Stuff I learned first hand from my mom's death that's relevent here

x-no-archive: yes

I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June
12. My mom didn't die of old age or infirmity, she died of medical
treatment. The downward spiral of this 86 year old web surfing,
stairway bolting, science fiction reading, fiercely independent and fit
woman began with prescribed statin she never needed (more about that in
this post), the year and a half of Prednisone she was rx'ed to recover
from the statins, and the colon cancer that grew from a perfectly clean
colon one year to stage 3 cancer the next, a likely result of all the
above. But it gets worse; despite promises from the oncologist that
she'd use very low dose chemo because my mom, my sister and I get
extremely strong reactions to even microdoses of meds (positive and
negative) my mother's complaints of the most obvious chemo toxicity
symptoms on the dose she was given were ignored until her chemo toxicity
was extreme. She ended up dying of MRSA vegetations in her heart that
she'd never have been exposed to if she hadn't needed hospitalization
for extreme chemo toxicity. She also had a months long bout of c.
difficile due to this.

I told my mom for years that her "elevated LDL" was no cause for concern
when she was taking statins at ages 78-82 or so. Her TGLs were low, her
HDL high and she had no health problems other than some hearing loss and
she took a small dose of Synthyroid, that was it. Statins changed
everything. A few years ago, even after all the steroids, she had
artery catheterization, she had no plaque, virtually none! The same was
true the day before she died. A vascular surgeon was urging us to do
open heart surgery on her after a blood clot removal from her leg
revealed arteries clean as a whistle. Her organs and arteries were
"like those of a healthy 45 year old." He thought this meant she had a
lot of good years ahead.

She would have, had she stayed out of the damned doctor's offices.

LDL doesn't cause heart disease, and it's the building block for all of
our essential and life sustaining adrenal hormones, ones that decline
with age, so older folks NEED more of it. Her muscle aches and fatigue
on the statins, then her kidney bleeding on Crestor were blown off by
docs, she just got more and more invasive procedures yielding nothing
helpful. Elderly people with lower LDL have the highest rate of
mortality, and I believe this is why.

My mom was an undiagnosed diabetic, too, til I brought her a meter, but
docs kept telling her she wasn't, while they putting insulin in her IV
and injected her after meals because of the sugar in the IV too! She
was not IR, she was a slim, active, healthy 86 y.o. DM with highish LDL
and virtually no arterial plaque.

Those lipid targets they're pushing are to promote sales, not health.

I just can't stop shaking my head. Everyone has to die, I can accept
death, but how do you wrap your mind around the incompetence and
ignorance that's the rule, not an exception? How does the ordinary
person protect her/himself from it? My mother suffered horribly without
complaint the last few miserable months of her life, for no reason other
than the medical treatment she received.

Be careful out there. Caveat emptor.

Susan

Oh Susan, I am so sorry to hear about your mom. I have been wondering
where you were, and was hoping that you weren't sick. There are no
words for all of the things that went on in your post below. It
happens so often these days, and it's a crying shame. Take care of
yourself. :-(

Cheri


Susan wrote in message <6ccm5cF3flfufU1@mid.individual.net>...
>x-no-archive: yes
>
>I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June
>12. My mom didn't die of old age or infirmity, she died of medical
>treatment. The downward spiral of this 86 year old web surfing,
>stairway bolting, science fiction reading, fiercely independent and
fit
>woman began with prescribed statin she never needed (more about that
in
>this post), the year and a half of Prednisone she was rx'ed to
recover
>from the statins, and the colon cancer that grew from a perfectly
clean
>colon one year to stage 3 cancer the next, a likely result of all the
>above. But it gets worse; despite promises from the oncologist that
>she'd use very low dose chemo because my mom, my sister and I get
>extremely strong reactions to even microdoses of meds (positive and
>negative) my mother's complaints of the most obvious chemo toxicity
>symptoms on the dose she was given were ignored until her chemo
toxicity
>was extreme. She ended up dying of MRSA vegetations in her heart
that
>she'd never have been exposed to if she hadn't needed hospitalization
>for extreme chemo toxicity. She also had a months long bout of c.
>difficile due to this.
>
>I told my mom for years that her "elevated LDL" was no cause for
concern
>when she was taking statins at ages 78-82 or so. Her TGLs were low,
her
>HDL high and she had no health problems other than some hearing loss
and
>she took a small dose of Synthyroid, that was it. Statins changed
>everything. A few years ago, even after all the steroids, she had
>artery catheterization, she had no plaque, virtually none! The same
was
>true the day before she died. A vascular surgeon was urging us to do
>open heart surgery on her after a blood clot removal from her leg
>revealed arteries clean as a whistle. Her organs and arteries were
>"like those of a healthy 45 year old." He thought this meant she had
a
>lot of good years ahead.
>
>She would have, had she stayed out of the damned doctor's offices.
>
>LDL doesn't cause heart disease, and it's the building block for all
of
>our essential and life sustaining adrenal hormones, ones that decline
>with age, so older folks NEED more of it. Her muscle aches and
fatigue
>on the statins, then her kidney bleeding on Crestor were blown off by
>docs, she just got more and more invasive procedures yielding nothing
>helpful. Elderly people with lower LDL have the highest rate of
>mortality, and I believe this is why.
>
>My mom was an undiagnosed diabetic, too, til I brought her a meter,
but
>docs kept telling her she wasn't, while they putting insulin in her
IV
>and injected her after meals because of the sugar in the IV too! She
>was not IR, she was a slim, active, healthy 86 y.o. DM with highish
LDL
>and virtually no arterial plaque.
>
>Those lipid targets they're pushing are to promote sales, not health.
>
>I just can't stop shaking my head. Everyone has to die, I can accept
>death, but how do you wrap your mind around the incompetence and
>ignorance that's the rule, not an exception? How does the ordinary
>person protect her/himself from it? My mother suffered horribly
without
>complaint the last few miserable months of her life, for no reason
other
>than the medical treatment she received.
>
>Be careful out there. Caveat emptor.
>
>Susan

