The Fiber Disease

[befour]

Hi Everyone!

Sorry that I haven't been around in a while...been on this merry-go-round with this disease, as you all know very well.......you're UP---then you're DOWN and so on. (Oh, I guess it would be a see-saw instead.)

Cilla,

I just saw that you had asked me about the geographical locations that I posted, at the top of page 90. (So sorry that you had to wait so long for an answer.)

It's not that I really know anything about it. I had read tamtam's post at the bottom of page 87, where he refers to "mesocosm experiment" and a "synthetic vector". So, I was trying my own feable attempt at researching the clues he gave. I "googled" the phrases in different combinations and came upon two sites that mentioned the UK, Aberdeen and Glascow. That is why I had asked tamtam if they were in any way related. These are the two sites I am refering to:

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/dema/grants2.htm

http://www.genomics.ceh.ac.uk/lab/

This next site has a lot of info about synthetic vectors. I wish that I wasn't so limited by my unscientific mind, because I would really like to be able to help in some way. However, I do believe the following site deserves looking into for those of you who understand the "Greek" language...(as in, "it's all Greek to me".)

http://www.targen.com/tech/

I got the "shivers" when I was reading their web page, scary stuff. It made me feel like I was in "Frankenstein's" lab, or worse yet.....in Stephen King's HEAD!!!!


I hope that all of you are doing well!!!

Later....

befour

[Linn]

For instance, if someone comes here and has Onchocerciasis. A bug bites them and then bites me, I can get that, especially if it is black fly, or even a misquito.

(sigh)
thnk you dear sky, for saying that.

I told every doctor I have seen that it started
when I was pulling weeds by a pond where
Mexican Migrants were seen frequently fishing.

now my life is falling apart.
hey I already had Sh... happen medicaly and overcame it
and was
getting on with my life and feeling better, and
engaged to be married, just bought a house,

and then one sunny day BOOm I get bit by
a no-seeum and ....

Does any one see the significance of this?

And RE: the CDC, the E-letter that I recieved from them
was a very rude
"case closed"
literealy they said that!!!!

[Linn]

PS: I just want to tell every one who plans to start looking at their skin with high powered scopes, that you are going to see mites and things crawling around, those are completely normal.
I remember my first time seeing one, and freaking out!!!

so get a good book (youcan often buy one at college bookstores)
and educate yourselves as to normal and normal. Of course some people have allergies to some mites.
I am sure John will explain better than I.

[John Kern]

PS: I just want to tell every one who plans to start looking at their skin with high powered scopes, that you are going to see mites and things crawling around, those are completely normal.

Well, some mites are very common, like follicle mites. I'd hesitate to describe seeing mites as "completely normal". You might see dust mites - which are very common, but also a source of allergies. They don't actually live on human (they live off "dust" - which is skin flakes), but you might find them on you skin anyway. If you see a scabies mite, then that's not normal. Anything alive that's visible to the naked eye should not be on your skin.

[John Kern]

For instance, if someone comes here and has Onchocerciasis. A bug bites them and then bites me, I can get that, especially if it is black fly, or even a misquito.

Very, very unlikely. Onchocerciasis requires REPEATED bites from infected Black Flies. A fly bite will only inject one or two worms at the most, and then several pairs of the worms need to mate to produce enough microfilariae to cause a sustainable infection. Hence infection requires a critical mass of a significant number of bites in a short period of time. Even peace corps workers who work in a heavily infested area are at a very low risk of contracting it.

- John

[John Kern]

It's not that I really know anything about it. I had read tamtam's post at the bottom of page 87, where he refers to "mesocosm experiment" and a "synthetic vector". So, I was trying my own feable attempt at researching the clues he gave. I "googled" the phrases in different combinations and came upon two sites that mentioned the UK, Aberdeen and Glascow. That is why I had asked tamtam if they were in any way related. These are the two sites I am refering to:

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/dema/grants2.htm

http://www.genomics.ceh.ac.uk/lab/

This next site has a lot of info about synthetic vectors. I wish that I wasn't so limited by my unscientific mind, because I would really like to be able to help in some way. However, I do believe the following site deserves looking into for those of you who understand the "Greek" language...(as in, "it's all Greek to me".)

http://www.targen.com/tech/

befour, the first two sites are really nothing to do with synthetic vectors. The first one is just about genetic deiversity in some ecosystems - the only synthetic stuff mentioned is synthetic somatostatin, which is just a collection of amino acids. The second is about studying the evolution of DNA by examining the patterns in it. All their reseach is done on computers, no GM or anything.

