Second Opinion to Second Chances

Written by Janet Auty-Carlisle


Second Opinion to Second Chances Janet Auty-Carlisle grew up playing with toys and dolls, just like any other girl. She went to school, got married and started a family. Everything seemed to be going well whenrepparttar unthinkable happened. Janet was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and, withrepparttar 139917 support of a devoted husband, began to deal with doctors and medications and hardship. Although Janet was still able to work at first, things became harder for her as time went on. And asrepparttar 139918 medications began to take their toll, she was forced to resign her position. Beforerepparttar 139919 diagnosis Janet ran a company that specialized in corporate relocations, aiding people in their own transitions by helping them get settled into new schools and tapping into local services as they adapted to their new homes. Janet eventually decided to userepparttar 139920 skills she’d acquired in her relocation firm to help people transition when learning to live with a chronic disease. She formed a local support group which met once a month, organizedrepparttar 139921 first annual SuperWalk for Parkinsons' and raised $45000repparttar 139922 first year. She began an education campaign atrepparttar 139923 local school board and traveled throughout her community raising public awareness. In addition Janet developed a program called “Bridgingrepparttar 139924 Borders”, a weekend-long awareness conference for people with Parkinson's and their care partners, and an empowering program for fund raising called ICAN. (www.icanforpd.ca). After six years of taking medication and being exposed to so many people with Parkinson's, Janet noticed thatrepparttar 139925 disease was not progressing. Questioning her specialist Janet was always told "You are in denial. You do have Parkinson's. Deal with it." Not satisfied with this answer Janet met a neurologist at one of her conferences who agreed to provide her with a second opinion. Shockingly, this doctor told her that her symptoms were possibly due to stress and a virus she’d had atrepparttar 139926 time ofrepparttar 139927 original diagnosis and not Parkinson’s disease at all! It took Janet a full year to wean herself offrepparttar 139928 powerful drugs she had been taking forrepparttar 139929 wrong disease. The medications had some serious side effects, but she overcame all of this. At 48 years of age, she felt like she’d been given a new life. Janet now lives byrepparttar 139930 motto: “The only constant in life is change.” Janet discovered that her real strength and passion was for coaching, writing and speaking. After coming to terms with her illness, she realized that what she wanted most out of life was to help people learn to live a life of joy and passion. Janet now coaches others as a Lifestyle health and wellness coach. Having experienced similar life situations as her clients provides Janet withrepparttar 139931 ability to relate to her clients on a more intimate level and place of profound understanding. What lessons has Janet learned from her experiences?

Vioxx and Bextra Lawsuits Could Tie Up Courts for Years

Written by Charles Essmeier


In September, 2004, pharmaceutical giant Merck voluntarily withdrew its painkilling medication Vioxx fromrepparttar market. Studies show that Vioxx increasesrepparttar 139891 risk of heart attack and stroke among patients who have usedrepparttar 139892 drug for longer than 18 months. Vioxx, a drug from a family of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors, is one of only a few drugs specifically designed to minimize inflammation while avoidingrepparttar 139893 stomach disorders long associated with other anti-inflammatory medications. Since its introduction in 1999, Vioxx has been a huge success, and sales ofrepparttar 139894 drug worldwide topped $2.5 billion in 2003. That is certainly a great deal of money, but it pales when compared torepparttar 139895 amount that Merck stands to lose through product liability lawsuits, which will soon come to court. As of this writing, several thousand lawsuits have been filed nationally, but attorneys estimate thatrepparttar 139896 total number of lawsuits filed could reach a staggering 100,000.

One hundred thousand lawsuits is certainly a formidable number, but that figure could represent only half ofrepparttar 139897 number of lawsuits related to COX-2 inhibitors. Earlier this year, Pfizer voluntarily

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