911-Insurance Companies Deny Coverage of Vital Medical Care;

Patients Running Out of Time

Healthcare has reached crisis proportions in this country and the American public is at risk. You may know somebody whose health insurance refuses to pay for needed medical treatment even though that person thought he/she would be covered.

Contrary to what some believe, this is not only happening in systems like Medicare and Medicaid, but shockingly with private insurance plans too! Some of these plans are not inexpensive, and if you think that paying a higher premiom protects you any better then think again! You are being lied to.

I came across this information while I have been persuing my own appeal of a drug called Benicar used off-label to treat my Sarcoidosis. This is a drug usually used (and FDA approved for high blood pressure) but when used along with several longterm antibiotics in a cutting edge protocol it helps eradicate the bacteria that fuel Sarcoidosis and some other autoimmune diseases.

Because the drug isn't specifically FDA approved for Sarcoidosis and at this higher dosage, Medicare Part D refused to cover it and sent me a letter telling me that I could only receive toxic and very dangerous anti-cancer drugs or TNF-Alpha Blockers (also called "Biologic Medicines"; drugs like Remicade or Enbrel). I have researched all this in great detail and I also have read the raw data which reveals that some of the "approved" drugs' clinical trials contained so many adverse reactions (including deaths) that they had to be called off early, and Remicade now carries a black box warning; the most severe warning issued by the FDA. There is quite a bit of evidence that the biologic medications and in some cases also the anti-cancer drugs shorten one's life expectancy even more so than the diseases they are approved to treat. I do not want that for myself, nor should the FDA be OK with that for anyone. Benicar is much safer, and is for many people more effective.

I am on appeal stage 3 after months of stonewalling, denials, delays, and other tactics used by Medicare's default company, United Healthcare (note that even when you don't choose a company Medicare now forces you to go through a private health insurance company for Part D drug coverage).

Interestingly, when my medications were covered by Medicaid for the previous 6 years I had no trouble obtaining the medications my doctor prescribed for my disease. These medications prevented me from dying at a time when I was quickly headed that way.

Now, months and several appeals and phone calls later my disease has taken a turn for the worse. I knew it was only a matter of time and I have been trying to tell Medicare/United Healthcare that they must reverse their position before my health began to decline. They chose not to listen. Over the past several weeks I knew something wasn't right. My pain level has become worse and more frequent, the fatigue has increased, I began to lose my apetite slowly and to lose weight again, and then I began having more and more trouble getting air into my lungs. At first this was just every once in awhile and I thought it might pass, but as time went on the episodes lasted longer and happened more often.

I began waking up at night choking and gasping, and for the past two or three weeks have had to sleep with my head propped on several pillows in order to sleep long enough without interruption. Even that is becoming less reliable.

Recently I have been feeling an odd sensation in my lungs as if I have breathed in powder that I can't clear. Sometimes I cough and sometimes congestion comes up and at other times it's just a dry cough.

During the past 2 weeks I get sharp pain in my lungs on the sides, front, and back that is sometimes piercing, and sometimes I have a dull general ache in the whole lung from top to bottom. This is worse with even a small amount of exertion now such as walking to my mailbox, and taking a trip to the post office is agonizing.

My stage 3 appeal papers are supposed to be coming in the mail from California where the most recent arm of Medicare (Maximus) is located, and once I fill those out and send those back I should receive a decision at that level. If the answer is again "no" then I will have to take the matter before an Administrative Law Judge. A representative from United Healthcare (one of the nicer ones) told me on the phone the other day that she would not hold out much hope that this appeal (either stage) would be successful. Be that as it may I can't just lie down and die when maybe it can be prevented if caught in enough time. What other option do I have but to appeal it as far as I can?

I've written Barack Obama, the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS), called and written numerous advocacy agencies and attornies, and also tried to have my doctor help, but he is getting frustrated and is getting to the point that he doesn't want to bother anymore appealing it on my behalf.

One night I decided to look and see what other people were experiencing and to look into just how commonly people are not getting what they need medically due to insurance rationing practices of various kinds.

YouTube is a goldmine for real stories about real people and I located quite a number of cases in which people were being denied all kinds of medical care because of the greed and lack of compassion of an insurance company.

Not only did I find video journals documenting first-hand accounts by patients, but I also found some video confessions of those who used to work for entities guilty of such inhumane practices. These are only a few of the many that are out there and the numbers continue to grow.

Insurance Insiders Speak The Truth:
Death By HMO C Edwards http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3so7EdKpCY

Linda Pino Confession http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKVLV9bR1bo&feature=related

Linda Pino on Heathcare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz7n8JtAhJo&feature=related

Linda Peeno, MD- SiCKO: What Has Happened to Health Care?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqSshZZMHGA&feature=related

This one is particularly insightful about how the job made her desensitized over time and illustrates the ways in which doctors start to rationalize delivering sub-standard testing, diagnosis, and treatment:
Project Sin Alma: Linda Peeno on Denial of Care http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-5S2rZ_eYc
Inside the Insurance Industry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5101qEtPDSA&NR=1

People Denied Care:
Dropped Coverage (Breast Cancer) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd5ApRsvRUM

Terminal Health Insurance (Breast Cancer) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gYTZakdG4k

Faces of Health Care Reform: Lisa (Hydrcephalis) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oxScKmfr38&NR=1

Why must we suffer to survive--doubting lyme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F_6W9IFO0E&feature=related

Isabella fight against UnitedHealthCare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmAfYq3uDu8&NR=1&feature=fvwp

United Healthcare Oxford Medicare Advantage Denies Coverage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8erunWFyT4

Medicare Patients Being Turned Away
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGTqqQkMIDU&feature=related

CUNA credit disability insurance - $6 MM penalty for bad faith claim denials http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUzAlGPweB8

In closing I just want to say that this is exactly why the Public Option is so needed and why the private insurance companies need regulation to keep them from allowing patients to die. I am going to say something that to some may sound extreme, but I think it's appropriate under the circumstances we are faced with. The current system of healthcare is socially accepted genocide. Human beings are supposed to be more evolved than to allow Social Darwinism to rule what should be compassionate decision-making and we have the higher brain ability to rise above the baser instincts and to make the conscious decision to take care of our own because it's the right thing to do.

If you are a patient who is sick, or you know somebody who is, please flood the White House with letters and ask him to stand strong on his promise. The current way is not working, neither in private healthcare nor in Medicare and Medicaid, and a "healthcare Co-op" will not assure a level playing field for the sickest or the poorest Americans. The address is as follows;

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

You can also call: 1-202-456-1111
or fax your comments: 1-202-456-2461

To you doctors out there reading this; please stay strong in fighting the real enemy; the flawed healthcare system, not the patient. Having to jump through these hoops while we are ill is more than we can do alone. Your advocacy is needed in the battle which lies ahead. Human lives depend on your not giving into the pressure to ration or disconnect placed on you by the profit machine. Remember that each of us one day will encounter something sooner or later from which we may not bounce back, and that the system we start to create today is the same one we will have to live in tomorrow. Be a part of the solution. Refuse to become part of the problem. Medical decisions should be based on need rather than on cost. Patients and doctors must insist on this and refuse to compromise that principle.

Vote for Carmella in a Pet Photo Contest

Pets Jubilee is sponsoring a Pet Photo Contest with the theme Beat The Heat!

Starting August 16, 2009 midnight EST through August 23, 2009 at noon EST you can each vote once a day for your favorite animal!

Click on the comments link under the pet's picture and post a comment.
(Carmella is Contestant # 15)
http://petsjubilee-furbabies.blogspot.com/

Type in the "word verification".

Click Google (Blogger), Open Id, Name/URL or Anonymous and enter your information.

IF YOU CHOOSE ANONYMOUS, YOU MUST "SIGN" YOUR COMMENT WITH SOME ID NAME in order for your vote to count. You can use your Etsy, Artfire, or AOL name.

The winner will receive a free PetsJubilee sampler box which includes all kinds of pet-related goodies. Carmella is always up for more great stuff to chew!

Also, the winning pet will send a photo to be the team store avatar for the month of September.

The winner's Etsy store will be featured; a link with a write-up on the PetsJubilee street team blog.

Dr. Peter Muller Does Another Good Deed!

The other day I was watching the news (11 Alive) in Atlanta, and just happened to catch a segment about Dr. Muller. To those of you just tuning in to my blog; he is the vet who treated Carmella in the central nervous system to cure her of distemper, and he has since cured other dogs.

In this news segment it talks about a woman who was on her vacation and accidentally hit a dog with her car. The dog was so badly injured that it would have cost more than she could afford to pay to have the damage to his legs repaired. She called in to a local radio station very upset and not knowing what to do, and somehow Dr. Muller found out what was happening and volunteered to go pick up the dog in his airplane, take him from North Carolina to Atlanta, and treat him. His practice, Briarcliff Animal Clinic has a small foundation to help indigent animals in need, and he spoke on television about the injured dog's case and a little about the work that the foundation does.

You can read the full story here; http://www.11alive.com/life/pets/story.aspx?storyid=132599&catid=79#one

Please share this with your vets and maybe Dr. Muller's level of altruism will spread throughout the field. At a time when many are hesitating to go the extra mile because of the economy or due to a growing sense of cynicism in society in general it is nice to know that this kind of dedication and kindness endures.

Distemper Season Is Upon Us

Yes, the wolf is at the door, and our work is cut out for us with all the cases coming in from California and Texas especially. As the heat rises so do the number of distemper cases around the world.

Despite the frustration of young puppies from whom we cannot obtain serum and those folks who follow a feedback loop of denial and procrastination, there have been some successes recently.

A tiny black and white Chihuahua named Inky recently received NDV in both body and CNS, traveling from Texas to Atlanta. Here he is before treatment; very undersized and underweight, almost looking like a newborn

and here he is 2-3 weeks after treatment!

He has doubled in size and in weight, and looking much more mature. The change is really amazing!

In the course of the past few weeks another vet has emerged (possibly 2 from the same practice
who are willing to treat dogs with Dr. Sears' protocol in both body and CNS) out of California. This will potentially help many dogs this summer and beyond.

A donor dog is badly needed in New York right now, so if you would, please ask around and give anyone you know there who has a vet and a dog the link to the Facebook group. Vets still seem to be very hesitant to try making the serum, but we need for somebody to start stepping up to the plate because puppies 12 weeks and under are unlikely to respond to NDV and their only hope in most cases is serum made from another dog.

It is tragic to see puppies out of luck because nobody will follow this simple process (which is outlined on my blog in a former post, on Facebook, and on Ed Bond's regular website). This really is not that much more risky than donating blood. The only difference is that the donor dog is under anesthesia because the amount of blood taken is larger than what would be taken from a leg vein. As long as the vet uses proper precautions there should be no complications and the donor dog will wake up and resume its normal activities shortly thereafter.

If you live in New York and have a large mixed-breed dog this is a wonderful way to help other dogs whose lives depend on your generosity. You and your vet will be providing a great service to puppies in need. You will truly be giving the gift of life.

To those of you who think or know your dog has distemper please don't delay in getting your dog tested and treated. Contact me on Facebook or leave a message on this blog. If you are having trouble financially paying your dog's veterinary expenses there are options available. Don't assume it is out of your reach. A thread on Save Dogs from Canine Distemper Facebook cause has a list of financial resources. Although it may be somewhat of an inconvenience to incur some debt or to contact a bunch on non-profit agencies, your dog deserves the help he/she needs just as you or your child does when you have a medical problem.

