Glenn Beck Medical Testing for Scary Symptoms

Glenn Beck announced this morning on his radio show that he will spend two days in-hospital for doctors to try to figure out why he is losing feeling in his hands and feet, and has tingling in those areas which is moving up his arms, as well as problems with his vocal chords. See videos below.

Glenn Beck

Beck is asking for prayers for "clarity," and says he believes mental and spiritual issues affect physical conditions. Glenn says that he is reaching out of the "slime" and is "pulling himself out." He says he is in a "transition period," and this is not about "depression." I have noticed that increasingly, he is more heavy-hearted on his television show. He is fighting a battle with eye disease, and has indeed, been immersed in the "slime" coming out of Barack Obama's administration - as well as tracing back the "slime" in past administrations. The videos below are Parts 2 and 3. Part 1 can be viewed at GlennBeck.com. My prayers are with Glenn and his family.

Glenn Beck on Medical Testing

Glenn Beck asks for prayers for "clarity." (video)

Michelle Obama Prescriptions for Fat Kids

Doctors will be checking the BMI (Body Mass Index) of your children, and if you cannot stop shoving the chicken fried steak down your kid, the Pediatrician will write a prescription. Is this appalling or what? Video below.

Fat Kids

Prescriptions for Fat Kids
Cartoon courtesy of Ryan Mason At Random

Avastin Meets Death Panel

Avastin is a drug therapy for "advanced" Stage IV breast cancer patients. Approximately 17,500 women in the U.S. are on Avastin.  Being brutally honest here, the FDA believes the drug is too expensive to be dispensed to women who will die anyway, and are considering rescinding it from their drug approval list. The medical community is divided on the effectiveness of the drug. Some believe the toxicity is not worth the results, others see good results in their patients. A look around the InterWeb shows that some insurance companies have already stopped the treatment, and I also see patients who have been on the drug for two years and are doing extremely well. Read a patient's statement below.

Avastin

Before getting to the story, let's revisit Obama's close friend and adviser, Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of Rahm Emanuel. Ezekiel is an advocate of discontinuing care to patients who will never make a full recovery:

Savings, Emanuel writes, will require changing how doctors think about their patients: Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath too seriously, "as an imperative to do everything for the patient regardless of the cost or effects on others" (Journal of the American Medical Association, June 18, 2008).

ObamaKare is gearing up. Where can the FDA and insurers find savings? By de-certifying drugs for patients considered to be on a terminal list, or soon to be. Who is making these decisions. Well, that's easy, people with "influence," of course, also know as a Death Panel:

The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the recommendation of influential scientific advisers to revoke authorization of the drug to treat metastatic breast cancer. Contrary to initial research, new studies indicate that the benefits of the drug, which costs $8,000 a month, do not outweigh its risks, the advisory panel concluded.

Avastin is not only prescribed for treating breast cancer. It has proved to be effective for other cancers. Look at this odd statement:

Avastin is approved for use in treating several cancers, including those of the colon, lung, kidney and brain. So doctors could continue to write prescriptions for it for breast cancer, as an "off-label" use. 

But in addition to prompting insurers including Medicare to stop paying for Avastin, an FDA revocation of approval for its use in breast cancer treatment might mean that breast cancer patients would lose eligibility for a program in which Genentech caps the annual cost of the drug at $57,000 for women with annual incomes of less than $100,000.

Does this mean people suffering from of the other cancer can continue to receive Avastin, and only breast cancer patients would be denied? The answer is 'yes.' Apparently, the toxicity does not affect cancers other than breast cancer. Do we really believe that? This is a death panel issue. Mentioned above is the idea of making Avastin available for breast cancer treatment for "off-label use," meaning you can get have it you can pay for it.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal in July, "an FDA advisory panel voted 12-1 to remove the breast cancer indication from the drug's label. If the FDA follows the advice of its committee - as it often does - the drug could still be marketed to treat colon, lung and other cancers."

