Doctors just don't have proper respect for their patients.

I had a very thought provoking conversation with the dental hygienist today.  We were discussing our frustration at our dealings with the medical community and they way they treat their patients. 

had brought up how my husband, Bob, had gone to the doctor and presented with elevated liver enzymes.  She asked him how much he drank.  Being a sporadic drinker, and being one who doesn't have the need to get drunk, he answered it depended.  She demanded to know what that meant.  He answered that he could go several months with out having a drink, then maybe go through a six pack in a week end or two.  Or even that he could have a six pack take one out of it, then go another month before he had another. 

Disgusted, she looked at me and asked how often he drank.  I basically said the same thing he did.  She said that the elevated liver enzymes showed up with alcohol abuse and again asked how much he drank.  I told her we did not have enough money for him to buy alcohol on a regular  basis, and that he had frequent surprise DOT drug tests done as part of his job.  I also told her they checked for alcohol, and he was clean. 

She refused to look for any other reason for the elevated enzymes.  I realize there are alcoholics who deny they have a problem, but really, that many?  For real?  If she had gone on to the next step, and asked how much OTC pain killer he was taking, she would have found the real reason for the elevated liver enzymes.  I have since found out that Tylenol causes more liver problems than alcohol. Bob was popping 1000mg of pain killer at least 4 times a day.  Yeah.  That will elevate your liver enzymes without a drop of booze.

Lest you think this is an isolated incident, my teetotalling aunt who only drank at communion, if you can call the thimble full of wine drinking, had a similar experience.  The poor lady was sick and died shortly there after, but not before being humiliated by her medical staff, and being called a liar.  Her whole family were called liars too. 

Really?  Is this modern medicine? Treating all of your patients like liars and stupid imbeciles?  This is quality medical attention?   My Sister-in-law is a nurse, so I asked her.  She said, "Well you have to realize a lot of people do try to cover their drinking."   OK.  I get that A LOT do deny drinking.  But isn't it also true that ALL those who don't drink will also deny drinking?  How many non-drinkers will say, "Yeah!  I do a fifth of scotch before noon! It is a great wake up drink before you down the hard stuff!"?  See the problem with assuming anyone who denies drinking is lying?   Or is it just me?

I was reading an article in The Readers' Digest a few years ago.  It was based on a survey of medical doctors and their frustrations with patients.  At least a third were complaining about patients lying.  I have been accused of lying, and so a thyroid diagnoses was years too late in coming.  They thought I was a gluttonous lazy slob.  No!  Just had a severely under active thyroid that was producing antibodies attacking the hormone I did produce. 

Let me condensed this I had been misdiagnosed 4 different times because doctors have ignored and dismissed me.  My son at least 3 times, my husband 2 times, my mother, grandmother (also more than once), cousin, two uncles, two aunts, mother-in-law, father, father-in-law .... I am running out of space.  And my family is not a family that runs to the doctors often.  How many things are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed with people who go often?

It is a clear problem.  How about doctors assume their patients may be telling the truth?  How about noting a bit of skepticism on accuracy, but actively pursuing the issue with the patients' information.  How differently things would have gone for my husband and my aunt if the doctors had said, "I am going to go with what you are saying, however you need to know that alcoholism is the most common cause of this, and as your doctor I need to know if that is the real cause."

 Thankfully, a friend of mine is a herbalist and asked the question the doctor should have.  "Is he taking any OTC pain medication?"  If she hadn't have asked that, he may have died.  We corrected the situation immediately and found another doctor.  How different could it have been for my aunt?  Would she still be here?  We just won't know. 

So how about it doctors?  Want to treat your patients with a little respect and believe they may be telling the truth?  It just may save a life.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

I have in the past always said "Enjoy your holidays" because I realize not everyone celebrates Christmas.  But with the attacks that have been coming on anything Christian, I will not be doing that this year!  Have a Merry, Happy Christmas!  Enjoy Your Hanuka!  May it be a time of great happiness!  

What ever your beliefs, the majority of Americans believe in Jesus Christ, and they try to honor him by celebrating Christmas.  This is the time when you catch a wonderful glimps of the people we could be all year long if we stayed the course.  My wish for all this year is to take the knowledge that Jesus Christ came from God, was God, and came to earth as a humble baby.  He grew and live a perfect sinless human life.  He lived the life we couldn't because we are weak and not holy.

When we really dwell on this, it is both awe inspiring and humbling beyond words.  We need to take this knowledge with us every day and behave as if he were walking beside us; because he is walking beside us.  We remember this at Christmas and behave as we should all year. 

