New GMA Blog Coming Soon

It has been over a year now since Gordon Medical agreed to post the answers to patient questions on this blog, following a local presentation by Joseph J. Burrascano, MD and the GMA doctors. In that time, we have tried to work our way through the questions asked, and to bring you other information of interest.

The doctors at Gordon Medical, in addition to treating many patients with Lyme disease, also treat many other patients with acute and chronic illness, including Fibromyagia, mold illness, Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction, as well as many who have illness that doesn’t fit a specific category, other than chronic inflammatory illness. We have decided to expand our blog to one that addresses the full range of what we do. As we work to make the shift to the new blog, please forgive us if our attention is not fully on this one. It will be worth it in the end, as we hope to make it a resource for all patients in need of new thinking in treating their illness.

 

DHEA for Adrenal Fatigue

The following is a brief clip from the Biotoxin Illness weekend with Ritchie Shoemaker, MD, Neil Nathan, MD, and Eric Gordon MD, held in Santa Rosa, CA in October of 2011. Dr. Nathan responds to a question from the audience on the use of prednisone for adrenal fatigue.

The complete recording of the weekend is available as a 5 DVD set. To learn more, or to purchase the DVDs, click here: Biotoxin Illness: the science behind accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Dr. Nathan also goes into more detail about his use of DHEA in his book On Hope and Healing: For Those Who Have Fallen Through the Medical Cracks, and in his chapter of the book Insider Secrets for Treating Fibromyalgia. You can find more info on these books, links to exceprts, and how to purchase on our DVD and Book page.

Feedback on the Inanna House Fundraiser

From Sara Donnelly

Running Rabbit Ranch and Vineyard

The first Inanna House Fundraiser was an amazing success. We were so honored and proud to have had the opportunity to share our vision with so many supportive people. The day started off chilly, but as the guests started to arrive, and the room began to fill, the abundance of loving hearts and hopeful souls warmed the room.

The bar was a great place to mingle as people became acquainted with each other. There
was wine, as well as yummy snacks. Lunch was served shortly after all guests had arrived. We were so thankful for the delicious food prepared by Arturo Cardenas of Portofino’s restaurant in Santa Rosa. His gluten-free, organic dishes were a perfect way to showcase one of the ways Inanna House will bring health to patients.

Inanna House Founder Mara Williams, Dr. Eric Gordon, and author of Out of the Woods: Healing Lyme Disease–Body, Mind & Spirit, Katina Makris were the featured speakers. Mara Williams spoke of her vision of Inanna House, and where it originated. ” These patients are so marginalized and mistreated in the conventional medical system. We want to provide a supportive and safe place for those with chronic Lyme disease to receive treatment while integrating the best of all health modalities to achieve optimum results for each patient. “

Mara Williams, Eric Gordon, Katina Makris

Dr. Gordon spoke of Lyme disease and the need to look at each patient individually, and how Inanna House would allow for this. He shared some of the notes from his talk:

You are here so you know this is important.

If this project is to be realized, to be more than a dream, it is going to take a series of small and large miracles and some wonderful energetic connections.

When Mara first spoke to me about her vision for a place to care for people with TBD (tick borne disease), I knowingly smiled and rolled my eyes. I have heard many plans of and been involved in some attempts at delivering comprehensive care to people in the past, and had seen them all fail when the money or energy ran out.

Mara was ahead of me in planning, she knew she needed an endowment. I knew the sum needed was large and so wished her luck. I realized that instead of discouraging her, my words just helped her focus and she came back with the breathtaking sum of 25 million, and instead of giving up she went out to start making it happen. That is when I got interested in being involved.

In order to succeed we need to attract lots of donors and to do that people need to know why this is so important. And why many well meaning physicians will shut you down when you mention the need to help those with chronic Lyme.

I am going to give you a brief overview of what is special about the needs of these patients and why most doctors don’t get it. There are lots of ways our bodies can be ill. Why do those with chronic Lyme, or as I like to call it, chronic complex illness, need their own place?
Why isn’t the standard hospital and rehab center good enough?

Hospitals have slowly begun to realize that people do better when there is some attention to the physical and emotional needs of patients and they do try to provide care above the utilitarian basics. There are some hospital-like settings in Europe and Mexico that offer something similar to what Inanna House  is hoping to do. These still don’t come close to the inclusiveness that is part of Mara’s vision. They are fairly expensive and generally have a well defined approach to healing that will serve some, but will not help if you don’t fit their paradigm.

If this was just a dream to give better treatment to people with chronic TBD it would be important, but what should be understood is that without facilities such as Inanna House many people will not receive appropriate treatment.

They will suffer and some will die.

Wealth almost always gets you better care, but usually even those without resources get the basics in America. Not so with Lyme. Even the wealthy get neglected when they have chronic Lyme disease. The failure of the medical system to comprehend chronic inflammatory illnesses that fall outside a few well defined diagnostic boxes is amazing. It is a product of our current medical and scientific educational system.

