The Terrorists of Health: The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Jihad Eternal hell to the non-believers. Published on January 20, 2010
by rheumatologist Dr. Mark Borigini
"Recently, there were all kinds of blogging and blustering over the internet regarding the XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus), a retrovirus researchers have found may be associated with chronic fatigue syndrome. However, it is a novel finding, and far from being the proverbial sure thing for those who are searching for the sure thing in the quest for the etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome. But the Terrorists of Health, in full jihadist mode, are trumpeting XMRV as being "proof" that the mystery of chronic fatigue syndrome has been found. Eternal hell to the non-believers. Well, there is no proof. And what is more disappointing is the money that will invariably be wasted by desperate patients trying to figure out why they are fatigued; because, rest assured, there will be unscrupulous individuals waiting for the patient who wants to be tested. But a test result in a non-research setting means practically nothing at this time, whether it be a positive test result or a negative test result. There is no reliable test available commercially at this time; researchers have several different tests they are using now in their ongoing research on XMRV. XMRV was originally discovered in the tissue of cancerous prostates. This begs the question: Where else is XMRV found, and what does it mean when it is found? The diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome has generally been referred to as a "diagnosis of exclusion". How comfortable should we be in accepting the presumption that the study subjects described in the XMRV literature published thus far truly have chronic fatigue syndrome? What if the XMRV test is telling us there is a problem, but not necessarily chronic fatigue syndrome? How will the chronic fatigue syndrome jihadists deal with, say, the discovery that XMRV causes an illness which leads to fatigue? But I can hear the internet IEDs exploding as I write this! It is for the scientist to steer clear of the mine field of the politics of health. Studies have to be conducted with objectivity: Is XMRV just a bystander, and if so, why is it there? I am looking forward to more data. The Terrorists of Health should at least grant us a brief reprieve as we all await that data."
Dr. Borigini graduated from Hahnemann University (now Drexel University) School of Medicine in 1988 and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of California, Irvine, in 1991. Following that, he spent two years at UCLA, completing his rheumatology fellowship in 1993. Besides assisting in the teaching of students and housestaff, Dr. Borigini was involved in studying novel rheumatoid arthritis treatments, and he continued doing so as a Clinical Instructor at the UCLA School of Medicine until 1993, at which time he took a position at the VA Medical Center in Long Beach, California, again participating in the teaching of students and housestaff from the University of California, Irvine. He currently holds the title of Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine.
In 2003, Dr. Borigini took on additional academic duties at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California, one of the top rehabilitation facilities in the United States, according to US News and World Report. In his capacity as Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California, he heads the inpatient Rheumatology Consult service at Rancho, and conducts teaching rounds with rheumatology trainees from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Borigini has published several articles and book chapters, and enjoys lecturing. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical profession's honor society. He is hopeful this pain blog will give readers an understanding of pain and how to cope with it. His undergraduate degree is in Psychobiology, and he feels this coupled with the experience of dealing with patients with chronic rheumatologic conditions over the years will allow him to provide readers with a unique perspective, and hopefully encourage a healthy attitude in the approach to pain on the part of both caregiver (whether it be doctor, psychologist or family member) and patient
Mark Borigini is no longer a provider to the VA Medical Center in Long Beach, California - this was in an email FROM the VA.
Would YOU want a guy who calls the sick and in pain TERRORISTS and JIHADISTS and IEDs exploding - around US Veterans? I think they deserve far better than this guy. Apparently the VA thought so as well.
4 comments:
Nancy Klimas interview in New York Times:
http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/hiv-fibromyalgia-and-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/?hpw
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/overcoming-pain/201001/the-terrorists-health-the-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-jihad
The Terrorists of Health: The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Jihad
Eternal hell to the non-believers.
Published on January 20, 2010
by rheumatologist Dr. Mark Borigini
"Recently, there were all kinds of blogging and blustering over the internet regarding the XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus), a retrovirus researchers have found may be associated with chronic fatigue syndrome. However, it is a novel finding, and far from being the proverbial sure thing for those who are searching for the sure thing in the quest for the etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome. But the Terrorists of Health, in full jihadist mode, are trumpeting XMRV as being "proof" that the mystery of chronic fatigue syndrome has been found. Eternal hell to the non-believers. Well, there is no proof. And what is more disappointing is the money that will invariably be wasted by desperate patients trying to figure out why they are fatigued; because, rest assured, there will be unscrupulous individuals waiting for the patient who wants to be tested. But a test result in a non-research setting means practically nothing at this time, whether
it be a positive test result or a negative test result. There is no reliable test available commercially at this time; researchers have several different tests they are using now in their ongoing research on XMRV. XMRV was originally discovered in the tissue of cancerous prostates. This begs the question: Where else is XMRV found, and what does it mean when it is found? The diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome has generally been referred to as a "diagnosis of exclusion". How comfortable should we be in accepting the presumption that the study subjects described in the XMRV literature published thus far truly have chronic fatigue syndrome? What if the XMRV test is telling us there is a problem, but not necessarily chronic fatigue syndrome? How will the chronic fatigue syndrome jihadists deal with, say, the discovery that XMRV causes an illness which leads to fatigue? But I can hear the internet IEDs exploding as I write this! It is for the scientist to
steer clear of the mine field of the politics of health. Studies have to be conducted with objectivity: Is XMRV just a bystander, and if so, why is it there? I am looking forward to more data. The Terrorists of Health should at least grant us a brief reprieve as we all await that data."
Dr. Mark Borigini
board-certified rheumatologist
Dr. Borigini graduated from Hahnemann University (now Drexel University) School of Medicine in 1988 and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of California, Irvine, in 1991. Following that, he spent two years at UCLA, completing his rheumatology fellowship in 1993. Besides assisting in the teaching of students and housestaff, Dr. Borigini was involved in studying novel rheumatoid arthritis treatments, and he continued doing so as a Clinical Instructor at the UCLA School of Medicine until 1993, at which time he took a position at the VA Medical Center in Long Beach, California, again participating in the teaching of students and housestaff from the University of California, Irvine. He currently holds the title of Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine.
In 2003, Dr. Borigini took on additional academic duties at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California, one of the top rehabilitation facilities in the United States, according to US News and World Report. In his capacity as Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California, he heads the inpatient Rheumatology Consult service at Rancho, and conducts teaching rounds with rheumatology trainees from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Borigini has published several articles and book chapters, and enjoys lecturing. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical profession's honor society. He is hopeful this pain blog will give readers an understanding of pain and how to cope with it. His undergraduate degree is in Psychobiology, and he feels this coupled with the experience of dealing with patients with chronic rheumatologic conditions over the years will allow him to provide readers with a unique perspective, and hopefully encourage a healthy attitude in the approach to pain on the part of both caregiver (whether it be doctor, psychologist or family member) and patient
Mark Borigini is no longer a provider to the VA Medical Center in Long Beach, California - this was in an email FROM the VA.
Would YOU want a guy who calls the sick and in pain TERRORISTS and JIHADISTS and IEDs exploding - around US Veterans? I think they deserve far better than this guy. Apparently the VA thought so as well.
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