COPD-INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER
http://www.COPD-International.com

Dedicated to the philosophy
"You can learn to control this disease instead of letting it control you!"

Monday, October 20, 2003                          Volume #2 -- Issue #43
Susie Bowers, Editor   --   Web-Editor@COPD-International.com
Copyright © 2003 COPD-International.com           All rights reserved.

FREE BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY!       Subscription information is at
the end of this newsletter.      THIS IS AN AUTOMATED MESSAGE
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY. This newsletter is published on Mondays.
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       > > > > > > > > > >      IN THIS ISSUE      < < < < < < < < < <
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==> Welcome
==> COPD News
==> Recalls/Warnings
==> Featured Articles - 2003 COPD Conference
==> Guest Editorial
==> Nutrition/Wellness
==> Community Updates
==> Link Directory
==> Just for Fun
==> Recipe
==> Closing Thought
==> Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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             > > > > > > > > >     WELCOME     < < < < < < < < <
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ABOUT US
We are a group of fellow COPD sufferers, caregivers and others
interested in this disease. Our online community is devoted to
helping one another to live the best life possible with this
debilitating illness through interactive support.

As many of us have found, COPD is a disease of many faces,
contradictions and components. Therefore, our diversified community
is here to share its combined wealth of knowledge and information,
so we may all become well-informed patients and take control of our
disease rather than letting this disease control us.

EDITORIAL COMMENTS
The First U.S. COPD Conference will be held in November. The
conference will focus on early detection, treatment and prevention
through workshops, lectures and meetings. Under Featured Articles
is information about the conference, which is open to all those
interested in lung disease.

Also in this issue is a new Guest Editorial section. This section
will appear periodically and feature articles on COPD from guest
writers. If you wish to be a contributing writer, please contact us
at Newsletter@COPD-International.com

More good news! In our library, we now have a comprehensive
listing by states of clinical trials along with general information.
The new links are listed under Link Directory.

We welcome your input and participation in our newsletters and will
review for publication any pertinent information you wish to share
with others on COPD and related topics.

Yours in health ...

Susie
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          > > > > > > > > >     COPD NEWS     < < < < < < < < <
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REMINDER! PARTICIPATE IN U.S. COPD SURVEY
The largest national survey in the United States of COPD patients,
including chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) and emphysema, is being conducted for the COPD Resource
Network, in collaboration with patient and professional
organizations concerned with treatment of chronic lung diseases.

This survey will provide these organizations with a national profile
of patients with chronic lung disease in the United States, as well
as information about patient preferences for information, programs
and activities related to this condition.

Your participation is completely voluntary, but extremely important
to us. If there are any questions that you cannot or prefer not to
answer, that is fine. This 40-question survey does NOT ask for your
name or any confidential or personal information.

As one of the collaborating organizations, we at
COPD-International.com want to thank you in advance for
participating. To take the survey online, please go to
http://www.copd-international.com/library/survey.htm

HOW YOUR LUNGS PROTECT THEMSELVES
A single class of molecules serves as the immune system's gatekeeper
in the lungs, reducing immune response in some situations and
encouraging it in other cases. So finds a study in a recent issue of
Cell. See Story: http://www.healthscout.com/news/407/515341/main.html

BUILDING STRENGTH FOR LUNG PATIENTS
Now COPD patients are building muscle and building strength.
A pulmonologist with the Harbor-UCLA Research and Education
Institute says that lack of exercise weakens muscles and leaves
patients with little strength. He is helping women build muscle with
weights and weekly injections of testosterone. See More:
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=7160

COPD PATIENTS BENEFIT FROM MUSCLE TRAINING
The inspiratory and expiratory muscles can be specifically trained
with improvement of both muscle strength and endurance. The
improvement in the inspiratory muscle performance is associated with
an increase in the 6-min walk test distance and the sensation of
dyspnea. See Abstract http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/content/abstract/124/4
/1357

EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF ASTHMA ATTACKS
Recognizing the early warning signs of asthma can help head off an
attack or at least minimize its severity. See Signs:
http://asthma.about.com/library/weekly/aa092799.htm

ASTHMA PATIENTS CAUTIONED ABOUT MELATONIN
People with asthma should consider limiting the use of melatonin as
a sleep aid, according to researchers at National Jewish.
Pulmonologist Widely available supplements can raise melatonin blood
levels 10 to 100 times higher than normal peak levels. See More:
http://www.nationaljewish.org/news/melatonin.html

