Doctors ore the third leading cause of death In America

**COUNTRYBUMPKIN** · 08-02-2008, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by Palooka

Hey Bobbie, when I worked in the docs office, one got colon cancer that I really cared for.(she never knew it though, she was the doctors child!) That was the time when Bo Bice didn't win American Idol and Carrie did. Trust me that the stages of cancer was huge to me. I knew what that meant.

Bo Bice did not make it really big(he spent a few months in the hospital)

I sang songs in my sleep...for her..

Aww, I am going to bring this post of yours up for Bobbie to see today. Thanks!

**cab54** · 08-02-2008, 02:10 PM

Reading.........thinking............enjoying the dialog.

**larabelle** · 08-02-2008, 03:51 PM

Just felt the need to throw my two cents into the ring

.
I have an intimate knowledge of conventional medicine being in nursing

for over twenty years now. (no, I can not believe that it has been that long). Anyway doctors do unintentionally kill patients as does conventional medicine as do medications as do nurses. My grandmother had a saying which was "Doctors are practicing medicine." Guess who they are practicing on? Yes! Us!
I have seen patients who got well with conventional medicine and I have seen patients who get well with alternative medicine.

I do not think that either one is the best methodology for all patients but instead a blend of both.
However I have worked with cancer patients and have yet to see chemotherapy benefit a patient in the long run.

**dcompton** · 08-02-2008, 05:13 PM

Well, for my part, I am grateful for the fine physicians I have, and I have also been grateful for the good nursing care I have received at need. If anyone makes a mistake, well, they make a mistake. As I have said in other posts, life does not come with a risk-free guarantee. Neither system is perfect, neither is demonic; there is room for both.

It seems to me that we can only make our choices as best we can, doing what seems best for ourselves at the time, and then abide by the consequences, good or bad, accepting the responsibility for the choices we have made and not being quick to blame anyone for the outcome which in medicine is always uncertain.

**pip** · 08-02-2008, 06:30 PM

I personally like to have options. If I were to be diagnosed with something scary like cancer, I would hopefully be able to have more than one option to work with. I probably would end up going with the one most researched, just because that makes sense to me. I might add alternative medicine at the same time as I do think that good nutrition, etc., can help build up strength and immunity.

**cab54** · 08-03-2008, 03:43 PM

I think my doctor is the closest thing to a Naturopath without actually calling himself one. He is very conservative about ordering meds and suggesting 'extreme' treatments. He usually urges lifestyle changes first. He is a couple of years older than dh and myself and stills plays hockey with a group of friends! Our doc is very fit and encourages fitness and sensible diet.

Trouble is, I (and to a greater extent dh) have not always taken his advise. So, I think in dh's case, he has thrown in the towel, and ordered meds for BP, Diabetes, etc.etc.

When we get back in November for our checkups, we are going to show HIM! We are eating healthfully, and getting exercise, and hopefully the doctor will be able to take dh off most of his meds.

Anyway--my point is--I do think it is your doctor. More forward-thinking docs try very hard not to 'kill people'. But most DO just prescribe meds and surgery and 'extreme' measures, often because that is what patients WANT!! My MIL for instance, goes into the doc and asks for what she wants! All of these advetisements on TV promising immediate recovery from your ills makes people do that! I hate that.

Plus MIL is (I believe) a Munchausen's syndrome suffererer. An extreme form of personality disorder who's sufferers derive attention from faking medical problems and scaring doctors into ordering anything they want. (can we say lawsuit?) In the 35 years I've known MIL, she has had over 30 surgeries. All of which (as a nurse, I'm convinced) were unnecessary and requested by her. Her doctors are too afraid NOT to do what she wants. It's a sad thing to watch. Anyway, I digress......

I think it's part laziness on the part of SOME doctors to handle things the way they do. But I do think patients go in and demand a certain kind of treatment too. (or else) I have dealt with enough hypochondriacs in my day to believe that's possible in some cases.

**cab54** · 08-03-2008, 03:52 PM

Oh, and I used to work in a doctor's office, where I can remember after numerous attempts to get a patient to try and take charge of their own health through diet and exercise and stress-reducing techniques, the doctor finally would go back to their office, deeply sigh, and say to me, "Well, I'm going to have to do what she wants, which is order something for her BP, (diabetes, overweight.....) or else she's going to stroke out (have a stroke) or have an MI, or something....She just won't take walks and eat right!" Some really do care about changing the patient's thinking and lifestyle, but the patient doesn't. I felt very sorry for one doc in particular that I worked with. He tried and tried......

Just another side of the discussion, from inside a doctor's office.....

**COUNTRYBUMPKIN** · 08-04-2008, 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by cab54

I think my doctor is the closest thing to a Naturopath without actually calling himself one. He is very conservative about ordering meds and suggesting 'extreme' treatments. He usually urges lifestyle changes first. He is a couple of years older than dh and myself and stills plays hockey with a group of friends! Our doc is very fit and encourages fitness and sensible diet.

Trouble is, I (and to a greater extent dh) have not always taken his advise. So, I think in dh's case, he has thrown in the towel, and ordered meds for BP, Diabetes, etc.etc.

When we get back in November for our checkups, we are going to show HIM! We are eating healthfully, and getting exercise, and hopefully the doctor will be able to take dh off most of his meds.

Anyway--my point is--I do think it is your doctor. More forward-thinking docs try very hard not to 'kill people'. But most DO just prescribe meds and surgery and 'extreme' measures, often because that is what patients WANT!! My MIL for instance, goes into the doc and asks for what she wants! All of these advetisements on TV promising immediate recovery from your ills makes people do that! I hate that.

Plus MIL is (I believe) a Munchausen's syndrome suffererer. An extreme form of personality disorder who's sufferers derive attention from faking medical problems and scaring doctors into ordering anything they want. (can we say lawsuit?) In the 35 years I've known MIL, she has had over 30 surgeries. All of which (as a nurse, I'm convinced) were unnecessary and requested by her. Her doctors are too afraid NOT to do what she wants. It's a sad thing to watch. Anyway, I digress......

I think it's part laziness on the part of SOME doctors to handle things the way they do. But I do think patients go in and demand a certain kind of treatment too. (or else) I have dealt with enough hypochondriacs in my day to believe that's possible in some cases.

Cheryl, There are some Dr's out there who do promote a healthier lifestyle vs drug therapy to their patients. My Dr. is a DO,RN,ND and she is also one who lives a very healthy lifestyle and will alway's suggest a natural lifestyle vs the drug's. But even some of her patients think that it is too much work to take care of themselves vs the drug! In my opinion this is not being responsible for your health at all! And I do realize that this put's a good doctor in a very uncomfortable position.

Then we do have the doctor's who have absolutely no business practicing medicine. They are sloppy and do not really care and will give the patient anything they want. They do not care about getting to the underlying cause. These are the very dangerous Dr's!

I think that all of the drug advertisement on TV needs to be banned! The same way we have banned ciggarete ads! Drug's have no business on TV! This is one of the many reasons that I limit my TV viewing. I cannot subject myself to the garbage!

Cheryl, I have said it before but will say it again.........I am so proud of you for taking charge of your health! And now your dh is taking charge of his too because you have set such a good example! Perhaps someday your dear MIL will take charge of hers! It's never too late:-)