July 7, 2010 STOP THE TUMS

"Freedom means the right to be different, the right to be oneself." Ira Eisenstein

I love the idea of freedom. Being able to do what I want. As a mature human being I want to be able to continue to do good, without harm . Rick wrote this yesterday which I found to be profound:
" After many of the experiences Patrick and I have had both in business and personally, we have started to try and remove the negative effects and bestow auspiciousness in our lives. In our society, it is hard to avoid, remove or even look at negative things differently, but before we can accomplish such in our lives, we have to at least start. This is FREEDOM. Fire Island, specifically and recently has brought negative feelings, effects, relationships, etc., into our lives. Rather than hold the negative inside and complain, we need to look at what we offered to the community and what we received in return. NOT THAT WE SHOULD DO THINGS TO EXPECT A REWARD OR ANY CONDEMNATION, but to see the gifts of our volunteer work, devotion and the true friendships we developed. Fire Island will always be a place to go and relax, share times with family and friends, and enjoy the outside, but it will never be the same that it was two, three, four, or even five years ago. But the question is this, does it need to be? The answer is "no". Anything without change, is not good. We have more than served our goodness to the community..now, our reward is to enjoy it."

This says everything I want to say about Freedom. I have a choice. Ever since being sober I have had a choice. I felt I didn't, that I had to please everyone. There is no one to please. I am a good person. I must try to please and be good to myself. I have learned this the hard way. I want to say "I" so it is a reminder to me.

Yesterday we discussed Lead Intoxication. Today, we will discuss the toxic effects of aluminum in the body. Did you know that the country Guam has 15 % of all patients who suffer from Lou Gehrig's disease (amytrophic lateral sclerosis)? Why would this be?
Research found that there was an increased incidence of aluminum toxicity on this island. Aluminum is present in the earth. There is no use for it in the body. There have been numerous studies that have linked aluminum to memory loss, premature senility, Parkinson's Disease and other neurological diseases.

What are your sources of aluminum?
1. Aluminum cooking vessels
2. Aluminum containing antacids
3. Aluminum cans
4. Under arm deodorant - Tom's is Aluminum free
5. Pesticides
6. Cigarette smoking

Signs and symptoms of aluminum toxicity:

1. Shortness of breath
2. Gastric distress (stomach aches)
3. Skin reactions
4. Gas (flatulence)
5. Increased serum (blood) liver tests
6. Memory problems

When working with Dr. Robert Atkins, I did my first metal test by blood and provocation. I had a high level of aluminum and mercury. It was from the under arm deodorant. I also was melting aluminum cans in high school shop class to make sculptures. Both have lead to a decreased T score on my bone density test. I chelated myself (I will discuss that soon.)
Tomorrow I will discuss the another toxic metal - cadmium

Rabbi Ira Eisenstein (1906 - June 28, 2001) founded Reconstructionist Judaism, along with Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, his teacher and, later, father-in-law through his marriage to Judith Kaplan, over a period of time spanning from the late 1920s to the 1940s. Reconstructionist Judaism formally became a distinct denomination within Judaism. A native of Manhattan, New York, Rabbi Eisenstein held a bachelor's degree and a doctoral degree from Columbia University. In 1931, he was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Until tomorrow...

July 6, 2010 CLEAN PIPES / AMMA AND CLEANSING YOUR SOUL

"Never forget that you are never alone in this journey. God is always with you"

"Love and unity are not alien to human nature --they are fundamental instincts, the very foundation of our existence."

"Let us strive to reach a state in which we are able to see all beings on earth as a part of our own SELF"

All the above quotes are from Amma, also known as Sri Mata Amritanandamayi who is a loving, giving and healing person known throughout the world as a humanitarian and spiritual leader. Amma tells us that true human service to humanity is achieved when we put aside our own concerns for the good and welfare of others. Her message is simple, a profound love for the human spirit. Her message is spiritual not religious.

