"Your site is really wonderful. I wish you further success in this most important work. I was very glad to subscribe."D. Protcenko, MD "Moscow, Russia

"I would appreciate any articles on alternative treatments to blood. Because of heart surgery scheduled for the end of May, I would appreciate your attention and help me in this regard. Thank you. Awaiting your reply."Dr. Kramer "USA

"How is one able to link to your site? We are a Gamma Knife Center (bloodless brain surgery) and are interested. Thank you."Marcia Morrell "SDGKC, USA

"I ask you to help me and teach me some new laparascopic operational methods. Please give me some books and Video of Diagnostic laparoscopy or Laparoscopic Bile Duct Exploration or laparoscopic splenectomy, etc. Please give me some informations of laparoscopic meeting."Zhou zheng "Tianjin, China

"I’m a swiss MD making research about the possibilities of diffusing bloodless medicine and surgery in developing countries. I need more data about the costs of alternative treatments in developing countries (fluid costs, iron cp prices, cell-savers prices, etc…)

To promote these techniques, it would be useful to compare they’re cost to transfusion related costs. Could someone please tell me where I could find such data?

By the way, I really can’t find any data about the statistics of the annual blood-unit collection in the world, for each country, the % of the needs it covers, the % of the total units used for which service (gynecology, pediatrics, …) and for which indication.

I’m also looking for data about the % of units that is actually tested in each country, and the % of each type of donors (family, professional,…)

Could you please indicate me where I could find those figures? Please e-mail me back Thank you! Sincerely,"Dr. Camprubi Anton, MD "Geneva Switzerland

"We want to purchase some of noblood products, please write us range of your products, their availability, and price of your products. Marhaba Trading Company, near al-fazal medcial centre hospital road munir chowk Gujranwala, Pakistan. Thanks and best regards."Dr. Muhammad Shafia Janjua "Pakistan

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am writing from Germany. A simple question: Is Oprelvekin available in this country already for clinical use? A close relative of mine, doctor of internal medicine himself, is suffering from a severe, persistent thrombocytopenia that accompanies a myeloblastic syndrome. Please contact me by email. Thanks, Sincerely,"Dr. Ulrich G. Kliegis, M.D.

"It is very reassuring to have You and your network to count on! Best Regards,"Dr. Daniel Schullo, M.D. "Quito, Ecquador

"On behalf of the National Association for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery, we would like to thank you for highlighting the first Asian Bloodless Conference in Hong Kong. We have received numerous requests for additional information. Your efforts to expand the knowledge of bloodless medicine are to be commended. As I frequently travel around the country, I refer to your website as the #1 site for accurate information in this field. Keep up the good work. You are helping all of us to promote bloodless education to the benefit of generations to come."Sharon Vernon, RN "NABMS

"If you are a Doctor Pl read following problem and reply us immediately, if you get any hint to solve the problem.

A baby boy 6 weeks premature, weighing 2 kgs. landed up in apnea and hypoxia followed by convulsions had primary pneumonitis. Was put up on imepenam for 3 days and than shifted to pipracillin simultaneously neupogen (filgrastim) support was given. Baby did not respond. The klebssiela species was resistant to tall the drugs given. The baby landed in neonatal sepsis.

What should be current line of treatment? Will using cefpirome help? What dose should be given? Pl suggest us any other line of treatment. Thanking you.� Nitin Joshi

" We are looking for Doctors and Hospitals to go to for a baby that is due to be delivered in July that has Atrial Ventricular Canal defect and some type of gastrointestinal blockage. Probably esophageal blockage. Mother lives in Ventura California. Parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses and are adamant about no blood. Your help is appreciated. Doctors have said the blockage will probably have to be corrected by surgery within a few days of birth. It is important for the delivery to be at the hospital where surgery will be done, and so this information is vitally important and urgently requested. Thank you."Gerard Cave

"We’ve got a problem with a young member of our area. He’s sixteen. Three weeks ago he was sick (viral infection). The platelet level was at 70,000. 15 days later he fell to 59,000. Yesterday it was at 41,000.

His mother is a witness, but his father is not. We send him to a doctor who collaborates with us (hematology). She was not afraid with the level of 59,000. But today we are at 41,000.

Have you got some information about this problem? Do you know doctors who’ve faced this kind of problem with success? Please answer me as quickly as possible."Louis Drousie, Mons -Tournai

"Awhile back, I remember reading an article on stroma-free products not requiring cross-matching and secondly, something indicating that these products could be administered w/o consent to the patient in the ambulance (ruling, etc.) I downloaded the FDA ruling 1996 page 51528 on informed consent and the final ruling to it. fr02oc97R.

"Is anyone involved with robotic heart surgery?"Shannon Farmer, Coordinator "Western Australia

"I have just visited your site for the first time. I find the information within extremely interesting, especially the story on the baby from Winnipeg, as I am Canadian and the one on the impaired driver. If people in our modern society choose not to listen to the information on impaired driving from our society then they and they alone should be made to answer for their crimes. One question I have is, are there any bloodless centers in Canada, specifically Alberta? One suggestion I have is, maybe add information on studies of patient recovery times, differences in treatment costs, etc. I have had many discussions on this topic with a friend and coworker of mine who is also an Elder in the local Jehovah’s Witness Church and this information as I suggested would be most interesting.