Factory medicine is designed for and is brilliantly effective in the acute stage of most illnesses. Think war injuries. That’s where big intervention medicine has its roots. Asclepius tended the Greeks at Troy before he was made a demigod – this is good stuff – it will save your life. The miracles of modern medicine are mostly based on battlefield medicine. Not many vaguely healthy people die of infections anymore- that used to be the main cause of death. Same with major injuries – get to the hospital and even if you are fairly mangled they can put you back together. Our hospitals were developed on the strict hierarchical structures of the army. The biggest change is that for awhile the doctors were the generals and now the accountants and statisticians are.

Where modern hospital medicine shines brightest is when people are in critical condition or suffering from acute illness or trauma, medicalese for “it just happened.” With an acute appendicitis the hospital and surgeon is a good bet, but they are useless for preventing the problem and not much help for recovering well.

With acute Lyme (acquired within the 6 weeks), it often responds quickly to oral antibiotics and probably herbs, as well. In many people their own unaided immune system will do the trick. But many people are not diagnosed with Lyme within 6 weeks of being bitten. The tick is not seen, symptoms don’t develop, or they are not specific enough to cause suspicion of Lyme disease. The disease is there, but no one notices it yet, or at least it is not identified. If the person’s immune system is not strong enough to keep the infection under control, or another stressor leads to the infection coming out of hiding, it is already well entrenched.

When we get past acute Lyme disease to Lyme disease that has been around for 6 months and more – we are now in the land of chronic Lyme.

Black and white.

Chronic  Lyme is not the land of black and white diagnosis or treatment protocols. Tick borne diseases when they persist don’t fit the military model of health care at all. This is where patients fall through the cracks in the current health care system. Because the illness is not understood, patients are marginalized, stigmatized, mistreated, or left untreated at all.

Every patient is different – there are people who will respond beautifully to IV antibiotics and others who will crash and burn.

What is right for one is poison to the other.

This is one reason chronic Lyme is poorly understood.

Now is when Hygea – healthy living and health promoting environments are needed to balance the Aesclepian modern hospital. This is about balance- we need both acute intervention and supportive care- which is more important depends on the situation and the individual patient. With Inanna House, we are offering both.

Katina spoke about her personal journey with Lyme disease and how she found hope and healing using Homeopathy. After the lectures the floor was opened for questions, and there were plenty to go around.

Feedback from a Lyme patient who attended the event:

Oh, wow. It felt so good to be surrounded by such incredible human beings! The energy was so positive and supportive in the direction Inanna house is moving in with regard to treating Lyme Disease. The speaker panel was down to earth and spoke with such heart. Hearing Mara and Katina’s stories moved me to tears. They have such courage, and conviction. I know a lot of us have similar life experiences with having Lyme disease. It was held in the place where the wine tasting bar was. Beautiful knotty pine walls made it a cozy & inviting atmosphere for me. Thanks again for your part in helping me get there.
-  Rayeanna

Inanna House is so thankful for all those that pulled together to throw an amazing event. The food and wine were delicious, the speakers were knowledgeable and entertaining, and the guests were fun and encouraging. Inanna House is proud to be part of the Lyme community.

Plans for the next fundraiser are already in full swing. If you would like to help out and get involved, go to www.InannaHouse.orgto contact us, we would love to hear from you!

A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors and Helpers!

Rick and Laura Wilson of Running Rabbit Ranch and Vineyard
Arturo Cardenas of Portofino Restaurant
Siduri Wines
Novy Family Wines
Highway 12 Vineyards and Winery
Kai West Photography
Grazia Bianchi Salon
Neil Nathan MD
Wine Country Sanitary
Party Tents and Events
Sunset Linen and Uniform
Speakers: Mara Williams, Dr. Eric Gordon, and Katina Makris
Helpers: Cindy Stoesser, Thora Graves, Amy McCarthy, Kay Massell, Erl Williams, Marcia Stagnaro, Sara Donnelly

Inanna House is the vision of Mara Williams NP. She sees it as an oasis of peace, health, and healing for those with chronic Lyme disease. Inanna House will be a residential facility for those who are debilitated by chronic disease, and in need of intensive therapy. The treatment would be designed to address all aspects of healing, including the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and energetic. Mara is the author of Nature’s Dirty Needle: What You Need to Know About Chronic Lyme Disease and How to Get the Help To Feel Better, the parent of a chronic Lyme patient, and a health care provider at Gordon Medical Associates.

Dr. Eric Gordon has established Gordon Medical Associates as an internationally recognized center for the treatment of patients left out by the conventional practice of medicine. “My deep respect for the individuality of my patients is the heart of my practice.” Dr. Gordon knows there is an interwoven complexity to these illnesses. There is a layering of the body’s adaptations to environmental toxins and infections from pathogens that is unique to every person, depending on their genetic susceptibility, organ vulnerability, toxic exposures, medical history and life circumstances. The body’s various biological systems – immune, endocrine, neurological, gastrointestinal and so on – influence each other and are influenced by each other, both in the development and progression of illness, and also its resolution.

Katina Makris is the author of Out of the Woods: Healing Lyme Disease–Body, Mind & Spirit. At the peak of her career, Classical Homeopath and health care columnist Katina Makris was stricken with a mysterious “flu”. Only after five years of torment–two completely bedridden–and devastating blows to her professional and family life was Katina’s illness finally diagnosed as Lyme Disease. But diagnosis was only the beginning of her journey toward healing. Katina Makris’ vivid story offers practical information for diagnosing and treating the bacterial invasion, as well as powerful guidance for mending the broken spirit.