x-no-archive: yes

Cheri wrote:
> Oh Susan, I am so sorry to hear about your mom. I have been wondering
> where you were, and was hoping that you weren't sick. There are no
> words for all of the things that went on in your post below. It
> happens so often these days, and it's a crying shame. Take care of
> yourself. :-(


Thanks, Cheri, I'm fine. We were done grieving after 6 months of
increasing horrors. My mother was so over it; if she couldn't go back
to her home and live completely independently, she was ready to cash in
her chips. She never complained, only occasionally admitted to feeling
down and ready to go.

When my mom bought her second story condo in a bldg. with no elevator 10
years ago we begged her to reconsider, but she wanted the exercise.
When I told her last year it looked like a bad idea NOW, she very
logically, said, "when I had my knee surgery, I got up and down the
stairs. If I ever get to the point that I can't, it'll probably mean I
can't live independently any more anyhow."

:-)

Susan

"Susan" <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:6ccm5cF3flfufU1@mid.individual.net...
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June 12.
> My mom didn't die of old age or infirmity, she died of medical treatment.
> The downward spiral of this 86 year old web surfing, stairway bolting,
> science fiction reading, fiercely independent and fit woman began with
> prescribed statin she never needed (more about that in this post), the
> year and a half of Prednisone she was rx'ed to recover from the statins,
> and the colon cancer that grew from a perfectly clean colon one year to
> stage 3 cancer the next, a likely result of all the above. But it gets
> worse; despite promises from the oncologist that she'd use very low dose
> chemo because my mom, my sister and I get extremely strong reactions to
> even microdoses of meds (positive and negative) my mother's complaints of
> the most obvious chemo toxicity symptoms on the dose she was given were
> ignored until her chemo toxicity was extreme. She ended up dying of MRSA
> vegetations in her heart that she'd never have been exposed to if she
> hadn't needed hospitalization for extreme chemo toxicity. She also had a
> months long bout of c. difficile due to this.
>
> I told my mom for years that her "elevated LDL" was no cause for concern
> when she was taking statins at ages 78-82 or so. Her TGLs were low, her
> HDL high and she had no health problems other than some hearing loss and
> she took a small dose of Synthyroid, that was it. Statins changed
> everything. A few years ago, even after all the steroids, she had artery
> catheterization, she had no plaque, virtually none! The same was true the
> day before she died. A vascular surgeon was urging us to do open heart
> surgery on her after a blood clot removal from her leg revealed arteries
> clean as a whistle. Her organs and arteries were "like those of a healthy
> 45 year old." He thought this meant she had a lot of good years ahead.
>
> She would have, had she stayed out of the damned doctor's offices.
>
> LDL doesn't cause heart disease, and it's the building block for all of
> our essential and life sustaining adrenal hormones, ones that decline with
> age, so older folks NEED more of it. Her muscle aches and fatigue on the
> statins, then her kidney bleeding on Crestor were blown off by docs, she
> just got more and more invasive procedures yielding nothing helpful.
> Elderly people with lower LDL have the highest rate of mortality, and I
> believe this is why.
>
> My mom was an undiagnosed diabetic, too, til I brought her a meter, but
> docs kept telling her she wasn't, while they putting insulin in her IV and
> injected her after meals because of the sugar in the IV too! She was not
> IR, she was a slim, active, healthy 86 y.o. DM with highish LDL and
> virtually no arterial plaque.
>
> Those lipid targets they're pushing are to promote sales, not health.
>
> I just can't stop shaking my head. Everyone has to die, I can accept
> death, but how do you wrap your mind around the incompetence and ignorance
> that's the rule, not an exception? How does the ordinary person protect
> her/himself from it? My mother suffered horribly without complaint the
> last few miserable months of her life, for no reason other than the
> medical treatment she received.
>
> Be careful out there. Caveat emptor.
>
> Susan

