Home Community Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 75

Arthritis Insight Newsletter * Vol. 3 Issue 75 September 26, 2001

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Welcome to the 75th issue of the Arthritis Insight Newsletter. All back issues will be posted at community/newsletter/
Feel free to pass this newsletter around to others who may be interested.

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The information in this newsletter should not take the place of advice and guidance from your own health-care providers. Material in this newsletter is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Be sure to check with your doctor before making any changes in your treatment plan. Information presented here is the opinion of the authors and has not necessarily been approved or endorsed by the medical advisors.

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Notes From Tina
(tina@arthritisinsight.com)
Tina Underwood aka KrissyJo

They tell us it is time to get our lives back to normal. Time to get back to work. I doubt well ever work the same way, or function at all without remembering the events of September 11th, but we must go on.

Many of you have asked about my stomach and esophagus biopsies. Well, I finally got my results last week and all is well. No change since the previous year. The Barretts is still there but has not progressed closer to cancer. Very good news indeed! Now I get ten months off before I have to do it again! I appreciate all the emails and concern. You guys are great!

On a not so good note I am now on my third week of no DMARDs due to a bout of shingles. YICK! They are pretty much cleared now, so I plan on starting arava and methotrexate again next week. I had both wrists injected Monday, and I hope a little of that cortisone leaks out of the joint space and heads to the knees!

Life goes on, arthritis goes on...

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Ron's Ramblin's
(ron@arthritisinsight.com)
Ron Griffin aka IndyRon

Today I feel a bit alliterative so rather than fight it, I will just for once let it out. I am in a "D" mood. What is a "D" mood? Well, it is one of those moods where every feeling starts with the letter D. For instance, I am Doubting, Discouraged, Disenchanted, Disheartened, and Depressed.

Doubting. Somehow, after all this time trying to find answers to the what and why of these diseases, I am beginning to doubt that I will ever have an answer, nor will some miracle come along that will make it all better.

Discouraged. Discouraged that I have tried almost everything and short of strong pain medications, not much has helped. Since I refuse to take the really strong meds, I guess I will just have to live with it and keep going.

Disenchanted. I look around at all the modern marvels and advances and realize that not one of them will cure this curse that has been cast upon me.

Disheartened. Because I see my ability to do things that I want to do slipping away. I see the things that I love becoming less and less attainable. I see very slim possibilities of any "cure" for me. It is almost too late for that anyway.

Depressed. When I look around at my world, it is hard to find the positives. Every thing I do seems to be ten times harder than it used to be. Physical exercise is great and if pain equals gain, then I must be making great strides. My life has been totally turned upside down. I think I have a right to be depressed.

At 2:00 this afternoon, the paragraphs above describe how I felt. I was really down, and didnt really care much whether I came back up or not. Then I decided that I didnt like being there very much and decided to see what I could do to change it. I went to my favorite bookstore (the one with the coffee shop - - decaf of course, wink, wink) and spent an hour or more just looking at things that I wanted to read. I ended up buying several books that maybe will help keep the mind occupied....At least they should. While I was there, I also went back into the Music section and bought several CDs of soothing music. Now if reading and good music dont help, I did one other thing. I got the card of a masseuse who does deep massages and am going to call and make an appointment to have a good massage. In fact, I may start having them done periodically.

Hmmmmm, in retrospect, I have to wonder if maybe this morning I wasnt looking for things that made me blue instead of things that make me happy. Once I changed the course of my day and stopped the plummeting, things looked a whole lot brighter.

Til next week,

((((((HUGS)))))

~Indy

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Your Weekly Giggle
Top 10 Signs Your Computer has an Attitude

10. Instead of "press any key..." it says "press ctl-alt-pg up-q-\"

9. The default error message is "Insufficient Operator Intelligence."

8. You have to type in 7 different passwords to change the font in your word processor.

7. Whenever you drag an icon, a giant hand reaches across the screen, snatches the icon away, and shouts "Mine!, Mine!, Mine!"

6. Its list of tech support numbers includes the Suicide Hotline.

5. You must enter new data using punch cards.

4. It keeps trying to catch your hand in the CD-ROM tray.

3. Any command has to be given two weeks in advance.

2. You need to say "pretty please" to open your folders.

1. It asks if "you know my cousin HAL."

Check out all the jokes at:
fun/jokes
Send yours in today!

