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Stem Cells

I came across this article this week about stem cells and Parkinson’s disease. Mohammad Ali’s daughter is currently collaborating with a research company to help further explore the use of stem cells for this condition. The article partially reads as follows:
In an attempt to help find a cure for her father, Rasheda has collaborated with a biotech company called “BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics,” which has been experimenting with stem cell treatment on patients with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  Through their efforts, many of these patients’ symptoms have greatly improved, and the degenerative properties of the disease have started to slow.
“If you can have these incredible results for what I think is the most severe…neurocognitive disease there is, what kind of promise will they do down the pipeline for other neurocognitive diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s?” Rasheda said.
After seeing the amazing results this company has achieved, Rasheda is convinced that stem cells hold the key to treating these diseases in the future.  
            Stem cell research has been around for a hundred years now and some good advancement has been made. The best example of success is in bone marrow transplants when stem cells are used to help cure some hematological disorders such as leukemia.
            As a neurologist I hope to one day see such a breakthrough in my field. However, the panacea of stem cells curing all neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, spinal cord injury and Alzheimer’s is very far from fruition. In fact the results have been a little disappointing. Take for example a spinal cord injury where the nerves have been severed. The thought and hope was that a surgeon could take stem cells and place them into the area of the spinal cord that was injured. The stem cells would them turn into nerves and reconnect the injured neural pathways. Also, with Parkinson’s the thought would be that the stem cells would turn into the cells that make dopamine.
            However, the clinical trials have not yielded these results in any tangible fashion. All the research I have read that deal with humans (and not rats or any other nonhuman primates) show that the stem cells promote a healthy environment where injured cells can thrive. Instead of the stem cells turning into the cells needed, they instead help the injured cells by providing a nurturing environment for them to heal. Although not the intended response, it does show that stem cells do have an important role in the future.
            The question now is what is that role? Again, take spinal cord injury. During an injury a cascade of events occur, such as scarring, that make nerve repair almost impossible. Even under the most auspicious circumstances created by stem cells no reconnection of nerves could ever occur. However, current research on spinal cord injury is trying to produce drugs that will halt the negative cascade of events that occur after an injury. Thus, when these drugs finally materialize nerves will have a much better chance at repairing themselves after injury. At that will be the time and place for stem cells to be used.
            The scenario I foresee in the future is that after a spinal cord injury the patient will initially be stabilized. During this early period certain drugs will be administered which will halt and reverse the negative cascade of events that cause irreparable damage to the nerves. Other drugs will then be administered to help the injured nerves heal, grow and possible reproduce. Then, possibly, stem cells will be introduced to help enhance the overall process. Lastly, intensive physical therapy will help the patient return back to normal activity.
            What I see is that stem cells will be part of the cure and not the cure itself. When treating any neurological injury, other treatments will need to take place first or in conjunction with stem stems to create the tangible results we need for these patients. Stem cell will not be a cure-all but one of many viable options for these neurological conditions.
            When dealing with Parkinson’s there are a myriad of clinical trials being conducted right now that are both expanding our knowledge of this disease and creating new and novel treatments to help those afflicted with it. Personally, I don’t think stem cells will be the answer for Parkinson’s but I do see a concurrent role for it in other neurological conditions.
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There is no care in Obamacare

The Final Reality relays the potential consequences of a governmental overhaul of the United States Healthcare system:

Marissa went on to explain how the continued government run healthcare system had devastated medicine in the United States. Through repeated cutbacks, poor reimbursements, and inadequate bureaucracy, the government’s plan had turned the clock of modern medicine back the twentieth century. No longer was America a leader in the industry; it now just followed in the same footsteps as other mediocre socialist run medical systems.

The entire world as a result suffered because they relied on the United States for its cutting edge medical technology and pharmaceuticals. Once the government run system was in place it became a monster in itself, consuming more and more of the GNP on a yearly basis. As the cost of the socialist system grew so did the number of bureaucrats. Soon there were more governmental employees running the system than medical staff manning it.