Mold Remediation – Why Mold Professionals Should Avoid Using Bleach – Part Three

Why Restoration Professionals Should Avoid Using Bleach

There are many situations in which restoration professionals may think that use of bleach as a cleaner/sanitizer is effective. Indeed, there are certain restoration projects, such as sewage backflows, floods, and even mold remediation, where individuals have been taught to use bleach as part of their restoration protocol. This history is supported by continuing references in publications put out by numerous organizations including the EPA, American Red Cross, Salvation Army and others. The use of bleach as a “disinfectant” seemed to reach new heights over the past few months as semi-truckloads of the chemical were donated for disaster relief efforts in the Gulf states following hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Despite this surge in bleach use for restoration of water-damaged and mold-impacted environments, I have one thing to say about the situation: Professional restoration contractors should not be using bleach for cleaning, sanitizing, or disinfecting surfaces! Of course this opinion comes with a few caveats: I do not have any financial or management interest in a chemical company that manufactures bleach or alternative chemical products. I have never been seriously injured by bleach in a personal or industrial accident. I use bleach for my laundry and a bleach derivative for sanitizing my swimming pool water.

So the question that is obvious is, Why is this environmental engineer so adamant about contractors not using bleach? The answer is related to both practical and legal implications for restoration professionals.

Practical Considerations
Let’s start with the practical considerations. Bleach is favored by many because of its long history of use by homeowners for cleaning and stain removal. Its relatively low cost has made it so widely available that its odor is now commonly associated with cleanliness by the general public. But in contrast to this widespread use are its dangers. Bleach is a corrosive that can irritate and eventually cause considerable damage to the skin. Bleach releases chlorine gas as it is sprayed or evaporates. The effect of bleach vapors on the eyes and respiratory system are immediately evident to anyone who is in an area where the product is being used liberally. Because of these potential effects on the body, appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves, goggles, and respirators should be employed when bleach is utilized for situations beyond laundry. However, such essential precautions are often ignored because of the product’s acceptance in the mainstream of our society.

There are many practical impacts of bleach use beyond health concerns. Restoration professionals must appreciate the highly reactive nature of this chemical compound. The fact that bleach is used for stain removal and whitening means that it can also discolor and damage many fabrics. Less obvious is how bleach reacts with other materials. It is corrosive to many metals and stone products. It should never be used on stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass, marble, or granite. In fact, bleach is so strong that it will etch glass if it is not neutralized after application to surfaces such as mirrors and windows. In New Orleans I observed how bleach solution had significantly corroded electrical components and anchoring bolts for load-bearing walls after less than 24 hours in a house where the drywall had been stripped due to flooding. In that particular case, the builder had been given bleach to use as a sanitizer and had sprayed it undiluted on all of the exposed studs and other building components.

A Bad Reaction
The reactive nature of bleach is even more troublesome when it is mixed. Bleach should never be mixed with acids, as dangerous fumes are usually the result. Even a mixture of two innocuous cleaning compounds such as bleach and ammonia can produce deadly gasses that can kill with just a few breaths. Depending on the ratio of bleach to ammonia, chlorine gas, nitrogen trichloride and/or hydrazine will be produced when these two are mixed. In addition to being toxic the last two listed by-products from this bleach mixture are also explosive. Other reactive by-products that can come from bleach mixtures are toxic chloramines and dioxins. With all of these potential “side effects” a restoration professional is taking a significant chance when bleach or a bleach solution is applied to varied materials in an uncontrolled environment – exactly the situation that occurs when bleach is sprayed following a sewage loss or fire.

Perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of bleach when proposed as a cleaner or sanitizing agent is that its effectiveness is greatly reduced in the presence of organic material. To be a successful sanitizer, bleach must be used on clean materials and surfaces. This is why bleach products are used in the laundry after the wash cycle or in a commercial kitchen as a component in the third sink after the dishes have been washed and rinsed. The efficacy of bleach as a sanitizer is also compromised by heat and light. Despite the fact that the chlorine odor may linger for some time after use, bleach loses strength so quickly that it is not considered to have a residual effect that would prevent future bacterial or fungal growth.

The last, but by no means the least, issue related to the practicality of bleach for restoration projects is that many alternatives are readily available for contractors that need to incorporate a level of sanitization into their cleaning or restoration activities. These products are specifically developed for restoration projects such as sewage clean-up or mold remediation. They have been tested for the sorts of conditions and contaminants that the contractor faces rather than testing as a laundry additive. In areas where potable water is a concern, there are many formulations that are ready to use, avoiding the dilemma of having to use the product full strength or mixing it with contaminated water. In addition to their cost effectiveness and ease of use, many sanitizing products developed for the restoration industry have a true residual effect which prevents bacterial or fungal regrowth.