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Tina's Tips

Arthritis can affect your ability to do even the simplest of tasks. I've heard some people say, "Accept your limitations." I'm not sure accepting them is the way to go. I prefer to challenge those limitations, work around them, finding alternate ways of achieving the same goal. Every week I'll share some tips I've found to work around those annoying limitations and I hope all of you will send in your tips too. We may not be the next Martha Stewart, but sometimes the simplest things can help so much.

Anyone who sends me five new (never published on AI) tips and includes their mailing address with get an Arthritis Insight easy to hold pen!

>From Dawn: If you can't afford one of those Dr. Grip pens, than you can get foam insulation to put around a pen or pencil to make it easier to hold. This also works well on toothbrushes.

I found some foundation makeup in a pump bottle. It is easier for me because I have trouble opening lids.

If you use the zipper zip lock back it is easier to open and close than using the other zip lock bags.

Check out more tips at living/tips.html and send in yours today to Tina@arthritisinsight.com

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What's New?

Featured Discussion
Sex, Intimacy & Arthritis
For some it's a delicate topic, others may find it offensive, but most of us want to talk about Sex, Intimacy & Arthritis. And talk we will, all this week.
feature/sex/index.html

Coming October 8th:
The Doctor-Patient Relationship
Perhaps the most important part of a successful disease management program is a happy doctor-patient relationship. Beginning October 8th, we'll talk about that all important relationship. Please take the time to answer this quick survey.
feature/survey.html

Question of the Week:
This goes along with our Featured Discussion for next week:
Describe your dream romantic evening. What would you do? Where would you go? And who would you be with?
community/question

Advice for Better Living
I'm about to start on Methotrexate to combat the JRA I've had since I was 8. I'm 27 now and I'm looking at this website:
http://roadback.org/Index1.html
Has anyone tried using antibiotics as treatment?
I'd also like to hear from people who have had JRA and have beaten it through use of methotrexate or other DMARDs. I have yet to hear anyone completely free from RA from DMARDs and would love to hear some testimonials if any exist.
I would also love to talk to people around my age with JRA or RA. I'd like to see how my lifestyle differs from other people afflicted with the disease. I'm fairly active and mountain bike, hike, jog, among other things and would like to see how others cope with the daily ups and downs of this disease.
living/advice

Member Stories
Gary is doing great! Check out his antibiotic journal.
community/stories

Expert Advice
I would like to know how long my fiancee needs to be off Methotrexate before we can safely conceive a child. I know that this drug can cause severe birth defects. He has been on this med for about 2 years.
medical/advice

What do you want to see on Arthritis Insight or in the Newsletter? Let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate!

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Arthritis Insight Chat community/chat

We had a great chat on Sex, Intimacy & Arthritis with Dr Susan on Monday. The transcript has been posted at
community/chat/sept242001.html
but its definitely not for those under 18 or those that are easily offended!

For the complete schedule see:
community/chat/schedule.html

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Cooking with Char
Char LeFleur
Char@arthritisinsight.com

Hello everyone. In researching this weeks column, I found a short note from a food editor, saying that in times of trouble, she finds herself going for comfort foods. Foods she remembers as part of her childhood. And that struck a chord with me. So let me offer you some of my own comfort foods.

Homemade Vegetable Soup

You start with neck bones (either pork or beef) or chicken. But neck bones are really hard to find now a days, so I use either riblets, or country style ribs, preferably with bones in. (Meat with bones adds extra flavor to the soup.)
Toss them in a large pot.
Add 1 large chopped onion
several stalks of chopped celery
fresh sliced carrots (or canned if you prefer. But I use as many FRESH ingredients as possible.)
fresh potatos cut into bite sized chunks
1/4 to 1/2 head of cabbage shredded (depending on the size of the pot you use)
1 can of diced tomatoes (or fresh when available)
and as many cans of mixed vegetable as it takes to fill the pot.
And the secret ingredient 1/4 to 1/2C sugar (depending on the size of the pot)
Let it simmer on the stove all day if you are going to be home or in a crock pot or slow cooker if you will be away from home. Salt as needed, but I usually find there is enough salt in the canned veggies.

