Home Community Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 78

Arthritis Insight Newsletter * Vol. 3 Issue 78 October 17, 2001

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Welcome to the 78th issue of the Arthritis Insight Newsletter. All back issues will be posted at /community/newsletter Feel free to pass this newsletter around to others who may be interested.

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The information in this newsletter should not take the place of advice and guidance from your own health-care providers. Material in this newsletter is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Be sure to check with your doctor before making any changes in your treatment plan. Information presented here is the opinion of the authors and has not necessarily been approved or endorsed by the medical advisors.

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God Bless America and keep our country safe.

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Notes From Tina
(tina@arthritisinsight.com)
Tina Underwood aka KrissyJo

You almost didn?t get a newsletter today. I am dealing with a respiratory infection which means I am back off of the arava and mtx. Yesterday I felt so bad, both arthritis and infection wise that I slept for most of the day. I wasn?t sure I was going to be able to put this together. Today I woke up feeling a bit better so here it is.

I do want to take the time to wish very Happy Birthdays to two special people at Arthritis Insight. Tomorrow Indy Ron turns a year older and next week our Jill of all Trades, Kimmy, will be older than me! Happy Birthday to both of you!

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Ron's Ramblin's
(ron@arthritisinsight.com)
Ron Griffin aka IndyRon

Hi all!

This has been a week when I rediscovered some of the little pleasures of life that I had forgotten. Although these pleasures are in a slightly different form than earlier in my life, they still bring me the same happiness and joy that they did (pick a number) years ago. With the approaching release of the movie Lord of the Rings, based upon the wonderful books by J. R. R. Tolkein, I decided that I should refresh my memory. Now, it is not like I have never read the material, I have probably read it close to a dozen times over the years, but I needed to refresh my memory so that I could once again visit with those wonderful character.

This brings me to the point of the article, just when am I going to have time to read this 1200 pages or so of material. Well, I discovered (or should I say rediscovered) the wonderful world of recorded books. My drive to the office is just over an hour and that is just about the right time to listen to a CD of my favorite authors. Now the drive that I was afraid that I was going to learn to hate has become one of my favorite parts of the day. I have now finished The Hobbit and am starting The Trilogy. When I finish this, who knows where my imagination may take me.

It is wonderful to be able to be a kid again, even if it is only for a couple hours a day. But more importantly, it has allowed me to share this childhood with my kids. Now instead of Game Boys and fussing, we all listen with great interest to what is to happen next to Bilbo Baggins and his friends. And to me, this is the greatest gift of all.

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Your Weekly Giggle

This old lady had a dog who passed away so she brought him to the vet. When the vet came into the examining room, and looked at the dog, he said well I think your dog is dead. The lady said what do you mean "I think"? The doctor said "Well let me run a few tests to make sure". The first test he ran entailed a labrodor retriever to come into the room. She said "Why is the dog here?" Well, if the dog barks three times, then the dog is dead. The dog barked three times. Then he brought in a cat. She said, "Well, what is the cat for?" He said, if the cat meows three times, then the dog is dead. The cat meowed three times. The doctor said "Well I'm sorry to say but your dog is dead.

When the lady went to the desk to pay, the receptionist told her the cost was $600. The old lady said, "Why is it so much?" The receptionist replied, "Well, it was $100 for the exam, and $250 for the LAB results, and $250 for the CAT scan."

Check out all the jokes at:
/fun/jokes
Send yours in today!

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Tina's Tips

Arthritis can affect your ability to do even the simplest of tasks. I've heard some people say, "Accept your limitations." I'm not sure accepting them is the way to go. I prefer to challenge those limitations, work around them, finding alternate ways of achieving the same goal. Every week I'll share some tips I've found to work around those annoying limitations and I hope all of you will send in your tips too. We may not be the next Martha Stewart, but sometimes the simplest things can help so much.

Anyone who sends me five new (never published on AI) tips and includes their mailing address with get an Arthritis Insight easy to hold pen!