Hi Susan,

I'm sorry about your mother's death, and I'm sorry about the overzealousness
and false assumptions in the medical field that caused and/or accelerated
the process. Thanks for sharing her story.

There are two articles addressing the issues the you brought up:

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul...-that-can-kill

http://www.consumerreports.org/healt...al-care-ov.htm
(a summary of the longer print article.

Take care,
Michelle C, T2
diet & exercise

"Susan" <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:6ccr71F3g4f31U1@mid.individual.net...
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> Cheri wrote:
>> Oh Susan, I am so sorry to hear about your mom. I have been wondering
>> where you were, and was hoping that you weren't sick. There are no
>> words for all of the things that went on in your post below. It
>> happens so often these days, and it's a crying shame. Take care of
>> yourself. :-(
>
>
> Thanks, Cheri, I'm fine. We were done grieving after 6 months of
> increasing horrors. My mother was so over it; if she couldn't go back to
> her home and live completely independently, she was ready to cash in her
> chips. She never complained, only occasionally admitted to feeling down
> and ready to go.
>
> When my mom bought her second story condo in a bldg. with no elevator 10
> years ago we begged her to reconsider, but she wanted the exercise. When I
> told her last year it looked like a bad idea NOW, she very logically,
> said, "when I had my knee surgery, I got up and down the stairs. If I
> ever get to the point that I can't, it'll probably mean I can't live
> independently any more anyhow."
>
> :-)
>
> Susan

Your mom sounds like a neat, feisty gal! Like mother, like daughter, eh?
--
Best regards,
Michelle C., T2
diet & exercise
BMI 21.5

"Susan" <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:6ccm5cF3flfufU1@mid.individual.net...
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June 12.
> My mom didn't die of old age or infirmity, she died of medical treatment.
> The downward spiral of this 86 year old web surfing, stairway bolting,
> science fiction reading, fiercely independent and fit woman began with
> prescribed statin she never needed (more about that in this post), the
> year and a half of Prednisone she was rx'ed to recover from the statins,
> and the colon cancer that grew from a perfectly clean colon one year to
> stage 3 cancer the next, a likely result of all the above. But it gets
> worse; despite promises from the oncologist that she'd use very low dose
> chemo because my mom, my sister and I get extremely strong reactions to
> even microdoses of meds (positive and negative) my mother's complaints of
> the most obvious chemo toxicity symptoms on the dose she was given were
> ignored until her chemo toxicity was extreme. She ended up dying of MRSA
> vegetations in her heart that she'd never have been exposed to if she
> hadn't needed hospitalization for extreme chemo toxicity. She also had a
> months long bout of c. difficile due to this.
>
> I told my mom for years that her "elevated LDL" was no cause for concern
> when she was taking statins at ages 78-82 or so. Her TGLs were low, her
> HDL high and she had no health problems other than some hearing loss and
> she took a small dose of Synthyroid, that was it. Statins changed
> everything. A few years ago, even after all the steroids, she had artery
> catheterization, she had no plaque, virtually none! The same was true the
> day before she died. A vascular surgeon was urging us to do open heart
> surgery on her after a blood clot removal from her leg revealed arteries
> clean as a whistle. Her organs and arteries were "like those of a healthy
> 45 year old." He thought this meant she had a lot of good years ahead.
>
> She would have, had she stayed out of the damned doctor's offices.
>
> LDL doesn't cause heart disease, and it's the building block for all of
> our essential and life sustaining adrenal hormones, ones that decline with
> age, so older folks NEED more of it. Her muscle aches and fatigue on the
> statins, then her kidney bleeding on Crestor were blown off by docs, she
> just got more and more invasive procedures yielding nothing helpful.
> Elderly people with lower LDL have the highest rate of mortality, and I
> believe this is why.
>
> My mom was an undiagnosed diabetic, too, til I brought her a meter, but
> docs kept telling her she wasn't, while they putting insulin in her IV and
> injected her after meals because of the sugar in the IV too! She was not
> IR, she was a slim, active, healthy 86 y.o. DM with highish LDL and
> virtually no arterial plaque.
>
> Those lipid targets they're pushing are to promote sales, not health.
>
> I just can't stop shaking my head. Everyone has to die, I can accept
> death, but how do you wrap your mind around the incompetence and ignorance
> that's the rule, not an exception? How does the ordinary person protect
> her/himself from it? My mother suffered horribly without complaint the
> last few miserable months of her life, for no reason other than the
> medical treatment she received.
>
> Be careful out there. Caveat emptor.
>
> Susan

Susan ... many of us here know how you took your mom's
health to heart and did everything you could for her. So
sorry to hear this news.