Serve this with a loaf of fresh bread, warm from the oven. Doesn't get much better than that. Keeps well for several days in the refrigerator. Actually improves in flavor as the flavor of the ingredients combines. MMMMMMMMMM

Chicken and Dumplings

In a pot, put
either a whole chicken, or chicken breasts, or chicken hind quarters
1 med. onion-chopped
3 stalks of celery chopped
1 tbs garlic powder, or a clove of fresh garlic (crushed or sliced but not whole)
add salt if you desire (I rarely add salt when I cook)
Add just enough water to cover
Cook this until meat is tender and falling off the bones.
Set aside to cool
When chicken is cool enough to handle, skin and debone chicken
Put chicken back in the pot
Heat to boiling, then lower to a simmer
Drop spoonfuls of dumplings into the chicken mixture
Cover loosely and simmer for 10 minutes or until dumplings are done

I confess, I cheat. My Mom used to make the dumplings from scratch, but I use a biscuit mix. Mix as for drop biscuits, then drop this into the chicken mixture for the dumplings.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 softened stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
PREPARATION: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and the vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies.

I hope this finds you all, closer to dealing with what has happened to our world. Be kind to one another.

I would be thrilled if some of you would send me recipes for "comfort foods" from your childhood, or things you make that have become "comfort foods" to your kids.

I am also looking for holiday cookie recipes. The holidays will be here in no time, and I want to run a special column with cookie recipes, but I need your help to do it.

If you have questions or comments regarding this column or have recipes you would like to share, please send them to Char@arthritisinsight.com

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Karen's Story

k.j.choat@att.net
IM id kjcatty on aol

Like many others here, I am not sure exactly sure where to start. The true starting point of my arthritis is somewhat elusive. Let's just say I am a "veteran." I am 47 and having been "managing" rheumatoid arthritis - or some form of "inflammatory"/collagen disease since at least 1974. My first memory of symptoms was as a second semester college sophomore. I was dancing in a community theatre production of "Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd..." and all of a sudden that darn raked stage we were using was becoming more and more difficult for me. Consulted my doctor regarding that and was put on a drug many here may not be familiar with - butisolidin( sp.?)...that is unless your a veterinarian. It is an antiinflamatory often used for race horses. When the acute phase was over - I was directed to use coated aspirin. My family doctor and a friend of his spent a couple of years trying to diagnose me. They suspected RA or an arthralgia but nothing was conclusive. I had had a bad bout with a mono type infection followed by a prolonged bout with "Hong Kong" flu - that seemed to trigger things - back in high school. They thought perhaps I had had rheumatic fever. Things quieted down my last two years of college... and then came law school. (Yes I am one of those...)

I attended law school at Saint Louis University and just before first year first semester's end I began to have major joint pain and one uti after another. Just before finals some enterprising young resident called me with the "good" news...it was probably lupus - worst case scenario- or a vascular/circulatory problem. I had never heard of lupus...looked it up and... panicked. Called my family doctor who saw that my care was transferred to a rheumatologist and he and a wonderful guy named Dr. Terry Moore - SLU medical school -got me through law school and graduate school ( joint degree with a masters in urban studies) without too much incident ...and without a specific diagnosis. Drug of choice was coated aspirin and anything that would treat the various viruses and infections I seemed to attract.

That was pretty much my life with the elusive "inflammatory problem" until 1988.I had periodic flares of something - which were treated with indocin and muscle relaxants. My dad and a favorite uncle of mine died within months of one another that year - 88- and the flares became more prevalent and symptoms more regular. In October of 1988- my blood test showed - finally- a positive ( very elevated) rheumatoid factor. I began seeing my current rheumatologist about the same time and she felt confident in diagnosing the RA then. The x-ray studies and other blood work in combo - pointed to the same diagnosis. My doc began treating me with almost every NSAID and DMARD known to man. We finally settled on a plaquenil, prednisone and methotrexate combo that seems to work with varying success. I have been on all 3 drugs for about ten years. I can honestly say I have had more problems with the drug side effects and the drugs that take care of the side effects than the RA. I have some joint damage and some mild osteoporosis - but all told - my joints don't look too bad- my hands are a little "rheumy" for someone who has had the illness this long. I refuse to become my illness and so far my stubbornness has won out. Most of my theater work is back stage now - as my dancing isn't quite as graceful - am no longer able to make the "Loretta Young" entrance down a flight of stairs - hard to do when you do stairs one at a time because of balance problems. LOL But I am more the Carol Burnett type anyway.