The Trap of Label Directions
If the practical reasons are not enough to change a contractor’s habits away from bleach, the legal ramifications should be. Most bleach products are not registered with the EPA as an antimicrobial. In addition, the label directions for bleach often only mention a sanitizing capability for hard non-porous surfaces. As such, using a bleach solution to minimize antimicrobial activity on carpets, drywall, wooden studs, or other common building components means that the restoration contractor is engaged in an “off label” utilization of the product. Under such conditions the manufacturer will not warrant or assist the contractor if a problem or dispute arises.

So there you have it. Bleach is cheap, convenient, and recommended to a lot of homeowners for various restoration activities, but it is not the best choice for a contractor. As a restoration professional you have an obligation to understand what the standard of care in your industry demands and provide a quality service to your client. This means using the right tools and products. So leave the bleach at home for the load of white laundry where it belongs.

About the Author
Michael A. Pinto currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Wonder Makers Environmental, Inc. He has more than 30 years of safety and environmental experience from jobs in the private sector, the non-profit arena, and regulatory agencies. Michael is the author of five books, including Fungal Contamination: A Comprehensive Guide for Remediation, over 150 published articles, and 18 commercial training programs. He can be reached at map@wondermakers.com.

This article was published in the January 2006 issue of Cleaning and Restoration magazine.

Click here to download the article.

Look for more in this six part series on mold remediation from Michale Pinto at Wonder Maker’s Environmental. If you are looking for a remediation specialist who is local to the San Francisco Bay Area, Gordon Medical suggests you contact Indoor Air Science. The people at Indoor Air Science  do not do remediation themselves, they do excellent air quality testing, but they have contacts with reliable remediation companies in the area. The people at Indoor Air Science are very knowledgeable, and are constantly researching to stay up to date on the current state of the science for indoor air safety.If you have concerns about your home or business, they are a good place to start.

If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Shoemaker’s work on mold illness, we have copies available of the DVD recordings from the October Biotoxin Illness conference held in Santa Rosa in October 2011. This 5 DVD set includes over 9 hours of talks with Dr. Shoemaker and the Gordon Medical physicians, as well as Power Point presentations and supporting evidence for the treatments presented. For more information, links to clips,  or to order, look at Biotoxin Illness on the DVDs and Books page.

Mold and Lyme Together?

This brief clip is from the October Biotoxin Illness Conference in Santa Rosa. In the clip, Dr. Eric Gordon talks about issues with chronic Lyme, and how it might relate to biotoxin illness issues. Please forgive the movement in the video, the doctors were switching speakers, and the focus is not very good when the camera person is moving. The longer video this comes from doesn’t have this problem when a speaker is talking.

Dr. Eric Gordon is the founder of  Gordon Medical Associates. What Dr. Gordon emphasizes is listening to his patients. “I believe my patients. Their description of what is going on in their body is the most accurate way we have to assess what is going on with them. I interpret the information they present, and blend it with laboratory results and imaging and other tests to determine a protocol that is customized to their condition.”

If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Shoemaker’s work on mold illness, we have copies available of the DVD recordings from the October Biotoxin Illness conference held in Santa Rosa in October 2011. This 5 DVD set includes over 9 hours of talks with Dr. Shoemaker and the Gordon Medical physicians, as well as Power Point presentations and supporting evidence for the treatments presented. For more information, links to clips, or to order, look at Biotoxin Illness on the DVDs and Books page.

Mold Remediation Part Two – Mold Indoors

Mold Indoors

Killing It Is Not Enough

Indoor air quality is a broad field that continues to bedevil building service professionals. But the shift in focus over the last five years from general concerns such as adequate ventilation and sick building syndrome to mold contamination has caught many service contractors by surprise, particularly when they are asked for advice in dealing with mold growth or blamed for its appearance.

Unfortunately, many contractors are struggling to identify the current best practices in regards to mold – a reasonable way to evaluate potential contamination and implement control measures. With limited time, service managers try to make sense of media reports, liability concerns, and scientific research. As they dig deeper, many have found that media reports are often condensed sound bites, legal cases tend to emphasize the extremes of liability in an effort to win or fend off a claim, and scientific reports are filled with technical jargon or narrow limitations that restrict their application to the real world.

Without good information, positions related to mold situations are inclined to polarize. The extreme positions can be categorized as fungiphobics, those who are frightened by a single mold spore, and those who refuse to accept any possibility of health-related problems due to mold exposure, the mold minimizers.

The first step in developing a reasonable approach to mold is to understand that there is a reasonable approach. Many service professionals have the mistaken impression that liability concerns, based on high-profile lawsuits, are the driving force in the industry. In the absence of federal or uniform state regulations related to mold control, attorneys are clarifying the industry standard of care, not creating their own. By carefully examining generally available industry reference documents relating to mold, attorneys have been able to identify points of commonality which they correctly interpret as a de facto industry standard of care. Unfortunately, many service providers are asked to talk intelligently about the mold situation in general and/or make decisions about mold contamination conditions in their contract facilities without even understanding what the industry reference materials are, let alone the points of intersection between them.

While there is some variation in which references really form the core of the mold control industry, the following ten documents are cited frequently.

