritis of 3 or more joints, lasting for at least 6 weeks

3. Arthritis of the hand joints, lasting for at least 6 weeks

4. Symmetric arthritis, lasting for at least 6 weeks

5. Rheumatoid nodules

6. Positive rheumatoid factor (blood test)

7. Joint changes on x-ray

http://www.arc.org.uk/about_arth/booklets/6033/6033.htm

The link above is to general information about RA that I think is both

readable and accurate. You probably know most of this already but it is

good for reference. I hope you find some way to get effective treatment.

God bless.

From:

Rheumatoid Arthritis

[mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On

Behalf Of tjaskren

Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2006

8:55 AM

To:

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Subject:

Introduction

My name is Jo

and I am 42, married, no children.

I was dx with

RA in 1998. I had the flu and several days after recovering from it I awoke to

terrible pain, every joint, literally, was swollen to the size of golf balls

and fire red, even the bottoms of my feet were swollen. I could not walk.

My fever was up to over 102. My husband took me to the ER and the first

thing they said was does she have RA? They did many tests and said it was viral

arthritis brought on by the influenza. I was in the ER 3 times, admitted once

and bed ridden for 6 weeks and it took roughly 4 months for all the swelling to

go down. They had me on steroids and other meds I cant remember off the top of

my head and of course pain pills.

As far as they

told me I would never have any more problems despite the DX of RA. My joints

began to become increasingly more painful and would swell, becoming very red

and tender over the years, many times so bad I would just lay and cry, trying

heating pads to help and took lots of motrin which didn't help.

I said

something 3 years ago to my doctor at the VA and he did an RF , Sed Rate, and

ANA, which came back positive. He said yes it is RA and sent me to the

rheumatologist at the Indianapolis

VA to get treatment, but the docs

there only did more blood work, which was pos and more x-rays and then did

nothing. The VA does my blood work every 6 months and it is always the same and

they never do anything for me. I cant even get anything for the pain.

I use ultram

for a back injury, that is my disability from the Air Force, which doesn't do

much if anything for the RA when I have what I call an episode.

I went to a

private doctor and he said he disagreed with both of the DX and that he doesn't

treat lab results and then said he needed more labs done. He charged me $500

and told me it was all in my head! I didn't have deformed joints so it cant be

RA. I got those records and found that my private civilian doctor wrote a note

saying that it was not RA and that I have depression and it is all in my head.

Now my finger

joints are becoming deformed, I am sick most of the time, and spend much of the

morning just working through the pain and stiffness so I can get moving.

I am

frustrated. I can not get any doctor to treat me. I have read the book Living

with RA by Hopkins Univ. and have educated myself on this disease. We have

no insurance and I must rely on the VA system mostly, which is terrible to say

the least. I am a disabled veteran.

Hope to find

some support on this list.

phine Askren

[Guest guest]

What is a Rheumatoid nodules?

I have changes to my wrist joints from the first episode. The joints have little knobs on the tops that become very white.

phine Askren

----- Original Message -----

From: Harold Van Tuyl

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 2:10 PM

Subject: RE: Introduction

I’m not a doctor but I do believe that RA can be hard to diagnose. I’m surprised with a diagnosis of RA you were not given some of the less expensive RA medications. Probably Methotrexate is the most common but some doctors start with Plaquenil or Sulfasalazine. A few start with Arava but that is more expensive and generally similar in effectiveness to Methotrexate. It usually takes several weeks to several months for an RA medication to become effective and for short-term relief doctors often use Prednisone (a corticosteroid) that usually helps symptoms quickly but does not do much to slow or stop joint damage and also has some troublesome side effects. The American College of Rheumatology has seven criteria for diagnosing RA but it is so variable that any four of the symptoms qualify for a positive diagnosis. Also there are over 100 kinds of inflammatory arthritis that have symptoms and treatments that can overlap RA considerably.

