Denialism

Author: MarkH

  • Debate!

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    I’m liveblogging and leaving an open thread…go to it.

  • Questions you should ask your doctor

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    What is my blood pressure? Is it OK? Have I been checked for diabetes? How is my cholesterol? Is that OK? Am I due for any vaccinations? Do I need any cancer screening, such as PSA, colonoscopy, mammogram, pap smear? How is my weight? What is my body mass index (BMI)? Here is my medication…

  • Gary Null can kiss mein tuchas

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    But apparently he’d rather have me fill it with coffee. Really…I mean it. I love coffee, but c’mon now! I can’t stand that this idiot is given time on public television during pledge drives to peddle his woo… I stumbled across a website that goes on and on about the supposed vast conspiracy of the…

  • Newsflash! Mercola bemoans ignorance of Americans! Offers to help for only $25/month!

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    I’m off to the west coast (of Michigan) for a few days, and if I don’t blog, I shall die…or something. So I have a few posts from my old blog to share with you. This is rich. This is really rich. Mercola is speaking out against the one thing that keeps him in business:…

  • Cancer 201—treatment basics

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    Once a cancer has been diagnosed, we must use our knowledge of biology, medicine, and clinical trials to plan treatment. Treatment can be curative or palliative (that is, with a goal of reducing symptoms or extending life, rather than effecting a cure). Understanding cancer treatment requires a little bit of basic biology, and as with…

  • Why be in such a hurry (to kill someone)?

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    Once again, I find myself straying into a political issue (although I’d argue that it’s more a human rights issue). I understand that I’m probably in the minority in this country in my opposition to the death penalty. My fellow Americans generally vote to allow it, and my vote only counts once. One area where…

  • I’ve been (not) workin’ on the railroad

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    This story is disturbing for a host of reasons, but there’s a medical ethics issue hiding in here. Apparently, if you work for the Long Island Railroad, you can retire at 50, then claim disability for a job you no longer have, and collect both a disability check and a pension. I shit you not.…

  • End Elitism Now!

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    This isn’t just about politics—really. This has something to do with science. You see, one of the memes of this campaign is “elitism” (whatever that means). The appeal of Sarah Palin, we are told, is her “everyday-ness”—she’s just a regular gal, not like those elitist politicians in Washington (which presumably includes her running-mate). Sarah Palin…

  • Who’s your hospitalist?

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    Me: Hi, I’m Dr. Pal and I’ll be taking care of you here in the hospital. Patient: Where the hell is my real doctor? Me: He’s at the office seeing patients. He doesn’t come to the hospital anymore. Patient: Why the hell not? Me: Well, it’s complicated, but it’s getting harder and harder for doctors…

  • Cancer 102

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    In Cancer 101, I gave some basics to understanding cancer. A commenter asked a good question, and our next lesson will attempt a simple answer. The question regarded how a pathologist can tell if a cancer is “invasive” by looking at a specimen. Well, depending on the specimen, the answer changes, but let’s use the…