Marnie
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 773
posted
I can't stop thinking about the recent dissension on this board re: whether or not to subdivide ``medical'' into ``traditional'' and ``alternative''.
My view of ``medical'' is (for me), like observing the United Nations at work. We come from different countries, with different viewpoints, with different agendas, and different needs and concerns, but we MEET IN ONE PLACE to share our ideas for the ultimate good of all mankind.
My hope is that in ``medical'' we can do the same -that we can come together with one united goal in mind and that goal is: TO FIND A CURE.
If, on the other hand, we ``divide'' into groups with self-interests, WE WILL FAIL to accomplish what is so needed...a cure for Lyme Disease.
We can only succeed if we stick together and work towards the common goal.
While ``change'' is good, it is ONLY good IF it is right for ALL and for the right reasons. It is NOT GOOD if it only serves one interest group - those who believe in ``traditional'' therapies OR those who support ``alternative therapies''.
There HAS to be a meeting ground. It is currently called ``Blended Medicine'' if anyone is interested.
Posts: 9439 | From Sunshine State | Registered: Mar 2001
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This recent need to divide lymenet into antibiotic and alternative camps has perplexed me.
Lyme is a complicated disease involving multiple body systems. I have found healing with a whole body approach using integrative or "blended" medicine.
Or what my Doc calls "WWM" What Works Medicine.
Posts: 628 | From the south | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Separating topics seems a little messy to me.
What if we're mixing abx and alternatives? What if people disagree on what is alternative and what isn't? What if the medical article is concerning a topic we have a category for? What if we're missing an important discussion 'cause we're not reading in a particular category?
Could we really screen ourselves enough to limit the discussion to just that topic, when we might want to be discussing the whole shebang?
What if answers are holistic, not in parts, as in what if solutions come to us through being exposed to all angles at once and not just through one select category?
If the problem is catching new people's posts, then maybe that's what needs to be handled, by a discussion on the part of the regulars here on how not to miss newbie posts.
Posts: 13155 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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posted
I agree.... I like reading the different alternatives that folks try and work for them, rather than the abx do-or-die threads.
If we differentiated these topics, what would medical be composed of? Just abx threads. And we all know by now, we have to test and test....no one answer for everyone.
I've learned from this board that detox is as important as abx, plus alternatives....like omega 3, IFR saunas, milk thistle, samento, etc..
Do we create a separate link for just detox methods?
I'll adhere to board guidelines, but when I first came here, I immediately came to Medical...and learned so much about all of these treatments/solutions.
mlkeen
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1260
posted
In the long run of human history "traditional" would be what we have been trained to believe is "alternative".
Abx is been around for a very short time.
Finding the underlying cause of my compromised immune system was the key to finding wellness in a short amount of time for me, this after about 4 years of various treatments.
Posts: 1572 | From Pa | Registered: Jun 2001
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MariaA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9128
posted
As I said in the other thread about dividing,
Buhner starts discussing treatment options in his book Healing Lyme, by pointing out that in the field of Lyme treatment, EVERYTHING is experimental (p 70), including antibiotics.
The line between mainstream and alternative is really fuzzy when it comes to chronic Lyme Disease treatment.
-------------------- Symptom Free!!! Thank you all!!!!
Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
I agree with all of you.
I think the Medical Questions forum is popular and active because there is something of interest there for everyone.
We'd better learn to be cohesive in the fight against Lyme Disease or we will end up shooting ourselves in the foot.
Tracy
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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shazdancer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1436
posted
I agree, I want to continue to see one medical forum that covers a wide range of treatments, as it does now.
It appears that even among ILADS doctors themselves, there is a lot of variation in how they treat their patients, although I wouldn't go so far as to say that everything is experimental.
But there is certainly a vast range of approaches when it comes to which antibiotics for which symptoms, for how long, pulse or not, nutritional support or not, detox, probiotics, injections, IV, herbs, etc.
My major disagreement comes when people weigh in with the phrase "you must." That is usually followed by something they themselves did, and a positive result followed. As in...