The third link does mention synthetic vectors. They are used to deliver genetic material in gene therapy. Nothing scary there - gene therapy is an emerging field with great potential to cure disease. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_therapy

- John

[John Kern]

And a "mesocosm experiment" is just an experiment carried out in an environment that resembles the real environment the organisms live in. A fish tank is the classic mesocosm. So when you read about a "mesocosm experiment" it covers a very wide range of experiments - many of them are related to environmental impact studies, like pesticide runoff. Again, it's nothing unusual.

- John

[Linn]

peace corps workers

KW?
my beautiful Aunt Mary just died two years ago.
What from? no one knows.

she was in peace corps in paraguay, S America
where the parasites burrow in to kids feet,
but they STILL wont wear shoes.

Any way, she was there two years,
and started having seizures, so she had to come home,
first day back, more seizure that knocked her out and
she had a concussion and layed on the floor for days before
found (she lived all alone in the boonies of Maine)

First tests, nothing on brain, no parasites found etc..

The seizures continued, more tests
then they found a tumor, it didnt shrink,
brain surgery,
another one found more brain surgery, more seizures,
more tumor etc...
my poor aunt SUFFERED!!!
they NEVER found out what the hell it was.

In Paraguay they call her Madre Maria!!

[John Kern]

peace corps workers

KW?
my beautiful Aunt Mary just died two years ago.
What from? no one knows.

she was in peace corps in paraguay, S America
where the parasites burrow in to kids feet,
but they STILL wont wear shoes.

Any way, she was there two years,
and started having seizures, so she had to come home,
first day back, more seizure that knocked her out and
she had a concussion and layed on the floor for days before
found (she lived all alone in the boonies of Maine)

First tests, nothing on brain, no parasites found etc..

The seizures continued, more tests
then they found a tumor, it didnt shrink,
brain surgery,
another one found more brain surgery, more seizures,
more tumor etc...
my poor aunt SUFFERED!!!
they NEVER found out what the hell it was.

Linn, I'm sorry about your aunt.

Brain tumors, like most forms of cancer, have no clear cause. They really did find out what it was - it was cancer. Just nobody knows what causes cancer.

-John

[Linn]

John, you can rule out, lice, scabies- never nada, niet.

more from American Entomomologist:

"Physical causes include any external stimulus
that yields a sensation of paresthesia, prunitis, urticaria, or similar irritation..... (Blum and Katz (1990) these included static electricity, chemicals such as some pyrethoid insecticides (London check that out )
or mechanical irritants(my doc ruled these out)
such as fiberglass filements and paper shards. Volatile Chemicals from manufactured building materials such as paneling and carpeting can produce itching and stinging sensations. (jAAKKOLA ET AL.1994)There are many non-arthropod agents capable of producing delusionary parasitosis symptoms; under these circumstances an industrial hygienist can survey and make recommendations (Potter 1992)

WOULDNT IT BE NICE TO GO TO A DOCTOR WHO TOD US THAT AND THEN SAID: we are going to start ruling all of that out one by one.

[befour]

john,

Well, like I said......I really knew NOTHING about it.

I was merely trying to answer Cilla's question about how I came up with the geographical locations that she was interested in.

later=

befour

[Linn]

Linn, I'm sorry about your aunt.

Brain tumors, like most forms of cancer, have no clear cause. They really did find out what it was - it was cancer. Just nobody knows what causes cancer

.

thanx John,
what bearing might living in paraguay have on that?

You know the point is we do not know ALOT of things, and what all of us just want is some respect, we are not stupid, and I guarentee that like myself, not delusional.
doctors should use the scienific method when evaluating patients.
But I tell you, John my very first visit to the dermatologist she was "taking about me down the hall, and told mentioned the DOP, and said "theres nothing wrong with you"
my problem is I should have ranted. She made me feel like a total fool. She is lucky I have my "dower scotch under control"
otherwise maybe I would have used a few choice words.

this needs to be studied
there is no$$$ label.

I know to study this properly would be in the mega millions.