I caught the last hour or so of a movie on TV (Lifetime) called "Damaged Care." I wish I had seen it from the beginning. I know about issues with managed health care & originally thought this was a fictionalized expose about managed care, but got to thinking toward the end that it was factual. It is. The doctor depicted in the movie who has fought hard to get changes to our managed health care system is real.

I did a search for her name & came up with multiple sites that published her speech before a Congressional hearing as well as other talks she's given since. I also found her personal site, which had her email address. I wrote to her, praising her for her gallant fight in the face of adversity & the smear & eventual loss of her marriage due to the exposure of her husband's infidelity at the hands of her repressors (those who wanted her to shut up!).

I also brought up some of the other problems in US health care, especially that of major pharmaceutical companies. These companies knowingly push detrimental drugs into the market & down patients' throats. The prime example of this is Vioxx, a drug pushed on people with the conditions of osteoarthritis & rheumatoid arthritis, such as I have, which Merck has known at least since 1996 causes severe heart problems in too great a number of those taking the drug. They withheld this information long enough for them to make $billions... more than enough to cover the ensuing lawsuits now being filed that they knew would come.

I mentioned as well my findings about tamoxifen, which the pharmaceutical company is pushing on women who are 'at risk' of getting breast cancer. Doctors are prescribing this drug prophylactically to women who have the BCRA 1 or 2 gene or with first-degree relatives who've had breast cancer. Ladies, this drug not only doesn't prevent breast cancer (less than 10% over a placebo) but it causes uterine cancer... a more deadly kind of female cancer! It also exacerbates osteoporosis, causes hot-flashes, heart problems & blood clots! Breast cancer is treatable through surgery. Found early enough, recurrence numbers are very low. Found too late... no current conventional treatment is adequate & I believe many actually cause recurrence (chemo & radiation). These treatments only stand to profit the drug companies & do little, if anything, to help patients.

Lastly, I mentioned to her my concerns about where health care is headed under Bush. I feel the fight for patients' rights will only get worse with him at the helm.

Shortly after sending her the email, I got one back from her! She agrees with me about the drug companies & Bush & said she's printing out my email 'to digest.' She's going out of town for a few days but will write me again in length. I really didn't expect to hear back from her, knowing how busy she must be & considering the influx of emails she'd probably get with others like me finding her email address & Lifetime showing her movie again today! I must have struck a cord.

I could have said more in my email to her, but tried to keep it as succinct as I know how. As people who know me know, I can go on & on about things like this that I feel strongly about. I am truly grateful for advocates & watchdogs such as Dr. Linda Peeno!