I am not an expert on Amma. It was not coincidental that I had the rare opportunity to meet and receive a hug, actually a blessing last night by Amma. We experienced her blessing, a darshan. Through friends, in reality a new 'family' addition, Rick and I listened to Amma, sang with Amma, sat with Amma, and were given a gift from Amma. She grabbed me close, whispered in my right ear and held me tight. When she finished, I looked up at her beautiful smile. She handed me an apple. How significant for me, the doctor. Rick and I were hugged together-- which was special. It was a monumental, spiritual and blessed gift. Her words touched the heart of spirituality last night. Her words were simple and made common sense. Yet so needed in this busy world, complicated by relationships and personalities, haunted by war, and devastated by disasters.

I would encourage you to read/view: www.rickandrickey.blogspot.com
The first song randomly on my iPod this morning was Somewhere. It was being sung by Ms. Streisand. I could only think of Rick and I spending the rest of our lives together with family, friends, and grandchildren round our feet at the lake on a clear summer day.
"Somewhere (A Place for Us)"
music by Leonard Bernstein; lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

There's a place for us,
Somewhere a place for us.
Peace and quiet and open air
Wait for us
Somewhere.
There's a time for us,
Some day a time for us,
Time together with time to spare,
Time to look, time to care,
Someday!
Somewhere.
We'll find a new way of living,
We'll find a way of forgiving
Somewhere.

There's a place for us,
A time and place for us.
Hold my hand and we're half way there.
Hold my hand and I'll take you there
Somehow,
Someday,
Somewhere!

Yesterday I blogged about Mercury. The most common metal intoxication we hear about and are most familiar with is Lead. Where would you get lead from? That is a good question and easily answered. When I see an adult with lead either on a blood test or a provocative urine 6 hr challenge, I immediately ask them to check their water supply. Many old dwellings have old pipes. I never forget the 1987 movie, Moonstruck where Loretta Castorini's (Cher) father (Vincent Gardenia) is explaining to new prospective clients about lead pipes and the more expensive copper pipes.

The increasing prevalence of lead as an environmental contaminant is causing many to suffer adverse health effects. Do you know any adverse effects of lead intoxication? Did you know that people still get lead poisoning? Some of the signs and symptoms include: headache, depression, insomnia, fatigue, irratability, anxiety and aching muscles. If I read these symptoms I would be saying- "Well that is what I feel, or any disease even the common viral cold can give me these symptoms." How true! In later stages, lead can cause abdominal pain, weight loss, foot drop (peripheral neuropathy) and blue-black lines on gums. I have even seen iron deficiency anemia secondary to lead poisoning.

Again where does one get lead (Pb) from? Remember before 1976 when gasoline was not 'unleaded'? Burning gasoline used to put lead into the atmosphere. Rain washes any pollutant in air to the land and it runs off into bodies of water. For you, it can be the drinking water, lead plumbing, herbs if collected at the roadside, vegetables grown in contaminated lead soil, leaded house paint, ceramics, tobacco and even cosmetics.

As far as the pipes...Lead piping was popular in plumbing systems until the early 1900’s. There is little danger of encountering excessive levels of lead in the pipes of a house constructed using modern materials and methods but lead in drinking water can be a problem in houses that are very old or very new.


For those females, hair dye can be a leading cause of lead in the body.

Will review other metals tomorrow...aluminum and cadium.
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JULY 5, 2010 A HIGH THERMOMETER DAY

"Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." Francis of Assi

I have done what is necessary when I started a new journey 16 years ago. It has been a journey filled with love, joy, tears, anger, sadness and happiness. It has been a roller coaster ride but it has been life on life's terms. I wouldn't say I am doing the impossible--I am doing what I love to do- Medicine. As Ruppert Everett said to me, "I am the old fashioned country doctor." It wasn't impossible to do medicine--it is that, now I am doing it better. When I was growing up I wanted to be a veterinarian. I always have loved animals. I would fix the wings of birds, clean the scratches from the cats in the neighborhood and savor the bugs/insects. I had many pets growing up. Jacques, our French poodle, Charlie, my mynah bird and Freddie, my box turtle.

