I respect your response! To quote you directly from your reply…”You don’t have to delve deeply in the
current research to find that the cumulative excess of ingested fructose causes supression of leptin response, insulin resistance, and elevated triglycerides which leads to obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.”

Well, I suggest you DO “delve a little deeper” because while the above quote you stated is true…..it is true with the original researchers using “FRUCTOSE” (typically 75-100% fructose solutions) not “HFCS”. The difference between these two are tremendous and THAT is where the confusion lies!

Sincerely,
Brooke

Paul Gerson Unna, (September 8, 1850, Hamburg – January 29, 1929, Hamburg) was a German physician specialized in dermatology and one of the pioneers in dermatopathology. .

Developed a compression gauze used to treat venous leg problems is named Unna’s boot.

While uninsured I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. Because of it, I fall into my state’s medicaid pool with a large spend-down instead of being eligible to purchase on exchanges (according to my state’s method of handling “people like me”). My state is NOTORIOUS for not paying anyone who is a Medicaid patient, so I can find no specialists who will actually accept it as coverage. So, where it actually puts me for any practical purposes is paying nearly $500/month for individual health insurance and STILL paying $220 for office visits. Not sure if/how my meds would be covered. In the end, though, it’s a losing proposition.

My husband’s company offered him “insurance,” anticipating that they would be required to do so anyhow. His insurance costs him $90.00/month. It has a $5000 annual maximum, requires he pay the first $50 of every office visit (with no insurance my current GP charges me only $48.00 as a cash patient), and has a cap of $400 for outpatient surgery and $1000 for in-patient hospital care.

We decided there was no reason to even TRY to sign me up for it – I would exhaust the policy within a month or two if it covered pre-existing conditions, and since it doesn’t, and has such limited coverage, it also isn’t really worth getting.

If I had practical coverage available that I could afford with my current medical expenses, I would be interested in getting it. I was a covered, medically insured patient (and usually my family) from age 20 to age 39 with very few gaps in coverage. A company choosing to no longer provide health insurance to increase its bottom line is the biggest thing that put me in this situation, and my medical expenses make it difficult to afford $900/month premiums…

Are you suggesting that I should choose between insurance and food? Either way, either the Medicaid with high spend-down but still paying all my medical expenses to receive coverage, or buying a plan and waiting a year to get coverage, require choosing between affording my already pared-down lifestyle or selling my car, turning off all utilities but water and power (no heat), and living on macaroni and cheese with tuna.

For some reason, it just doesn’t seem fair or reasonable to me…

So my issues I discussed are with 240 percocet each month. Think about that…

My point in posting is that I understand the issues you have being a doctor but it seems that you cannot imagine what a pain patient must go through. People commit suicide because they cannot handle the pain and if for just one day you were able to experience what I go through to try to live a regular life you would have a brand new outlook. I know it is difficult for doctors because there are a lot of abusers out there but you cannot group everyone into the same class! Doctors need to give us a chance and review our medical records before they pass judgement and treat a person like a worthless piece of lying garbage. And before rejecting every single person that asks for help how about you treat them and do tests for yourself. Do not give medicine until you are 100% confident they are in severe pain. You are not forced to give me medicine but if you would just look at the problems I have you would be able to confidently say that this guy needs my help. I am 26. I cannot play with my children like a normal father can. I cannot pick my kids up and I cannot go on rides at amusement parks. I cannot go on vacations because I can’t sit in the car that long and I have a difficult time keeping a job because of my issues. I was told by my doctor to go on disability but I cannot afford to do that and feed myself and my kids let alone buy my medicine. I am in terrible pain and getting up each morning is the worst part of my day and sitting at a desk at work is excruciating as well. I cannot move out of state for a job promotion or family because no doctor in the country wants to deal with anyone that actually have problems.

I cannot live a normal life as it is. I do not need a scared doctor making me feel worse than I already do. You have good reasons for being scared but why is it so difficult for a doctor to make a decision based on test results? You do not have to just throw medicine at people when they walk in the door. Make them work for it by going through the proper steps like I’ve been doing for the past 8 years. You will find that many are not lying based on the test results and those that you do not confidently feel need narcotics should be sent elsewhere.

Please just reconsider what you are doing to the people that really need your help. There are good people out there that already live a terrible life of pain. They don’t need it worsened by being accused of being a drug addict just looking for drugs by those that they need to help them. Please just reconsider because even if the fad does pass, it will be too late form many people. You are talented and need to trust your own judgement.

Thank you

P.S. I still can’t afford my medicine… I haven’t found any program that will help pay for narcotics. Just depression pills and stuff like that. Mind blowing how those of us who are in pain get the shaft from every aspect of society…

Thank you for allowing me to post my frustration.