From: Cynthia S Donnell
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: Re: Vocal Cord Paralysis/reinnervation/critical thinking
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Dear Timothy and List,

First, let me congratulate you on your return to health and the
use of your leg and foot.
Second, not to belittle your success or your treatment choices,
but to exercise my critical thinking -
Any illness, infirmity or disorder will do 1 of 3 things
completely on its own;
1. It will get better.
2. It will get worse.
3. It will stay the same.
Your recovery happened at the same time you were partaking of the
alternative treatments. This neither confirms nor negates the efficacy of
your treatments. We may want to see cause and effect but the course of
events you describe happened at the same time as your alternative
treatments and may have happened with or without them.

Again, I'm merely calling on the list to think critically, not to cast
doubt on your choices.

At the risk of sounding negative, may I suggest that when we do as Timothy
suggests, and read the testimonials of folks helped by the treatments
mentioned in the books and sites, we should remember that what we read is
anecdotal evidence and should be regarded as such. Sufficient anecdotal
evidence gives the scientific community the nudge it needs to investigate
and carefully study treatments, supplements and the like. One has only to
look at the NIH ongoing study on glucosamine and the studies on echinacea
and ginko biloba to see this in action. Until the blinded studies have
been done and the research reviewed by peers we should regard such
information as anecdotal in nature.

Again,Timothy, congratulations and all good wishes for your continued
improvement.

I'm going to finish grading my diction papers now.
Cindy Donnell


On Tue, 7 Dec 1999, Timothy Kelly wrote:>
I would try some
> alternative treatments first, which often are more successful. Years ago, one of
> my legs was crushed in a motor car accident. I spent a couple of mos in the
> hospital getting the crushed leg rebuilt enough, so I could wear a full leg
> brace. My left foot was 100% paralysed, and I was told I would never walk again.>
> Two years of self treatment using alternative medicine treatments for
> paraylis, and regrowing and rebuilding nerves, and I got rid of the wheelchair
> and leg brace. Now I can walk, not as fast, not as far. My cost of self
> treatment was $10 a mo for some herbal tinctures and a few hours spend looking
> up success stories in alternative medicine sections of large bookstores.