The worst enemy of good is better

I was sitting at my Oncologist a few weeks ago, and I was asking about possible treatments for the future and my doc turned to me and said

"The worst enemy of good is better."

There are so many aspects of my life which this statement my doctor said to me can be applied.

You see, there are a number of people with the same type of rare Cancer that I do, and I keep in communication with them in an online support group. All of these people are wonderful, and many times the group has helped me personally to deal with things like insurance, depression, etc etc. Some of the group are very aggressive in their approach to this disease, and I think many end up on the short end of my doc's statement. Sometimes when we chase the ideal of feeling better, we destroy what was perhaps good and we are left in worse shape due to the aggressive treatments. To make matters worse, because some of these treatments are not approved by the FDA, a good lot of them jet to Europe and pay $5 to $10k per treatment. For some this works, for others it does not and they do worse. Who's to say if someone might have lived much longer - but In the end they feel worse for trying to feel better.


As I pondered this statement, I became aware of the vast applications this statement might have not just to me - but to others and even society as a whole. I can think of so many examples

- Organizations purchasing massive automation systems, and no one can seem to explain a really good reason except for making the change for change's sake.

-When are we going to learn that simply throwing money at a problem will not solve it?

-When are we going to stop sitting back, allowing the government to restrict us more and more just because of crisis? (drilling stopped in gulf, gas prices now approaching $4 a gallon, what will the outcome of gun control be?)

-I think our folks in government are really trying to help us, but I have seen the intended good of one thing have some real unintended consequences which the folks responsible had no idea would exist. Making more regulation means we get higher prices to recover the increased costs. Passing healthcare and requiring anyone working over 30 hours means many who cannot afford will be cut to 28 hours. By attempting to cover a much deserving group, well, the government created the unintended consequence of workers losing hours.

-I live in Michigan and I wonder what consequences of the good and better statement is going to play out on making this a right to work state.

I don't know, but this little statement of "better" is really making me take stock of my entire life and try to find out what I need to just leave alone and to use the axiom added to this that with every change comes unintended Consequences. What I hope is in the future I don't hurt myself in some way chasing an ideal of feeling better or even doing better.

At least for one thing, this is going to make me much more cautious in everything I do going into the future.

What is wrong with that?

Is it just me, or does the Media think we're really that stupid?

I am so sick of the election.  I'm so sick of just everything about it.  But what gets me the most is the blatent and obvious agenda the main stream media is attempting to perpetrate on the American People.  OK, Fox is just as bad on the right, there I said it.  One has to watch both and try to determine the truth.

The question I pose is this.  Do you guys who are in the Media actually think the population of people in the U.S. are as stupid as you think we are?  I don't.  I think the people in the U.S. are a lot smarter than we are all made out to be.  And what reiegns in each camp is this sense of extremism and single interest voting that is literally dividing us as a nation and giving opportunity to those who want chaos and confusion.

The other night, I watched as woman was screeching about Roe versus Wade being overturned as soon as Romney gets in office.  This is complete bunk, this decision has been upheld so many times, it is not something that will probably ever be overturned - even if there were seven conservatives on the bench.

The president has a lot less power than we think he does, but has to take all of the responsibility for what happens.  During the last election, my wife and I used to have these long discussions about that if Obama got elected he'd not do many of the things he said he'd do - because we are not nor was he of the full story of what is going on behind the scenes of each and every thing.

I voted for Obama because I did want change.  I had hope, I had a lot of good feelings - to me electing our first black president was simply amazing in and of itself and he was talking about the thing which interested me (Universal Healthcare).

Let's just take a look at a few of the things I remember from his election promises.

1. He'd shut down Gitmo.  Still happening.

2. He would reduce the deficit.  It's ballooned to a staggering amount.

3. He'd pass healthcare.  What I saw happen is he stepped back and just let it happen.  I mean, even Nancy said "we don't know what' s in it, we need to pass it to find out."  Huh?

But the thing I'm the maddest about is the rising prices we're seeing.  Gas is almost $4.00 a gallon, a few years ago my family laughed at me and scoffed at me and said it'd never get that high.  He shut down all off shore drilling, so gas keeps going up and up and up and I think it's exactly as planned.

The GM bailout.  If the GM bailout was such a great thing, why was Delta allowed to go through a reorganization in the regular manner and they are doing quite well now.  The taxpayers own a large chunk of GM and it will be an albatross on the taxpayer's neck for many years to come.  Basically, what upset me the most about this situation is the fact the entire legal system was ignored and many dealers lives were ruined.

And the latest storm where the press is dancing in front of the president with baskets of roses leading the way for him to do whatever he wants.  There are things going on just like there were when the last Hurricane hit, but this time the left media is in charge saying what great "leadership" the guy is showing.  Don't know about you, but leadership is something other than running around making speeches.

