The Facade of Breast Cancer Awareness, Susan G. Komen and the Pink Ribbon

It’s October and the pink frenzy for Breast Cancer Awareness has officially begun. But do you really need any more awareness? What have all the pink campaigns accomplished? Have lives really been saved? Have scientists or anyone else in the mainstream for that matter, gotten any closer to finding a “cure” for breast cancer? Or could it be that it’s just a big scam to frighten more women into getting more diagnostic tests and surgical procedures?

This article aims to help you clearly see through the pretty pink façade. You will discover why even long-time supporters of the largest breast cancer charity, Susan G. Komen (also known as Komen), have recently done a 180 degree turn. From misleading marketing claims, to repulsive corporate partnerships, to blatant conflicts of interest, the truth about Komen is being exposed.

Educated people who have learned the truth have stopped blindly supporting Komen as it has become crystal clear about their deceptive marketing tactics and questionable use of funds. In just the last few years, revenues for Komen have sharply dropped. Many intelligent women (and men) who once proudly raised money to “race for a cure” have begun to recognize “pinkwashing” for what it is.

What is “Pinkwashing?”  

Breast Cancer Action, a nonprofit organization known as “the watchdog of the breast cancer industry” coined the term “pinkwashing.” It happens when a company or organization claims to care about breast cancer by promoting pink ribbon products, while at the same time produces, manufactures and/or sells products that are linked to the disease. Pinkwashing is when “cause marketing” loses sight of “the cause” and is more about the bottom line – profits.

One of the best examples of pinkwashing was Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “Buckets for the Cure” campaign. For every pink bucket of fried chicken sold, KFC donated 50 cents to Komen. Fast food and especially fried food are a well-known cause of many diseases, including cancer. You gotta wonder…who at Komen approved this joint venture and whose interest do they really have in mind?

More Red Flags, Conflicts of Interest, and Fundraising Fraud

In 2011, Komen created a perfume called “Promise Me.” It contained unsafe chemicals that were deemed toxic and hazardous with negative health effects. The ingredients included galaxolide, an endocrine disruptor, touluene, a possible carcinogen and toxic to the liver, and coumarin, which is toxic to the liver and kidneys and used to kill rodents.

In 2012, Komen partnered with the Coca Cola Company promoting FUZE tea. With 31 grams of sugar, high fructose corn syrup (likely genetically modified), sucralose, and preservatives. Is this a beverage that should be promoted alongside claims to be researching for “the cure” for breast cancer?

In 2013, Yoplait (the yogurt company) held a campaign called “Save Lids to Save Lives.” They donated 10 cents per lid with a special code which consumers could redeem. Yet hormone-laden dairy, sugar, and artificial chemicals have all been linked to cancer.

How can an organization that claims to be focused on preventing and curing breast cancer partner with companies that sell highly processed fast food, junk food, artificial food, hormone-filled dairy products, and sugar/chemical-laden food and beverages that have had a strong correlation with contributing to cancer? Many of these “pseudo foods” and products are known contributors to cancer causation or progression. Do you think these partnerships are actually contributing to a cure or are they really creating more customers for the cancer industry?

Komen Downplays Well Known Hazards of Environmental Toxins and Chemicals

Komen’s website seems to also have the gall to downplay or even deny any possible breast cancer link between well-known and obvious environmental toxins. This includes BPA – an endocrine disruptor that mimics estrogen, found in products such as plastics, liners of canned food and even toilet paper; phthalates – another hormone disruptor found in personal care and cleaning products; and parabens – a preservative found in cosmetics that acts like a weak estrogen. All of these chemicals increase the risk for hormone-driven cancers. Watchdogs have pointed out that Komen receives generous donations from companies who use BPA in their products (Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M, to name a few).

Komen also supports fracking for gas and oil. Fracking is a process which entails mixing water with chemicals, such as the carcinogens formaldehyde and benzene, and pumping the mixture underground to breakup rock formations, thus polluting groundwater. Komen even went so far as to promote pink drill bits to be used for fracking.

Are Komen’s Messages about Mammograms Misleading?

