March 5. 2010 12:43

I'm thinking that instead of taking YOUR attitude, that we might just NOT have stents put in or have new improved versions if needed.
I'll be going ahead with it as I ACTUALLY HAVE MS and live with this degenration of my body and life every day!!!!
If you did, YOU would be just as keen on it too methinks - losing your ability to do anything and retain the respect of ignorant people (the majority of the able-bodied population) and continue to live the same full life as you did prior to diagnosis.
Please reassess your opinion a tad with looking at the situation from another perspective.
Rachael

Rachael

March 5. 2010 13:40

This article reaffirms that the puzzle that is MS, and more specifically the role that CCSVI plays, certainly warrants further thorough and careful study. In order for patients to be able to make informed decisions on what could be life-altering investigations/treatments, all sides of the issue (the good, the bad, and the ugly) must be presented. I would hope that those afflicted with MS would agree.

Lee

March 5. 2010 14:34

Lorne, you state, " Is it not reasonable, therefore, to wonder whether, like MS, abnormal vein development could be more frequent in northern latitudes where pregnant mothers have decreased exposure to sunshine vitamin D? Lots of food for thought here! "

This is the implication of a study recently released from Scotland "Timing of Birth and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis in the Scottish Population" published in European Neurology. This study found that MS patients were much more likely to be born in the spring. Specifically males with MS had 48% more birthdays in April than healthy controls. Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant mothers would explain this, as well as the latitude factor.

Randall

March 5. 2010 15:57

"From my point of view as an oncologist, once any disease passes a point of “no return”, be it cancer or progressive MS, it is unrealistic to think that any therapy, no matter how effective in earlier stages of disease, will help those in advanced stages."

And that's exactly why MS patients want to be tested, and if CCSVI is found, treated now. Not all of us have the luxury of waiting 5 or 10 years. For some of us the disease is progressing and it may be too late in 5 years for the treatment to help. Would you tell somebody dying of cancer and for which no current treatments had worked that they shouldn't give some promising new treatment a try? Really? If it were you or somebody you loved? Well, what about somebody who is quickly becoming disabled from MS? I'm an adult. If I want to take a risk with a therapy (as if Tysabri isn't a risk?) then it should be up to me. I get so tired of the condescension of doctors who think they have to protect me from myself. I may have MS, but I'm perfectly capable of making a rational decision based on my own personal situation and the information before me.

Juli

March 5. 2010 16:54

Everythinge described is appropriate and logical. However, I am sitting here typing this in my wheelchair, having just gone on long-term disability insurance because I can no longer work. What now? One thing I know, financially this will lower my and my family's standard of living dramatically. The risk/return of proceding with a CCSVI intervention is a no brainer.

Andrew Katz

March 5. 2010 18:07

I think that we should have the opportunity to decide to get this treatment ourselves. I don't think it should be up to all the skeptical population to use "fear tactics" to stop us from getting CCSVI if we have the opportunity. MS sucks and I for one am willing to get my veins scanned and have the procedure done if stenosis is found.

C Amyotte

March 5. 2010 18:25

Last year when I met my neurologist, we discussed many treatment options. One option was to go to Ottawa and have a bone marrow transplant. As a father of two great children, and a husband to the most wonderful woman in the world, I decided against it when my neurologist informed me that the risk of death is 10-11 %. I decided to start a course of chemotherapy (mitoxantrone) instead, with the unique goal of stopping the progression of my disease. The neurologist told me that I could stave off the wheelchair for up to 10 years with chemo, but that I would eventually progress anyway; it was all a matter of time.

Well, I`ve already been tested for CCSVI, and found to have a completely blocked right jugular vein. If I have the chance of having the "liberation procedure" and there is only a 6% chance of something to happen to me with something that has not yet been tested and perfected, or a 10-11% chance of death through something that HAS BEEN TESTED.....well, if I take statistics, I`m better off with the stent procedure. Doesn`t take a rocket-scientist to figure out that one !

My heart has already been slightly damaged from the chemo, so I`m Poland bound for the surgery. Why would I wait ? I have nothing more to lose....what`s the worst thing that could happen....I`ll end up in a wheelchair ? Or worse, disabled ? Already there folks.....and as an INFORMED, person, I know the risks. Just like when I decided to do the chemo....I knew the risks, and it damaged my heart function.

I find this article more of the negative propaganda that we are seeing more frequently in the media. This will not sway people into putting off the treatment because we can read through the real intentions of what is being said here. If anything, it is just pushing people to act faster before they totally block all possibility of having this treatment done.

One last point....why would I take advice from an oncologist (cancer doc) on venous problems ? Why would I even go and see a neurologist ? We need to be dealing with interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons, and other people who operate on venous systems....... In the words of Dr. Brian Hardy, an interventional radiologist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, he says about performing the procedure: "« Again, getting back to the basic technique, the basic principal of doing it, we do that, we do it already, we have the capability of it here. It`s a question of which patients to do it in, which balloons, etc, Those are all things that we will hopefully get answers for. In principal, to do a jugular vein angioplasty, I do it for other reasons already. So it`s not as if we don`t know the technique. We are approaching this cautiously to make sure we are doing it for the right reasons, in the right people. »

SO FOLKS, THIS IS ALREADY BEING DONE IN CANADA, JUST NOT ON PEOPLE WITH THE MARK OF THE MS BEAST ! They know the risks already, but pressure from groups of neurologists is being used to scare the ill-informed.

Chris

March 5. 2010 18:52

So, I am going blind, puking, cannot walk very well and you think the less than 1 % chance that the doctor will make a mistake should deter me from having a simple two hour angioplasty operation that requires two stiches

Give me a break. who do you work for Biogen.??

gsandisc@gmail.com

March 5. 2010 19:07

I don't have 5-10 years to wait either, stents aren't what Dr. Zamboni used, he did angioplasty and if my veins are occluded or malformed that it what I will request.

Bridget

March 5. 2010 19:09

The drugs gave me nothing but nearly bankrupted me. The CCSVI treatment offers a chance I am more than willing to take - a simple procedure (no, no surgery is simple) that has helped others like me with MS. I don't have the luxury of time to wait until the drug companies have exhausted their options to block this (they will never exhaust their options because they have MONEY). The procedure should be allowed immediately in Canada. We don't HAVE to opt for the procedure if we don't want it, but if we do want it, we should have it available to us.