All in all, you have a very interesting website here, I am glad I found it on my search, I plan to visit again. Thanks for the info."Les M. Rude, EMT-A

"Greetings, I bumped into your web site and wanted to share with you that I am an RN with undifferentiated connective tissue disease. I remain without a concrete lupus diagnosis only because my ANA has been negative. I have been symptomatic since 1994, but was diagnosed with autoimmune thyroid disease in 1992. Now my daughter, aged 10, is being worked for SLE and she does have a positive ANA. There is a strong family history of connective tissue disease (my grandmother’s siblings) and my twin has some symptoms and a positive ANA.

I have been on moderate doses of Prednisone off and on, but over the past 18 months have refused steroids due to the fact I have no major organ involvement and feel the long-term effects are too great. My latest flare started last August and I have not worked as a RN since late September. My hematologist (I get pancytopenia and my rheumatologist was uncomfortable treating me) wants to do Protein Plasma Pheresis with the ProSorba Column "but because my diagnosis is not SLE insurance has denied payment. I am in the appeal process and hope that by mid-July they will reverse their denial. In the meantime, I developed pericarditis so my hematologist recommended IVIg. Between the pred-med SoluMedrol (sp?) and the immunoglobulins, the pericarditis resolved. I have about 20 days a month where I can attain comfort with low dose pain meds and sometimes have no pain. My energy level is much increased, but still I can cause a break through flare if I do too much.

My rheumatologist and internist think I’m not wise in opting to not take steroids. I am symptomatic if the dose is below 20mg daily. The risks are too great long term with that dose, so I decided to take the path not frequently gone. Being a nurse, I have seen far too much to want to open up more problems for myself.

I simply wanted you to know that I see IVIG as a viable option for treatment of mild SLE (no organ involvement) except for the horrendous cost.

I would be glad to share my lab and records with your company just for the sake of perhaps helping others. Any research papers of information your company has gained would be eagerly read. I feel very alone in this fight for health but do feel blessed that I have a physician who understands my goal. Most Sincerely,"Patti Heaps, RN

"I am taking shots of epoetin to try to get my bone marrow to create red blood cells. So far it is not working. I am going to the hospital for my 21st and 22nd pints of infused blood. I have had a transfusion every three weeks since January 28, 1999. A growth the size of a lemon was removed from my chest on February 28, 1999 during a thymectomy. I am weak and have transfusions when my blood gets to a red cell count of 7.9 or less. If any other "bloodless� people can help me with their experiences I would appreciate hearing from you."Troncale Oweta

"Thank you for your sincere interest and help! Hate to leave all of the attached, but you no doubt get so many inquiries that it is the best thing for me to do so you know who is responding to what!

"Besides a person’s religious constraints and personal conscience as to use of blood products, as you know from your work, there is also the risk of serum sickness involved in using any of them. My experience has been that among those in fields of traditional classic allopathic medicine, one’s request for any NON-blood fraction treatment options can be irrelevant or ignored. But such also used to be the case when a patient requested bloodless surgery! Your organization is making a most wonderful difference in the previously neglected area of Non-blood treatment and surgery options! Please know that there are many thousands of people around the world who are so very deeply appreciative of every difference in NON-blood medical options your organization’s educational program brings about! My kindest regards,"Alice Harris

"I was very interested in your website; it seemed to offer very current information on viable blood alternatives. At present I’m conducting quite a bit of research regarding non-blood alternatives.
Of particular interest to me though, was whether there are any alternatives to sufferers of chronic thalassemia; it is one of the most common genetically inherited diseases among man today. Treatment at present, as far as I understand, is conducted solely with blood transfusions & chelation therapy.

Are there any viable alternatives for chronic thalassemic patients as regards blood transfusions?

Please understand that my query is genuine; and that I thought this website might be more than informative concerning thalassemia. Thank you for your time."Alex

"What a positive article about Chantelle Reyes! It has met with a lot of enthusiasm up here in Canada, and I have let many friends around the world know about it. Today I received an e-mail from correspondents in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, voicing their appreciation for having been directed to the article. Keep up your very good work! Regards and best wishes,"Rubertus Berkers, Winnipeg

"I have read in one of your articles that transfused blood cannot release oxygen to the cells for 24 hrs (see below extract from Grim PS: "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy�, JAMA 1990, April 25, Vol 263 no. 16): In another medical manual and with speaking with a doctor, they state that both oxygen affinity and 2,3-DPG levels return to normal within hours of transfusion. Can someone please shed some light on the subject? Regards,"Jacqui Riding

"I have more a question, than a comment. Our child was diagnosed with autoimmune neutropenia in Feb of ’97. Since then we have been giving her the recommended dosage of G.C.S.F., which is three times weekly, and her A.G.C. has remained between 50 and 200. With the use of the drug her A.G.C. was guaranteed an incline but has remained within a confined boundary. Do you have any advice, or comments? A concerned parent,"James C. Manion