Despite the fact that guidance for mold situations is coming from a variety of sources, there is a surprising consistency in the overall tone and approach. Some key consensus points that should frame any mold discussion include:

• The understanding that mold is a biological agent. Since it has the ability to grow under the right conditions, isolation and deferred action to remove the source of the problem may not be possible as it is with asbestos materials. In such situations, the delay may allow mold contamination inside a building to grow to a point where it poses a hazard greater than when initially discovered.
• Mold growth means that there is or has been moisture intrusion in the building. Removing surface mold contamination and not identifying and correcting the underlying moisture problem would be tantamount to a doctor treating symptoms rather than the disease itself.
• Exposure to mold spores and other byproducts (microbial volatile organic compounds, mycotoxins, connecting filaments, etc) does cause real health symptoms. These symptoms can range from mildly annoying allergic reactions to serious, and even life-threatening, ailments.
• Individuals respond to mold exposure in a variety of ways. There is a large variation in individual susceptibility to the same exposure levels and the possibility of a person becoming sensitized to specific specie of mold growing in a certain location. When added together this means that the range of potential responses to fungal exposure is greater than what is seen for many industrial chemicals.
• Killing mold, but leaving the residue in place, is not acceptable. Since many health impacts can be triggered by exposure to both live and dead mold spores, the source and secondary contamination must be removed.
• Mold removal is called remediation because special precautions, equipment and work procedures should be used to prevent the spread of material to other parts of the building.

Unfortunately, what this means is that there is no “quick fix” for mold contamination situations. The advertisements for various “magic potions” which “kills mold dead” are often not the best choice for contamination in commercial buildings since leaving mold residue behind puts the contractor outside the industry standard of care. A common sense assessment and remediation by trained individuals is the best way to protect the occupants, the building owner, and the service contractor.

As always, communication is the key. Even if a reasonable plan is developed and carried out, the proper communication of the remediation process may ultimately turn out to be just as important as competent performance of the work. To communicate clearly and convincingly, a service contractor should emphasize that the subject of mold exposure and control is complex, with many diverse opinions. Despite this diversity of opinion, an industry standard of care is in place which avoids the two extremes of mold minimizers and fungiphobics.

Staying within the standard of care, emphasizing the protection of occupants, workers, and building structures, and promoting the goal of a safe environment rather than pristine or spore- free indoor air, will help the smart building service provider navigate the tricky terrain of mold discussions.

About the Author
Michael A. Pinto currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Wonder Makers Environmental, Inc. He has more than 30 years of safety and environmental experience from jobs in the private sector, the non-profit arena, and regulatory agencies. Michael is the author of five books, including Fungal Contamination: A Comprehensive Guide for Remediation, over 150 published articles, and 18 commercial training programs. He can be reached at map@wondermakers.com.

This article was published in the January 2005 issue of Services magazine.

Click here to download the article.

Look for more in this six part series on mold remediation from Michale Pinto at Wonder Maker’s Environmental. If you are looking for a remediation specialist who is local to the San Francisco Bay Area, Gordon Medical suggests you contact Indoor Air Science. The people at Indoor Air Science do not do remediation themselves, they do excellent air quality testing, but they have contacts with reliable remediation companies in the area. The people at Indoor Air Science are very knowledgeable, and are constantly researching to stay up to date on the current state of the science for indoor air safety. If you have concerns about your home or business, they are a good place to start.

If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Shoemaker’s work on mold illness, we have copies available of the DVD recordings from the October Biotoxin Illness conference held in Santa Rosa in October 2011. This 5 DVD set includes over 9 hours of talks with Dr. Shoemaker and the Gordon Medical physicians, as well as Power Point presentations and supporting evidence for the treatments presented. For more information, links to clips,  or to order, look at Biotoxin Illness on the DVDs and Books page.

Mold Remediation Part One

Michael Pinto, CSP, CMP, of Wonder Makers Environmental has compiled extensive information on mold remediation based on years of work and research. He wrote a series of articles that were published in Surviving Mold newsletters, and has given us permission to reproduce them here as a series. This is the first in that six part series.

Remediation Resources

REMEDIATION OF BUILDING MATERIALS
Excerpt from Fungal Contamination: A Comprehensive Guide for Remediation

This excerpt is taken from Chapter 10 of Fungal Contamination: A Comprehensive Guide for Remediation, Second Edition, a textbook used for mold remediation training that makes important and understandable connections between mold work and other restoration activities. This informative book of over 450 pages is available for purchase from Wonder Makers Environmental (www.wondermakers.com).

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Remediating fungal contamination that is impacting building materials involves a number of steps that are widely accepted in the industry, and experience has determined that these steps should be performed in a particular order. This method offers the best possibility for removing visible mold growth and associated debris without cross contaminating surrounding areas. Remediation professionals should use the following steps as a starting point for developing a specific work plan for each project.

1. Set up initial engineering controls, including isolation barriers, negative pressure system, and drop cloths necessary to protect the structure during initial response activities.

2. Remove standing water.

3. Assess condition of contents, set up appropriate decontamination structure, and remove contents from the mold remediation work area.

4. Finalize engineering controls for removal of building materials harboring fungal growth. Make sure the setup can accommodate any unexpected hidden growth.