Distemper is a serious illness and so now is not the time to skimp on the necessary tests and treatment. If your vet's fees are astronomical and you cannot find any way to afford them even after exhausting all of the options on the list (including Care Credit) you might seriously consider looking for another vet whose fees are more reasonable and who takes more forms of payment. Don't just call 2 or 3. Finding a vet who will work with you financially and offer your dog the care it needs may require running through several lists of vets. The ones who cannot help you may have other vets they know which they can recommend. Take notes and don't be afraid to ask everyone you know for referrals. If you go to pet stores to buy food and other pet products that is another good place to talk to people who might have possible leads. Ask your co-workers, your friends, shelters, even at your kids' sports games. The key is to network wherever you can. Lots of people own dogs and cats, so the answer could be just under your nose.

Today the sun was shining again so I took lots of cute pictures of Carmella in the back yard. The Ivermectin has really gotten rid of the last of her mange and the dark pigmentation on her flanks is even beginning to fade now! I was beginning to worry that she would have permanently visible black blotches showing through her fur, but that too is healing.

She has a new stamina and vigor she never had before. It has not even been a full year since her treatment in the Central Nervous System and I can really tell that her immune system is finally returning to normal!

Now she seems to be doing wonderfully on just fish oil. I did not know whether or not the opportunistic bacterial infections would return after I stopped the Pet Tabs but they have as of yet stayed away.

Today Carmella was able to be outside for several hours chasing sticks and lying in the sun.

Her coat is gorgeous right now.

I think she's probably ready now to have photos submitted for dog food endorsements.

It seems that I can see a different breed in her from just about every perspective!
Above, her profile looks like an American Foxhound.

But in this picture she looks very much like a German Shepherd. Some of the other photos look alot more Dingo-like, Basenji-like, Husky or Malamute-like. She has come a long way from the day I brought her home; a small, frail puppy who wasn't expected to live through the weekend.

Spreading The Word To More Vets That Distemper Is Cureable

A series of informational pamphlets are in the works to reach more vets and owners about the hope that exists for dogs with Distemper and how they can be proactive in the diagnosis, treatment, and the aftercare of their pets.

These pamphlets can be printed on just about any computer and/or a xerox machine and the advantage is that any number of people in any country will be able to access them, print them, and distribute them at the touch of a button.

It will be important for informational materials to be as user-friendly as possible so that vets and owners will feel comfortable using Dr. Sears' treatment.

Oftentimes people are overwhelmed by the mass of reading material written in small print with long paragraphs and no pictures, and at a time when their dog is in crisis wading through such long documents might seem insurmountable.

Thanks to everyone who provided pictures of their dogs for the pupose of creating this material, we now have a growing database of pictures of not only those who have died of the disease,

but those who are successfully cured with the use of NDV.

Pictures are worth a thousand words and these dogs speak for themselves!

Concise pamphlets presented in an easy-to-understand format are now being created for distribution and we will need all the volunteers we can get to take these over to vets' offices. Please contact me if you are interested in helping with this task once these are written and laid out.

It will be increasingly important as more dog owners hear about this cure to locate more vets spread out around the country and beyond who will be willing to perform the CSF procedure for dogs with ODE (Old Dog Encephalitis). As this phase can be extremely debilitating, involving the brain and spinal cord and progressive demyelination, this part of the treatment is vitally important to the dog's survival and quality of life.

Tragically, there are still many dogs for whom this half of the treatment is out of reach because they don't live near a vet who is proficient in spinal taps. Not all vets learn this skill in veterinary school as not all achools require it in order to become licensed for general practice. Carmella's regular vet only saw it demonstrated in his curriculum but never had any hands-on experience.

I cannot stress enough how important it is once the disease is diagnosed to move ahead expeditiously. Distemper, especially after it shifts to the central nervous system can be brutal and unforgiving and its damage can be irreversible even after the virus has been killed if not treated before significant neurological impairment sets in.

A good rule of thumb once you confirm your dog has the disease is to treat it as though you're best friend, wife, husband or child were bleeding to death. Yes, it is really that urgent.

Don't be lulled into a false sense of security if one day your dog seems to be slightly more playful, or appears to be in a holding pattern. He or she might not be showing any neuro symptoms today, but tonight at 9:00 pm when no vet is available, at 2 in the morning, or 12 noon, things could suddenly change for the worse and then it becomes not merely a day-by-day thing but minute-to-minute.

This is the message that we need to convey. Dogs can be saved and miraculous recoveries can happen, but this is not a disease in which to wait and see the symptoms is appropriate.

Earlier I looked on Google to see what other sources were writing about Distemper testing and was disappointed to see that the Brush Border Smear was conspicuously absent from the mainstream literature readily available online other than the two groups currently supporting Dr. Sears' methods.

Much time is wasted, as many are tested with one antibody test or other types of smears after another, taking too long before receiving the results and too often render false-negatives. Many vets hold off on treatment until they see a smoking gun (which with most of the other tests may or may not ever happen, and by the time the diagnosis is confirmed that way tissue, organ, or brain damage may already have occurred).

One of my goals is to have the process for this test widely and readily available to all vets. I recently heard a dog owner say that their vet had never even heard of the test. That has to change if we are to get an effective program put in place promoting early detection and treatment.

The most reliable test to confirm distemper is a Brush Border Smear.

It’s very fast, very cheap, and very accurate for DX of Distemper.This test can all be done inside the VET Clinic with no problems and also poses no danger to anyone in the clinic or out. It is a very safe technique. Call your VET to see if they can do this procedure, and if not, ask the VET if they know of anyone in the medical field who can do it, hit the web or phone books and locate someone who can do this for you.

1) Use a urinary catheter, empty the bladder, flush with saline, and collect some of the last saline.

2) Spin down the saline and remove the cells.

3) Prepare a slide with the bladder transitional epithelium of the inside lining from the bladder and dry stain with diff-quick. This is a very common stain used by most medics or lab people who use medical microscopy.

4) These cells ALWAYS have inclusions. So easy to collect, easy to stain (quick dip), and instantly diagnoses, showing inclusions in these cells which will stain a beautiful carmine red color in the cytoplasm of infected cells and para nuclear.

5) About 90% of the bladder cells will be positive for inclusions in the early stages of Distemper.