As we watch The US Supreme Court debate Obamacare’s legality, we must ask ourselves: how was such a thing passed? With over 2000 pages of new laws, stipulations and intrusions into our God-given civil liberties the bill essentially gives the United States government a mandate to take over our economy. How could the most successful country in the world knowingly give away everything that our soldiers fought so hard to preserve? It spits not only in their faces but also in the faces our Founding Fathers. I think this video nicely sums up the intrusive nature of this bill: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=HcBaSP31Be8&vg=

Ronal Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Where is the ACLU in all of this? If they really cared about our civil liberties they would have organized mass marches against it and not slept until it was repealed. This bill takes away more of our civil liberties than anything ever passed before in the United States, yet they do or say nothing. I guess the only thing they really care about is their own political agenda, and if something doesn’t fit into it, then it doesn’t matter to them. Well, it matters to me.

As a physician it is my hope that everyone receives proper medical care. Every week I either donate my time to the free medical clinic or provide care to the uninsured, underinsured or illegals for free in this country. However, I don’t believe the government has a right not only to mandate healthcare for everyone but also oversee such a massive economic goliath. Plus, where are the funds for such plan. Every day I learn the cost of it is rising. No matter what news station you listen to they all agree that the plan is over budget and that there is no way to pay for it. The plan both underestimated the amount of people who would be covered and also the funds needed to support it. I don’t know about you but this is a recipe for disaster. And the worst part about it is that Obama wants to proceed, despite the economic devastation it will create for America’s economy.

Capitalism has made America great. It won us the Cold War and continues to make our country great. Why? Capitalism allows the people to take charge of their destiny and gives them the opportunity to make a better living for not only themselves but their children. It allows for initiative and creates an environment so that anyone has the potential to succeed. That is why Capitalism has proven to be the greatest economic system the world has ever seen. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but has there ever been any socialist, communist or fascists utopias? Just look at North Korea, where the government runs everything. How are they doing? Their people are starving and they are living in complete poverty. Now look at South Korea.

Have we not learned anything from history? Obamacare needs to be repealed for our sake and the sake of our children.
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Will 5 Dollars a Gallon Seem like a Bargain in 1 Year?

In The Final Reality Barry Hussein touts his green energy project and vastly overstates it potential while grossly underestimating its cost: 

Barry said, “And which brings us to the final stage in my economic stimulus plan, the Masjid Project. I have promised our country economic prosperity and energy independence,” he continued, emphasizing his statement by slamming his fist into his palm. “The Masjid Project is the solution. As a result our country will no longer need to cater to the oil suppliers of the world nor will it ever again have to bend in the face of foreign pressure. We shall stand alone as an energy independent nation.”

The crowd again applauded, weary of his statements. They had heard similar rhetoric many times in the past and had become almost numb to his statements. When they looked out at the plateau they saw massive governmental waste, not prosperity. Instead of excitement, they braced themselves about hearing the cost of such a huge endeavor. They could only imagine how much of their country’s hard-earned money had been thrown away on this supposed “green” project.

It’s just as we are hearing now in this country by the current Obama administration. As our gas prices soar to European-level prices Obama has no solution. Instead he tries to appease his critics by promoting algae and other “green” projects. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for America’s independence from foreign oil and alternative fuels. However, does President Obama really take us all for fools? As the cost of everything in this country rises as a result of increased gas prices does he think a bunch of algae will save us from further economic decline? Does he somehow believe that the hope of algae will take the sting out of a 70 dollar fuel-up? Does he think we all have short-term memory problems and can’t remember how it cost less than 30 dollars few years ago to fill our tanks?

 I don’t know about anyone else but I can tell you that I’m tired of the rhetoric and failed promises. I want answers, not inane speeches. Algae is not the answer. Dumping taxpayer money blindly into projects such as Solyndra isn’t either.

Mr. President, here’s what you should be doing instead blowing a smokescreen to cover your failed policies:

1. Let free market run its course. If you want green projects to work, give these companies incentives and let them compete against each other. The best company with the best project will prevail. And you know who wins then? All of us Americans.

2. Don’t throw away money haphazardly in green projects, especially when there’s warning signs plaguing them day one. Respect our taxpayer dollars and don’t disregard all the time and energy went into earning it. As president it is your privilege to spend it- not your right.

