Chronic Bits 

Babe Kirsti turned the Editrix on (wait, don't let our husbands hear that) to a nice little daily e-newsletter, offered by the Daily Om. Topics include self improvement, energy work, philosophy, healthy living, relationships, home & garden, nature--and more. Check it out! Much better for the In Box than those annoying chain letter e-mails your auntie is always sending you.

From the National Women's Health Network: "The national effort to improve the health of women suffered a serious blow today with the resignation of Dr. Susan F. Wood as the director of the FDA's Office of Women's Health. Dr. Wood resigned in protest over the agency's handling of Plan B." The statement, signed by representatives of many women's health groups, continued: "The resignation of Dr. Wood is just one example of the damaging implications of the FDA's willingness to ignore clear scientific evidence and clear scientific shortcomings in their approval decisions for prescription drugs, medical devices, and other medical products. American women will be harmed directly by FDA's inappropriate decisions, as well as indirectly harmed when outstanding public servants decide to resign from this ailing agency."

To learn more about how you can advance issues of reproductive freedom, check out the Reproductive Health Technologies Project.

OK, the Editrix is not frequently soothed by pictures of pets, but this is just gorgeous. Check out Numo at the Hedgehog Blog. Brought to you in part by Anne, rockin' contributor, and Loosetooth.com, rockin' designer and hedgehog lover.

The Center for the Advancement of Health reports that research points to old-school antidepressants as a treatment approach for pain caused by nerve tissue damage. Their recent article also examines the use of anticonvulsants. Again, thanks American Pain Foundation, whose e-newsletters keep us smart! Sign up for them here.

If you haven't already, the Babe urges you to check out the National Women's Health Report: Pain & Women's Health, a free publication from the National Women's Health Resource Center. This is a great overall look at chronic pain issues, with helpful tips, resources, and more. Editrix Jenni thinks it's a great primer to share with friends, family and other members of your support team! (Thanks for the tip, American Pain Foundation!)

Not the biggest shock, but USA Today is reporting that many self-employed folks go without health insurance. If you're a ChronicBabe, that is not a good option! This article examines a few options and economic trends that could affect self-paid insurance in the future.

WebMD reports that a study examining the Parkinson's drug Mirapex and its effects on fibromyalgia-related pain symptoms found the medication to be helpful in reducing pain. Almost half of of the study participants reported significant (50% or greater) improvement. Click here for an abstract of the study, published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Ever want to write about your chronic and have tons of people read your personal perspective? Colleen McKee and Amanda Stiebel are editing a book of personal narratives by women called Are We Feeling Better Yet? : Women's Encounters with Health Care in America. McKee and Stiebel currently are seeking submissions; visit their site for full submission details -- the deadline is Nov. 30, 2005, so don't delay!

According to Reuters, Australian scientists have found that crocodile immune systems kill HIV -- and researchers are now working on ways to use their blood to create antimicrobial drugs for us humans. While possible results are years away, scientists are hopeful. Wouldn't that just be the coolest thing ever if crocodiles could stop the spread of HIV?

Reuters reports today that women who take over-the-counter painkillers like Tylenol or Advil are more likely to have high blood pressure than those who do not take the meds. The Editrix wonders: maybe their blood pressure is high because they're in constant pain and often not given the best drugs or treatment? Nah. It's probably the pesky pills. WebMD examines the issue further and actually (kind of) answers the Editrix's question!

There they go again, rockin' the house. Kaiser Family Foundation is offering " A Consumer Guide to Handling Disputes with Your Employer or Private Health Plan, 2005 Update," available free online. According to the site, "Anyone enrolled in a health plan should be familiar with their plan’s internal review process and any external review program in their state in case problems later arise" -- and this digital tool helps. You can even search to find details on your state's external review program. Three cheers to Kaiser for helping empower people!

Years ago, a work friend told me about his idea to create a PDA software program tracking his wife's monthly schedule - so he would be prepared for, well, you know. Amazingly, a company has finally come up with the software to do it! Read more here. (In the Editrix's house, a wall calendar helps us all track impending chocolate cravings, crampiness, and general bitchitude. But it's not mobile!) Thanks for the tip, Dave!

USA Today reported yesterday that 23 drug companies agreed to new guidelines governing consumer ads, including a surprising move to abolish "reminder" drug ads that don't include those long, scary lists of side effects. Although companies will be watched by an independent panel, skeptics abound. The Kaiser Family Foundation offers fabulous coverage here.

The American Pain Foundation is asking supporters to speak out for increased support of the Pain Care Policy Act H.R. 1020. From the Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis: "This bill calls for the convening of a White House conference on pain care, the implementation of a National Center for Pain and Palliative Care Research within NIH and a pain care initiative in military and veterans’ health care facilities, and the application of pain care standards in TRICARE and Medicare Advantage plans." Read the entire OLPA summary here; click here to learn about how to support passage of the Act.

A "take charge" attitude can help you adapt to changes -- or even initiate them. A new article offered by the National Women's Health Resource Center talks about the best ways to kickstart -- and manage -- change in a healthy way. Click here to read Robin Warshaw's article: Ready, Set, Go!: Taking Charge of Change. The NWHRC offers a great e-newsletter, "Healthy Women Take 10," along with other free publications. Sign up for one or more!

Because we love to bring you stories about weird new ways to examine breasts: Prevention.com is reporting that a new "painless" breast examination technique currently is being tested around the world. Click here to learn more about the Z-Tech Breast Scan, which sends a tiny amount of electricity through the breast. Click here to subscribe to the Prevention.com e-newsletter.

Medicare will begin offering prescription drug coverage in 2006, according to the National Women's Health Information Center's "Healthy Women Today" newsletter.