Re: Digest Number 3246

[Guest guest]

Subject: Re: Steriods and cognitive thinking-Sue

I am just glad I have an excuse for my brain...or lack thereof.  I

used to have really good language skills...nowadays, if it weren't

for the tools icon in WORD, I would be sunk!  I need a "tools" icon

for the verbal part...stopping in midsentence and looking up for

that word that escapes me is getting me nothing but a lot of strange

looks!

nne

nne and others, Wayne State University did a study showing that Prednisone, even at small dosages, and even for short lengths of time, causes significant short-term memory loss. The loss is greater for older people. The mechanism involves damage to the hippocampus. Nothing in the abstract speaks of whether the damage is permanent. You can find descriptions by going to Google and entering search words such as "Prednisone" "Memory" "Wayne". Or, I can send you a copy if you don't fiind it easily yourself.

, I lived in downtown Boston (the South End) for 25 years, but I've been in northern California (the Marina in San Francisco and at Sea Ranch) for the past 13 years. I'd like to go back to Boston, too, but travel is difficult for me. My husband returns about once a month, and the trip would cost me nothing but energy. I remind myself that Boston has changed a great deal and that most of my friends have moved away; still, I would like to go back once. Incidentally, you mention something about "building up the immune system." This is a good time to remind all of us that we DON'T want to build our immune systems but to suppress them! Then, because they are suppressed, we want to protect ourselves from infection. I think that was probably what you meant.

Trish, Luanne, all you other mothers -- I don't write because I have nothing to add. However, I think of you and your children constantly.

Harper

[Guest guest]

Dear

You sound like me. There are so many things I have always wanted to do and so I'm slowly adding to my repotoire. I enjoy knitting - started with a very basic dish cloth to afghans, hats of all kinds, hats to donate to the hospital for babies, scarves and sweaters. I completed one sweater and am plugging away on one for my mother in law but it has just been too warm for me here!

The rug hooking is a blast,too. If you were given a bunch of stuff maybe you could just go to the library for a bood to get started or see what other basics you may need. If you want to contact me personnally, I might be able to suggest some names or have a name of a store in your area.

My next foray into fiber arts will hopefully be weaving, something I have been wanting to do since Jr High. I took a class in college and loved it but it does require space - sometimes you can get a loom inexpensively from someone whose grandmother had it and they just do have th time or space for it. A whole creative side has awakened in me that isn't fully used up with teaching - it's just for me. I love it.

These things are keeping me alert, trying new ideas and figure out my many mistakes. They also don't get their feelings hurt when rip them out in frustration

So whatever it takes to keep you happy and productive is good and you get a reward at the end- many of my hats have go to my kid's friends! Lots of strokes which feel good when you don't feel too useful and grumply.

Take Care,

Amy

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/18/2004 8:02:23 AM US Mountain Standard Time,

writes:

> Does someone know why my LLMD prescribed questran? says it is

> for cholesterol, for which my levels are normal.

>

> I asked my GP and he also didn't understand. Does it treat Lyme or

> coinfections? Thanks.

>

LLMDs do not use questran for cholesterol! It used to eliminate neurotoxins.

That is why your GP doesn't understand it. Take a look at

http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com.

[Guest guest]

Bonnie:

I truly understand your distress. My son used to tell me he wanted to saw my

head off (he was all of 4 years old then), and while he has never taken a

knife out, he has threatened me with a baseball bat and once3 I literally

thought

he was going to jump out his bedroom window. (2nd story). I have been

bitten, kicked, punched, scratched, pinched, hair pulled etc. during fits of

rage

from OCD. The thing is, the anxiety created by an OCD situation sets him into a

biological, adrenalin-fueled, " fight or flight " reaction he can't really even

seem to control.

The good news is that after CBT/ERP therapy and medication, and maybe a

little with age (he's 10 now), he has improved a TON! We still see the

occasional

rage episode, and they are still scary and devastating and depressing, but

it's SO much less frequent. And interestingly, he seems to be somewhat more in

control than he used to be while he's out of control. It's like now there's a

part of his brain that knows exactly what's happening and why, even while it's

happening, so he's less likely to cross the line into violence. There is

hope - it can get better!

His psychiatrist prescribed Risperdal for " emergencies " , which I thought

would be impossible to give him in the midst of a rage. But it turns out he

WANTS

to stop raging, so he'll take it if he knows it will help him feel better.

Maybe you could ask about something like this?

One other thing I learned the hard way - don't use restraint. We had a

therapist ill-advise us to use physical restraint techniques to help " keep him

safe " , which only served to fuel his anxiety levels even higher, and result in

more adrenaline and more violence. Hindsight now shows me what a mistake that

was - probably the most horrible chapter of all for our family.

Hang in there and remember to take care of yourself too!. Your son is SO

lucky to be diagnosed so early and have such a caring parent!! - in MI