Category: Health

Health of people related to Diagnostic & Statistical Manual (DSM) & psychology

CCSVI chronic cerbrospinal veinous insufficiency treated by angioplasty on hold?

Do you know someone with MS? Do they know about the use of angioplasty to clear blogged veins in the neck? Use of this technique has been put on hold at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, CA. Who else is doing it on the west coast? Here is some info:

Of 500 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) 62% had chronic cerebrospinal veinous insufficiency (CCSVI). MS is not alone in having chronic cerebrospinal veinous insufficiency. In other diseases about 45% also have CCSVI.

Dr. Zamboni, an Italian doctor, treated his own wife with angioplasty — a balloon to clean out the vein that was clogged. Three years later she has had no MS attacks.

Stanford Hospital put on hold its program for treating MS patients with CCSVI after one patient died and another had to have emergency heart surgery.

“Stay on current drug therapy” says Dr. Zivadinov, associate professor of neurology at the University of Buffalo in New York.

Well, that is conservative advise that sounds good. But for patients that experience numerous side effects from the drug therapy that advise may sound hollow.

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immigration reform possible? Yes!

How to solve illegal immigration?

Work to change the conditions that draw people here illegally. Too easily people can get fake identification papers. The Border Patrol too frequently turns a blind eye to people entering illegally. There is no fence along the southern border — though money was allocated for one. The federal government for too many years has done too little.

Hence Arizona’s sensible response. More needs to be done, however.

So let’s make sensible changes:

** Built rapport with law abiding groups across the Border. Have a foreign workers program and all workers carry tamper proof identification cards. Make a fence that is not easily penetrated and well maintained. Provide foreign aid to families and children that encourages families to stay and or return to Mexico and other Latin American countries.

** Built a solid fence with a 1/2 mile “no go” strip maintained by air planes, the national guard & border patrol. Physically fit persons paid by the government — like census workers — can walk the fence and be the eyes and ears for the national guard and border patrol. Use air planes equipped with laser tag guns, glow in the dark paint ball guns and other means of identifying persons that have illegally entered the U.S.

** Akin to the “go to the people & get their support” in Iraq and Afghanistan, use our military to “make friends” with law abiding citizens and groups in Mexico. What do they need/ want so their young people stay in Mexico and contribute to Mexico’s development? Give direct aid in small towns so they thrive and are pro-American and give us tips as to what the drug cartels are doing. Build rapport and support for law abiding behavior across the border.

** Remember that it is illegal behavior. Follow the laws that are already on the books.

** People are drawn here because of the freedoms we have as a lawful society. That’s what is wrong with amnesty every 10-15 years. Amnesty is a reward for bad behavior. Let’s reward legal behavior.

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Is multiple sclerosis due to CCSVI – a plumbing problem – fixable with surgery?

What causes multiple sclerosis? Think of it in brief like a plumbing problem. Whe things don’t go down properly unfortunately things back up — and the backup causes a mess. How fix it? Clean out the plumbing so that blood moves properly around the body.

So is MS akin to a plumbing problem that can be fixed with surgery?

One hypothesis put forward by Dr. Zamboni of Italy is that there is insufficient drainage of blood from the brain and spinal cord. When veins get blocked they make substitute paths and that blood reverses flow (reflux) back to the brain. That reverse flow may set off the inflammation and immune-mediated damage that has been well described in MS. When the flow of blood becomes natural then the damage to the mylon will stop. Mylon can repair itself over time.

Dr. Zamboni’s hypothesis that CCSVI (chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency) contributes to nervous system damage in multiple sclerosis. In 35 individuals treated by Dr. Zamboni with vascular surgery using balloon dilation (J Vasc Surg 2009; 50:1348-1358) 47% of internal jugular veins went back to having restricted blood flow. That means that 53% — more than half — no longer had any venous obstruction.

Michael D. Drake of Stanford Hospital was doing some of the procedures operations such as Dr. Zimboni did but recently halted. In December 2009 the hospital shut down his 40 patient program. One patient died going home on a plane and another patient had a stent move to the heart requiring emergency surgery. Next possible date for more procedures done at Stanford is tentatively set for June, 2010.