If you could imagine the freedom from this broken down body I've been living in for more than 16 years, you'd understand. If any other vein or artery in the body had a blockage or was twisted, there would be something medical done about it. We are asking for no more, neither should we accept less.

Jeanine Baker

March 5. 2010 19:10

interventional radiologists are really the only ones who have the expertise to deal with ccsvi. neurologists are used to owning MS. they need to collaborate. hospital directors need to teach them how to work together for the benefit of MS patients. cardiologists and geologists and oncologists can kibbitz all they want--it's just talk, lets get the experts we need to stop their fighting, kiss and make up. get to work do the science together. we are suffering every day.

carol

March 5. 2010 19:58

I like to hear views from both sides of the fence about CCSVI especially when they are medically sound. I respect Dr. Brandes opinion and after reading this article these are my thoughts: CCSVI is the most promising treatment for MS EVER. We need our health care practitioners, namely interventional radiologists and venous surgeons to start studies on how best to unblock these veins. Another point that nobody has addressed so far is tracking the patients who have had the liberation surgeries. Research for CCSVI is starting to occur all around the world but are we just all duplicating the same studies? I know UBC wants to find and treat blockages as part of their study which I applaud. I still feel that everyone with MS should get scanned ASAP. This way it will be known how many of us actually have the blockages. I was scanned and have an irregularity in my right jugular. I have sent the MRI Institute in Detroit a copy of scans as they will be the world's largest repository of CCSVI MS patient information. If I am told I need stent(s) on March 30 in Poland I will say "GO FOR IT." I understand the risk and am willing to deal with them.

Ginger

March 5. 2010 21:26

"From my point of view as an oncologist, once any disease passes a point of “no return”, be it cancer or progressive MS, it is unrealistic to think that any therapy, no matter how effective in earlier stages of disease, will help those in advanced stages. "

What an irresponsible statement, comparing cancer to ms is ridiculous. The cause of glial death in MS is unknown, CCSVI offers a theory of cause. Remove the cause of destruction and the body has a chance to heal itself. This should be first and foremost the point of view of any physician. Isn't this the reason tumors are removed?

gwen valentic morrison

March 5. 2010 21:38

i believe, sir, that you are correct. Dr Zamboni's hypothosis is valid and a 6% chance in that small of a study, is NOTHING!!!! When I had chemo, mitrozantrone, i had a higher risk of getting cancer because of this treatment!! And a higher risk of my heart valves not working poperly, just from taking small doses of chemo. That is a treatment that has been around for 20years!!!!! what kind of numbers are we going to see when they acctually have the MILLIONS of ms patients whom, i believe after test are done, will have a blockage. Now that we know that these blockages are happening, we need to know the proper way to fix it. I have hope again, and i acredit Dr Zamboni with this. Please stop this negative blabber,and let these specialists keep trying to figure out a way to fix our veins...to let us be able to WALK with our loved ones again....to not just sit/lay and watch as other nations bypass our doctors....

can you imagine how much the pharmecudical companies stand to lose? hahaha!!!!!!!! as if they really need all the money from us people who are so physically incapable of making a decient wage.....MWHAHAHA

Kim Janzen

March 5. 2010 21:42

"From my point of view as an oncologist, once any disease passes a point of “no return”, be it cancer or progressive MS, it is unrealistic to think that any therapy, no matter how effective in earlier stages of disease, will help those in advanced stages."

This may be true, but considering that it is not known what causes MS progression and what can stop it, this comment is hardly evidence-based. It sounds more like a layman's observation than that of a scientist.

I agree what has been said above. When considering risk-benefit, few, other than patients, take into account the risk of accumulating disability vs the risk of angioplasty. This risk of angioplasty is relatively low, and the potential for benefits looks encouraging, even if they appear minor. Let MS patients decide whether they will accept the risk, including the risk that no benefits will be seen.

Theresa

March 5. 2010 21:56

Oh how quickly you were persueded... did it take much money to get you to go so far from your previous posts? No worries because I have made up my mind to get tested and, if necessary treated.

I have even sent my neurologist a letter firing him! I wrote this and sent it before I read your mindless blubber. We aren't stupid and not going to be fooled by scare tactics.

This is a copy of the letter:

Dr. M. ********
MS Research Clinic
Ottawa Hospital General Campus
Room 6310, 501 Smyth Rd
Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6

Dear Dr. ********,

Re: Termination of Services

Please regard this as written notice that after much consideration I have decided to terminate our doctor-patient relationship. My decision to remove you as my neurologist has not been taken lightly. It is my opinion that you have failed to adhere to the Hippocratic Oath:
“I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant: I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow. I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism. I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug. I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery. I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God. I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick. I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure. I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm. If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help”.
Or, in simple terms - I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to the best of my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
Although the oath is not a legally binding agreement, it has traditionally directed the actions of doctors for many years.

I feel your cumulative behaviours in my past treatment and your recent decision to withhold your approval and direction for testing of the CCSVI theory violate my rights and also violate the physicians’ oath to ethically practice medicine and to keep the good of the patient above all as the highest priority.

It is not possible for individual physicians to maintain expertise in every area of medicine. Contrary to your opinion, it may be the case that my problem is vascular. There is no way of telling this without “testing”. I firmly believe that it is in my best interest that I seek alternate care options that will provide me with optimum care. I wish to pursue this as a vascular issue and be tested by a specialist in that area. Furthermore, I feel it is against my rights for any doctor to withhold the opportunity for the CCSVI testing and treatment. I should not have to “beg” just to be tested. I have the right to be tested in Canada at the closest facility, now.

Based on your recent public actions against the introduction of the CCSVI testing and treatment, it appears that you are unwilling to explore any of the recent studies which lie outside your realm of research (studies which if proved reliable might harm your relationship with pharmaceutical companies). You appear to adamantly oppose suggestions from other legitimate areas of MS research.

Your main focus appears to be on a drug cure for MS which is all well and good but I feel your main focus should be on the patients who come to you for care – for attention to their symptoms, for how current research can be applied to their condition and, if there is nothing at present that would be of help, at the very least for some consideration, compassion, encouragement, regular follow-up and, the most important thing – hope!

If I am tested and it is found that the CCSVI treatment will not help me – WELL AT LEAST I TRIED! I don’t think you realize what it is like when your “specialist” takes away what is likely the last “glimmer of hope” I have for possible improvement in my MS condition.
When I first began treatment with you, I was under the understanding that you were a leader in multiple sclerosis (MS) research. I completed a reasonably lengthy clinical trial under your care. I duly attended all scheduled procedures and appointments but when my “follow-up” period ended, I suddenly became of no use to you. I was made increasingly more aware of this when our scheduled appointments became vague, repetitive and not “routinely scheduled”. There was a definite disinterest on your part when I enquired about other drug treatments and therapies and you showed no interest in guiding me at all.

Following the clinical trial you classified me as a primary progressive MS patient and as a PPMS patient I was left “high & dry” to just slowly progress, without hope. As a PPMS patient I was no longer eligible for future clinical trials and, as I said, no longer useful to you. There was very little interest in following up on my health and my condition.

In January of 2009, I found out that I should have been seen by you 6 months before that time and then it took at least another 8 months to get in to see you. At the appointment prior to January of 2009, I was not told to call and set up a follow-up appointment for a certain length of time - or I would have.

With regard to the current CCSVI possibility many do not accept your clinical trial theories. A significant correlation between CCSVI and MS has been established by other researchers. By accepting clinical trials as a necessity prior to treatment, you are dooming large scale testing for ten years - and then treatment availability for another ten years. That is totally unacceptable!

I fail to see why you are so against the CCSVI testing. The testing and subsequent treatment, if required, are non-invasive and no way near as harmful as the application of some of the drug therapies tried in the past or stem cell treatment. If you can’t support the current research I wish you would stop what appears to me to be throwing childish temper tantrums and step aside! The CCSVI testing can be done during the other types of treatment and no-one is recommending that current treatments be stopped while investigating this other hopeful avenue. What is the problem???? “When you are constipated you get a laxative or an enema not a clinical trial”.

Through “specialist” designations, and I presume the years of research you and other like-minded doctors put in, you collectively tend to act “god-like” and act as though you “own” my life and my MS. I am not “owned” by anyone and I have a right to request and receive any legitimate non-harmful testing and treatment available even if it is against the current direction of your specific type of medicinal practice.

Denying access to the latest innovative testing and possible treatment is significantly prolonging the suffering of MS patients. It is unconscionable to deny MS sufferers access to testing and, if warranted, such a simple, non-drug treatment.

Currently we are only asking for exploration into the testing for CCSVI andthat it is recognized by the healthcare system. This new research and treatment cannot be stopped. MS patients world-wide have spoken out and are being heard. We are human beings, not numbers or statistics, and we deserve to live life to our best advantage – not left to ‘just exist’! Many MS sufferers believe that, as in many other cases in today’s society, our “illness” and the drug treatment thereof is monetarily worth more to some elements of our society than our health. It is time to look out for the best interests of the public (individuals – you and me) and not the huge corporations.

Thankfully, to live with this disease, a person must be strong and determined. Those same qualities have pushed testing for CCSVI further and faster than if we left it solely up to the medical community.

Although you are indeed a powerful presence in the MS world, it is my very life at stake here and that makes me a lot more determined to be tested for CCSVI and possibly treated.

If you are not willing to reconsider your former position and provide the requisitions and directions for the CCSVI testing for me, then I feel you are not looking out for my best interests and I have no further need of your services and in which case I am hereby cancelling the appointment scheduled for August 16th, 2010 @ 3:00 pm.

Sincerely,

Ms. Christine B*****

CC: Canadian Medical Association
Office of Ethics, Professionalism and International Affairs
1867 Alta Vista Drive
Ottawa ON
K1G 5W8

Christin B.

March 5. 2010 22:00

all you doctors wake up...ccsvi works, once you get over that then we can concentrate on making it work even better.you should count on how many lives you can save and not count on how much money you can make.

tazz

March 5. 2010 22:25

Why why...is it so hard for people to understand the desperate nature of this disease? .. this article is completely void of compassion...." running before we can crawl " .. what were you thinking? We wake up every single morning wondering what the day might bring.. no..we are not uneducated and in need of hand holding.. we are 1.5 million strong and WE are shouting out to you.. THIS MAKES SENSE!!! .. all the symptoms we share that have, in the past, been ignored.. FIT!.. the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place..please listen to us... !! CTV was pinnacle in bringing this research to us... please please do not close that door!! Objectivity can be relayed in a much more positive light. Simply pointing out that, yes, there are risks is enough. You might want to check the suicide rate in the MS community and compare this to your 6% math....and why did you not add those liberated elsewhere in this math? I look forward to the day that all this foolishness is behind us and like all those who have already commented.. I too will, not run or crawl, but LEAP at a chance to be liberated!

pCakes

March 6. 2010 00:55

I believe we will need to march on Ottawa and on every capital of every province. We will be heard. We need testing today, all of us suffering from MS. Then treatment. Doctors should be getting training, not doing studies. The proof and "studies" will happen as we are treated. Now that would be cost saving and time saving and producing miracles all at the same time!!!

Bev

March 6. 2010 00:57

Christin B., thank you for sharing your BRILLIANT LETTER!!! Just BRILLIANT!!! Bravo!! You have spoken for ALL of us!!! Thank you again.....b

Bev

March 6. 2010 01:08

Many people with MS are on the Drug Tysabri for MS. 15 people or more have died from a brain infection caused by this drug. People getting stem cell treatment for MS have a 10% chance of dying as a result of the procedure. People with MS are willing to take a risk to stop or slow down the deterioration of this horrible disease. This research is going to take forever because of lack of funds and the turf wars of doctors and the greed of pharmaceuical companies. People with MS don't have the luxury of time. I have read the honesty of the blogs of people who have had the liberation procedure. I spoke with one women, her double vision went away, her bladder control came back and her fatigue lifted. Her left internal jugular vein was completely blocked by a membrane and her vein was liberated in Poland. The first two symptom changes cannot be described as placebo effects. Neither of the disease modifying drugs that I have been on ever reversed any symptoms.

LW

March 6. 2010 01:42

Recently I have been diagnosed with MS. I was shocked and in disbelieve, had a very hard time adjusting to this new reality. Then the anger took over, I spend days and nights researching, studding the symptoms, forms of MS, drugs. Had a visit at the local MS clinic where I spent 6 hours mostly in hallways and waiting rooms to be told that to qualify for treatment I have to have another relapse, to confirm the severity of my case or....???
I was also told I needed MRI which the receptionist was going to arrange for me; have not heard from her yet. It is now 5 months since the diagnosis, and really if not my family doctor, I wouldn’t have any help. As I mentioned before, I did lots of MS research and like most of MS-esers discovered Dr. Zamboni and his CCSVI theory. I told my doctor about the "new kid on the block" and supplied her with copies of my research.
Having her on my side helped me tremendously, as not only that I felt very louse physically I also was an emotional mess. I knew she was leaving for 2 weeks vacation, but she ensured me if help needed I would be able to see a doctor who will cover her absence. UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME I WENT TO SEE THE "REPLACEMENT”. I just found out that False Creek Surgical Clinic will be hosting Dr. Simka from Poland who like Dr. Zamboni specializes in CCSVI and "Liberation Treatment" He was here to observe the Doppler tests done on Canadian patients with MS. I begged the girls at the clinic to give me an appointment on that day (they were just wonderful, sympathetic and kind). The only thing I needed was a referral from my family doctor and a blood test before MRV . Feeling ecstatic I run to my doctor's office for a referral. I was booked with the "replacement" doctor, introduced myself, told her about my condition, asked for the referral; AND TO MY ASTONISHMENT I WAS REFUSED.
DR. BEVERLEY LEE-CHAN gave me few very lame excuses like: she is not in a position to supply me with such referral because she was not sure who was going to follow up on the results (da, my family doctor would), and that the facility was a private clinic. She also refused to give me requisition for blood work. The stress was so severe that I got myself the MS Hug, could not bread or move, left the office crying and devastated. My Doppler test day was not going to happen because of a doctor who could not care less about me.
I did have my Doppler and MRV only because my family doctor cared enough to help me to speed up the necessary blood test, and gave me the referral to take to the FC clinic on the day of my appointment. I know now that I have problems with my veins and would benefit from the treatment. I don’t know when but I will go to Poland to help myself to live a better life. I think my biggest responsibility at the moment is to take care of myself to avoid being a burden on others. My wish is to have the Liberation Treatment done in Canada, but judging the local attitude and the lack of funds it will not happen soon, and I need help now before the life in a wheelchair happens .

Jenna M

March 6. 2010 10:51

I agree that you need to take a more compassionate approach in your article. Remember that some people feel they have nothing to lose with this disease. There have been complications with a couple of people, but isn't there with ANY procedure? I am all for proving it works and doing the proper tests before using people as guinea pigs, but it does seem to help a lot of people based on reports.

Kathy

March 6. 2010 10:58

I wish you all the best Jenna. Can you go to a Walk-In Clinic to get a referral there? Hopefully the treatment options for MS patients in Canada will improve SOON. We won't know if it works unless doctors are willing to take a risk with the procedure and have an open mind to it. Is there an MS support group where you could go for advice? God bless and please accept a hug from me.

Kathy

March 6. 2010 11:13

Why are we getting worked up by an Oncologists view of a vascular problem?
An Oncologist by the way, I hope never gets the chance to treat me or anyone I know for anything. He is a ray of sunshine.
Angioplasty is used to fix all sorts of everyday malady's. Common surgery, that may help MS sufferers relieve or stop progression.
Dr Brandes, you should review stomach ulcers. I believe the story is going to end in a very similar fashion.

It is called hope

Brian

March 6. 2010 11:51

I was considering novantrone for ms treatment then was diagnosised with cancer. My oncologist thankfully advised against because of potential negative effect to the heart . While working to get treatment for ccsvi I vigorously engage the universally accepted natural process of brain plasticity and muscle memory with physical training. Having MS for over 35 years I know this not a cure but has significantly improved my ability to manage. At 61 years old having MS the better part of my life I have learned that I can still build strength, stamina, and muscle. Contact me if your interested in further discussion.

Art Goldberg

March 6. 2010 13:00

Commenting in this section: Desperate, vulnerable people who don't understand the science or the risks and are letting their emotional reactions loose on a Dr. who spent years in medical school and then further years in clinical practice. Did any of you put in the years of hard work and education that Dr. Brandes did? How dare you criticize him and make insinuations about his motivations! How dare you claim he is in the pocket of drug companies! If this man wanted to make money, there were far easier ways to do so than becoming a doctor. Many of you have stated that 'I'm informed and I know the risks' - do you really? Have you ever studied what vascular surgery entails (and I'm not talking about on the internet on some cheesy health website)? You are aware that there is no proof this treatment works at all yet? Perhaps Dr. Brandes is urging caution because no one is sure that this 'treatment' even works and he is trying to prevent vulnerable, emotional and desperate people from undergoing a possibly dangerous procedure that probably won't do a thing for them.

This being said, Dr. Brandes, this is what you get for stoking the fires months ago with your article about the 'liberation' treatment being new and exciting...and also insinuating that those against this 'new treatment' were in the back pocket of 'big pharma'.

A nurse who works with hard working doctors.

March 6. 2010 14:26

To "A nurse who works with hard working doctors". Thank you for your emotional insight on the plight of our hard working doctors. I, like many others have not discounted the work that has gone into becoming a doctor or a nurse. I do not claim that reading posts on the internet is any way close to the knowledge you nurses and Doctors have.

Please do not take a condescending stance with MS patients. Many of us DO know more about CCSVI than our GP's and neuros right now, unfortunately. What is it going to take to get the medics up to speed with CCSVI? How can we even address that question when doors are being slammed in our faces daily? My GP seems intrigued by CCSVI and has asked me to fwd him any info I get on the subject. I have been doing so and have found that the attitude of my GP's staff towards me is appaling. I get the eye rolling and change of tone of voice when they find out it's me calling on the phone.

I am curious why you state in your post that this "possibly dangerous procedure that probably wont do a thing". Have YOU actually read Zamboni's study or the research results at BNAC? Or are you just parrotting some ignorant neuro or GP that is too jaded to think outside of the box?

Studies for CCSVI are going on all over the world. It is a marvelous occurance for us MS'ers and should be embraced by all in the medical profession as a new theory to learn about. Please, if you're not too jaded, and still care for the people you get paid to look after, please look into the research with an open mind.

Ginger

March 6. 2010 14:50

With most men, unbelief in one thing springs from blind belief in another.” - Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799)

Ginger

March 6. 2010 16:19

@Nurse who works with hard-working doctors.

You know, I used to be a School Principal who worked with hard working teachers....until MS robbed my life. I`ve seen the life of sacrifice that many doctors have made, and have personally benefited from great nursing care through my MS clinic.