Best wishes to you in this very difficult time.

Paul

x-no-archive: yes

Michelle C wrote:

>
> Your mom sounds like a neat, feisty gal! Like mother, like daughter, eh?


Ya theen so, Lucy? ;-)

Susan

x-no-archive: yes

Michelle C wrote:

>
> I'm sorry about your mother's death, and I'm sorry about the overzealousness
> and false assumptions in the medical field that caused and/or accelerated
> the process. Thanks for sharing her story.
>
> There are two articles addressing the issues the you brought up:
>
> http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul...-that-can-kill
>
> http://www.consumerreports.org/healt...al-care-ov.htm
> (a summary of the longer print article.


Thanks, Michelle, for the thoughts and the citations.

Susan

x-no-archive: yes

Paul L wrote:

> Susan ... many of us here know how you took your mom's
> health to heart and did everything you could for her. So
> sorry to hear this news.
>
> Best wishes to you in this very difficult time.
>
> Paul
>
>

Thanks, Paul. In truth, the difficult time was before she died. Docs
kept us on a roller coaster right up to the open heart surgery
recommendation and the statement that she had a 90% chance of many good
healthy years left if we did it, the day before she died.

Death isn't a tragedy, and we're all at peace with it. Medically
induced and avoidable suffering, that's what hurts most.

Susan

"Susan" <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:6cd374F3fhm3fU1@mid.individual.net...
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> Paul L wrote:
>
>> Susan ... many of us here know how you took your mom's
>> health to heart and did everything you could for her. So
>> sorry to hear this news.
>>
>> Best wishes to you in this very difficult time.
>>
>> Paul
>
> Thanks, Paul. In truth, the difficult time was before she died. Docs
> kept us on a roller coaster right up to the open heart surgery
> recommendation and the statement that she had a 90% chance of many good
> healthy years left if we did it, the day before she died.
>
> Death isn't a tragedy, and we're all at peace with it. Medically induced
> and avoidable suffering, that's what hurts most.
>
> Susan

Understood. My mom is 87 and was really having problems with
being over tired last year. A heart surgeon told her that a heart valve
replacement would increase her energy and give her a new lease,
as she was perfectly healthy otherwise. She had the operation last
August.

My mom suffers from taking that advice every single day now as
does the rest of our family.

best wishes

Paul

On Jun 24, 1:26*pm, "Paul L" <kbtr...@qwest.net> wrote:
> "Susan" <neverm...@nomail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:6cd374F3fhm3fU1@mid.individual.net...
>
>
>
>
>
> > x-no-archive: yes
>
> > Paul L wrote:
>
> >> Susan ... many of us here know how you took your mom's
> >> health to heart and did everything you could for her. * So
> >> sorry to hear this news.
>
> >> Best wishes to you in this very difficult time.
>
> >> Paul
>
> > Thanks, Paul. *In truth, the difficult time was before she died. *Docs
> > kept us on a roller coaster right up to the open heart surgery
> > recommendation and the statement that she had a 90% chance of many good
> > healthy years left if we did it, the day before she died.
>
> > Death isn't a tragedy, and we're all at peace with it. *Medically induced
> > and avoidable suffering, that's what hurts most.
>
> > Susan
>
> Understood. * My mom is 87 and was really having problems with
> being over tired last year. * *A heart surgeon told her that a heart valve
> replacement would increase her energy and give her a new lease,
> as she was perfectly healthy otherwise. *She had the operation last
> August.
>
> My mom suffers from taking that advice every single day now as
> does the rest of our family.
>
> best wishes
>
> Paul- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Susan, I am so sorry about your loss. She sounds like she was a great
lady!
Cindy

x-no-archive: yes

Paul L wrote:

> Understood. My mom is 87 and was really having problems with
> being over tired last year. A heart surgeon told her that a heart valve
> replacement would increase her energy and give her a new lease,
> as she was perfectly healthy otherwise. She had the operation last
> August.
>
> My mom suffers from taking that advice every single day now as
> does the rest of our family.


I'm so sorry.

