PSE&G are Allowing Commerce Energy to take Advantage

On Tuesday, PSE&G came and decided to interrupt my electric and gas service. I called them to find out where's my money going that I keep sending them. They told me they are posting it to my account. Then I asked why do they keep adding Commerce Energy back to my bill. She says they are supposed to come off. Commerce Energy is a third party utility company that wants you to pay them through PSE&G in addition to paying PSE&G. They raised my ridiculous rates to $.89 a therm in December. My bill was $40 for Service fee, $269.88 therm balancing fee, and $450+ for what Commerce Energy feels is appropriate.

I keep asking PSE&G to take them off. They were off in January and February but then returned in April of this year.  I called the Board of Public Utilities and they do nothing each and every time just like the rest of NJ State Offices.

So now, I have no power or cooking gas. All my food has went bad. I just paid them $300 on the 6th of May.

I asked how much was it to get the lights back on, they told me $182.18 plus service re-connection fee of $75 per service and security deposit up to $250.

I just think it is so crazy that they leave people service on that owe them thousands. I have a heart monitor in the house and PSE&G medical board denied my machine as being medically necessary.

Forbes Thought Of The Day

“ Discover what you want most of all in this world, and set yourself to work on it. ”

— John Homer Miller

Can Celiacs' Eat Oats

It is still a matter of controversy whether or not oats are safe for people with celiac disease. The general consensus at this point seems to be that pure oats are safe for most, but not all, people with celiac. Since oats can easily be contaminated with wheat during harvest, storage, or other stages of processing, it has been stressed that the oats be certified as pure. Although the classic 33-amino acid long oligopeptide that acts as the immunogenic stimulus in gliadin had not yet been found in oats, other peptides isolated from oats do activate T-cells isolated from celiac patients. A new study performed in Spain by Isabel Comino et al. suggests that it is not that some celiac patients can’t tolerate all oats, but rather that all celiac patients can’t tolerate some oats. Their results are reported in the January 2011 issue of GUT: An International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Dr. Comina and her colleagues examined nine different cultivars of oats. They exposed each of them to a sensitive monoclonal antibody generated to recognize the toxic 33-mer from gliadin, and also measured if each of the oat varieties could elicit an immune response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from celiac patients. They wanted to see if they could correlate recognition by the monoclonal antibody to induction of a T-cell response, and found that they certainly could.

The nine varieties of oats segregated neatly into three groups of three varieties each: those for which the antibody had high affinity, low affinity, and no affinity. This affinity was validated by two different experimental methods, so was not an artifact of the technique chosen. When T cells from patients with celiac were exposed to extracts of the oat variety the antibody bound to strongest, they proliferated the most and released interferon-gamma, an immunostimulatory cytokine whose aberrant expression is associated with auto-inflammatory disease. In contrast, the oats that didn’t react with the antibody did not elicit these immune responses. The authors note that the avenin – the storage protein in oats – from even the most immunogenic oats they saw bound to this antibody with 40-400 fold less affinity than gliadin (from gluten – the storage protein in wheat).

This study thus leaves us with two valuable conclusions. One is that some oats are more toxic than others, regardless of their purity. And the other is that reactivity with this antibody can be correlated to toxicity, making it a potential tool for evaluating the toxic gluten content of other food.

Source:

• Gut doi:10.1136/gut.2010.225268

Forbes Thought Of The Day

“ The heart of the giver makes the gift dear and precious. ”

— Martin Luther

My First Raccoon Encounter

I had to get video of this raccoon because Trenton Animal Control ALWAYS thinks I am smoking too many blunts when I call but that's never the case. They are so used to certain things, they say anything. Every time I call them something crazy is going on in the neighborhood.  I was just amused at seeing the raccoon be everything you hear about. 

National Celiac Month

   

Celiac Disease and Thyroid Disease

A significant number of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease also have celiac disease. The link between celiac disease and autoimmune thyroid disease is well established. Celiac disease and autoimmune thyroid disorders share a common genetic predisposition. This genetic predisposition may explain the higher incidence of thyroid autoimmune disorders among celiacs than in the general population.

