Women's Implant Support Newsletter ~ December 17, 1999
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 06:05:41 -0800
From: "Myrl Jeffcoat"
myrl_jeffcoat@yahoo.comWebsite:
http://www.homestead.com/siliconecity~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NEW COSMETIC surgeries for face lifts, tummy tucks and all sorts of other procedures appear almost every day. But which ones work better?
Manhattan's Dr. Darrick Antell has found one way to find out what lasts and what doesn't. He performs slightly different surgeries on identical twins like 63-year-old Margery Mehl of Hudson, Ohio and Jane Wharton of Fairfax Station, Va. - then watches them over time.
"Some of the more straight forward operations last equally as long as some of the more complex operations," Antell said.
That's good news for the millions like Jean Wyman, a New York fashion consultant who refuses to accept the verdict of time.
"Where is it written that a woman, when she gets to be 65 - which I am - that she has to look like an old woman?" Wyman, like many, sees no reason to stay quiet about her plastic surgeries. "I had the tops of my eyes, I had my jaw line and I had some mild laser work done just to refine the skin and make it look even more beautiful, if possible." For the plastic surgeons, times have never been better.
Doctors estimate that four to five million Americans will undergo some form of cosmetic surgery this year. That number has jumped more than a 150 percent in just six years and experts predict it will climb much faster in the future. The most popular procedures last year? Liposuction to remove fat, followed by breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, face lift and chemical peel to rejuvenate the skin on the face.
The average cost?
* Liposuction runs about $1,872 for the tummy or for the thighs – about $3,817 if the doctor uses ultrasound.
* Breast augmentation runs about $3,077.
* Eyelids cost $2,942 for both upper and lower lids.
* A face lift costs $4,991.
* A chemical peel runs $1,353.
Clearly, the strong economy drives much of the demand. But, experts say a big factor is the amazing transformation of celebrities - like Cher - before our eyes. "We're living in an age where appearance is everything," said Dr. Vevidner Mangat of the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery in Cincinnati.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The Alternative Medicine Bandwagon
~Notice Marcia Angell is quoted. . .Why is it anything that she thinks is a bad idea, I immediately think is a great one???
OVER 83 million Americans embrace alternative medicine - the majority women. More are embracing it every day. Why? A big reason is control over your own health care. Pamala Wilson, a real estate manager, said she got no relief from regular doctors for fatigue and sore joints. "As a woman, I want to feel like I'm getting the best care, that I'm getting to the heart of what's wrong and that I want to deal with it," she said.
At Integrative Health Care in Minneapolis, she first got something called a biological terrain assessment of urine, saliva and blood to look for food allergies. She also took infrared saunas, which claim to boost the immune system. And she spent time in a flotation rest tank - described as a treatment for blood pressure, muscle, nerve and hormone problems. In two years, treatments and herbs cost her $6,000. She says it worked for her."I've seen the results. I feel so much better," she said.
MEDICAL EXPERTS SKEPTICAL
But that doesn't mean it's been proven scientifically or that it will work for others - at least not according to medical experts. "I think it's an indication of how poor our science education is, that we're so gullible about these wildly implausible methods," said Marcia Angell, editor-in-chief of The New England Journal of Medicine. However implausible, more and more establishment medical centers are offering alternative treatments in order to stay alive in the competitive health marketplace.
Linda Wertheim, a breast cancer patient at New York Presbyterian Hospital, undergoes reflexology on her feet because her doctors suggested it to help her relax before surgery. "They made me realize I could take control of what was coming ahead," she said. There are about 80 categories of alternative medicine, from herbs to magnets to reflexology. Almost none of them are proven by the conventional techniques of science and medicine.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Rubus idaeus
MEDICINAL: Red Raspberry is one of the most proven female herbs. It strengthens the uterine wall during preganancy, reduces the pain of childbirth, and helps to reduce false labor pains. After childbirth it is used to decrease uterine swelling and cut down on post-partum bleeding. It is used to ease menstrual cramps and to regulate the flow during menstruation. It is also good for vomiting in small children, and dysentery and diarrhea in infants.
RELIGIOUS:
Raspberry is served as a love-inducing food. The brambles are hung at the entrance to the home to prevent unwanted spirits from entering.GROWING:
Red Raspberry is a biennial or perennial, depending on the variety, growing 3 - 6 feet tall. They need a cold winter and a long cool spring, so they do not do well in the South. They aren't too picky about soil, so long as they get plenty of water.~*~*~*~*~*~
ALTERNATIVE HEALTH NEWS
http://www.herbs.com/newdisplay.cgi?page=./HL/19990702-1.html&cart_id=146041615986
Herbs Reported to be Effective against Cancer, Conference WASHINGTON, June 18, U.S. Newswire -- The Center for Mind-Body Medicine recently concluded "Comprehensive Cancer Care II: Integrating Complementary and Alternative Therapies," its second national conference.
