From: CTRVAX::NEWBROJR 5-JAN-1994 12:25:35.97
To: IN%"[log in to unmask]"
CC: NEWBROJR
Subj: RE: pd research
I grew up on a farm in Idaho in the 40s when we were spraying with pesticides
and 2,4D and all that stuff. I had it all over me in the course of riding
the tractor and having the wind blow it on me, etc. I thought of all that
as I read that report in the paper as well. I smoked some in high school and
continued that for 15 years, not heavily addicted, happily.
I think, Mary, that your observation is a good one; we each have
different thresholds for reactivity to things. And I tend to think that its
like allergies, the threshold varies according to exposure.
I had been more concerned with the presence of heavy metals, since
I have been close to studies done at Oak Ridge downstream from the National
Laboratory where a number of people had developed very serious neurological
problems. They implicate mercury. As a child, I had a little vial of liquid
mercury that I took out, played with and had direct contact with my fingers.
When I had the hair analysis done, Dr. Erdman looked for mercury and found
elevated levels. He strongly suggested getting the mercury fillings out of
my teeth; which I have subsequently done. He has some spectacular success with
neurological problems in patients in Sweden where the mercury fillings have
been implicated, taken out, and they have dramatically improved.ddddd
Apparently the body seeks to remove this stuff all the time, so present
levels indicate mainly what has been current exposure. Consumers Reports last
year in their report on water for drinking indicated that a lot of water
sources have heavy metals. I have been using an NSA water filter on my
faucet and am considering getting something more fancy, like the Culligan
reverse osmosis system. Right now, we are drinking distilled water.
I tend to think that for us who have pd, we should be trying to get
these things out of our system and try to keep the levels low. Although the
disease is overall progressive, it seems to me that we can try to find things
that make the biology function better even within the limits we have.
Bob Newbrough
