The Return of Bits and Pieces

People seemed to like my previous two "Bits and Pieces" posts, so here's a go at another one. Presented for your perusal are a few items of interest that have muscled their way into my consciousness over the past week or so...

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• The illicit but medicinal drug experiment continues, as I've taken a hit of marijuana before bed every night for the past two weeks, and it's definitely helping me sleep better. It's incredible how much stronger the weed is now than when I was a teenager in the 70s. Back then, I could share a joint with a friend and then go to geometry class fully under control but thoroughly amused by all the silly shapes and equations. With the stuff I have now, one strong hit and I'm pretty much zombiefied. It definitely helps with spasticity, though, and with my joint pain as well (no pun intended). Oh, I've also made friends with a very funny 7 foot tall Emperor Penguin named Emerson, who talks like Peter Lorre and does hilarious things with his big penguin toes. For some reason, Karen keeps making believe that she can't see him. I think she's trying to drive me insane. Help.

• CCSVI has finally gotten some relatively prominent US press, in the Philadelphia Inquirer, albeit in the local and regional section (click here for article). While it's been getting intense coverage in Canada, and has even been taken up by the Canadian Parliament (click here), the US media outlets have by and large completely ignored CCSVI. Even after last week's announcement of NMSS funding for research into CCSVI, not a peep out of US newspapers or television news outlets. As I've written before, I find this extremely suspicious, since the United States has no truly independent news sources anymore. Virtually every major American newspaper and television news outlet is owned and operated by huge conglomerates which are very happy to gobble up the advertising dollars of the pharmaceutical companies. During some TV programs, it seems that every third commercial is for a pharmaceutical drug. Viva Viagra...

• The NMSS is sponsoring a live webcast, "What's New in MS Research and Treatment", on June 30 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET (click here to sign up). Topics covered will include oral and other new therapies on the horizon, nervous system repair and protection, and an international overview of CCSVI research. The CCSVI piece will be presented by Dr. Robert Fox of the Cleveland Clinic, who is leading one of the teams that is receiving an NMSS grant for CCSVI research. Other presenters include Dr. Peter Calabresi of Johns Hopkins, who has had the pleasure of examining me on two occasions (clearly, the highlights of his illustrious career), and Dr. Loren Rolak, of the University of Wisconsin. These live webcasts are always interesting and full of information, and I'm sure the CCSVI segment will provide plenty of fodder for discussion and debate. All interested parties should certainly watch.

• It's long been noted that MS and other autoimmune diseases often seem to go into remission during a woman's pregnancy. Now, scientists from the University of Michigan and the National Institutes of Health have discovered a possible mechanism for the phenomenon (click here for article). The researchers have identified an enzyme that is reduced in the immune cells of pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women. It appears this enzyme down regulates the immune system, which is necessary during pregnancy to protect the fetus, which includes proteins from the father that are alien to the mother and could be targeted by the immune system as invaders. This dampening of the immune system could explain the pattern of MS disease remission that is commonly seen in pregnant MS patients. For all of the CCSVI advocates out there, please keep in mind that research such as this does not contradict CCSVI theory. CCSVI provides an elegant hypothesis as to the mechanism that causes the immune system to react to CNS tissues, and also explains how immune cells might get through a weakened blood brain barrier. Thus, any drug or natural process that suppresses or modulates the immune system would have efficacy in the CCSVI model of the disease. Just saying...

• Now, for things that make you say hmmm. Or, in this case, hum. Here's a TV news piece on an acoustic medical device that is claimed to work on MS and other disorders. I'm not too sure about this one, but my friend Emerson the 7 foot Emperor Penguin swears by it...

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