Dear Silicone Survivors and Friends: As always, Portland, OR was a good place to be and the conference there was great! The women are super and we had a good time educating all who attended about silicone disease and healing. I enjoy my time in the NW and try to get back there every August or September.

Thanks to all who saw the interview I did on MSNBC and called/faxed/e-mailed me about it. As many of you know, I have been trying to avoid TV (I don't mind newspaper interviews) because in TV interviews they usually cut everything down to a soundbite and the interview doesn't come out the way you intended. This was live, so I agreed to do it (after I tried to divert them to Sybil Goldrich). I avoid the limelight when I can as I think there are many others who can do it just as well if not better.

My latest blood tests have not been good. My liver is really acting up for some reason (high enzymes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, several other problems also). I also have hypothyroidism, which is new. I knew I had been fatigued for some time (since late January) and had felt something was wrong since April but blamed it on everything else going on in my life. I now know that it was my health all along. I will be checking into what to do about these latest problems, but I intend to find some solutions and carry on.

We have added over 50 new women to our mailing list each of the last two months. I always thought this would slow down, but it sure hasn't. With all the saline implants, the other silicone implantable devices and with the new soy implants, it may never stop!! The question is: How long can we as leaders hang in there to help those who are just now coming aboard!!

UPCOMING EVENTS: Philadelphia Conf., coming up fast (Oct. 4). Do remember to call me (leave a message) if you haven't pre-registered (so we have a meal for you)! Meals always have to be prearranged at least 3 days in advance! I leave for Philly on the 1st of October (early morning).

October 18th, Little Rock, AR conference will be rescheduled. Contact TDN for more info.

Chicago, Saturday, October 25th, presented by B.I.I.E. (with some support and assistance

from COSS). It will be held at the Sheraton Gateway O'Hare, 6501 N. Mannheim Rd. (at Higgins Rd.), Rosemont, IL, 60018 (Chicago area). To reserve a room at the hotel, call (847) 699-6300, $94 per night for a suite (1-4 persons) if reserved by Oct. 11th. After that rooms may increase in price (if still available). Free shuttle from airport. Conference is $60 person, $90 per spousal couple if registered by Oct. 15th ($10 more at the door). Conference begins at 8:30 with continental breakfast and registration from 7:00 A.M. to 8:15 A.M. Limited space, register early. Lunch provided. Speakers confirmed: Drs. Samuel Epstein, Saul Puszkin, Britta Ostermeyer, LuJean Feng, Arthur Brawer, Robert Conboy plus Sybil Goldrich of Command Trust Network and Ann Ferazzi, Plaintiff's Attorney. Two more speakers are pending. Contact Peggy @ (630)832-0527, Kay @ (630) 629-2735, Betty Buikema @ (708) 562-5727 or myself at (303) 469-8242 for more details. Register by mailing the enclosed conference form to B.I.I.E., P.O. Box 6688, Villa Park, IL 60181-6688. Chicago has never had a full-blown conference so this is your chance to attend a really great one. We are all hoping for great early Autumn Chicago weather.

The Austin, TX conference is scheduled for November 8th. Speakers and hotel are pending. Contact TDN---Sandy @ (217) 352-8220 or Kathy @ (573) 445-0861 for more information. Austin should have great weather in early November!

HOW ABOUT A CONFERENCE IN HAWAII ?? We are planning one soon if the details can be worked out!! We are working on attorneys and doctors and scouting locations. Thank heavens for contacts!! We will try to do it in January but we are dependent on air fares and hotel accommodations. Save your frequent flyer mileage or tell your travel agent to keep on the lookout for great prices or air fare wars. If a lot of people want to go, travel agents can call a consolidator to get cheaper tickets!! I learned that little trick from the Australian conference we helped to organize.

