Amen. I have bad arthritis. Over a decade ago I had, first, one hip replaced and then less than 2 years later I had the other hip replaced. That lessened my pain but did not return me to my former self. Two years ago I had to have my right shoulder replaced due to the excruciating pain I suffered. The pain was lessened greatly but I now have some difficulty using my right hand (I am right-handed) Eight months after that surgery I had my right knee replaced. That surgery was so bad, so painful, so horrifying. And now I have severe neuropathy in both my feet and legs, from the knees down. I was never told neuropathy could result from the knee replacement surgery. When I figured it out (I, not the doctor, although he knew, he just kept mum about it) he first tried to palm me off on my PCP and/or a back doctor. Then he asked if I wanted Physical Therapy and/or an EMG. I said yes to both but before either happened I was barred from the practice and the building because I responded angrily at the check-in to harassment by the phalanx of Harpies that are employed there to antagonize patients. So they got rid of me right quick. But a year and a half later I am in misery with the neuropathy.
The neuropathy can respond to several therapies, for instance mine is greatly lessoned by Relief Factor, 2 per day, try not to miss them. I have greatly reduced my ibuprofen dosages, which seems to help, greatly because when you take 2 or 3 200mg ibuprofen once to twice a week, maximum, they work damn good. My regular meds are melatonin 10mg, 2 at sundown (or closely after), 2 echinacea twice a day. 1500 units of Vit D each morning in addition the the Relief Factor.
Sounds like my Hub. The Left shoulder was cleaned out of the itis', Then the Ortho replaced the Right shoulder ball when he cleaned that one out. He has 2 Partial knees. Those went well. Medicare is now forcing Full Knees when a partial will do. Cold makes the metal hurt. His big complaint is the shoulders now that have a new build-up of itis'. He and his Ortho work well. Dr. Schrader doesn't believe in doing unnecessary surgeries or injections. His own Rotator is shot. He uses Stem Cells, but then he can afford them.
My lower Degenerative spine caused the neuropathy, L4/S1 is collapsed, and the thumb surgery the carpal tunnel-like neuropathy in my right arm, top that with a too 'small' to fix rotator tear. Getting old is not for the faint of heart.
Ibuprofen and the other gastro-destructive OTC are not takable. I stick to Tylenol generic. I like Selenium 400 mg better than melatonin, covers more body functions. Losing 40 lbs eased the hip, and lower spine pain.
Since we have 2 inches of snow today that may turn into 4 inches, I'm going nowhere. Memphis drivers are horrible on snow as it is infrequent. Usually has ice under it.
The only Physician is the Great Physician. Hippocrates was a physician. He was guided by our Creator. Check out the word...doctor...in the dictionary. It means to alter or cover up a document. A physician is someone who asks for guidance from our Creator and is part of the soul.
If, as Dr. Coleman writes, doctors' cure rates are no better than 50/50, might not one have a similar cure rate doing your own reading and using your own methods? At least, you will not be given a drug that at best does no known harm or may cause you further problems. One should consider that the body is a machine and all machines wear out.
I went to scientist school for a couple of years. The engineering faculty collaborated with the medical faculty on occasion and would make fun of the way they recorded and reported data. I was not a good graduate student and dropped out. I had to do something with my life, and I will always assert that I was suckered into medical school. I agree with most of what the doctor says here, which is not the norm, since he usually discusses medicine as it relates to social and political issues in the UK which are not the same as in the US. But the science of medicine crosses borders almost as described. I don't think pharmacists read the papers, either, and practice similarly to physicians. They also won't tell you the cost of the drug you are buying if you were not insured.
The pharmacist comments hurt the most, being an ex-pharmacist. I would never hesitate to tell the patients the cost, and they rapidly saw the slim margins we were working with, insurance, or not.
It was not meant to hurt. The whole industry is a racket to funnel money to Big Pharma and Big Health Insurance. The pharmacist can't possibly read all of the papers, either, but he or she is responsible for what is in them. They're just people subject to the same influences and pressure as physicians in 2025, and some are better people than others. As you recall, the pharmacy has a contract with the insurance company that tells them what the customer will be charged for a drug (the out of pocket cost), what the insurance company will pay the pharmacy and what the customer will actually have to pay (co-pay if applicable). This will be different for different customers depending on their insurance. If you have no insurance, your cost may be more or less than your cost as insured. This is the price you will not usually be allowed to know. There are some who will tell you, but not most. They just tell you what the computer tells them to say. They also have their own cost dictated by the supplier, which may be influenced by FDA regulations. Doctors and hospitals are similar and have to abide by the insurance company contract which is usually modeled after Medicare.
Often, the cost of the medication would not be updated as regularly as by the pharmacy computer, leading to even lower reimbursement.
There were prescriptions I refused to fill because the total reimbursement was less than the cost! I even had insurance tell me I had fill it, I didn’t have a choice, “Not at a loss, I don’t.” The insurance threatened to sue me, but they never did, probably not helped by the fact that the town’s lawyer was one of the affected customers.