From Freda:

Can't reach under the sink to clean? Line the bottom with plastic placemats.When they get dirty,just pick them up and wash them.Also the small square or rectangle plastic storage baskets[the kind you find in the dollar store]are great for putting your "under the sinks items" in. That way the cans don't get pushed to the back where you can't reach them.You can even put a piece of rope on the basket,then if it gets pushed back to far,just grab the cord and pull.Everything you need is within reach.

Those "baskets" are also useful for storing all you medicine bottles.

Check out more tips at /living/tips.html and send in yours today to Tina@arthritisinsight.com

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What's New?

Featured Discussion
Coming October 22nd:
Arthritis & Weather
We've all heard someone say, "It's going to rain, I feel it in my bones." Perhaps you've said it yourself. But is it a myth? Or is it a fact? We explore Arthritis & Weather during our next Featured Discussion. Please take the time to answer this quick survey.
/feature/survey.html

Question of the Week:
What was your best Halloween costume ever?
/community/question

Advice for Better Living
I have a problem. I have arthritis in my knees and last winter if I sat too long I was stiffening up. So now I think I'm getting Rheumatoid Arthritis as well. Well they are after me for Jury Duty. I asked my Dr. for a note . You can only get out of it if you have a Dr.'s excuse. My children are grown so I can't use that anymore. The Dr. refused. She said ,"A lot of people with arthritis do Jury Duty. You are quite capable of doing Jury Duty. Jury Duty is all about sitting."
What do you say to the Doctor? to get them to understand what you are going through physically. If you tell a Dr. your in pain and can't do this or that what they think your lying? There are many things I would like to do with my life and I can't so why should I be forced to do something that I know would cause me severe discomfort and probably a great deal of pain. My friend told me they have these hard wooden benches you have to sit on all day till they call you in. Meanwhile sitting all day in a courtroom for hours I know I can't do. What do you say to these people? How do you get them to understand?

Thank-you
/living/advice

Ask the Webrarian
Temporal Arteritis. Scary? Yes, but also very treatable. Go see...
/resources/webrarian

Rosie's Significant Other Spot
Those brown bottles.
/living/family/sos

Victoria's Not So Secrets
A Pin-Head in a Haystack
/feature/sex/victoria4.html

Message Boards
You asked for it, you got it! We've added two new boards:
Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Relationships!
//forum

Fight the Fatigue
Jen shares her fatigue busting advice.
/living/fatigue

Diet & Nutrition
A whole new section!
/living/diet/index.html

Tips & Hints
We've gotten some great tips from our community members. If you're looking for ways to make getting through the day a little easier - this is where you'll find 'em.
/living/tips.html

What do you want to see on Arthritis Insight or in the Newsletter? Let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate!

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Arthritis Insight Chat /community/chat

The scheduled chat times are many and varied around here, but remember the chat room is always open, you don't have to wait until a scheduled time to stop in!

Mondays
Monday evenings at 9pm BRISBANE time, it's an Aussie chat with InsightHostPanda.
Monday evenings at 9:30pm Eastern time InsightHostKJ will host a Featured Chat. With occasional guest speakers, we'll cover a wide variety of issues facing those of us with arthritis.

Tuesdays
Tuesday evenings at 9pm Eastern time, join InsightHostMel for Arthritis Support Chat.
JRA World Chat- JRAWHostAaron will host Young Adults with Arthritis support chat every Tuesday at 10pm Eastern time in the JRAWorld Chatroom.

Wednesdays
Parent's Support Chat, for parents of kids with JA, every Wednesday at 10pm Eastern in the JRA World chatroom.

Thursdays
JRA World Chat- Growing Up With Arthritis, for kids, teens, and adults who are growing up or have grown up with arthritis hosted by JRAWHostAaron at 10pm Eastern time in the JRAWorld Chatroom

Fridays
It?s open bar at 10pm Eastern time. Remember, you can drink cyber-alcohol with methotrexate! Bring plenty of quarters for the jukebox.

Saturdays
Live from Arthritis Insight it's Saturday Night Live! InsightHostTEXAS will be here, so come on in! Every Saturday night at 10:30 pm Eastern time.

Sundays
Arthritis Support chat with InsightHostDipped at 9pm Eastern, please join us!

Interested in hosting a chat? Have a chat suggestion? Well email us, we can't read your mind!

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Cooking with Char
Char LeFleur
Char@arthritisinsight.com

Hello everyone! This has been a good week for receiving recipes and I thank each and everyone of you who sent some in this week.

This first recipe is so easy your kids can make it. And what an opportunity for you to share a positive experience with your kids! Susan, thank you for sending this one in!

College Tuna Casserole

2 cans Chef Boyardee Macaroni and Cheese
1 can Tuna (packed in water of course)
1 plastic bag frozen peas
Monterey Jack Cheese slices.

Open cans. Empty Mac and Cheese in casserole dish. Squeeze completely cut lid on the tuna and run under water allowing to fill and resqueezing. Pour in tuna. Put in 1-2 handfulls of frozen peas. Stir. Place cheese on top. Heat in Microwave oven or Bake at 325 degrees F until heated through, cheese melted and bubbles in middle.

Now all you need is apple cobbler for dessert. Or, applesauce with ginger cookies sprinkled on top. Warm with a dab of ice cream or Dream Whip of Whipped Cream.

This one came to me from the Campbells soup kitchens and sounds really good. I think I will try this, this coming weekend.

Sausage & Pepper Sandwiches

Prep/Cook Time: 15 min.

1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 can Campbell's Tomato with Roasted Garlic & Herbs Soup
1/4 cup water
4 long sandwich rolls, split

COOK sausage and pepper in skillet until browned. Pour off fat. ADD soup and water and heat through. Serve on rolls. Serves 4.

I think I may try this with mild Italian sausage!

One of the things I like about fall, is the abundance of squash that is available. Try this recipe for your family. Even if they say they dont like squash, this could change their minds.

6 medium acorn squash halves (seeds removed of course)
1 pound bulk sausage
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup herb stuffing mix
Add just enough stock to moisten stuffing (or use plain water)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook sausage and onion in a skillet over medium heat until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from heat and drain off pan drippings.
Stir in stuffing, and salt. Place squash shells in a baking dish. Spoon sausage mixture into shells; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until squash is tender. Yield: 6 servings.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, regarding this column, please send them to Char@arthritisinsight.com.

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From the FDA:
Buying Prescription Medicines Online: A Consumer Safety Guide

The Internet is rapidly changing the way we live, including how we work and shop. The growth of the Internet in recent years has enabled many consumers to purchase medicines online. There are online pharmacies that provide legitimate prescription services. Unfortunately, there are also questionable sites that make purchasing medicines online risky.

Potential risks include:

Fake, unapproved, outdated, or sub-standard products
Little or no quality control (packaging, purity of ingredients, storage)
Possibility of an incorrect diagnosis (i.e., those sites that inappropriately diagnose and prescribe online)
Obtaining an inappropriate medicine (e.g., inappropriate for condition, interaction with other drugs)
Lack of assurance of confidentiality and security issues

To purchase medicines online safely and securely, here are some basic do's and don'ts:

Meet with Your Doctor to Obtain Any New Prescription
DO: Take only medications that have been prescribed by your doctor or other authorized health care provider.
DO: Consult with your doctor on whether you need to take any special steps in filling your prescription.
DON'T: Buy online from sites that offer to prescribe a medicine for the first time without a physical exam by your doctor or that sell a prescription medicine without a prescription.

Ensure that You are Dealing with a Legitimate Pharmacy
DO: Buy only from sites that require prescriptions from a physician or other authorized health care provider and that also verify each prescription before dispensing the medication. A written verification policy is usually posted on the site.
DO: Use sites that provide convenient access to a licensed pharmacist who can answer your questions.
DO: Make sure that the site is a licensed pharmacy in good standing in your state. Check with your state board of pharmacy or with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) at www.nabp.net. Some sites display the NABP VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites) seal, an assurance that such sites are meeting all applicable state and federal requirements.
DON'T: Buy from sites that sell prescription medicines without a prescription.
DON'T: Buy from sites that sell medicines not approved by FDA. Know from Whom You are Buying
DO: Buy only from U.S.-based sites.
DON'T: Buy from sites without posted customer service policies.