Not only does Komen partner with products and companies that contribute to cancer, they have exaggerated the benefits of mammograms with catchy slogans such as “early detection saves lives.” Women have been bombarded with this message for far too many years. Few people questioned the almighty annual mammogram. It was always heavily promoted as the “gold standard” for early detection and women who did not get a mammogram were equated with being irresponsible.

Unfortunately, numerous studies have shown that mammography has not lived up to its hope and promise. The reality is that mammograms only save one life in 2,000 while they harm 8-10 women through false alarms, missed cancers, and unnecessary surgery, radiation, drugs, stress, and anxiety!

“Over-diagnosis” (red flagging cancers that would have been eliminated by the body through natural processes, never to become problematic) has become rampant since the widespread use of mammography. Millions of women have now been found to have had needless “cancer” treatments and many have died because of these. Further, while more “cancers” are being found at an early stage, studies have shown no reduction in the number of women dying of breast cancer in the last 30 years.

Breast cancer experts, major newspapers, and long-time proponents of mammography are now either questioning it or speaking out against annual screening programs stating they are doing more harm than good. Yet, despite all the studies and expert warnings, Komen continues on with the same message proclaiming “early detection saves lives”, urging women to get mammograms. The Komen website states, “Despite some ongoing debate, mammography is still the most effective screening tool used today for the early detection of breast cancer.”

The Missing Truth About Breast Cancer Prevention

In all of Komen’s campaigns, where is the information about the root causes of cancer (such as environmental toxins) and risk reduction or prevention through nutrition and lifestyle? Instead of promoting and offering free mammograms to underserved and low-income women, maybe Komen could give a sliver of attention and funding directly to women for free naturopathic health-care, organic food, stress reduction, nutritional counselling, immune system building, and healthy cooking classes. The problem is these known breast cancer risk-reducers are missing one key element – profitability for Komen! And so the status quo continues and pinkwashing will prevail, unless you help us spread the word far and wide.

eddie wrote:Didge I am not promoting anything at all. I wish to make that clear and the sticky message of this section of the forum still stands:

http://www.newsfixboard.com/t10428-please-read-before-posting-in-this-section


I am simply providing alternate reading material. I am seeing for myself, the positive benefits of many natural substances that people close to me have been using alongside traditional medicine.

eddie wrote:Because my friend was using cannabis oil after her first scan and before the chemo. She then had her second scan and the doctor was amazed that it wasn't as bad as the first. She told him "I've been using cannabis oil for the last four weeks"
He looked at her and said "I can't tell you what to do nor advocate anything other than what we are providing but please...please keep doing what you're doing at home"

She gave him a list of fruits and vegetables that she'd been having raw (I'd bought her a nutribullet) and one of the ingredients was sour-sop cherries. He actually said "I have three patients who have taken sour-sop with positive results...you may want me to introduce you so you can "advise" as to your other home-remedies."
He meant the oil.

She has put six people on to it - people she met at her chemo sessions (all different cancers), they are all using oil. She's in contact with them all and they have got more oil from her for other people! There are some outstanding stories filtering through, which of course, you will claim is hearsay.
Doesn't matter. There are enough people trying this, sharing information and passing on what the know and the results I'm hearing are all amazing.

eddie wrote:And for the record? From my personal point of view, I have honestly "cured" myself of a few things that doctors have tried to get me to take tablets for.  When I was on thyroid medication I took only half the dose they recommended (and I told them I was going to do that as I will NEVER immediately take the proper amount of anything until I've tried to halve it first).
The endocrinologist shook her head at me and said "you're being foolish, you need the full dosage for this to work"
I do what I wanted to anyway and changed a few tweaks to my diet (simply googled foods that help Graves' disease patients) and hey presto! my next bloods showed my thyroxin levels had dropped and I "didn't need to take three tablets a day anymore" but reduce to one. My doctor grudgingly admitted that I was right.

I have now decided if my thyroid goes overactive again, I will use natural foods ONLY - no tablets.

Nature provides everything we need to live healthily.
You'd have to be a fool to not believe that.

And for the record if I ever am unlucky enough to get cancer, I am very doubtful I'd have chemo. It's an horrendous, cell-damaging, poison.

