?As debates rage here and elsewhere about CCSVI, I am reminded of many other medical issues
and controversies.

At the risk of divulging my age (almost 60–Yikes!), I clearly remember many of these:

POLIO: In the 1950s, polio still instilled terror in people. I remember standing in line when I
was about 5 for the first polio vaccine, which was developed by Dr. Jonas Salk. Yet, some
parents refused to have their children vaccinated for fear it would actually cause polio. Today,
the vaccine has effectively eradicated polio world-wide.

SMOKING: In 1964, when most adults (including pregnant women!) smoked, I remember
watching the US Surgeon General (on black and white TV) report on the link between smoking
and lung cancer. Many dismissed this as nonsense, ridiculous and other words I probably can’t
use here. My father had died of cancer about 10 years earlier. Fortunately, my mother and
stepfather were among the few who heeded the warnings and immediately stopped smoking.
Today, our knowledge of smoking includes many forms of cancer, heart disease, strokes, effects
on fetus, effects of second-hand smoke, etc.

ORGAN TRANSPLANTS: In 1967, Dr. Christian Barnard performed the world’s first successful
heart transplant in South Africa. I remember people accusing him of “playing Go” and insisting
it shouldn’t be allowed. The “sin” of heart transplant was the subject of church sermons. Today,
organ transplants save so many lives (but unfortunately, too many still die awaiting a donor!)

HIV/AIDS: Until the early 1980s, HIV and AIDS were unheard of. For several years, it was
believed the only way you could contract HIV was through sexual contact with a gay man. So,
no one considered screening blood donations. As a result, many hemophiliacs and others were
infected through tainted blood transfusions. Today, we know both heterosexuals and
homosexuals can become infected and blood donations are routinely screened.

LASER: I recently went with my mother for laser treatment of a leaking blood vessel in her eye.
While the ophthalmologist did the treatment, he told us about working with a “group of rebel
doctors” in 1975 when he was a young physician. Lasers were considered dangerous and few
hospitals would allow laser treatments to be done. When he moved to my mother’s community,
he had to fight for years to be allowed to do laser treatments. Today, laser is a recognized, safe
and commonly used procedure for vision and other medical treatments.

MS: When I was diagnosed with MS in 1984, I was told an effective treatment was possible
within 10 years. Today, after following the standard auto immune, drug model, little effective
treatment is available.

CCSVI: CCSVI is in its infancy and Dr Zamboni and others are taking the same heat that those
earlier medical pioneers took. By supporting those brave docs and challenging the medical
establishment, we will be part of medical history. In a few years, we can look back and say “I
was part of that.”