STUDY SHOWS GENES INFLUENCE SMOKING HABIT
Smokers with a specific combination of two genetic variants may be
more likely to remain abstinent and less prone to relapse when
trying to quit smoking, a study by researchers from the Tobacco Use
Research Center of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
indicates. See Story: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031012234
908.htm

Make browsing in our Library and catching up on general medical
news in our Reading Room part of your daily surfing routine at
http://www.copd-international.com/Library/
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    > > > > > > > > >     RECALLS / WARNINGS     < < < < < < < < <
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RECALLS
To view current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls,
go to http://www.safetyalerts.com/

WARNING
The FDA has issued a letter ordering Target Your Health, Inc. of
California to stop making illegal claims that its Live Cell Growth
Factors "have the potential to adapt and heal organs or body tissue
in need of repair." The product line includes "lung" repair among
other claims. http://www.fda.gov/foi/warning_letters/g4333d.htm
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     > > > > > > > > >     FEATURED ARTICLES     < < < < < < < <
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U.S. COPD CONFERENCE SET FOR NOVEMBER
The First National COPD Conference will be held November 14-15,
2003 at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. The
conference will provide scientific and societal background on COPD
to allow coalition partners to select key areas for long-term
collaborative action to promote COPD education, awareness and
improved care.

One of goals of the conference sponsor, the U.S. COPD CoalitionOne,
is to bring together as many patients as possible, so they can learn
and interact with a variety of top pulmonary professionals.

Go to http://www.uscopd.com to find out more about the conference,
registration and the coalition.

OXYGEN AVAILABLE AT CONFERENCE
Arrangements have been made to provide supplemental oxygen to
conference attendees. Specifically, patient attendees will be
offered the following assistance:

-- Oxygen available in patient rooms.

-- Refills for portables available in the Patient Hospitality Suite.

-- Special arrangements to meet patients at the airports.

-- A contact person available for assistance 24 hours a day.

It will be necessary for each patient attendee, requiring
supplementary oxygen, to register his/her oxygen needs with

Ms. Brenda Buenaventura
Communications Coordinator
Alpha-1 Foundation
BrendaB@alphaone.org
Work: 305-567-9888 X242
Work: 888-825-7421 X242 (toll-free)
Fax: 305-567-1317

She will need your oxygen requirements and doctor's prescription for
oxygen (it can be faxed to her).
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   > > > > > > > > >     GUEST EDITORIAL     < < < < < < < < < < < <
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A GEM OF A STORY

JACKSONVILLE FL, 27 OCT 2003 -- From eleven floors up, Betty
has a panoramic view of Jacksonville and all its bridges. But Betty
is active, so she spends little time looking out of her apartment
window. Riding in her power wheelchair or propelling her wheeled
walker, she can be found shopping, eating out, or in one of the many
groups that meet in her building.

You see, even with in two ruptured disks, Betty is still very
active. "But," she says, "I still have to remove empty E cylinders
from the wheelchair holder all by myself and replace them with full
ones At 8 pounds each that is a chore for me."

Betty has joined others who, because of Pete Wilson's arrangement
with Luxfer Cylinders, Inc., are now using composite cylinders. She
received enough of these cylinders to hold a week's worth of oxygen.
After a month's use she reports, "These cylinder weigh less than 6
pounds, are easier to move, and give me the oxygen I need." On a
recent trip to a local gem show she says, "The composite cylinder I
took lasted the whole time I was there so I didn't have to lug along
an extra cylinder." She continues, "Because the new cylinders are
shorter than my E cylinders, they don't stick up as high and other
elevator riders don't have to dodge them."

If you use a portable on continuous flow or at a pulse setting of 3
or greater, you may qualify to replace some of your aluminum
cylinders with composites. If you are interested, read more about it
on Pete's Web site http://www.portableoxygen.org in the section
"Compressed" and in the feature article "Tomorrow's Cylinders
Today," then contact him at petewilson@portableoxygen.org   Tell Pete
you learned about this from the COPD International Newsletter.

