Doctors are the third leading cause of death.. (published in the JAMA)

[glenda]

Read this and keep it in mind at your next doctors visit. It really is all about the money, not finding cures....:hmm: ....

http://www.mercola.com/2000/jul/30/doctors_death.htm

some food for thought, huu?

[ICLori]

It's true that mistakes can happen during surgery, during treatment, even during the diagnosing process. We've all heard of the wrong limb being amputated, etc. Or a missed diagnosis. And my mom ended up getting cirrhosis because of a botched laproscopic gallbladder operation, where the doc cut the wrong duct. So I don't doubt that there are more doctor mistakes than we'd like.

I know they are really taking great pains now to stop those mistakes, though. I really do believe they are trying as hard as possible. I know whenever I've had surgeries, they make very sure that I know what surgery I am having, and that it's the correct surgery. They also make sure (about three people ask me) that I haven't had anything to eat, to make sure that I don't choke on my own vomit during anesthesia. So I've seen for myself the mistakes that can happen, and I've also seen how careful the doctors and nurses try to be, to not make those mistakes.

I don't believe for a minute, though, that the entire medical profession is trying to keep cures from us, or deliberately trying to make us sicker. I know there are some corrupt people out there taking kickbacks, sure. But I don't believe the profession as a whole is evil, no way.

I'm reading this terrific book now, called "The Great Influenza" about the Spanish Flu epidemic. The first part of the book deals with the tremendous changes that came about in American medicine since the 1800's....we literally are not much more than a century away from quack cures like bleeding, mercury given to fight disease, all that sort of thing that was more harmful than helpful to the patient. It's just incredible how much has been learned in the last 150 years, and how much progress has been made. Within the last century, we've greatly reduced deaths due to childhood diseases like diptheria, measles, mumps, whooping cough, and polio. Even today you can still find people with crippled legs because of what polio did to them - and whenever I see that I thank my lucky stars that I was fortunate enough to have been born in an era where a safe and effective polio vaccine was given to all of us children. Even if the parents could not afford to take the children to a doctor, the vaccine was given to us free of charge in school.

We have beaten back the old killers such as smallpox, cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis...unfortunately tuberculosis is making a comeback, largely due to AIDS and even becoming antibiotic resistant.

Anyway, what I'm saying is, when you look at the progress that has been made in the last 100 years or so...diabetics being kept alive with insulin when they used to die quickly...oh so much progress...if the medical profession only wanted to keep us as sick as possible, would they have eradicated or controlled so many of those dangerous diseases? Would they be pushing flu shots for everyone, to try to reduce the number of deaths from flu?

I understand where the frustration and skepticism comes from. We've all run into doctors who didn't seem very caring. We see the ads on TV for drugs and watch them being marketed to us like breakfast cereal. We read about doctors getting kickbacks.

But looking at the history of medicine, I can't help but see how much good has already been accomplished for the human race in only 150 years. I wish more had been accomplished - a cure for cancer, a way to prevent heart disease and dementia, a cure for arthritis and IC and every autoimmune disease...so much more needs to be done. But it's absolutely incredible what has been accomplished thus far, in a relatively short period of time.

I think most doctors and most healthcare professionals and even most drug companies, honestly want to better the lives of all of us. That's how I see it.

Blessings,
Lori

[vm]

I think there are incompetent people in every profession - of course it sure is scarier when it happens in the medical profession. Just another reminder to educate ourselves, to get references and to be really careful in selecting our doctors. There are some wonderful, compassionate doctors out there and many of us here have been fortunate to find them and be helped by them.

[ICNDonna]

I just read the information at your reference site and found the deaths he is blaming on physicians are:

12,000 -- unnecessary surgery
Does this include cosmetic surgery, which is specifically at the request of patients?

7,000 -- medication errors in hospitals
Are physicians considered responsible for medication errors made by hospital personnel?
20,000 -- other errors in hospitals
Errors made by physicians? or hospital personnel?

80,000 -- infections in hospitals
Again - are we holding physicians responsible for hospital personnel errors/omissions?

I definitely feel the statistics listed are blaming physicians for things for which they are not responsible. I agree with Kim --- there are large numbers of competent, compassionate, skilled physicians. And if it were not for those physicians, neither I or my husband would be alive today --- and at least five of our seven children would also not have lived.

Donna

[glenda]

I see this has been taken out of context. This was not a thread of opinion, but of a scientific article. I just wanted to share. It has info which was published in the well respected "JAMA".

As for my opinion.... I agree that there are good doctors out there, but that the corruption goes much higher up the scale. Some doctors play in to the corruption, others don't, but the ones who don't are still under the guidence of their political officials... who are. I think it's hard to deny the numbers in this article, and that most of us have seen the "slippage" in our health care services to some degree. It's a sad wake-up call in my book.

On an even more personal note, this is a shameful reflection that I can only hope is being corrected, however I doubt it.

[ICLori]

Well, they really are the only game in town, you know. Who else are you going to go to when you need surgery, or medicine? A faith healer maybe?

I'll never forget a conversation I overheard in Bisbee Arizona one day....

"Well, now I have kidney failure..." "Oh, maybe you should go to a real doctor..." "No, I believe in the healing crystals..."

Blessings,
Lori

P.S. You know what the first leading cause of death is, btw? Being born.

[glenda]

As a matter of fact, I would... and do, put my trust in the Lord before any man on earth, no matter what his occupation. Do you take herbs or alternative theropies? Just wondering.

- A man who places greater value on his income than he does on his spirit of faith or who is dis-honest in his will to help others with intent to make his wallet grow is corrupt.

Also, Kidney cancer happens to people who seek regular doctors too.. heck, they probably induce it in one way or another, with all of the synthetic drugs and poisoning treatments they prescribe to us, then leave it to nature to try and fix.

Anyway, I didn't want this to be a thread of batteling about natural doctors and their opponents (who's the best), nor did I want it to turn into a question of faith or religion. This has been taken so off track. I just wanted to share an article, in case anyone was interested in it. I don't understand why everyone is dumping on me, I didn't write it. And, just to let ya'll know, I will be greatful for any kind of doctor who can help me get better, as I suspect he will have a compationate heart, otherwise he wouldn't have taken the time to find the answeres.

:pray: