displaced anger?

The pharmaceuticals don't want a cure. They want a treatment. Only treatments have repeat customers.

The Health care companies want to limit you and still charge you exorbitant fees.

The Doctors what do they know. Doctors need to have a course called bedside manor 101. They need to do a study and determined the stats for misdiagnoses. Because I think they are shooting a 30% average on correct dx.

Health care reform my ass. Your dealing with a trifecta of evil and even the smartest brains won't be able to solve it.

Don't even get me started on the PINK marketing. Shame on all these company taking advantage of breast cancer to sell their shit. You know in the end it's the companies making the money not breast cancer.

I know I sound pissed off, I am.... and sure if my Mom wasn't sick I probably wouldn't be typing this.

America's system if you can call it that and all it's money making components are broken and desperately need to be fixed. I want to be apart of fixing it but where do you start?

Displaced anger I think not!
Bridgette

By cards7up
Posted October 31, 2009 at 7:07 am
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I agree Bridgette. Unfortunately, GREED is the driving force. There are actually individual doctors using their own money to try and find a cure for many diseases. If they spent the billions to find a cure, we'd already have them. Vent all you want. Take care, JC

By cuddles53
Posted October 31, 2009 at 10:48 am
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Dear Bridgette,
I also am dealing with my own dilemma of how to fix and how to help something that is so out of control. I want to do what is right, and not offend anyone if I can help it in the process. I think the best thing I/we can do is to research new techniques, and new treatments, and new druga coming out, and expose them to the lung cancer community. the need on here alone is unbeleivable. The doctors just are not telling patients all of the options that are available. This is one small thing I have been trying to help with. I know their is a sensitivity test that can be done to eliminate wasted time for cancer patients taking the wrong chemo for their tyoe of cancer.! Do you believe the oncologists just don't tell their new patientn aobut this? Well, it is true. I have been telling anyone that comes on the site, who doesn't know about it, and even have said nasty things like I think an onoclogist should be sued if they fail to tell a patient of these different choices. this is just one thing.There are many things they do not tell us as patients. I find so many times families are just ready to call in Hospice, and stop all treatment, when the patient is simply going through the stages of what happens normally and naturally when they receive chemo, and radiation.
This is another whole can of worms that needs to be opened up, and educate our cancer patients, and the caregivers on what exactly to expect. Don't be ready to throw in the towel because Mom or Dad suddenly looks withdrawn, and is sleeping more, and more, or they aren't eating good!. I have so many things I would love to expose and to be honest, just don't dare do it. So any suggestions out there to keep everyone posted on the latest updates, and even the current protocols on cancer treatments..updates.
God bless Sandy

By orlando77guy
Posted October 31, 2009 at 11:52 am
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I agree!!! It is a sad state we find ourselves in...

I know exactly what you and all of us can do, we can call our senators and congressmen and women, and let them know that we want health care reform, that we need it, who knows if this plan is perfect, but we need something!!!! I would sooner trust the government to run it than I would a private greed oriented company!!!! Also for Lung Cancer Month we should let all of our friends and family know that they too should call and let their congressmen know they want reform now, not tommrow, but today!
Christopher

By cuddles53
Posted October 31, 2009 at 11:58 am
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Dear imakimm,
I am in shock at this! Is there anyone here you can sue! I just can't think of anything else to do more so than sue them all! How can this be that this could happen in this day and age? They would not take your mom even at a standard of care hospital? This is outright Bull! I am not sure the community is aware of this happening. I always thought there were places where they could not refuse care for lack of ability to pay for services like this. My husband went to a hospital and never paid at all for any of his treatments. They never turned him away, so how can this be? If this kind of thing goes on, we need to get on the band wagon here, and report this to the news! and to all of our congress. This just can not happen in our country..
I am so sorry about your mother. These places like medicaid have their rules and regs, and I can understand it, as so many abuse it, but in a case like this with documentation from a doctor saying she had cancer, this is just not acceptable to me as a tax payer.
Even her own doctors office should have been sticking their nose in here to try and help your mother. Anyone out there who new her circumstances should have come forward with an idea to protect her. This is so awful to hear about. I am so terribly sorry the system failed you so bad. I have noticed these past few months with myself, that the sympathy from the public with people with illnesses is just not always there. I had a few episodes of having some real troubles with simle things like geting my teeth fixed and their is no time or effort anyone wants to put forth to help me. I did find one lady so kind and spent an extra minute with me and just made me feel as if she had listened, this made al the difference in th world. Why are qwe changing so bad as a nation, into these beasts we see today. nobody willing to help a woman with cancer. God forbid, what has become of us all.
Sandy