Saint Francis of Assisi (Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone; 1181/1182 – October 3, 1226) was a Catholic deacon and preacher. He also was the founder of the Order of Friars Minor, more commonly known as the Franciscans.

He is known as the patron saint of animals, the environment and one of the two patrons of Italy (with Catherine of Siena), and it is customary for Catholic churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of 4 October.

In yesterday's blog I discussed the high and low amounts of mercury in various fish. I want to discuss the effects of heavy metals in the body. Mercury poisoning in one form or another comes from ingested organic (methyl) and inorganic (less toxic) mercury that is absorbed through the digestive tract. It can also come from inhaled mercury vapor (when a dentist removes an old silver filling, or amalgam). This mercury vapor is retained or accumulates in the respiratory system and the tissues of the body. Skin absorption of mercury can also occur. Those in my age group will remember getting a chemistry set with liquid mercury. I used to drop the mercury on the floor. Little balls of mercury would form and I would try to make one big mercury ball.

The signs and symptoms of mercury exposure/toxicity are multitude. Some are insomnia, shyness, dizziness, irritability, depression, loss of weight, weight gain and tremors. The one symptom a patient complains of is 'ringing in the ears'(tinnitus). When a patient complains of tinnitus, I know there is mercury toxicity. Some of the later signs/symptoms include numbness and tingling of lips and feet, muscle weakness, memory loss, skin problems, hearing difficulty.
Let us review where you would get mercury toxicity from:
1. Broken thermometers
2. mercury silver amalgams (dental fillings)
3. high intake of the 'wrong' fish
4. consumption of grain seeds treated with methyl mercury fungicide
5. calomel (body powders and talcs)
6. light up sneakers ( banned in Vermont, USA)
7. mercury containing cosmetics
8. fabric softeners
9. Hemorrhoid preparations
10. laxatives (containing calomel)
11. tattooing
12. polluted air and water

There are many occupations that have a higher incidence of mercury exposure. Some are dye makers, photographers, hatters, fish cannery workers, pesticide workers, and lamp makers. There are many more, but I just named a few.

I will discuss other metal intoxications and treatments in the coming blogs
Until tomorrow...

July 4, 2010 - Be American... Go Green

"Acting as if..faking it until WE make it..Giving time time... Turning it over"

"Never in the onomasticon of places was ever a place so well named as Cherry Grove--and it doesn't have to do with the trees, although ripe for picking are the words that spring to mind the minute that boat pulls out of the dock in Sayville." - James McCourt, Queer Street page 209.


What does the word 'onomasticon' mean? A book such as the Oxford Names Companion is an onomasticon. The word is from Greek onomázein, to name, of which onuma, a name, is a close relative. An Onomastician studies the origin and form of proper names of every kind and the field of study is called Onomastics.

Although a Red, White and Blue Day--I want to continue GREEN. We were talking about organics yesterday. We know that organics can be pricy, so let me give you the rundown on how to start. I will get to fish in a minute. There are foods that come to you very contaminated. If you decide to start buying organics (which I believe we all should), start with some basic foods to buy. The following foods tend to thinner skinned and therefore more likely to absorb chemicals, so choose organic:
1. Green beans
2. Apricots
3. Apples
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Nectarines
7. Grapes
8. Strawberries
9. Bell Peppers
10 Spinach

I was going to mention organic wines, but since I do not drink I will save it if anyone asks a question or posts a comment. I want to talk about fish. In March, I blogged about the benefits of fish. I even had a needlepoint of a fish on a pillow.

We should know by now the benefits of fish, but you must buy fish carefully. Fish can be super healthy, but caution and knowledge is important. You do know that global warming, pollution (recent oil spill) and development/ technology has threatened our waters and the fish habitat. How is the fish raised--farmed or wild? How was the fish caught? Where was it caught? And the question you all should be asking is the amount of mercury (Hg) and PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls) does it contain? Over the last 14 years I have treated individuals with mercury toxicity. I am not going to discuss how I treat such patients, and the method used. Instead I am going to start at the basics--what fish should you buy?