Is it possible to take a fresh look at all her meds with a pharmacist
(I've found them to be a wonderful resource) if any? Or just a fresh
look at her overall health picture by a fresh pair of eyes?

Susan

x-no-archive: yes

CindyB wrote:

> Susan, I am so sorry about your loss. She sounds like she was a great
> lady!
> Cindy

Thanks, Cindy.

I have to be honest and tell you she wasn't a very engaged mother or
grandmother. Still, it was hard to overlook her strength, courage and
dignity over the course of this illness and not to feel tenderness for
her because of it. She was surprised and very grateful for all the
loving attention and care she received from all of us, I think because
she hadn't ever made efforts to do the same for us. As my brother said
at services, she may have felt she didn't deserve it.

Susan

Susan <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote:
: x-no-archive: yes

: I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June
: 12. My mom didn't die of old age or infirmity, she died of medical
: treatment. The downward spiral of this 86 year old web surfing,
: stairway bolting, science fiction reading, fiercely independent and fit
: woman began with prescribed statin she never needed (more about that in
: this post), the year and a half of Prednisone she was rx'ed to recover
: from the statins, and the colon cancer that grew from a perfectly clean
: colon one year to stage 3 cancer the next, a likely result of all the
: above. But it gets worse; despite promises from the oncologist that
: she'd use very low dose chemo because my mom, my sister and I get
: extremely strong reactions to even microdoses of meds (positive and
: negative) my mother's complaints of the most obvious chemo toxicity
: symptoms on the dose she was given were ignored until her chemo toxicity
: was extreme. She ended up dying of MRSA vegetations in her heart that
: she'd never have been exposed to if she hadn't needed hospitalization
: for extreme chemo toxicity. She also had a months long bout of c.
: difficile due to this.


Susan, Baaruch Dayan Emet. So very sorry to hear of , what has to be
called, the untimely death of your mother. may ou know no more sorrows.

Wendy

x-no-archive: yes

W. Baker wrote:

> Susan, Baaruch Dayan Emet. So very sorry to hear of , what has to be
> called, the untimely death of your mother. may ou know no more sorrows.
>


Thanks, Wendy.

Susan

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:37:11 -0400, Susan <nevermind@nomail.com>
wrote:

>I just can't stop shaking my head. Everyone has to die, I can accept
>death, but how do you wrap your mind around the incompetence and
>ignorance that's the rule, not an exception? How does the ordinary
>person protect her/himself from it? My mother suffered horribly without
>complaint the last few miserable months of her life, for no reason other
>than the medical treatment she received.

So sorry to hear this, Susan - what a waste! Condolences on your loss.

Nicky.
T2 dx 05/04 + underactive thyroid
D&E, 100ug thyroxine
Last A1c 5.4% BMI 25

"Susan" <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:6cd4o3F3f0f3oU1@mid.individual.net...
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> Paul L wrote:
>
>> Understood. My mom is 87 and was really having problems with
>> being over tired last year. A heart surgeon told her that a heart
>> valve
>> replacement would increase her energy and give her a new lease,
>> as she was perfectly healthy otherwise. She had the operation last
>> August.
>>
>> My mom suffers from taking that advice every single day now as
>> does the rest of our family.
>
>
> I'm so sorry.
>
> Is it possible to take a fresh look at all her meds with a pharmacist
> (I've found them to be a wonderful resource) if any? Or just a fresh look
> at her overall health picture by a fresh pair of eyes?
>
> Susan

We've done that a couple times in the past few months. It's
just a sad situation.

thanks

Paul
KB Transportation, Inc.

In article <6ccm5cF3flfufU1@mid.individual.net>,
Susan <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote:

> x-no-archive: yes
>
> I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June
> 12.

Susan, I'm so very sorry!

Priscilla

Susan wrote:
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June
> 12.

My sincere condolences, Susan.

Bill "Frisbee" Hileman

Susan, I am very sorry to hear about your mum's passing ;( I hope her
problems weren't in vain and you are able to be a voice in the wilderness
that is heard.