3. America is full of natural resources. Let’s use more of them and stop shipping so much out to other countries.

4. Hey, if there’s any stimulus money left, why don’t you lower the gas price with it?

All I’m trying to say is that we have options here in this country. Unfortunately, President Obama insists on sticking to his failed energy policy instead of making the necessary adjustments. Instead of helping the American people and our economy he’d rather cater to the special interests groups that got him elected. In the end there is only one question: does our president care more about himself and his reelection or about us Americans? Think about it.
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A Scary Disease You May Already Have

   

    Just like The Disease in The Final Reality, real diseases surrounded us every day. Fortunately our immune system protects us from most of these nasty bugs and those that take hold are usually fought off without consequence. A recent article stated the following:
    Many patients infected by the deadly superbug Clostridium difficile, long thought to be contracted mainly during hospital stays, are already exposed when they are admitted to the hospital, U.S. infectious disease experts said on Tuesday.
    Rates of C. difficile, the most common hospital-based infection in the USA continue to climb. The infection can cause severe diarrhea, inflammation and bleeding in the colon, and death. C. difficile is linked to more than 14,000 U.S. deaths each year, according to the CDC.
    It is especially stubborn in hospitals because of the widespread use of antibiotics, which kill protective bacteria in the gut for months, allowing invaders such as C. difficile to flourish. “Nearly 50 percent of antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed, killing off the natural protective bacteria in our gut,” said Dr. Jan Patterson, president of Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
    The article has a few interesting points. First, it demonstrates the deadly potential of this infection. However, what it does not show is how sick the survivors of the condition are. Many of my patients have had this illness. Despite treatment, they are exhausted, dehydrated and overall miserable. Many have commented to me that this disease was worse than anything they’ve ever had before. Plus, as a result of the condition many have been left deconditioned or in a weakened state that required long recovery times.
    The second point the article highlights the overuse of antibiotics. Because of the inappropriate usage of these drugs in this country, bacteria such as Clostridium difficile are allowed to flourish in the gut, subsequently producing potentially deadly consequences. Overuse of antibiotics also leads to drug resistance and allows for stronger strains of a particular disease to blossom.
    Unlike more esoteric conditions we read about around the word, this disease is something we all can and will be exposed to. With the rise in incidence of this bacterial and with the unwanted effects from antibiotics, will this bacteria one day mutate into something stronger, deadlier and potentially untreatable? Unfortunately, this possibility may occur not only for Clostridium difficile but others just like it.

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The Fate of America’s Economy

In The Final Reality the antagonist is a man known as Barry Hussein. It is the charater that personifirs our cuurent president and sheds insight into the man’s inner psyche. A quote from the novel is as follows:

Since Barry came into power his ultimate goal was that of control. If it had a scientific purpose or economic value, he wanted to control it. It did not mattered to him if the government ruined it with their bureaucratic inefficiency or corrupted its underlying function. As long as he had jurisdiction over it, he was content.

Is that what Obama wants to do with our current healthcare system? This may seem remarkable but our healthcare system accounts for around 1/6 of our economy. A takeover of this magnitute would be tantamount to fundamentally changing how America functions. No longer would be be the home of the free. We would now be residents of a country ruled over by governmental officials who believe they know what’s best for us.

Just like these same officals know how to balance of budget, run a post office or run Amtrak. Just a little history (quoted from Wikipedia): The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak (reporting mark AMTK), is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. “Amtrak” is a portmanteau of the words “America” and “track”. It is headquartered at Union Station in Washington, D.C.

As the world’s transportation systems, especially trains, have been upgraded and modernized over the past 40 years just look at the state the American railroad system is in. Has it improved over these years or stagnated in a quagmire of bureaucracy and ineptness. Well, when you look at the rails in Europe and compare them to here there is no comparison. We have stagnated under this government-run system that has failed to let free market run its course. We are stuck with an antiquated system that grossly fails to accommodate the needs of its citizens.

Is the post office doing any better? Well, as the price of stamps rises once again and as more postal workers get laid off, I think not. Will this be the fate of our healthcare system? The scarier thought is: WILL THIS BE THE FATE OF OUR ENTIRE ECONOMY? You see what happens with government run programs. Imagine if they now took over 1/6 of the economy? The scarier thing is: this will all happen if OBAMA gets another four years to destroy this country.

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What Does Faith Mean Among the Faithless?