Thorin wrote:

eddie wrote:Because my friend was using cannabis oil after her first scan and before the chemo. She then had her second scan and the doctor was amazed that it wasn't as bad as the first. She told him "I've been using cannabis oil for the last four weeks"
He looked at her and said "I can't tell you what to do nor advocate anything other than what we are providing but please...please keep doing what you're doing at home"

She gave him a list of fruits and vegetables that she'd been having raw (I'd bought her a nutribullet) and one of the ingredients was sour-sop cherries. He actually said "I have three patients who have taken sour-sop with positive results...you may want me to introduce you so you can "advise" as to your other home-remedies."
He meant the oil.

She has put six people on to it - people she met at her chemo sessions (all different cancers), they are all using oil. She's in contact with them all and they have got more oil from her for other people! There are some outstanding stories filtering through, which of course, you will claim is hearsay.
Doesn't matter. There are enough people trying this, sharing information and passing on what the know and the results I'm hearing are all amazing.

The doctor can tell nothing without tests being done, if she is already on other medicines.
So that doctor is being disingenuous.
So the doctor is making a claim based off nothing that they can substantiate.

Thorin wrote:

eddie wrote:And for the record? From my personal point of view, I have honestly "cured" myself of a few things that doctors have tried to get me to take tablets for.  When I was on thyroid medication I took only half the dose they recommended (and I told them I was going to do that as I will NEVER immediately take the proper amount of anything until I've tried to halve it first).
The endocrinologist shook her head at me and said "you're being foolish, you need the full dosage for this to work"
I do what I wanted to anyway and changed a few tweaks to my diet (simply googled foods that help Graves' disease patients) and hey presto! my next bloods showed my thyroxin levels had dropped and I "didn't need to take three tablets a day anymore" but reduce to one. My doctor grudgingly admitted that I was right.

I have now decided if my thyroid goes overactive again, I will use natural foods ONLY - no tablets.

Nature provides everything we need to live healthily.
You'd have to be a fool to not believe that.

And for the record if I ever am unlucky enough to get cancer, I am very doubtful I'd have chemo. It's an horrendous, cell-damaging, poison.

You are basically telling me I need to take this on faith?
Sorry, I take what has been researched and what is known can work. And I will get the opinion of multiple doctors to see what is the best help that can be given.
I have worked within the NHS and have spoken at great lengths to many doctors Eddie
So you will have to understand I take these kind of stories with a pinch of salt, and I am sorry, but again most of what you describe could be psychosomatic.

Its up to you what you decide to do, what I take issue with is where people make unsubstantiated claims, which could have fatal consequences for people, if taking such advise that has no research to back up any of the claims. Its placing lives at risk, when in most cases, its about treating cancer in its earliest stages.
Of course some of the treatments are awful to go through, but and here is the big butt, it saves countless lives.

eddie wrote:

Thorin wrote:

The doctor can tell nothing without tests being done, if she is already on other medicines.
So that doctor is being disingenuous.
So the doctor is making a claim based off nothing that they can substantiate.

You didn't read my post properly. She took the oil 4 weeks BEFORE any treatment.

eddie wrote:

Thorin wrote:

You are basically telling me I need to take this on faith?
Sorry, I take what has been researched and what is known can work. And I will get the opinion of multiple doctors to see what is the best help that can be given.
I have worked within the NHS and have spoken at great lengths to many doctors Eddie
So you will have to understand I take these kind of stories with a pinch of salt, and I am sorry, but again most of what you describe could be psychosomatic.

Its up to you what you decide to do, what I take issue with is where people make unsubstantiated claims, which could have fatal consequences for people, if taking such advise that has no research to back up any of the claims. Its placing lives at risk, when in most cases, its about treating cancer in its earliest stages.
Of course some of the treatments are awful to go through, but and here is the big butt, it saves countless lives.

You can take whatever you like out if what I've said.  It's true, it happened to me and not just once and not just with my thyroid either.

Thorin wrote:

eddie wrote:

Thorin wrote:

The doctor can tell nothing without tests being done, if she is already on other medicines.
So that doctor is being disingenuous.
So the doctor is making a claim based off nothing that they can substantiate.