Medical sources are divided on the success rendered versus the harm caused. Some believe the drug should have never been approved. Here is one success story, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute stand behind the drug's good performance:

"I'm very upset," said Leslie Twohig, 48, of Lothian, Md., who has been taking Avastin for eight months and credits the drug with helping her survive. "How long will I be able to stay on Avastin? Are they going to take it away? I know it's working for me. Right now I am able to enjoy my life. Every morning I wake up and wonder how long it's going to go on."

"I am very concerned about people who are receiving the drug and may feel threatened that they may not be able to receive it," said the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Winer, who is also chief scientific officer for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a breast cancer patient advocacy group. "This is not a worthless drug by any means. There is almost certainly a group of women who get a big benefit. "

Some members of Congress have written protest letters to the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services. Senator David Vitter (R-LA) says he fears this is the beginning of "a slippery slope leading to more and more rationing under the government takeover of health care that is being forced on the American people."

Wealthier patients who can pay the $4000-$10,000 per month for the drug will probably live longer and have far less pain than the patient without an option for Avastin .

Texas Birthright: 60,000 Babies Born to Illegals: 74% of Parkland Total Deliveries are Birthright Babies

Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas delivers more birthright babies than any other hospital in Texas. Last year at Parkland alone 11,071 children were born to illegal alien mothers. At least 60,000, maybe as many as 65,000 babies receive birthrights in Texas every year.

Mexican Baby and Mom

Republicans are discussing correcting the incorrect interpretations of the 14th Amendment which supposedly grants U.S. citizenship to anyone born on American soil. Democrat Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) is countering by accusing Republicans of attacking babies in the womb.  Ironic - Democrats believe an in-womb baby is nothing more than a fetus. The hypocrisy is rank. Hispanics vote for them anyway.

Republicans are accused of trying to shift the voting demographic. I believe that is true, and why not, but that is not the only impetus to stop the invasion of illegal alien mother's dropping their babies in America. The cost to the American people is intolerable and...of course, it is a matter of law. Yes, we ignored that law for a very long time, but that is no excuse for declaring it now.

Democrats and fine with keeping things as they are, because their only consideration is voters. Amnesty will bring millions to the polls voting for Democrats, who haven't given a thought to the Rule of Law in years, if ever:

 "The next 10 years will be an even more transformative decade demographically for Texas," said Dr. Roberto Calderon, an associate history professor at the University of North Texas and a Latin American expert following the debate.

He speculated that the Republicans probably were aware of this ongoing demographic shift and how it might threaten their party since Hispanic voters tend to support Democrats.

"Manipulating the status ... the rights and the opportunities for Latinos is the only avenue many on the conservative right see as a solution to remaining viable electorally," he said. "They're expecting what used to be safe Republican seats on the state and federal level will no longer be so safe."     

Most Americans welcome our South of the Border neighbors to citizenship, but we would really like for it to be done legally. We need you for more than the jobs you fill. We need you to preserve our Christian heritage - to have your babies in America because without you, our Muslim population will overtake our birthrate. It has already happened in most of Europe. We have maintained only due to the rapid Hispanic birth rate. In other words, we will be a Muslim nation without Hispanic births...but please, come legally and have your deserving children be a part of the American dream. For background on the information in this paragraph, see view this video.

How can the iconic Parkland Memorial Hospital, where President John F. Kennedy died, keep it's doors open with 74% of their births being illegal migrant mother's. Is the government reimbursing the hospital? Are the illegals paying? Read the article here. Also read The 14th Amendment Gone Wrong, explaining the history behind the amendment.

Tom Little America Optometrist Killed in Afghanistan

An American optometrist is among the dead medical workers in Afghanistan. He has worked in Afghanistan for 30 years.

Dr. Tom Little and Libby Little 

BBC:

Team leader Tom Little spent more than three decades in the country, a leading member of the IAM team working with the Noor Eye Institute. One of his students was former Afghan foreign minister Dr Abdullah Abdullah who told us: "Dr Little travelled the length and breadth of Afghanistan, treating thousands and thousands of Afghans."

From the Bethlehem Times Union, Dr. Little lived in Delmar, Pennsylvania NewYork, but:

...has a Delmar home but, with his wife, Libby, has spent most of the past three decades in Afghanistan, is believed among the dead. One of the local churches that supports the Littles’ work, First Presbyterian in Schenectady, put out word to its congregation on Friday that Tom Little had been killed. 