On Jun 24, 12:37*pm, Susan <neverm...@nomail.com> wrote:
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June
> 12. *My mom didn't die of old age or infirmity, she died of medical
> treatment. *The downward spiral of this 86 year old web surfing,
> stairway bolting, science fiction reading, fiercely independent and fit
> woman began with prescribed statin she never needed (more about that in
> this post), the year and a half of Prednisone she was rx'ed to recover
> from the statins, and the colon cancer that grew from a perfectly clean
> colon one year to stage 3 cancer the next, a likely result of all the
> above. *But it gets worse; despite promises from the oncologist that
> she'd use very low dose chemo because my mom, my sister and I get
> extremely strong reactions to even microdoses of meds (positive and
> negative) my mother's complaints of the most obvious chemo toxicity
> symptoms on the dose she was given were ignored until her chemo toxicity
> was extreme. *She ended up dying of MRSA vegetations in her heart that
> she'd never have been exposed to if she hadn't needed hospitalization
> for extreme chemo toxicity. *She also had a months long bout of c.
> difficile due to this.
>
> I told my mom for years that her "elevated LDL" was no cause for concern
> when she was taking statins at ages 78-82 or so. *Her TGLs were low, her
> HDL high and she had no health problems other than some hearing loss and
> she took a small dose of Synthyroid, that was it. *Statins changed
> everything. *A few years ago, even after all the steroids, she had
> artery catheterization, she had no plaque, virtually none! *The same was
> true the day before she died. *A vascular surgeon was urging us to do
> open heart surgery on her after a blood clot removal from her leg
> revealed arteries clean as a whistle. *Her organs and arteries were
> "like those of a healthy 45 year old." *He thought this meant she had a
> lot of good years ahead.
>
> She would have, had she stayed out of the damned doctor's offices.
>
> LDL doesn't cause heart disease, and it's the building block for all of
> our essential and life sustaining adrenal hormones, ones that decline
> with age, so older folks NEED more of it. *Her muscle aches and fatigue
> on the statins, then her kidney bleeding on Crestor were blown off by
> docs, she just got more and more invasive procedures yielding nothing
> helpful. Elderly people with lower LDL have the highest rate of
> mortality, and I believe this is why.
>
> My mom was an undiagnosed diabetic, too, til I brought her a meter, but
> docs kept telling her she wasn't, while they putting insulin in her IV
> and injected her after meals because of the sugar in the IV too! *She
> was not IR, she was a slim, active, healthy 86 y.o. DM with highish LDL
> and virtually no arterial plaque.
>
> Those lipid targets they're pushing are to promote sales, not health.
>
> I just can't stop shaking my head. *Everyone has to die, I can accept
> death, but how do you wrap your mind around the incompetence and
> ignorance that's the rule, not an exception? *How does the ordinary
> person protect her/himself from it? *My mother suffered horribly without
> complaint the last few miserable months of her life, for no reason other
> than the medical treatment she received.
>
> Be careful out there. *Caveat emptor.
>
> Susan
>
Very sorry for your loss. Mine died 2 years ago. I know how you feel.

What are we to do? We can't believe our doctors. We can't believe the
drug companies. We can't trust our health care providers since their
services are secondary to their business plans. We can't trust the
government since they just want to get their paycheck and go home,
like the rest of us. We can't believe our own research since we have
no way of knowing the agendas of our sources, or how (or whether)
their research, opinions, whatever, are slanted, or structured,
towards a desired, or preconcieved, result. We can't trust each other
since we're each the product of all the above.

I guess I'll just eat my veggies, skip the french fries, hope for the
best, then... break out the booze... and have ball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTpFUT-lxls

John
(that's the first, and last, time I'll ever say the word, 'veggies')

x-no-archive: yes

Groaner wrote:

> Very sorry for your loss. Mine died 2 years ago. I know how you feel.

Thank you, and I'm sorry for your loss, too.

>
> What are we to do? We can't believe our doctors. We can't believe the
> drug companies. We can't trust our health care providers since their
> services are secondary to their business plans. We can't trust the
> government since they just want to get their paycheck and go home,
> like the rest of us. We can't believe our own research since we have
> no way of knowing the agendas of our sources, or how (or whether)
> their research, opinions, whatever, are slanted, or structured,
> towards a desired, or preconcieved, result. We can't trust each other
> since we're each the product of all the above.
>
> I guess I'll just eat my veggies, skip the french fries, hope for the
> best, then... break out the booze... and have ball
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTpFUT-lxls

In my NSVHO, what we are to do is independent research. Not just for
headlines or bottom line conclusions, but for data, methodology and
preponderance of evidence, not author conclusions.

I've told my husband that if I'm ever so compromised that I'm at the
mercy of doctors' judgment, to please pull the plug.

Susan

x-no-archive: yes

Thanks, all. Let's just keep reading, discussing and doing what we can
to protect ourselves and our loved ones from harm.

Susan

"Susan" <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:6ccm5cF3flfufU1@mid.individual.net...
> x-no-archive: yes

<read and snipped>

> Be careful out there. Caveat emptor.

Sorry to hear that.