These inclusions will NOT be present in long-term distemper cases.

6) If negative, then your dog either has Kennel Cough, Respiratory Herpes, or Toxoplasmosis.

***Note that once dogs develop neuro symptoms inclusions may not always be found in the Brush Border Smear, so in that instance one cannot rule out Distemper.***

In some cases not even a spinal tap analysis may detect the virus and can only be confirmed by brain biopsy (which is not very feasible in a live dog).

When tests are inconclusive and clinical symptoms warrant, it is safer to assume the dog has it and treat, than to be sorry by waiting too late.

Other Tests:

Rarely, inclusions can be seen in the red cells.

I have never seen inclusions in the conjunctiva.

An IFA test of the conjunctiva to test for inclusions is available. I have no experience with this test.

Important:

It is best to initiate all the tests and then give SERUM or NDV immediately.

Don’t wait for test results to come back. Time is of the essence. Wait for the test results AFTER treating.

If wrong, your dog will suffer no adverse reactions.

If right, you are ahead of the game; stopping the Distemper virus before it does significant and possibly irreversible damage.

(A.W. Sears DVM)
For further clarification please contact AntiDistemper@aol.com

People need to be as urgent and insistant about this as they are for the cure for Breast Cancer. If you think this is only important and relevant for dog owners think again! Dr. Sears has said, and many other researchers throughout the world agree, that much of the same biochemistry inherent in canine distemper and in its treatment provides the building blocks for MS in humans.

If saving dogs doesn't particulary linterest you get involved for the benefit of people you love who have or might develop MS disease in the future!

The veterinary profession and the human health profession run paralell and so the key to your dog's health may someday be instrumental to your own.

On To New Frontiers! More Donor Dogs Needed

The Facebook Group (and the entire Distemper Cure community) continues to grow. New vets are beginning to take interest, we have a good bit of data now, and it seems that the need for serum is becoming ever more apparent after the loss of two puppies under 12 weeks of age.

Unable to obtain the life-saving serum which was the first-line substance for treating puppies in the body this young, the owner, with the proper veterinary approval, had to go to plan B and give them NDV in an effort to save them because time was running out. All this was done strictly by the book.

Although the serum might have bought the two pups the time it would take to travel to Atlanta for the CSF procedure, and the owner was willing to pay for it, it did not arrive, one died, and then the other; another example of just how quickly Distemper can strike a dog down and how little time there is to waste.

In times such as these even one day's delay can mean death. The owner did the best she could, and followed all of Dr. Sears' instructions, but this was out of her, (even out of his) control.

Now we are mobilizing our forces to solve this problem of access as quickly as possible. Although we are not likely to have more than a few dogs now and then in special circumstances who cannot be saved by the bird-based NDV thus it is highly unlikely that the demand will ever exceed supply, however, it is the season when the number of Distemper cases increases significantly and we need to be ready to meet the need when and if another similar case presents itself.

When that time comes these especially vulnerable young ones' owners will need to know exactly who to obtain the serum from, and those offering it will need to be prepared to get it to them right away.

We are working on developing serum banks and will begin raising money toward that end at some point so that even those for whom money would be a barrier to treatment will not be out of luck. I know that both Dr. Sears and Dr. Adams would want it that way, as the owner will already have expenses piling up most likely for his or her vet's services.

The founders of this treatment meant for it to be widely available and during the years he practiced, treating dogs in the body, Dr. Sears did not always charge for every single service, as he was doing this because he believed in it, and the good deed spoke for itself in the eyes of the owner, and their beloved pet relieved of suffering, once again restored to health, happy, and enjoying life. The results are their own reward. Besides, a dog is a dog whether it belongs to a rich family or poor one, and they are all just as worthy of our help.

That is what Dr. Sears' life's work is all about, and you can't really put a pricetag on that even though for logistical reasons we are tackling the task of putting a fair price on it for the purposes of the Foundation's future dispersal of funds.

Applicants who want to ask that their expenses be paid to create serum as an "approved serum bank" will be required to comply with certain requirements set forth by the organization, and will be bound by signed contract to follow those requirements as a condition of their arrangement with us.

We are looking for people (owners and their vets) who exemplify the spirit of Dr. Sears' and the late Dr. Adams' work, people who although they might be reimbursed have it in their heart to do this for other dogs and would do it even without pay because it's the right thing to do. These are the kinds of people who would give bone marrow to someone they don't even know when a drive was organized, or who would pull together an effort to raise money for a boy with a deadly form of cancer just because they care.

The actual cost of serum production is not as steep as you might have thought. Below is a quote from Dr. Sears, and he would know since he developed the technique.

"If you provide the donor dog then you are looking at an office call and the price of the assistants time, and the glass bottles (usually free). Need a jugular catheter also. Total cost if you provide the dog is about $100-$150. 00."

If you think you may be interested, let me know, read more about the process and criteria for the dog below, print out, and run this by your vet:

PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SERUM

1. Dog- use a 10-12 month old mixed breed dog, 60-90 lbs, 27.27kg to 40.91kg, young and healthy.

2. Do full lab work-up to eliminate all possible health problems; specially- blood born diseases.

3. Must be previously vaccinated against all local diseases.

4. Do not use breeds or individuals known to have immune deficiency problems.

5. Make up Newcastle virus vaccine 1000 dose vial. (Use only the 6 cc of diluent vial that comes with the NDV or Saline if Diluent is not available). Inject 3.0cc of Diluent or Saline to the NDV vial. Discard the balance remaining from the Diluent vial. The La Sota strain or B-1 are most common. Other strains of this virus should work as well but do not use Killed Virus NDV Vaccine. Use Modified Live NDV. This virus is your cell immunity inducer.

6. Place IV Catheter in dog.

7. Inject 2.0 or 3.0cc of Newcastle virus into the I.V. from your vaccine bottle depending on the official weight of the dog. (Treat dog with I.V fluids accordingly) (Do Not use Corticosteroids)

8. Induction of Newcastle’s disease virus for cellular immune serum (cytokines) may only be done once on any dog. The second time around, only antibodies to Newcastle’s disease are produced. These are of no use and can cause an adverse reaction.

