Fellow Lactnetters and dear friends: I need your help in order to remain=20
on Lactnet. Since I cannot afford a computer, hard disk, modem and=20
printer, I have been getting my email at work, in the Cardiology Division=
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of Soroka Medical Center (I am English medical secty and editor).=20
Yesterday, my boss informed me that he no longer wants me to conduct my=20
"lactation activities" (ie, email) in the cardiology department, since it=
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"wasn't the place". He was *not* honest in his reasons for giving my=20
email the heave-ho. I strongly suspect that one of the other=20
cardiologists complained, although I haven't the foggiest on what=20
grounds, since I only do my email in the evenings or on the weekends, and=
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occasionally will see one of the other docs also working in the office.
Since my boss listens to fellow physicians and also is an avid researcher, =
I=20
would like to appeal to you MDs, professors, authors and researchers out=20
there in Lactnetland to email him to reconsider. We had just begun=20
discussing doing a research project ("Impact of infant feeding method on=20
cardiac risk factors"), but if I am obliged to look for=20
financial support as an LC and write proposals and all that gunk so that I=
=20
can receive Lactnet at home, I clearly will have no time for this research=
=20
project (see attached, I hope). I'm sure that all of you feel as I do,=20
that lactation is a branch of preventative medicine, affecting all=20
branches of medicine. After Osbourne's research in the 60s and ongoing=20
recent studies in infant feeding method and adult lipid breakdown, there=20
is certainly a good case to be presented for breastfeeding preventing=20
cardiac risk factors if not cardiac disease directly. I am also sure that=
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you agree with me that Lactnet is more a vehicle of continuing education=20
than a "discussion group". As an LC, it has become vital to me.
=09If you can think of something nice to say on my behalf to=20
persuade my boss not to make me get my email "somewhere else" (HAH!), pleas=
e=20
post your remarks (and include your titles, place of work, interest in=20
lactation and lactation research, Lactnet's place in the scheme of=20
things, etc.) to Prof. Alexander Battler at < [log in to unmask] >=
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and ASAP, please. If anyone out there is connected with WHO, UNESCO, CDC,=
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NIH or the like (I'm so upset, initials fail me!), you are especially=20
important, since in Israel lactation has no priority status whatsoever in=
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reality, and I've been in the trenches for 11 years now trying to change=20
this and convince people that this dismal attitude doesn't prevail in all=
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the world.=20
=09I am much obliged for any and all responses. Meanwhile, I have=20
gone NOMAIL, so you can email me privately.=20

Kathleens, thank you for your concern. Now you know the story. Only thing=
=20
keeping me from crying now in rage and frustration is the fact that I'm=20
at work.... Judy Knopf in backward Beer Sheva, Israel

=FFWPC 4
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