In the Final Reality the major antagonist is an egotistical, fascist ruler by the name of Barry Hussein. Based upon our current president, Obama, he views religion as only something that the weak cling to for support. Preferring existentialist readings rather than the Bible, he wants to create a utopian society based solely upon his beliefs, devoid of any religious foundation. A quote from The Final Reality briefly summarizes this point:

While in college he was exposed to a world much larger than he had ever known. The constant barrage of communist, fascist and socialist ideals from both classmates and professors alike inundated him.  
He was taught about the West’s hypocrisy and their ardent belief in capitalism. It was like a love story between the hedonistic Western society and their economic system where the rich prospered off the work done by the poor. He wanted no Moore of that.
Utopia could only be orchestrated from the government. People were too mentally unfit and greedy to be left to their own devices. Wealth distribution and total government control were the only justifiable solutions.
While in college he also read Daybreak by Friedrich Nietzsche. It was the ultimate epiphany. More powerful than any religious text, this book along with other existentialist readings, created purpose for his life.
No longer seeking the meaning of life, he realized that it was his duty alone to create it. His future wife, M, also shared this existentialist view.
While in college they met and made an instant connection. Both shared the same anti-Western sentiment and prayed not to a God but to a reality, which they created for themselves.

Senator Rick Santorum recently stated that Obama believes in “some phony theology. Not a theology based on the Bible. A different theology.” I definitely agree. A true Christian could not sit silently as his reverend, Pastor Jeremiah Wright, spewed hate ridden-homilies from the pulpit. A true Christian would not have remained a member of that congregation. A true Christian would have immediately walked out of that church and prayed that his pastor would one day be filled with the love of the Holy Spirit and rid himself of all hate.
So why didn’t Obama do those things? The answer is simple: He is not a true Christian. He feels as if religion is an antiquated institution, meant only for the helpless, poor and uneducated. He views it as a crutch to which these people hold on to instead of turning to something much more tangible during their times of need, like government. There is no heaven in Obama’s theology. The heaven he believes in can only be found on earth and can only be achieved by a government-created utopia.
And that is exactly what Obama wants to create: a government-engineered utopia- one based upon his beliefs, his ideals and ultimately his image. He wants to be the man who transforms America into the New Worker’s Paradise. Unfortunately, the world has already seen the consequences of such a philosophy. The former USSR wanted to provide the same to its people. Just look at Russia now and the former Soviet bloc nations. Are we headed for the same fate? With 15 trillion in debt we may be there already.
In the Art of War Sun Tsu said, “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a thousand battles without disaster.” After almost 4 years of a disastrous presidency I believe America knows Obama and understands what he wants to do to our country. Don’t let it happen. We don’t need a thousand battles. We just need one and that one is coming up this November!

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Fact Trumps Fiction

Quote from The Final Reality:

He knew the scenario and it was the same for all the patients placed in his experimental clinical trial: rapid breakdown of the muscle which was followed in quick succession by internal organ failure, blistering rashes and then terminating in encephalopathy where in essence the brain shuts down.
Only Dr. Christakos and his three surgical colleagues knew about the trial. The rest of the hospital was oblivious to the truth.

The Disease, as it has been coined, is the illness that ravages mankind throughout my novel, The Final Reality. This except describes the sequence of events which occur when one is afflicted: multi-organ failure, rash, confusion, seizures and ultimately death. It’s a condition that basically shuts down the human body, and despite all advances in modern medicine, researches can find neither a source nor a cure for this deadly illness.
It seems almost unheard of that such a thing could happen in today’s world. This isn’t the Middle Ages where a plague can wipe out a third of the human population. We now have modern science, antibiotics, and vaccines to protect us against all those bugs that Mother Nature has to offer.
A recent article I just read on Yahoo tells us just how vulnerable we are:
 

Anywar is one of more than 3,000 children in northern Uganda who are suffering from a debilitating mystery ailment known as nodding disease, which has touched almost every family in the village of Tumangu.

For several years, scientists have tried and failed to determine the cause of the illness, which locals say has killed hundreds of youngsters.
What they do know is that the disease affects only children and gradually devastates its victims through debilitating seizures, stunted growth, wasted limbs, mental disabilities and sometimes starvation. Scientists are trying to find a cure: since 2010, researchers ranging from epidemiologists to environmental experts, neurologists, toxicologists and psychiatrists have carried out a range of tests.