9. Timing is absolutely essential for taking serum against distemper. Take blood 11-12 hours post injection (11-12 hrs post injection= Anti-viral factors=Very effective against Distemper Virus in VIVO.) Timing is important. (Interferon, antiviral, regulatory, anti-inflammatory cytokines all have different times of production).

10. All procedures must be sterile. Just prior to the 11-12 hours post- injection, anesthetize donor dog (approx. 5-10 minutes before).

11. Place Jugular catheter.

12. Start I.V fluids.

13. Withdraw blood between the 11th and 12th hour and inject into 10cc blood vials [sterile no additive vials] and allow the blood to clot. All VETS please take out only up to maximum amount from donor dog. Remove blood just short of putting the dog into shock. That can be determined by the color of the gums and respiratory rate. What is amazing is the speed with which a healthy dog recovers. Fluids of course help recovery. We could take about 250 cc whole blood from a 90 lb dog and get about 100 cc of usable serum.
(A.W. Sears DVM 6/8/09)

14. Centrifuge immediately after clotting for clear serum. Do not allow RBC’s to lyse.

15. Remove serum and place into sterile bottles.

16. Place serum bottles in baggies and store in refrigerator. Bottles of serum can be stored for up to five years in a refrigerator; longer if frozen.

17. Cryo-precipitates may form after refrigeration. Mixing causes clouding. This is not harmful.

18. May be filtered out with a .02micron filter. Keep sterile.

19. All my donor dogs have survived. I have not lost any. (A.W. Sears)


Note: Revisions may be made as new data becomes available.If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Alson W. Sears DVM for further clarification at AntiDistemper@aol.com

The Secret Life of Trees

The other day I was reading through some of the various online groups' e-mails I belong to and saw a call for entries into an online exhibition called "The Secret Life of Trees". This intrigued me because I have always felt a special kinship with trees, so I read further.

Amanda Makepeace with Worldwide Woman Artists (also on Etsy), has put together a very lovely variety of art in several mediums, among them, drawings, paintings, fiber, and jewelry. (My piece is Hemlock Wreath Reflecting Mountain Stream), the heavily fringed bracelet with quartz crystal briolettes.

http://amandamakepeace.com/pages/wwao-june-exhibition.php

You are sure to uncover some buried treasure you haven't seen before!

I'm getting ready to enter a few more soon through Cafe; http://callforentry.org/

if I can find out how to submit jewelry dimensions in their image upload and item description form. The way it's worded is definitely geared more toward larger-scale artwork rather than jewelry. It literally won't let you save unless you enter in whole numbers; exact inches, centemeters, etc; no fractions (even if that is the true size of the piece). I'm not one to lie or misrepresent my work, so I hope there is a cohesive way of conveying the true measurements in "jewelry terms" that will be comprehensible to those looking to buy.

As part of my current marketing plan, this is my year to enter as many exhibitions and competitions as I can that I feel my jewelry might fit. With the economy as it is a career artist has to think outside the box.

My goal this year is also to get at least one piece of my jewelry published in a trade magazine. That is one experience I have not yet had and I hear from others that it's a great way to bring in interested buyers.

This blog article would not be complete without some adorable pictures of Carmella.

She is almost over her mange completely and her coat is growing back in nicely, even on her flanks where it was the worst. Only a little area near her tail is still red. She feels nice and soft now and has more pep in her step. I have the impression that her immune system is finally normalizing (Thank God!). I was really beginning to wonder if these residual immune issues would ever resolve.

More is happening in the fight to save dogs from Distemper; some hopeful, and some not-so-hopeful. As in any war we lose a few along the way. The ones in underdeveloped countries have the most difficult time obtaining NDV because facilities tend to be much more primitive and the regulation of drugs and vaccines varies from country to country.

Next hardest are the situations in which the owner doesn't have the money or credit to travel to one of the main vets doing this treatment, and doesn't have the staying power to convince any of their local vets to use it there. Unfortunately also family can influence the main caregiver into ending the dog's life before he/she has a chance to try the treatment. This is particularly sad because in some cases the logistics can be worked out but there are the ties that bind in that caregiver's closest relationships that ultimately result in the sacrifice of their beloved pet.

On a positive note, there is one more case in California right now with two puppies under 12 weeks old now trying to arrange obtaining the serum from people in Texas. That sounds like it will have a successful outcome as long as arrangements are made without much delay. These puppies must have the dog-based serum (not the bird-based commercially manufactured NDV) because they would not be able to tolerate the bird-based substance. I suspect it's because it is too foreign for their as of yet not-fully-developed immune systems to assimilate and adapt to.

Suzanna Urzuly (also from California), the one I wrote about earlier who drove all the way to Texas to have her dog treated, is very happy to report that her dog, Hunter, once 80-90% blind now has 100% normal vision just a few weeks after the CSF procedure! Here is Hunter before treatment.

5/7/09 Squinty, unfocused eyes


5/7/09 Discharge from eyes and nose

5/7/09 Cracked and crusty nose

And here she is afterwards! Look at the difference in her eyes.

5/20/09 eyes brighter and clearer-getting better; a new lease on life!

5/26/09 even healthier; eyes bright and wide, more playful, coat shinier, more muscle-tone

If all goes on schedule we should hear of another success soon with the two young puppies! Carmella continues to be a shining example that lives can be saved, that a dog's quality of life can be beautiful, and that such lives are worth saving! Her face absolutely glows in this picture!

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

Companies Giving it all Away. Are They Crazy?...Or Crazy Like A Fox?

Friday's episode of the Tyra Banks show revealed some fascinating freebies as well as unconventional ways to make money in today's troubled economy. I watch her show often and it is often entertaining but she really outdid herself this time!

Among the guests featured were people who sold everything from plasma, to a kidney, to one woman who made about $1300 selling her hair!

