- The week before Super Bowl Sunday I was experiencing
strange sensations in my legs ( tingling - numbness). By the time Sunday
morning rolled around the numbness had reached my thighs. I am one of the
fortunate few in this country who has a 'real' doctor - reminiscent of
my childhood. My husband called Dr.Schissel (Larry) at 'home'. He called
New London Hospital alerting them to my arrival. Even though I was in crisis,
with the paralyzes spreading, I told my husband to drive the 30 miles
to this particular hospital, because I'd been so impressed with its cleanliness
and compassionate/professional personnel when I'd taken my husband there
for various tests. It is my opinion, that when seeing to your own health,
that you don't take it for granted (despite local loyalties etc) that
you will receive adequate/prompt care. From my life long experience with
hospitals (training as x-ray technician - nuclear medicine out of high
school) working at an institution and with the homeless; I can state with
a certainty that the doctor and hospital you choose can save your life
( or life long consequences - like paralysis). In my particular case several
factors determined my decision.
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- Number one was the information I'd gleaned from my dear
friend in town who has experienced life threatening situations over the
years. My friend has a debilitating chronic disease. She is pro-active
when it comes to caring for her health (thus she is not dead). Little did
I realize in our conversations over the past ten years ( my length of time
in NH) that her tales would have such an influence pertaining to my own
health. I have never been really been seriously sick or hospitalized -
except for an appendectomy at age 15. My friend, doing her own research,
has educated doctors she's dealt with over the years, who either ignored
her symptoms - gave her the short shift on visits - or misdiagnosed her.
In today's medicine, physicians are sadly ill informed of the impact
that environmental factors have on a person's health - most especially
those people who are much more sensitive due to family history - and the
'cumulative' effects of toxins/chemicals that they've experienced in their
formative years. You don't have to live in a smog filled factory town
to suffer the impacts of pollution.
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- In our particular case ( environment) long before either
of us lived here - politics/corporate interests; along with closed door
wheeling and dealing (kept hidden) and outside the will (vote) of the people;
our town was chosen to 'host' a garbage burning incinerator (hidden on
edge of town) and the hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic ash (opposite
side of town - hidden). Neither of us were aware of these entities upon
moving here. In my opinion, this is nothing short of willful criminal
negligence. People should be made aware (in Chamber of Commerce Packets)
of all industries/ what they produce etc. Those focused on 'image' or 'economic
development'; or who choose to be willfully ignorant of the documented,
scientific findings of a styrene factory in a downtown residential area
(deadly), a massive mega dump ( 2 million + tons) located in a pristine
mountain environment ( northern NH), that was once lauded as a health
resort, millions of lbs of particulate (invisible) emissions (lead
- mercury - arsenic - cadmium - carcinogenic dioxin - thousands of
untested chemicals) from incinerators, antiquated coal plants - biological
labs ( kept secret) in residential areas, poorly maintained, undermanned
nuclear plants etc; do not have the right to vote, sign contracts,
make deals that directly impact the lives of unsuspecting, naive, uninformed
citizens to lives of debilitating (costly) chronic disease ( over 80 auto
immune) or being consumed with cancer. They do not have the right to doom
thousands of children to birth defects, or lives of neurological impairment
(autism - learning disabilities), because they profit (lucrative salaries)
, or buy into corporate propaganda promising 'jobs - bundles of money
- or a share in revenues'. McCain is too pathetic to imagine as a leader.
All proven lies once the deals are signed. This applies to all communities
in which industries locate.
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- Most people are unaware of the various industries in
their area and what impacts they have on their health (children). Most
people believe that those elected/appointed to positions, of authority
are looking out for their health - have stringent regulatory policies in
place - and oversight. Tens of thousands of industry lobbyists on the federal
and state levels determine otherwise. Visit your state capitol for a hearing,
and try to contend with lobbyists, like horse manure underfoot, presenting
their scripted nonsense. Washington is awash with legions of lobbyists.