In his 30 years in Afghanistan, Dr. Little cared for and operated on thousands of Afghan men, women and children. It’s quite possible he cured the eyesight of the Taliban man who shot him to death.

This report says the group was murdered by Taliban in the Badakhshan Province, although earlier reports have named the Nuristan Province. Information seems to be somewhat confusing on where the Americans were shot down. For now I'll leave this report and the three linked herein, and perhaps we'll know the truth before long.

Taliban Kills 6 American Civilians in Afghanistan

A British doctor and 6 Americans were lined-up, robbed and shot on Friday, August 6th. The first reports say they were doing mission work with International Assistance Mission (IAM). A total of ten are dead, including Afghans.

Nuristan, Afghanistan - American Troops

The Taliban complaint against the group is that they were teaching Christianity and spying for America. Just my opinion here, but there is an abundance of need in non-Islamic countries. I wish our good-hearted Christians would use their energy for good works in those safer, but worthy area.

Zabihullah Mujahed, a Taliban spokesman said "They were Christian missionaries and we killed them all." The British physician, Dr. Karen Woo worked in an eye clinic in the remote Nuristan province. Her convoy was attacked as the group returned to Kabul. A shepherd reportedly found the bodies with passports missing.

Two Afghans with the group escaped, one said he recited passages from the Koran. This report says the local villagers warned the group of the danger of the area they were passing through.

The director of the International Assistance Mission charity, Dirk Frans, said the group's medical team was last heard from Wednesday as the aid workers were returning to Kabul from an eye clinic in Nuristan.

Their bullet-riddled bodies were discovered Friday in Badakhshan, where the team was traveling through believing it to be safer. 

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for killing the group, which also included a German, a Briton and two Afghans. 

The names of the dead found with Dr. Woo in Afghanistan have not been released.

Britain Cuts Health Care Services: Behind Closed Doors UK Knee Hip Replacements Cut

Earlier today a report said Britain was turning control of a patient's health care back to local doctors. Another report just released says the Brits have "secret plans" to cut the most basic health care treatments, including knee and hip replacements.

Knee Replacement

Hospital beds will be reduced, including those for the mentally ill. Nursing homes are closing and thousands of jobs will be lost in NHS [National Health Service] hospitals:

Hundreds of thousands of pounds from budgets will be cut from the terminally ill, with dying cancer patients to b told to manage their own symptoms if their condition worsens at evenings or weekends....

The Sunday Telegraph found the details of hundreds of cuts buried in obscure appendices to lengthy policy and strategy documents published by trusts. In most cases, local communities appear to be unaware of the plans

Quality of life for those in need of hip and knee replacements will suffer. A spokesman for the Patients Association says the cuts are brutal. "We cannot return to the days of people waiting in pain for years for a hip operation or having to pay for operations privately." Looks like they will do exactly that. Why? Because the people bought into socialized medicine.

Their system is broken, yet this administration will emulate Britain's failure. We know what comes from backdoor deals. Without them, Obama's health care legislation would not have passed. He purchased the right to control our health. I won't forget.

Britain Puts Health Care in Hands of Local Doctors: Britain Centralized Health Care Didn't Work

Just as Donald Berwick is hired by the Administration to centralized Medicare and Medicaid, the UK announces their centralized health care has been a bad nightmare. Britain is putting the control of their health care back into the hands of the local doctor.

From The NYT:

Practical details of the plan are still sketchy. But its aim is clear: to shift control of England's $160 billion annual health budget from a centralized bureaucracy to doctors at the local level. Under the plan, $100 billion to $125 billion a year would be meted out to general practitioners, who would use the money to buy services from hospitals and other health care providers.

The plan would also shrink the bureaucratic apparatus, in keeping with the government's goal to effect $30 billion in "efficiency savings" in the health budget by 2014 and to reduce administrative costs by 45 percent. Tens of thousands of jobs would be lost because layers of bureaucracy would be abolished.

