HealthBeat News

Author: Wellness Club

  • Bio Algae – Is It Any Good?

    Bio Algae – Is It Any Good?

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – If Dr. Myatt hasn’t heard about a product, that’s not a good sign (for the product). And if Dr. Myatt doesn’t carry a product on The Wellness Club website, there is a good reason. Either the product doesn’t meet Dr. Myatt’s standards for quality, or it doesn’t meet her standards for medical and scientific effectiveness, or it may simply be a hyped-up over-marketed product that doesn’t do anything more than the proven products that Dr. Myatt already offers, often at substantially less cost.

    Ann writes us from time to time to ask about products and sent us this note recently:

    Hi Mark
    I have some friends [who are using] bio algae concentrates.  Do you now much about it?
    Thank you   Ann

     

    Hi Ann,

    Yes, we know quite a bit about these products generally though we cannot comment specifically on the one you mention as we have not performed our usual Quality Audit process on this product. It does seem rather expensive though – but I guess someone has to pay for all the marketing hype!

    Please see our information here about Chlorella.

    You may also find the information about Modifilan to be of interest.

    Also, as a more complete plant-food supplement you should be taking Maxi Greens.

    Maxi Greens contain significant amounts of Blue-Green Algae, Chlorella, and Dunaliella salina algae along with a good balance of other flavonoids and phytonutrients.

    All these products are excellent detoxificants and provide valuable nutritive factors that are valuable for detoxification, heavy metal toxicity, blood building, general antioxidant protection, and intestinal detoxification.

    My premier recommendation would be Maxi Greens – as it is the most broad-spectrum and best for ongoing, everyday use and works out to be quite economical for the nutritive and health benefits it provides.

    Next would be chlorella, which is useful if you have specific detoxification effects that you wish to address.

    Modifilan is a great product that we recommend often, but it’s use is more specialized – it is one of our “big guns.” It contains organic iodine which feeds the thyroid gland, promoting normal metabolism and glandular function. It also has immune-stimulating anti-viral and anti-cancer properties and of course a very important use is in detoxifying the body from heavy metals, radioactive elements, free radicals and toxins.

    Still, my first choice recommendation for a “Greens” supplement is Maxi Greens !

    Hope this helps!

    Cheers,
    Nurse Mark

  • What Remedy For Diabetes?

    What Remedy For Diabetes?

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Big Pharma has done such a good job of brainwashing us.

     

    They have been highly successful in establishing the belief that for every malady, for every ill, for every complaint, there is a pill – a magic bullet – that will provide relief.

    We are told that we need only visit our doctor who will, with great wisdom, listen briefly to the complaint, look quickly at the labs or x-rays, and whip out his trusty prescription pad upon which he will scribble the magic formula that will allow the druggist to dispense the appropriate remedy. All will be well we are assured…

    Unfortunately it is rarely ever that easy – but people keep hoping, and since Big Pharma has convinced folks that it works that way for allopathic doctors, many assume that it must also work that way for naturopaths, herbalists, homeopaths, and others.

    Here is an example of this sort of thinking that recently came in via email:

    Dear Dr. Myatt: what remedy have you discovered for advanced diabetes that is aggravated by fall-outs of close relationships, and deaths of friends – for instance?… thank you much, Paul 

     

    Sorry folks – It just isn’t that easy!

    While Dr. Myatt is certainly quite capable of correcting even advanced diabetes, this is not any new “discovery” and it is not by any single remedy or vitamin or herb. Through careful holistic medical practice diabetes can be easily corrected, often in under 90 days (as are many other “difficult” and “chronic” conditions.)

    Here is my answer to Paul:

    Hi Paul,

    Diabetes can be a complicated condition, as you have discovered.

    You did not say what type of diabetes you are seeking advice for:

    Type I diabetes is a condition where the pancreas does not produce enough (or any) insulin – it can be caused by a number of things including auto-immune disorders.

    Type II diabetes is a condition where the body has become resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin – this is more often a dietary problem and is usually very quickly corrected.

    Then there is Type 1.5 diabetes which shares features of both Type I and Type II diabetes – this is a condition often not recognized by conventional endocrinologists and other doctors, but it is also correctable with skilled treatment.

