For almost 40 years now, I've volunteered with our municipal health
department to try to help people who don't fit "average" health
patterns - asthma and hypersensitivities to things we breathe in
particular (see http://sankey.ws/pen.html). Until a few years ago
I've been treated as an extremist for claiming that about 15% of
local people are way off average health in some way. Life is getting
a bit easier now that we have three of the top specialists in the
world practising here in Ottawa, and one of them is backing in public
what I have been trying to get across to bureaucrats for so long.
Reni & PizzaGirl, hang in there. You have a lot of company in
visiting health hell without proper medical support. Just don't fall
into the trap of assuming that what worked for you will work for
someone else. When it comes to your intensities of health problems,
we each have to find our own solutions for now.
But, take heart. When I started, doctors who treated allergies were
"homeopaths" (translation, quacks). Then we discovered the
immuniglobins, allergists became respectable overnight, and today
anyone with an allergy who is still having problems with it should
just change doctors.
Science does progress, just so awfully slowly at times. I've had to
pass the torch to the next generation, but trust me: there are still
researchers out there who care for the truth and for people. I hope
they can help our children and our children's children.