Amen. I have bad arthritis. Over a decade ago I had, first, one hip replaced and then less than 2 years later I had the other hip replaced. That lessened my pain but did not return me to my former self. Two years ago I had to have my right shoulder replaced due to the excruciating pain I suffered. The pain was lessened greatly but I now have some difficulty using my right hand (I am right-handed) Eight months after that surgery I had my right knee replaced. That surgery was so bad, so painful, so horrifying. And now I have severe neuropathy in both my feet and legs, from the knees down. I was never told neuropathy could result from the knee replacement surgery. When I figured it out (I, not the doctor, although he knew, he just kept mum about it) he first tried to palm me off on my PCP and/or a back doctor. Then he asked if I wanted Physical Therapy and/or an EMG. I said yes to both but before either happened I was barred from the practice and the building because I responded angrily at the check-in to harassment by the phalanx of Harpies that are employed there to antagonize patients. So they got rid of me right quick. But a year and a half later I am in misery with the neuropathy.
The neuropathy can respond to several therapies, for instance mine is greatly lessoned by Relief Factor, 2 per day, try not to miss them. I have greatly reduced my ibuprofen dosages, which seems to help, greatly because when you take 2 or 3 200mg ibuprofen once to twice a week, maximum, they work damn good. My regular meds are melatonin 10mg, 2 at sundown (or closely after), 2 echinacea twice a day. 1500 units of Vit D each morning in addition the the Relief Factor.
Good luck and bless you, -Edwin.
Sounds like my Hub. The Left shoulder was cleaned out of the itis', Then the Ortho replaced the Right shoulder ball when he cleaned that one out. He has 2 Partial knees. Those went well. Medicare is now forcing Full Knees when a partial will do. Cold makes the metal hurt. His big complaint is the shoulders now that have a new build-up of itis'. He and his Ortho work well. Dr. Schrader doesn't believe in doing unnecessary surgeries or injections. His own Rotator is shot. He uses Stem Cells, but then he can afford them.
My lower Degenerative spine caused the neuropathy, L4/S1 is collapsed, and the thumb surgery the carpal tunnel-like neuropathy in my right arm, top that with a too 'small' to fix rotator tear. Getting old is not for the faint of heart.
Ibuprofen and the other gastro-destructive OTC are not takable. I stick to Tylenol generic. I like Selenium 400 mg better than melatonin, covers more body functions. Losing 40 lbs eased the hip, and lower spine pain.
Since we have 2 inches of snow today that may turn into 4 inches, I'm going nowhere. Memphis drivers are horrible on snow as it is infrequent. Usually has ice under it.
The only Physician is the Great Physician. Hippocrates was a physician. He was guided by our Creator. Check out the word...doctor...in the dictionary. It means to alter or cover up a document. A physician is someone who asks for guidance from our Creator and is part of the soul.
FINALLY!!
To hear the truth spoken by a doc is indeed liberating.
Thank you from my heart, Vernon.
Thank you.
That’s why doctors are “practicing” medicine even years after graduating.
If, as Dr. Coleman writes, doctors' cure rates are no better than 50/50, might not one have a similar cure rate doing your own reading and using your own methods? At least, you will not be given a drug that at best does no known harm or may cause you further problems. One should consider that the body is a machine and all machines wear out.
These men endured years of brutal chemotherapy for cancer they never had... due to doctor's fatal errors
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14264541/men-brutal-chemotherapy-cancer-doctor-fatal-errors.html
........................................
Man who waited 12 hours in A&E after coughing up blood says NHS is ‘out of time’
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/man-who-waited-12-hours-in-a-e-after-coughing-up-blood-says-nhs-is-out-of-time/ar-BB1raMAE
I went to scientist school for a couple of years. The engineering faculty collaborated with the medical faculty on occasion and would make fun of the way they recorded and reported data. I was not a good graduate student and dropped out. I had to do something with my life, and I will always assert that I was suckered into medical school. I agree with most of what the doctor says here, which is not the norm, since he usually discusses medicine as it relates to social and political issues in the UK which are not the same as in the US. But the science of medicine crosses borders almost as described. I don't think pharmacists read the papers, either, and practice similarly to physicians. They also won't tell you the cost of the drug you are buying if you were not insured.
The pharmacist comments hurt the most, being an ex-pharmacist. I would never hesitate to tell the patients the cost, and they rapidly saw the slim margins we were working with, insurance, or not.
It was not meant to hurt. The whole industry is a racket to funnel money to Big Pharma and Big Health Insurance. The pharmacist can't possibly read all of the papers, either, but he or she is responsible for what is in them. They're just people subject to the same influences and pressure as physicians in 2025, and some are better people than others. As you recall, the pharmacy has a contract with the insurance company that tells them what the customer will be charged for a drug (the out of pocket cost), what the insurance company will pay the pharmacy and what the customer will actually have to pay (co-pay if applicable). This will be different for different customers depending on their insurance. If you have no insurance, your cost may be more or less than your cost as insured. This is the price you will not usually be allowed to know. There are some who will tell you, but not most. They just tell you what the computer tells them to say. They also have their own cost dictated by the supplier, which may be influenced by FDA regulations. Doctors and hospitals are similar and have to abide by the insurance company contract which is usually modeled after Medicare.
Often, the cost of the medication would not be updated as regularly as by the pharmacy computer, leading to even lower reimbursement.
There were prescriptions I refused to fill because the total reimbursement was less than the cost! I even had insurance tell me I had fill it, I didn’t have a choice, “Not at a loss, I don’t.” The insurance threatened to sue me, but they never did, probably not helped by the fact that the town’s lawyer was one of the affected customers.