Six of the best US beaches are in Hawaii. Why not enjoy one of them and come to our conference. Snorkeling is one of my favorite things to do and they have wonderful places to do it (and beautiful fish to see). I floated over a turtle for 10 minutes the last time I snorkeled. Since my sister lives on the big island of Hawaii, I try to go there every year!! It is wonderful there when it is Winter here! You won't believe how much you will love it!!

Alaska (Anchorage) is looking like it might be on our schedule for a conference in June of 1998. Wouldn't that be a great place to visit? It is amazingly beautiful!! June is the month to be there!! We'll keep you posted on this!

LEGAL INFORMATION: There will be meetings for support group leaders in October and November (in 5 cities) to help them understand the Dow Bankruptcy process. Patrick Hughes of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson &Hand, Houston, TX will notify group leaders of these meetings. They will be held in Chicago, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Orlando, FL and Houston, TX. This will be for group leaders only so they can get the information out to their members.

Judge Pointer's role in this bankruptcy is as yet undefined. We hope to learn soon about just what he was appointed to do for this situation. As it currently stands, Judge Hood seems to still be firmly in charge of the situation and is the Judge that hears all the appeals of decisions by Judge Spector. Currently the failure of Judge Spector to allow the Plaintiff's Tort Claimant Committee Plan to be voted on by the claimants is being appealed to Judge Hood. This appeal was scheduled to be heard Friday, Sept. 26th so should be decided by the end of October (usually within 30 days).

The current claims against Dow Corning are divided up approximately like this: Of the 700,000 claims, 70,000 are thought to be duplicates, leaving about 630,000 actual claims. Of these, 200,000 are breast implant claims (50,000 are foreign claimants), 200,000 claimants are children and spouses of breast implant claimants, 50,000 claims are for other silicone products (85% domestic, 15% foreign) and the remaining 180,000 are for component parts or gel claims. Not all claims will be valid so the total will be less than this. We have NO idea how long all of this will take but we hope to have some idea about this after the meetings for support group leaders.

We (all persons registered in the Dow Bankruptcy) are not allowed to comment on any perceived short-comings of this bankruptcy proposed settlement until it has been actually sent out for votes. To comment on it now could cause it's approval. We must all keep our opinions on whether to accept or reject this offer to ourselves (this means every woman affected by implants, other silicone device victims, their families, friends, supporters, advocates, etc.). After Judge Hood has heard the appeal we will know if our plaintiff's (Tort Committee) plan will be offered so we have a choice of plans on which to vote. There will come a time (after a disclosure statement has been disseminated) when some comments are appropriate. Some facts about the negotiations are not included in this restriction. As always, any conversation you have with your attorney is privileged communication, so you and your attorney may discuss this proposed bankruptcy settlement. Stay tuned for more information and avoid discussing any of its provisions and your opinion of its fairness or lack thereof. We will let you know when you can discuss this bankruptcy.

The Dow Chemical trial (Phase II) in Louisiana has been postponed until Oct. 20th. Nothing else new with this. Dow Chemical has been sending representatives to visit with department heads, associate and assistant directors & directors of programs at universities and medical schools in order to provide updates on the state of medical science and research (their versions) in regard to silicone breast implants. This is an all-out effort to influence these people. If you have any friends in universities and colleges and medical schools, now is the time to educate them to the dangers of silicones.

Are you a post 1991 Mentor breast implantee? Have you had follow-up from your doctor like the study requires? As part of the agreement allowing doctors to implant women and manufacturers to sell Mentor silicone implants, there was an agreement to follow-up with each woman and report any problems. If you were not contacted and not followed-up with as required by this study, contact Rick Laminack (attorney) ASAP. Phone (800) 245-0249. It is important to all of us that you make this call.