By Beca
Posted October 31, 2009 at 12:44 pm
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Dear Imakimm,
You are right to be upset. Our health care system is geared to make huge profits for the drug companies the insurance companies. They give huge contributions to our congressmen to get relected, so that leaves the ordinary taxpayers with no real representation. Our health care system is ranked 37th ? in the industrialized world, which makes no sense. My husband who was diagnosed with stage IV non small cell lung cancer, last August, has been given numerous chemo and radiation treatments even though it was all pallitive care. It cost $100,000 of thousands dollars, paid by Medicare and he had no real improvement and no quality of life improvement since last September. The doctors finally turned him over to Hospice and they don't provide the in home health care that we so despartly need to take care of him at the end of his life. They don't cover a nurses aid except a couple of times a week and only an hour or so. He needs around the clock help. That can run up to $40 an hour. I am 100% disabled and his lone caregiver. Our children are too busy or living out of town to help. What's wrong with our system and how to change it???, would involve a movement aganist all the profiteers and I don't know that even that would help because the lobbyist for these companies spread propaganda and confuse and scare the voters with lies and the congressmen who want to be reelected bow to it. I guess the answer is to research the truth and write to your representative to ask for real reform out of Washington. All of his is just my opinion, as I do realize everyone has a right to want to live as long as they can. I have cherished each moment with my husband although he has suffered so much in the last year for it.

By Marylou1
Posted October 31, 2009 at 3:03 pm
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Not displaced anger at all. So many things have been going on in the health care field for decades that it is totally out of hand.

I remember a time when there were no HMOs, but Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Wow, if you were lucky enough to work for a decent company, they paid the premiums for you and your family. Of course that did not cover doctor visits and prescriptions, but there was such a thing called Major Medical. You needed to save your yearly receipts and if you went over a certain amount of money, you could get a check back.

When the Clintons decided they would like to campaign for health care coverage, I could not understand why the U. S. Government would want to stick their nose into the health care business, when there were a few things they could EASILY do that would take the pressure off our growing health care crisis. It would not be a solution, but it would help quite a bit. Consequently NOTHING got done.

Being a former business owner, I knew that companies were not permitted to deduct more than 25% of the insurance premiums they paid out for employees off the top of their income taxes. To me, that's just stupid. If companies could deduct the full amount, they would be much more inclined to cover their workers.

Second point, workers who have to put out money for either co pays or prescriptions should have the ability to deduct the entire amount off of their income tax as well, and NOT just what is over and above 7% of their wages. Medical care is a necessity and should be under our constitutional rights. We should be ABLE to deduct any and all amounts including medical insurance premiums off the TOP of our income taxes.

Well, that still leaves some of us falling into the cracks. Most of us seniors don't get much of a break especially when they deduct the amount for Medicare Part A right out of our checks before we get a dime. Worst of all, we may not get a cost of living raise, but the Medicare goes up.

Then, especially with the economy the way it is, the unemployed and disabled are hard pressed to have any health care because they simply cannot afford it.

The unemployed and disabled need to be handled first, and for crying out loud Mr/Ms Congresspeople and Senators, can you not see something that could be done easily with one stroke of the pen? Give the Companies who insure our workers the 100% tax break they need to keep health insurance in their company, and for the love of God, please allow our workers to deduct the same from their federal income taxes. Then, get yer butts to work covering the disabled immediately, not 2 years down the road. You need to cover the unemployed so they will stay healthy and willing to look for work.

STOP the Pharmaceutical Companies from paying millions out in TV time to advertise their latest drugs. Advertising drugs is no different than advertising cigarette commercials years ago, and that has not been allowed for decades now. So now our kids get bombarded "If you have a problem, your doctor has a pill for it, talk to your doctor if you have (a multitude of ailments) you know what they are. They are making our kids think it's COOL to be sick.