You didn't read my post properly. She took the oil 4 weeks BEFORE any treatment.

And where is the evidence that it was the oils that had any effect?
This could not be done without tests.
So I did read it properly Eddie and most doctors would not make such an unsubstantiated claim

eddie wrote:

Thorin wrote:

And where is the evidence that it was the oils that had any effect?
This could not be done without tests.
So I did read it properly Eddie and most doctors would not make such an unsubstantiated claim

Didge they do. The talk to people, like they're people, and I daresay he's heard the same story before from others.
Doctors aren't allowed to advise you to take anything but he sure as hell keeps saying to her "keep doing what you're doing at home".

Unless you have been in this position, or are privy to this information through personal experience, people close to you...how would you really know, with all due respect?

But I get it. You're the sort of person that a doctor says "Take this pill" and you'd do so without question. There are many people like that around but there are many more people waking up to the fact that there are other options available instead of, or as well as, "conventional medicine".

nicko wrote:Or GUINESS

HoratioTarr wrote:The body generates cancer, therefore, one day I believe, they'll find a way for the body to fight it.   As it stands, all we have from a medical point of view, is chemo and radiotherapy, which is not enabling the body to fight for itself.   In fact, it can and does utterly compromise the immune system.  But...for now, it's all we have that science recognises as proven.

I hope that one day, they'll come up with something within us, ourselves, to fight this thing.  Cancer touches us all.

eddie wrote:We will have to respectfully agree to disagree on this one didge. Thanks for your posts, I know you're simply relaying what you believe....and so am I.
Only time will tell which of us is right.

eddie wrote:And for the record? From my personal point of view, I have honestly "cured" myself of a few things that doctors have tried to get me to take tablets for.  When I was on thyroid medication I took only half the dose they recommended (and I told them I was going to do that as I will NEVER immediately take the proper amount of anything until I've tried to halve it first).
The endocrinologist shook her head at me and said "you're being foolish, you need the full dosage for this to work"
I do what I wanted to anyway and changed a few tweaks to my diet (simply googled foods that help Graves' disease patients) and hey presto! my next bloods showed my thyroxin levels had dropped and I "didn't need to take three tablets a day anymore" but reduce to one. My doctor grudgingly admitted that I was right.

I have now decided if my thyroid goes overactive again, I will use natural foods ONLY - no tablets.

Nature provides everything we need to live healthily.
You'd have to be a fool to not believe that.

And for the record if I ever am unlucky enough to get cancer, I am very doubtful I'd have chemo. It's an horrendous, cell-damaging, poison.

HoratioTarr wrote:The body generates cancer, therefore, one day I believe, they'll find a way for the body to fight it.   As it stands, all we have from a medical point of view, is chemo and radiotherapy, which is not enabling the body to fight for itself.   In fact, it can and does utterly compromise the immune system.  But...for now, it's all we have that science recognises as proven.

I hope that one day, they'll come up with something within us, ourselves, to fight this thing.  Cancer touches us all.

eddie wrote:And for the record? From my personal point of view, I have honestly "cured" myself of a few things that doctors have tried to get me to take tablets for.  When I was on thyroid medication I took only half the dose they recommended (and I told them I was going to do that as I will NEVER immediately take the proper amount of anything until I've tried to halve it first).
The endocrinologist shook her head at me and said "you're being foolish, you need the full dosage for this to work"
I do what I wanted to anyway and changed a few tweaks to my diet (simply googled foods that help Graves' disease patients) and hey presto! my next bloods showed my thyroxin levels had dropped and I "didn't need to take three tablets a day anymore" but reduce to one. My doctor grudgingly admitted that I was right.

I have now decided if my thyroid goes overactive again, I will use natural foods ONLY - no tablets.

Nature provides everything we need to live healthily.
You'd have to be a fool to not believe that.