Donald Berwick, Obama's czar of Medicare and Medicaid, can't wait to begin his rationing. He told an audience in Britain he is "romantic about the NHS [system of rationing.] Berwick has private health care for life for he and his wife through his non-profit health care charity. I'll repeat that, his non-profit health care charity has provided private health care for life for Berwick and his wife - the man who will tell you, you cannot have that knee replacement. Berwick also received $2.3 million, excluding his health care benefit, from his "non-profit charity."

After bloating the UK health care system with a monstrous management and employee hiring, many will now lose their jobs. Remember the graphic above of Obama's planned many-layered government departments of health care?

The Obama plan for socialized health care has failed everywhere something similar has been adopted. Obviously, local doctors can take better care of their patients. It is also obvious that Obama cannot sufficiently control us, unless he also has control of our health. Any Republican or Conservative on Capitol Hill who will not agree to repeal ObamaCare, must be sent home to pick up their law practice.

HIV or Abortion Makes Your Medical Records Private

by The Lonely Conservative

Here's a big shocker! The government wants your Body Mass Index in their electronic health record. But if you're HIV positive or you've had an abortion, your records are sealed!

In an interview videotaped on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, CNSNews.com asked [David] Blumenthal whether abortions and HIV tests must be included in an EHR, as the new regulations, on their face, seem to suggest. “The regulations that came out state that hospitals and doctors have to provide problems lists, medications [lists], diagnostic test results, copies of those things in the electronic health record," said CNSNews.com. "Does that mean that a test result like, say, an HIV test or a procedure like an abortion would have to go on an electronic health record” Blumenthal said, “Any specific information recorded in the record is an issue between the doctor and the patient, not an issue that this regulation specifies.”

Some people's medical records are more private than others. Welcome to Animal Farm! I feel like I should go have a fake abortion just to protect my privacy.

Linked by Classic Liberal's Right-Wing Links

Dr. Fred Shessel: Obama Lied about Rationing, Socialism

Dr. Fred Shessel says Obama lied about rationing, socialism, and socialized medicine. He is particularly upset about Dr. Donald Berwick heading the Medicare and Medicaid Divisons of Obama's health care plan, and the part Berwick will play in rationing. I wrote about this last week and quoted Berwick saying rationing is "romantic." Shessel says decisions will be made through a centralized government and using thousands of pages of regulations written by attorneys, not doctors. Stick with this long enough to read about the Doctor's Tea Party. See a video below.

Barack Obama

Dr. Shessel's website is Docs4PatientCare. You can read the legislation and a summary of the Bill. Remember the news this week that small businesses in the state of Massachusetts are dropping their insurance coverage for employees because their plans are unaffordable? Employees have to rely on the State health care plan, and take a look at this:

President Obama said earlier this year that the health-care bill that Congress passed three months ago is "essentially identical" to the Massachusetts universal coverage plan that then-Gov. Mitt Romney signed into law in 2006. No one but Mr. Romney disagrees.

As events are now unfolding, the Massachusetts plan couldn't be a more damning indictment of ObamaCare. The state's universal health-care prototype is growing more dysfunctional by the day, which is the inevitable result of a health system dominated by politics.

Read more about the Massachusetts Health Care Train Wreck. Docs4PatientCare has some interesting info that we need to know about.

One of the website banners promotes the National Doctors Tea Party Event and Rally, August 8th in San Diego, California.

This looks like quite an event, featuring Sharron Angle who is vying for the seat Harry Reid occupies in the Senate, radio host Roger Hedgecock, Betsy McCaughey, who is one of the best on the Obamanation health care plan, Joseph Farah of WorldNetDaily, Nick Popaditch, a former Marine running for the House for California's 51st District, and hey, bloggers are represented by "Eric aka the Tygrrrr Express. Eric is a terrific blogger, author of 3 books and a comedian. Check it out at DoctorsTeaParty.com

Isn't this a great idea - a Doctors Tea Party? How about a Lawyers Tea Party,  a Restauranteur Tea Party, a Plumber's Tea Party, a Country Music Tea Party? A Home Contractors Tea Party? A Bloggers Tea Party?