MEDICAL INFORMATION: MORE ABOUT FIBROMYALGIA: There is a difference in the blood of people with fibromyalgia; a little neuropeptide called substance p exists in greater quantities. People with fibromyalgia have diminished blood flow to the brain and significantly lower thresholds for pain, fatigue & depression and significantly higher levels of pain intensity. Substance p was found in higher levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of symptomatic persons as well, in fact these persons' levels of substance p was twice as high as for those who were not symptomatic. Brain blood flow was shown to be reduced 10-15% in symptomatic persons. Substance p promotes the transmission of pain signals to the brain while brain structures that have less blood flow are those believed to regulate the pain signals. Therefore mild stimulation can cause perceptions of severe pain where no actual injury can be found (severely aching muscles). In fibromyalgia, nerve cells in the lower areas of the spinal cord actually enlarge so that a stimulus of pain feels like pain over a large area. In Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy there is a similar pattern with the pain remaining long after an injury is healed because the body produces excessive pain sensations. 5-7% of the population has fibromyalgia. Serotonin has an inhibitory effect on the production of substance p, which is why anti-depressants that raise the level of serotonin often reduce symptoms. Less substance p, less pain!!

H-pylori may be responsible for more than ulcers!! It may be causing bad breath and heart attacks. It is found in dental plaque. It is found in gastric mucosa. In the developing countries, ulcers from H-pylori are increasing. Antibiotics given to rid the body of this bug do not affect those in dental plaque. Coronary disease is significantly higher in those with positive H-pylori tests. There is a similar association between chronic infection with Chlamydia and heart disease. A connection between H-pylori and acne rosacea has been shown. Bad breath has been shown to disappear when H-pylori is treated. IgA in human breast milk may protect infants from H-pylori. Investigators wonder just what problems will next be connected to this bug.

Severe environmental pollution can cause iodine deficiencies so if you live in a severely polluted area, make sure you eat deep ocean fish and use iodized salt.

Teeth clenching may be linked to migraine headaches according to research at the Royal Hospital in Belfast, Ireland. A simple mouth brace worn over the teeth at night eliminates some migraines. Saliva from migraine sufferers has between 50,000 and 60,000 units of peptides. Non-migraine sufferers had about 500 units. After a year wearing the mouth brace most sufferers did not require it anymore.

For stress incontinence (leakage of urine when you sneeze, step down hard or laugh, etc.) try doing Kegel exercises. These exercises consist of pulling in your muscles as you would to stop the flow of urine. Do this for 10 seconds then rest 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. Repeat entire exercise 3 times a day. Don't contract abdominal or buttock muscles. In 6-8 weeks you should notice an improvement in muscle tone that could lead to far fewer accidents.

Meniere's Disease cannot be altered by surgical intervention, according to a Florida study. The natural history of Meniere's means that there will be hearing loss. Medical treatment generally was limited to salt-restricted diet, diuretics and sometimes labyrinthine sedatives. Surgical treatment included sac depression, shunt (probably silicone), vestibular nerve section and labyrinthectomy. Both sets of patients had hearing loss but it was worse for surgical patients. Physical handicaps associated with this condition were seen as minor but the emotional impact of Meniere's was seen as significant. Support systems to deal with the emotional disability were recommended.

The immune system of women may drop significantly during menstruation. This may lead to symptoms of PMS and to increased health problems. Natural killer cell activity decreases up to 75%. Other cytokines (interleukin-4 & interleukin-10, etc.) increase during the same time frame and this may explain allergic and asthmatic reactions.

Societal values, not hormonal changes, may be causing depression in menopausal women according to research done in Australia. Women in other societies who are valued members of society show no increased depression during menopause or afterwards. In some societies, women gain stature and power as they age. Where there is an emphasis on the culture of youth, there is a tendency for women to feel depressed as they become older. This research was done by Gabriella Berger, PhD, Griffith Univ., Queensland, Australia.

Cervical cancer detection in older women is not as promising as it should be. Pap smears in women over 49 should occur yearly as more invasive cervical cancers are found in women over this age. Other possible factors include: Anatomical changes make in harder to reach and sample the area where these malignant problems occur. Hypoestrogenism makes it harder to interpret smears from older women. The history of cervical cancer may be different in women over 49 years of age.