In addition there were some people who frequented particular websites giving away various products for free; individuals who had won food, big screen TVs, and even lavish all expenses (or most expenses) paid trips, health, and beauty products, and there it was reported that some unusual networks of people allow strangers to trade houses with them while on vacation or stay a night or two with them at their house when they needed lodging when they couldn't afford a stay in a hotel.

One little known fact is that General Mills gives away not only coupons but free full-sized products they manufacture just for asking or signing up on their website.

Many companies are willing to literally give things away in order to gain new and devoted customers long-term. I've seen this among sellers on Etsy, but it doesn't seem to be quite as prevelent in commercial circles (or at least it's not widely publicized). Well, after Tyra's show I guess their cover is blown, LOL.

These companies probably factor into their marketing plan the number of people who just take one of something and never come back, but they figure losing a few items is worth what they'll gain in those who try their products and love them so much they decide to make something of theirs a regular household staple.

I know that I have stumbled upon much loved items this way myself. I have found a number of new favorites by sampling the local faire at Sam's Club via those little tables set up by people hired to hand out samples, and similarly at the Dekalb Farmer's Market in Atlanta. Just a few weeks ago I discovered a delicious new Onion Bread this way (and believe me, I plan on buying more when June comes around and I go back for more groceries!)

These types of arrangements in the long-term (although requiring a short-term sacrifice) do pay off. They are win/win situations.

Some might assume if it looks too good to be true then it probably is, but that can't be taken as a given or you're likely to miss out on some really wonderful opportunities!

Now, ironically, more than ever, retailers everywhere are willing to try new and riskier marketing ideas. The old standby's aren't always enough to increase one's market-share in an arena where everyone is starving to make a go of it and total resources are fewer.

Even computer manufacturers who haven't sacrificed much from year to year are now lowering prices, taking advantage of each holiday to run special deep discount promotions, and placing their trust in the market to scratch their back later like never before. Just a few months ago I didn't see anything decent for sale under around $900 in laptops, but now many are down around $500-$650, and store credit cards are extending all kinds of "same as cash deals" to entice customers to buy.

I turned on the TV today and noticed that the housing market is starting to do all kinds of creative marketing as well; reducing the required down-payments people are required to place, gated communities sponsoring new and luxurious amenities, and many developers are even lowering their total prices on newly-built homes.

Hotels are dropping their rates as well in hopes that people won't cut back on vacations this year, and websites like Expedia.com are becoming even more widely used by the traveling public.

I have not seen alot of deep discounts yet from wholesale jewelry suppliers, (but I suspect it's just a matter of time).

These were the websites recommended on the Tyra Banks show (and some suggested by posters on her forum who had personally tried them and found them to be legitimate and helpful. I've organized them and divided them into categories:

Free Stuff (or Get Paid)

Food and Clothing
www.mysteryshop.org (pays people to shop or assess product display in stores)
www.craigslist.org (Free Clothing)
www.shespeaks.com (Free health and Beauty Products)
www.freebirthdaytreats.com (Free stuff on your birthday)
www.pssst.generalmills.com (Free food; will send you full sized products)

Medication
www.pparx.org (Free Medications)

Travel or Place To Stay
www.kayak.com
www.homeexchange.com
www.caretaker.org
www.courier.org
www.couchsurfing.com

Financial Aid For School
www.finaid.org

Sweepstakes
www.sweetiessweeps.com

Various Free Stuff
www.freecycle.org
www.freebies4mom.com
www.freeflys.com
www.shop4freebies.com
www.ilovefreebies.com
www.freestufffriend.com
www.sweetfreestuff.com
www.buzzagent.com

Sell Your Hair
http://thehairtrader.com

After I took a look at the hairtrader site I decided this would be a fantastic way to raise some of the money I need to pay off Carmella's vet bill! Unlike giving plasma or selling a kidney, cutting your hair really has no risk involved and the great thing about it is that it grows back. I discovered that cutting the hair after you find a buyer brings the highest price.

Some buyers seem to want to cut the hair themselves. There seems to be two or three reasons for this that I can identify;

1) The fresher it is the better it works in creating a wig or hair extension

2) Some buyers may want this because if they cut it themselves they can be sure what they see in pictures is what they will get

3) There seem to be some buyers who want to cut the hair themselves because they have some sort of hair fetish (those are the ones you want to avoid). Some of them seem to want to shave the person's head too.

I don't think I would be comfortable with that, and besides you never know when dealing face to face with strangers whether you're going to meet up with somebody harmless or an axe murderer. With the recent serial murder case which took place on Craig's List you can never be too careful. I think I will opt for the shipping option with hair cut at a salon or by myself just to be safe. There are some buyers who have above-board reasons for buying the hair and are still willing to pay high prices.

Right now I have about a foot of harvestable hair but the ones who usually command the highest prices have longer hair than that. I was amazed to see that there were some women who had grown their hair to two feet or more!

I don't think I want to wait that long to sell mine, but maybe a few months more growth will get it into the range at which I can reasonably expect more than $1,000.

The fact that I have a large percentage of both Native American (Iroquois) and Hawaiian in me will also be to my advantage. There is a woman with one of the Iroquoian Nation tribes in her lineage who sold hers within days, and a guy (I think the buyer) left a question for her asking where he could get more Native American type hair, so I know that it is sought-after.

Doing this could have all kinds of side-benefits as well; possibly increase the customer-base to my Etsy stores, raise awareness even more to the Distemper cure cause, and who knows, it might also end up helping Carmella in ways I don't even imagine right now!

Sales (though most of them small) have started to become more frequent in both my finished jewelry and supply Etsy stores since I've been listing more items in my supply store lately. Things are looking up. I hope this will continue to increase.

This Southwestern Cross necklace and earring set is my latest.

The set has been wire-wrapped with fine silver wire, Southwestern Sterling silver beads, red coral, tiny hematite beads, and has a nice weighty sterling chain. It's available now on Etsy.