And for the record if I ever am unlucky enough to get cancer, I am very doubtful I'd have chemo. It's an horrendous, cell-damaging, poison.

eddie wrote:Didge I am not promoting anything at all. I wish to make that clear and the sticky message of this section of the forum still stands:

http://www.newsfixboard.com/t10428-please-read-before-posting-in-this-section


I am simply providing alternate reading material. I am seeing for myself, the positive benefits of many natural substances that people close to me have been using alongside traditional medicine.

eddie wrote:You're welcome Vod. Stay healthy x

eddie wrote:And for the record? From my personal point of view, I have honestly "cured" myself of a few things that doctors have tried to get me to take tablets for.  When I was on thyroid medication I took only half the dose they recommended (and I told them I was going to do that as I will NEVER immediately take the proper amount of anything until I've tried to halve it first).
The endocrinologist shook her head at me and said "you're being foolish, you need the full dosage for this to work"
I do what I wanted to anyway and changed a few tweaks to my diet (simply googled foods that help Graves' disease patients) and hey presto! my next bloods showed my thyroxin levels had dropped and I "didn't need to take three tablets a day anymore" but reduce to one. My doctor grudgingly admitted that I was right.

I have now decided if my thyroid goes overactive again, I will use natural foods ONLY - no tablets.

Nature provides everything we need to live healthily.
You'd have to be a fool to not believe that.

And for the record if I ever am unlucky enough to get cancer, I am very doubtful I'd have chemo. It's an horrendous, cell-damaging, poison.

Epic Health wrote:In 2012, under the leadership of senior vice president of public policy Karen Handel, Komen’s board made the announcement that they had voted to stop funding Planned Parenthood because PP was under investigation by the federal government. But after a backlash from abortion supporters, Komen reversed their position. Karen Handel then resigned...
http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/shocking-facts-about-susan-g-komen-for-the-cure/

Raggamuffin wrote:

eddie wrote:And for the record? From my personal point of view, I have honestly "cured" myself of a few things that doctors have tried to get me to take tablets for.  When I was on thyroid medication I took only half the dose they recommended (and I told them I was going to do that as I will NEVER immediately take the proper amount of anything until I've tried to halve it first).
The endocrinologist shook her head at me and said "you're being foolish, you need the full dosage for this to work"
I do what I wanted to anyway and changed a few tweaks to my diet (simply googled foods that help Graves' disease patients) and hey presto! my next bloods showed my thyroxin levels had dropped and I "didn't need to take three tablets a day anymore" but reduce to one. My doctor grudgingly admitted that I was right.

I have now decided if my thyroid goes overactive again, I will use natural foods ONLY - no tablets.

Nature provides everything we need to live healthily.
You'd have to be a fool to not believe that.

And for the record if I ever am unlucky enough to get cancer, I am very doubtful I'd have chemo. It's an horrendous, cell-damaging, poison.

It's all very well, but what if you have an autoimmune condition which requires immediate treatment before it completely messes you up? Not everyone has time to research what to eat, and it probably wouldn't work anyway as there's tons of different info out there.

eddie wrote:

HoratioTarr wrote:The body generates cancer, therefore, one day I believe, they'll find a way for the body to fight it.   As it stands, all we have from a medical point of view, is chemo and radiotherapy, which is not enabling the body to fight for itself.   In fact, it can and does utterly compromise the immune system.  But...for now, it's all we have that science recognises as proven.

I hope that one day, they'll come up with something within us, ourselves, to fight this thing.  Cancer touches us all.

Yes the answer lies within our own bodies and also in other places within nature, I believe.

HoratioTarr wrote:

eddie wrote:And for the record? From my personal point of view, I have honestly "cured" myself of a few things that doctors have tried to get me to take tablets for.  When I was on thyroid medication I took only half the dose they recommended (and I told them I was going to do that as I will NEVER immediately take the proper amount of anything until I've tried to halve it first).
The endocrinologist shook her head at me and said "you're being foolish, you need the full dosage for this to work"
I do what I wanted to anyway and changed a few tweaks to my diet (simply googled foods that help Graves' disease patients) and hey presto! my next bloods showed my thyroxin levels had dropped and I "didn't need to take three tablets a day anymore" but reduce to one. My doctor grudgingly admitted that I was right.

I have now decided if my thyroid goes overactive again, I will use natural foods ONLY - no tablets.

