Friday, January 13, 2006

Doped Up Nation

Sometimes it seems like every person coming into our office takes some sort of medication. It turns out that 50% actually do (the numbers are probably higher in Houston. Nationwide 29% of women have Caesarean Sections to extricate their babies. In Houston, the number is between 40 and 50%.) To the medical profession this is normal.

THIS IS NOT NORMAL PEOPLE!!!!


While life expectancy has creeped up, most of the numbers are from better infant mortality rates (less babies dying ups the average life span--see how statistics can be BS?). This has nothing to do with quality of life.

Here is a typical cycle:

Bad thing happens. Feel bad. Take anti-depressent. Get hungry. Gain weight. Clog arteries. Take statins and cholesterol drugs. Lose sex drive (depression drug) and ability to maintain erection (for men who take statins) take Viagra. Experience mind-blowing headaches. Take anti-seizure. Get dizzy. Take diuretics and blood pressure meds. Bloat up like a balloon. Get joint pain. Take joint drugs. Get stomach ache (they cause G.I. bleeding) take GERD (a newly named non-condition) drug. Die a bloated, immobile, miserable, yet somehow complacent, shaky mess at a ripe old age.

Is this really, really how you want to live and die? There are alternatives. Just sayin.....

No comments: