One Sick Mother

Yo-ho-ho...

...and a bottle of rum.

Make that two bottles, what the hey? I'm feeling very nautical today.

I have scurvy. 

OK, so it's not like me teeth are falling out and I am developing weeping rashes and hideous swelling (because that I would notice). But I have been drawn to watching Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and singing "Yo-ho, Yo Ho, a Pirate's life for me..."  But maybe that's just to prompt my young daughter to launch into her hilarious impersonation of Captain Jack Sparrow: "Oh baggah (bugger)"  No matter how many time I hear it, it cracks me up.  What can I say? I am one of those moms. Doting. That's me.

But seriously; from doting to dotage: I am clinically deficient in Vitamin C. Not low in it. Like not even on the scale in the first place. Technically, that's scurvy. (yo ho)

This can only happen to me.

Well, Dr. #25 called back with the results of my bloodwork and told me this news. "You need to take a supplement" he said.

"I take 1000 mg a day" was my reply.

That threw him. But only for a second. #25 recovers well. "Do you know what Vitamin C is essential for?" he asked. Actually, I didn't. I was thinking brain and myelin and such, but I know that is all B vitamins (I have had deficiencies there in the past). So it was his turn to throw me:

"Collagen."

OK. Now that actually is very interesting. More below on that one.

So then I asked "Does this explain my symptoms" The answer was immediate: "No". So it's basically another incidental finding. Bloody typical! Almost every doctor I have gone to see has diagnosed me with *something* and then gone on to say that the *something* -whatever it is, is not causing my main symptoms. I have been through B12 deficiency, B9 (folic acid) deficiency, asthma, ADHD, calcium deficiency, EDS, Syringomyelia, migraines, "ocular migraines" (Ha!), Reynaud's syndrome, and now Vitamin C deficiency.   ...But none of these explain the actual *problem* which is that I have fits. Although according to #25, I shouldn't discount the migraines. So I am footnoting that one in me head.

So collagen... Yes: I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a collagen problem in the first place, so have a Vitamin C deficiency is downright negligent on my part. Careless, even.  Except I was taking a supplement. I took a wee look at myself and did a bit of research. Maybe I wasn't absorbing the fake C from the supplement? It didn't seem that likely, but maybe..

I thought then maybe my diet is to blame? I don't eat much fruit, because I am hypoglycemic. However, what fruit I do eat (I eat berries and I drink orange juice) is high in Vitamin C. I eat lots of broccoli and some potatoes, both of which are good sources of C. I don't take any of the drugs that might cause C malabsorption or  deficiency, and I am not in any of the risk factor groups for deficiency, i.e. elderly, alcoholic or living in an institution.

Or a man with cancer.  Nor do I have Cohn's or Celiac Sprue.  OK I am sure about the celiac disease. I was tested for that one. I'm pretty sure about the other one too. my stomach is about the only part of me which gives very little trouble.

Well, this is why I love the Internet: I posted on one of the medical boards, and I found a woman with EDS who has problems absorbing and storing certain vitamins/minerals -including vitamin C..  HA! So I am not the only one! OK I am one of very few. but not the only one...   Hurray! I have a thread to follow. Because pioneering isn't all it's cracked up to be. I would like to be a follower for a change.  On this point only.

Yo ho.

Keeping to a Diet (again)

I'm supposed to keep to a very strict diet. Except I don't know exactly what it is. That's the tough part. I have reactive hypoglycemia, but that's not causing the fits. However diet seems to help them at a pretty fundamental level. I just can't figure out exactly what that is.

Way back, when "they" thought I had epilepsy" I tried "The Atkins diet for seizure" That helped some. I even lost weight! Except I was utterly exhausted all the time.

I tried switching to a hypoglycemic diet which involves removing all high Glycemic Index products and eating at least every three hours. I had a hard time with the eat-every-three hour thing. It jut feels like so much hassle to me. I had to carry food with me everywhere, I generally felt worse after eating, so I was afraid to go almost anywhere in case I had a fit. And I started to gain weight. I have gained 16lbs since starting that one.  And the fits have gotten worse, despite all my efforts. I don't know if it is because of the diet, or if they would have gotten worse anyway. I think the latter.

Most recently, I have been told to eat more salt (yes, really!). I have been indulging my passion for salt&vinegar potato chips on that one. Every single one of those little bastards has gone and applied himself directly to my arse.

And then it was Thanksgiving, and sugar snuck back onto the menu (the one thing I have been consistently very strict about is no sugar of any kind. Sugar is definitely my Kryptonite). So now I have to go back onto some kind of a strict diet. But I have no idea what, exactly. I know some of that I need to do. I need the:

no-sugar-high-protein-low-fat-high-salt-no-white-things-plenty-of-veggies-and-only-drink-water diet. It's boring as all hell.  Except it won't work exactly -I'll still have fits and it will probably make me tired. But I might lose some weight.

Moving Evidence?

There was an article in The Economist a few weeks ago, regarding a study performed by a University of Tokyo Professor in which he compared the activity and movements of healthy individuals against those of the clinically depressed. The study concluded that clinically depressed people move in patterns which are different enough to be statistically measurable and may indeed become diagnostic of clinical depression.

This study intrigued me, because it seemed to offer a lot of hope for people like me who have been accused of being depressed as opposed to being in actual pain. Now, Caroline recently wrote an excellent piece in her blog about the benefits of certain anti-depressants for pain treatment, which I had not considered. However, If you are a doctror, I would rather you call things as they are, and if one is prescribing anti-Ds for pain, then call it as such and don't try to tell a person they are depressed because you are out of ideas.

But then I got to thinking about that article, and read some other opinions about it. I found out that a lot of statistician and other geeky types didn't like the methodologies used in the first place. But nobody seemed to point out the big glaring omission in the report. It totally fails to take into account people with chronic pain or illness. I can guarantee you that a person with moderate or severe (say) Rheumatoid Arthritis is not going to be gamboling about like a lamb in springtime, no matter how happy they might be on the inside.

Can the movements of the chronically ill be shown to follow yet another pattern to those of the well are the clinically depressed? What if someone is both ill and depressed? And also, what about measuring the efficacy of anti-depressants? Have they tried measuring the movements of a depressed person who is being treated? because to me, that might be a real applicable use for this study -

...if they can iron out that whole "ill and in pain" wrinkle.

Links and references:

The Economist article:  http://economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9861412

Dr Yamamoto's site. http://www.p.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~yamamoto/yycve/yycve.html

You want the paper entitled Universal Scaling Law in Human Behavioral Organization, 

An analysis of Dr. Yamamoto's study, which I found interesting: http://chance.dartmouth.edu/chancewiki/index.php/Chance_News_30#Depressed_people_follow_a_different_power_law_distribution

Interesting discussion on a Comlumbia University site about Dr. Yamamoto's article: http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~cook/movabletype/archives/2007/10/something_cool.html

Carolines excellent piece about anti-D's for pain: http://chiariandsyringomyeliaincanada.blogspot.com/2007/11/anti-depressants-for-chronic-pain.html

On Going Public

Some of my friends and family expressed concern about this blog.

Not about my going public -kinda that, but not really. It was more about the tone and the name. Some have felt that I might empower my illness by writing so profusely about it. Some thought that referring myself as a "sick mother" might become my identity, and they saw that identity as a negative one. And yes, while being a "sick mother" in the literal sense of the term is not a good thing, I reserve the right to apply the concept totally figuratively when I am well  (then I'll be a sick mother of two). However, I was glad that my friends expressed their concern, because it means that they love me. One doesn't always feel loved when one is rattling (or shuffling) around the house all day. Except maybe by the dog, and he only loves me because he is afraid of his own shadow and seems to harbor the delusion that I can somehow protect him from it. Or from the wind, of which he is also afraid.

Another interesting side effect of going public is the insights and ideas one receives. Reading about my symptoms can trigger a thought or suggestion in someone. The route to the the rock star electrophysiologiost was paved by a friend whose friend has vasovagal syncope. And while that didn't lead to anything concrete, it added a lot of information to the pot which #25 found very helpful. So you never know...

Just recently, a former colleague who was reading this blog contacted me to say that my symptoms sounded similar to those of his wife's sister's friend.  Now my former colleague's wife's sister's friend has a very rare condition indeed. I would never have thought to research it had he not mentioned it, And indeed, there is no way it would have come up in casual conversation.  Nothing may come of it, but it is an avenue to research. And it was also nice that he cared enough to tell me about his wife's sister's friend. There are some very solid people out there.

People don't generally talk about their ailments. Not the big ones anyway. They will moan about this sore back or the wrist they sprained when they slipped in the shower. But  should they develop anything serious -anything actually worth talking about; let's say cancer- which might be therapeutic to discuss for the person, nevermind educational for the listeners, they clam up like a young child at a convention of School Principals.

I expect they don't want to Burden Other People with their Troubles.  Noble, perhaps. But also stupid in my opinion. Pain retained will fester. And it's a shame really. An oppotunity missed, perhaps, because as I said before, there are very solid people out there, and sharing the burden can help more than one person.

So (and you may have noticed this already) I have no compunction about Burdening Other People. I'll burden you all I want: My right foot is completely numb, my head is killing me and I have had the trots since last week. If that information Burdens you, then that is your problem. Leave this site now and go watch something artificially cheery like the US mainstream news.

Cold.

I remember Mrs. Fortune, my Biology teacher in High School. I remember her particularly, because she was a fuckin excellent teacher. She could engage you just as easily in cellular biology as in the life cycle of a liver fluke. I still remember the formula for respiration because of Mrs. Fortune: C6 H12 O6 +6O2 --> 6CO2 +6H2O+Energy. That's from memory, but I checked it and I am right.

I wish my Math teacher was as good as Mrs. Fortune. I might have "got" math if she were. But I always sucked at Math. My 9yo son corrects my mental arithmetic. He obviously takes after his Dad.  Or mine. But his Math gene is definitely not from me, that's for fuckin sure (I probably got mine from my mother).

I remember learning about heat and heat conduction with Mrs. Fortune. I learned about conductors and insulators. I remember a question on a test about cold: "Why do your hands get cold if you hold the handlebar of a bike which has been outside in winter? (or something like that). I wrote that cold could be conducted the same way as heat. That is the reason your hands felt cold was because cold is conducted into them from the handlebars. I was wrong, of course. The reason your hands get cold is because the heat gets conducted out of them, not into them. Natural mistake. ...I guiess,

I didn't get it t the time. ...And there are times that I still don't get it. But what does it matter? How it really matters to me now is very simple:

I get cold.

I don't mean turn-up-the-thermostat-and-put-on-a-cardigan kind of cold.

I mean the kind of cold that feel as if my femurs have been filled with Freon. It comes from deep in my thighs and can cause first degree burns without actually warming me up. I mean I can warm up a specialty heating pad in the microwave, place it on my thighs, and can sustain actual burns n my skin before I start to feel warm on the inside of my thighs. And even then, it is hit-or-miss.

There is little warming a freeze so deep. The cold comes from somewhere inside. I have found no way to combat it. It is greater than any blanket, duvet, heating pad or hot-water bottle.

Heck, it is even greater than George, my >17lb cat who can plant his furry self right on my lap and purr to his heart's content, yet he still leaves me freezing.

No doctor has explained this freeze. I guess they just put it on the pile -along with the hair loss, the meds reactions and the fits- of inexplicable phenomena.

To me, this Inexplicability is in itself inexplicable.

But I guess that's just me...

I wonder where I am going wrong?

The Curse of Aging

One of the rockin things about being a parent -especially this time of year- is I can go and see all the kids' movies without having to borrow someone else's bratty kid or without going alone and looking like a nutjob. My kids are 7 and 9, which is the perfect age to take to the movies. They are young enough to appreciate the movies as a treat, and old enough not to need mountains of childcare products in order to keep them clean and quiet for a couple of hours.

I had a whole list of films I had planned to see this holiday season: "Enchanted" was on the top of the list. We saw it yesterday and I really enjoyed it. Except for Susan Sarandon's shoes.  When she comes to Manhattan from Andalasia, she is wearing clunky plastic-looking platform boots that no self-respecting evil queen stepmother would be caught dead in. Mona May is credited for the costume design. Maybe she had a bad day, or was running out of budget. But come ON. This is Susan Sarandon we're talking about here! Susan Sarandon as an Evil Queen! It's all about the shoes on so many levels.

Second on my "must see" list for this season is was "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium". Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman and a magic toystore. What's not to love? Well, that's where I hit my first movie-going snag in several years.  OK it's my first non-R-rated movie-going snag, but I have pretty much given up expecting to see adult movies in the cinema. One must make sacrifices for the sake of motherhood... So yeah. "Mr. Magorium...": My son has announced that at the grand old are of nine, he is "too old" to go and see this movie, which -in his considered and unchangeable opinion- is better suited for a kid of seven or eight.

So what to do? I could fob him off on one of his friends moms while I take my daughter to see the movie.  But what if the friend wants to see it too? Then I will feel bad.  If he were older, I could take a few kids to a multiplex, and have the boys go and watch something with more testosterone -say "Fred Claus" while my daughter and I watch "...Magorium..." in the theatre next door. But colour me overprotective, I couldn't allow a 9 and 10 year old to sit in a movie theatre alone like that. What if something happened?

And there is even the bigger issue (for my son) surrounding keeping an open mind. I'm sure if he swallowed his nine-year-old pride and prejudices, and went to see the damn movie, he would actually enjoy the stupid thing. Nine years old is way too young to be limiting your horizons. Hell, 99 years old old is too young to be doing that shit.  But how can I explain that concept to a somewhat rigid kid who is only concerned with being 'big" without being geeky?

That's the true curse of aging. The gradual loss of possibilities.

Matinee Idol Doctor

He's  a doctor. He's tall, dark, handsome, well-groomed, extremely competent, very arrogant (Some might say that's understandable given his other qualities. I don't.)

...and cold as liquid nitrogen.

He's my neuro-ophthalmologist, and the only true Matinee Idol doctor I have encountered so far. 

I have met two pretenders to the title -both hand surgeons, interestingly enough. But one had an ounce of warmth (...OK "ounce" is pushing it. It was more like a gill of warmth -an English gill, that is- not an Irish one) and the other was chubby and somewhat blinded by his own self-importance and therefore a lousy diagnostician so he failed on both "handsome" and "competent".

To be a true Matinee Idol Doctor, one must be absolutely perfect. And absolutely cold.

To be fair to chubby-supporting-role-in-a-matinee guy, there was Fellow perched on the counter watching his every move, so he was probably showing off.  A medical Fellow, that is not just some guy. Chubby-supporting-role guy said he didn't see any ligamentous laxity in my hands at all. Had I been feeling better at the time, I would have dislocated a few fingers and said "Oh really? that's quite astonishing, because all of the other doctors I have seen -even the pulmonologist- sees it." and shown him up in front of his Fellow (I had already decided that was going to be my only and last visit to chubby-supporting-role-guy).  But I didn't. I just mutinously wished the interview over so I could go and feel horribly unwell in peace.

So yeah.. there are few true Matinee Idol Doctors (MIDs Ha!). And I saw mine yesterday.

I first met this guy during the Great Multiple Sclerosis Scare of 2006 (the first ER I was in after the first fit told me to have MS ruled out because I Fit The Criteria -more on that another time). I was referred to him to rule out MS damage to my optic nerves.  So that first time, he was peering into my eye with a Very Bright Light and he said "No. I see no multiple sclerosis damage" (I exhaled) "...but I do see nerve damage consistent with glaucoma" (I almost choked).  Then he insisted -I mean he absolutely INSISTED that I had a family history of glaucoma, and I helplessly shook my head and said I really didn't think so, and I think I would have known -although I did have one great-aunt who went blind and I would ask the family.

So I called me sister the next day.  "does anyone in our family have glaucoma?"   The answer was immediate. "Yeah. Da had it. Did you not know that?" 

"No. I didn't" But it explained a lot, especially a toturous car ride through Wales.

And it turns out it was not only Da, but his da (who never really admitted it either) also and two of his da's sisters (who did).  So yeah. It is kind of rampant in my family. Doctor Matinee Idol was correct.

So I go back to Dr. Matinee idol every year to have me eyes checked and to find out if this is the day I start treatment for glaucoma. I'm supposed to go back every six months, but I honestly don't think I can take Dr. M.I. and his operation on a more than annual frequency right now.  Something about that place gives me the heebie-jeebies. I can't place exactly what the problem is. The place is well run and spotless. It is warmly and tastefully decorated. The staff are nice. But I always feel cold and empty as soon as I walk through the door. It's probably the liquid nitrogen effect. I wear my coat through all the testing and the entire examination. The staff all wear long-sleeved sweaters under their color-coordinated (to the decor) scrubs. I don't think there is enough power in the entire grid to warm that place up. I wonder how Mrs Dr Matinee Idol shares his bed. But that's unfair. He's probably perfectly nice, warm and normal outside of work.    ...Maybe.