It has been shown in studies that the prevalence of celiac disease in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease is 4-15 times greater than that in the general population. Various findings for the prevalence of celiac disease in Hashimoto's thyroiditis have been reported, between 3.3% and 4.8% in adults. According to a 2007 study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis should be screened for celiac disease and patients with known celiac disease should be screened for Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

In a large study published earlier by a group in the UK, confirmed celiac disease was found in 4.5% of adults with Graves disease.

According to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program, introducing a gluten-free diet in patients with celiac disease, with subclinical thyroiditis (only increased autoantibodies but no disease yet) is effective in most cases in bringing autoantibodies down to normal within two years. According to the study, if a patient with celiac disease already has diagnosed thyroiditis, then the gluten-free diet might not be effective.

What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism?
The following are symptoms for hypothyroidism:  Fatigue, abnormal menstruation, forgetfulness, weight gain, dry and coarse skin and hair, hoarse voice, depression, intolerance to cold and the development of a goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland).

The following are symptoms for hyperthyroidism: Irritability, nervousness, muscle weakness, tremors, lighter menstrual periods, weight loss, sleep problems, vision problems or eye irritation and heat sensitivity.

For more information, please visit the Thyroid Foundation of America
http://www.tsh.org/

Celiac Symptoms

There are more than 300 symptoms of celiac disease, and symptoms may vary among different people.

One person might have diarrhea and abdominal pain, while another person has irritability or depression. Some patients develop celiac symptoms early in life, while others feel healthy far into adulthood. Some people with celiac disease have no signs or symptoms.

These differences can make celiac diagnosis extremely difficult, resulting in 83% of people with celiac disease undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.

Some of the most common symptoms of celiac disease include:

Bloating or Gas	Diarrhea	Constipation	Fatigue
Itchy Skin Rash	Tingling/Numbness	Pale Mouth Sores	Joint Pain
Delayed Growth	Poor Weight Gain	Thin Bones	Infertility
Headaches	Depression	Irritability	Discolored Teeth

TALK TO YOUR FAMILY ABOUT CELIAC DISEASE TESTING

Help Keep Your Family Members Healthy.

Ask Them To Get Tested For Celiac Disease.

You have been diagnosed with celiac disease. After going gluten-free, you are on the road to restoring health and reclaiming your life.

But, did you know that your family members are at risk for celiac disease? It is critical that all first and second-degree relatives get tested for celiac disease, even if they are not experiencing any symptoms.

Those family members not experiencing symptoms may not understand that they could actually have the disease. They may not recognize their own risk for developing celiac disease, either. What’s more, they may not comprehend the potential health risks of undiagnosed celiac disease.

You can make a difference that saves their lives.

Talk to your untested family members and tell them the facts.

Who is at risk for celiac disease?

• 1 in 22 first-degree family members (parent, child, sibling) and 1 in 39 second-degree family members (aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, grandchild and half-sibling) are at risk for celiac disease. Learn more about Celiac in Families »
• Your risk may double if your brother or sister has celiac disease.
• An estimated 1 in 10 individuals with Type 1 diabetes in the U.S. have celiac disease.
• Celiac disease affects 1 out of every 133 Americans.
  
  Learn about other celiac disease risk factors »

What are the signs and symptoms of celiac disease?

• A 2012 survey found that 35% of people at risk for celiac disease had no reason to suspect that the symptoms they were experiencing were due to undiagnosed celiac disease.
• Classic symptoms include diarrhea, weight loss or growth failure and anemia.
• Non-classic symptoms include constipation, abdominal pain, and foul smelling and bulky stools.
• Other symptoms include rash, unexplained infertility, fatigue, headaches and nutritional deficiencies.

What are the consequences of untreated celiac disease?

Left untreated, undiagnosed celiac disease can increase your risk of other problems:

• Osteoporosis
• Infertility
• Thyroid disease
• Even certain cancers like lymphoma

Your role: Informing family members

As an individual or the parent of a child with celiac disease, you have an important role in talking to your family members about celiac disease testing. Here's why:

Personal risk information is easy to ignore.