5. Work with the air flow. Generally this means that the project should be set up so that mold impacted materials closest to the decontamination unit are removed first. Work then progresses from the decon unit toward the negative air machine.

6. Remove porous materials with visible growth. Use work practices that minimize the generation of dust. This may include the use of hand tools or power tools to which a HEPA vacuum can be attached.

7. Enforce work procedures that emphasize a clean-as-you-go approach. Whenever possible, as they are removed from walls and ceilings, cut building materials in sections small enough to fit directly into waste bags. Bag all waste immediately rather than allowing it to pile up on the floor. Change negative air machine and vacuum filters often enough to keep them operating at optimum levels.

8. Seal waste bags using the gooseneck technique. Move waste bags into the decontamination unit where the exteriors of the bags are cleaned or they are double bagged prior to movement through unprotected areas of the building.

9. Determine the remediation approach for semi-porous materials that have visible fungal growth. Depending on the condition of the material some items, such as rotted wood studs, may have to be removed for later replacement. Other semi-porous materials that have not suffered structural damage can be cleaned by scraping, sanding, scrubbing, or blasting. Whenever possible, use tools in conjunction with a HEPA vacuum. Specialty tools, such as the Scravac, are specifically designed for scraping contamination directly into a vacuum nozzle. Make sure that the cleaning technique does not exceed the capacity of the engineering controls. Blasting, for example, may require a substantial increase in the amount of negative pressure and airflow as compared to a standard mold remediation work area.

10. Clean all non-porous materials that have visible fungal growth. This usually involves damp wiping or HEPA vacuuming.

11. Using the HEPA sandwich technique, clean the entire isolated work area, including ceilings and non-impacted walls. If there are any bacterial concerns because of gray or black water, incorporate appropriate antimicrobial chemicals into the damp wiping step.

12. If necessary, dry the remaining material in the work area through dehumidification. Be careful that airflow from fans and dehumidifiers does not impact the integrity of the isolation barriers.

13. Conduct a thorough visual inspection of the isolated work area. Use the white glove test to ensure that the area is free of dust. Re-clean as necessary.

14. Conduct post-remediation evaluation sampling. Compare the results to the company’s standards for mold remediation (see box for suggested post-remediation sample criteria). Re-clean and re-sample if necessary.

15. Coordinate post-remediation verification sampling by a pre-selected third party. Evaluate the results in comparison to the criteria that were agreed upon at the beginning of the project (see box for suggested post-remediation sample criteria). Re-clean and re-sample if necessary. If the building owner chooses to forgo verification sampling, move to the next step.

16. If included as part of the remediation project, apply antimicrobial coating to exposed structural members to prevent future mold contamination. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application. Allow all surfaces to dry thoroughly.

17. Have the HVAC system cleaned following NADCA guidelines.

18. If included as part of the project, replace and refinish building materials that were removed during remediation.

19. Remove isolation barriers and remediation equipment. Unless specifically exempted in the remediation contract, repair any damage to finish materials caused by the isolation barriers.

Look for more in this six part series on mold remediation from Michale Pinto at Wonder Maker’s Environmental. If you are looking for a remediation specialist who is local to the San Francisco Bay Area, Gordon Medical suggests you contact Indoor Air Science. The people at Indoor Air Science  do not do remediation themselves, they do excellent air quality testing, but they have contacts with reliable remediation companies in the area. The people at Indoor Air Science are very knowledgeable, and are constantly researching to stay up to date on the current state of the science for indoor air safety.If you have concerns about your home or business, they are a good place to start.

If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Shoemaker’s work on mold illness, we have copies available of the DVD recordings from the October Biotoxin Illness conference held in Santa Rosa in October 2011. This 5 DVD set includes over 9 hours of talks with Dr. Shoemaker and the Gordon Medical physicians, as well as Power Point presentations and supporting evidence for the treatments presented. For more information, links to clips,  or to order, look at Biotoxin Illness on the DVDs and Books page.

Inanna House Fundraiser Luncheon

Inanna House Fundraiser Luncheon

You are Invited to Attend!
Sunday, March 25 1:00-4:00 PM
Running Rabbit Ranch and Vineyard

Space is limited, so be sure to buy your tickets in advance.

Be a part of this exciting event, kicking off the fundraising for a revolutionary new idea in health care. In the current health care system there is no place to go for the millions who are ill with Chronic Lyme Disease. Chronically ill people need a place to receive supportive care that will help them undergo the treatment needed to get well. Based upon a new paradigm of healing and health care, Inanna House will integrate the best of all health modalities in one place to achieve optimum results for each client, which includes  body, mind, and spirit connection and reintegration.

Inanna House is the vision of Mara Williams, NP, author, health care practitioner, and mother of a chronic Lyme patient. Her dream is of a residence for debilitated chronically ill individuals.  A place to receive supportive therapies in many modalities and to start treatment with IV antibiotics in a safe environment. It is a program designed to address all aspects of healing * Physical, Emotional, Mental, Spiritual, and Energetic. Inanna House will offer an oasis of Peace, Health, and Healing for those with Chronic Lyme Disease

Inanna House is planned to  be the first facility of many to model the new paradigm. It is part of the vision that Inanna House be built around the world. Many of these centers are needed as millions are in need of help. It is time for a change, a different way. It is time for a new paradigm for true health. Inanna House will offer an oasis of Peace, Health, and Healing. A place where the frustration ends and patients are given a chance to heal in a safe and supportive environment.

