Agent Orange Victims Get Scientology ‘Detox’ Treatment

The Vietnamese government is turning to a “detoxification” method developed by the founder of the Church of Scientology to treat victims of Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant the U.S. military used during the Vietnam War.

According to local media reports, 24 patients from the central city of Da Nang were admitted to the Hanoi 103 Military Hospital last week to begin a free, month-long treatment to rid the body of dioxins that have been linked to birth defects, cancers and other diseases.

The “Hubbard Method,” named after L. Ron Hubbard, requires  taking vitamins and minerals, exercising and sweating in saunas. Scientologists have used it to treat alcoholism and drug addiction in the past, and offered similar services to  New York City’s first responders who were exposed to toxins in the 9/11 terror attacks.

Vietnam is the first country to apply the method on Agent Orange victims, according to Hoang Manh An, the director of the hospital carrying out the detoxification.

“I hope my wife and I will recover completely and will not suffer after-effects to pass on to my descendants,” Nguyen Dai Sang, one of the patients, told the Viet Nam News Daily.

American troops doused the jungles of Southeast Asia with 20 million gallons of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War  to deny Vietcong fighters and North Vietnamese troops cover. The herbicides contaminated about 5  million acres of forest, which is roughly the size of Massachusetts.

The U.S. launched its first major effort to clean up the soil at a former air base in Da Nang last month, more than 40 years later, but spokesman Christopher Hodges at the American Embassy in Hanoi said the U.S. had not provided any funding for detoxification programs in Vietnam.

“We are not aware of any safe, effective detoxification treatment for people with dioxin in body tissues,” Hodges said in a statement. “The best way to reduce health risks associated with dioxin is to prevent human exposure to dioxin, and the best way to do that is to clean up areas where dioxin exists in the environment at potentially hazardous levels.”

Whacko Science- No Thanks!

Robin Roberts Checks Into Hospital To Prepare For Bone Marrow Transplant

Good Morning America cohost Robin Roberts began preparing for her upcoming bone marrow transplant by checking into the hospital on Monday morning and posting a photo of herself on Facebook, with an entry that began with the words: “Holding a picture of my two guardian angels..mom and dad…” and ended with: “Oh, by the way, as my friend India.Arie sings...I am NOT my hair. Onward and looking upward. Blessings to all...XO

Before she left, Roberts, who is currently battling a bone marrow disorder called MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome) bid her fans goodbye with a farewell message on Twitter: “My last tweet for awhile,” she wrote. “Heading to hospital...time to focus on healing. I take each & every one of you w/me in my heart. Light and love.”

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It sounds like the 51-year-old TV anchor had a fun sendoff from her colleagues before she packed her bags for the hospital stay. “Shhhhhh...don’t tell my doctors I’m up late w/ @GMA fam before I go to hospital in the AM,” Roberts tweeted Sunday night, after posting earlier, “We are family...@GMA family w/@JoshElliottABC at my apt giving me a send off to remember.”

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, it has been a difficult few months for the beloved host, whose mother Lucimarian passed away at age 88 on August 30 at her home in Mississippi.

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Robin will now be receiving a bone marrow transplant from her sister, Sally-Ann Roberts, and her recovery is expected to last several months.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, beating the disease, but explained in 2012 that due to complications from the cancer treatments she was diagnosed withmyelodysplastic syndrome.

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About Multiple Myeloma by National Cancer Institute

Multiple myeloma is a cancer that begins in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell. These cells are part of your immune system, which helps protect the body from germs and other harmful substances. In time, myeloma cells collect in the bone marrow and in the solid parts of bone.

No one knows the exact causes of multiple myeloma, but it is more common in older people and African-Americans. Early symptoms may include

   ● Bone pain, often in the back or ribs

   ● Broken bones

   ● Weakness or fatigue

   ● Weight loss

   ● Repeated infections

Myeloma is hard to cure. Treatment may help control symptoms and complications. Options include chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation and radiation.

People with multiple myeloma have many treatment options. The options are watchful waiting,induction therapy, and stem cell transplant. Sometimes a combination of methods is used.

Radiation therapy is used sometimes to treat painful bone disease. It may be used alone or along with other therapies. See the Supportive Care section to learn about ways to relieve pain.

The choice of treatment depends mainly on how advanced the disease is and whether you have symptoms. If you have multiple myeloma without symptoms (smoldering myeloma), you may not need cancer treatment right away. The doctor monitors your health closely (watchful waiting) so that treatment can start when you begin to have symptoms.

If you have symptoms, you will likely get induction therapy. Sometimes a stem cell transplant is part of the treatment plan.

When treatment for myeloma is needed, it can often control the disease and its symptoms. People may receive therapy to help keep the cancer in remission, but myeloma can seldom be cured. Because standard treatment may not control myeloma, you may want to talk to your doctor about taking part in a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies of new treatment methods. See theTaking Part in Cancer Research section.

Your doctor can describe your treatment choices, the expected results, and the possible side effects. You and your doctor can work together to develop a treatment plan that meets your needs.

Your doctor may refer you to a specialist, or you may ask for a referral. Specialists who treat multiple myeloma include hematologists and medical oncologists. Your health care team may also include an oncology nurse and a registered dietitian.

Before treatment starts, ask your health care team to explain possible side effects and how treatment may change your normal activities. Because cancer treatments often damage healthy cells and tissues, side effects are common. Side effects may not be the same for each person, and they may change from one treatment session to the next.

Many different types of drugs are used to treat myeloma. People often receive a combination of drugs, and many different combinations are used to treat myeloma.

Each type of drug kills cancer cells in a different way:

   >> Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy kills fast-growing myeloma cells, but the drug can also harm normal cells that divide rapidly

   >> Targeted therapy: Targeted therapies use drugs that block the growth of myeloma cells. The targeted therapy blocks the action of an abnormal protein that stimulates the growth of myeloma cells.

   >> Steroids: Some steroids have antitumor effects. It is thought that steroids can trigger the death of myeloma cells. A steroid may be used alone or with other drugs to treat myeloma.

You may receive the drugs by mouth or through a vein (IV). The treatment usually takes place in an outpatient part of the hospital, at your doctor's office, or at home. Some people may need to stay in the hospital for treatment.

The side effects depend mainly on which drugs are given and how much:

More at NIH: National Cancer Institute

Sorafenib May Be New Treatment for Multiple Myeloma Blood Cancer That Strikes Seniors

Research from Karolinska Institute shows that sorafenib, a drug used for advanced cancer of the kidneys and liver, could also be effective against multiple myeloma.

"Recently developed drugs, like bortezomib, have increased the survival rate for people with this serious and complex disease," says study leader Theocharis Panaretakis, docent of experimental oncology.

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Whooping It Up in PCB

Patricia and I had a real blast.  Sadly, only took the camera out of the condo on one of our adventures.  Dinner at Los Rancheros with our Steve and Mary.  Steve is a daytime bartender at our joint across the street.  The little hottie in the booth with Patricia and I is Eguardo....  my favorite waiter.

Other nights, we hung out at Dee's Hangout and out Thai restaurant, Ketana.  Had big fun.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH...................

Here's a picture of one of Isaac's outer bands.

Dom suffered through 3 days of nonstop rain.  Almost 20 inches!  (Our pond is very happy, anyway).

He only lost power for about 6 hours.  Not a problem....had the generator cranked up.  Friends in Metairie just got their power back yesterday!

Yeah..... Patty and I had a fun hurricane party.  Dominic, not so much.