By Neil Macdonald

There have been great advances in improving the glues and wafers that help to prevent leakage.

There has been no change in the way that the urine is collected from the stoma and stored until the pouch is emptied. This surprises me. As a Urostomy patient myself, I am interested in what advances have been made in the collection method from the stoma. So far, from doing research, I have not found any alternative method.

The only method on the market, today, is to have a plastic pouch glued to the stomach with the stoma inside the pouch. Even with the great advances in adhesives and barrier rings, subjecting the skin under the pouch, therefore under the adhesive, to prolonged exposure to these chemicals does cause problems. Skin being in constant contact with these chemicals year after year does show, at least sensitivity. Human skin should not be subjected to adhesives 24/7 for years on end.

If Urostomy and Colostomy patients were polled, I think that you would find that one of there top problems was the skin underneath their pouch. Just looking at the skin can tell you that it is irritated because of the adhesives used.

The following four paragraphs I either quoted or paraphrased from an article written by Gwen B. Turnbull, RN, BS, ET.

The article title - Ostomy Wound Management
The full article is at http://www.o-wm.com/article/6240

Before 1960, only 25 companies manufactured Ostomy supplies.

In 1920, the Koenig-Rutzen rubber pouch was introduced. It took another 20 years before disposable plastic pouching systems, skin-friendly adhesives, and skin protection became available on the market.

By 1950, more companies had entered the market and innovation took flight. However, extensive use of "permanent" (re-usable) heavy rubber pouches, rigid faceplates, and glue remained the norm.

In the early 1970s,Vinyl re-usable pouches were introduced but were ineffective at odour management. Karaya's capabilities as a "skin barrier," discovered in the mid-1960s, quickly moved it into a position of dominance in the US Ostomy market. Later that decade and early into the next, larger manufacturers entered the field, producing more advanced skin barriers and disposable, lightweight, odour-resistant pouching systems.

Yes, there has continued to be advances in pouch designs, adhesives and skin barrier but there have NOT been any advances in the methodology of collecting the urine from the stoma.

Why not?

Medical science has advanced a hundred fold since the 50s, 60s and 70s. However, the Medical Community has not looked into new methodology to replace the pouch system nor have the large Ostomy supply companies. Is the reason, the same old story?

I have no medical training but here is what I would like to see. A method of collection that does not require a pouch glued to your abdomen. The pouch held in place with an abdominal belt on some kind. To me, the pouch is nothing more than a zip lock bag with a few baffles inside to help keep the urine from settling around the stoma area and an output stopper for emptying. Really that is all they are.

The odd time Ostomy patients are required to either catheterize themselves or by the Ostomy Nurse. Generally, this is done when a sterile sample of urine is required to test for an infection.

When I was taking my Chemotherapy on a weekly bases there were two people who required a stint implant because their veins were in such bad shape. This was the only way that they could receive the chemotherapy. One Chemotherapy session every three weeks lasted for over 4 hours. That is a long time to have an IV dripping strong chemicals into your system. As I understand it, the stint used in most home dialysis patients.

Why cannot some variation of the stint be attached to the stoma to provide inches extending from the abdominal wall? This stint would be inserted or attached to the pouch to carry the urine from the stoma. Alternatively, the stoma made longer during surgery so that it extends outside the abdominal wall at least 4 to 6 inches. Even though, the stoma created from a section of the small bowel, it has no nerve endings. The extended portion from the abdominal wall could be kept clean and safe by a protective cover. All Ostomy patients are very aware of cleanliness. If they do not, they will have one infection after another and nobody wants that.

So, let us hear some comments back. Am I too far out in left field? If nothing else, it is food for thought for Ostomy patients.