Safeguard Your Privacy and Security
DO: Look for easy-to-find and understand privacy and security policies.
DON'T: Provide any personally identifiable information (social security number, credit card, and health history) unless you are confident that the site will protect them. Make sure the site does not share your information with others without your permission.

Trust Your Instincts
DO: Use common sense when purchasing prescription medications online. Apply the same standards you'd use for any place of business when looking for a reputable pharmacy site.
DON'T: Buy from sites that include undocumented case histories claiming amazing medical results.

Take Action to Protect Yourself and Other Consumers
DO: Report problems. If you suspect a site is not a licensed pharmacy, do not buy from it. Report the site and any complaints to FDA at www.fda.gov/oc/ buyonline/buyonlineform.html. To purchase medicines online safely and securely, here are some basic do's and don'ts: Meet with Your Doctor to Obtain Any New Prescription
DO: Take only medications that have been prescribed by your doctor or other authorized health care provider.
DO: Consult with your doctor on whether you need to take any special steps in filling your prescription.
DON'T: Buy online from sites that offer to prescribe a medicine for the first time without a physical exam by your doctor or that sell a prescription medicine without a prescription.

Ensure that You are Dealing with a Legitimate Pharmacy
DO: Buy only from sites that require prescriptions from a physician or other authorized health care provider and that also verify each prescription before dispensing the medication. A written verification policy is usually posted on the site.

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Notes and Insights:

Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to:
Ron, Di and Darlene! Check out all the birthdays at
/community/birthday and make sure to send them an arthritis-friendly e-card:
/cgi-bin/postcards/postcard.pl

Wanna help?
Having surgery? Starting a new drug or treatment? Filing for disability? Keep an Arthritis Insight journal so all of our members can share and learn from your experience. If you want to keep a journal just let us know. Write an article! We always need articles on all subjects relating to arthritis.
C'mon folks, we can't do this without you.

Donate!
Arthritis Insight will always be free for anyone to use, we will never charge any fees. We try very hard to keep our operating costs as low as possible, but running a website as large as Arthritis Insight can be expensive. To date we've relied on our few sponsors for support and have paid for many of the expenses out of our own pockets. No one on our staff currently receives a paycheck for their hard work and dedication. Although you are not obligated in any way, if you are financially able to help support Arthritis Insight, it would be greatly appreciated. In exchange for your donation you'll receive some thank you gifts, a tax deduction and the satisfaction of knowing you are partly responsible for the entire Arthritis Insight Community.
/about/donate.html

Ken Akers Cheer Fund
Donations to the Ken Akers Cheer Fund will be used to send flowers and gifts to those community members who are hospitalized, flaring or just in need of some good cheer. The Ken Akers Cheer Fund sent out four gift baskets last week!
/community/kenscheerfund

Arthritis Insight Wish List
We realize that many of you are unable to contribute financially to Arthritis Insight. But we need more than money. Please check out our wish list and see if you can help.
/wishlist.html

Thank You!
A great big thank you to our "Diamond Level" Corporate Benefactor, allaboutarthritis.com. Please stop by their site and say hello!
http://allaboutarthritis.com

And another big thank you to NeedaBasket.com (http://needabasket.com). NeedaBasket is now Arthritis Insight's official gift basket company. They are giving us a great discount and donating baskets for our Arthritis Warriors. Stop by and tell them thanks for the support!

