[Anonymous May 31, 1997 at 4:56 am Post count: 93172]

#1055555

I decided this morning to see if Dr. Andrew Weil could suggest anything to take for my lack of energy. While reading his book Eight Weeks to Optimum Health I found this little tidbit – “I will repeat here is a reminder that there is no such thing as a safe dose of radiation, since your risk of genetic and immune-system damage correlates with the total amount of radiation you have received over your lifetime, and any amount, however small, adds to that cumulative total and risk. Never believe anyone who tells you that the amount of radiation coming at you from any source is too small to matter.” Dr. Weil also talks about x-rays being bad.

Since Sept. 96 I have had approximately 15 mammograms as they had found masses and had to do biopsies which luckily turned out benign. I just finished ten radiation treatments and last week the dentist took two x-rays and yesterday another two x-rays. I think this may be a good part of the reason I am totally lacking in energy these days. Does any agree?? Any input appreciated. Thanks. SAS

[Anonymous May 31, 1997 at 5:39 am Post count: 93172]

#1161251

SAS: Interesting topic. I’d have to say that I agree with part of what Dr. Weil said, but not necessarily with the conclusion you say he draws.

What I agree with is that radiation is not healthy for the human body and that the effects of radiation are cumulative, over a lifetime, and that therefore we should have a very distinct sense of caution with respect to using it. I routinely question my dentist, for example, about taking xrays, and don’t always go along with his wishes to have some. But when it comes to something serious, like potential breast cancer I think you have to weigh the risks of a small added dose of radiation used as a diagnostic technique, to the very real risks of the disease involved. Before the use of xrays, for example, doctors used to do something called “exploratory surgery” when they suspected aproblem, but had no way of knowing whether there was one, or WHERE it was. Well, there are serious risks to being anesthetized and operated on. In this case, the added cumulative impact of a small dose of radiation may be considerable smaller than the risk of infection and the very debilitating effect of surgery. The added risk of the radiation is also insignificant compared to the very real danger of allowing the undiagnosed disease to continue. So, while we have to use caution, I also think it is unwise to reject the tool completely. As to using it for a treatment for a known disease, again, you have to weigh the possible advantages against the risks. Radiation has proven to be extremely helpful in routing cancers in some people. And RAI has proven to be an effective way of getting rid of hyperthyroidism. So, if Dr. Weil is suggesting that all xrays are “bad” and should not be used, I think he’s vastly overstating the case.

[Anonymous May 31, 1997 at 3:33 pm Post count: 93172]

#1161252

Hi Bobbi, I did a NO NO. I did not quote all of Dr. Weils comments. I think what I was getting at was I was trying to figure out why I have no energy. I find myself not even wanting to look at the BB because I want to participate and am just too tired to think. I find the evenings better, maybe because it is dark outside and my eyes don’t hurt so much.

I myself, know I had to have the mammograms, orbital irradiation and RAI. Ten years ago I refused to have RAI and used medication for two years and as a result had an eight year remission. Two years ago I realized I must go for the RAI. My Endo said that the older you get the worse the symptoms get from hyper thyroid.

I will now add Dr. Weil’s prior comments to my message. “I will now give you some suggestions for protecting yourself from toxic forms of energy. In some ways this is a harder subject to discuss, because some of the most dangerous forms of energy, like x-rays, are invisible or completely imperceptible. Also, medical science has paid little attention to the health hazards of electromagnetic pollution, and it is difficult to establish causal connections between exposure and diseases that might not show up until years later. Scientific evidence here is scant and contradictory, making the whole topic “controversial”, still, I think it would be foolish to take no action while waiting for the evidence to be uncovered. I have written elsewhere about the hazards of ionizing radiation, the kind that is energetic enough to knock electrons out of their orbits and cause direct damage to DNA, increasing rates of mutation and cancer. X-rays and nuclear radiation are in this category.” .. then follows what I wrote before.

Thanks for your interest Bobbi. I print a lot of your posts because you are so knowledgeable and I like to add your information to my files. Wishing you health and happiness. SAS

PS. This is such a long post my eyes are so teary I can hardly see – I really am getting tired of this whole thing! But, I am ordering my Warrior tshirt and will wear it to remind me that this disease can be overcome!

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