Last year was probably my roughest "/medical" year. I had been suffering from anemia for several years - big time - and the fatigue that comes with it. After checking out GI sources (long story) docs finally decided that it was a combo of "female" problems and RA. My doctor prescribed, at my suggestion - it had worked before- an estrogen based OC to control blood loss. It worked - But - I developed a deep vein thrombosis which quickly became two pulmonary embolisms- one in each lung. (Scary part was that it was almost diagnosed as pneumonia. I told my doc I was short of breath. I forgot to mention the leg pain -thought it was flare. ) I spent 10 days in hospital - 3 in CCU. Found out that anemia was caused by major uterine fibroids. Problem - how to safely do hysterectomy - when I might have clotting disorder and so soon after the PEs. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN provided some clues - and confirmed that there was no clotting disorder. With their consult , the hysterectomy was performed safely -and I am on my way to a much healthier and less anemic me.

Enough of the negative - on to the personal. I am a practicing attorney - I am the Directing Attorney of a three county office (Saginaw)mid Michigan legal aid program. I carry a caseload in education, family law, and currently public benefits - and supervise 15 employees. I love the work and have told Ron Griffin I would try to do a focused chat on SSI and ADA sometime in August. Don't expect a Chuck Ryan level of expertise (I read his stuff here - he is great)- but if I can make the process seem a little less scary to some folks here - I will have accomplished my goal.

Other stuff about me. I am one of a set of identical twins- my sister does not have RA. I am a major animal lover- have two wonderful kitties ( will post pictures- if anyone is interested -even if you aren't - try to stop me)- a black Persian (Clancy) and a tabby Wisconsin -stray- state of Origin- (Riley) - their purebred rescue mix balances my karma Lol. Have been "mom" to numerous other creatures - including dogs. I am single - with even more dating experience than RA experience. I have considered offering to do a "Tales from the front" type piece for this site - or anyone else who willl listen to me whine- on dating with chronic illness - probably have more expertise (what not to do) with that than with SSI issues. ( Seriously, what made last year even more difficult was the break up of a serious relationship I was in - due at least in part to my medical problems. Ironically, the guy I was seeing - was diagnosed with RA/Lupus - this past January. The universe is an odd and serendipitous place at times. ) I have managed to more than survive the arthritis issues by developing a somewhat dry and wicked, albeit twisted, sense of humor. My faith in God also helps me over the rough spots.

Sorry about the novel. Please feel free to write. Will try to make it into the chat room and get to know folks on an informal basis. Have had the pleasure of e-mailing and Instant Messaging with Ron Griffin and he assures me this will be fun. Was pleased to see another lawyer on the site. I look forward to getting to know people here.

Hugs- Karen
See the rest of our stories:
community/stories

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Notes and Insights:

Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to:
JRHITEACH aka Marsha, Donna aka FACES, Nightowl aka Diane2, Kathy Parsons, Darci, Swimmer aka Sue and Margie! Check out all the birthdays at community/birthday and make sure to send them an arthritis-friendly e-card:
cgi-bin/postcards/postcard.pl

Wanna help?
Having surgery? Starting a new drug or treatment? Filing for disability? Keep an Arthritis Insight journal so all of our members can share and learn from your experience. If you want to keep a journal just let us know. Write an article! We always need articles on all subjects relating to arthritis.
C'mon folks, we can't do this without you.

Donate!
Arthritis Insight will always be free for anyone to use, we will never charge any fees. We try very hard to keep our operating costs as low as possible, but running a website as large as Arthritis Insight can be expensive. To date we've relied on our few sponsors for support and have paid for many of the expenses out of our own pockets. No one on our staff currently receives a paycheck for their hard work and dedication. Although you are not obligated in any way, if you are financially able to help support Arthritis Insight, it would be greatly appreciated. In exchange for your donation you'll receive some thank you gifts, a tax deduction and the satisfaction of knowing you are partly responsible for the entire Arthritis Insight Community.
about/donate.html

Ken Akers Cheer Fund
Donations to the Ken Ake
rs Cheer Fund will be used to send flowers and gifts to those community members who are hospitalized, flaring or just in need of some good cheer. The Ken Akers Cheer Fund sent out four gift baskets last week!
community/kenscheerfund