Running Rabbit Ranch and Vineyard is the perfect setting for this wine country event. Located in Sonoma County, at the entrance to the Valley of the Moon, Running Rabbit Ranch and Vineyard is full of beautiful landscapes and sweeping views. There will be a gluten-free, organic lunch showcasing one of the ways the clinic will help return people to good health.

The speakers will be Mara Williams, NP,  author of Nature’s Dirty Needle: What You Need to Know About Chronic Lyme Disease and How to Get the Help To Feel Better,  Dr. Eric Gordon from Gordon Medical Associates, and Katrina Makris, author of Out of the Woods: Healing Lyme Disease–Body, Mind & Spirit. They will speak about Chronic Lyme Disease, the need for awareness, and Inanna House. There will be a raffle with great prizes. Proceeds from the event will go towards funding the creation of Inanna House.

Event Details

Date – Sunday Mar 25, 2012 1:00 – 4:00 PM

Price – $40.00

Location:

Running Rabbit Ranch and Vineyard (View Venue)
281 Somerville Rd
Santa Rosa, CA 95409
United States

For questions : Call (707) 337-5922 or email info@inannahouse.org

Buy Tickets Here!

Learn more about Inanna House:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/inannahouse

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InannaHouse

Inanna House is currently a non-profit in the state of California. If you can not make this fundraiser, please feel free to donate toward Inanna House anytime.

Inanna House is  looking for videos and pictures for our Lyme Disease Awareness wall!

Email us your pictures and videos to be part of our upcoming project to raise awareness about Chronic Lyme Disease
Email Pictures to: pictures@inannahouse.org
Email Videos to: videos@inannahouse.org

Reading an HLA DR by PCR Test Using the HLA Rosetta Stone

During the Biotoxin Illness Conference in October 2011, Dr. Gordon promised to provide  help to people trying to read HLA test results. In the video here, he talks with Annemieke Austin, MD about how you decode the results based on the Rosetta Stone that can be found in the books Surviving Mold and Mold Warriors.

The video from the weekend Biotoxin Illness conference is available for purchase. The cost for the full 5 disc set is $125, plus tax and shipping. Call (707) 575-5180 or email Justin to order.

The 5 DVD set Of Biotoxin Illness: the science behind accurate diagnosis and effective treatment includes the entire weekend, with both the public and the medical professional day’s information. The Power Point Slides are included in the DVD, overlaid during the talks, and as separate PDF documents for you to read through at your leisure. The talks and resources on this DVD set will provide necessary information to diagnose the problem, treat the layers of dysregulation of the immune system, and to manage the environment to protect against further exposure.

There is  a CD with the full set of Power Points as PDF, including slides that were not seen during the conference, a full Syllabus from the conference, and a list of PDF documents that Dr. Shoemaker has collected as supportive documentation of his work. Of special interest were the question and answer panels with Dr. Shoemaker and the Gordon Medical physicians, providing a range of physician experience.

Dr. Eric Gordon is the founder of  Gordon Medical Associates. What Dr. Gordon emphasizes is listening to his patients. “I believe my patients. Their description of what is going on in their body is the most accurate way we have to assess what is going on with them. I interpret the information they present, and blend it with laboratory results and imaging and other tests to determine a protocol that is customized to their condition.”

Annemieke Austin, MD views her role as both a medical detective and a physician with excitement. The challenge to discover the underlying cause of illness and the search for answers is a privilidge she approaches with great vigor.

Exercise and Reconditioning During CFS/Fibromyalgia (and Lyme!) Treatment

Exercise and Reconditioning During CFS/Fibromyalgia Treatment
By Jacob Teitelbaum, MD

Dr. Teitelbaum has us given permission to reprint information from his website. While that website is focused on treating CFS and Fibromyalgia, Dr. Teitelbaum considers Lyme disease to be a factor in both illnesses, and the information he gives is often useful in treating Lyme disease as well.

Dear Readers,

When being treated for any debilitating illness, reconditioning is a critical part of getting well. Because of the body wide “energy crisis” seen in CFS/Fibromyalgia, most of you have found that you were unable to condition beyond a certain point (it takes energy to store energy in muscles—which is what conditioning is). Instead, the doctor would push you to exercise, and you would spend the next 2 days in bed feeling like you had been hit by a truck!

The good news is that as you do our proven effective “SHINE Protocol” (Sleep, Hormones, Infections, Nutrition, and Exercise AS ABLE—discussed at length in my book “From Fatigued to Fantastic!”), you will find that your body starts making the energy needed to condition. You will then be able to exercise more and more—and it will actually leave you feeling better and stronger.