Keep the donations coming for Carmella. She needs all the help she can get. We won't be out of the woods financially until this bill has been reduced quite a bit more.

I think finally her expenses are slowing down. Her mange is alot better than even at my last writing. You can see that the sides of her face around her whiskers have healed very well and most of the fur has grown back there.

However she still has the look of buckshot on her flank (one side more than the other).
I sure hope the hair follicles are not destroyed in that area and that this too will heal and the fur will grow back.

She has been full of energy over the weekend and even chewed some wood in the kitchen. I have not been able to locate where it came from, but I came home from running some errands to find splinters scattered all over the floor and Carmella with a guilty look on her face. Now that she is free of much of the previous immune system stuff I have been taking her for walks in the neighborhood. Sometimes it is me who hasn't felt up to it.

Now I can attend to some of my own health problems and gradually make headway on some of the consults that have been on the back burner. I have an appointment with an ENT for mid June to look into the status of my bone loss and assess whether or not there is still any active infection before going ahead with bone regeneration. Then there is the Dermatologist appointment.

Meanwhile the marketing for both shops continues, and the making of new pieces of jewelry, as does my work with the Canine Distemper cause.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

Distemper Cure Successes-Latest News!

On Monday, March 9, 2009 a 4 month-old puppy in Texas by the name of Maya with severe abdominal spasms was treated in both body and CNS and came through it successfully!

As of March 28, 2009 these 2 dogs were treated by another vet in Texas with Newcastle Disease Vaccine (NDV) in both body and Central Nervous System;

A little dachshund was in what is considered "end stage" Distemper. He was showing the characteristic "chewing gum" seizures for months, yet was still able to be saved! This is another great example showing that it's never too late.

Next, on Monday, May 11, 2009 a 5-month-old Border Collie mix named Hunter from California traveled with her owner to Texas and received the life-saving treatment in both body and CNS. Her nose started softening within about 24 hrs, and amazingly her pneumonia disappeared fairly soon after both injections. This sudden resolution of the pneumonia rarely happens without Baytril and Pennecillin G administered over a 7-day period, and the result implies that the NDV might cause an overall immune system improvement in some dogs! The owner was elated and had this to say:

"There is a huge group of people in LA who are mostly pet rescuers and they can't wait to see the results. They have been emailing me all day in the last 5 days."

Then on Monday, May 18, 2009 Dr. Muller here in Atlanta treated another dog, Sammy, a mixed-breed terrier of about 1 year in age who traveled by air from Florida. The body treatment and the CSF procedure were done back to back, as this dog had had a turn for the worse in the days preceding their arrival. I met with the couple while they were here in Atlanta and am happy to hear he is doing well. Sammy had reached the "chewing gum" stage and was starting to progress to Grand Mal seizures before he got treatment. His owners were greatly relieved when Dr. Muller stepped up to the plate. Their dog now has a chance at a normal life!

Sammy

The success of the above 5 dogs combined with those previously treated is beginning to gain the trust of more vets. In all there are 9 or 10 dogs to date who have been treated in both body and CNS with Dr. Sears' treatment and are doing well.

In Texas the very first donor dog created 60ccs of serum! His cytokines will help sick dogs beat this deadly disease.

Next, a beautiful yellow Labrador whose former owner gave him up was taken in by the small rescue operation owned by the family who had the Dachshund and the Boston Terrier, treated by their vet. The family who took him in named him Alson after Alson Sears, the vet who developed this cure. He is healthy and of the optimal age to donate the dog-based serum used in place of the manufactured NDV that will save even more dogs from Distemper. The procedure for him poses no risk, utilizing his natural cytokines stimulated by the bird-based NDV and then harvested, seperating the serum at the exact time-frame necessary.

Texas is one of the biggest hot spots for Distemper in the US where epidemics are running rampant, and there are many dogs in need in that area. This is a wonderful thing that these people are doing to help their local community!

Carmella continues to do well. Her mange has gotten better and better since she started on Ivermectin and she has not had any more opportunistic bacterial infections!

She still looks a little as if she was shot in the butt with some buckshot, but the fur is gradually growing back and the itching is much less frequent.

Over the past week while I'd been house-sitting she has been very rambunctious, nosing around, investigating the new surroundings, and trying to chew my shoes as I put them on in the morning. The people I was house-sitting for had two cats and one dog. All had to be kept seperate or it would have been pandamonium. Carmella has never been around cats so she was captivated looking out the sliding glass window at them on the second-floor balcony enclosed in lattice-work. She whined with anticipation and stuck her head between the bamboo blinds to stare at them (I'm not sure if she wanted to pounce on them and eat them for dinner or just play with them) but I wasn't taking any chances.

Once home, she settled back down and curled up on her black fuzzy pillow in the kitchen after chomping on her rawhide stick and playing with her stuffed rabbit. It was a long week over at the other house, as the quarters were cramped and I had to watch her like a hawk to make sure she didn't chew up anything. I'm happy to be home myself, to sleep in my own bed, and have access to my computer files, and jewelry supplies.

Before I left to house-sit last weekend I created a poster about the importance of early detection and NDV treatment of dogs with Distemper that can be printed and hung in vets' offices. I included the photos of 4 dogs who have died because they didn't find this treatment in time or the owners were unable to get their vets to do it before the disease overtook them. The file was so big in png format that I couldn't send it by e-mail so I have saved a copy in jpg and uploaded it to Flickr;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/giftbearer/3563218569/

If you have a vet for your animals please share the link to this poster and my blog with him or her and encourage them to follow what we're doing on behalf of these dogs. As more and more people adopt dogs from shelters it becomes evident just how vital and needed such a cure is. Preventative vaccination alone clearly is not eradicating this virus, and in a shelter environment where many dogs are housed close together all it takes is one infected dog to infect the others, as Canine Distemper is an airborne disease. The numbers of dogs saved by NDV continues to increase, and with them, the evidence that it is indeed is a real cure!
http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

Distemper Cure- Get the most up-to-date information

To see evidence look at pictures of my dog Carmella after she received Dr. Alson W. Sears' treatment (Newcastle Virus Vaccine) in both body and CNS.