People with MS can look into getting a MRV (V for venous) exam to determine whether their veins are clogged. There are various research programs that MS patients can enroll in.

And there are promising therapies that can assist: low dose naltrexone therapy for one. So far as I can see reading The Promise of Low Dose Naltrexone Therapy by Elaine A. Moore and Samantha Wilkinson and other sources the only BIG no-no is no use of any narcotic while taking LDN. LDN may be helpful for a wide variety of disorders including cancer, Parkinson’s and autism.

Do you know someone who lives with multiple sclerosis? Pass this on to them. On the main page for the national organization for multiple sclerosis you can watch Dr. Zamboni and others discuss the most current findings. Over 140,000 people from all over the world signed up to watch it on the Internet April 14, 2010.That web case is available to watch on the national home page for multiple sclerosis.

If this is a plumbing problem treatable with surgery think of how this will effect the pharmaceutical companies that make beta-interferon and Tysabri. Beta-interferon carries flu-like side effects and Tysabri has lead ot fatal brain disease in rare instances. The pharmaceutical companies make large donations to neurologists who write prescriptions for MS patients.

Anyone who lives with a chronic health condition and who is deteriorating can become quite dependent on their doctors — the neurologists — who have been prescribing medications to them for numerous years. Switch and get angioplasty for a plumbing problem? Get off medications? Take vitamin K and other vitamins and supplements? Use low dose naltrexone to heal the body? Wow! That is a huge step in a different direction.

Yes — the “experts” are having “turf” wars. And the patients and their families may feel like pawns in a chess game. That’s why the Internet is so powerful. Easy to connect with others and for pawns to become Queens and Kings. And for persons with MS to take charge of their own health and destiny.

Some ways for MS patients and their families to take charge:
Connect with other families. Who are other local families dealing with MS? Use the internet to send group e-mail back and forth. Stay in touch. Share stories.

Use technology so you can SEE the persons you are connecting to. All it takes is a laptop, SKYPE and a web camera if not already built into your laptop. This way the person with MS “gets out” and loved ones and others can “get in”. And this way the person with MS can meet new people and start other relationships. That is the wonderful thing about interactive technology. A person with MS may first only want to see their daughter or son. Later, they will want to see and interact with new people they meet over the Internet.

MS tends to be a women’s disease. Male spouses and significant others need to be involved in creating a supportive framework for healing: MS diet, regular contacts with people they love, getting out into the community, assisting the person with MS to do activities that bring pleasure.

Very importantly: help the person on a daily basis to do new things and learn new skills and grow spiritually and emotionally as well as physically. People sense when their skills and abilities are growing or shrinking. So help ensure that skills grow.

Keep track of growth with a notebook. Look where you were and see where you are now.

Encourage independence. Assist MS patients to take initiative, make choices and make decisions. Start with the little decisions — what to wear and eat — and move on to larger decisions. . Such as, is this procedure one that you really want? What is the downside to doing this procedure?

Talk to your doctors. Why not do this form of angioplasty — once proven appropriate based on well done research — right here in Santa Cruz County? Dominican Hospital is excellent and we have first class surgeons who can do angioplasy procedures. For example, Dr. Benjamin Potkin is one local doctor who has the experience and necessary abilities.

Get the best supplements possible. Louden Pharmacy on 41st Avenue is one such pharmacy. The pharmacist, Ray, can provide Low Dose Nalrexone per prescription from your doctor. And he can refer you to professional people who can hone in on other ways to improve your general health.

Get out into the community and see people and do activities. For example, Christ Lutheran Church of Aptos just started a garden so people in the community can grow their own. Part of the garden is for persons with disabilities. In that area the beds are raised and it is wheel chair accessible. Seeing plants grow that the MS patient selected and planted is one way to get out and meet new people. Yesterday, I heard about the garden on the radio and got a plot right next to the gate. That way clients who cannot get out of the car that day can still see their strawberries and tomatoes grow!