    Emotional stress can play a significant part in diabetes for a number of reasons – for an illuminating, even life-changing explanation of this I suggest that you obtain a copy of Dr. Myatt’s inspiring video The Body Mind Connection .

    Please also review Dr. Myatt’s recommendations for diabetes here:

    Please consider arranging a Brief Phone Consultation with Dr. Myatt if you would like to explore this subject further.

    Cheers,
    Nurse Mark

  • Health Care Death Panels: Fact Or Fiction?

    Opinion By Nurse Mark

     

    The internet has become a wonderful source of information and knowledge. It has also become a source of mis-information, dis-information, and outright propaganda. We are all subjected daily via our email in-boxes to calls for our attention. Those who craft these calls are skilled, and it is often difficult to sort out fact from fiction – since the fiction often includes elements of truth and fact. The internet has become a popular forum for those with a political axe to grind as shown by the following note from LaRose:

    Mark,

    I received an email about a phone call from a neurosurgeon to a radio talk show with some disturbing news about proposed medical care after 70.  Apparently this phone call has been buzzing around the internet since December.  Its hard to know if this is real or a scare tactic.

    I thought I should go through you first as I know Dr. Myatt is very busy.   Here are my questions:

    (1) If there was a meeting wouldn’t the organizations in question take a formal and public stand against the proposed policy?

    (2) Does Dr. Myatt have any insight that she would share with me and the people who sent me this email?

    If Dr. Myatt does not have time or wish to comment, I certainly understand.   I’m just confused and am searching for credible information.

    LaRose

     

    Dr. Myatt and I are quite familiar with this information that has been circulating the internet and email circuit since last December and I’ll comment for both of us.

    The short course is that the call did occur, the caller’s bona fides have never been established, and the Neurosurgeon doctor board denies knowledge of the caller.

    It looks to us like the caller might have been perpetrating a hoax on the radio show listeners.

    This is too bad since unfortunately much of what the caller claims has a grain of truth to it – any socialized medical system must have controls and limits or it will quickly collapse under the weight (expense) of the demands placed on it – so, yes, there will have to be tough decisions made about who gets what. Dr. Myatt and I are certain that it will be the old, the disabled, the terminal who will be denied first… and that the slope will be a slippery one once the gov’t bureaucrats start down it.

     

    Now, here is Nurse Mark’s analysis and commentary on this issue:

    As someone who spent six long and difficult years in becoming a naturalized citizen of these United States, it pains me deeply to see yet another example of the rancor, vitriol, and divisiveness that is gripping my newly-adopted country. The partisan bickering that is taking place and the severe intolerance for opposing viewpoints is distressing to say the least.

    This particular issue – Health Care Reform – is one such example of divisiveness.

    Those who favor universal, or government-mandated, or socialized, or reformed (however you want to describe it) health care are thrilled to be able to impose their views and desires upon those who are less enthusiastic about the concept. After all, they know it won’t work unless everyone is made to pay for it – there can be no exceptions or the scheme falls apart.

    Those opposed to it are angry that they are being forced to pay for something that they don’t want and don’t believe is necessary – but that someone else does want. They are acutely aware that they are financing a system that they do not support.

    This has led to endless squabbling, complete with name-calling, threats, misrepresentation of fact, and outright lies and propaganda by both sides of the issue as they strive to strengthen their own cause and weaken the cause of their opponents.

    The November 22, 2011 Mark Levin radio show segment, where a caller claiming to be a “brain surgeon” made statements regarding neurosurgical care for seniors under President Obama’s Health Care Reform Law is one such example of the posturing and fear-mongering being perpetrated by both camps in this argument.

    There can be no doubt that this call occurred – it was widely heard and while it has apparently been removed from Levin’s radio show website it is easily available for listening from any number of other locations on the internet and from legions of emails currently circulating which include the audio or video clips. Further, simply “google-searching” the term “neurosurgeon levin show death panels” will provide thousands of video, audio, and written transcript records of this call. For example, one such transcript can be found here: http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2011/11/full-transcript-neurosurgeon-briefed-by.html

    There is also no doubt that the caller used language that was frightening and inflammatory. Terms like “death panels,”  concepts like “comfort care only for patients over 70,” and invoking the specter of Nazi Germany and the calling of people “units” rather than “patients,” all was obviously intended to alarm and frighten listeners.

    There is however some reasonable doubt as to the bona fides of the caller, who claimed to be a neurosurgeon privy to confidential Health and Human Services (HHS) information.

    Hundreds of “left-wing,” “progressive,” and “liberal” blogs and websites immediately sprang into vehement “attack mode” to discredit this call by any means possible ranging from intelligent discussion and reason to name-calling and even threats of violence. Their goal (or agenda) obviously was and is to protect “their” president and “their” cherished health care reforms from this and similar attacks.

    Further, The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) promptly issued the following statements:

    The AANS and CNS are unaware of any federal government document directing that advanced neurosurgery for patients over 70 years of age will not be indicated and only supportive care treatment will be provided.  Furthermore, in conducting our own due diligence, the caller who identified himself as a brain surgeon is not actually a neurosurgeon, nor was there any session at the recent Congress of Neurological Surgeons’ scientific meeting in Washington, DC at which a purported government document calling for the rationing of neurosurgical care was discussed.

    http://www.aans.org/pdf/AANS_News/Mark_Levin_Statement_UPDATED.pdf 

    http://www.cns.org/advocacy/wc/pdf/MarkLevinStatementFINAL.PDF

    Conservative blogs and websites, in response, launched their own campaigns to build upon and perpetuate this radio show call and it’s disturbing accusations for their own political gain. While the interview cannot be found on Levin Show website it will live on forever on the internet and will no doubt resurface whenever the fires of “right-wing” or “conservative” outrage need to be re-kindled – particularly the outrage of seniors, the disabled, or the terminally ill.

    There is no doubt that the Health Care Reform bill contained a provision that allows Medicare to pay for doctor appointments about end-of-life counseling. Supporters of the bill celebrate this as advancing the cause of giving people more control over end-of-life decisions. Opponents claim that this is simply politically-correct language promoting euthanasia.

    The term “Death Panels” was coined by former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin – who has since publicly backed away from it in an interview given to The National Review on November 17, 2011 saying:

    “To me, while reading that section of the bill, it became so evident that there would be a panel of bureaucrats who would decide on levels of health care, decide on those who are worthy or not worthy of receiving some government-controlled coverage,” she said. “Since health care would have to be rationed if it were promised to everyone, it would therefore lead to harm for many individuals not able to receive the government care. That leads, of course, to death.”

    “The term I used to describe the panel making these decisions should not be taken literally,” said Palin. The phrase is “a lot like when President Reagan used to refer to the Soviet Union as the ‘evil empire.’ He got his point across. He got people thinking and researching what he was talking about. It was quite effective. Same thing with the ‘death panels.’ I would characterize them like that again, in a heartbeat.”

    Despite distancing herself from her earlier characterization, the term “death panel” has stuck, and any attempt by government bureaucrats to limit or curtail health care benefits in any way for any reason will surely be met with cries of “death panel” and “rationing” by those affected or concerned.

    The Health Care Reform act promises to be a divisive thing in American politics for years to come.

    Proponents of the Health Care Reform act claim, with some truth, that it will usher in a new era of fairness where no-one will be without needed medical care.

    Detractors say, with equal truth, that any such system must have some limits and constraints or costs will quickly spiral out of control and the system will collapse.

    People intuitively understand that health care reform is about lowering costs, and that things like end-of-life care can be quite costly – leading them to wonder how cost controls will be decided and managed and conjuring up visions of bureaucratic “ethics committees” and “utilization committees” – which become code words for “death panels.”

    People also intuitively understand that many of our more expensive health care issues are as a result of “lifestyle choices” and they object to being forced to pay for what they perceive as being the consequences of self-destructive behavior by others. There are also many who object to being forced to pay for things that they find morally or religiously offensive to them – the reproductive issues of contraception and abortion are but one highly-charged example.

    The Mark Levin Neurosurgeon call-in is just an example of what we have to look forward to as the opposing sides of this issue battle it out.

    So, LaRose, what is Dr. Myatt’s and Nurse Mark’s “take” on the email that you received?