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:37:11 -0400, Susan
<nevermind@nomail.com> wrote:

>x-no-archive: yes
>
>I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June
>12. My mom didn't die of old age or infirmity, she died of medical
>treatment. The downward spiral of this 86 year old web surfing,
>stairway bolting, science fiction reading, fiercely independent and fit
>woman began with prescribed statin she never needed (more about that in
>this post), the year and a half of Prednisone she was rx'ed to recover
>from the statins, and the colon cancer that grew from a perfectly clean
>colon one year to stage 3 cancer the next, a likely result of all the
>above. But it gets worse; despite promises from the oncologist that
>she'd use very low dose chemo because my mom, my sister and I get
>extremely strong reactions to even microdoses of meds (positive and
>negative) my mother's complaints of the most obvious chemo toxicity
>symptoms on the dose she was given were ignored until her chemo toxicity
>was extreme. She ended up dying of MRSA vegetations in her heart that
>she'd never have been exposed to if she hadn't needed hospitalization
>for extreme chemo toxicity. She also had a months long bout of c.
>difficile due to this.
>
>I told my mom for years that her "elevated LDL" was no cause for concern
>when she was taking statins at ages 78-82 or so. Her TGLs were low, her
>HDL high and she had no health problems other than some hearing loss and
>she took a small dose of Synthyroid, that was it. Statins changed
>everything. A few years ago, even after all the steroids, she had
>artery catheterization, she had no plaque, virtually none! The same was
>true the day before she died. A vascular surgeon was urging us to do
>open heart surgery on her after a blood clot removal from her leg
>revealed arteries clean as a whistle. Her organs and arteries were
>"like those of a healthy 45 year old." He thought this meant she had a
>lot of good years ahead.
>
>She would have, had she stayed out of the damned doctor's offices.
>
>LDL doesn't cause heart disease, and it's the building block for all of
>our essential and life sustaining adrenal hormones, ones that decline
>with age, so older folks NEED more of it. Her muscle aches and fatigue
>on the statins, then her kidney bleeding on Crestor were blown off by
>docs, she just got more and more invasive procedures yielding nothing
>helpful. Elderly people with lower LDL have the highest rate of
>mortality, and I believe this is why.
>
>My mom was an undiagnosed diabetic, too, til I brought her a meter, but
>docs kept telling her she wasn't, while they putting insulin in her IV
>and injected her after meals because of the sugar in the IV too! She
>was not IR, she was a slim, active, healthy 86 y.o. DM with highish LDL
>and virtually no arterial plaque.
>
>Those lipid targets they're pushing are to promote sales, not health.
>
>I just can't stop shaking my head. Everyone has to die, I can accept
>death, but how do you wrap your mind around the incompetence and
>ignorance that's the rule, not an exception? How does the ordinary
>person protect her/himself from it? My mother suffered horribly without
>complaint the last few miserable months of her life, for no reason other
>than the medical treatment she received.
>
>Be careful out there. Caveat emptor.
>
>Susan

I'm so sorry to hear your sad news Susan.

I can only agree with the implications in the rest of your
post. Reading Taubes is helping me clarify similar thoughts
I've had for some time.

I am printing this out for my 82yo Mum who was on 80mg
Lipitor until a short time ago and who is considering
re-starting it. Not sure if I'll show it all to her yet,
though.

Again, my sympathy. And I understand how angry you must
feel; thank you for a post that makes a lot of sense despite
that.


Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
--
d&e, metformin 1500mg, ezetrol 10mg
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_s/
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com (On Indian Roads)

x-no-archive: yes

Julie Bove wrote:
> "Susan" <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote in message
> news:6ccm5cF3flfufU1@mid.individual.net...
>
>>x-no-archive: yes
>
>
> <read and snipped>
>
>>Be careful out there. Caveat emptor.
>
>
> Sorry to hear that.
>
>


Thanks, Julie.

Susan

x-no-archive: yes

Alan S wrote:

> I'm so sorry to hear your sad news Susan.
>
> I can only agree with the implications in the rest of your
> post. Reading Taubes is helping me clarify similar thoughts
> I've had for some time.
>
> I am printing this out for my 82yo Mum who was on 80mg
> Lipitor until a short time ago and who is considering
> re-starting it. Not sure if I'll show it all to her yet,
> though.
>
> Again, my sympathy. And I understand how angry you must
> feel; thank you for a post that makes a lot of sense despite
> that.


Thanks, Alan. If my ranting about LDL being a non starter didn't do it,
I hope Taubes will give you the confidence to go off your statin.

Please do encourage your mom to stay off it; it's not appropriate to
lower LDL in the elderly when it causes mortality risk to rise.
Frankly, if she doesn't have heart disease at her age, she's not likely
to get it.