Arthritis Insight Wish List
We realize that many of you are unable to contribute financially to Arthritis Insight. But we need more than money. Please check out our wish list and see if you can help.
wishlist.html

Thank You!
A great big thank you to our "Diamond Level" Corporate Benefactor, allaboutarthritis.com. Please stop by their site and say hello!
http://allaboutarthritis.com

And another big thank you to NeedaBasket.com (http://needabasket.com). NeedaBasket is now Arthritis Insight's official gift basket company. They are giving us a great discount and donating baskets for our Arthritis Warriors. Stop by and tell them thanks for the support!

Glucosamine Clinical Trial:
Boston University Medical Center is currently testing Glucosamine for knee osteoarthritis in an internet-based clinical research trial. Normally, joining a clinical trial would mean going to a study center for repeated appointments, but this trial is carried out entirely over the internet. If you qualify, you will participate for three months by simply filling out online forms on your experiences and taking a daily nutritional supplement (either Glucosamine or a placebo), which will be mailed to you by the center. If you are interested, please visit the website: http://etrials.bumc.bu.edu to see if you qualify.

Special Offers for Arthritis Insight Members
Whenever possible we will try get to our sponsors to agree to discounts and the like for our members. Here are our current special offers:
Sore No More gel (http://www.sorenomore.com) will send a free sample of the pain relieving gel to any Arthritis Insight Community Member who emails them at dma@glogerm.com

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The AI Help Desk
Linda Peck
Linda@arthritisinsight.com

Tributes and memorials are in great abundance on the web and it is touching that so many folks have been moved to create these sites, whether in honor of those lost or affected by September 11th or a patriotic page. None of us will ever be quite the same as before. Andy at http://www.itsacryingshame.com has created a beautiful tribute that I would like to share with you - http://www.itsacryingshame.com/Flash/Tribute.htm

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We've received questions concerning usage of the Mail Center at AI. In lieu of the normal Q & A section, I'm providing basic instructions below. If you have further questions or need clarification on something, please send me an email.

Logging On
When first accessing WSMMail the user will see the logon screen. Enter your user name and password that you selected and when you signed up for an email account.

Reading Mail
To read messages click on the subject of the message you wish to read. The screen will refresh with the message. If the message was sent in HTML, it will show as HTML. If there are any attachments they will be included as links at the bottom of the message.

Setting Preferences
To set preferences, click the "Set Preferences / Mail Blocking" link that appears above the message list on the "show messages" page.

Refresh Mail - In order for WSMMail to recheck your POP server for mail it must refresh. You can do this manually on each screen or you can set WSMMail to automatically refresh every X minutes. Default is 5 minutes.

Retrieve [all | last X | first X] messages on each refresh - If you have such a large number of messages on your server and loading them all each time is taking too much time, you can choose to see only the first or last messages.

Sound notification with new message - This feature is set to yes by default. Each time the mail client refreshes and a new message appears, WSMMail will sound a "blip". This can be turned off by selecting "no".

Default CC - the default "CC" address that will be automatically entered for each new message, forwarded message or message that is replied to. Users do have the option of removing the address before sending each message.

Default Bcc - same as above but "Bcc".

Edit Address Book Entries - Users can build their own address book by adding entries to this box. All throughout WSMMail users will have the option of adding e-mail addresses to their address book by clicking the icon.

Mail Blocking
Mail blocking is a very important part of e-communication today. With the huge increase in SPAM and auto responders, one's mailbox can quickly become full of time consuming garbage. WSMMail's mail blocking feature can save hours per week of sifting through unwanted mail.

How mail blocking works: each time the WSMMail client reads mail from the POP account it calls the mail blocking routines the user has created and will either delete or hide the blocked mail when displaying messages. Changes made to mail blocking are instantaneous and mail blocking can be turned on or off at anytime. Header - select the header that contains the text you will be matching for a block. Pattern - then enter the pattern to match within the header you have selected.

TECHNICAL NOTE
Do not be tempted to block every spam you receive. With the millions of servers that send spam in the world your efforts will not only be fruitless, but by setting up too many blocks it will decrease the performance of your WSMMail client as well. Use the "Report Spam" feature instead for each spam you receive.