You can view my blog at: http://www.mybladdercancersite.com where I tell my story from diagnosis, surgery, the creation of a stoma, chemotherapy and as of today - cancer free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Neil_Macdonald

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There are a great many resources for individuals who have been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and for their loved ones. When I was first invited to participate in UnlockingBrainTumors, my understanding of the topic, which I still consider to be in its infancy, was immediately expedited by the extensive online literature. The goal of this article is to provide the layperson or newly-diagnosed patient with a quick guide to some of these resources. It goes without saying that this guide will be incomplete, so we'll update this at a later date. Because of the ambitious mission, and indeed their success, of so many organizations to provide comprehensive support services to the brain tumor community, it is difficult to really categorize groups in a simple manner. But we'll try to help you navigate these excellent resources. Links to these sites can be found at UnlockingBrainTumors Beneficiaries section.

SUPPORT, COMMUNITY AND RESOURCE LINKAGE

The International Brain Tumor Association, The American Brain Tumor Foundation, and the National Brain Tumor Foundation are but a few of the comprehensive community organizations that are offering a wealthy of information, advocacy and support. Expansive in their goals, these organizations are a meeting point for patients, doctors and others, sharing important information on brain tumors, the latest research, conferences and events that are taking place, and much more. Visit IBTA's site and you'll find dozens of links to other community resources and sites, from large international groups to smaller foundations started in a loved one's memory. It would be impossible to fully describe the array of support and information that you can access here.

RESEARCH AND RESEARCH FUNDING

The National Cancer Institute is the primary site for the U.S. National Institutes of Health's principal cancer research agency. It provides a wealth of information on all cancers, and its area on brain tumors has in-depth technical discussions, statistics, and literature on clinical trials and therapies. Sites such as VirtualTrials monitors the progress and outcomes of clinical trials, with a staggering database of outcomes. As if this weren't enough, VirtualTrials, operated by The Musella Foundation, provides an extensive library of literature and video materials for patients and their families, as well as administering online support groups and bulletin boards where you can interact with others and find like-situated patients or families. The Tug McGraw Foundation is dedicated to raising funds for brain tumor research and awareness; it also links to a nice section for caregivers, recognizing the special challenge that families, friends and other caregivers will face, and its resource linkage area identifies yet more resources that you will find helpful. We also recommend you read Surviving Terminal Cancer: Clinical Trials, Drug Cocktails, and Other Treatments Your Oncologist Won't Tell You About by Ben A Williams.

We are privileged to have some of the world's leading university-based research and treatment centers in the U.S., and these institutions are on the leading edge of cancer research; they are also among the most sought-after in terms of diagnosis and treatment options. Our list of recommended resources includes, but is not limited to, Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCLA), the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

PEDIATRIC SUPPORT

Special support to our youngest survivors is available through several notable organizations, including I'm Too Young For This, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and the Brain Tumor Foundation for Children. Like anyone trying to interact with younger patients and adults, these sites get it - their sites are friendly, informative, easy to use and speak to their audience. I'm Too Young For This is especially noteworthy for its message of optimism and efforts to end the isolation of patients; it also offers sign-up for a blog and newsletter, but its links to Get Help Now! and Get Involved Now! are truly impressive. We also recommend the inspirational Force a Miracle by Darryl C. Didier, with a Foreward by Mike Ditka.

Mike Tancredi works with http://www.unlockingbraintumors.org a non profit organization dedicated to raising and distributing funds for the continued research into brain tumors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Tancredi

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A few centuries ago when nobody knew much about cancer and Western medicine was not yet born, the world could only rely on natural herbs to fight cancer, with mixed results. In modern days, people have a choice between Western medicine and ancient herbs. The former has developed many new procedures like X-ray, surgery, chemotherapy, etc. The latter has not changed much and still relies on the ancient wisdoms.

I would advise a cancer patient to seek help from a Western doctor first for exact diagnosis and scientific treatment because cancer is an urgent case. Due to the fact that Western treatment is very strong and may weaken the body, Chinese herbs can be used to help speed up the recovery process, restore balance, and prevent the spread of the cancer to other organs.

The prescription for cancer recovery should have three basic components: nourish blood, detoxification, and strengthen selective organs:

1) Nourish blood, skin and hair

Shu Di Huang

He Shou Wu

Dang Gui

Ren Shen

2) Detoxification

Xian He Cao

Bai Hua She Cao

Ban Zhi Lian

Huang Bai

3) Strengthen liver and kidneys which purge toxins from body everyday

Long Dan Cao

Gou Qi Zi

Rou Cong Rong

Xu Duan

A combination of 12 herbs mentioned above are recommended.