However, to be accused of being desperate and vulnerable is somewhat insulting, and I beg to differ. My wife is a University Professor, and we discuss all options and weigh the pros and cons of every new treatment that I have taken. We discussed Copaxone, then Rebif, then Mitoxantrone. We even looked into plasma exchange and bone marrow transplant when our neurologist offered these possibilities.

Since the advent of the internet, one of the biggest challenges is to sort through the garbage, and hone in on what information is considered somewhat reliable. When you think about it, and go back through your MS history books, even the medical professionals have disagreed on what MS really is. I know I`m not saying anything ground-breaking when I state that not even our present day neurologists understand the full mechanism of MS, where it comes from. We have theories, and yes they are just theories. We have some insight into the nature of the disease, but honestly they don`t really know the origins of MS. Is it environmental, is it caused by food allergies, is it the auto-immune response gone wrong ? Who knows ! You sure don`t, neither does your doctor, and neither do I !

Even Teva Neuroscience states in their information " How does COPAXONE® work in my body? COPAXONE® is a unique therapy that is thought to work both outside and inside the central nervous system (CNS) to fight damage to the nervous system.3-5 Click here to read more about the effects of multiple sclerosis.

COPAXONE® is believed to change the way your immune system reacts to MS by preventing harmful cells from developing and by stimulating beneficial cells in your body. These “good” COPAXONE®-activated cells then enter the CNS and help reduce damage at the site of lesions.3"

So the "....IS THOUGHT TO WORK..." and "IS BELIEVED TO CHANGE" are far from indicators that neurologists understand the nature of MS. Oh, and by the way, I don`t get my information from "cheesy web sites".....this is directly taken from Teva Neuroscience link in their own words....I have not modified an iota of information.

Apart from that, if you read my previous post, you will realise that ALL of the medical information that I gave, came directly from the horses mouth.....REAL DOCTORS, REAL INTERVENTIONAL NEUROLOGISTS. So any afterthought of the "cheesy websites" is blown away here, Ms nurse who cares.

I am however saddened that this issue is starting to divide the medical community. My big sister, who is also a specialised nurse in rehabilitation, works with many MS patients. She too has MS, though a more benign form of the disease. She too believes whole heartidly in this theory, as do many of her colleagues.

Too bad that you feel you have to defend doctors who change their minds on the issues, as is clearly the case for

Chris

March 6. 2010 16:23

....as is clearly the case for Dr. Brandes.

Chris

March 6. 2010 18:40

To me it simply comes down to what the current science is telling us. The Buffalo data say, beyond a reasonable doubt, that CCSVI is part of the MS disease process and that if you have CCSVI you will progress farther and faster. So if you have MS and are progressing do you:
1) Wait 5-10 years before proper trials say yes relief of CCSVI is of value. This would also entail gambling that your MS has not progressed so far that CCSVI relief will still make a big differerence.
2)Get tested and treated in reliable facilities and take a chance that you won't have a SAE. Remember there have been numerous other CCSVI relief operations with stents in other countires such as Poland with no SAEs.
If it was me, I would certainly go for option 2. One only has to go to a long term disability hospital, where there are floors of MS patients, to see why option 2 is the better choice.
I hope Dr Brandes, whose opinion I greatly respect, will read the Precautionary Principle and perhaps return to his opinion of last month which was "I strongly advise that patients wishing to have their veins tested, and an unblocking procedure performed, should do so only in approved clinical trials that are properly designed to insure their safety and provide an accurate assessment of efficacy."

Ashton

March 6. 2010 20:33

I just came from a two month stay at a care facility due to my MS and am so grateful to be home... there was talk of me going into long term care there but I fought like hell to get back home. I would rather die than end up in that place, so option 2 is the one for me!!! It is my body and my life. I would rather take the chance.

Dr. Embry has already responded to the Annals of Neurology paper (awhile ago) and to the Nurse who cares so much, I too used to work very hard before MS took that ability away. I get very angry and frustrated by people like you who accuse us of being emotional and getting our information from cheesy websites. Of COURSE I am emotional, this is MY LIFE on the line. And I get most of my information from real people and real doctors, and I won't be stopping anytime soon. I'm going to be tested next month and if I have CCSVI, which I don't doubt I do, I will do whatever I have to do and go wherever I have to go to get treatment. Even relieving a few symptoms would make it worth it.

Donna

March 6. 2010 21:02

I cant believe we, the majority of MS suffers are still waiting for this proven treatment to go ahead! In the least, testing for blocked veins! My opinion is; if all the Dr's looked outside the box for once we wouldn't have spent half the amount of money we have to date for research!
I believe Dr's like this should tie a towel around their throats tighter every day until they become deatly ill or paralyzed in order so they can get off there ass's and stop thinking inside the box. perhaps if they were to experience our anticipation in hopes that we may at least if not stop the progression of MS IN OUR BODIES OR ATLEAST SLOW IT DOWN!
I bet they would all work faster and make it happen!
Come on really!!! how long ago has the medical community known about the fantaststic results of this so called new finding and why argue about things we can look at researching later,especially now that they ahve conducted a large scle study in BUFFALO.
Like who cares!! what comes first the chicken or the egg!
If it helps lets fastrack this and at least test ALL MS patients if they have this condition so we dont have to suffer not knowing and hoping we do or dont have this condition.
ALL MS SUFFERS CLOCKS ARE TICKING!!! I ALSO BELIEVE THE MAJORITY ARE WILLING TO TAKE THEASE RISKS
MAKE testing happen tomorrow.......NOT BRUSH IT OFF TO SAVE JOBS, AND KEEP THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES IN BUSINESS BENEFITING FROM THE ILNESS OF OTHERS!!

jcirillo

March 6. 2010 23:27

Thank you Christine B for letting us read your letter, truly inspiring. I had thought Dr.Brandes posts were worth following, well up until this one. I wonder too what has made his tone change from fair to condescending. Someone/thing has exerted some negative influence. We are not so stupid.
In my experience, having my neuro consider CCSVI is laughable. He outrighted stated he did not care about many of my normal MS questions, (whether own anything related to CCSVI). To quote... he only cared there were lesions, and even if there wasn't, he'd still tell me I have MS. End of Appt. and escort to the door. Yes this is how he as a professional acts... my 15min appt to collect his fee was over. Who cares... he didn't. I'll never be going back to him or the likes of him. Without provocation, he wanted me to just 'be stupid' and accept his almighty word. No thanks.
No doubt, I am not the only one dealing with a wanna-be-god. Any wonder we are sick of leaving our fates to the so called professionals? We are out of time, money and patience, so get out of our way so we can be our own advocates!

michellep

March 7. 2010 03:38

I do not believe that anywhere in Dr. Brandes' blog did he try to deny anyone the right or the ability to determine their own choice of treatment. On the contrary, here (and in his previous blogs) he has tried to clearly and fairly present both sides of the issue so that those wishing to have the unblocking procedure have a clearer picture of the risks involved. To have done otherwise would not only have been a disservice to those affected by MS but would also fly in the face of what should be responsible and unbiased reporting on an important issue.

Mikki

March 7. 2010 14:17

It is refreshing when 'experts' add comments to our sites.. living with MS tends to build up a bit of mental stress. As stress is bad..and humour is good..you allow us an opportunity to offload and upload..but this is just my 'desperate, vulnerable and lacking in knowledge' opinion.. i will respect anyone who offers me the same courtesy..

pb

March 7. 2010 22:28

I am writing this in response to the many comments that have been posted here in regards to the CCSVI and the " Liberation Treatment" ! I as a fellow MS suffer who not only has it herself but has LIVED with it all of my life due to the fact that I am the 9th person in my family to have it, am disgusted at the treatment you are giving the specialists and nurses who look after us in such a caring way during our illness!! Do you really blame them to urge caution in something that is still new and untested? Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea to possibly finding a cause/cure for MS, but HOW are we to know WHAT actually worked for the patients Dr. Zamboni treated?! In his research NOTHING is mentioned whether the patients were under any other treatment at the time of the CCSVI reversal , what stage of the MS the patients were in at the time of the reversal or any of the many other factors that were involved , such as the length of time the patients were observed/studied. To see everyone mention that "MS ROBBED MY LIFE" or that "MS HAS TAKEN MY LIFE" really ticks me off!!! How many of you are going to get off your defeatist asses and poor-me attitudes and start realizing that it hasn't taken you!? If you can get upset at comments made on websites and make comments such as what has been written above then it's about time you started taking that same attitude towards the MS and fighting and believing that YOU HAVE MS, IT DOES NOT HAVE YOU!!
Start looking at life in a positive way and what you are still able to do , thinking that you are HANDIABLED not HANDICAPPED! and you'll be ammazed at what you actually achieve in life! As I've stated earlier , I HAVE MS and am in the secondary-progressive with constant relapse stage. I am also currently on the mitoxantrone treatment. I have also been part of 4 different clinical trials in order to help those who are still in the early stages of this disease. I have spoken with my specialists about being tested for the CCSVI but also have questions about this whole thing , same as they do. I don't blame them for being cautious until such time as more information is available.
I wish to congratulate those who have the courage to go thru with the testing and treatment and wish them luck, but please whatever happens DO NOT use the poor me attitutude when it comes to MS as that kind of attitude does nothing for you in regards to the depression that comes with MS and any other DISEASE or CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION. Until such time as people start realizing that that kind of attitude does nothing for anyone and start taking steps to be PROACTIVE in their own health , be it emotional or physical, nothing can help.

Michelle

March 8. 2010 01:40

Michelle from Canada,

I find your post most intriguing. I too have MS, secondary progressive. On one hand I can qualitfy the statement that MS HAS INDEED ROBBED MY LIFE, of what I had hoped to accomplish. In the early stages, life was still OK. I suppose that part of the frustration came when I had to sit on the sidelines and watch my young children play football (soccer in North America), while all of the other dads practiced with their little Johny. I've always accepted the fact that there wasn't really anything I could do about it, and I'm not bitter. When people state, that MS has robbed their life, I think that they are referring to the fact that the could not reach their full potential. It's true that there are many options, and I think that we all become specialists in adapting to every new situation. In that sense, MS is a great teacher....but unfortunately it has forced me to learn things that I didn't really expect to have to learn in my 20s and 30s.

It's funny, I read the posts, and much of what was previously said seemed to be quite factual....though maybe it could have been stated with a little more tact. I guess it's just an emotional issue for many, and justly so. The post about the lady who fired her doctor was quite amusing, yet I can understand her frustration.....it seems like when she needed her neuro the most, he was not there for her.

I also read the articles that people referred to by the doctor who authored this report. You have to admit that it is somewhat strange that he had a "change of heart" like was mentioned in a previous post.

As for those who are suggestive of "conspiracy theories", well people like that will always exist - so take them or leave them. Maybe there is a little truth to their paranoia.

I've always had a great relationship with my doctors and nurses, and I take their advice as simple suggestions at how I am to live with MS. When it comes down to it, I make the choices as to what therapy I use or don't use.

As for the play on semantics, I personally find the word HANDIABLED a little "cheesy" in the words of the nurse in one of the messages. Though others look at me and feel pity, and consider me "handicaped", I don't feel handicaped, even though I walk with a cane, and use a chair for greater distances when I'm too tired. I manage the energy that I have with what I am able to do.

I know about 15-20 people in my close circle of friends with MS, and I would say that almost all of them are proactive. In fact, you are encouraging people to be proactive, and they seem to be....they want testing, and they want to get better. Their frustration is coming from a system that pushes them down, and says "no....you can't get tested." I don't really know where I stand on these issues, as I haven't studied this enough to develop an informed opinion. Yet, it's funny, the people with MS post comments that are based on their frustration, and the nurse sounds even more emotional than the frustrated people with MS.

The lady Ginger seems to know more about CCSVI than my own family doctor. I discussed it with her briefly just a couple weeks ago, and she knew nothing of it. I was amazed that so much media atttention has been given to this matter, and my doctor knew nothing of it. On the other hand it's true that a doctor can not possibly keep up on all of the information for every disease and patient that he or she treats.

To sum it all up, and with all due respect, I found many of the messages on this forum quite emotionally charged, as people who are ill with this nasty disease are truly dumbfounded that they are being treated like children in a sense. Their anger is aimed at a system that doesn't seem to want to work with them. I understand that. I found your post more judgemental to MS patients than many of the other ones. Why would you bash your fellow MS community and accuse them of having the "poor me" attitude. I've had days when I felt like this was an unfortunate situation, but most days I'm fairly happy and I get by just fine.

I'm glad that you are managing quite well, but lots of people with MS have less than a desirable life....many end up alone, their future is more uncertain than if they didn't have MS, they are fed up with the meds and being guinea pigs in clinical trials. This is an honorable thing to want to help future generations of MS patients have a better quality of life, but you can't possible say that you don't mind living with MS ! I don't know anyone with MS including myself that enjoys the meds or the trials or the uncertainty.