Mail blocking - toggle between on and off. Changes will take effect immediately.

Delete blocked pattern(s) - this is a multiple select drop down that allows users to select one - many choices to remove at one time. Users can choose to "automatically delete blocked mail from server" or "just hide all blocked mail from displaying". If mail is deleted it is removed and can not be seen or retrieved again. Hidden mail will remain on the POP server just not seen by WSMMail.

Reporting Spam
WSMMail has one of the most advanced spam reporting features available on the Internet today. Finally you can do something about spam that will make a difference and help stop spam on the Internet by reporting each spam to the proper authorities.

To report spam, simply click on the subject to read the message. Make sure it is a spam, then click the "Report Spam" icon at the bottom of the screen. Wait anywhere from 5-15 seconds and the forward mail screen will appear. Listed will be each domain name that is directly or indirectly involved in the spam. Carefully read each abuse address and why they were listed and if you feel they should be notified about the spam then check the box to the left of the address.

There will be a default complaint message listed in the message box. You can edit this message or add your own thoughts and comment to it if you wish. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and hit the "Forward Message and Delete" button.

=== This Week's Tip ===

Better Browsing

See this tip on the web at:

Have you ever been at a site and saw a link you wanted to follow? You almost click the link, but then decide that you want to finish looking through the web page you're currently on. What should you do?

Next time you're faced with the question above, right-click the link you want to follow and select "Open in new window" from the resulting menu (you can also hold down the SHIFT key while you click). A new browser window will open and display the new page.

I use this trick all the time when I'm hunting around for information. For example, when I'm using a search engine, I'll do the "Open in a new window" trick each time I see a link that looks relevant. It's great to have the rest of your search results ready and waiting for you when you're done exploring a link!

=== Member Websites ===

http://www.monroefreechurch.org/ - Barbara Joy watched Krissy Jo go from being a newly diagnosed at-home-mom, to an awesome webmaster. She figured she could give it a whirl too, and created a website for her home church. Come and see why this little church in the cornfield has grown.

http://www.hieran.com/knee/ - Robin's personal story and information on RA, along with links to more resources.

=== This Week's Links ===

http://wtol.iscgnet.com/images/americanflag.jpg - a printable flag.

http://www.katu.com/special/attack/fly_the_flag.asp - lots of flags, links to songs, writings and speeches.

http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,86027,.html - a flag screensaver

"I'll lean on you and you lean on me and we'll be okay." --Dave Matthew's band

linda@arthritisinsight.com
Help Desk Archives: living/help/index.html

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Weekly News Summary
Karen Sears
kaekae@arthritisinsight.com

Many thanks to Tina last week for coming to my rescue and putting together the news when my computer went kaput. It fizzled out just as I finished compiling the news, of course. So this week's edition includes some stories I picked up last week.

Since I missed last week's edition, I'll speak my piece now: I'm so very proud to be an American, and to know how swiftly the whole nation has pulled together to support those who lost loved ones.

The first story is a nice medical-related example. It includes not only efforts in the U.S., but of the wonderful support worldwide:

DRUG COMPANIES SUPPORT U.S. DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS
Following the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, DC last week, pharmaceutical companies--whose public images have suffered in recent years under allegations of greed and insensitivity--have been quietly doing their part to help out.
Reuters, Yahoo
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010921/hl/relief_1.html

HAIR DYE USE LINKED TO TYPE OF ARTHRITIS
Women who use hair dyes for more than 20 years may be nearly doubling their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers.
Reuters Health, Yahoo, Sep 24
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010924/hl/dye_1.html

OCTREOTIDE HELPFUL IN TREATMENT OF REFRACTORY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Results of a pilot study indicate that the somatostatin analogue octreotide acetate is effective in treatment of patients with active refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to Israeli researchers.
Medscape, Sep 24 (free registration required)
http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/09/09.25/20010924drg 001.html

FDA SERVES MERCK WITH A WARNING LETTER FOR VIOXX PROMOTIONS
The US Food and Drug Administration has issued Merck & Co. Inc. a warning letter with regard to its promotion of Vioxx (rofecoxib), the company's blockbuster COX-2 inhibitor.
Medscape, Sep 24 (free registration required)
http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/09/09.25/20010924rgl 006.html

