Re: Samters group brochure

[Guest guest]

Hi Lori -

I think that's a great idea. I'd be happy to give brochures or cards to

my family doctor, allergist and ENT surgeon. This group has taught me so

much. We're so lucky to be able to support and reach out to each other.

I'd be happy to help with any editing if needed.

Thank you ALL for being there.

Sincerely,

Mona

At 10:32 PM 2004/02/12, you wrote:

Tami's idea for a paper

reminded me that I had thought of possibly

promoting this group through our doctors' offices and wondered if

anyone else would be interested --

my idea is that I would make a brochure or little card or something

and send them around for people to bring to their doctors' offices

describing our group, that they could give out to their other Samters

patients or have in their waiting rooms. Would anyone else be

willing to approach one or more of their doctors about this?

I think we benefit from the more members we have, and it's just

another step in the path to my Samters Foundation, to bring more

people to the group. I'd be glad to design a little card or simple

brochure, or if someone else had skills with graphic design or

something and wanted to do it, that would be awesome, too.

Let me know if you'd like to participate.

It might not work, but then again it might, and it might help a few

people who are alone in this. We all know how alone it can

feel.

What polyphell is talking about sure rings true for me. Just

recently I was at work at one of my therapy jobs where I've missed

some work because of my cancer but more also from the Samters. And

my supervisor, who knows I have serious health issues, asked how my

husband was. I told her he was sick with the stomach flu.

Normally

a sensitive person, she said, " Oh, he must be hanging around you too

much. "

That hit me right in the gut and was very upsetting. It's like

people think we WANT to be sick or we're inventing symptoms or

illnesses. Yeah, I've had sinus surgery four times in the last ten

years and flown out to California from New York twice in eight years

for an intensive medical procedure for FUN.

Lori

[Guest guest]

Lori,

I'm for it. Let me know what you need me to do. I'm not good with graphics. Sorry.

Tami

Samters group brochure

Tami's idea for a paper reminded me that I had thought of possibly promoting this group through our doctors' offices and wondered if anyone else would be interested -- my idea is that I would make a brochure or little card or something and send them around for people to bring to their doctors' offices describing our group, that they could give out to their other Samters patients or have in their waiting rooms. Would anyone else be willing to approach one or more of their doctors about this? I think we benefit from the more members we have, and it's just another step in the path to my Samters Foundation, to bring more people to the group. I'd be glad to design a little card or simple brochure, or if someone else had skills with graphic design or something and wanted to do it, that would be awesome, too.Let me know if you'd like to participate.It might not work, but then again it might, and it might help a few people who are alone in this. We all know how alone it can feel. What polyphell is talking about sure rings true for me. Just recently I was at work at one of my therapy jobs where I've missed some work because of my cancer but more also from the Samters. And my supervisor, who knows I have serious health issues, asked how my husband was. I told her he was sick with the stomach flu. Normally a sensitive person, she said, "Oh, he must be hanging around you too much." That hit me right in the gut and was very upsetting. It's like people think we WANT to be sick or we're inventing symptoms or illnesses. Yeah, I've had sinus surgery four times in the last ten years and flown out to California from New York twice in eight years for an intensive medical procedure for FUN.Lori

[Guest guest]

Dear Debra and Lori,

I had the same problem so many years ago. Not only was I gone from work

when my daughter was sick but also when I was sick from Samters. My

employers always made me feel so guilty and horrible and unworthy. It was

lousy. Yes, we don't choose to be ill but no one seemed to understand.

Re: Samters group brochure

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[Guest guest]

Dear Tami and Lori,

I think a group brochure/or paper and cards would be great! I'd love to

give them to Doctors in the area. In fact, I am planning on giiving the

following paper to all the ENT and general Doctors in my area, along with

any newspapers that will print it. I'd love to send them a brochure or

paper and cards from the group too. Here is my history pared down a lot -

you can use any of it you want. What do you think of this article? Do you

have any ideas? Any way to improve it?

I sit in the sunshine reading my book and notice how my body feels so

good. I have so much energy. I have color in my cheeks. I look healthy.

I am so thankful and full of so much joy.

I used to be very ill. At any moment I would feel all my energy drain

and then instantly I couldn't breath. I would pump my emergency inhalant

into my body as fast as possible to open my blocked airways. Safe limits of

alupent? I couldn't worry about it, I needed oxygen. I was up for hours

night after night coughing and fighting to breathe. My sinuses were

completely blocked with polyps so that I had a constant headache and I

could not breathe through my nose. I had constant sinus infections. I had

no sense of smell. I smelled nothing - not a flower, food cooking,

nothing. I never felt well. I felt incredibly ill every moment with no

relief. It was hard to get through the day. Fluid in my ears caused

hearing problems. I couldn't hear a coke can bouncing on the floor in my

car, the wind rushing by, the tires on the road, my footsteps on the

carpet, my hand brushing against the material of my clothes. I couldn't

hear most of what was said to me. I came to where I pretended to hear

because it was too difficult for those around me to talk loud enough for me

to hear them. I even got to where I couldn't talk. Congestion in my throat

made it so that I'd have to cough and fight to be able to even speak. I

went to have a lung test to try to reduce my medication and was rushed to

the doctor because my lung function was so low that I should have been in

the emergency room. I simply was so used to feeling ill. I had many

surgeries for my sinus polyps but soon they'd be back. I'd wake up at

night screaming and not know why. Later I realized it was from too low of

an oxygen level but there wasn't an emergency room that could help me.