More than 900 oncologists, physicians from other specialties, researchers, nurses, caregivers, people with cancer and cancer survivors met from June 11-13 in Arlington, Va., and heard 130 presenters discuss the latest developments in the treatment of cancer. Dr. James Gordon, director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and a leading authority on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) said, "The future of the field of cancer care is in the integration of conventional treatment with new complementary therapies that are working.
Patients are using many different treatments in combination, some traditional and recommended by their doctors and some not. The medical community is beginning to acknowledge this reality and wants to understand its many dimensions. They want to know what works and how a truly integrated and effective program can be developed for each patient." The conference, co-sponsored by both the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), is unique in that it presents the newest (and sometimes controversial) alternative and complementary therapies for evaluation by mainstream oncologists and researchers. Approaches that look most promising are widely disseminated and some may attract interest in funding for further research. As just one example, a clinical trial testing the work of Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, whose regimen of highly individualized dietary changes, pancreatic enzymes and detoxification have significantly prolonged the lives of people with pancreatic cancer, was supported by a grant of 1.4 million from NCI after they first were presented his work at the first Comprehensive Cancer Care conference.
Other important points made at the conference:
Herbal therapies developed by Sophie Chen, Ph.D., and Alexander Sun, M.D., have demonstrated significant effects in the treatment of prostate and lung cancer. New models for helping patients and clinicians design individualized programs for integrative care were presented. U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and U.S. Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) both expressed renewed commitment to increasing funding for the investigation of CAM therapies.
Representatives of Comprehensive Cancer Centers around the country agreed to meet on an ongoing basis to share information on the establishment and integration of CAM programs. Keith Block, M.D., and others presented promising data from the most developed programs of integrative care. Cancer patients everywhere are demanding more information about treatments that will prolong and improve their lives. Many of those treatments are outside the traditional medical mainstream. This annual conference will continue to be the prime national forum for presenting and initially reviewing these new treatments and developing plans to integrate their use.
~*~*~*~*~*~
ABSTRACT
A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for 2,4-toluenediamine leached from polyurethane foam-covered breast implants.
AUTHORS: Luu HM; Hutter JC; Bushar HF
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Center For Devices and Radiological Health,ood and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
SOURCE: Environ Health Perspect; VOL 106, ISS 7, 1998, P393-400 P hysiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling was used to assess the low-dose exposure of patients to the carcinogen 2, 4-toluenediamine (2,4-TDA) released from the degradation of the polyester urethane foam (PU) used in Meme silicone breast implants. The tissues are represented as five compartments: liver, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, slowly perfused tissues (e.g., fat), and richly perfused tissues (e.g., muscle). The PBPK model was fitted to the plasma and urine concentrations of 2,4-TDA and its metabolite 4-AAT (4-N-acetyl-2-amino toluene) in rats given low doses of 2, 4-TDA intravenously and subcutaneously.
The rat model was extrapolated to simulate oral and implant routes in rats. After adjusting for human physiological parameters, the model was then used to predict the bioavailability of 2,4-TDA released from a typical 4.87-g polyester urethane foam implant found in a patient who weighed 58 kg with the Meme and had the breast implant for 10 years. A quantitative risk assessment for 2,4-TDA was performed and the polyester urethane foam did present an unreasonable risk to health for the patient.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE DOCUMENT OF THE DAY
Document #34
01/00/56
TESTING KNOWLEDGE OF LIQUID SILICONE DANGERS GEL MIGRATION
Dow Corning Report No. 1377 on "The Physiological Assimilation Of DC 200 Fluid" by M.B. Chenoweth (Dow Chemical), R. Holmes and F. Stark. A copy was distributed to Collings, Bass, Kauppi, Hunter, Hutchison, Hyde, Blackburn, Bennett, McHard, CRI, and others including Beamer of Dow Chemical. "An increasing use of siloxanes for medicinal applications has resulted in the need for information on their biological activity. Previous experiments of The Dow Chemical Company Biochemical Department has shown that many of these compounds were toxicologically inert. It was the purpose of this experiment to determine to what extent the polydimethylsiloxanes were assimilated, and if so were they were metabolized." (I 169). C14 labeled PDMS in antifoam emulsion was administered to 2 albino rats and 2 lactating dogs. "The preoperative care, administering of the labeled fluid, sacrificing and dissecting of the animals was carried on by Dr. M.B. Chenoweth of The Dow Chemical Biochemistry Department. Samples of tissue were analyzed with the cooperation of Dow's Radiochemistry Laboratory." (I 171).