I prefer Salmon- go for the wild Pacific or Alaskan Salmon. Do not buy farmed salmon--it can be high in pollutants and the process is hard on the environment. In actuality the flavor is blah, blah. If you ask why can't you get wild Alaskan salmon--the answer is simple--an endangered species.

Fish to avoid:
1. Sea Bass
2. Swordfish
3. Tuna
4. Atlantic Halibut
5. Bottom Dweller Fish
6. Crustaceans - Crabs, Lobsters and Shrimp

Fish to HAVE:
1. Wild salmon
2. Sardines
3. Mackerel
4. Squid
5. Artic char

Where should you buy fish? It depends on where you live. Rick and I chose www.vitalchoice.com Look at this mercury free website. It is fantastic. Also I recommend carrying a fish card. You are saying, "What is he talking about now?" A seafood card is available from the Audobon Society at www.seafood.audobon.org It lists the fish that are better choices for consumption.

Another website Rick reminded me to mention is www.salmonsafe.org

I love the silence of the morning here on the island. I cannot recall but someone said, "Under all talk that is good for anything lies a silence that is better." How true and how needed at times. Silence is golden. Silence is a time to reflect. To meditate. No have closer contact with God. The first quote today is from a 12 step program. "Acting as if...faking it until WE make it..Giving time time... Turning it over" Over the years, I have certainly turned many things over. I am powerless over people, places, things, alcohol, et al ...I love the birds chirping in the morning, the silence of the waves, and of course, THE PLANTS.

Today, is the 4th of July. I am not going to give the history of Independence Day. I will save that for Rick. His blog two days ago had lots of interesting facts about the 4th. The 4th is a special day in Fire Island. It is the Invasion. Not unlike the Boston Tea Party. The recently won 1976 home-coming queen, Thom Hansen, aka Panzi decided with a group of friends to invade the High Tea in the Pines at the Blue Whale. Boarding a water taxi, these cross-dressed brave souls (now known as drag queens--I do not think we had that term in 1976) entered the Pines Harbor singing Kate Smith's 'God Bless America.' All were met with mixed emotions--possibly fear, joy, excitement, anger, and disbelief that the Pines would be considered a cross-dressed community.

Oh, my my... Regardless, it wasn't a riot, as the 1969 Stonewall Inn Riots, but an institution and a tradition was born. Today more than 300 drag queens will board a Sayville Ferry in the Grove and enter the Pines Harbor. It is a sight that must not be missed. Through the years I have laughed, cried, shouted and even dressed. I have shared these memories with my children, family, friends and partners. When living in the Pines, I never got to enjoy the festivities as the boat was boarded in Cherry Grove. Over the last five years, as a volunteer physician in the Doctor's House, both Rick and I have had great memories on the 4th of July.

Until tomorrow...

JULY 3, 2010 ORGANICS and NO REGRETS

"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to BE who you really are" -e e cummings

Profound! It takes courage to do anything new. It creates fear. Did you ever think it took courage to grow up? I didn't, but it did in my case. Throughout my schools years I needed courage. I had to put up with taunting. I was a nerd with polyester pants. God did give me brains (not as much common sense). Instead of being picked on , taunted and even bruised I did many hours of home works for the bullies. In hindsight, I still would have done the same thing to avoid fighting. I was always better with my quip tongue than my fists. As I have said in other past blogs this week, I Am What I Am. I have no regrets. "Non, je ne regrette rien" (French pronunciation: [nɔ̃ ʒə nə ʁəɡʁɛt ʁjɛ̃]; No, I regret nothing) is a French song composed by Charles Dumont, with lyrics by Michel Vaucaire. It was written in 1956, and is best known through its 1960 recording by Édith Piaf. Listen to this song. It has a different meaning for everyone. Édith Piaf (French pronunciation: [edit pjaf]), born Édith Giovanna Gassion (December 19, 1915 – October 11, 1963), was a French singer and cultural icon who became universally regarded as France's greatest popular singer.

Yesterday I started talking about my passion to be green. Green can be green house furnishings, keeping a green home and yard, and of course, obviously eating green. Just look around, the organic food market has gone wild. In the last decade the amount of organic food purchased has exponentially increased. Once it was limited to a few stores. Now, it is the latest trend. Will it last? It most likely will if mega stores like WalMart are selling organic. It is not a bad idea, as more and more people will have the opportunity to try organics. Yet the price has to come down.

If you go organic in New York City you most likely shop at Whole Foods. Whole Foods started in Austin, Texas. Did you know that Fortune Magazine listed it as one of the 100 best companies to work for? So you go organic and work for them at the same time. Yeah! The smaller grocers are now starting their own organic lines. Good for them. As long as everyone has the same opportunity at competitive prices to sell organics, I am all for it. Why wouldn't I be. Even Kraft Foods has an organic macaroni and cheese.

I am not talking about going vegan, by going green. Please understand the difference. Sometimes people chose to be vegetarian because of health, religious or personal reasons. I was a vegan during my college years. I stopped eating all meat during my four years. It lasted another four years. I never excluded dairy and eggs from my diet. By the seventh year I started to eat fish. I was a vegetarian not a vegan. Vegans are very strict as they eat no animal flesh or products and even abstain from wearing animal products.

Until tomorrow... Fire Island: The Invasion and Another Blog about Benefits of Fish

JULY 2, 2010 WOULD GARBO BE GREEN?

"Erase everything that was, Embrace everything there is" - Gregory Fratellone- Tattoo on lateral aspect of right foot

I absolutely love this quote by my son. It is part of a song lyric he wrote about three years ago. When he was eighteen he wanted a tattoo of the quote. He decided to put it on his lateral right foot. What does it mean? I can only imagine! Erase everything, possibly meaning the past, and embrace the everything there is meaning the present moment. So right--live in the moment, live in the now, not in the past. Look upon the past, but do not dwell on the past.


In keeping with the tradition of past blogs, it is time to discuss medicine. I have chosen today to discuss Being Green. Not in the sense of being green when you feel sea sick on a boat, or being green because you are new at something. Rather transforming your lifestyle, finding ways to conserve energy, protecting your family's/friend's health and most important, helping save the environment and Planet Earth. Did you ever think that we need to save Mother Earth? Maybe this is the reason I have taken an interest in plants and herbs. I believe one day we will have to rely on herbs as the source of all medicine. After all, plants have always been and continue to be the medicine of the world. There is a saying, "THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY." This is what Rick and I believe especially when we opened our green store called It's Simply Green in Cherry Grove last summer. A store dedicated to saving the environment and the communities of Fire Island. We wanted to introduce environmentally friendly products (soaps, detergents, paper, wood and many others) to the residents and visitors of Fire Island.

Do you know when the first Earth Day was? I didn't either. I had to look it up. It was April 22,1970. I was only 10 years old then. That is when we first started thinking about saving the environment. In the same year the US Congress passed the Clean Air Act. The goal was to lower air pollution by reducing emissions of many common pollutants. Now we hear about Global Warming. Although Al Gore doesn't seem to be in our hearts today, he is always in my heart. His Academy Award winning film, An Inconvenient Truth' must be seen by all.

Then we have chemicals polluting our waters. Mainly from mosquitoes, but the real problem is the use of pesticides. I know in Fire Island, lesbians had a protest when Brookhaven tried to spray the community for mosquitoes. Many of these lesbians objected due to the risk of developing breast cancer.

Today we have the major oil spill. It has been devastating to the environment and will only get worse. Do you think Obama acted quickly enough? Now I have a student in my Botany Class teaching me about F.R.A.C.K.? I will have to tell you about this in the future as I am not well versed in the subject at this time.