Thus we have no energy policy - no affordable health care - an abysmal
education system - a labor department serving industry - an EPA now filled
with corporate appointees - no disaster plan - military services all contracted
out - an FDA that has no control over drug safety - with only a negligible
handful of inspectors responsible for the 81% of our fruits and vegetables
now imported. Politicians are about getting family members employed
in high paying lobbying firms or themselves. Trent Lott feels that now
he should earn some 'real money' thus his retirement and new lobbying job.
The pharmaceutical companies/insurance wrote the prescription bill. Medicine
here cost 4-5X what it costs in other countries. Language inserted by corporate
interests protects them from any and all liabilities from various vaccines.
Politicians have the best of medical coverage ( we pay 72% of costs -
free prescriptions ) the best of pension plans, yearly cost of living
raises, gas reimbursements, travel expenses, and exotic vacations (called
fact finding missions). None of those involved in the election buffoonery
taking place can relate to the common man in crisis. They voted for these
trade agreements (shipping jobs overseas), they voted for the bankruptcy
law ( screwing those in financial crisis), they voted for the prescription
bill ( check who their major contributors are) . Schools in decay don't
impact them. Their children are all enrolled in the finest private schools.
You['ll not see their costly homes located in the shadow of an incinerator
- dump - or chemical plant.
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- Their children aren't left to the choice of a menial
service sector job or joining the military. Politics is a rewarding profession.
Full benefits (paid for by taxpayers) - exclusive housing - book deals
- speaking engagements - lobbying jobs - etc. The Clinton's daughter most
likely wouldn't have had the money to attend Stanford and Oxford on Bill's
salary (Arkansas) of $35,000 and Hillary's $25,000. Her parents are now
both multimillionaires. George Bush didn't have to worry over applying
for grants to attend Yale (grant monies now being cut) or what job he'd
have to look for. None of these people have had to suffer the degrading
experience of waiting all day in a crowded clinic for health care. None
had to forgo food to buy a prescription. None had a drone in some cubicle
telling their physician that they weren't covered for various tests/operations.
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- With companies now firing full time workers and replacing
them with contract workers or H1b foreign workers (politicians all voted
for) health benefits and pensions are a thing of the past. Ms. Clinton
has the audacious gall to tell people in Ohio that she knows times are
'tough' and how NAFTA needs to be 'studied'. She, who said she gained so
much experience by being intimately involved in her husbands decisions
, has conveniently forgotten that HE partnered with Republicans brought
us NAFTA (outsourcing Ohio jobs). HE (with Republicans) repealed the 1933
Banking Act with his 1999 Financial Modernization Bill which brought us
Citigroup and brought in all the loan/insurance/ financial speculators
into the Banking business -(outlawed in 1933) thus Ohio leads the nation
in foreclosures. Ms. Clinton, along with the others, (both parties) have
voted for not only NAFTA but the numerous other trade agreements emptying
America of livable wage jobs. All of them are phonies - all of them are
mouthing the usual election lies. Note that those candidates with a progressive
social message were relegated to mockery or inattentiveness by the media.
All orchestrated. McCain is an impossible thought. The man is too old and
unpredictable with a volatile temper. An admitted womanizer - he was sleeping
around while still married (returned from Vietnam) on his terribly injured
wife (lost a leg) - whom he divorced to marry a wealthy heiress that set
him up (money wise) in politics. If he couldn't stay loyal to his injured
wife he certainly won't stand by a country full of strangers. Besides he
told Michigan - "Your jobs aren't coming back"...........there's
positive thinking. Of course he doesn't have to work for a living.