Nature provides everything we need to live healthily.
You'd have to be a fool to not believe that.

And for the record if I ever am unlucky enough to get cancer, I am very doubtful I'd have chemo. It's an horrendous, cell-damaging, poison.

I've been on a sugar and wheat free diet for almost three weeks now.  You'll have seen my post about it on Facebook.   I feel like a different person.   No more headaches.  No more fatigue.  No more waking up each morning feeling like I'm hung over.  More energy and I've lost weight.   All by cutting out sugar completely and no wheat.   I've also dropped all processed foods and that includes all tinned, frozen and packaged stuff.   Cook everything from scratch.  My body was so bogged down with trying to deal with poison I was putting into it, it couldn't function and last year I have a total of 7 colds and chest infections to deal with.   I don't drink anyway and I don't smoke.  

When the body is fighting disease, it needs all the help it can get.

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

It's all very well, but what if you have an autoimmune condition which requires immediate treatment before it completely messes you up? Not everyone has time to research what to eat, and it probably wouldn't work anyway as there's tons of different info out there.

I'm sure you can work out the answers to your own questions. They are all quite logical answers.

Vicar of Dibley (vod) wrote:

eddie wrote:

Yes the answer lies within our own bodies and also in other places within nature, I believe.

You are right eddie - HF had some blood work done and it showed that his cholesterol raised they immediately wanted to prescribe a statin and he refused and I'm pleased he did i have seen the effects of statins in my own dad who has had that drug taken off him and all his body pain is gone and he is improving with other conditions too . But the doctor desperately wanted HF on a statin - we looked into food and found bell peppers tumeric cumin were all said to lower cholesterol and other conditions such as pre-diabetes . After 12 months all the blood results are normal and the doctor asked what he did different to achieve this and she was really interested and congratulated him for his hard work .

Raggamuffin wrote:

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

It's all very well, but what if you have an autoimmune condition which requires immediate treatment before it completely messes you up? Not everyone has time to research what to eat, and it probably wouldn't work anyway as there's tons of different info out there.

I'm sure you can work out the answers to your own questions. They are all quite logical answers.

Well one could try all the suggestions, but by the time one has tried them all, the condition may well have got a lot worse. What works for you may well not work for someone else.

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Well one could try all the suggestions, but by the time one has tried them all, the condition may well have got a lot worse. What works for you may well not work for someone else.

Firstly, thyroid condition don't get drastically worse overnight or even over a week or even over a month....so you have time to "try" whatever you like.
I will absolutely stand by the fact that though GP's aren't evil, they are just robots programmed to read something and say "here's a tablet - my screen tells my you need to take three a day"
Do you know how many people take a GP's word as gospel??????

I've never ever taken their word as gospel. I do what I think after reading just a little and I take half of what I'm prescribed.
Next time, I won't take the tablets at all. I'll do it all by diet and not tell them and when I am in thyroid remission I'll tell them their tablets were a pile of overpriced profit-making junk.

There are two types of people: those that think doctors are God and those who know they simply are humans and will do their own research and find their own way.
Gps are not so needed anymore TBH

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Well one could try all the suggestions, but by the time one has tried them all, the condition may well have got a lot worse. What works for you may well not work for someone else.

Firstly, thyroid condition don't get drastically worse overnight or even over a week or even over a month....so you have time to "try" whatever you like.
I will absolutely stand by the fact that though GP's aren't evil, they are just robots programmed to read something and say "here's a tablet - my screen tells my you need to take three a day"
Do you know how many people take a GP's word as gospel??????

I've never ever taken their word as gospel. I do what I think after reading just a little and I take half of what I'm prescribed.
Next time, I won't take the tablets at all. I'll do it all by diet and not tell them and when I am in thyroid remission I'll tell them their tablets were a pile of overpriced profit-making junk.

There are two types of people: those that think doctors are God and those who know they simply are humans and will do their own research and find their own way.
Gps are not so needed anymore TBH

Next time, I won't take the tablets at all. I'll do it all by diet and not tell them and when I am in thyroid remission I'll tell them their tablets were a pile of overpriced profit-making junk.