AIDS and HIV are increasingly common in men and women over the age of 55 years. Apparently persons in this age group do not think they have to be careful with new partners, but this trend proves otherwise. People of every age must work to avoid this virus.

A new treatment for menstrual migraines may soon be available. Bromocriptine has been found to relieve pain during this time period. It may well be the withdrawal of estrogen prior to menstruation that triggers the headaches. For best effects, the drug had to be taken the entire month.

Women tend to over-estimate the risks of breast cancer and also over-estimate the benefits of mammography. In younger women, mammography may not show cancers because they tend to grow faster and be less calcified. In older women (post-menopausal) they tend to grow slower and calcify more so are more easily identified on mammograms.

Fiber and calcium cut bile acid and thus reduce the risk of colorectal neoplasia and colon cancers. Dietary flaxseed can lower total cholesterol by amounts comparing quite well with those of drug therapy. Eat flaxseed products instead of popping those pills!! (I'll bet it is cheaper, also.)

Body fat may help protect elderly women (not taking replacement hormones) against bone mineral loss. Body fat was more important than muscle mass. Fatty tissues may be a significant source of estrogen. Estrogen replacement, however, was more beneficial than body fat. In general, obesity is not found to be beneficial for most health conditions. In elderly men, muscle mass was the best indicator of healthy bones. Natural estrogen products can be found in health food stores.

Adult onset diabetes has three big risk factors: Obesity, lack of exercise and age. 90% of people with newly diagnosed adult onset diabetes are overweight. Eat balanced nutrition, exercise regularly and check for signs and symptoms of diabetes if you are overweight and don't exercise at least several times weekly. To help prevent diabetes, eat brown rice instead of wheat products. Starches with higher amounts of amylose, like rice, slow glucose absorption.

Diets low in fat and high in vegetables, fruits and fiber and low-fat dairy products quickly and effectively lower blood pressure. This diet increases potassium and magnesium intake as well as increasing calcium, so these supplements could also decrease high blood pressure.

More young children are showing severe allergies to peanuts. All children under the age of three should avoid all peanut products to avoid allergies in later life. This means being very diligent in feeding children because many products contain some form of peanut by-product, if not actual peanuts or peanut butter. There is an IgE antibody test for peanuts that can be done. Many other nuts are also causing problems so many specialists advise than young children (under three) never be given any type of nuts. This includes nuts in breads and other foods.

Second-hand smoke increases the risk of transient ischemic attack (infarct-like lesions in the brain) and stroke. Smokers have even higher risks than those exposed to second-hand smoke.

Women with brothers have less problems with asthma and allergies. The theory is that boys bring home more dirt and germs and the early infections may protect the girls in later life. The more brothers, the healthier the girls were when grown (research done at Briston and St. George's Medical School, London, England). Asthma treated early (when it first manifests), may help prevent long-term damage and overly reactive airways in later life.

Babies whose moms smoke show adult levels of nicotine and other toxins. This includes while in utero and after birth. Childhood cancers are now being linked to fathers who smoked. Smoking habits of the father seemed to be more significant than that of the mother. The speculation is that paternal smoking may affect the sperm and therefore cause some mutation that leads to increased risk of cancer in the offspring. Research was done at the Institute of Occupational Health, Univ. of Birmingham, London, England.

We require twice as much Vitamin D at age 50 as we did at age 20 and our ability to absorb Vitamin D declines with age. At age 80, it is 20-30% of what it was at age 20. Vitamin D is vital for calcium absorption. Many elderly people may be Vitamin D deficient and not be aware of this problem. We already know that most 60 yrs. olds are extremely calcium deficient. In the Winter, Vitamin D deficiency can be more severe.