Dr. Fred Shessel: Obama Lied about Rationing and Socialized Health Care (video)

Walter Curley Watson is 100 Yr Old Gynecologist Still Working Video

Dr. Walter Watson of Augusta, Georgia is 100 years old. He is the chairman of the Gynecology Department of an Augusta hospital, and he still drives to work a couple of times a week. He still practices but no longer delivers children. Unbelievably, Dr. Watson is estimated to have delivered 10 percent of Augusta's babies, and he is considered the oldest physician in the U.S.

Dr. Walter "Curley" Watson

The good Doctor is more of a presence at University Hospital than an active physician in the hospital today:

The staff clearly loves him, and he loves them. But it's the patients who seem to most appreciate Dr. Watson and his tireless, unending devotion to medicine. Between 1944, when Dr. Watson delivered his first baby, and 1995 when he stopped doing obstetrics, Dr. Watson ushered in a small army of satisfied customers.

Today, they're known simply as the "Watson babies." They range in age from 15 to 66 and their ranks are innumerable.

So how many babies has Dr. Watson delivered?

"Somewhere between 15,000 and 18,000," Dr. Watson said.

Curley is also the oldest living graduate of The Citadel," The Military College of South Carolina."

In the second video he says he has delivered plenty of twins but no triplets. Dr. Watson's wife, Audrey, is 85 years old and looks smashing. They have 5 children, 16 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren. He attributes a loving family, eating right, good genes and a lot of exercise for his long healthy life.

In these days of political turmoil, the following videos are a vitamin for the soul.



Dr. Walter Watson Dr. Curley Watson and Wife Audrey (video

CBO Scores Health Care $59 Billion in Red: Doc-Fix Went Missing

Democrats tried to hide the "doc fix," by simply not including it in the bill. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says when the $208 billion non-inclusions are added back into the legislation - or in a separate piece of legislation - the health care bill is $59 billion in the red - and actually could rise as high as $260 billion in the red over the next 10 years.

The "doc fix" is important. For years, Congress has routinely approved the "doc fix" which adjusts Medicare reimbursement to physicians so as not to punish them with large annual pay cuts. In July 2009, the "doc fix" was $245 billion. In November 2009 the "doc fix" was $210 billion. Just a few days ago, the cost was $371 billion. Mysteriously, today it is only $208 billion.

In July, the CBO refused to score health care without including the "doc fix," because the "doc fix" is always paid, and will always be paid, unless Democrats can find a way to kill it. No one can seriously believe that Congress will cut pay to physicians 21%. Without the "doc fix," why would a doctor care for a Medicare patient?

From the Republican Caucus Committee on the Budget via Questions and Observations via the CBO:

Contrary to recent claims, the Democratic health care overhaul will increase Federal deficits by at least $59 billion, and more likely $260 billion, over the next 10 years....

CBO also estimates the effect on the deficit if a number of other unrealistic policy changes, in addition to the 21 percent cut to physicians, made by the Majority are never implemented.

~questions Assumes the Cadillac tax is never implemented. Continuing to delay the start of their proposal to tax individuals’ higher-premium health insurance plans. Throughout the legislative process, the Cadillac tax has been delayed twice – first during floor debate and then as proposed by the President. Under the reconciliation bill, this new tax is not implemented until 2018.

~ Assumes the artificial slowing of the growth in subsidies does not occur. The bill currently removes the annual indexing of the subsidies. Throughout this process, the billhas been modified to increase subsidies in the near term, but reduce their growth in the out years.

~ Assumes unrealistic cuts made by a Medicare commission. The Independent Payment Advisory Board is tasked with unrealistic Medicare cuts that history tells us will never be implemented (e.g. doc fix).

If we owe $208 billion to doctors, does it matter whether it is in the health care bill or in a separate piece of legislation. The answer is yes. It matters because Democrats tried to hide the cost. It matters because many taxpayers will fail to add the two together. If the mantra remains that Health Care is budget neutral, when it is not, then it matters. There is nothing about the current health care legislation that is deficit neutral, as President Obama said it must be. 

NRO has a good piece up about the "doc fix" and other problems with Democrat mathematics.
 has more.

