Katrina Blank

Investigative Medical Researcher (aka #pwME Patient), Post-Malaria #POTS Warrior, Michigan Fan, Brain Tumor Survivor, Memoir Writer.

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

"Complications induced by the dysregulated immune responses and the tissue damage done by the parasites and their products can cause chronic and irreversible suffering." #Hemozoin #MECFS #POTS @PaulGarnerWoof maybe like #LongCovid ? https://t.co/i4r9uVyviQ

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@FoggBrain @polybioRF I'd love to connect w/your friend, if they'd be up for it. My email is first & last name at gmail. Hoping to rally #Malaria #hemozoin #MEcfs folks to see if we can sort out what is unique to us, and perhaps uncover common lab abnormalities. #C7 #MGUS #TLR3 ?

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

14 years ago today I fell acutely ill in #Uganda. I recently shared my #MECFS #POTS story at an #LADN event in Pasadena. Right after @RepJudyChu , at about 21 mins in: https://t.co/LaknmlPX2u

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@cjbuske @drmarkhyman Ahh! For some reason I confused the info. on the cream, which doesn't protect from uterine cancer, with suppositories. I'll ask my Obgyn at my next visit. https://t.co/06W3bAtMgq

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@austinxwalker That's awesome ketotifen was so helpful for you! Unfortunately that med made my post-Malaria ME/CFS with POTS far worse, making me even more bed-ridden plus causing weight gain and depression. Trialing LD Rapamycin soon; only $76 for 3 months w/Goodrx at CVS

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@dysclinic Over 100 trials treatments for me so far, and 2 to 4 mg of Methylprednisolone daily is the only thing that has notably improved my post #Malaria #MECFS #POTS quality of life, going from 10% human capacity to doubling to 20%. But no MD wants to keep me on it.

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@microbeminded2 Interestingly, babesia does not produce #hemozoin like #malaria and #schistosomiasis , my #MECFS parasitic triggers. Hemozoin in bone marrow is likely driving my elevated complement C7, low #CD57, and light chain #MGUS. #TLR3 flagged on genetic testing.

[Ror Preston @RorPreston]

A reminder of what the global research output on #MECFS looks like, when compared to other diseases 😳

In the US at least, each of these other diseases now has a lower burden (measured in DALYs) than ME/CFS - and yet ME is barely off the floor.

#MECFS #LongCovid

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

"It could make someone useless for a year+" ~ @StatisticUrban . Yep! 13 years + of #MEcfs disability for me stemming from #malaria and residual #Hemozoin. Elevated #ComplementC7 #ComplementActivation #TLR3 #MGUS

[Hunter📈🌈📊 @StatisticUrban]

If you've never had malaria, it's awful. It infected over 1 million per year, caused widespread anaemia, miscarriage, and childhood death. The disease could last for months, with multiple recurrences, and led to chronic undernourishment

It could make someone useless for a year+

[Hunter📈🌈📊 @StatisticUrban]

Everyone credits AC, but here's another reason the south started booming only post-war: it was full of malaria for centuries.

The issue was not seriously tackled until FDR established the Office of Malaria Control, which later became the CDC. They eliminated the disease in 1951.

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@StatisticUrban Yep! Unable to hold a job since falling ill to #malaria on work trip to #Uganda in 2012. I developed #MEcfs with #POTS. Worst part: @NYWorkersComp ruled my 99% specific antibody serology test positive was insufficient evidence to prove I had been infected.

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

I no longer believe God might miraculously heal me one day, but I do believe when medical research is properly funded, miracle cures and treatments can be found. #DisabilitySOS 13 yrs ago #Malaria triggered my #MEcfs #MillionsMissing @MEActNet

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@reachjulieroys Loved! Mt Rubidoux when I worked for CalBaptist. Moved to NYC to work for King's, under the umbrella of CCCI, then fell ill to malaria on a work trip to Uganda and never got better. Denied relief. Any thoughts on Workers' Comp injustice among ECFA orgs?

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@JoshuamusicME I have post #Malaria #MECFS and my ARUP #VEGF is 30 and my Quest result was flagged low at <31. Unfortunately Mayo lists normal as anything less than 96.2. ARUP normal is 9-86. Quest is likely the most accurate, 31-86. Of note: https://t.co/EulZ0BShkZ

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@dysclinic I'd surmise #CD57 (i.e. HNK1 CD57 via LabCorp) might be helpful not just for chronic lyme, but also #LongCovid and most forms of #MECFS . I'm post #malaria and have low levels.https://t.co/ArGic7ODH5

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@krisfobes @microbeminded2 @latimes I have post-#Malaria #MECFS with #POTS likely stemming from my body's inability to properly tag and remove parasitic #Hemozoin My #TLR3 was flagged by @Invitae and I'm a #CYP2D6 slow metabolizer, which is present at higher rates in POTS folks. Blood Type: A+

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@PutrinoLab @stevenspohn If only Elon would investigate Workers Compensation insurance fraud. Far too often WC claims are wrongly denied and Medicare, Medicaid and SSA take the hit for medical costs and loss of wages benefits...as is the case for my post-#malaria #MEcfs + #POTS

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@carlo_cervia Interesting! I've been sick with post #Malaria #MEcfs and #POTS for over a decade. My #C7 via Labcorp is elevated, indicating persistent complement activation. @mhornig , do you anticipate #LongCovid C7 to also eventually be elevated? https://t.co/3VnP1qc1Nq

[Katrina Blank @katrinablank]

@stephbrambila @PutrinoLab I trialed it @btcclinics in Newport 3 years into my post-#malaria #MECFS journey. To their surprise there was 0 improvement and suggested I try again after going through menopause. Age 36 then, and likely active #Schistosomiasis plus paraMagnetic #Hemozoin