We need more solar energy and wind energy. Over this weekend I will tell you more and more about Developing a Green World.

Cherry Grove (often referred to locally as The Grove) is an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located on Fire Island, a barrier island separated from the southern side of Long Island by the Great South Bay. The hamlet has approximately 300 houses on 41 acres, a summer seasonal population of 2,000 and a year-round population of 15. Cherry Grove dates its modern history to the 1868 purchase by Archer and Elizabeth Perkinson. They bought the land between Lone Hill (now Fire Island Pines) and the Cherry Grove Hotel from the ocean to the bay for 25 cents per acre and named the area for the black-cherry trees in the area. I recommend viewing the film When Ocean Meets Sky which discusses the history of Fire Island. My only objection is the focus of this documentary is on Fire Island Pines, whereas the 'Grove'-Cherry Grove is the first gay community in the United States. I had hoped the documentary would have focused on this unique community.

The Perkinsons opened a hotel in 1880. According to local legend Oscar Wilde stayed at the Perkinson Hotel . I find this legend not to be so. I have read many books on Oscar Wilde including The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde by McKenna and Oscar's Books: A Journey around the Library of Oscar Wilde by Wright. There is no mention of Oscar visiting any such hotel. The Great Hurricane of 1938 destroyed much of Cherry Grove and discouraged mainlanders from coming. In their stead a new generation started coming from New York City, including Greta Garbo, Xavier Cugat, Paulette Goddard, Pola Negri, Arlene Francis and Earl Blackwell (publisher of the International Celebrity Register). Watch Garbo Talks. Garbo Talks is a 1984 film directed by Sidney Lumet. It stars Anne Bancroft as a terminally ill woman who asks her son, Gilbert, to help her fulfill her last wish: to meet Greta Garbo. As her son, played by Ron Silver, carries out his search for Garbo, he confronts his deteriorating relationship with his wife and develops an interest in a struggling actress. Betty Conden plays Garbo. I remember the scene when she flys into Fire Island on a sea plane, and then wisks away when the Ron Silver character tries to talk to her on the beach.

I THINK MISS GARBO WOULD HAVE APPROVED OF BEING GREEN!!!

According to legend the gay aura of the town arose when Christopher Isherwood and W. H. Auden arrived dressed as Dionysus and Ganymede, carried aloft on a gilded litter by a group of singing followers. Duffy’s attempted to ban same-sex dancing until after midnight.

Duffy’s burned on September 27, 1956, and was replaced by the Ice Palace Hotel which has remained a popular destination to this day. Drag performer Porshe will perform tonight.

Tomorrow I will discuss my quest for better medical service in the island as well as the history of the Doctor's House aka Belly Acres.

Until tomorrow...

JULY 1, 2010 NO MORE, NO LESS... BUT A CUP OF TEA

"I only have to be what I am, no more, or no less" --Robbie Rocheford

A Woman's Spirit is a great book for all to read, not only women.

Thanks Karen. A true statement, 'I Am What I Am' is another way of expressing the same thought. I first heard the song sung by George Hearn at the Palace Theater in 1983 at La Cage. I was in the balcony (a poor student at the time) as tears streamed down my face as the song continued. I began to look at my life. I was frightened and invigorated. La Cage aux Folles is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and lyrics and music by Jerry Herman. Based on the 1973 French play of the same name by Jean Poiret, it focuses on a gay couple: Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, (played by George Hearn) his romantic partner and star attraction, and the farcical adventures that ensue when Georges' son, Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancée's ultra-conservative parents to meet them. La Cage has revived on Broadway twice to date--always a Broadway hit. For the last two revivals I have sat in the orchestra--Yeah!!

