response 25 of 76:

Mar 16 12:05 UTC 2006

I don't trust much medical workers as a whole.I know that, according to
molecular density, homeopathic pills are just water.With acupuncture, you get
at least a needle in the skin...
That said, I got one positive experience.
I had developed an allergy to poplar's pollen years ago, and the easiest cure
was to take pills each spring.Much complicated and longer had been a
hyposensitization.As I was fed up with my doctor at the time, I switched into
another one, who was also specialized in acupuncture+homeopathy+osteopathy,
by coincidence.
--> important: I was living in France, and there to get allowed to work as
a physician you must be an accredited M.D.It's a safety: if you're interested
in some "alternative" therapy which scientifical/working status is
controversial, by being in the hands of a M.D. you're supposed to be safe.
Some M.D. are curious about investigating such "alternative" stuff, so they
can get this way guinea-pigs with the limitation that they are fully
accountable on the ethic and scientifical levels.
In short: if they don't cure you with "alternative" magic, they revert to
classical therapies, and if they don't cure you at least they will not kill
you (well, no more than by the traditional means...).
Ok, so she (my then new M.D + multidimensional chinese guru) got to destroy
my allergy in 1/2 year.Mixture of homeopathy, acupuncture and osteapathy.
Since then, never got I troubles with poplar's pollen.
Which made me think: if placebo effects do work so well, why the heck are they
not implemented more by regular M.D.s?

response 27 of 76:

Mar 16 14:35 UTC 2006

I was surprised when I went to see a doctor some time ago for a virus 
and he started to write me a Rx for an anti-biotic. I said, "do you 
think this isnt a viris?" He didnt answer but then asked me what I 
wanted I why I had come there. I said that I wanted something to make 
it easier to breathe so he prescribed me some pill that basically had a 
time release of an active ingredient in OTC cough syrup (that I cant 
spell) 

I have to say that I was not filled with confidence in that particular 
doctor. 

response 29 of 76:

Mar 16 14:59 UTC 2006

There are MD's who will take the time to explain what's wrong, e.g. the
specialist I was referred to for lower back problems a few years ago. 
He even used a model spine to illustrate.

response 31 of 76:

Mar 16 17:28 UTC 2006

A recent newspaper article claimed that - in this area at least - 
doctors' offices are less busy.  Perhaps they are having to pay more 
attention to making the customer happy.

response 33 of 76:

Mar 16 19:14 UTC 2006

is the pain back yet, jep?

response 35 of 76:

Mar 16 21:15 UTC 2006

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics is leading to the development of resistant
strains of bacteria.  People take the pills for a few days, feel better, stop
taking them, and only the resistant strains survive this.  If they took the
full 7-10 days it would kill the bacteria.  Antibiotics also kill off
commensal bacteria, the 'good guys' that help us fight off infections, causing
more problems than the cure.

response 37 of 76:

Mar 16 21:30 UTC 2006

Some of the doctors who tend to prescribe a lot of antibiotics say it's 
because a viral infection is debilitating and leaves a patient open to a 
secondary, bacterial infection.  They're willing to start treatment "just 
in case".  But the advice they get from infection control specialists is 
that pre-infection antibiotics are not only unnecessary, but prophylactic 
antibiotic treatment makes it very difficult to then diagnose the specific 
bacteria involved in the event a resistant bacterial infection sets up 
house.  Too, unnecessary antibiotic use is tending to make the bugs 
stronger and more resistant.  We now routinely see infections that are 
only senstive to one or two of the most powerful and complication-prone 
antibiotics.

response 39 of 76:

Mar 16 21:33 UTC 2006

I'm not a medicineman, and I'm not very familiar with antibiotics, but I
believe that, to preserve the effectiveness of the few potent antibiotics we
have, we ought to enact laws making it some sort of violation to prescribe
them frivolously.

response 41 of 76:

Mar 16 21:36 UTC 2006

resp:34 I simply asked a question. If the doctor was actually worried 
about my viral infection leading to a bacterial infection, that was her 
opportunity to explain it to me. Unlike a lot of people, I dont think 
that doctors never make mistakes nor do I expect them to know 
everything. Also, I figure that since I am paying them, I am the person 
in the relationship with the power and not them. They are there because 
they have more training in health than I have and they are, imho, hired 
in a consultant capacity. They get to suggest treatment options and I 
get to choose if they are right for me. If they think a particular 
treatment is right for me, they should be prepared to explain why it 
is. As it happens, I know my body pretty well and I have good reasons 
not to want to take anti-biotics unless they are necessary. This doctor 
didnt give me any reasons why they might be necessary so I ultimately 
went with a different treatment option (which, btw, worked quite well). 

response 43 of 76:

Mar 17 16:05 UTC 2006

I wonder how much of her improvement is psychological?  He said "you are no
longer in pain" and psychologically she believed it, like a command.

response 45 of 76:

Mar 17 16:33 UTC 2006

How would I know whether the cure was psychological?  It is a fact that 
for a year, she had constant pain, and for half a week, she has not had 
pain.  I don't care why this improvement came about.  I will do 
everything in my power to make sure that it continues.

My stepdaughter thinks God helped her.  If anyone were to convince her 
that's not possible, and as a result she started hurting again, I would 
exhibit violent behavior toward that person.  Ya know?  I am grateful 
that she is feeling better.  The rest is details.

response 47 of 76:

Mar 17 17:10 UTC 2006

Twenex: I am nearly 45 years old.  I weigh 240 pounds and there ain't 
*none* of it that's muscle.  Just how threatening could I be?  I could 
wipe my Cheetos crumbs onto their coat or something, I suppose.

No person here knows either the first or last name of my stepdaughter.  
Oh, I don't doubt that at least half a dozen people here could find 
out, but I probably know who all of those people are.  None of them has 
any ill will toward my stepdaughter.

If you were chilled by my remark, I'm surprised.

response 49 of 76:

Mar 17 17:33 UTC 2006

Me.  I know it.  I've become far more ruthless as I've gotten older.