    • The call occurred.
    • There is no proof that the caller was who he claimed to be and the medical governing bodies deny knowing the caller.
    • There is no proof for his claims of information regarding denial of services to seniors or those on government programs.
    • Medicare payment for “end of life counseling” is unquestionably a part of the Health Care Reform Act.
    • There is no mention of “death panels” or anything like them in the Health Care Reform Act.
    • President Obama rebutted the claim regarding “death panels” in a health care address saying: “Some of people’s concerns have grown out of bogus claims spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost. The best example is the claim, made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens. Such a charge would be laughable if it weren’t so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple.”
    • It looks to us like this call was a clever bit of propaganda intended to whip up opposition to the Health Care Reform Act.
    • The Health Care Reform Act is going to be the source of endless, acrimonious, and divisive debate for years to come.

    It is our opinion that the Health Care Reform Act will fail to achieve it’s goals to the satisfaction of all of it’s many proponents, and will eventually collapse under the weight of their demands of it – thus guaranteeing even more divisiveness and bitter fighting.

    Dr. Myatt and I are also of the opinion that any socialized or “universal” health care scheme must necessarily involve some rationing of care. There is just not enough money to provide every service to every person.

    In order to provide some care to all, all care will not be available to some.

    Will that mean some services will be denied to the terminally ill, or to the severely disabled, or the elderly? Will that mean that especially costly treatments or drugs will be limited? We believe the answer to that is “yes,” under a socialized health care system there must be rationing of services, and someone will need to decide who gets those services.

    Do we like that reality? No!

  • Don Laughlin Interview Part II: "Old Guys Rule"

    Don Laughlin Interview Part II: “Old Guys Rule”

     

    By Dr. Myatt with Nurse Mark

     

    In the previous HealthBeat we featured the “Health Secrets of Living Legends: Don Laughlin Interview Part I,” where we introduced you to the founder of Laughlin, Nevada. You’ll remember that Mr. Laughlin, at age 80,  is still the hands-on CEO of his Riverside Resort and Casino in Laughlin, Nevada. We’ll also remind you that we found Don to be the embodiment of a vigorous, healthy senior who does not appear to have any intention of slowing down anytime soon, and every intention of maintaining his amazing good health for years to come.

    We promised to return to Laughlin to speak with The Man and fill in some gaps that were left by our necessarily brief first visit. Here are the additional “insider health secrets” we uncovered.

     

    Don Laughlin And Dr. Dana MyattWe met Don in his Riverside Casino at a karaoke bar called “Don’s Hideaway.” We intentionally arrived early so that we could watch him make his entrance, and he didn’t disappoint.

    Don Laughlin enters a room with a commanding presence although he is not a particularly large man. His demeanor is confident, assured, and friendly. “Come with me” he said, “lets talk.”

    He ushered us into his offices and said “there’s not much more I can tell you that I didn’t tell you at our last meeting, but ask away.”

    We asked what vitamins and supplements he uses and he produced his collection of daily supplements for our examination. There were no surprises or magic potions, just solid, sensible supplements like we might recommend. Here are a few from his daily routine.

    Milk Thistle has been a part Don’s routine for many years, ever since he had some elevated liver enzymes. He tells us that those numbers returned to normal in short order once he started Milk Thistle, and he’s been on it ever since. Since Milk Thistle is a powerful liver-protector, this makes perfect sense.

    [Dr. Myatt’s aside on Milk Thistle: this incredible herb protects the liver from the effects of environmental toxins (such as carbon tetrachloride, acetaminophen, iron overload, mushroom poisoning) and it is used in Emergency Room medicine in Europe to treat exposure to liver-toxic agents. Milk thistle is a powerful antioxidant, especially to the liver. It has even been recently written up in conventional medical journals for it’s ability to protect the liver from the devastating effects of chemotherapy. Learn more about Milk Thistle here.]

    Like many informed, health-conscious seniors, Don wisely takes supplemental Vitamin D3. Vitamin D increases calcium absorption, necessary for healthy bones. More recently, higher intakes of vitamin D have been shown to protect the body from cancer, especially prostate and breast cancer. Deficiencies of Vitamin D are associated with cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatic pains, and dental disease.

    Knowing that magnesium deficiency is one of the most common mineral deficiencies in the US, Don has added this to his daily routine. Magnesium is involved in energy processes, nerve function, enzyme activation, and protein formation – a valuable addition for anyone but especially valuable to seniors.

    Glucosamine is also a regular part of Don’s supplementation routine – a good choice for someone who is older and who exercises regularly since studies suggest that a decline of the body’s manufacture of glucosamine may be the primary cause of osteoarthritis.

    When pressed for details of his exercise routine Don had little to add to what we already knew – most important in his opinion that he exercises for 15 minutes daily “like a religion.” His routine is simple and tailored to the available time of a busy man, his own routine of body-weight resistance exercises for strength and flexibility. There is no huffing and puffing or endless running involved in his routine. Don is quite adamant that he has little use for the exhausting fad of aerobic exercise – to which we say a hearty “amen!”

    Don also confided (with a big smile) that an additional factor in his fitness and exercise routine is his habit of getting out on the dance floor at least one night a week.

    As far as diet is concerned, Don Laughlin does nothing that he considers “special” – no special foods or other regimens, no vegetarianism or calorie-counting. He eats simply, enjoys meats and vegetables, avoids sugars, starches and breads, avoids processed “junk” foods, and above all, eats small portions and stops eating as soon as his hunger is satisfied.
    He skips meals if he is not hungry, and also says that sometimes if he feels hungry but is too busy to stop for a mean he’ll just ignore it, get back to work, and finds that the feeling of hunger disappears promptly. Unlike many people, he doesn’t have the misguided notion that a missed meal will cause him to dry up and blow away!

    [Dr. Myatt’s aside: skipping meals and “intermittent fasting” has been found to be a very HEALTHY practice, causing the body to manufacture proteins that protect the heart and brain. Most people have the “missed meal” idea backwards.]

    Is there a “Fountain Of Youth” in Laughlin, Nevada?

    Don told us that someone else would be joining us, and in several minutes another dapper-looking man appeared. Trim, fit, and moving with a muscular grace similar to Mr. Laughlin’s, Don introduced him by saying, “This is Del,  my General Manager. He is a month older than I am!”

    We shook hands with Del. His grip was firm. Del’s skin is also firm and smooth. He has a full head of dark hair and, like Don, he looks, moves, and speaks like a man decades younger.

    We had to know his secret to remaining vigorous and youthful at his age and not surprisingly his health and fitness tips were similar to Don’s – regular exercise, dietary moderation, a healthy attitude and outlook.

    Having met these two men, who could be poster-boys for longevity, we began wonder if there is something in the air or water in Laughlin that promotes good health.

    Don Laughlin, healthy and vigorous at 80, enjoys meeting his Riverside Casino guests Our final conclusion, however, is that a few simple measures — moderation of diet, small but “religious” daily exercise, a few nutritional supplements and a positive mental outlook — are probably more to the point.

    As we parted that evening, Don left us with some words of deep wisdom:

    “When you think you know it all, you can’t learn any more!”

    At the age of 80, with many years of success behind him, Don Laughlin makes it clear that he is not done learning and that the best is yet to come.

  • Earwax: Do It Yourself Removal Tips

    How to remove earwax:

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Many people ask about ear wax removal – probably because conventional medicine has worked so hard to make this simple personal care task into a specialty procedure requiring multiple visits to a clinic. It’s really not all that hard if you follow a few simple rules.

    First, remember that your ears are what we used to call in the army “a single-issue item.” If you damage them doing something foolish you will not likely get a second chance – so be careful and think before you put anything in there that might make your problems worse.

    Don’t try to remove earwax if you have ear pain or a discharge that looks different than earwax, if you think you have a ruptured eardrum, if you have had ear surgery, or if you have tubes (a.k.a. “grommets”) in your ears. Remember, the only thing that separates the big bad world from your delicate and fragile inner ear machinery is your eardrum.

    OK – so you are pretty sure you have an earful of wax. You might have a mild earache or feeling of fullness in the affected ear, you might be hearing ear noise (tinnitus or “ringing” in the ear) or more likely you are experiencing some decreased or muffled hearing in the affected ear. Maybe you even got a cotton swab (Q-Tip) or rolled up tissue and rummaged around in there trying to clean it out and made it worse. (Remember what I said about “a one-issue item”?)

    You can go running in to your local urgent care clinic or your doctor for help, or you can look after this yourself – remember, this is not rocket science or brain surgery, and mankind has been successfully dealing with earwax for as long as there have been ears.

    Remember – earwax is normal. Some folks have more, some have less, but everybody makes it. It normally looks after itself and falls out of the ear all on it’s own – but sometimes it needs a bit of help.

    First things first: are you drinking enough pure water? If you are dehydrated, even a little bit, your ear wax can become drier, harder, and stickier too.

    So, you have probably tried letting the warm water run into your ear while you showered or washed your hair – this is often all the care that is needed for most folks and their ear wax washes out all by itself.

    But that didn’t work for you, so it’s time to get serious. We’ll work at this in steps.

    The first step is to simply soften and loosen the earwax. You can do this with a few drops of a light oil. Remember, anything you put on the largest organ of your body, your skin, you will absorb into your body in some amount – so don’t use anything that you would not be willing to eat. Olive oil is a fine choice for this task.

    Warm a little bit of oil to body temperature and allow a few drops of it to run into your ear canal. This task will be made much easier if you have someone to help – you can lay on your side and let your friend and gravity do the work – but it can be done by one person alone too.

    That’s it – just run a few drops in and give it some time. Overnight is perfect. Please don’t plug your ear with anything to try to “keep the oil in.” The whole idea is for the oil and the softened wax to come out – not stay in. Put in a few drops of oil at bedtime, go to sleep on your side to help the oil stay in for a while, and usually by morning the oil and the wax will be gone. You might want to cover your pillow with an old towel to keep it clean.

    Well alright, so that didn’t work. On to the next step.

    Make up a mixture of hydrogen peroxide mixed with an equal amount of room-temperature water. Place a few drops of this, warmed to body temperature, in the ear twice a day for several days. Be sure to warm the fluid because cold fluid can cause pain and dizziness. You won’t make that mistake twice!

    Once the wax is loose and soft, all that is usually needed to remove it from the ear canal is a gentle, warm shower.

    Direct the water into the ear, then tip your head to let the water and earwax drain out.

    If all that doesn’t work, you can try a non-prescription wax softener (which is usually just oil) followed by gentle flushing with an ear syringe each night for a week or two. Make sure the flushing solution is body temperature. Cool or hot fluids in the ear can cause dizziness.

    You can find ear syringes or irrigation bulbs at any pharmacy – or just look around your home: any squeeze bottle that will allow you to squirt a narrow stream of water will work – make sure to clean it well before use. Be gentle and be patient – it may take a few irrigations to get stuff loosened up. You are not trying to “blast” it out, but just gently flush the ear canal.

    Some don’ts:

    Don’t use cotton swabs, bobby pins, toothpicks, pencils, wadded up napkins or other objects to clean the ear. Besides being at risk for damaging something, usually all these things do is drive the wax in deeper.

    Don’t use a dental irrigation device, like a “Water Pik”, to remove earwax. The force of the water can injure the ear canal and rupture the eardrum. Besides, you really won’t enjoy the way that feels – the ear canal and eardrum are sensitive!

    I don’t recommend ear candles. I have seen no proven benefit in the removal of earwax with them and they can cause serious injury. (Say what?!? An open flame beside my head? And burning hot wax dripping? Are you kidding?) If you use them and like them, fine – but I won’t recommend them.

    Some things to watch for during home treatment:

    If you follow these simple instructions and heed the few common-sense cautions here then removing your earwax build-up should be easy and uneventful. Mostly what you’ll have to deal with are stains on your pillow from the oil and earwax that will come out overnight. A towel to cover the pillow helps. Most of the cleaning will occur during your daily shower – you do have a water filter on your shower, right?

    Just FYI, we are very impressed with the products and service offered by Aquasana – they can provide you with a highly effective showerhead filter or a whole-house system.

    Some people’s ear canals are more difficult to get drops into (and wax out of) than others. Gently grasping the ear and pulling it up and back a bit can help to straighten the ear canal. The normal ear canal does not go straight in – it angles a bit forward toward the nose.

    If other symptoms develop, such as ear pain, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, dizziness, severe itching, or bad-smelling discharge from the ear it is time to get some help.