Glucosamine Clinical Trial:
Boston University Medical Center is currently testing Glucosamine for knee osteoarthritis in an internet-based clinical research trial. Normally, joining a clinical trial would mean going to a study center for repeated appointments, but this trial is carried out entirely over the internet. If you qualify, you will participate for three months by simply filling out online forms on your experiences and taking a daily nutritional supplement (either Glucosamine or a placebo), which will be mailed to you by the center. If you are interested, please visit the website:
http://etrials.bumc.bu.edu to see if you qualify.

Special Offers for Arthritis Insight Members
Whenever possible we will try get to our sponsors to agree to discounts and the like for our members. Here are our current special offers:

Sore No More gel (http://www.sorenomore.com) will send a free sample of the pain relieving gel to any Arthritis Insight Community Member who emails them at dma@glogerm.com

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The AI Help Desk
Linda Peck
Linda@arthritisinsight.com

=== Computers 101 ===

Q: I have a message that was sent to me and the top is filled with e-mail addresses and lots of other "junk." I want to pass the message along to my friends, but I don't want all the gibberish at the top, what can I do?

A: Your best bet is to copy the info you want to send and paste it into a new e-mail message. Then send it along to your buddies. If the text is formatted badly (as often happens when something gets forwarded around the net several hundred times) there's a free utility available from our web site called "The Cleaner" that will help. You just paste the info into the text area and hit the "Clean" button. It removes all the little carets (the ">>>" things) and re-formats the paragraphs as best it can. It's been extremely popular in the past, and hey, it's free!

Here's the link: http://www.worldstart.com/cleaner.htm

Oh, If you're not sure how to copy and paste, here's a tip we ran on that topic a few months ago:

Q: How do I save pictures off of web pages?

A: To save a picture from a web page to your computer, just right-click the image and select Save Picture As... from the little menu that pops up. You'll get a nifty little Save As dialog box that lets you select the location on your hard drive where you want the images stored. If you're not sure where to put it, you can always click the "new folder" button on the Save As box and create a folder called "Pictures" on your C:drive (or better yet, in your "My Documents" folder).

If you really like the picture, you can even set it as your wallpaper from that same menu. Just make sure the image is big enough. If it's too small, it won't work out real well. Finally, remember that many of the pictures you see are copyrighted, so do not save them and post them on your web site or other public places. Use them just for your computer.

Q: Sometimes, when I'm using drop down boxes, it takes forever to get to the item I'm looking for. Is there a better way?

A: You bet. I'll illustrate how to do it with an example.

Let's say you're filling out an online registration form that asks for your country. If you live in Australia you're all set, since your country is towards the top. But what if you live here in the US? We have to scroll through tons of countries (many of which we've never heard of :-) to get to the entry for "United States".

Well, here's a quicker way. If you click the first letter of the item you're hunting for, you'll find that items beginning with that letter start popping up in the drop box. So, when you get to the box, just hit the letter "U" until "United States" comes up. No more scrolling!

Source: Computer Tips & Techniques, http://www.worldstart.com Copyright 2001, Worldstart - Reprinted with permission

=== Member Websites ===

http://www.dianechamberlain.com - Did you know we had a star among us? Diane Chamberlain has written 10 great novels. A mixture of romance, mystery and a bit of everything else thrown in, her books are unlike any others.

http://beamus.com - BeamUs "Helping People Give By Giving People Help"! Non Profits free Web Pages And Free Web Sites email Forums and BeamUs gives 100% of all Affiliate/merchant revenue to Member Non Profits.

=== Tip of the Day ===

Wheel Mouse Warning

So, you have one of those cool little wheel mice. Great aren't they? Once you start scrolling with a wheel, you never want to go back - that's for sure. In fact, one day you may be telling your wide-eyed grandkids about the way you used to have a mouse that didn't have a wheel between the buttons.