"You must get your blood tested by Igenex, Quest sucks." I was tested by a Quest lab, and tested CDC positive. My son was tested by a hospital lab, also CDC positive.
"You must get an IV." Neither my son nor I have used injections or IVs. Ask your doctor. Then ask why one particular method was chosen over another.
"You must do this herbal protocol or you won't get better." Although I like eating wild foods on the trail or in a salad, I didn't do much beyond antibiotics and a few of the nutritional supplements recommended by Dr. B. My idea of detox was a hot bath or working up a sweat. I've never had a colonic. But I got better.
I think we can all learn a lot from each other if we don't get stuck in a "right/wrong" mode. And if someone comes on and says, "The only way to get better is to herx while standing on your head," I have to challenge that, because I would hate to see some poor newbie think that no one contradicting that statement means we all agree with it.
Had my say, thanks for listening, Shaz
Posts: 1558 | From the Berkshires | Registered: Jul 2001
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
Thank you, Shaz, you spoke my heart.
If we abide by the guidelines of the board, and state that something is "our opinion", we will be much less likely to be divisive. Even if we find documentation, let's couch it with "use as you see fit".
To draw the line in the sand on whether you are treating yourself correctly is only going to do harm.
Going to the Medical section, I could choose what to read. In that sense, I was able to digest the information at leisure, without feeling guilt or obligation that we weren't "doing it right".
When I joined this board, I had never heard of detox foot pads, infrared saunas, etc. We have slowly started incorporating these things into our treatment.
If seperate, people would think that there is an "either/or" side to treat this disease. This is a very personal disease, each has their own fingerprint of bacteria and viruses. If there was one way to treat Lyme, someone should get a Nobel.
Should we utilize our "library" for abstracts and articles? Maybe our moderators could decide what gets added to the files.
Because the medical community forces us to do research and seek treatment on our own; and because most of the medical community has abused us, we are more apt to become our own treatment god. We don't have all the answers, and some are probably doing more harm than good to themselves by chasing rabbit trails of "promises".
Let's not create boxes that can't be expanded. Someone told me that my daughter's doctor was not an LLMD because he was not a member of ILADS. Whether he is a member, I don't know. But, I know he attends every conference, he is an exhaustive researcher and reader, and he is literate in Lyme. So, for me, he is a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.
I take what I read and learn on this board and present it to him, and we decide together whether it is a good fit for my daughter. It's been a long time since I trusted a doctor.
I don't know why Gigi left. She hasn't revealed her reasons to us. She left us an abundance of information that we will treasure, and I hope she returns. We need people who have gone through the trenches and come out the other side. But, it seems to me that everyone had their own unique journey.
Let's just learn from each other, and maybe someone will have that ONE element that brings ONE person healing.
I appreciate ALL of you.
Kelly
Just read this after posting and realize it is a choppy collection of thoughts. Hope it made sense.
Posts: 2903 | From AZ | Registered: Feb 2006
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Jellybelly
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7142
posted
Maybe in a topic just to house research, there could be several threads in that topic, possibly one for each herb, or each protocol, etc. There people can post just a link and a brief description of what is in the research presented. That way people can scan through and read what appeals to them.
Discussion doesn't need to happen there, it's just more like a library. Discussion could happen on the main board where the article or abstract is posted for the purpose of discussion once and at later times, we could even post a link to the research topic where the info they are looking for can be found.
I find the search engine here not very specific. You type in a word and you get everry single time that word is used anywhere in anyones post. It can be very cumbersome looking for a specific article unless you can actually remember the title. We all know how well we do in that department.
If it was stored in the research topic then you could just go there and scan down looking for the specific thread on say Sawmento and there you would find numerous brief descriptions of what you may be looking for.
Posting hyperlinks is a great idea, especially if you give just a little taste of what will be found.
Posts: 1251 | From california | Registered: Apr 2005
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Vermont_Lymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9780
posted
Right on Marnie. Let's continue to all meet in one place -- here!
Everything is helping me to heal -- abx, nutrition, saunas, supplements -- and I learned about many of these things in this forum. Thanks to all and a big thanks to you Marnie. For me, this was all new stuff until this year.
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