Efforts continue to understand if the disease is still spreading or has peaked — and why it is seems confined only to certain communities.

Sometimes fact is more interesting than fiction. Unfortunately, with the above mentioned disease, this statement holds true. Is this condition something mankind has never seen before? Until Stanley Prusiner of the University of California, SF announced the discovery of a prion, no one had any idea of what caused such lethal conditions as Mad Cow Disease. Is this disease another deadly prion condition or have we found something completely novel?

Or is this disease something that we just can’t treat? Dr. Jack Edwards, chief of infectious diseases at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center was recently quoted as saying, “Within just a few years, we could be seeing that most of our microorganisms are resistant to most of our antibiotics.”

Unfortunately, the next pandemic could come in many different forms or for many different reasons. The Final Reality outlines one of them and foreshadows the consequences of just such an event.
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Big Brother at it again

A quote from The Final Reality: 
“When government wishes to do the work of god, it becomes not divine but demonic.”-Pope Benedict XVI

The Obama administration recently ruled that all insurance policies must offer contraceptive services with no co-payments required. Whether you agree with the policy or not, it was ill conceived from the start. Did Obama and his staff have no clue as to the offense this law would have? Did he not care, did not know or was he, again, trying to force his will over the American people?

Plus, why is contraception now a God given right for every American. Has pregnancy become a disease which has to be prevented by the insurance companies? The thought behind such a policy is ludicrous. If Obama really wanted health insurance companies to pay for preventative measures, then he would make gym memberships free- or maybe he could have them pay for vitamins and running sneakers. The list can go on and on.

The point here is obvious. He again wants to shove something down our throats despite our concerns. I guess he obviously knows better? It does not matter if it has merit. He has his agenda and while he is in office, he will do whatever is in his power to force his will upon us.

Unfortunately, as more American begin to rely on the government rather than family, friends and religion his power and influence rises. Plus, those of us that believe in family, friend and religion are getting so bogged down in increased regulations that the American dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is becoming more difficult. It seems as if we can attempt to achieve it only under certain circumstances and if the government allows.

This is just the beginning. Can you imagine a second term?

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January 29, 2012: The Final Reality

What makes one person smarter, faster or even more athletic than another? Is it their upbringing or is the answer hidden within millions of years of genetic evolution. What if mankind found the answer and in the process, doomed humanity to extinction?
 
Focusing on both our current politically charged environment and world-wide economic crisis, my fictional novel, The Final Reality, follows Alex Pella on a tumultuous journey that projects a potential path of human existence in the 21st century. After a virus hidden within our genetic code inadvertently gets released upon the planet, no country is financially prepared to deal with such a disaster. Only the brilliant neuroscientist, Alex Pella, and his intellectual equal, Marissa Ambrosia, have the audacity to attempt finding a cure while simultaneously fending off vehement opposition sent to stop them. Guided by an ancient code concealed within the Old Testament, they must traverse ancient lands and solve an age-old biblical riddle to save mankind from its own inevitable destruction. With a humorous flair, the book smoothly tells an important story that reflects on the political, medical and financial uncertainties which mankind currently faces.

The Final Reality is my first soon-to-be published book. It reflects upon the absurdities currently going on in government and warns of the potential consequences of both genetic research and our unfathomable national debt. I’m tired of seeing this great country being led in the wrong direction. Has history taught us nothing? Socialism, communism and fascism all have been failures. Just look at Greece, the former Soviet Republic and the 20th century fascist regimes of recent times. What do they all have in common? Well, they are either about to go under or already tanked. History teaches us that time and time again, yet we seem to forget.
I’m tired of the rhetoric coming out of Washington. Class warfare is their mantra and it goes against the American dream I was taught growing up. No one wants to work hard just to make it to the middle. No, the American dream tells us the harder we work, the better chances of being financial stable we will be. Now Washington is telling us differently. When did hard work, long hours and success make you a bad person? Unfortunately, now it does.
This blog will follow those absurdities coming out of Washington, the ever growing size of government and how our hard-earned tax dollars seem to be being squandered away into a mounting level of national debt. I will also be chronicling my journey with The Final Reality and the response I receive from both the media and general public. Hope you enjoy!