And be sure to take care of yourself. It is stressful for family members dealing with MS. What MS patients need, family members who take care of persons with MS also need.

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low dose naltrexone can boost the immune system

If you Google low dose naltrexone you will see the following on the website:

“FDA-approved naltrexone, in a low dose, can boost the immune system — helping those with HIV/AIDS, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and central nervous system disorders…”

A work friend FAX’ed her primary care doctor asking if she could take LDN as a preventative for immune system disorders. Why wait until you have a disorder? was her thought. The doctor FAX’ed back that the only safety issue he found was that no narcotics can be taken while taking LDN. She does not take any narcotics so that was not a problem. She plans to see her doctor, get some baseline blood tests done and then start LDN. She says she feels fine but happy to try something that is preventative and maybe she will even feel better than fine.

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Aptos, CA psychologist: Pre-existing conditions not covered typically 12 months — not forever.

Cost of illness covered?

Someone wrote me that because they have Asperger’s Disorder they cannot get health care coverage.

Curious, I went online to see what I could find. What I learned is that YES there can be an exclusionary period (up to a year typically) wherein you pay premiums and the conditions for which you received care during the six months before joining are excluded. So if you sought treatment for Asperger’s Disorder and received care in the six months before then you could not get costs incurred for that condition for the first 12 months of coverage. So YES you have to pay out of pocket for costs for up to a year. But that is not for ever. It is simply for one, long year. See below info: written by Dr. Cameron Jackson Monterey Bay Forum www.FreedomOK.net

“A pre-existing condition can affect your health insurance coverage. If you are applying for insurance, some health insurance companies may accept you conditionally by providing a pre-existing condition exclusion period.

Although the health plan has accepted you and you are paying your monthly premiums, you may not have coverage for any care or services related to your pre-existing condition. Depending on the policy and your state’s insurance regulations, this exclusion period can range from six to 18 months.

For example: Lori S. is a 48 year old woman who works as a freelance writer. She has high blood pressure that is well controlled on two medications. She recently decided to purchase her own health insurance that included drug coverage. The only affordable health plan she could find had a 12-month exclusion period for her high blood pressure. For the first 12 months of her policy, all of her claims (including doctor visits and medications) related to her high blood pressure were denied. However, within that first year of coverage, she also got the flu and a urinary tract infection – both of which were completely covered because they were not pre-existing conditions.

If you are getting insurance at your job, depending on your employer and the health plans offered, you may have a pre-existing exclusion period. However, the exclusion period is limited to 12 months (18 months if you enrolled late in the health plan) and only applies to health conditions for which you sought treatment in the 6 months before you enrolled in the health plan.

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Aptos, CA Psychologist: Excellent Resource Guide for Families in Santa Cruz County

An excellent guide to local resources is the Perinatal Resource Guide, Santa Cruz County 2010. It is developed and revised by Family Health Unit and Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Unit, Health Services Agency. For more information call (831) 454-4331 or email nancy.diehl@health.co.santa-cruz.ca.us

To see how to use it, I put myself in the shoes of a parent who is concerned about possible developmental delays. But not exactly sure as to what kind of delay.

In the Index at the back Under Special Needs (Children With) is listed San Andreas Regional Center. In that same category are: California Children’s Services, Special Education Local Plan Agency (SELPA) and Special Parents Information Network (SPIN).

It would be helpful if San Andreas Regional Center was also cross listed under Children Services — where SPIN and CCS are also cross listed. Through the Early Start services many, many children with suspected delays receive services from age 0 to age three.

Another appropriate cross listing for San Andreas Regional Center is Parent Education/ Support Services. For over age two children who do not have a 50 percent delay in one area there is parent education and support through the Prevention Program.

Perhaps in the 2011 edition of Perinatal Resource Guide a new listing could be included: Internet resources and blogs that provide useful information for Santa Cruz County. On that list might be this blog — Monterey Bay Forum — http://www.FreedomOK.net which provides free screening for autism and discussion of local health and other issues.

written by Cameron Jackson, Ph.D., J.D. DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

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Aptos, CA psychologist: Actions speak louder than words? Compare Obama’s promises with his actions.