The National Cancer Institute published a review that stated that silicone implants bleed, rupture and cause silicone to spread throughout a woman's body. They do not increase the risk of breast cancer. However, they may increase the risks of other cancers. The Associated Press had published a story stating that the study gives silicone breast implants " a clean bill of health so far as cancer and other disease is concerned". They had to amend that story. The study does not state this at all. It had to do with cancer, not other diseases. The study does acknowledge the fact that " the issue of an atypical disorder or syndrome related to silicone breast implants has not been resolved". The study stated that there was come concern about other forms of cancer, especially multiple myeloma, bone tumors and lymphoma. The study also concluded that mammograms are harder to read in women with breast implants.

Sunbathing, pollution and an increase in the use of antibiotics could be contributing to an alarming rise in blood cancers according to a study in Britain. A new study of leukemia, lymphoma and other blood diseases showed a 40% increase in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma over the past 10 years in the 30-79 age group. More men than women, especially over the age of 50, are likely to develop cancers of the blood. If this pattern continues, cancers of the blood will be the sixth most common form of cancer by the year 2000. Sunscreens do not seem to offer protection from these problems.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: Why is it that alternative medical treatments do not get researched like drug treatments? If you could receive a treatment just for walking into a health food store, why would you pay for a drug? The drug companies do not pay for research on alternative medical treatments because they cannot make any money selling the treatments. Instead, they discourage us from even checking these treatments out by telling us that there is no " scientific evidence" that they work!! (At least not proof that they accept, because they didn't do the research!) They call it junk science, just like they call the research on silicone disease. You cannot have proven scientific evidence if you don't fund studies. Drug companies pay for almost all research! Why would they pay to research something from which they cannot make a dime? Do you believe alternative medicine won't work because they tell you that there is no proof? Do you also believe them when they tell you there is no proof that silicone is toxic?? Who pays for the research to tell us there is nothing wrong with us?? Drug companies and manufacturers who want you to believe them!

Analyze this carefully!! Big money is behind the scheme to divert us away from holistic medical treatments! These treatments have worked for thousands of years and they still work today!! More importantly, they don't have severe drug interactions and nearly as many side effects as modern drugs can have.

A new study suggests that common foods such as oranges, milk and potatoes may trigger violent criminal behavior. This study was published by the Journal of Nutritional Medicine and reveals that the majority of persistent offenders included in the research cannot tolerate certain foods and are allergic to other foods. Chocolate has been shown to trigger aggressive, unpredictable behaviors. Violent offenders who remained on specified diets (which eliminated foods which triggered the behaviors remained out of trouble at an 80% ratio (4 of 5). This study was done in London. I think this study shows a need for more evaluations of food allergies.

Want to thicken soup without adding many calories. Try rice, mashed/pureed potatoes for cream soups (also small amounts of arrowroot or flour, but this adds more calories), red lentils for vegetable soup (disintegrate in 20 minutes) or bread crumbs (one-third cup to a quart of liquid). Stir with a whisk to prevent lumping. (Lowfat Cooking For Dummies, D.G. Books, $20).

An old wives remedy for allergies may have been one of the best according to a new study in Florida. Vaporized, heated saline solutions help up to half of all patients. While they did not explain how they vaporized the saline solution, one would think that putting the salt in boiling water (cooled slightly) and leaning over it with a towel over your head would work.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Q. Why did Judge Pointer allow Mentor to get away with such a small settlement when they have so much money? A. Judge Pointer did not have the power to decide this, he could only say yes or no to the proposal on legal grounds. It was the MDL Committee that accepted this settlement. Many of us have wondered about this, but the fact is that Mentor cooperated with the MDL Committee and gave them tremendous help to nail Dow Corning. That doesn't help the Mentor people who were victimized by this tactic but it the class action had gone through as initially planned, it would have helped the Mentor survivors tremendously.

PERSONAL COMMUNICATION: Adele Davis would like to hear from other implant survivors who had their implants placed while in the military and have been applying for veteran's benefits (VA Administration). Please call her at (907) 689-7733 and leave a message. She will return your call.

BOOKS: There is a new book about a woman who had cancer & silicone implants called A Healing Voice, by Cathy Murgatroy and Vincent LoPresti, PhD. It outlines Cathy's healing process and increasing awareness of holistic healing and its role in her recovery. Available soon.

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE: Don't ever underestimate the damage that our world can do to your body. It is polluted--contaminated --toxic!! DARE TO CARE about your health!! You can help your body heal! I did, so you can!! Try natural products! Try magnetics! You will be amazed at the help you can give yourself in your body's healing process. Call me @ (303) 469-8242 for information on great products that help with healing!! We will soon have a new web site on healing products and health. One body is all we get, so don't neglect your health. Money will never replace it and neglect will destroy it!!

Try coral calcium to make your body more alkaline. This helps rid your body of fungus because fungus does not like an alkaline body. I have less fungal problems since I started using this almost a year ago. To order coral calcium, call HTN at (800) 765-0140. Give them my number (24169). It is cheaper to get it auto-shipped (you get a discount). Call me for more info.

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ARE THOSE OF THE EDITOR AND ANY CONTRIBUTORS AND ARE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. ANY ARTICLES OR INFORMATION SUBMITTED MAY BE EDITED BECAUSE OF SPACE, CONTENT OR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS.

LYNDA ROTH, EDITOR

PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER INFORMATION: Previous issues of newsletters available: $2 each U.S., $3 Foreign. 1/93 is the first available issue. Please indicate months' desired and proper sums. Some covered subjects: Auto-immune 1/93; Fibromyalgia 2/93; Medical Testing 3/93; Sjogren's 4/93; Vasculitis 4/93; Arthritis 5/93; Chronic Fatigue 6/93; Lupus 7/93; Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Inflammatory Bowel Disease 8/93; Insurance 8/93, 9/93; Misc. Med. Info. 9/93; Multiple Sclerosis 10/93; Spasmodic Torticollis 10/93; Hypoglycemia 11/93; Antibodies 12/93; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy 1/94; Misc. Med. Info. II 2/94; Scleroderma 3/94; Costochondritis 4/94; Peripheral Neuropathy 4/94; Class Action 5/94; Fungal Infections 6/94; Hypercalcemia (low calcium) 7/94; Raynaud's Phenomenon 8/94; Fibromyalgia Update 9/94; Sarcoidosis 10/94; Free Radicals 11/94; Porphyria 12/94; Interstitial Cystitis 1/95; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease 2/95; Flap Procedures 3/95; Misc. Med. 4/95; Thyroid Disease 5/95; Stress 6/95; Natural Healing 7/95; Adrenal Malfunctions 8/95; Multiple Myeloma 9/95; DHEA 10/95; Chelation Therapy 11/95; Sleep Disorders 12/95; Meniere's Disease 1/96; Amino Acids 3/96; Enzymes 4/96; Minerals 5/96; Aluminum Toxicity, DHEA Update 6/96; Addictions & Food Sensitivities 7/96; Misc. Med. Info. IV 8/96; Misc. Med. Info. V 9/96; Misc. Med. Info. VI 10/96; Misc. Med. Info. VII 11/96; Transcient Ischemic Attacks 12/96; Symptoms of Breast Implant Illness 1/97; Pap Tests 2/97; Parasitic Infections 3/97; B-Complex Deficiency Syndrome 5/97; Inositol 6/97; Misc. Med. Info. VIII 7/97; High Blood Pressure 8/97; Plaquenil 9/97; Legal info. and info. on Alternative Medicine is contained in most issues.

NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Check your mailing label (right after your name)for expiration date. We are unable to notify you individually. If expiration date says Oct.'97, that is the last newsletter you will receive without a renewal.

CONTACT US @ THE ADDRESS ON THE TOP OR BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER FOR INFORMATION ON ADVERTISEMENTS. WE ALLOW A FEW EACH MONTH, BUT THEY ARE STRICTLY HEALTH-RELATED AND THOSE WE FIND BENEFICIAL TO SILICONE DISEASES AND WELLNESS. RELATED ISSUES CONSIDERED!!

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