There is more truth to that than we would like to admit. It is an indication of how difficult modern medicine can be. Yesterday my sister-in-law rang me regarding a health problem with her mother. They had approached the doctor a number of times but he was dismissive of their concerns. It took me about 5 minutes of data mining to uncover the problem, it was arising from a prescription drug. I rang my sister-in-law today to advise discontinuation of the drug. She said the doctor had finally agreed to that. After months of heedless suffering by this elderly woman finally something was done. 5 minutes of data mining could have prevented all that suffering.

Anyways, we heard he had fell ill and we joked that he would develop his own treatment and treat himself. Apparently what he did: he started studying medicine, over a period of time diagnosed himself, and then negotiated his treatment out with the doctor! He’s still there.

Modern thinking seems so lame to worry about this and have such faith in modern medicine, its really a joke. A hundred years from now, medicine today will look as stupid as it did in 1910. Use your brain, spend some time researching when you are sick. You will likely do a better job than most of the doctors will be able to do in the 5 minutes the insurance company pays you to see them. Our health care system is not about helping people. Its about making money. Its more profitable to make people sick that well. The 2.5 billion dollar investment the insurance companies spent on health reform will pay big dividends now that everyone has to buy insurance. Its just sad.

Real reform would just have the government pay for major trauma, and as humane people we should (and did) do that for everyone regardless of their “status”. The chronic stuff you have to fix yourself. We should look at how Mexico dispenses drugs through pharmacists, its much better it helps poor people and there is much more freedom in drug choices than here. We want to lower cost we have to start cutting out the middlemen.

Everyone is so comfortable with telling everyone else how to live their lives, it scary. Where are the real live and let live liberals, who think its ok to be eccentric? Are there no liberals left in the democratic party? Is the only form of choice left to us sexual preference?

a) It is none of their business
b) I know that saying yes will cost me more

In the past I have said “none of your business” however simply saying “no” usually causes less stress for everybody concerned.

If on the way into every supermarket they routinely asked you what your annual income was, and if you knew that being frank with them would mean they charge you double, then would you be entirely candid?