For those of you not familiar with The Daily Kos it's one of the most active political blog's on the net. A normal day there you'll have 500,000 visitors. Someone posted a diary there on so-called tort reform and the FDA and I responded as well, referencing lyme disease. Here's the link.
NP--A spot on post-! Awesome Job Posted by northstar (Member # 7911) on :
great article!
Did you see the post immediately afterwards? " "where can I get more info on what you've been talking about?
by cyrus dugger on Fri Aug 11, 2006 at 11:15:27 AM PDT"
Is he (cyrus dugger) asking about what you wrote, and interested in more info?
N.
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
really fantastic job NP40.
You are awesome Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
NP40, that was a nice way to tie in the subject of Lyme Disease.
I do hope that you'll reply to the author's request for more information.
Carol
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Good show NP 40!!!
Posted by NP40 (Member # 6711) on :
I've responded to Cyrus and provided some links. Next week when I have more time I'll post my own diary at Daily Kos purely on lyme and the ongoing struggle.
Hey, millions of folks read that blog weekly. In case you didn't know, the Daily Kos was instrumental in kicking Leiberman to the curb and getting Lamont nominated.
A truly powerful force in politics. They certainly have no love for the FDA, CDC, NIH over there. Posted by tanzi2u (Member # 9237) on :
Thanks for posting the dailyKos link. Great job! I responded also.
I have seen and responded in the past to Lyme comments in WYFP (an ongoing Saturday night diary) and have provided information as well, usually in Cheers and Jeers at the site.
I've been toying with writing a diary over there also - but to do the topic justice, it really would need to be a series.
Keep us informed!
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Well done, NP40!
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
NP, my you are the talented writer! Loved how you got LYME disease in it plus co-infections and ending with Plum Island and throwing around GULF WAY SYNDROME. Wonderfully done.
Thomas Parkman, look out; here comes a rival for you. Bettyg Posted by cbb (Member # 788) on :
Outstanding!! Keep up the good work.
Put your literary talent to great use!!
Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :
I agree, this is an excellent piece! Here it is in a split-up version so lyme-brains like me can read it easier.
The corruption of the US medical industry is too often overlooked by many in this country. The FDA has essentially become a wholly owned subsidiary of Big/Pharma.
The CDC is no better in providing protection to American citizens from the ravages of a purely profit driven medical establishment.
A baby has a better chance of survival being born in Bulgaria today as our country ranks 42nd in birth-rate survival's. 42nd.
We surely have the most expensive health care in the world but do not equate that as being the best.
Numerous FDA employess have been caught fudging vital research statistics on drug efficacy all the while being paid for promoting these various drugs or having these pharmaceutical company stocks placed in their portfolio's.
It's an outrage that that a taxpayer funded agency entrusted with protecting citizens from dangerous meds has been co-opted by the pharmaceutical industry.
A perfect example of this unholy alliance is the epidemic of lyme disease in this country. Lyme disease and other tick-borne illness's count as the fastest growing vector-borne illness in the USA, even surpassing AIDS in number.
Due to climatic changes and general apathy, lyme disease is spiraling out of control in this country, yet little money is designated for research or prevention.
Tick-borne illness's [lyme, babesia, bartonella, erlichiosis, mycoplasma, rocky mountain spotted fever, etc.] can and are extremely debilitating, painful and occasionally fatal disease's when not treated properly.
The Infectious Disease Society of America [IDSA], the CDC and NIH have all deemed lyme disease and tick co-infections has "hard to get and easy to treat".
This flies in the face of overwhelming evidence that these disease's can be extremely diffcult to treat, sometimes requiring months, if not years of anti-biotic treatment.
The IDSA guidelines, endorsed by the CDC/NIH [wholeheartedly supported by insurance companies] states a simple 10 day course of anti-biotic treatment will eradicate lyme disease.
They completely ignore the tens of thousands of people who required long-term anti-biotic treatment to get well.
Essentially, these governmental and medical agencies have adopted insurance company guidelines to treat a potentially life threatening disease.
Of course, these guidelines are totally inadequate to halt the disease, however, they fit nicely into profit motives. It's an absolute travesty, yet it continues unabated.
The handful of doctor's nationwide who are willing to treat these tick-borne disease's adequately are harassed by medical boards, insurance companies and governmental agaencies. Often, putting their licenses and practices on the line to do so.
It's reminiscent of the ignored AIDS epidemic of the 80's or the Gulf War illness's of the 90's.
Evidence has shown that the government experimented with tick-borne bacteria in the 50's, 60's and 70's on Plum Island situated in Long Island. The closest mainland city to Plum Island ? Old Lyme, CT. [end quote]
Posted by Mo (Member # 2863) on :
AWESOME!! Posted by laserred (Member # 6796) on :
Great Job!!!!! Posted by ellenluba (Member # 1707) on :
Terrific job.
Tort reform Sounds like such a sensible idea, who could possibly object to it. The manipulative language that business uses to hoodwink the public is infuriating.
It gets pretty transparent to those of us who have been victimized by it, though. Ellen
Posted by FightFireWithWater (Member # 5781) on :
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I really appreciate your work.