The last point I would like to raise in my long-winded reply, is "Why is it such a bad thing for MS patients to call into question their doctor's or nurse's opinion ?" You are obviously a well-read person, so please don't say that you take your docs words as gospel ! I grew up in Europe, and the way medicine was practiced there is very different from the way it is practiced in North America. I always worked with my doctors, who would often suggest alternative treatments. I haven't seen this in North America where most doctors overprescribe prescription medication, thus simply putting a band-aid on a larger problem. I find it interesting that the people intersted in treating CCSVI are not the North American doctors who rely heavily on medication to treat ailments such as MS, and that the areas of the world where they are willing to try other methods to offer relief and healing to their patients are not in the Americas. Why is this do you think ? Maybe there is a slight chance that there is a "tiny" bit of truth to some of the pervasive conspiracy theories.

Well enough said. Best of luck to you, and to everyone getting tested and or treated for CCSVI.

Living well though I"m limited

March 8. 2010 06:02

Point of no return huh? should I end it now then? Too Hard Basket is an oh-so-familiar place for me, i have NOTHING left, and your 'no return' comment hit very hard......you're disgustingly insensitive.

Friday

March 8. 2010 10:26

Friday - I get your point,and it`s true that this comment was disgustingly insensitive. Just goes to show you the lack of bedside manners some doctors have.

On another note - didn`t anybody notice that the lady died probably as a reaction do the blood thinner that she was given. May have had nothing to do with the stent procedure, yet they're using that as a fear-mongering tactic to scare us off. Almost as pathetic as the nurse trying to defend her "caring" boss ! Anyway, he says it himself (Dr. Brandes) "While an autopsy did not reveal an anatomical cause of the hemorrhage, THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT BEING ON COUMADIN...contributed to, the fatal bleeding." So the way I see it, it`s not the procedure, it`s the meds !

Cane Toad Aussie

March 9. 2010 02:40

GO the Toadster!! lol

Notice to all 'specialists' - LISTEN and learn humility

Notice to researchers - when will you admit you are wasting time, grants and donation money and you're results are just a futile dead end, year after year, as is the poor lab mice's journey on that wheel?

Friday

March 9. 2010 03:51

Only people who suffer from the dreadful disease of MS can fully understand the physical and emotional effects on the patients and their families.
Even when I try to describe my symptoms to my neurologist or MS nurse they do not fully understand.
I would like my life back as it was - I would like to go for a walk on the beach, browse around a store and do normal everyday activities that fully able people take for granted, without constant pain.
I would like to jump around, dance, skip and run. These may be dreams.
I was forced to retire from my role as a Head of Department in a large Comprehensive School. I attempted to carry on working through the pain for three years, until my body went into complete collapse.
I had a big life - where I influenced the next generation. Now my life is small as is my sense of worth to the community.
Surely in the light of these feelings any intervention - of any kind - that has a chance of restoring some of my former life abilities is worth ANY risk!

Ang

March 19. 2010 14:08

It has been known for some time that stanford was going to come out with a study stating MS patiients will die from this treatment, what is lacking from this doctors own opinion is who funded this study? Was it a joint funding for example the Neurologist community with the makers of the injectable drugs like beta seron, copaxone, rebif ect? I bet they partially or fully funded this.

I found it interesting that a neuro here in saskatoon is warning family doctors to tell there patients to not even get tested...why is that?

This deserves to be looked into and we deserve to be informed of the TRUE facts from both sides mind you I am not much interested in the bought and paid for studies from the neuro's who are in bed with the drug makers. However I would keep an open mind if they divulge to the public who funded there studies.

Just remember everyone what others have done to get scientific studies published in there favor....

So I am for Zamboni and Buffalo doing there studies to determine how many of us has blocked veins that does not hurt anyone to find out and that is what others are worried about coming out, so they are going to focus in on a few deaths that is tragic to scare us out of being checked. Those people had the stents put in and I would not prematurely do that part but I will find out if I have blocked veins and the more of us who do can let put pressure on the medical community to do there jobs for the patient and not the makers of a drug.

sandra hunt

March 21. 2010 01:48

There are so many people leaving the country for CCSVI related procedures that soon Dr. Brandes and other doctors that want people that are suffering to wait will have their next public concern be that any reports of benefits will be anecdotal.

To those that get the treatment and get any relief... they could care less what some doctors say. And actual relief trumps theory and speculation every time.

Do It Now

May 23. 2010 11:43

Hello,

I have M.S.. I will leave the country to pay for treatment at any clinic that has studied the vein selection procedure with Dr. Zamboni. Dr. Zamboni has a painstakingly developed fussy procedure for evaluation narrowed viens and selecting the most useful ones to be treated. He has equipement, which is made in Italy, that enhances the ultrasound readings of veins and removes background noise of arterial pulses. Canadian researchers are not yet able to get this equipment into Canada because it doesn't meet some aspets of Canadian electrical code. Canadian researchers want this equipment and want to reprodcude Zambonis methods exactly in their studies.

The University of Buffalo studied with Dr. Zamboni and chose to modify Dr. Zamboni's procedure and got very different results than Dr. Zamboni, showing 65% of M/S. patients have narrowed veins instead of the 90-100% that Dr . Zamboni did. They knew Dr. Zamboni's method and chose to change it.

Clinics in Poland and India have not even studied with Dr. Zamboni. If they cared about us, they would do that before taking our money for a "best guess" type of treatment. I will not pay thousands of dollars to travel and to pay for treatment at a clinic that has not studied with Dr. Zamboni. These clinics may perform safe procedures, but they don't have the know-how to do select the optimum veins for treatment. I don't want to come away feeling a little better after paying that much money, I want to come away with the maximum benefit I can acheive.

People coming back from Poland and then reporting that all they have is improvement in fatigue , rather than an overall improvement in major symptoms are doing all of us a disservice. They are making it look like Dr. Zamboni's treatment for M.S. is no good. They are discouraging doctors, the public, the goverment and donors to M.S. .

When people go overseas for treatment and come back to report the outcome., please let them not forget to mention that they chose to be treated at a clinic that has not studied with Dr. Zamboni and clinics that are using a "best guess" method of treatment that they have come up within a year to make money, instead of the treatment that Dr. Zamboni has developed over perhaps a decade.