Well, there's something you need to be aware of - call it "the dark side of the wheel" if you like. Wheel mice can change drop down box selections. OK, that doesn't sound all that bad, does it? In fact, if you know that you can use your wheel mouse to change selections in a drop down box, you may even think that it's a handy little feature. Here's the problem. Let's say you come across a drop down box and make a selection. Now, you need to move down the page so you instinctively spin the little wheel on your wheel mouse. Well, if you didn't take focus away from the drop down box first (i.e. you didn't click on a different area of the web page) you'll find that you may have inadvertently changed your selection! Of course, while your changing the selection you don't scroll. However, what most people do is scroll a little, see that nothing happens, then click a blank area on the web page and the scrolling starts again. They don't even realize that they have changed their drop! box selection.

=== This Week's Links ===

Here are a few of the excellent, free programs that I have found and use daily:

IrfanView - http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,38759,.html This is a great, free software for working with your digital photos. Sizing, crop and other key edit features.

MS Powerpoint Viewer - http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,28294,.html If you don't have Microsoft Powerpoint installed on your p.c., this is a nice viewer that will allow you to see all those neat slideshows that circulate in emails.

Cookies Manager - http://www.webattack.com/get/cookieman.shtml An easy way to control the cookies on your p.c.

Cacheman - A performance enhancement and memory recovery utility. http://www.outertech.com/downloads.php?product=3&PHPSESSID=97d8993cf6ec7d54acaa6ffbbb32a7d4

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

linda@arthritisinsight.com
Help Desk Archives: /living/help/index.html

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Weekly News Summary
Karen Sears
kaekae@arthritisinsight.com

LONG-TERM RELIEF FOR BACK PAIN
Researchers say heat may provide long-term relief for one of the nation's biggest complaints, lower back pain.
Ivanhoe Newswire, Oct 17
http://www.ivanhoe.com/docs/newsflash/longtermreliefforbackpain.html

STUDY EXAMINES ROLE OF ABS IN GOLFERS' BACK PAIN
Muscles on the side of the abdomen called the obliques may play a role in low back pain in golfers, according to a new report.
Yahoo News, Oct 16
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011016/hl/golf_1.html

OSTEOARTHRITIS TREATMENTS EVALUATED
A recent study from University of Virginia evaluated the different treatment options for the painful condition, osteoarthritis.
Ivanhoe Newswire, Oct 16
http://www.ivanhoe.com/docs/newsflash/osteoarthritistreatmentsevaluated.html

VACCINE HALTS BONE LOSS IN MOUSE STUDIES
An experimental vaccine has been shown to help halt bone loss in mouse models of osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Yahoo News, Oct 15
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011015/hl/boneloss_1.html

GALLSTONES IN CROHN'S DISEASE PATIENTS
It's been documented patients with Crohn's disease have a higher risk of also getting gallstone disease. A new study shows there are a number of risk factors associated with Crohn's disease and gallstones.
Ivanhoe Newswire, Oct 15
http://www.ivanhoe.com/docs/newsflash/gallstonesincrohnsdiseasepatients.html

HIGH VERTEBRAL FRACTURE RATE DOCUMENTED IN COPD PATIENTS
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at increased risk for vertebral fractures, investigators announced here at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Medscape, Oct 15 (free registration required)
http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/10/10.16/20011015clin010.html

ANTI-TYPE II COLLAGEN CD19+ B CELLS PRESENT IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy controls both have CD19+ B cells that are capable of producing anti-type II collagen antibodies. Doctor's Guide, Oct 15 (free registration required)
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256AE100483F 87?OpenDocument&id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F&c=Rheumatoid%20Arthritis &count=10

ANGIOGENIC CYTOKINE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Destruction of joints in rheumatoid arthritis is preceded by an increase in the synovial vasculature as judged by raised levels of an angiogenic cytokine, serum vascular endothelial growth factor.
Doctor's Guide, Oct 12 (free registration required)
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256ADC004E5F ED?OpenDocument&id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F&c=Arthritis%20Other&coun t=10

EXCESSIVE MORTALITY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS UNASSOCIATED WITH LYMPHOCYTOTOXIC MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY
No association between antilymphocyte monoclonal antibody therapy and excessive mortality has been found by research undertaken in England.
Doctor's Guide, Oct 12 (free registration required)
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256ADC004DDF 98?OpenDocument&id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F&c=Rheumatoid%20Arthritis &count=10