Raggamuffin wrote:Oh, and eddie, I do hope you don't actually tell the doctor this:

Next time, I won't take the tablets at all. I'll do it all by diet and not tell them and when I am in thyroid remission I'll tell them their tablets were a pile of overpriced profit-making junk.

The doctor is trying to help you, he/she is trying to prevent damage caused by your condition. If you can find another way, that's great, but it wouldn't work for everyone, and I'm sure you can find a nicer way to say that you don't need the pills.

GPs aren't all-knowing, I agree, but they're there to help you, and if something doesn't work, or it gives you massive side effects, they will try something else. They're up against the issue of people reacting in different ways to different drugs, or the problem of diagnosing a condition which may not be straightforward. They don't have a crystal ball to tell them what will definitely work and what won't.

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Oh, and eddie, I do hope you don't actually tell the doctor this:



The doctor is trying to help you, he/she is trying to prevent damage caused by your condition. If you can find another way, that's great, but it wouldn't work for everyone, and I'm sure you can find a nicer way to say that you don't need the pills.

GPs aren't all-knowing, I agree, but they're there to help you, and if something doesn't work, or it gives you massive side effects, they will try something else. They're up against the issue of people reacting in different ways to different drugs, or the problem of diagnosing a condition which may not be straightforward. They don't have a crystal ball to tell them what will definitely work and what won't.

Yes. I agree. I also know that if I treated myself then I would tell them exactly that.
I told the doctor exactly that, who gave me tablets for Ménière's disease.  Wanted me to take three tablets a day and return in six months.
I knew I didn't have it and I didn't take the meds. Six months later I gave him back the tablets and told him "I don't have this disease and all I had was an inner ear imbalance which has gone by itself - I simply reduced my salt intake"
Know what he said? "Oh yes, that would help!"

Glad I never took the shit he gave me. I never even had it.

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Oh, and eddie, I do hope you don't actually tell the doctor this:



The doctor is trying to help you, he/she is trying to prevent damage caused by your condition. If you can find another way, that's great, but it wouldn't work for everyone, and I'm sure you can find a nicer way to say that you don't need the pills.

GPs aren't all-knowing, I agree, but they're there to help you, and if something doesn't work, or it gives you massive side effects, they will try something else. They're up against the issue of people reacting in different ways to different drugs, or the problem of diagnosing a condition which may not be straightforward. They don't have a crystal ball to tell them what will definitely work and what won't.

Yes. I agree. I also know that if I treated myself then I would tell them exactly that.
I told the doctor exactly that, who gave me tablets for Ménière's disease.  Wanted me to take three tablets a day and return in six months.
I knew I didn't have it and I didn't take the meds. Six months later I gave him back the tablets and told him "I don't have this disease and all I had was an inner ear imbalance which has gone by itself - I simply reduced my salt intake"
Know what he said? "Oh yes, that would help!"

Glad I never took the shit he gave me. I never even had it.

Raggamuffin wrote:

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Oh, and eddie, I do hope you don't actually tell the doctor this:



The doctor is trying to help you, he/she is trying to prevent damage caused by your condition. If you can find another way, that's great, but it wouldn't work for everyone, and I'm sure you can find a nicer way to say that you don't need the pills.

GPs aren't all-knowing, I agree, but they're there to help you, and if something doesn't work, or it gives you massive side effects, they will try something else. They're up against the issue of people reacting in different ways to different drugs, or the problem of diagnosing a condition which may not be straightforward. They don't have a crystal ball to tell them what will definitely work and what won't.

Yes. I agree. I also know that if I treated myself then I would tell them exactly that.
I told the doctor exactly that, who gave me tablets for Ménière's disease.  Wanted me to take three tablets a day and return in six months.
I knew I didn't have it and I didn't take the meds. Six months later I gave him back the tablets and told him "I don't have this disease and all I had was an inner ear imbalance which has gone by itself - I simply reduced my salt intake"
Know what he said? "Oh yes, that would help!"

Glad I never took the shit he gave me. I never even had it.

