Annie,

Let us know how it goes tomorrow! I'm really glad you're seeing a new specialist. I have to think the secret is to keep plugging.

I don't know if it's true about your daughter, but sometimes I find people are very anxious to be able to assign a cause to my disease. I think it's because it's so scary to know that the cause isn't something avoidable--because that means it could happen to them, too!

Hey, here's something cheering! I just read that they've discovered that one source of perfluorinated carboxylic acids in our blood is the grease-proofing chemicals they use on fast-food wrappers. One effect of perfluorinated carboxylic acids is that they act as an immunosuppressant, decreasing immune cell sub-populations in the thymus and spleen. Hah! Sounds about right to me! I'm going to add regular Burger King to my diet! (OK, not really. Tempting, though...)

Abby
who has actually been living on slow-cooked soups made on the wood stove since she seriously mis-managed the household cooking propane delivery system....simmered pea soup, anyone? With coal-baked potatoes on the side? Yum. No perfluorinated carboxylic acids , though it may contain a bit of creosote...