(Submitted by Pete Wilson)
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     > > > > > > > > >    NUTRITION/WELLNESS     < < < < < < < < <
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U.S. MAP REFLECTS ACHES AND PAIN INDEX
The Weather Channel offers maps reflecting the current aches and
pains index in relation to the weather. The maps include such topics
as air quality, allergies and cold and flu reports for specific
areas. Under "activity" click on air quality. Then under maps scroll
down to U.S. Respiratory Index. Maps: www.weather.com/maps

MILD DEPRESSION CAN DAMAGE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Study finds older caregivers had higher levels of molecule that may
lead to disease. See Details: http://www.healthscout.com/template.asp?ap
=1&page=newsdetail&id=515485
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> > > > > > > > > > >      COMMUNITY UPDATE     < < < < < < < < < < <
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WELCOME NEW SUBSCRIBERS!
We welcome all our new subscribers and invite you to join our
e-mail lists and check out our chat rooms, where you can talk freely
about COPD in an atmosphere of fellowship. The link to the chat
schedules can be found on our Home Page or just drop in anytime
you have a need to talk. For new subscribers, archives of back
issues of the newsletter can be accessed at
http://www.copd-international.com/Library/newsletters/archives.htm

LOVING THOUGHTS
To express your loving thoughts, get-well wishes and prayers for
our fellow community members, who are very ill or hospitalized,
please go to http://www.copd-international.com/Loving_Thoughts/

-- Sue "Shaddow" Carlos is back in the hospital, according
to her husband, Iain Carlos.

-- Ken Lewis, known as "Kenkop" in the chat rooms, is on his
way to Houston for evaluation for an aneurysm.

DAILY CHATS
Scheduled chats with hosts are held daily. We invite everyone to
stop in and visit. See Chat Schedule:
http://www.copd-international.com/Chat-schedule.htm

Also, the special weekly on-topic chats are listed below.

On-Topic Chats (All Eastern Time)

-- Caregivers: Sundays at 4 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
Host Kitty (Note: Only caregivers in these chats please.)
http://www.copd-international.com/caregivers/chat.htm

-- Quit Smoking Now (QSN): Mondays at 9 p.m.
Host Don from NM - Don is a smoking cessation counselor.
http://www.copd-international.com/quit_smoking/chat.htm

For more information on our chat rooms, please contact Deb, chat
coordinator, at Chat@COPD-International.com

We look forward to seeing you!
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  > > > > > > > > > > >     LINK DIRECTORY     < < < < < < < < < < < <
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SPECIAL-INTEREST PROGRAMS

-- NEW! Continually Updated List of COPD Clinical Trials
http://www.copd-international.com/Library/trials.htm

-- NEW! General Information on Clinical Trials
http://www.COPD-International.com/Library/clinical_trials.htm

-- Quit Smoking Support:
http://www.COPD-International.com/quit_smoking/

-- Exercise Forum:
http://www.COPD-International.com/exercise/

-- Caregivers Support:
http://www.copd-international.com/caregivers/

-- COPD Library:
http://www.COPD-International.com/Library/

-- Welcome Wagon:
http://www.COPD-International.com/welcome/

-- To Volunteer:
http://www.copd-international.com/volunteer.htm

Don't forget to checkout all our support programs listed on our Home
Page at www.COPD-International.com
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         > > > > > > > > >     JUST FOR FUN     < < < < < < < < <
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IT TAKES ALL KINDS!
As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man
grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and
the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the
snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They
put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then
taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To
which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole
the purse from."
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           > > > > > > > > > >    RECIPE    < < < < < < < < < <
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CHEESE, BROCCOLI CHICKEN SOUP
Talk about a great fall comfort food!

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves -
cut into bite-size pieces
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into florets
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup light cream
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
1. In a 5-quart pot, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in flour,
stirring constantly until a thick paste forms. Remove from pot,
and set aside.

2. In same pot, combine water, bouillon cubes, chicken, broccoli,
salt and pepper. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium
low, and simmer for 45 minutes.

3. Stir in the flour mixture a little bit at a time until soup
thickens. Simmer 5 minutes. Reduce heat, and stir in cream. Mix in
cheese 1 cup at a time and stir until melted. Serves 5.

(Allrecipes)
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        > > > > > > > > >    CLOSING THOUGHT    < < < < < < < < <
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                        Remember, we all stumble, every one of us.
                       That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand.

                                 -- Author Emily Kimbrough --
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Recommend the COPD-International Newsletter to a friend!

Thank You For Your Readership
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Notes
-----------------
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© 2002-2003 COPD-International.com, except where otherwise indicated.
All rights reserved worldwide. Reprint only with permission from
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All Disclaimers Apply: The information and guidance provided in this
newsletter should never be interpreted as a diagnosis, treatment
plan or any other form of professional service.

All information provided should be judged as individual "opinions"
and discussed with a qualified health-care professional before any
remedy, treatment or therapy is started.