Notice her paw pads are fully healed in only two weeks after IV injection. The last headshot in this album was taken after she had the procedure to inject NDV into her spinal canal. (Note the dramatic increase in muscle-tone afterwards; even in her ears);

http://www.indiepublic.com/photo/albums/946391:Album:541951

You can print the full two-part protocol and give it to your vet. Find it here:
http://www.caninedistemper.proboards.com/

Find more successfully treated dogs and their owners in this Facebook Group:
http://www.causes.com/savedogsfromdistemper/

I'm away house-sitting this week and don't have access to my own computer but will be posting more great news and of course more cute pictures later today or tomorrow when I get home!

Stay tuned! More dogs have been saved since my last posting!

Carmella's New Plan of Action Against Mange Mites, and Mine

Carmella went back to the vet on Saturday and started a new regimine to combat the Mange mites that proliferate at the slightest opportunity. Dr. Norwood did a skin scraping and found that she in fact does have Demodectic Mange as she had before. The bacteria seem to be under control for the most part, although she was developing an infection in her ears. Just my luck that one problem ends, just to make room for another.

Dr. Norwood seemed perplexed as to what to do to improve Carmella's immune system, and mentioned that maybe there is a product that could be ordered that he doesn't have in stock, although he doesn't know alot about that kind of stuff, as it falls more under homeopathic medicine than mainstream veterinary medicine. In the meantime, something would have to be done to kill the mites that are multiplying currently. I asked whether she could be given a higher dose of the Pro-meris every two weeks, and he said that that might possibly work, but that there really was no precedent for it and it would be off-label, so he was reluctant to try that option.

Then I asked him what he thought about using Ivermectin. That he seemed to think was a good idea. He went into the back room where he deliberated for a good 15-20 minutes about the dosage. When he had finished his figuring he sent the male vet tech in to give me the instructions for dosing.

Invariably this guy always seems to forget something or relay some instruction insufficiently. It would be much more reliable if Dr. Norwood delivered these instructions himself. The prescription for Carmella's ears was predicatably forgotten and the vet tech ventured a guess as to whether the Mange treatment would address the secondary ear infection, so I asked him to go ask Dr. Norwood, not wanting to take any chances. In a matter of just a day or two Carmella could be worse and need to come back in, so I figured I'd save myself that hassle.

The vet tech returned with a tube of antibiotic ointment and some stuff to clean her ears with, then went over the instructions for the Ivermectin (1% solution). I am supposed to titrate up as follows:

Day 1: .2 ml

Day 2: .4 ml

Day 3: .6 ml

Day 4: .7 ml

Day 5: .8 ml

Day 6: .9 ml

Day 7: 1.0 ml

Day 8: 1.1 ml

Day 9: 1.2 ml

Day 10 on for 2-4 months (continue to give 1.2 ml per day)

So far as of day 3 there have been no adverse reactions.

She is on Gentizol ointment (manufactured by VetOne) for her ear infection (Gentamycin sulfate, USP, Betamethasone Valerate, USP, and Clotrimazole, USP), taken for 14 days, and the ear cleaning solution is Vet Solutions Vetoquinol (an 8 oz. bottle).



Carmella is still biting and licking herself somewhat but not constantly. I let her spend a good part of the day out in the sun this afternoon which she thoroughly enjoyed, lying on an old green cushion just outside the back porch. Maybe being out in the air and the sun will help dry out some of the pests that are plagueing her.

Yay! The Carmella-cam is working again! I thought I might have to buy the hosting service's paid service to have it work again, but apparently it fixed itself. When I got on the computer today I saw it come up on my computer for the first time in several weeks. Then I checked the link in my seidebar and saw it was working here too. Be sure to check her out in the kitchen!

I am preparing for some jewelry competitions and finishing up a local custom order, as well as going to some doctor's appointments.

After seeing my GP last week it looks as if the bone loss in my jaw and pain in those bones is finally going to be addressed, as will my appeal to Medicare for my Benicar.

By Friday or Saturday I began to have intermittant shortness of breath. Now that I have run through the medication I had stockpiled some of the earlier symptoms are returning, (but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to have predicted that outcome). You'd think that Medicare would know that. What is really disturbing about that whole situation is that they obviously know but don't care. I am not the only one on that off-label protocol whose health is in jeopardy because Medicare is too cheap to continue paying for the lifesaving medication that people with a number of autoimmune diseases need for which this regimine is indicated. Their denial is hurting many, possibly hundreds of people with Sarcoidosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Lyme Disease, just to mention a few conditions.

I may have to ultimately take my case before an Administrative Law Judge because although it is cheaper out of pocket by buying it from India than from the manufacturer (Sankyo) here in the US, I do not know how long I could fork out that amount of money either (or whether I could do it every single month).

I have made only two small sales this month and that's not enough to keep me and Carmella going. I hope these two sales are just the beginning, and that larger ones and more of them will follow.

If I can find out whether or not I have an active bone infection, and get that taken care of on my insurance, then getting the bone regeneration procedure should not be any expense at all since it is research.

My GP is going to speak with the guy doing the bone regeneration project and ask if he knows anyone he reccomends for me to see to assess the infection status before we get started.

Please check out my Etsy shop often and tell your friends and relatives about it. The 20% off Repeat Customer Appreciation Sale continues through midnight Mother's Day (May 10th). I want to be around for years to come to make lots more jewelry, and to continue to take care of Carmella. If I can pay off her vet bill it will sure be one big load off my mind. I've currently got a long way to go to raise $2,000, but if enough people take action it is an achievable goal. I created this ad for a necklace that I think would make another wonderful gift for a mother. The Labradorite, pink pearls, and faceted Rose Quartz create a understated and classy look combined with the sterling melon beads and Hill Tribes Silver Rose focal.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/