I just got off the phone with my mother..... I hope my blood

pressure goes down soon.... gawd I can't stand medical docs who haven't educated themselves. What a crime.

She getting the runaround from docs who can't be bothered with little old ladies who don't have a ton of cash?

her glaucoma, her diabetes, her arthritis, her blocked carotid arteries and such, if something didn't come from his mouth, then it cannot be real. Even now, when her dopplers are reading better, (less blockage, she has been taking a GOOD multi for about 3 years now, digestive enzymes and extra vitamin C) and that is good, but there is so much more she could do to avoid "feeling old".

Oh, she's on Paxil of all things.... good christ give me the strength to withstand traditional medicine's monetary approach all things health related. Dumbasses.

She won't swallow a pill, unless of course her doc says she has to. PS supplements are small, egg shaped sort of like vitamin E, and here is a sample of what they do to IMPROVE HEALTH AND BODILY FUNCTION. Lecithin is another substance that dwindles with age, in fact few if any get enough lecithin in the diet... I take a tablespoon daily, to promote gall bladder wellness, liver function, and on and on. I pretty certain that phosphatidylserine is in lecithin... at least I hope it is...




http://search.lef.org/src-cgi-bin/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=10&EXTRA_ARG=&CFGNAME=MssFind%2Ecfg&host_id=42&page_id=13111040&query=lecithin&hiword=lecithin+

Mood and stress

With regards to mood and stress, studies have also shown favorable results with phosphatidylserine supplementation. For example, studies in both men and women, old and young, have found that phosphatidylserine can alleviate depressive and stress-induced symptoms. Researchers at the University of Milan conducted a small study of 10 elderly women with depression, aged 70 to 81 years, treated with phosphatidylserine (300 milligrams per day) for 30 days, following a 15-day course of placebo. Results showed that phosphatidylserine increased brain turnover of noradrenaline, dopamine, acetylcholine and glucose reserves. Using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and clinical observation, the researchers also found that, compared with pre-treatment baseline scores and controls, treatment with phosphatidylserine caused anxiety levels to decrease significantly and interests and socialization to increase, while long-term memory and learning also improved.<12>

In another study conducted at the University of Naples, Italy, researchers showed that high-doses of phosphatidylserine administered over a short period of time could elicit neuroendocrine responses to physical stress in men that suggest a positive effect on mood. The experimentation consisted of nine young, healthy men taking phosphatidylserine (at 800 milligrams per day) for 10 days. Results from blood samples revealed that phosphatidylserine significantly blunted the responses of stress hormones, such as adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol, to physical exercise without affecting the rise in plasma growth hormone and prolactin. The authors concluded that "chronic oral administration of phosphatidylserine may counteract stress-induced activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in man." Otherwise known as the HPAA, this working trio of hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands is what's responsible for how we respond to various kinds of stress, be it emotional, mental or physical in nature. With advancing age, however, the HPAA suffers decline and dysfunction, which can affect mood.<13>

I wish you could bring her up here to Michigan so my husband could get her straightened out. He's a good internist (if I say so myself--although, I could be biased), and he's in with three other very good docs, two of whom specialize in geriatrics.

I can't think of any of my husband's med school classmates down by you (closest is St. Louis that I know of--he's really, really good though). Have you tried getting her to a better doctor? It's always good to ask the nurses on the medical floor at your local hospital. They know who's good and who isn't and aren't nervous about sharing it (like the other doctors are).

or wrong... for example, the cataract thing.... they don't know ANYTHING about this.... so what does she have? A cataract operation, and more prescription drugs that may actually stimulate the production of future cataracts by creating specific nutrient deficiencies. I pity the fool who ever tells me "you're just getting older, these things are a naturally ocurring life event". I pity the fool.


http://health.yahoo.com/health/centers/eye_vision/71
Lutein and Zeaxanthin Eye-Friendly Nutrients

Provided by American Optometric Association

Cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the leading causes of visual impairment and acquired blindness in the U.S., and are key quality of life issues among millions of aging Americans.

* Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from early signs of AMD and almost a half million people have significant visual loss from late-stage AMD.
* Cataract extractions are the most common surgical procedure performed in the U.S., accounting for more than 2 million procedures each year. It has been estimated that if the progression of cataracts could be delayed by 10 years, the number of cataract extraction surgeries per year would be reduced by 45 percent.

He is and he isn't. He should be on top of any vitamin or mineral deficiencies that the meds cause, and he should be listening more to her. Doctors need to be more informed about any possible problems, interactions, etc. with prescribed and otc stuff. I know my husband keeps up with a great program he downloads updates of daily for his Palm Pilot. He feels that he has to do it that way in order to know what's going on. That, and he makes sure to ask about everything they're taking, especially supplements.

Does she write everything down for him before she goes to an appointment so that she doesn't forget anything? Shoot--even I do that. I'm so likely to forget something that I have to make a list. Does she deliberately not tell him some things because she might be worried that he might get mad at her? We women are notorious for that--putting up with pain and other problems because we don't want to be a bother or get in trouble with a doctor. I didn't tell my doctor about my period pain for years until my endometriosis struck so badly that I couldn't even walk. I wish I'd spoken up sooner.