Stop the lobbyists !! IF you are SELLING a product, It should be ILLEGAL.

I started this campaign over 30 years ago, written letters to senators and congressmen, and even to Hilary Clinton. Never once did I get a response.

This system is not going to solve the problem because it is much farther out of hand than it was when I first fought for it. I am all FOR STARTING SOMETHING POSITIVE.

Friends, what I have proposed isn't brain surgery, but it's a darn good place to start. So whose brain do we start on first?

Love to all,
Marylou

By cuddles53
Posted October 31, 2009 at 7:56 pm
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Marylou, is that you? Our little Marylou who doesn't say peep too much? , LOL I am proud of you woman! I never saw you in action like this before, this really rang one of your bells didn't it? I am happy to see you write like this. i didn't know you were so into this. I am totally impressed with you!
Keep it up. You have what it takes to be our First lady President. You could get our health care reformed in a jiffy!'
God bless Sandy

By doing-ok
Posted October 31, 2009 at 10:06 pm
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What gets me is that, Obama is getting all this credit for doubling lung cancer funding over the next 5 YEARS which only brings it back to about where it was 5 years ago.

I think they have to have some way to reduce the aging population and get us off the books.
What would happen if "they" totally cured cancers. And who's to say it's not already out there?
Look at how many dr's would have to change jobs, the money lost by drug companies,ie: my insurance co pays over $150.00/day for my Traceva alone, the medical industry treatment machines, what it would add to social security and medicare expenses in extending our lives and on and on.....

I never had any idea how many people were affected with cancer until I started my journey both in the private sector as well as with large cancer centers. Times this by the number of these places world wide. It numbers are shocking!

When was the last time we heard of some one really famous or the last political figure who died from "lung cancer"?
Why is there NO spokeperson for this cancer?

In 1998 Florida won one of the largest tobacco suits to help recover cost and future cost of health care for us. I think it was 58 BILLION dollars. Why wasn't most of it put toward helping to find a cure rather that sitting on it collecting interest waiting for us to continue to get sick.

Yeah, I am ticked off too because all my efforts I've made for November L.C. Awareness month have gone unanswered. Hell, send me "blow off" form letter or something.

Gotta go..I feel my blood pressure climbing and I feel that I am waisting my breath and time that is getting harder to come by.

Good night all and stay well.
Barbara

By Marylou1
Posted November 1, 2009 at 11:04 am
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Hey Sandy,
This has LONG been a very personal peeve of mine because of the discrimination our government makes between themselves and the American People.

ALL of us should have access to the same health care they do, we don't and I doubt they will ever give it to us. I once said to my husband that if they would put me in the White House, I would balance the budget, clean out the pork barrels, and still have dinner on the table by 6 PM.

He knows I'm good with money and have a lot of common sense, but still says there is no way they will allow a woman to run the White House. Well, sooner or later, our day is coming :)

Love to all,
Marylou

By cuddles53
Posted November 1, 2009 at 12:35 pm
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I hope you are right! And... I hope a woman can do it, the men certainly seem to be having a hard time of it. The problem is in so mnay hands just not one person. We would not want one person running the government either , would we, so there are no real answers as far as I am concerned. They can do the best job they can with what they have to deal with. It is not a job I would want.
Sandy

By Marylou1
Posted November 2, 2009 at 3:41 pm
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Haha Sandy,
Maybe at one time 30 years ago I could have taken it on, but I sure wouldn't want the mess in Washington today. Frankly, I don't understand why ANYBODY would want it.

Hope you're feeling better. I am still battling this cold, but most is coming from sinuses and allergies. Yuck !!

Much Love,
Marylou

By crazykathyp
Posted November 8, 2009 at 8:09 am
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Right on Mary Lou--with the health system and it's costs. Who controls who??? The drug companies charge mega bucks for their cheap drugs and even the doctors charge big bucks so the insurance companies pay it and we have to suffer. But insurance companies are NOT doctors so they should not be allowed to disallow anything our doctors order for us after all they have all our premium monies and have gotten them for years thus they have enough money to pay these bills.

Obama needs to control the cost of the medical proceedures, what doctors charge for items, hospital costs as well as medicine costs then health care would not cost so much.

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