If he wasn't so fuckin competent, I'd change neuro-ophthalmologists (like there are hundreds of them around here) but I do prize competence in a doctor very highly. I'll just bring a warmer coat and gloves to the next visit.  Actually, If I am good and do the every-six-months thing the next visit will be in summer. I'm definitely bringing a sweater, at the very least. I'll keep a coat in the car -just in case.

I should get to the point, I suppose. Today is not the day I start glaucoma medication. Hurray!!!  My pressure was low (Hmmm) and my condition is stable. The bad news is that he gave the OK for me to start Topamax if #25 thinks it is indicated. I was hoping to dodge that particular bullet. I know I could just lie to #25, but I don't think that is wise with something as important as one's health. I'm not a big truster of people, but you have to try to trust just a little. A few are worthy of it.

The trick is figuring out which few.

Migraine treatment gives me a headache

It makes a perverse sort of sense. Well.., not sense exactly, but it continues the pattern I have seen with me and various treatments. They can have the opposite of the desired effect. Like the anti-seizure medication which gave me mega-seizures. I mean fits.  (oops!). Well, whatever you want to call them. that medicine didn't help, that's for bloody sure.

So I started me new supplements yesterday evening after the blood draw. I felt queer -that's definitely the term- a little while afterwards and had to lie down. I had burning sensations in my face, hands and feet, and then I developed a lovely headache. It wasn't a migraine, but interestingly, it centered in exactly the same spot that my migraine pain centers. Coincidence? I doubt it.

Who knew supplements could cause such mad shit?  I am astounded at the kind of stuff you can buy as "nutritional supplements" over the counter here in the States. And it is not regulated at all. I only take supplements if I have been tested deficient in something or if a doctor advises it (and I tell all my doctors which supplements I am taking) You really can't be too careful with this stuff.

So today, rather than take all three supplements at once, I decided to take them one at a time, to see which one might be causing the weirdest stuff. Or maybe it's the combination.

Now some people might say that pain is good. That the fact that I am feeling pain mean that these supplements are working, repairing whatever damage is done in my body. Personally, I don't see why repairs should hurt. OK I have had a broken bone set, and that hurt like a bastard. But after the first week or so, when the initial trauma of breaking and setting the bone had faded, it went and knitted itself back together without so much as a peep. It only complained if I did something to it -which happened on a regular basis as I am ten times more of a klutz on crutches than I am without them.

And I know you always hurt after a strenuous or new workout, Or so I've been told, anyway. But I do see that as different than taking nutritional supplements. Nutrition shouldn't be work, right? Supplements should supplement, not detract. Am I being too literal here?

The Tilt-Table Test

I refer to this a lot, so I guess I should tell you what happened. I won't explain the test because you can look that up online.

I was told to fast for both food and fluids prior to the test.  The test was supposed to start at 10:30am, but it was delayed. We finally got started they ran an IV, taped on a gazillion electrodes, slapped on a blood pressure cuff and strapped me to the table.  Then they tilted it to almost upright. My heartrate began to go up, at 7 minutes, it dropped from 127 to 57, and jumped right back up again and I had a fit, -or maybe the fit started before jump back up. I'm not quite sure, I was a bit distracted right about then.

So they called it a positive test, and told me I was to meet the doctor i.e. the rock star of electrophysiology and discuss the results (how excited was I?!). They unstrapped me and I was allowed to take a long gulp of water (I later realized that this was my undoing) and -after everyone had gone and left this poor unfortunate nurse alone with me, I started to convulse violently.  She was trying stop me from falling off the table with one hand and reach for the phone with the other so she could call for help. I really felt badly for her, but there was nothing I could do

I kept having fits one after another so they took me down to the ER.

Long story short: The fits kept coming back, so I was admitted and kept overnight. That was the first test.

So I eventually (after three weeks) saw the rock star to find out what he thunk and he said that there had been no noted blood pressure drop and I had a choice: start meds to see if that helped, or do another tilt-table test with an arterial implant to measure blood pressure on a constant basis.  Well, I have had some scary stuff happen with medicines, and I don't like the "throw shit at the wall and see what sticks" approach (for medicines, anyway), so I chose to have another test.

The second test, I didn't fast so long beforehand and it started on time. Except no-one had a record of the arterial line, and there was a scramble to get all of that set up, which took FOREVER.