RA Criteria (Any 4 qualify for positive diagnosis)

1. Morning stiffness, lasting for at least an hour, present daily for at least 6 weeks2. Arthritis of 3 or more joints, lasting for at least 6 weeks3. Arthritis of the hand joints, lasting for at least 6 weeks4. Symmetric arthritis, lasting for at least 6 weeks5. Rheumatoid nodules6. Positive rheumatoid factor (blood test)7. Joint changes on x-ray

http://www.arc.org.uk/about_arth/booklets/6033/6033.htm

The link above is to general information about RA that I think is both readable and accurate. You probably know most of this already but it is good for reference. I hope you find some way to get effective treatment. God bless.

From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On Behalf Of tjaskrenSent: Wednesday, November 22, 2006 8:55 AMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Introduction

My name is Jo and I am 42, married, no children.

I was dx with RA in 1998. I had the flu and several days after recovering from it I awoke to terrible pain, every joint, literally, was swollen to the size of golf balls and fire red, even the bottoms of my feet were swollen. I could not walk. My fever was up to over 102. My husband took me to the ER and the first thing they said was does she have RA? They did many tests and said it was viral arthritis brought on by the influenza. I was in the ER 3 times, admitted once and bed ridden for 6 weeks and it took roughly 4 months for all the swelling to go down. They had me on steroids and other meds I cant remember off the top of my head and of course pain pills.

As far as they told me I would never have any more problems despite the DX of RA. My joints began to become increasingly more painful and would swell, becoming very red and tender over the years, many times so bad I would just lay and cry, trying heating pads to help and took lots of motrin which didn't help.

I said something 3 years ago to my doctor at the VA and he did an RF , Sed Rate, and ANA, which came back positive. He said yes it is RA and sent me to the rheumatologist at the Indianapolis VA to get treatment, but the docs there only did more blood work, which was pos and more x-rays and then did nothing. The VA does my blood work every 6 months and it is always the same and they never do anything for me. I cant even get anything for the pain.

I use ultram for a back injury, that is my disability from the Air Force, which doesn't do much if anything for the RA when I have what I call an episode.

I went to a private doctor and he said he disagreed with both of the DX and that he doesn't treat lab results and then said he needed more labs done. He charged me $500 and told me it was all in my head! I didn't have deformed joints so it cant be RA. I got those records and found that my private civilian doctor wrote a note saying that it was not RA and that I have depression and it is all in my head.

Now my finger joints are becoming deformed, I am sick most of the time, and spend much of the morning just working through the pain and stiffness so I can get moving.

I am frustrated. I can not get any doctor to treat me. I have read the book Living with RA by Hopkins Univ. and have educated myself on this disease. We have no insurance and I must rely on the VA system mostly, which is terrible to say the least. I am a disabled veteran.

Hope to find some support on this list.

phine Askren

[Guest guest]

http://arthritis.about.com/cs/nodules/a/rheumanodules.htm

The link above gives some general

information on rheumatoid nodules. Mine are small lumps smaller than a pea

that are not painful unless hit or pressed hard. I haven’t noticed any

white tops on them. God bless.

From: Rheumatoid Arthritis

[mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On

Behalf Of tjaskren

Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006

11:42 AM

To:

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Subject: Re:

Introduction

What is a Rheumatoid nodules?

I have changes

to my wrist joints from the first episode. The joints have little knobs on the

tops that become very white.

phine Askren

[Guest guest]

Dear phine- This is where you seperate the haves from the have nots. Montel the actor runs a free medication program for patients who cannot afford them. From there, do call the arthritis foundation for resources. NEXT. Get all and I do mean all your medical records. Every doctors note, test etc including the payment for 500 dollars. Once you get everything together let me know. We will go from there. Dont give up, and dont give in. Hugs, Deborah

On 11/28/06, tjaskren <tjaskren@...> wrote:

Deborah

Thanks so much for your reply.