ANGIOGENIC CYTOKINE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Destruction of joints in rheumatoid arthritis is preceded by an increase in the synovial vasculature as judged by raised levels of an angiogenic cytokine, serum vascular endothelial growth factor.
Doctor's Guide, Oct 12 (free registration required)
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256ADC004E5F ED?OpenDocument&id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F&c=Rheumatoid%20Arthritis &count=10

ARTHRITIS, CROHN'S DRUG LINKED TO 70 TB CASES
Infliximab, an immune-suppressing drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease, is behind 70 reported cases of tuberculosis (TB) among US patients who received the medication, a report out Thursday confirms.
Yahoo News, Oct 10
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011010/hl/arthritis_1.html

ENGINEERED CHONDROCYTES MIMIC STRUCTURE, GROWTH OF NATURAL CARTILAGE
Stratified cartilage constructs, engineered using chondrocytes from bovine calf knees, mimic the structure and growth patterns of normal cartilage, according to data presented at the Biomedical Engineering Society meeting in Durham, North Carolina.
Medscape, Oct 10 (free registration required)
http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/10/10.11/20011010scie007.html

GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE TREATS OSTEOARTHRITIS IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
Glucosamine sulfate effectively slows structural progression of osteoarthritis in postmenopausal women, according to the results of two randomized, placebo-controlled trials conducted in Italy.
Medscape, Oct 9 (free registration required)
http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/10/10.10/20011009clin020.html

LANNETT GETS FDA APPROVAL FOR GENERIC PREDNISOLONE TABLET
Generic drugmaker Lannett Company Inc. said on Tuesday that it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market a reformulated version of prednisolone, a treatment for inflammatory conditions caused by organ disorders such as lupus and meningitis.
Medscape, Oct 9 (free registration required)
http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/10/10.10/20011009rglt006.html

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Contribute
Have you written something you think our subscribers would like to read? Send it to Tina@arthritisinsight.com and maybe we'll use it in our newsletter.

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A Closing Thought

TOWERS OF ANGELS
By: Megan Marinello

Two towers stood side-by-side so high in the air
So strong, so commanding, so proud to be there
Completing a landscape now frozen in time
A part of the old New York City skyline
How can we forget that a part of us died?
When freedom and evil were forced to collide
The towers were hit, but our hearts crashed as well
The moment our freedom and liberty fell
Trapping Americans deep in its core
Pushing once peace to the onset of war
Collapsing so strong and so fast on our peers
Evoking our gravest and darkest of fears
Shaking our foundation and causing the slide
The most valuable loss was that from inside
Our Mothers and Fathers once bright and alive
Helped our sisters and brothers fight to survive
Our friends and cousins fought hard to pull through
As our sons and daughters did the best they could do
Americans watched in horror, hands tied to prevent
The avalanche of humanity brought down to cement
Now side-by-side, new strength rose in the towers place
Men and women working at a hurried, frantic pace
Through piles and piles of wreckage and debris
Hoping that more survivors is what they would see
Americans banning together, soaring flags, showing pride
Looking to a higher power, so thankful to be alive
Struggling with torment and helpless feelings of unrest
Certainly our great Nation had received its ultimate test
And as the world watched and prayed, counting the days
Offering help in so many astounding, inspirational ways
A miracle happened; the ruble and debris began to rise
American's watched in amazement, not believing their eyes
White, billowy wings surfaced - breaking through the ground
Spirals and spirals of bright, beautiful light danced around
They're Angels, my God! Wings upon wings soaring to be free
Flapping, ascending, flying through the space the towers use to be
Dancing and laughing, smiling and singing as they rise through the air
Thanking, applauding, kissing America for the freedom that we share
As tears befall the eyes of those distressed and pained to see them go
They offer up their hearts, their strength and most importantly their souls
For America they fly so high, so far, as they flutter their good-byes
For they are our Heroes, our greatest sacrifice, our towers of angels in the skies

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