For a really wonderful illustration of why LDL cholesterol is so very
crucial to your health and feelings of well being, google up "zrtlab.com
steroid hormone cascade" and view the PDF. All of your sex hormones and
other adrenal hormones are synthesized from LDL. I believe LDL rises
due to hyperinsulinemia, which is well documented in the PCOS
literature. This happens for two reasons; one is that insulin inhibits
steroid production and it also lowers cortisol binding globulin, the
protein that delivers cortisol to cells that need it. This causes the
body to produce more LDL for the body to build this hormone from due to
the shortage created by the high insulin levels.

Taubes seems to have paid little to no attention to cortisol; I haven't
read the book, but I've asked those who have. It's hand in hand with
insulin in causing DM and visceral adiposity, raising glucose levels,
promoting heart disease and cancer, etc.

Susan

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:09:16 -0400, Susan
<nevermind@nomail.com> wrote:

>x-no-archive: yes
>
>Alan S wrote:
>
>> I'm so sorry to hear your sad news Susan.
>>
>> I can only agree with the implications in the rest of your
>> post. Reading Taubes is helping me clarify similar thoughts
>> I've had for some time.
>>
>> I am printing this out for my 82yo Mum who was on 80mg
>> Lipitor until a short time ago and who is considering
>> re-starting it. Not sure if I'll show it all to her yet,
>> though.
>>
>> Again, my sympathy. And I understand how angry you must
>> feel; thank you for a post that makes a lot of sense despite
>> that.
>
>
>Thanks, Alan. If my ranting about LDL being a non starter didn't do it,
>I hope Taubes will give you the confidence to go off your statin.
>
>Please do encourage your mom to stay off it; it's not appropriate to
>lower LDL in the elderly when it causes mortality risk to rise.
>Frankly, if she doesn't have heart disease at her age, she's not likely
>to get it.
>
>For a really wonderful illustration of why LDL cholesterol is so very
>crucial to your health and feelings of well being, google up "zrtlab.com
>steroid hormone cascade" and view the PDF.

Done and printed. Thank you.

> All of your sex hormones and
> other adrenal hormones are synthesized from LDL. I believe LDL rises
>due to hyperinsulinemia, which is well documented in the PCOS
>literature. This happens for two reasons; one is that insulin inhibits
>steroid production and it also lowers cortisol binding globulin, the
>protein that delivers cortisol to cells that need it. This causes the
>body to produce more LDL for the body to build this hormone from due to
>the shortage created by the high insulin levels.
>
>Taubes seems to have paid little to no attention to cortisol; I haven't
>read the book, but I've asked those who have.

He hasn't up to page 100; but it's not the focus of his book
in any case. And it's already 600 pages long:-)

> It's hand in hand with
>insulin in causing DM and visceral adiposity, raising glucose levels,
>promoting heart disease and cancer, etc.
>
>Susan


Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
--
d&e, metformin 1500mg, ezetrol 10mg
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_s/
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com (On Indian Roads)

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:37:11 -0400, Susan <nevermind@nomail.com>
wrote:

>x-no-archive: yes
>
>I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June
>12.
>Susan


Sorry for your loss, and thanks for sharing your experiences.

--
Måck©® Deltec CoZmore Pumper
Type 1 since 1975
http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org
http://www.diabetic-talk.org
http://www.insulin-pumpers.org
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/
http://www.pandora.com enter "Jason & Demarco"
http://www.ratbags.com/dechunging/


"To announce that there must be no criticism of the
President, or that we are to stand by the President
right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile,
but is morally treasonable to the American public."
....Theodore Roosevelt

(o ô)
--ooO-(_)-Ooo--------------------

"I don't know half of you
half as well as I should like;
and I like less than half of you
half as well as you deserve."
....Bilbo Baggins


DISCLAIMER If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate...
..

"Susan" <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:6ccm5cF3flfufU1@mid.individual.net...
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> I'm back home after 10 days away, following my mother's death on June 12.
> My mom didn't die of old age or infirmity, she died of medical treatment.
> The downward spiral of this 86 year old web surfing, stairway bolting,
> science fiction reading, fiercely independent and fit woman began with
> prescribed statin she never needed (more about that in this post), the
> year and a half of Prednisone she was rx'ed to recover from the statins,
> and the colon cancer that grew from a perfectly clean colon one year to
> stage 3 cancer the next, a likely result of all the above. But it gets
> worse; despite promises from the oncologist that she'd use very low dose
> chemo because my mom, my sister and I get extremely strong reactions to
> even microdoses of meds (positive and negative) my mother's complaints of
> the most obvious chemo toxicity symptoms on the dose she was given were
> ignored until her chemo toxicity was ex