Re: PA needs help passing Lyme legislation

From: Greg Gerber (GregGerber_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 11/18/04 

Date: 18 Nov 2004 06:54:05 -0800

derdrittemann2003@yahoo.com (derdrittemann) wrote in message news:<f2af2263.0411171331.22cf80e3@posting.google.com>...
>
> Well, what does this mean, then? What is it that you ARE suggesting
> when you say that it is "political" but not a conspiracy?>
> "The most powerful force here may be managed care", >
> Greg...examine the word "may" in the above sentence...what are you
> saying here?...it "might" be? Maybe yes, maybe "no"? What kind of
> statement is that?

There is no fine print in what I am saying and the meaning is
straightforward. Your statement that my use of the word "may" means I
am suggesting conspiracy is YOUR INVENTION. LOL you have intuitive a
whole second level of meaning in my sentence structure. Wow, are you
psychic? What do I mean --I mean that insurance issues are not the
only ones working against Lyme patients. I do NOT mean these elements
are working together, which is required for conspiracy. If I had
intended to present a "conspiracy" or group of "conspirers" I would
have done so.
 
>
> Yes, they are rather bottom-line oriented. I know many will find this
> shocking. But the fundamental problem is that they can justify this
> response because the prevailing medical "wisdom" supports it.
> although there is considerable EVIDENCE that that "wisdom" may be
> seriously flawed...there is of yet...no PROOF.

In fact, the results of the three studies commissioned by NIH in
response to the congressional language of 1994 are now in. TWO of the
three showed statistically significant improvement with longer
treatment. Hey detritteman, how come you have to come to sci.med to
learn this --didn't your insurance company tell you?? If you fail to
understand that power that managed care has over diagnosis and
treatment in doctor offices on main street, you are missing a lot.

> Like what, for instance? Think "big picture" for a moment...talking
> overall governmental policy here.

I am saying that when an insurer reports a doctor to his board for
misconduct the motive of the insurer should be medical and not
financial. If we suspect the motive is financial then, as citizens, we
need to be watchdogs over the process.

> If you want to propose legislation that would, for instance, "protect"
> physicians who would prescribe antibiotic courses that are, say, much
> more intensive ...then you HAVE to realize ...that YOU are
> now proposing to remove the decision from the medical profession...to
> OVER-RIDE their collective judgment...

 As the evidence of the three treatment studies commissioned by NIH
comes in and as two of the studies are mitigated or ignored I am
saying this: I do question their judgement, absolutely. My doctor is
not supposed to be the wizard of Oz, operating controls behind a
curtain through which I may not pass. Those days are over. If a
physician has a thought process, a system of logic that has led to his
judgment I want to know what that is. As a patient I am a consumer and
a watchdog and a skeptic. This is my role. I am saying that I have
lost faith in the ability of the collective wisdom to which you refer
to make appropriate judgment calls and I want it scrutinized. I am
saying the medical profession has lost its way, that they are poor
watchdogs over themselves, and that their performance has opened them
up to scrutiny by the society they serve.

This IS what I am saying, but it is NOT the same thing as what Frank
says --and if you think it is, if you think these two things are
equivalent, well then detritteman, I will send you forth into the
great vast beyond to receive "medicine" at the behest of your doctor
no matter what he says, no matter how sick you get, and no matter how
much evidence continues to suggest he is wrong. So, you want to abide
by your doctor's "heart" until he has had a change of it? Good luck,
man. I imagine the "heart" of your doctor and his great medical
wisdom has already set the course of your life.

As for me, I will be a watchdog. If they are going to kill me slowly I
want them to show me PROOF that they are right. PROOF. And if they
will not do it in their forum, as a citizen of this country, I can
DEMAND that they do it in mine.

Gregory Gerber

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