Linked by A Conservative Blog - Thank You!

Related and Background:

Reconciliation Changes to Senate Bill that will Add to $940 CBO Estimate

Public Option in House Reconciliation Bill? Single Payer Battle Cry

Pelosi Scrubs CBO Letter from Net: Dems Abuse Confidentiality of CBO

Mark Levin to Sue if Slaughter Rule is Used to Pass Health Care

Stupak's Living Hell: Dem Charm on Display - Obscenities, Threats

Idaho Signs Law to Sue Fed for Health Care Mandates: 37 States to Follow

Walgreens Refuses New Medicaid Patients April 16th

Ben Nelson Gets $500M for VA Hospital that VA Doesn't Want

Tom Coburn Draws Line n the House Sandbox: Sell Your Vote - Be Prepared to Defend It

Arlen Specter: Administration or Sestak is Lying - May be a Felony

Stephen Lester Dies in Tulsa Plane Crash

Tulsa doctor, Stephen T. Lester, his wife and two daughters died in the crash of a small airplane today, along with family friend, Dr. Kenneth Veteto. See updates below - latest 9-7-09 - funeral arrangements.

Dr. Stephen T. Lester

Dr. Lester was the principle in Pain Care Associates, a pain management practice. Lester 48, his wife Dana 48, and their daughters Christina 13 and Laura 16 perished along with a family friend, Dr. Kenneth Veteto when the plane came down in Chandler Park this morning in heavy fog. The family, and Dr. Veteto were on their way to the Oklahoma University game in Dallas against BYU. It is not clear who was piloting the Piper single-engine, six-seater airplane, which took off from Jones Riverside Airport bound for Dallas Love Field. Dr. Lester was an anesthesiologist and certified in pain management. Dr. Kenneth Veteto is survived by his wife, a daughter and son. He was an Internist at the Warren Clinic in Tulsa. According to witnesses, the plane burst into flames in Chandler Park about 10:45 a.m. this morning. It is believed, but not confirmed, that the plane may have hit a tower not visible in the fog. Two passengers were ejected, and three still in the plane when emergency crews arrived. A bike rally was underway in the park at the time.

Witnesses on the scene heard a loud noise - a big pop - before the plane crashed into the field. After tumbling into the field, the small plane broke into several pieces and caught fire. Two victims were ejected, and three remained in the plane, according to witness accounts. I heard a screeching noise and didn't know what it was," he said. "I looked over, and next thing you hear an explosion and a fireball shot across the sky."

My family has personal experiences with Dr. Lester. He was always professional and friendly. He successfully treated my mother over a 5 year period and made her life worth living. I am grateful for him. This is the second doctor my family has lost in a small airplane crash, so as I remember Dr. Lester, his family and friend, Dr. Veteto, I also remember Dr. Rhonda Lunn, a surgeon and OBGYN - an amazing doctor, mother and friend who died in October 2007. Update 9-6-09: Dr. and Mrs. Lester were survived by two children not aboard the plane at the time of the accident. According to FAA records, the Piper PA-32 belonged to Dr. Lester. This report quotes Dr. Lester's uncle, Mike Lester who is also the mayor of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, saying that Lester purchased the plane to "deliver seminars on pain medication to other doctors across the country." KJRH News reports that Steve and Dana Lester "were high school sweethearts." It is still believed, although not yet confirmed, that the plane did hit a transmission tower or the cable of a tower. Update 9-7-09: Funeral services for Dr. Stephen Lester, Mrs. Dana Lester and their daughters Laura and Christina are scheduled at 10 a.m. Thursday, September 10, 2009 at Park Plaza Church of Christ, 5925 E. 51st St., Tulsa, OK. Visitation at Floral Haven Funeral Home at 6500 S. 129th E. Avenue in Broken Arrow, will be held between 6 and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2009. Funeral services for Dr. Kenneth Veteto will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at at Park Plaza Church of Christ, 5925 E. 51st St., Tulsa, OK. Moore's Southlawn is handling the services. I have not found information on visitation. The Lester and Veteto families were both members of the Park Plaza Church of Christ.