Other aspects may need strengthening such as stomach (for appetite), lungs (for breathing), Qi (for energy), and Yin (for balance). The package will be adjusted depending on the condition of the patient,

Drink one to two cups (8 oz each) of herb tea a day.

Gradual progress will show such as: hair growth, return of energy and appetite, better skin, more regular body functions, and feeling better overall.

Many patients take Chinese herbs between chemotherapy sessions to help tolerate the trauma.

This is just one formula with countless variations depending on:

* Nature of the cancer.

* Effects of the Western treatment.

* Your constitution affected by the cancer.

For further information, go to http://www.herbsandtea.com Herb packages or capsules can be tailor-made to suit your needs.

A video presentation is given on http://www.youtube.com Search "askjohnfung" to see different topics being discussed.

John Fung is a practicing Chinese herbalist in San Jose, California, specializing in cancer recovery, allergy, anxiety, fertility, digestive disorder, skin problems, and other non-emergency conditions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Fung

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The cells in our bodies are made up of protein. It is important that these cells continuously rejuvenate in order to replace older, damaged cells, with healthy new ones. Every cell in our body is replaced at least once every 7 years. SLS, or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, affects the bodies proteins by forming a bridge between the fat soluble and water soluble parts of the protein molecule. This disrupts the forces needed to maintain the protein structure, and the molecule collapses, becoming useless. The result of this disruption is that the body has to go into overdrive to try to heal this, and new proteins are being damaged in the developmental stage because they don't have time to fully construct. This is exactly the same activity that can lead to the early stages of skin cancer.

By denaturing protein in our bodies as well as mimicking oestrogen effects, SLS also creates the potential to cause other cancers. It is known that high levels of oestrogen can cause breast and ovarian cancer, and in fact, cancer cells actually secrete their own oestrogen, which makes the tumor grow larger. This creates a huge potential for SLS to not only cause cancer, but to worsen it as well. Breast cancer cases have increased tremendously in just the past 50 years, which ironically, is about the same time that SLS products were introduced to the mainstream commercial products for their foaming qualities.

The combination of SLS and nitrogen bearing ingredients (most shampoos contain nitrate compounds) makes for a highly cancerous formulation. According to studies done on these formulations, evidence suggests that a single shampooing can generate more cancer causing nitrates than a pound of bacon! Whether by these means or not, SLS is a known mutagen, and is absolutely capable of damaging the genetic material found in every cell in your body, and has been strongly linked to cancer.

Although it's virtually impossible to avoid carcinogens in our atmosphere, SLS is very avoidable, and yet they are the most widely used chemical in daily products such as creams, shampoos, household products, and toothpaste.

I urge you to visit our website to learn more about the dangers of so many chemicals used in the personal care industry.

Christin Coulter has been in the beauty industry for over 25 years. To get more tips and learn about her complete natural product line, visit her website at Chalet Skin Care

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christin_Coulter

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Mommy moments come in all forms of days at the park, backyard BBQs, or meetings at the pool. They are a great time to get to know other mothers and share activities as well as advice. But as the number of women who live with chronic illness such as chronic fatigue syndrome and lupus continues to grow, so does the spontaneity of the fun of these mommy moments.

For example, according to the National Fibromyalgia Association, fibromyalgia (FM) experts estimate that about 10 million Americans and approximately 5 percent of the population worldwide suffer with FM, one of the fastest growing auto-immune diseases in the USA. I recently attended an adoptive mom's playgroup and within this niche group, three out of the six of us had chronic illnesses. Being aware of a friend's limitations and challenges, acknowledging them, and just asking questions, can make a huge impact in their ability to participate and feel comfortable with their peers.

[1]. Ask what time of the day is good for play-dates or activities. This can vary from season to season (weather affects it a great deal); and also from one illness to another. For some moms, mornings are good and afternoons are exhausting; for others it's the other way around.