May we all remember we walk with the holy every day, and we need to become more holy every day.  Amen

Yippie! I finally got back on the forums at Victoria Magazine!

Well, almost that is.  I at least got on as a guest and got registered as AnneCordelia.  I had to give up my old name of teaputts, which is a shame, because I like that one.  I can't wait to start the interaction with the genteel and kindly folks on the website.  There is a whole different feel to the forums at Victoria.  If you have a need for whimsy, beauty, and a timeless gentility, then by all means go there to imbibe of the sweet other worldliness of Victoria.

(sigh) I love the camaraderie and the dedication to making life beautiful that you will find on the site.

Don't get sick!!!

Grayson is a boob, but he had a point.  "Don't get sick" is good advise.  Especially after you look at the risks from medicines, and hospital infections.  Did you know that correctly prescribed and taken meds when combined with incorrectly prescribed or taken meds are like the 4th or 5th leading cause of death?  When separated, they are like 7th or 8th.  Still pretty scary!!

Well I found a solution.  Did you ever hear of Wellmune?  It is a neat little thing invented by the folks over at Monavie.  It is in their Mmun blend of juice, and tastes great!  They like to say it tastes like money with a splash of citrus.  Not only does it taste good, but it is good for you, and your immune system.  It has 12 patents, and 40 pending patents.  They fed this Mmun to rats and hit them with all sorts of flu viruses, colds, and other pathogens; and nothing.  The rats didn't get sick.  So someone got the bright idea to feed these rats terrorists strength Anthrax.  I know what you are thinking.  No, the rats given Mmun lived; never got the disease.  Moral of the story: Never feed rodents, or people you don't like Monavie's Mmun!  If you want to live, or feed it to people you like, go to healthghemm@mymonavie.com

Am I just imagining it, or is the price of groceries going through the roof?

So we keep hearing how there is no inflation, and we are doing OK considering.  I mean, the old folks didn't even need an increase in their measly Social Security income, right?  So why is my grocery bill going through the roof?  Even when the price didn't go up, the package got smaller.  Why?  This is the growing season locally, and I am still paying a fairly high price for what I get.  Today, for instance, I picked up milk, bread, coffee, peaches, grapes, bananas, a big sub, band aids and a pizza and salad stuff for dinner and two boxes of Little Debbie's for lunches.  It cost me $80 to walk out of the store.  We will be eating very carefully monitored portions over the next few months.  I may make the boys eat beans, well seasoned with ginger.  I just don't know how people are going to do it. 


We took one of the cars off of the insurance and parked it this week.  It will be a real crimp in the way we work the family, but I don't see another way until Bob is out of school and we are both working full time.  We are working at selling his car, as he will be getting his motorcycle back on the road this week end.  When it rains or is too cold, he will be using my car.  The way things are going, we may sell it and get a jalopy!  I am, for the first time in my life, really scared about the future.  I hope everyone else is doing better.

A Visit Back Home

Who ever wrote, "You can't go home again," was partly right.  I really enjoyed my trip  home, but is is always different than it was.  My friends are busy with their own small children, careers, home care, and many have moved.  We always do enjoy a good get together though.  We always act like we did when we were stupid kids, at least for a time.

Case in point, is the time where my younger brother, Jason did an "interpretive dance" with sparklers at our friend Scotts on the 4th.  Now he is in his 40s, and his hopping and jigging WAS funny.  He was breathless, and sweating to beat all when he was finished, but we were howling.  Then he said it was Louie's turn (Scott's nick name).  To the chants of "Louie, Louie"  Scott did his version of the "interpretive dance" with sparklers.  He was in as bad a shape to be doing this as Jason.  As he was catching his breath and laughing, I heard, "Damned people!"  I started to laugh and shouted, "Those Damned Kyles!"  Everyone laughed as Scott bellowed out, "Yeah!  Damned Kyles!" Before collapsing in laughter. 

Sad truth is, we all have some health issues going on, and behaving with these childish antics is wonderful for a time, then reality comes back like a brick wall.  Still, I am glad to go back

NVIC Vaccine News

NVIC Vaccine News

I know my son's autism is from the vaccines. Other parents of Autistic children will agree with me, so will several of their close family members. Others will think we are all nuts. But I know what I know. There is no autism in my family what so ever. My husband had two uncles who married women with autistic siblings, and each one has an autistic child, but it was supposed to have been from their wives' families. So where did it come from if it is genetic?

No I watch my son become autistic within 15 minutes of being improperly vaccinated, and that is that

Go here and start your research.