There is no accountability for this man.  He blames every problem we have on the previous president, and regardless of inheriting something bad - has only in my book been a whiner and a finger pointer to the evil George W. Bush.  (I sometimes wonder if former President Bush just sits and laughs at things.)

And finally the worst thing.  Not meeting with Israel.  One of the saddest days in American history when one of our Ambassadors was murdered at the hands of some extremists, and many of the things leading up to the killings might make one believe there was full knowledge of what was going on.  When the prime minister was here, no meeting because there was "no time" and the entire middle east if about to go up in flames.

That, Mr. Obama, is my greatest disappointment in you as a president.  When we send people over to foreign countries, we need to make sure you have their back - and you failed on this point.  Sir, I know in my heart that eventually when you look in the mirror,  you will see those who you abandoned standing behind you - and you are going to have to live with this the rest of your life.

Speaking of accountability, what happened to the trillion dollar bail out fund?  No accountability for that.  What about the whole switching over our energy consumption to solar and wind, money thrown to companies and they're bankrupt - someone got rich and it was not me.

I can go on and on.  I believe our office of president has become something of a joke, the president was something I respected and looked up to when I was a kid.  The president acted presidential and never stooped so low as our current president has in just ruining the office.  It seems there is more interest in appearing with celebs, than there is in running the country.

What I would give for an honest media report on what is actually going on and stop this silliness of trying to shield a candidate from any bad press.  What I would give for an organization which would rise above the whole idealism and just report the news.  With what I see reported, one has to wonder if there isn't a class at Journalism school entitled "Brainwashing the American People."

In many respects the right is no better, but the left doesn't even try to hide it.  One of the defining moments in this election was when a moderator for a debate helped the President.  Backlash?  Nope.

So my question this coming Tuesday is this.  Are we a country who has a population who can see through the obvious fabrications the media is giving us, or are we a country who are just a bunch of sheep being led to the slaughter looking right now for a bunch of "free stuff".  (Gotta get me one of them ObamaPhones.)

I doubt if much of anyone reads this, but for those of you who do, I hope one of you is a journalist and you might do some soul searching and start doing what you are supposed to do in the first place and that is find a story, dig up the truth, and let the American People know what the truth is.  In some respects, if  you are just a mouth piece for the government, what will the future bring?  Isn't this how the Third Reich started?

But you look so good

But You Look So Good I have a rare kind of slow growing Cancer called Carcinoid which has spread to my liver and other various parts of my body. I was diagnosed in 2001 and the average survival rate of this particular kind of Cancer is stated as five years. So, as a 12 year survivor I am already beating the odds of this disease, and I do appreciate the friends and family who support me. Today I have something to ask. It seems most of my interactions end with "Well, you sure look ok (or good".) I would like to start a movement to stop saying this because us Cancer patients don't know if this is good, bad, an indictment, and when people stop saying it I believe it can become depressing and leave a patient who is used to hearing this filling the void with "I guess I look like hell.". One of the observations I have made as a patient is there are hundreds if not thousands of types of Cancer. They have scary scientific names, and most people simply go to their local Cancer Clinic and are treated using standard protocols which usually have a good outcome if caught early enough. But most people lump it all together as one thing which it is not, and this leads to some cancers getting the funding (like breast cancer) and other cancers like e mine languishing in the gutter known as a "orphan disease." Carcinoid is treated at a small number of organizations, while breast cancer is treated everywhere. So the bad news is Carcinoid is incurable, the good news is the symptoms can be treated. (Well, as long as one has insurance.) The symptoms include intense flushing where your blood vessels pop open from the histamines and lord knows what else and is accompanied by pain 24 x 7 and a number of other symptoms which involve staying close to restrooms. We loki to call ourselves 'noids and we are so rare a general practitioner will see us once in their career. The insidious part of the disease is the fact one looks normal until the latter days of the disease, and so many of us get our monthly $20,000 treatments at the same place the really sick people are. We sit out in the waiting room looking well, and everyone wonders just what the heck we are doing there. As with most waiting rooms, one usually strikes up a conversation and we get to hear about an entire Cancer ordeal usually with gory details and the person always looks at me and says "Wow, you look good!". This is usually ok, but it does not end there. We are opposites, we look good until the disease progresses, and this is I think mistaken for getting better or being in remission. Remember, incurable, no remission possible, treatments are to mass symptoms and sometimes prevent spread, but everyone loses in the long run. Why get upset? It has to do with something which is perhaps not even meant, kind of an indictment as to why you are there. What they don't see is intense pain, flushing, dizziness, and up to 40 visits to the bathroom with explosive diarrhea. (you have not lived, until you experience this.). Is there a better way to express your optimism? How about just saying "how are you doing?". Or perhaps don't comment at all, because sometimes just listening is what someone really wants - and silence is fine, it show acceptance and makes the person think you are listening to them.