I want to be evaluated and treated today too. No one wants it as bad as I do, but I want it done by someone who is doing the proper Zamboni procedure. I want the best results I can get. I don't want to walk away depressed and with an empty wallet because all I get was shoddy job done.

Let's lobby the goverment to fund treatment at home to have done right away here! Here at home in Canada! Let 's get money for our own universities to be able to take hundreds of patients , begin the studies and have it done at home, safely, accurately and for free!

The M.S. Society has already taken our money and sent it to the U.S. . Our universities are getting a reduction in patient numbers to study because of this.

So we need to do some work on our own now. Write your M.P.., send letters to your local newspapers, get any reporter you can find on radio or t.v. and let it be known that Canadian centers want to study this treament the proper way. So far, it seems no one else has besides Dr.Zamboni.

Karen
thanks,
Karen

Karen Walker

June 4. 2010 20:06

Dr Zamboni did & does not use stents because he thinks they are unsafe , so the Stanford experience with stents is no reason to poo-poo the procedure.

There is more than one good way to study this. The placebo -controlled study is good, but researchers can also treat and then follow patients, document and gather information. Yes, that is an actual method of designing a study! It is one of several valid methods of designing studies.

Treating and documenting is the best way now . We already have overwhelming evidence that the procedure can help people. . Yes, anecdotes are a form of evidence... and when you get hundreds of them, they aren't anecdotes anymore.

The words that come out of a patient's mouth about how they feel are actually worth something. They are the most important thing in medicine and so many doctors seem to forget that. It is as if once we become patients we are thought to become unreliable in what we say.. whereas in any other area of our lives our descriptions of our experiences are valuable.

Placebo effects don't make paralyzed people walk. They don't last forever, either. Following patients over time is another way to rule out the placebo effect.

We want to be treated without stents, have our signs, symptoms, MRI scans studied. Then, when it is shown to a higher level of satisfaction, stents can be developed that are appropriate for veins.

Thanks,
Elaine

Karen Walker

August 1. 2010 23:55

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replica watches

June 5. 2011 13:11

I have MS and would like 2 know when the liberation treament will be done IN CANADA.
And if it is done here then where is this being done IN CANADA
FOLLOW















THE money

beagates

June 10. 2011 00:12

Whether the vested interests in the medical and drug communities really want a cure
Is there a conspiracy to keep Canadians sick?
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- Bill McIntyre Thursday, May 6, 2010
I have never considered myself to be a conspiracy theorist but recent activities involving health officials and organizations supposedly dedicated to the curing of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and cancer have given me cause to think maybe I’m wrong.



A CTV report involving the coverage of protests by MS sufferers who are being denied what is called the Liberation Treatment in Canada, using an Italian discovery by Italian vascular surgeon Dr. Paolo Zamboni that is helping patients in that country made me sick.

I guess the Canadian medical establishment considers him a quack or something. Maybe they think he’s a hockey player or rink rat because of his name.

The treatment I am referring to involves the opening of constricted arteries in the necks of MS sufferers that has been shown to dramatically ease or eliminate the symptoms of the disease.

Enter Health Canada, or should that be renamed Sickness Canada, and various medical groups arrogantly proclaiming that several years of testing need to be done. Really? I wonder what they would be saying if they were afflicted with MS or their mothers or fathers or brothers or sisters were suffering from it. They would be on flights to Italy immediately if not sooner.

In any event enter Dr. Yves Lamontagne of the College of Physicians in Quebec who told CTV Montreal. “Wait a bit, try some conventional treatment, and if in a year or two or six months we have full proof that this is miraculous, of course we would do it.” Hey doc, conventional treatments apparently don’t work. But then he or his mother obviously don’t have MS.

This made me wonder whether the vested interests in the medical and drug communities really want a cure. After all, what would they do without their MS patients? And what if all these people no longer needed their ineffective drugs? My god, drug companies would lose profits.

As I watched this newscast I couldn’t help but think that the Canadian medical establishment would rather see people suffering than giving them an opportunity for hope and normalcy.

Applying the same logic (I am sure the medical professionals would call it illogic) what about other diseases? There are a large number of people in Canada, and I suppose the U.S., who believes a cure for cancer has been around for a long time but is being suppressed. You can compare it to the auto and oil industries suppressing the 100-mile-per-gallon carburetor technology. In light of this MS situation, it would not surprise me.

Did you know there are more people in the world making money off cancer than the numbers of people who have various forms of the disease? Can you imagine how many billions of dollars are spent on “research” each year with no sign of cures on the horizon? Cancer and other diseases are money machines built on the suffering and corpses of their victims.

Recently I tried to research how much money is spent on cancer research each year around the world. Let me tell you that getting an answer is absolutely impossible. I have never seen such a confusing, misleading and outright obscure bunch of statistics on the web as those I found in my research.

In short, you cannot get an answer because the medical and drug establishments don’t want you to get an answer.

Think about it. Cancer fund raising and so-called research have to be one of the largest businesses in the world. There are branches in every country, labs everywhere, scientists galore (making a pretty good living thank you very much) and fund-raising parasites who don’t want to work themselves out of a job.

Meanwhile CTV reported that later this week, representatives of the MS Society of Canada, including its president, Yves Savoie, will be on Parliament Hill, speaking before the Commons Subcommittee on Neurological Disease, part of the Standing Committee on Health, to request more money from the federal government for further studies on CCSVI..

Now isn’t that nice? They want more studies and, of course, more money. Why not send some MS patients to Dr. Zamboni so he can perform the surgery then see what happens? I guess that just makes too much sense and would deprive the MS Society of more cash for its executives.

Consider the institutions kept alive by cancer. There are clinics, testing labs, hospitals, doctors, nurses, administrators, equipment manufacturers, drug makers, event organizers and on and on and on. All these people make their living off cancer.

Where then is the incentive to find a cure? In fact, where is the incentive to find a cure for any disease? Given the money involved, there isn’t one.

I believe that if the cancer research industry had 100 times as much money as they now have we would still be hearing the same old BS that cures are “just around the corner” or “we are extending the lives of cancer patients.”

It’s time we held all these people to account for their lack of results. It’s time for people to demand answers and its time for the cancer and related industries to be forced to come clean about where the money is really going.

It’s also time to tell the medical professionals to take their condescending, arrogant, pitiless attitudes and stuff them where the sun don’t shine.

Enough already.


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conspiracy to keep Canadians sick

REPORT THIS I DARE YOU!!!!!!!!

beagates