[2] Be flexible and don't make her feel guilty if she must cancel. Having a chronic illness means each day is unpredictable. Last week I took one step and my knee was locked up for four days. I winced in pain as I did heat and medication therapy while my husband worked at home. All my plans were cancelled and I had no advance notice.

[3] Ask questions such as "how far are you comfortable walking today?" and try to accommodate. Remember a two-block walk to the park may seem like miles for her. Stairs may be difficult if not impossible so take the elevator with her. When she walks keep a pace with her and realize she may have to take rest stops even while walking small distances. Chase after her kids and let her have a few minutes of rest. Standing for long can also be challenging. What looks like a short line for the carousel may be impossible for her to withstand. Offer to stand in line and let her jump in later.

[4] Ask polite questions about her illness, such as "what is your greatest challenge?" Avoid telling her about the cures you've heard for her illness; the products you may sell that could help her; or about your mother's cousin's sister who has the same illness but still manages to raise five children and work full-time.

[5] Simple things that may be difficult for her. For example, if you go to the beach, ask her if she'd like to be dropped off with some stuff and save you a spot. She may not be able to plop down on the hard sand so remember to bring a few lawn chairs so she isn't the only one two feet above the others. Most people on medication need shade and limited sun exposure. And don't expect her to carry the cooler, the poodle, the beach toys and watch the twin 2-year-olds while you park the car. While you don't want to make her feel helpless, and she doesn't want the attention, be aware that she may need some extra considerations.

[6] Don't assume that she can take care of your children unless she volunteers. Watching kids is exhausting and just taking care of her own may be all she can handle for the moment. Plus, if your kids play in the street, when a car comes she's not going to be able to jump three tricycles and sprint to grab their little hands nearly as fast as you could.

[7] Plan activities that she can be a part of. While you may love your stroller exercise groups, and mommy and me gym classes, these may not be possible for her. Find out what types of things she likes to do and then ask if you can join her for these. Keep the activities under two or three hours; even though you may typically go to the zoo for six hours, understand that she may need to leave earlier than you. Don't say, "A little more walking may do you some good!"

[8] Lastly, say the words to her that every mom wants to hear: "You are an amazing mom and I don't know how you do it all. I truly admire your perseverance and strength."

Get 40 free pages of "Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend" by Lisa Copen when you sign up for HopeNotes invisible illness ezine at Rest Ministries. Lisa is the director of Invisible Illness Awareness Week.

Cancer Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com

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During my personal journey through cancer, now over thirteen years ago, I made an interesting emotional observation. This observation led me to coin a term I call "a sick mentality". For anyone who has even been very sick and/or fought a deadly illness or disease such as cancer you will identify with either having or fighting this mentality. It starts with accepting that you are not in perfect health and that, in itself, is not bad. In fact, for simple life preservation, many times it is imperative that you change things about your lifestyle, actions and attitudes.

However, after those changes have been made if is important that you do not get a "sick mentality". By that I mean that all you think about, talk about....every action you take is based on an inner attitude of "I am a sick person". Our minds work in such a way that the more we tell ourselves we are sick we actually spiral down mentally and emotionally which then may cause us to spiral down more physically. It will become a vicious spiral unless steps are taken to stop it.

One of the best ways to help keep the spiral from starting - or to stop it and start it moving the opposite direction is to take action regarding how you take care of yourself and how you look. I firmly believe that looking your best is a cancer treatment.

I know you don't feel good during the cancer journey and that it is more of a challenge physically to put yourself together, especially if your body has changed due to surgery. You will find, though, that if you get up each morning and get dressed (even if you are not going anywhere) it does something to your psyche. You do not have to dress up or even dress in street clothes. Just pulling on a pair of comfy pull-on pants and a soft top that are color coordinated is a good start. When you stay in your bedclothes you tend to feel lazy and sloppy. That affects how you walk and hold yourself. You need to be standing up straight and talking steps not shuffling if you physically capable of doing that. On a day when you are going somewhere, like the doctors office or perhaps you need to work even though you are ill be sure to think about wearing something that is a bit fitted and in a color that complements your complexion. These two things alone will make you feel a bit more perky and pretty.

