AND be sure to respond. You can find out how to do that on the post with the article.

Ann - OH
(quote)
To the editor:
In his article, "Doctors Do Know Things Patients Don't Know," Dr. Sepkowitz writes, "What happens if something goes awry, if a decision shared or even directed by a patient turns out to be the wrong one? On whose desk does that buck stop? "

This is an amazing statement for a licensed physician to make. The prescription of medication is the doctor's medical - and legal - responsibility as is the diagnosis of disease. Lyme disease should have been considered in the differential diagnosis at the first look, not waiting until the patient brought up the possibility, since New York State leads the country in the number of reported cases of Lyme disease and has for decades. The longer treatment is delayed, the more disseminated and persistent the disease becomes. It is an infection after all.

To begin treatment with IV therapy is not the usual first course of treatment of Lyme disease as there are many antibiotics and combinations of antibiotics that are very effective against the disease. Prescribing IV therapy sounds like the move of a doctor who has little or no knowledge of Lyme disease and has no interest in finding out more. Had the patient had severe neurological symptoms, perhaps this move would have been proper. We are not told her symptoms, however.

I experienced a similar cavalier treatment for Lyme disease. Before being prescribed IV therapy, I had to wait 7 weeks until an infectious disease specialist returned from his vacation in France. I overheard my doctor telling a colleague after she consulted with that specialist, "He said to go ahead and give her IV - it won't kill her and it will get her off your back." This from a doctor who had never seen me. I can really relate to Sepkowitz's patient's experience.

He states: "As we discussed the next step, she told me she didn't want additional antibiotics. I confess to a longish moment of satisfaction: doing nothing had been the best thing to do."

Had he been a careful physician, he would have researched the disease at the very least and would have known that administration of antibiotics to a Lyme disease patient can trigger the Jarish-Herksheimer reaction, the aggravation of symptoms caused by the toxins released when the disease-causing organism is killed off. With continued treatment, the Lyme disease patient begins to recover and many reach a very comfortable manageable state. There is no "cure" for the disease as it can become dormant and there is no test to prove cure.

This article is neither charming or endearing or clever. Nor does it excite any sympathy for the plight of the doctor. It makes me want to retch and to avoid this physician and any who feel he is adept - and discontinue my contributions to Sloan Kettering if his attitude is prevalent there.
(end quote)

promulgato wits-o-sepsiso facto

Interesting 'appellation' for an author, and some implicit message deriving therefrom, esp., when in connection with the subject matter that implicitly denies the realities of the sensations of teh patient, insults, assaults common sensibilities, denies one's perception of the reality of one's illnesses in terms of one's phenomenological interpretation of whats going on with them; assaults even one's own basic, but nonetheless correct diagnostic interpretation of their illness, AND what treatment(s) is/are good for one.

Kenosis"
'Kenosis' Theologically, means a renounciation of the divine nature or dignity
in the incarnation(used of Christ," who, being in the form of God...took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." 2. one of several doctrines or concepts about this.
Gk. an emptying.

Etymologically, the first name,'Kent' may derive from Kenosis. I could not find a derivation, nor did I do a 'deep'search to see if this was the case.

Secondly, lets look a the last name

Sepkowitz----> skepto and witz Ponder these words for a few days. do a free association, brain storm, poetic, metaphoric and see what you come up with. Then connect this with the first name.

skepto--->skeptic: In the context of the article, and the meanings, is this person saying the average person is not skeptic, too trusting, easily duped....mentally lazy, challenged... We are not skeptical enough?!

witz------>wits: Is the average person wit-less; has no wits to figure out, evaluate themselves, others...qualities of poor discrimination...wheat form chaff?! We have no wits about us.

Should we renounce our normal sensibilities, suspend logic, and let ducs,dirt bags, detrital dregs,and the flotsum and jetsum allopathic tuition re-imbursement by insurance company diagnose us?!

Should I 'empty' my brain of critical evaluation?!

Rounce(suspend) all logic, and 'trust' the dupers?!

Ponder these rhetorical questions,and cursively done exegisis

Perhaps I don't see the insult here. Duh. Some people really d-u-n-n-o! doo day?!

Once, when randomly looking through research journals, I found two interesting names of authors to studies that related in some way to their specialty.

In the first case was a psychologist who did a paper on juvenile delinquints. His name was Dr. Reckless

Second case: A neurologist by the name of Dr. Brain.

I kid you NOT! I actually found this in the library.

[This message has been edited by pq (edited 15 May 2005).]

[This message has been edited by pq (edited 15 May 2005).]