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- Who's to blame? A study of state and federal politicians
will show you (rare exceptions) their complicity in greasing the skids
for polluting industries to locate in 'targeted' areas. You'll note the
campaign contributions and the various subsidies and loophole language
(in bills) exempting them from any and all liabilities. I blame state regulators
who are nothing but lap dogs for industry - merely rubber stamping what
Washington dictates. In our state, the few responsible employees, doing
their jobs in reporting our former ( egotistical fool) Governor of bulldozing
sand dunes from his exclusive beach front property - were relocated out
to the boondocks. Permits and public hearings from the state Department
of Environmental Services (all states) is an insult. Oversight (spot checks)
of emissions is done sporadically, with the day of testing announced
weeks in advance ! The citizens lose all the way around. They are basically
without representation and voiceless.
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- All of this is interconnected. All paths lead to political
and economic interests taking precedence over the health of citizens. Communities
targeted for such industries suffer astronomical financial costs; with
citizens bearing the brunt of upgrades - maintenance - property taxes
- electric rates (our experience) destruction of their infrastructure
and obscene health costs. Most of the politicians on the local, state
or federal level are totally ignorant or disinterested in the corruptive
tactics of industry and anything environmental in nature. Pandemic autism,
learning disabilities, asthma, cancer and numerous auto immune diseases
is not evolutionary. Grotesque deformities in frogs (canaries of the mines)
should set alarm bells ringing. It hasn't. Die offs of millions of honey
bees should raise some concern? Rivers, streams, and groundwater contaminated
with toxins (near mega dumps) should have environmental officals investigating.
We only had a few rare informed politicians who tried everything in their
power to protect our community. They were vastly outnumbered.
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- A crime of monumental indifference - Bethlehem, NH -
forests destroyed for garbage - regulatory agency (DES) and alarm of state
politicians (rare exceptions) has permitted this on going travesty.
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- I am fortunate. I have no doubt that without insurance
I would be dead or paralyzed. If not for an experience at a local hospital
last summer - I would have gone there Super Bowl Sunday for treatment.
I went to this hospitals' ER for a simple badly sprained ankle. The waiting
room had approximately eight people waiting for treatment. I gave my information
and was called first. I told them they'd made a mistake, that several
people were ahead of me and I didn't mind waiting. I was informed ( different
personnel) that those in the waiting room were the usual lowlifes showing
up for treatment. One laughed and said 'the retards need medicated'. One
man with an impacted wisdom tooth (extreme pain) was told to come back
in six hours! As it turned out, they put the bandaging and plastic splint
on my leg all wrong. The result was, that upon removal of the splint,
I had a huge abscess (staph) eaten into my leg which took a couple of
months to heal. I thought about this Super Bowl Sunday - and thought, yikes,
this paralyzes is a helluva lot more serious than a sprained ankle - God
knows what will happen? I was right. The doctor who dealt with me in the
smaller hospital did every kind of test (hours). Finally he told me that
he was in a quandary as to what was wrong? The paralyzes by this time
was up to my waist ! Thanks to Dr. Schissel connecting me with this ER
and this ER doctor's perseverance, I got the help I needed. What doctor
would spend three hours calling a prestigious hospital (northern NH) like
Dartmouth Hitchcock every 15 minutes (for 3 hrs) until he contacted the
neurosurgeon he thought could find the answer? In my experience not many.
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- We traveled the 30 miles and I was admitted on Super
Bowl Sunday. Monday the 4th saw every test imaginable including hours of
an MRI with dye. Finally on Monday evening 24 hrs after being admitted
the group of them (its a teaching hospital) came in and told me they'd
found a tumor in my spinal canal that was pressing into the spinal cord
(thus paralyzes). I thanked them and was greatly relieved. I told my nurse
Bob that it must have sounded strange being thankful for such a finding.
He said, "No, you're right, when you think of all the reports you
could have received, it could have been an auto immune disease which answers
nothing." My husband and son (his girlfriend) were there when they
told me that I could remain paralyzed - come out of it worse - or die.