Your skin care and makeup regimen also need to morph with you during this time...but that does not mean doing nothing because you don't feel like it. This is a sure way to make yourself feel worse with that "sick mentality" spiral. You need to be doing basic skin care and putting your face on daily. A simple makeup regimen of an organic mineral foundation in a sun-kissed color combined with a moisturizing colored lip gloss and a bit or mascara only takes a couple of minutes to apply. If you are on a chemotherapy that causes hair loss there are a few more steps you can add for days you need to look a bit more professional or dressed up. There are several companies that offer eyebrow stencils and there is even a company called NuBrow that sells eyebrow prosthetics! These prosthetic eyebrows can be dyed to match your natural hair color and will last up to six weeks of daily applications. A simple dot and smear technique to give the illusion of eyelashes is easy to learn or you can have false eyelashes professionally applied. (Please do not apply them yourself unless you have been doing it already for years. Your eyes are especially susceptible to infection during treatment, It is not worth taking the risk. You will love the dot and smear method as an alternative.)

More than perhaps any other time in your life you will want to adopt a KISS attitude..."keep it simple sister". Just remember simple does not equal doing nothing. This is a time to explore your options and have some fun doing it. So much is being dictated for you but this is something you can take control of. Looking your best really is cancers silent treatment.

Carin Hansen was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40. After a long battle she emerged victorious and began a one-on-one wardrobe and beauty consulting business for other women journeying through cancer. She has been a model, actress, talent agency owner, benefit founder, certified acting/modeling instructor, writer, speaker and passionate cancer advocate. It is important to remember that Carin is not a physician and does not subscribe to or recommend any particular medical procedure or alternative treatment. She strongly urges you to consult with your Primary Physician, Oncologist and/or Surgeon before implementing any of her curriculum. Please visit http://www.bridges2beauty.net for information and products related to beauty and cancer along with self-esteem building. Subscribe to one or both of her free monthly newsletters. We also invite you to visit her blog at http://bridges2beauty.wordpress.com. You may also want to purchase her e-book Beauty During the Cancer Journey. Just go to http://www.bridges2beauty.net/e_books.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carin_Hansen

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I admit it, I'm one of those people who is easily drawn into false promises of hope, heck I even failed to win the lottery last night!

Prior to my Nephrectomy I paced the floor endlessly panicking about what may or may not be, did I have cancer? didn't I have cancer? As a computer geek I also surfed the web hour after hour looking for anything that could tell me that a) it wasn't really true i.e. the doctors didn't know what they were talking about and b) there's a miracle cure out there, some sort of "magic bullet".

I got suckered into 3 things

1. Some sort of Chinese herbal remedy that was supposed to improve kidney function (maybe it did)
2. Zeolites - Very expensive
3. A drug called Graviola that was highly expensive and made me feel violently ill to the point I collapsed and threw up.

None of the above things that I tried had any clinical or scientific evidence to back up their claims, just anecdotal hearsay. What's worse is they wrap up their sales patter with false claims about it being some secret that's been deliberately hidden from us, basically because they have no scientific evidence themselves, so they have to have something to hook us in.

I've since learnt now that as with most things "if it sounds too good to be true, then it generally is". I feel ashamed that I was drawn in to this stuff.

I do not hold that there is some conspiracy theory holding back a cancer cure fed the pharmaceutical companies desire for higher profit margins, and it disgusts me that there are those out there that feed off this and people's vulnerability to sell them these snake-oil concoctions.

Some of these concoctions have been put on clinical trial and none of them have proved to have any efficacy for RCC. Kidney Cancer is also one of those highly resistant cancer's that means things such as standard chemotherapy has little or no impact, which is why we're left with a few very expensive treatments and drugs such as HDIL-2, Sutent, Nexavar,Avastin etc. Again none of these drugs boast a cure, they only proclaim to hopefully extend a person's life and check the growth of tumours.

