Wow you guys, thanks for reminding me about all the chemicals that are being dumped into our water and our soils on a daily basis.
I have been worried about all the hormones and chemicals that are fed to the animals we eat, and their milk we drink. They give the growth hormones to the cows and chickens, then our kids get them as they are developing. No wonder our kids are more obese than ever! No wonder our girls are entering puberty at younger and younger ages than before.

I personally have changed my diet to all Organic, but even that is only regulated somewhat... We are starting our own garden in the back yard this summer for our family. (No I'm not going off the deep end... I just thought it would be fun to do with the granddaughter!)

Mel, it's good to see you are still being our Consumer advocate! Keep it up girl!

PCB's are found in electronics, flourescent light fixtures, paint, concrete, electrical wiring coating etc. Buildings built before 1977 are loaded with pcb's. When pcb's burn they release dioxins and furans which in themselves damage nerves. I have been exposed to high levels of pcb's in the past. Thanks for posting this Melody.

I'm glad I posted this too!!!

Now when Alan goes for his next visit to Dr. Fred, do we say "Give him a blood test for PCB's?

I wonder if his insurance would pay for this. Don't think it would make a bit of a difference in his outcome, he's had PN for 18 years and we didn't eat then like we eat now!! (I basically grow what we eat in my kitchen). I have a pantry and I grow all my sprouts and they are DELICIOUS. Our blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol shows our bodies like eating this way.

Don't know if this will ever impact his PN but I want to find out WHY WE ARE BEING POISONED, and WHY it's being allowed.

Good grief.

Melody

Please read this:

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/pcb/lab_tests.html

continue reading "next section" until it ends.

Just read the whole thing. It's ironic, that on the way back from doing a wash I told Alan about the PCB's and he said "how do I get rid of it"? and I said "chelation, maybe?"

Now I don't think so.

How truly sad.

I guess we'll never know.

thanks much

Melody

John had his blood serum check for solvents, pesticides, etc and IMO, it's a waste of money. And it's not cheap. I can't remember what it cost but I was shocked when I got the bill and the results only to have the doc say there was nothing he was going to act on based on the results. If my memory is correct, the blood serum test only show recent, high level exposure. And if you want a better picture of exposure, then you need a biopsy of your fat. They basically pull out a core of fat from your "more fleshy" part of your body. Everyone has an accumulation of toxins in their body. How and when it will effect you, depends on many things. What's toxic for one person, may not effect another.

Many of these synthetic toxins are stored in fat and accumulate over our lifetime. One approach to detoxing them is to sweat it out and a supervised sauna program can facilitate that.

Two good books you may want to read...one is by Dr. Sherry Rodgers, Detoxify or Die. And the other, is Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. Silent Spring was written over 40 years ago and is still relevant today because what was done to the environment in the 1950's, 60's and 70's, is still effecting us today.

Marlene has a point. Blood will only tell you what is circulating. And if they do find something in blood, in general, no ranges or limits have been established on these compounds.

Most of them are ubiquitous. Polar bear cubs are full of PFOAs. Male fish are estrogenized, and it isn't pretty.

Most of these compounds are very hard to get rid of. As Marlene said, most are stored in fat, which makes them stick around a very, very long time. We are stuck with this garbage in our systems. I think all we can do is try to minimize our exposure to the substances we can control, such as in our food, in our cookware, perhaps in some of our clothes. Problem is that is very expensive and laborious to do.

Unless you grow your own food, which is horribly labor intensive (believe me, I know), it is hard to know what you are getting. 'Oregon Tilth' certification is the best certification out there as far as I know, and I don't know how well they enforce it. It is the premiere certification in 'green circles'.

Joining a CSA, or community supported agriculture will likely get you pretty natural food. Buying from farmers that use organic or natural food is good. I sell my fruits and veggies. I have yet to make a real profit....maybe next summer. I cringe at the prices at 'organic' stores. Thing is, organic is very expensive to grow. Horribly labor intensive. If you go straight to the grower, you eliminate the middle man and it is cheaper.

I would not do chelation or any other expensive treatment when their is no evidence it helps.

Hi. I agree, we probably can never do anything about Alan's PN. But we can do SOMETHING about what we now put in our bodies, and that's why I SPROUT!!!

I cannot tell you the difference in the way I feel and how easy it is. I simply grow my own baby plants (all organic), and I make the most colorful salads and foods. Alan loves them (thank goodness).

Alan once weighed over 300 lbs and used to drink (when he was in his late teens and early 20's), and he smoked rather heavily until he was 31. He quit for one simple reason. He was an insurance investigator and he read all the reports and all these people who had died had one thing in common. THEY ALL SMOKED. So he threw away his pack of butts and that was it.

But maybe the damage to his nervous system had already begun. Hasn't drunk or smoke in over 30 years but what we do early in life, can sometimes come and bite us.

At least we eat good NOW!!

Thanks for all the good links and good info.

Hopefully 2010 will bring us great strides and better treatments and solutions for PN.

Melody