With intramuscular injection, the C14 siloxane was found in the intestines, right adrenal, skin and hair, heart, skull bone, brain, kidney, urine, liver, muscle, lung, renal fat, blood and spleen. (I 172). Rats fed with the material had siloxane in the ileum, stomach and content, bladder and urine and kidney. (I 174). "The actual amount present may be greater by a factor of 3 corresponding to total polydimethylsiloxane from Dow Corning 200 Fluid and from gum. It is unlikely that the polydimethylsiloxane in the gum would be more readily assimilated than the lower molecular weight 200 Fluid." (I 174). A lactating dog fed with the material has siloxane in the skin and hair, brain, bile,, liver, kidney, heart, milk, urine, skeletal muscle, lung, adrenal, and blood. (I 175).
A second lactating dog also had siloxane in the bile, skin and hair, adrenal, urine, spleen, lung, heart, liver, thyroid, pancreas, blood from lung, skeletal muscle, and milk. (I 175). "The studies conducted along these lines (C14 labeled fluid) to date have shown that these compounds are absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tracts to a slight extent, the amount absorbed being of the order of .0001%. Toxicological studies have shown these compounds to be inert." (I 175). There is a cite to the lab notebooks for the studies. On 259803. CITE: KMM 259794 - 259803, Exhibit to Harris County LeVier Deposition, Exhibit to Tyler Deposition, Exhibit 20 to Harris County Zahalsky Deposition.
DUPLICATE:
I 167 - 176.
Dow Corning Trial Exhibit List Abstracts
PENDLETON/PSC Attorney Work Product/Privileged & Confidential
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE THERE'S FIRE ~ On The Net
The following websites have the "Where There's Smoke There's Fire" documents:
http://implants.clic.net/tony/Smoke/index.html
http://www.homestead.com/siliconecity/index.html
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
FOR AOL MEMBERS OR OTHERS, WORKING WITH ON-LINE SERVICES NOT EASILY ACCOMMODATING THE FORMAT OF THESE NEWSLETTERS, YOU MAY ACCESS THEM FROM THE CANADIAN CONNECTION WEBSITE AT THE HYPERLINK BELOW. TONY & MICHELINE LAMBERT HAVE GRACIOUSLY ARCHIVED THEM FOR US.
http://implants.clic.net/tony/Myrl/index.html
~*~*~*~*~*~
HUMOR
This humor has been provided by Toni. . .Thank you Toni for sending our way.
This holiday season, here are some things to do @ Wal-Mart while your spouse or significant other is taking his/her sweet time:
1. Get boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they're not looking.
2. Set all the alarm clocks to go off at ten-minute intervals throughout the day.
3. Make a trail of orange juice on the floor, leading to the restrooms.
4. Walk up to an employee and tell him/her in an official tone, "I think we've got a Code 3 in housewares," and see what happens.
5. Tune all the radios to a polka station; then turn them all off and turn the volumes to "10."
6. Challenge other customers to duels with tubes of gift wrap.
7. Put a bag of M&M's on layaway.
8. Move "Caution: Wet Floor" signs to carpeted areas.
9. Set up a tent in the camping department; tell others you'll only invite them in if they bring pillows from Bed and Bath.
10. When someone asks if you need help, begin to cry and ask, "Why won't you people just leave me alone?"
11. Look right into the security camera and use it as a mirror while you pick your nose.
12. Take up an entire aisle in Toys by setting up a full-scale battlefield with Pokemon vs. the X-Men.
13. Ask other customers if they have any Grey Poupon.
14. While handling guns in the hunting department, suddenly ask the clerk if he/she knows where the anti-depressants are.
15. Switch the men's and women's signs on the doors of the restrooms.
16. Dart around suspiciously while humming the theme from "Mission Impossible."
17. Set up a "Valet Parking" sign in front of the store.
18. In the auto department, practice your "Madonna" look with various funnels.
19. Hide in the clothing racks and when people browse through, say things like "pick me! pick me!!"
20. When an announcement comes over the loudspeaker, wail "It's those voices again!"
21. If the store has a food court, buy a soft drink; explain that you don't get out much, and ask if they can put a little umbrella in it.
22. Go into the dressing room and yell real loud, "Hey, we're out of toilet paper in here!"