If these other remedies had any serious efficacy then I suspect they would have appeared on all of the worldwide Kidney Cancer forums that are patient and carer driven, such as ACOR which I use on a regular basis. Patients are not themselves driven by the government or pharmaceutical companies , they are driven by their disease. Any miracle cure would have surfaced by now and we'd all be popping whatever that pill is, crushing seeds, eating grass or standing on our heads with one arm behind our backs singing Alleluia whilst drinking red wine through a smelly sock; because basically I'd do anything not to get this cancer again.

That doesn't mean that a cure wont be found, and maybe the cure will come from some natural source, however pharmaceutical companies look at thousands upon thousands of compounds each year to see which ones could be a basis for a cure, if these snake-oil substances had any validity behind them then they would have made a treatment from them already.... so to me, it's not about money.

For sure we should question our oncologists or urologists, and in that sense we should be armed with as much information as possible so we can have effective discussions about the best clinical paths given our individual conditions. I hope www.kidneycancerresource.com goes some way to helping.

One for a forum debate I suspect.

Andy Thomas (the author) was recently diagnosed with Kidney Cancer and has since setup a wiki based resource to aggregate data on this subject. http://kidneycancerresource.com is packed full of information, videos, articles, media links and much more

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Thomas

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Till acidity does us part... should have been your vows. Am I being too cynical? It depends on who's reading this article. But those who have an interest in health issues, cancer, and diseases in general, don't think so.

Let me explain... about 10 years ago, a certain doctor sounded an alarm "Detox or Die". But 10 years ago those who are in their 20s now, were only about 10-12 years old. And those who are on 30s now, were only in their 20s , and so forth, and didn't pay too much attention. Did you when you were 20?

But medical facts don't lie. In the past 2 - 3 decades, more young women are getting breast cancer than any other time in history. And more men are getting cancer younger than any other time in history.

And this is because our bodies have become the world's toxic dump sites! Every bodily system and organs has a distinctive role to play and perform, as well as to respond to this arsenal of artificial stuff against which our bodies have really no defense because it wasn't designed (by God) to deal with these chemicals.

Without employing detoxication strategies for eliminating these toxins, one organ begins to succumb followed by others. Hence you have an epidemic of cancer, chronic diseases, and a failing immune system that can no longer protect us.

In 1999 the New England Journal Of Medicine published the results of an international study which examined the lives of over 90,000 twins. The goal was to see if cancer was genetic. As it turned out... this was a lot of crap. Genetics had nothing to do with who gets cancer and diseases. So, stop giving in to the "Ok, well I inherited it " or "it's in my genes" mythology.

The environment and our unhealthy lifestyles... are the only ones to blame!

As an example... human breast milk is so contaminated with Dioxin (the active ingredient in Agent Orange which caused a lot of Vietnam vets to get cancer including my Navy Seals brother in law who has since been compensated by the US government), that it's disposal would have to be done according to toxic waste regulations.

And if that weren't enough... within the first year of a baby's life, if breast fed, it may ingest eighteen times a "life time's" allowable safe limit. And get this... the EPA said that 100% of the North American population (Canada & USA) carry the carcinogen styrene in their bodies. Styrene (remember styrofoam cups) is the main culprit in the last decade's 200% increase in children's cancers. Are you reading this?

More alarming is that semen, human eggs, and our entire system is so contaminated with toxic residues from plastic products, heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals, parasites... that even the most conservative scientist would tell you that detoxication of both parents' bodies before even considering pregnancy, would be a good idea.

The reality is the following... I keep harping on post WWII, for a reason. It is not until about 50 to 60 years ago did our bodies start getting bombarded with these different synthetic chemicals... undetectable through smell, taste, and ingestion. Our bodies were unable to metabolize any of this garbage and hence passed on to our offspring. It's the kind of stuff that screws up our DNA and causes cancers and chronic diseases.

I could go on and on and bore you with statistics, but the undeniable truth is you're dying of a slow, creeping disease!

And the solution is right in front of your eyes!

Jon G. Michel is a successful webmaster, author, and published freelance writer. Heavily concerned and involved in self-preservation and health issues, you can view other related topics by clicking this link.

The complete and natural way of flushing your system of toxins.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_G._Michel

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