To tailor a SHINE Protocol to your case, we invite you to do our educational “short program” computer program at www.Vitality101.com, which will analyze your symptoms to tailor a treatment protocol to your case. You can then begin many of the natural treatments on your own while working with a physician to add in the prescription recommendations (I recommend a Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Center physician—see www.fibroandfatigue.com for offices nationwide—they are trained experts and know how to get you well). Although we usually charge for the web site computerized programs, I have decided to make the short program available free, as our goal is to make effective treatment available to everyone!

I have invited our patient Lisa D, who was sent to us by Dr. Oz and appeared on the Oprah show, to write this issues article on exercise. She has learned how to get pain free, and go from fatigued to fantastic. She is also excited about showing others with CFS/Fibromyalgia how to do the same!

Adding “E” for “Exercise” to the SHIN Protocol to Make it SHINE

Article by Lisa D

Exercise is an important part of the SHINE protocol. As a former group fitness instructor, exercise was my passion. I absolutely loved to exercise. My world came to a screeching halt 7 years ago. My once busy nights filled with teaching fitness classes were empty and filled with doom, gloom, and pain from fibromyalgia. Although I never lost my passion for exercise, I thought my ability to exercise was almost non-existent. Boy was I wrong!

Last fall, I was one of eight individuals selected to be a part of Dr. Oz’s YOU: Staying Young Program featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. As a part of the Staying Young program, I was supplied with a bag full of goodies including a pedometer. Soon after, I decided to start my exercise program. I put on my pedometer and took a walk. Day after day, I was truly amazed at the number of steps I accomplished each day. After a few weeks of daily walks, I noticed a change in my body. My cold hands had feet had started to warm. My pain had greatly diminished. For the first time in many years, my energy levels had increased dramatically. I felt alive again. What a wonderful feeling

For many fibromyalgia patients, doable exercises include walking, Yoga, and Tai Chi just to name a few. Walking is an ideal exercise. It stimulates the hypothalamus and pituitary glands (both of which have a direct impact on fibromyalgia). This stimulation releases endorphins, which are considered “natural pain killers.” I also include a combination of Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates in my exercise program. These mind and body exercises provide strength for the body, mind and soul.

The key to a successful exercise program is to not overdo it. Get yourself a pedometer, a good pair of walking shoes, a Yoga mat, and a positive attitude. Start slowly and take one day at a time. Increase the intensity and duration of your program with caution. Everyday will not be the same. Record your accomplishments in a journal and be proud. You will be pleasantly surprised at the number of steps you can accomplish and the increase you will see in your strength and flexibility.

Self empowerment is all you need to get started.

Lisa D

I’d like to thank Lisa for her article, and offer a few tips to get you started safely:

1. Begin with light exercise like walking or even warm water walking (in a heated pool) if regular walking is too difficult.

2. Walk to the degree that you feel “good tired” afterwards and better the next day. If you feel worse the next day, stop a few days and then cut back.

3. Walk only as much as you know you comfortably can (or start with 5 minutes). Then increase by 1 minute every other day as is comfortable. When you get to a point that leaves you feeling worse the next day, cut back a bit to a comfortable level, and continue that amount of walking each day.

4. After 10 weeks on the “SHINE Protocol”, your energy production will usually improve considerably, and you’ll be able to continue to increase your walking by 1 minute every other day.

5. When you get to 1 hour a day (or 10,000 steps throughout the day if using a pedometer), you can increase the intensity of the exercise. Again, listen to your body, and only do what feels good to you. You’ll know the difference between how “good pain” feels versus “bad pain” or crashing. Overall, “No Pain, No Gain” is stupid. Pain is your body’s way of saying “Don’t do that!”

6. Do consider a pedometer. It makes it more fun to be able to see your endurance go up (set it for total steps you walk a day). There is even a recent pedometer study showing it to help

Unless it is cold, and the cold flares your pain, I recommend you get your exercise by walking outside, so you can get sunshine—your key source of Vitamin D. Many people with CFS/Fibromyalgia are Vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D from sunshine (or supplements) will help improve immune function and will also decrease the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and cancer (low Vitamin D is responsible for over 85,000 cancer deaths a year in the US). Make a plan to walk daily with a friend, and somewhere that’s enjoyable (on cold days it could be in the mall). That way, you’re more likely to have fun—and stay with the program!

Welcome to getting your life back!

Love and Blessings,

Jacob Teitelbaum M.D.

Gordon Medical Associates is bringing Dr. Teitelbaum to the San Francisco Bay area this  fall to speak with local patients and physicians about his treatment protocols. Details will be available soon.

Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, is a board certified internist and Medical Director of the national Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers and Chronicity. He is author of the popular free iPhone application “Cures A-Z,” and author of the best-selling book From Fatigued to Fantastic! (Avery/Penguin Group), Pain Free 1-2-3 (McGraw-Hill), Three Steps to Happiness: Healing Through Joy (Deva Press 2003), Beat Sugar Addiction NOW! (Fairwinds Press, 2010), and his newest book Real Cause, Real Cure (Rodale Press, July 15, 2011). Dr. Teitelbaum knows CFS/fibromyalgia as an insider — he contracted CFS when he was in medical school and had to drop out for a year to recover. In the ensuing 25 years, he has dedicated his career to finding effective treatment. He will be coming to the San Francisco Bay area in the fall to speak with local patients and physicians about his treatment protocols.