I could see the horror on their faces. Strangely I (true) was not the least
bit perturbed or fearful. The doctors left and I told my family to get
home ( the snow was bad). We all assumed that any operation would be in
the next day or so. They weren't gone 15 min when one of the surgeons
came in and told me we're operating tonight. We have the best team ( 3
surgeons - 2 anesthetists ) on hand. So in the end they couldn't reach
my family for which I was thankful. No sense people spending the night
worrying. They wheeled my bed outside the operating room waiting for the
team. One of the anesthetists who looked like George Clooney ( I smiled
and thought someone's praying right) started singing "Hey Jude"
to me. I woke up the next day in recovery.
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- My first thought was, "I made it - I'm alive".
I then looked down to see if I could move my legs - I could. Then I thanked
the Lord for having the right people lined up from the very beginning.
I told Him I didn't want to be like the lepers who He healed (10 of them)
with only one thinking to come back and thank Him. I thought about the
Black priest, (from Vermont) who showed up with the doctors to announce
the findings of a tumor. He sat by my bed after they left. I expected some
flowery kind of message. Instead he said, "Now what are you going
to do?" I remember asking him, "WHAT? What do you mean now what
am I going to do?" He replied, "Now that you're going to be paralyzed
for life". Is that unbelievable? I said, "I don't want to insult
you but do you read Scripture? One of my favorite passages is the one of
the paralytic man. His 'friends' went out of their way to take him to where
Jesus was preaching and healing the multitudes. When they got there the
crowd was so great there was no way to get near to Jesus. Now most people
would shrug and say that at least they tried. Not them. They managed to
get the pallet up to the roof. They cut a hole in it and lowered him down
to Jesus. Jesus was impressed with their great 'faith'. Now think about
it ------think about having 'friends' like that who were persistent in
helping their friend and would not let any obstacle stand in their way.
They put themselves out - they took the time out of their lives to take
their friend to the only One who they knew could heal their friend. He
couldn't do it on his own. Jesus didn't know of his need amongst the crowds
waiting to see him. That's me - I'm that paralytic. Right now lots of my
friends are praying - I'm not going to be paralyzed ! Meantime he says
to me, "Wait a minute let me write this down". I didn't see him
again till 4 days after the surgery. I was laying on top of the covers
in my grape pjs -------watching the snow fall on the mountains outside
my window. As he came near my bed I said, "Watch this". I raised
first my right and then my left leg up. Moved my feet etc. I then said,
"See I told you I wouldn't be paralyzed - now do you believe?"
He then invited me to visit his church and tell my story. I told him sure
I would when the weather gets warm and I can walk right up to the podium".
Right now the feeling is all coming back slowly and I need physical therapy
to strengthen the muscles.
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- I am fortunate to know many kind people in my community.
These are the same people who I met in my travels trying to warn the community
of the dangers of toxins poisoning our community. They are also those I
met in Bethlehem ( home of mega dump) in testifying at their public hearings.
They have gone out of their way (calls, flowers, medical equipment, cards,
meals, sweat suits, notes of encouragement). They are such selfless people
who have done their darnedest in trying to awaken local officals/politicians/citizens
to dire health impacts from cumulative toxins. Regretfully political and
economic influence - apathy and indifference coupled with the PR of moneyed
corporate interests will see them poisoned for decades to come. They can
never say they didn't have years of warning - unlike other places. The
editors I write for Jeff - John - Betsy were there with calls, and notes
of concern and encouragement. Most comforting were all the prayers - good
thoughts - and numerous emails from those who follow my writings ( across
the country - overseas). There are many kind and caring people who sincerely
care and have offered continual encouragement etc. My best friends in
NH - CT - OHIO - and MINNESOTA are treasures. Some people are fortunate
to have one really close friend ( a friend is two souls in one - Aristotle).
It really is important to do something - anything for those in crisis.
Never think that your words, presence, etc is meaningless. Such kindness
and concern supports and builds the exhaustive energy it takes in battling
an illness. We all need one another - I am very appreciative. The tumor
turned out to be benign...its own miracle. I will be fine . JM
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