I am what I am
I am my own special creation
So come take a look
Give me the hook
Or the ovation
It's my world
That I want to have a little pride
My world
And it's not a place I have to hide in
Life's not worth a dam
Till I can say
I am what I am

I am what I am
I don't want praise I don't want pity
I bang my own drum
Some think it's noise I think it's pretty
And so what if I love each sparkle and each bangle
Why not see things from a different angle
Your life is a shame
Till you can shout out I am what I am

I am what I am
And what I am needs no excuses
I deal my own deck
Sometimes the aces sometimes the deuces
It's one life and there's no return and no deposit
One life so it's time to open up your closet
Life's not worth a dam till you can shout out
I am what I am

I am what I am

I am what I am
And what I am needs no excuses
I deal my own deck sometimes the aces sometimes the deuces
It's one life and there's no return and no deposit
One life so it's time to open up your closet
Life's not worth a dam till you can shout out
I am what I am

I am I am I am good
I am I am I am strong
I am I am I am worthy
I am I am I belong

I am I am I am useful
I am I am I am true
I am I am somebody
I am as good as you

Yes I am




When treating any disease the physician must consider supporting or addressing other issues. Although an antibiotic or an herbal protocol will start to treat the Lyme Disease--other issues need to be addressed. Yesterday I mentioned testing for heavy metals is important. This can be done by a serum (blood) sample as well as a provocative 6 hour urine challenge with a chelator. "Chelate" is Greek, it means to grab onto. The provocative chelator can be either EDTA or DMSA. One must support the patient's gut physiology and test her/him for food and environmental allergies. This is best accomplished by a serum IgG Food RAST and a IgE environmental test. Most individuals who have a chronic infection will probably have Leaky Gut Syndrome. This was explained in the March blogs when discussing anxiety and your gut, insomnia and your gut, and memory and your gut. Please look back at those blogs.

Pain, depression, anxiety and fatigue are important symptoms for patient and health care provider to discuss. As stated in the beginning of this blog, I not only address the medical (allergies, pH and inflammation ) but I also address the psychosocial issues. Since Lyme Disease is debilitating I encourage the patient to discuss their relationships, their financial status, their fears and their spirituality. As always, dietary lifestyle changes are very important. A low glycemic, high antioxidant dietary lifestyle is a great option. I feel it is imperative to find out all the treatments the patient might have had regarding their Lyme Disease before starting in a new practice. The 'best ever',and the 'cure medicine' ads in newsletters need to be discussed.

In my practice, whether solo or at the Atkins Center for Complimentary Medicine, I have seen many different types of treatments ranging from Rife machines to hydrogen peroxide intravenous treatments. I am open to all types of treatments, but I look to those with research and evidence (whether allopathic or alternative) first. Many of these other treatments are non-covered services which will put a financial burden on the patient. Many of these patients grasp for any treatment as they 'are sick and tired of being sick and tired'. I understand this concept. Many patients feel that some practitioners consider their symptoms 'bizarre' and crazy' Some might have been told to see a psychiatrist. It is the responsibility of the practitioner to listen to the patient. Feel for their concerns, fears and hopes. Many cannot manage their own care.
I feel no one should take their personal inventory.

To relax after these four days of blogs, before the Holiday weekend--let's make a cup of tea. Simple tea is a water extract of herbs. It is also known as an 'infusion'.

Pour hot water over one tablespoon of ground or chopped dried herbs. Cover and let steep for 5 - 10 minutes. Then strain and sip. You can use the leaves or flowers of an herb in the garden. Perhaps you have spearmint, mint or lemon balm in the garden. The best herbs used fresh for tea are dandelion, lemon balm, catnip and angelica.

Try calendula. It might be in your garden. Calendula, more commonly know as Marigold, is one of the most common herbs and can be found growing in people's yards throughout North America and Europe. The colorful petals of the calendula have been used in herbal preparations for hundreds of years.In the past, calendula flowers have been used on injuries to reduce inflammation and as an antiseptic against infection. It has also been used as a remedy for a variety of skin problems ranging from skin ulcerations to eczema. Taken orally, calendula has been used to sooth stomach ulcers and inflammation.
Enjoy...

Until tomorrow...