The arterial line was a feckin nightmare. I really don't recommend it. Later I found out that they usually do it to people who are unconscious, sedated or in a coma. Nice. I was wide-fuckin-awake. Now, I have bad veins, it took a few attempts to get a regular IV in.  It turns out that me arteries are just as bad as me veins (at least I'm consistent!). They finally got it on the fourth attempt (two in each wrist), and it bloody hurt. My wrists were a mess (sore, swollen and badly bruised) for almost two weeks afterwards.

So after all the palaver with the lines, we finally started the test. They tilted me up and nothing happened. Eventually after 24 (I think) minutes I convulsed again. My heartrate had been in the 130s and my blood pressure had dropped 40 points from 146 to 106. But only for a single beat.

They called this a negative test and kept me around for ages in recovery to ensure no repeat of the post-tilt-table-fits. I ate/drank nothing and there was none. I was discharged and told to "drink more water and eat more salt".

They told me the rock star would call to follow up with me. He didn't. I wasn't surprised.

Doctor #25

I went into Manhattan yesterday to meet #25.  I got there early and visited my old job. I haven't been back there since Before I Got Sick, and I had never had a chance to say goodbye to the guys there. It was really nice to see them. They were all amazed at how well I look. Of course, apart from the fits, the bouts of exhaustion and the pain, I am the healthiest I have been in years. I am eating right, drinking only water for the most part, and getting plenty of rest. I looked in better shape than the stressed and busy former colleagues.

I had lunch with my former boss, who is also a friend, and we were talking about all sorts of things including migraines, because we both get really bad ones, although I haven't had one since Before (I got sick).  It was nice to catch up again.

So I met #25 at the appointed time. He is a neurologist with a sense of humor. I think that is the first time I have observed both of those traits in the same person. He spent a lot of time with me, asked about the fits, the meds reactions and what else was going on. He was very interested in the tilt-table story, as I had fits during both tilt-table tests. He also gave me a very thorough neuro exam, testing reflexes I didn't know existed. 

He said my syrinx was "adorable" (I brought pictures).  I wonder would he think the same thing if it was embedded in his own spinal cord (or his child's)?  And he said that he didn't think the syrinx or the tarlov cysts were responsible for the right leg thing. Or for the neuropathy in my feet -which I didn't know I had until right then.

He ordered a bunch of bloodwork to test blood vitamin levels. I knew he was thinking B12, so I 'splained that I had been deficient 19 months ago, but that had been caught and corrected by the Endo. My latest B12 blood number had been really high. So of course he didn't believe me and tested me anyway.  Not just for B12 for for other stuff as well.

Then he said what he thinks it might be: some kind of migraine-related syndrome. I raised me eyebrows at that one, and then gave him the evil eye and asked if he thought it was "ocular migraines" (which I personally think is a load of bollocks). He said no. According to him there are three types of episodic syndromes: epilepsy, migraines and ...I forget the other one. I think it was vasovagal (fainting).

And he thinks it might be migraines. I guess it's worth checking out, as I have already explored the other two -to my cost.

So after the blood is drawn, I have a list of (new) vitamins and supplements to take (he is another one -like the rheumy- who believes in the natural and nutritional approach whenever possible. I like that). He mentioned Topamax as a possible next step, but the glaucoma is an obstacle there. I happen to have an appointment with the neuro-opthamologist on Monday, in which I expect the glaucoma diagnosis to be confirmed (he seemed pretty sure the last time, but I didn't think there was a family history. Turns out I was dead wrong), so I'll let #25 know what happens then.

So yeah... Migraines. #25 is of the opinion that they can manifest as more than just headaches. I only did a little Internet digging last light and I found a mad article written by a dentist in Miami who reckons that migraines are a vascular problem, and not limited to the brain -which does make some sense to me. I will do some more searching  because I think the dentist guy takes his theory a bit too far. I really don't think psoriasis is migraine of the skin. Maybe I'm wrong (what do I know?), but the psoriasis thing doesn't pass the "common sense" test, and I happen to be a big believer in common sense. Although he does support the removal of mecury amalgam fillings, which makes a lot of sense to me.  Hmmm.

Anyhoo, I'll go with supplements for migraines for now. What harm can vitamins do?  No. Don't answer that.  I don't want to know.