I have spoken with the VA patient advocate in Indy and she took the doctors side. She told me to get more labs done like he said, which I did, and then I heard nothing. I have spoken with the pt advocate in Danville VA and gotten no where. My doctor in Danville accused me of drug seeking, which shocked me since he is one who made the dx of RA. He said the meds are too expensive and the VA wont pay for them. He actually gave me a verbal warning, saying I better be careful about what I was doing and had me in tears. I am so depressed and frustrated with the VA I just gave up and go for the blood work and to get my meds refilled.

They did a work up with mri and many tests 3 years ago for my disability and they were to trying to get my rating increased. They found much damage in the spine and the radiology report said this needed attention right away but they have just blown it off. And that is why I have disability. I injured myself during active duty.

The doctor here who took my $500, which they made me pay up front before I even saw the doctor, which was humiliating, just blew me off. I thought of reporting him but to be honest I am just so overwhelmed with the stress of trying any more.

Thanks for the link. I went to the sight and found the Indiana office and will contact them.

phine Askren

----- Original Message -----

From: Deborah Bargad

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 3:57 AM

Subject: Re: Introduction

phine- Ignoring a positive RA test repeatedly and NOT treating it is grounds for a lawsuit. Go to

www.arthritisfoundation.org. Call your local chapter office. They will help you find someone in your area for support and treatment. What you need is a biologic. It is expensive and it sounds like the Drs dont like the reality of the cost. You need to be on disease modifiers among other things. Call the office for veterans affairs and explain what is going on. Finding a good Rheumy is a rare thing but any RD must treat you. Threaten to lodge a complain with the AMA and see how fast they have you in the office with prescriptions in hand. I have had RA since 1994 so know what you have gone through. Patient advocacy groups in your area will also help you. Treat your pain and inflammation, then your disease. We are here for you. Hugs, Deborah

On 11/22/06, tjaskren <tjaskren@...

> wrote:

My name is Jo and I am 42, married, no children.

I was dx with RA in 1998. I had the flu and several days after recovering from it I awoke to terrible pain, every joint, literally, was swollen to the size of golf balls and fire red, even the bottoms of my feet were swollen. I could not walk. My fever was up to over 102. My husband took me to the ER and the first thing they said was does she have RA? They did many tests and said it was viral arthritis brought on by the influenza. I was in the ER 3 times, admitted once and bed ridden for 6 weeks and it took roughly 4 months for all the swelling to go down. They had me on steroids and other meds I cant remember off the top of my head and of course pain pills.

As far as they told me I would never have any more problems despite the DX of RA. My joints began to become increasingly more painful and would swell, becoming very red and tender over the years, many times so bad I would just lay and cry, trying heating pads to help and took lots of motrin which didn't help.

I said something 3 years ago to my doctor at the VA and he did an RF , Sed Rate, and ANA, which came back positive. He said yes it is RA and sent me to the rheumatologist at the Indianapolis VA to get treatment, but the docs there only did more blood work, which was pos and more x-rays and then did nothing. The VA does my blood work every 6 months and it is always the same and they never do anything for me. I cant even get anything for the pain.

I use ultram for a back injury, that is my disability from the Air Force, which doesn't do much if anything for the RA when I have what I call an episode.

I went to a private doctor and he said he disagreed with both of the DX and that he doesn't treat lab results and then said he needed more labs done. He charged me $500 and told me it was all in my head! I didn't have deformed joints so it cant be RA. I got those records and found that my private civilian doctor wrote a note saying that it was not RA and that I have depression and it is all in my head.

Now my finger joints are becoming deformed, I am sick most of the time, and spend much of the morning just working through the pain and stiffness so I can get moving.

I am frustrated. I can not get any doctor to treat me. I have read the book Living with RA by Hopkins Univ. and have educated myself on this disease. We have no insurance and I must rely on the VA system mostly, which is terrible to say the least. I am a disabled veteran.

Hope to find some support on this list.

phine Askren