With so much health information in the news each day, it’s easy to stop listening. This is especially true when someone feels perfectly healthy and is not aware of symptoms.

You give celiac disease a face to go along with it.

Your diagnosis of celiac disease makes it personal for your relatives. Your experience and advice is hard to ignore. In a 2012 study, 64% of those with a diagnosed family member agreed or strongly agreed that they would get tested for celiac disease if a family member asked them to.

Untested at-risk family members are difficult to reach.

Without understanding the signs, symptoms and risk of celiac disease, getting your untested family member’s attention is difficult. You play a key role in getting them the information they need to keep themselves healthy.

Getting tested is easy. You can lead the way.

Tell your story. Explain to your untested family members that a simple blood test is the first step to diagnosis. An intestinal biopsy may be required as well. Remind them to remain on a diet containing gluten until after testing. To start, your untested family members need to ask for a IgA-tTG along with a total IgA level.

• Most major health insurers cover the cost of testing.
• Tell your relatives to contact their primary care provider about getting tested. A primary care provider can be a family medicine doctor, an internist or an Ob-Gyn.
• If they do not have a primary care provider, suggest that they contact their insurance company to find one. Many insurance companies offer a “Doctor Finder” tool. Family and friends can also help provide referrals for a trusted medical provider

CELIAC DISEASE: WHO IS AT RISK?

Both men and women are at risk for celiac disease. People of any age or race can develop this autoimmune condition. However, there are some factors that can increase your risk of developing celiac disease.

1^st or 2^nd degree relative with celiac disease

Celiac disease is genetically based, so it is more common in those with a family history of the condition. This means that if you have a first or second-degree relative with celiac disease, you are at an increased risk for developing it too. This autoimmune condition occurs in up to 5-10% of family members of persons diagnosed with celiac disease.

HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 genes

About 95% of people with celiac disease have the HLA-DQ2 gene and most of the remaining 5% have the HLA-DQ8 gene. Genetic testing can determine if you have one or both of these genes.

It is important to note that having the gene means you are at risk for developing celiac disease, but does not mean that you definitely have the disease. A positive genetic test should be followed up with a celiac blood panel to determine if you have celiac disease. If your genetic test returns with a negative result, you can virtually rule out celiac disease.

Some autoimmune diseases

Having an autoimmune disorder makes you more likely to develop other autoimmune diseases, like celiac. Other examples of autoimmune conditions can include thyroid disease, Type 1 diabetes mellitus and primary biliary cirrhosis.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a genetic disorder that affects at least 1 in 133  Americans. 
Symptoms of celiac disease can range from the classic features, such as diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition, to latent  symptoms such as isolated nutrient deficiencies but no gastrointestinal symptoms. 
The disease mostly affects people of European (especially Northern European) descent, but recent studies show that it also affects Hispanic, Black and Asian populations as well. 
Those affected suffer damage to the villi (shortening and villous flattening) in the lamina propria and crypt regions of their intestines when they eat specific food-grain antigens (toxic amino acid sequences) that are found in wheat, rye, and barley. Oats  have traditionally been considered to be toxic to celiacs, and it may be too early to draw solid conclusions.

National Celiacs Awareness Month

This month is National Celiacs Awareness Month

There are a lot of things people don't understand about the gluten free diet for medical reasons.


 I was diagnosed with Celiacs at 24 (now 26). It was the hardest adjustment for me. My Top 2 snacks are pretzels and Twizzlers*. When you are first burdened with Celiacs, you feel like it is the end of the world. It took me months to realize there were great substitutes. You will always learn something new.  

Today, I learned that Stop & Shop does a lot of Gluten Free promotions on pasta. The store bottoms the price to $1.00. (You are saving more than you think.)


*More information following to support Twizzlers claim.

Bless The Lord With Me !

This is one of my friends that works with us on the Worthy for Mayor campaign.  This is David Thomas, our photographer playing the piano.