Janice... My heart really goes out to you having that miserable doc tell you your symptoms were "psychosomatic." I get knots in my stomach whenever I hear of a medical "professional" sticking that label on someone. In fact, prior to getting my PD diagnosis, I was told by a coupla doctors the vague symptoms I had experienced for 7 years were "in my head." Uhhhh.... well in a way, that was a correct diagnosis, considering where PD originates from, but DAMN, it hurts to be called a hypochondriac when you KNOW you've got something wrong going on inside you - something that's scary and ya can't hang a name on it. Listen, m'dear... if you're already taking vitamin E and calcium, might I suggest sitting down with a big bowl of ice cream and leisurely spooning it into your mouth, bite by bite by bite? Mmmmmmm, YUMMY! HEY.... it ain't no cure for what ails ya, but it's a WONDERFUL distraction. <LOL> Your choice of flavors, of course.... <smiling> Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Janice Morgan <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Tuesday, June 22, 1999 6:01 PM Subject: Re: Bionic Barb >Miss Barb, > Thank you, I do take vitamin 1200 I U and I also take 2000 mgs of >Calcium aday. Just when I have been very active and play very hard I get the >leg cramps at night. I am also trying to get my meds right. I went to a new >Doc and she took me off Sinemet and Parlodel and put me on Requip that made >me very sick. When I went back to see her she told me that I was >psychosomatic and to a psychologist that I did not have PD. Then I started >to leave and she said then again I just might have it to come and see her in >six months. She would not give me any meds. So I went to see a psychologist >and he said that I was not psychosomatic. So I am back on Sinemet two times >aday 25/100 until I see my Doc at Kaiser in July. I feel much better on it >that off. Who would want this dumb pd any way not me for sure. I do not >planed to go back and see her again. She was a movement disorder Doc. >Janice 51 almost 52/50/46 > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Barb_MSN <[log in to unmask]> >To: <[log in to unmask]> >Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 1999 12:28 PM >Subject: Re: Bionic Barb > > >> Thanks Janice! And say, ya might wanna try taking approx.. 800 >> to 1200 ICUs of vitamin E daily to rid yourself of those nasty leg >> cramps If you go ahead and take the vitamin E, you should have >> pretty speedy positive results. >> >> I've also had positive results from taking calcium (in a coupla >> daily "TUMS" tablets), but prefer the vitamin E as my mouth tastes >> awful after the TUMS. >> >> So there ya are - getting not one, but two suggestions on how to >> rid yourself of them darn leg cramps! >> >> Barb Mallut (former member of the "Killer Leg Cramp Club") >> [log in to unmask] >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Janice Morgan <[log in to unmask]> >> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> >> Date: Tuesday, June 22, 1999 7:40 AM >> Subject: Re: Bionic Barb >> >> >> >Hi Barb, >> > I woke up last night because I had bad leg cramps, I though >> I heard >> >some one yell YEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! I am very glad to hear it was >> you and >> >that your voice is back. Love Janice >> >----- Original Message ----- >> >From: Barb_MSN <[log in to unmask]> >> >To: <[log in to unmask]> >> >Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 1999 12:14 AM >> >Subject: Bionic Barb >> > >> > >> >> Dear List-family.... >> >> >> >> YYYYYEEEEEHHHHAAAAAWWW!!! <---Barb, yelling LOUDLY in >> excitement> >> >> >> >> As of tonite, I have my REAL voice back! Back, and LOUD, if >> >> that's how I wanna speak! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!! >> >> >> >> UCLA's Dr. Gerald Burke injected collagen into both vocal cords >> >> this afternoon, and now at 11:45 p.m., my "normal' speaking >> voice >> >> has returned!!!!!! Well, "returned" for >> >> 3 to 6 months, anyway.... till the collagen's absorbed by my >> body. >> >> >> >> But HEY - guess what? Next time my "normal" voice starts >> fading >> >> away to a breathy whisper I'll have not one option, but TWO. >> >> Yup folks... TWO, as in 1-collagen injections lasting 3 to 6 >> >> months, or, 2- a long-term ("long-term," as in as long as the >> PD >> >> stays slow moving as it's been for almost 25 years) tiny, >> >> man-made, hammer-shaped thingee implanted into my vocal cords >> via >> >> the passage thru the thyroid capsule (inserted right THRU the >> >> capsule AROUND and/or past the thyroid). >> >> >> >> The tiny "thingee (has a long medical name which I can't >> recall, >> >> but I'll get it from Dr, Burke tomorrow and List-post it) >> >> procedure accomplished in a 1/2 hour operation in the doctor's >> >> office and has been performed on folks with vocal cord problems >> >> for about 10 years or more, according to Dr, Burke and also by >> >> many other neck and throat specialists all over the world. >> >> >> >> Only recently has this type of surgery been done on Parkies, >> and >> >> WHICH Parkie gets it is decided by their own neck and throat >> >> specialist/surgeon, based upon their PD being rather slow >> moving >> >> (as in slowly degenerating rather than swiftly moving). I'm >> not >> >> too sure what constitutes "slowly moving" to the DOCTOR, but to >> ME >> >> that means the vocal cords are stable enough to permit the >> "tiny >> >> thingee" to remain implanted for at LEAST a year or longer >> before >> >> needing to be replaced by a new one cut to fit the changing >> vocal >> >> cords. >> >> >> >> Since I won't be a candidate for this procedure till the >> collagen >> >> which I got today is absorbed by my body (3 to 6 months), >> >> obviously I cannot share more about this surgery till I've had >> it. >> >> But since it's apparently so well known by neck and throat >> >> specialists, if you'd like to know more about it (like cost - >> >> Medicare covers it, by the way), I suggest ya call the nearest >> >> teaching hospital/university and ask for their neck and throat >> >> clinic... They 'll no doubt be able to fill ya in on this >> >> relatively minor operation. >> >> >> >> OH.... and ya might hear some MD's saying this surgery ISN'T >> for >> >> PWP's, but Dr. Burke SWEARS it CAN be successful when performed >> on >> >> a Parkie, provided the doctor makes sure BEFORE the operation >> that >> >> the patient's PD is indeed slowly to degenerate. >> >> >> >> (NON-proofed for errors or typos) >> >> >> >> Barb Mallut (written in haste, 'cause I'm awfully tired now) >> >> [log in to unmask] >> >> >> > >> >