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This month's article is written by Shar Phoenix.
THE WEB AND THE WOLF
This is a solitary sort of work, researching, studying
and writing but I take many of my cues from reader emails, as I
learn what concerns you most. Concerning the growing controversy
over the use of aspartame laced food products, in the Oct. 2001
issue of BN I had written, "Aspartame, a common ingredient in many
popular food products, is reported to mimic or accelerate symptoms
of Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Diabetes, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
Alzheimer's', Multiple Sclerosis, Panic Disorder, Depression, Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity and a host of other illnesses. Check out http://www.holisticmed.com/neotame/
for a generic list of products containing aspartame and more. Then,
you might visit http://www.dorway.com/test.txt and try the 60-day
no aspartame test."
Recently I've recieved email refering to an article
on the subject and enclosing links which go further, purporting
to prove that aspartame actually causes Lupus, Fibromyalgia, MS
and other autoimmune diseases. The theory is that, after giving
up all use of this additive, many folks' symptoms will disappear.
That's such a lovely thought. However, those websites had posted
no verifiable research links so that I could validate that position.
Delving a little deeper, I found the websites below.
The first link, http://www.msfocus.org/aspart.htm is an informative
rebuttal article by Dr. David Squillacote, written at the request
of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, which is cited in the aspartame
article being forwarded across the web. Truth or Fiction.com, a
well known site verifying fact and squashing rumor, "disputes" the
aspartame claim at http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/nutrasweet.htm
with the original article posted and a variety of other medical
rumors are dealt with at http://www.truthorfiction.com/index-medical.htm
Everybody's always got their opinion and some may
be more expert than others but ultimately, the opinion that matters
most in your life will be your own, so, please, learn as much as
you can, creatively seeking those methods and treatments that will
work best for you. Above all, especially when online, take nothing
you read as Holy Writ, except these seven words alone, "Take nothing
you read as Holy Writ". Research information and statistcs on Lupus
and other autoimmune illnesses are constantly evolving so that what
was believed to be accurate one year is sometimes disproved the
next. Our own lives are on the front lines, even when the good doctor
is golfing, so it's in our own best interest to develop defenses
and deflections to parry the blows of illness.
The World Wide Web is a tapestry finely woven of information
threads, tantalizing in it's diversity and wealth of ideas. It offers
us the opportunity to broaden our scope and enhance our lives with
shared research and experience. The drawback is that anyone can
publish anything they please online, so that we are deluged in pleas
for missing or dying children who generally have, in the real world,
yet to be born. We are besieged by "cures", at a reasonable price
for the miracle of a lifetime, by "true believers" and our heartstrings
are plucked to the resonating pitch of someone else's hope, whether
for a medical miracle or of generating income..
There is, as yet, no cure for Lupus, FM, MS, cancer
or all their kissin' cousins and when there is, you can bet it'll
make worldwide headlines, not be buried somewhere on the web. My
first rule for web searching is, "be skeptical", my second rule
is "doublecheck" and still, I tell you, don't believe all you read.
No one has all the answers, we are pretty much all equally mystified.
Nobody wants to be ill; we didn't stand in line all night for tickets
to Ol' Wolfie's Howlfest and Amusement Park but here we are anyway
and, my, what a big crowd. We can click our ruby slippers until
our heels holler for help and we still won't land in Kansas, home
safe home. To paraphrase an old Crosby, Stills and Nash tune, if
you can't be in the health you want, love the health you've got.
There's an old adage which likens denial to ignoring
the presence of an elephant filling a living room ~ if the pachyderm
or the wolf has made itself at home, it's wiser to treat it like
any other uninvited and unwanted guest, by creating a far less congenial
environment for it to annex. For instance, there's suifficient and
reliable autoimmune disease research and anecdotal evidence (that's
the experience of folks like you and me) that taking charge of our
diets, adapting our lifesytles, eating more whole, healthy foods
while consuming fewer chemically "enhanced" toaster tarts gulped
down with diet sodas can do us a lot of good.
Obviously, with the numerous sensitivities of autoimmune
illness, some foods and additives may work against us, some might
help but it's most likely to be our own "taste tests" and our attention
to their effects on our bodies that will provide our clearest cues.
All we have to do is watch, listen and write it down, as protection
against brainfog. For more details on how we can wield our wits
to stay one step ahead of the wolf, there are back issues of Butterfly
News at http://www.uklupus.co.uk/bnews.html
Med Planet offers a medical encylopedia at http://www.medic-
planet.com/ where we can research illnesses, medications and symptoms.
Consumer Lab.com at http://www.consumerlab.com/ offers unbiased
test results of vitamins, homeopathics and food products. The non-profit
Health On the Net at http://www.hon.ch/ provides an abundance of
useful links. National Jewish Medical and Research Center, http://www.njc.org/main.html
is devoted to the study and treatment of respiratory, allergic and
immune system diseases.
The gentle practice of Tai Chi can strengthen joints,
increase mobility, reduce the effects of stress and improve concentration.
Tai Chi Online at http://www.taichi-online.com/ offers medical statisitcs
and free online videos demonstrating it's healthful benefits.
The current weekly issue of Time magazine (January
21, 2002) has an excellent section of health related articles. You
can buy this issue at most newstands, read it at your local library
or you can click the link and go to http://www.time.com/time to
read the articles. I furnish links with every article I write so
that you may easily verify my information and then dig deeper with
your own needs in mind. I hope that you'll visit these sites and
save the links to your "favorites" file or bookmark them, so you'll
have them for future reference ~ they may well come in handy later.
Doing our own research allows us to adapt what we learn to our particular
circumstances. We can communicate more fully with our doctors and
other medical support members when we can contribute what we learn
and share our sources.
I appreciate every email I receive from each of you,
saving every one as I add the issues that you raise to my ongoing
research and your concerns influence my ongoing work. Despite having
been ill throughout 2001, I answer every introductory email and
I do my very best to stay in touch otherwise. Your messages are
important, because, despite how it sometimes feels, none of us really
lives in a vacuum and one person's experience may just turn out
to be the key puzzle piece for another. We really are movin' this
leaky boat upcreek without a paddle ~ but when we link hands, we
create our own momentum and, nobody can deny, we could even shoot
the rapids.
Written and copyrighted 2002 by Shar Phoenix
[email protected]
Butterfly News
© 2002 The Lupus Site/Shar Phoenix
Must not be reprinted in any way without prior permission from the
author. Any queries or suggestions - [email protected]
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