Sound pretty bad? It truly was. What caused all these symptoms? An

illness called Samter's Triad. The triad is asthma, nasal polyps and

allergy to aspirin. Twenty percent of asthmatics have this illness. Of

those, 50% are like me - considered severe cortisone dependent cases, 30%

are moderate and 20% are mild cases. It is now recommended that if you

have asthma to avoid aspirin. I have had this illness for twenty-eight

years. My first symptom of this illness was when I took two aspirin as I

had many times before and suddenly I couldn't breath, my eyes poured, my

nose poured, my stomach hurt. The day was ruined. After that I learned to

avoid aspirin but little did I know that this was only the start. In the

beginning there wasn't even a name for what I had. Years later I read that

the earlier you get this illness the more severe it is. My first symptom

was when I was twenty-two. Doctors that I would go see knew very little

about my problem. I was given allergy shots, drops and medicines. I came

to the point that I took forty pills a day with no relief. I took

cortisone with no relief. I saw ear, nose and throat doctors, allergy

doctors, and lung specialists. I repeatedly had tubes put in my ears that

also got plugged up with fluid. My ear specialist told me I was one of the

worst cases he had seen. In addition, I developed idiopathic thrombosis

purpura which is where you body attacks your blood platelets and destroys

them. I was covered in bruises and exhausted all the time. My immune

system was totally out of control.

It wasn't all bad. I found a man () whom I love and who loves me

in spite of all my challenges. I have a daughter I love like life itself.

My husband and daughter were patient and would yell to make sure I could

hear them. figured out how to have words on for me on our TV and

sound on for everyone else. I could usually hear on the phone since it

was right next to my ear so I could still visit with friends and run my

bookkeeping business.

I knew I would find an answer. I really didn't have a choice. Life

was too difficult the way it was. When I found the answer I would let

others know so they didn't have to suffer as I had.

I had great help seven years after my first symptom. By this time I

was up every night gasping for breath for hours. I coughed for hours to

clear up congestion every morning when I got up. I was taking cortisone

pills every other day. My sinuses were totally blocked with polyps and I

could not breathe through my nose. I had a lot of headaches. And, I had a

new baby. I went to a new Doctor, Dr. . He gave me a listing of

foods to avoid. I remember artificial colors, flavors, BHT, BHA, TBHQ,

peanuts, shellfish, tomatoes, plums, other things. I guess they were all

the common allergens and the hope was that if you avoided them you'd feel

better. Very soon I did begin to feel better. Later Dr. told me

about the Feingold Association. Aspirin was associated with salicylates

and when you became allergic to aspirin you were also allergic to these

salicylates. There are two groups of salicylates - those found in

artificial colors, flavors, BHT, BHA and TBHQ. There are also natural

salicylates such as apples, oranges, tomatoes, etc.

The diet has two stages. You start on stage one and avoid all the

salicylates. They say to allow two weeks to see if you feel better and the

diet works for you. I would give it a month since it can take quite a

while for things to get out of your system. Later you can test things and

if you can tolerate some or all of the natural salicylates then you can eat

foods from stage two. (Stage two is where you only avoid the artificial

salicylates.) I also received a book that listed the foods that were safe

for me to eat.

Wow, what a change! My health soon improved. Gone were the instant

asthma attacks, coughing for hours at night and in the morning when I

awoke. Gone were the piles of tissue from blowing my nose constantly.

Gone also were the constant pollyps and sinus surgeries. I have also not

needed sinus surgery for thirteen years . The Feingold Diet made an

incredible difference. It is a low cost solution that you can do for

yourself with pretty fast results. To find out more you can go to

www.feingold.org. However, over time my health still continued to decline

Then, after twenty-six years of this illness when I was beginning to lose

hope I found another wonderful solution! A cure to your allergies! It is

NAET. NAET stands for Nambudripad (the woman who discovered this

treatment) Allergy Elimination Technique. I went to see Dr. Jeanne Barta

in Concord, CA and began treatments and it has been wonderful! My

nightmares stopped, the congestion in my throat was gone. I began to smell

and my ears opened up! I was able to hear every word spoken to me, every

word on TV. I began to have more energy. That sick feeling I always had

was gone. I began to feel good every moment!

I actually found more than I dreamed. Not only are most of my Samter's

Triad symptoms gone but so is all the symptoms of idiopathic thrombosis

purpura! Blood tests show I am totally cured! The woman who discovered

NAET believes most illness is caused by allergies. This treatment has

cured MS, autism, chronic fatigue syndrome and many, many other illness.

After twenty-six years of looking - of trying allergy shots, drops,

accupressure, chiropractic treatments, massage, going to many, many

specialists and reading piles of books looking for the answer I have found

it!

I believe that the Feingold Diet (or food plan) will give you great

relief for Samter's Triad. However, if you discover as I did the tendency

to develop more and more allergies then for you as for me NAET will be the

ultimate solution.

You can find out more about NAET at www.naet.com.

If you have any questions for me you can reach me at

tkimages@....

Sincerely,

s

Samters group brochure

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