If you knew you didn't have it, why did you not say so at the time? I realise that it's difficult because GPs and other doctors don't seem to have the time to discuss things properly, but it's important to tell them everything and to ask questions at the time. I have a condition which took a long time to diagnose because of various issues, and I ended up saying what I thought it was myself. There's nothing wrong with making suggestions to the doctor and see what they say. There's simply no need to be so aggressive about it though.

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

If you knew you didn't have it, why did you not say so at the time? I realise that it's difficult because GPs and other doctors don't seem to have the time to discuss things properly, but it's important to tell them everything and to ask questions at the time. I have a condition which took a long time to diagnose because of various issues, and I ended up saying what I thought it was myself. There's nothing wrong with making suggestions to the doctor and see what they say. There's simply no need to be so aggressive about it though.

Yeah. Why don't I think of saying that?
In case you can't tell that was sarcastic.

eddie wrote:Rags I don't think you understand much of what I say at times. I had some symptoms - he immediately thought I had Ménière's and gave me tablets.

The rest happened just as I said. And 'this guy was a specialist in a private hospital as I had BUPA at the time.

eddie wrote:Rags I don't think you understand much of what I say at times. I had some symptoms - he immediately thought I had Ménière's and gave me tablets.

The rest happened just as I said. And 'this guy was a specialist in a private hospital as I had BUPA at the time.

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Oh, and eddie, I do hope you don't actually tell the doctor this:



The doctor is trying to help you, he/she is trying to prevent damage caused by your condition. If you can find another way, that's great, but it wouldn't work for everyone, and I'm sure you can find a nicer way to say that you don't need the pills.

GPs aren't all-knowing, I agree, but they're there to help you, and if something doesn't work, or it gives you massive side effects, they will try something else. They're up against the issue of people reacting in different ways to different drugs, or the problem of diagnosing a condition which may not be straightforward. They don't have a crystal ball to tell them what will definitely work and what won't.

Yes. I agree. I also know that if I treated myself then I would tell them exactly that.
I told the doctor exactly that, who gave me tablets for Ménière's disease.  Wanted me to take three tablets a day and return in six months.
I knew I didn't have it and I didn't take the meds. Six months later I gave him back the tablets and told him "I don't have this disease and all I had was an inner ear imbalance which has gone by itself - I simply reduced my salt intake"
Know what he said? "Oh yes, that would help!"

Glad I never took the shit he gave me. I never even had it.

Original Quill wrote:

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Oh, and eddie, I do hope you don't actually tell the doctor this:



The doctor is trying to help you, he/she is trying to prevent damage caused by your condition. If you can find another way, that's great, but it wouldn't work for everyone, and I'm sure you can find a nicer way to say that you don't need the pills.

GPs aren't all-knowing, I agree, but they're there to help you, and if something doesn't work, or it gives you massive side effects, they will try something else. They're up against the issue of people reacting in different ways to different drugs, or the problem of diagnosing a condition which may not be straightforward. They don't have a crystal ball to tell them what will definitely work and what won't.

Yes. I agree. I also know that if I treated myself then I would tell them exactly that.
I told the doctor exactly that, who gave me tablets for Ménière's disease.  Wanted me to take three tablets a day and return in six months.
I knew I didn't have it and I didn't take the meds. Six months later I gave him back the tablets and told him "I don't have this disease and all I had was an inner ear imbalance which has gone by itself - I simply reduced my salt intake"
Know what he said? "Oh yes, that would help!"

Glad I never took the shit he gave me. I never even had it.

You make a very good point, eds.  Although my doctorates are law and history, I am surrounded by medical doctors at all sides.  My father, my father-in-law and my youngest daughter and her husband, are all physicians.

The talk around the dinner table is/was rarely new medicines and procedures.  It's generally the bad habits of the physicians.  This one likes to cut too much.  That one likes drugs so much, he'll get you addicted.  And all of them succumb to the temptation of pain-killers.  Killing pain is the least productive, yet the most popular form of medical practice in the modern day.  You should treat pain as a valuable symptom, and never let a doctor just treat it away.

The problem isn't pills and surgery, but misplaced values of the physicians.  And because GPs tend to gather advice from the specialists, they also incorporate all the bad habits.  

That's scoop from the inside.