SOME ANTIDEPRESSANTS INCREASE GASTRO BLEEDING
A widely prescribed class of antidepressant drugs that act on the brain chemical serotonin increase the risk of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, a study from Canada indicates.
Reuters Health, Yahoo, Sep 21
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010921/hl/bleeding_1.html

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS LINKED TO COMORBIDITY, LIFESTYLE AND REPRODUCTIVE FACTORS
Results of a recent study suggest that there is a causal relationship between the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and smoking, diabetes, and a short period of fertility in women. In contrast, atopic allergy and education level appear to be inversely associated with RA, according to a report in the October issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
Medscape, Sep 21 (free registration required)
http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/09/09.24/20010921epi 003.html

BEHAVIORAL THERAPY BEST SUPPORTED SO FAR FOR CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME
The first systematic review of all therapeutic interventions that have been evaluated for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) shows mixed results.
Medscape, Sep 20 (free registration required)
http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/09/09.21/20010920cli 003.html

INTERTOCHANTERIC OSTEOTOMY FOR ACETABULAR FRACTURE
Young people with acetabular fracture show significant improvement in hip function with a decrease in pain and disability
Doctor's Guide, Sept 20 (free registration required)
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256AC50 6B147A?OpenDocument&id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F&c=Arthritis%20Other&count=10

MALE PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS HAVE A LOWER SURVIVAL RATE IN MADRID
The mortality rate for male patients with rheumatoid arthritis is twice as high in Madrid, Spain, according to Spanish researchers. The most common causes of death include cardiovascular diseases, infections and amyloidosis.
Doctor's Guide, Sep 20 (free registration required)
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256AC50 65F516?OpenDocument&id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F&c=Rheumatoid%20Arthritis&count=10

FAT-MELTING GENE FOUND IN MICE; COULD HELP HUMANS
Scientists have identified a gene that gives mice leaner bodies and allows them to eat a diet high in fat without gaining weight.
Reuters Health, Yahoo, Sep 7 [wish I had that gene!]
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010907/hl/fat_1.html

FOLIC ACID NOT LINKED TO MISCARRIAGE RISK
Despite earlier evidence that folic acid supplements might cause an increased risk of miscarriage, a new study found no evidence that the vitamin has any effect on the risks of miscarriage.
Reuters Health, Yahoo, Sep 7
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010907/hl/miscarriage_1.html

AGE, MENOPAUSAL STATE AT PRESENTATION INFLUENCE COURSE OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Both higher age and postmenopausal status at presentation are significant in the progression of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), leading to a faster disease course in women, according to a report in the Journal of Rheumatology for August.
Medscape, Sep 7 (free registration required)
http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/09/09.10/20010907cli 019.html

NO DIFFERENCES IN DISABILITY, QUALITY OF LIFE BETWEEN PERIPHERAL PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
There is significantly greater peripheral joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis compared with peripheral psoriatic arthritis but no difference in function and the quality of life.
Doctor's Guide, Sep 7
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256AB50 53C0FE?OpenDocument&id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F&c Rheumatoid%20Arthritis &count=10

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A Closing Thought
I AM THE FLAG OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up ... and see me.
I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners,
my head is a little higher,
my colors a little bit truer.
I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected -- and I am feared.
I have fought in every battle of every
war for more then 200 years.
I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg,
Shiloh and Appomattox.
I was there at San Juan Hill,
the trenches of France,
in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome
and the beaches of Normandy, Guam.
Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon,
Vietnam know me,
I was there.
I led my troops,
I was dirty, battle worn and tired,
but my soldiers cheered me
And I was proud.
I have been burned, torn and trampled
on the streets of countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt, for I am invincible.
I have been soiled upon, burned, torn
and trampled on the streets of my country.
And when it's by those! whom I've served in battle -
it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.
I have slipped the bonds of Earth
and stood watch over the uncharted
frontiers of space from my vantage point
on the moon.
I have borne silent witness
to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hours are yet to come.
When I am torn into strips
and used as bandages
for my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms
of a grieving parent
at the grave of their fallen son or daughter,
I am proud.
MY NAME IS OLD GLORY
LONG MAY I WAVE.
DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN
LONG MAY I WAVE

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Arthritis Insight Newsletter Copyright 2001