Obama puzzle? Actions speak louder than words

Obama ran as a centrist. He governs as a leftist. He promised an end to bi-partisanship. He governs by out-sourcing legislation to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Obama talks about his health care. He has made over 40 speeches on health care. Though he talks a lot he has not written any legislation. That he leaves to Pelosi and Reid in Congress. Obama has shown no leadership abilities. Read Carl Rove’s new book.

Read the Wall Street Journal opinion page today: Obama raised the federal spending as a share of GDP from 20% to 25%. So now one quarter (1/4) of the private sector is under government control For 40 years the percent of government spending as a percent of GNP was roughly 20%. Now it is 25 percent. That is a huge increase.

With one fell swoop, Obama has increased the size of the federal government permanently to at least a quarter of the private economy. Did Obama make promises to increase the government size when he ran? No. But he certainly has increased the size of government.

And if he has his way, another 1/6th of the private economy — the health care industry — will also be under government (Obama) control.

As a psychologist, I say look at Obama’s actions. Obama’s actions speak louder than his words. written by Cameron Jackson DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

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Dear Rep. Sam Farr: Turning over 1/6th of the economy to BIG government is not “change” we want.

Dear House Representative Sam Farr,

Health Care Rally

I listened to the Town Meetings which  you held.  You were adamantly for a  government option, Single Payer plan.  You did not listen to the folks who want to keep their own health plan and  do not want more government control.  You kept saying “oh, you can keep your plan …”

But that is pie in the sky if the private sector is driven out of business by the federal government.   You know  what happened with Flood Insurance;  no  private company will ensure for floods in Santa Cruz   as the federal government drove out all competition.

Consider the very low  government rates paid  to  psychologists: As a licensed California psychologist I know that the rates  paid by the government  for Medical/ Medicare patients are ridiculously low — about 1/3 of what most psychologists charge.  And there is all that paperwork or computer forms to be filled out. In Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, less than 5 psychologists out of more than 100+  are willing to take Medical.     Frankly, I prefer to provide pro bono services — free services — than deal with the government.

I agree with you Mr. Farr that we do  need health care reform. But I disagree with you as to how to do it.  The ideas listed below are ones that lots of people have suggested.

It does not make sense to turn control of 1/6 th of the economy —- the health care sector –over to  the federal government. This is not healthy change that We the People want.

There are lots of small changes in health care  that can be done one by one instead of by BIG government fiat.  The overriding goal should be to put power back in the hands of individuals and families to make decisions for themselves.  Here’s how:

  • Health care savings accounts. Big changes  can b e achieved  in small steps. First and foremost, put control of health care dollars in the hands of employees — rather than under the control of  employers .  With health care savings accounts individuals and families  can decide what they need. And buy only what they want.
  • Portability.  Let  health care plans follow employees  from job to job.
  • Encourage competition to reduce price. Just like buying oranges from Florida in Nebraska, let  people shop for health insurance across state lines.
  • Prior existing conditions.  Let  each state create their own pool and finance it through a combination of state and federal money.
  • Reform Medicare so that providers (doctors, psychologists, speech pathologists) are willing to work for the rates offered and  allow them to  “package”  services to  encourage  preventative care.Once Medicare is reformed then incrementally expand coverage to various groups that are not covered.  Train more doctors and nurses ahead of time before expanding the system. Eliminate fraud.
  • Reduce unnecessary procedures. Cap the amount of money that anyone can get in a  malpractice suit.   Yes, tort reform!   Funny how neither the House or Seanate bills contained such a simple yet powerful solution.  A number of states have already implemented it — including California.

These changes can be done  one   at  at a time.  Get agreement by both parties.  Discuss issues in a transparent manner — not behind closed doors.

What you,  Nancy Pelosi   and others  are doing is trying to do is grab control for the sake of control  Health care “reform” is a means to an end — government control.

Some   Democrats recently  bowed out months before the 2010 elections.  Maybe, after 20+ years on the job it is time for you to rest?     Cameron Jackson   DrCameronJackson@gmail.com