AND no offfence to anyone whos suffered from cancer" Lots of ads on TV for cancer research or cancer support or charities i think this is great but why do we never see any ads for dementia help or support? and its true that people get more professional support for cancer than dementia? my mum was diagnosed a year ago and her own doc never calls to see why she hasnt been in or gives a hoot?
In generations past, people aged and died, often becoming demented before they died.
But, people didn't get suspended in a state of having largely lost their minds, but having their physical health prolonged by medical intervention.
Our grandparents got a little 'dotty', and if they were lucky, went "gently into that good night" in not too long a time.
Our parents on the other hand, get dotty and their doctors still treat every step in the dying process as if it's a separate disease or condition.
My mouth drops open when I hear about demented elders being subjected to pacemakers, dialysis, etc, etc.
I'm already telling my children that once I start to mentally fail, I want to give up any medication I'm taking that's not important to QUALITY of life – no blood pressure pills, no cholesterol meds, etc.
We've reached a level of insanity where it's not uncommon to hear of doctors ordering colonoscopies and mammograms for patients in their 80s and proposing heart procedures for 90 year-olds with dementia.
Some doctors treat patients as a list of symptoms to be resolved, so they're well suited to the culture. They have a seemingly bottomless bag of 'tools' to treat every condition. But, many doctors' are caught up like the rest of us in this transition from an era where not much could be done to an era where we have to decide what should be done.
Ethicists are having trouble keeping up. Who is 'playing God'? The doctor who orders a pacemaker for a dying, demented patient or the doctor who allows that patient's heart to stop beating. For me, the answer is that, at some point, God (or nature, depending upon your beliefs) has to be allowed to take over. The task is determining that point.
9. I don't think older people, considered generally to be the prime sufferers of dementia, rank as highly as the broader spectrum of those with cancer, and aren't given as much attention in the media. There are negative connotations of elders "going batty", becoming emotional and unstable, being a burden to their families, not contributing anything to the community, etc.
10. This is not a country which has as much respect as it should for elders. I have a sense that sometimes they/we're (as I'm just about there) are kind of viewed as old worn-out models and burdens to society, whereas young people for decades have been seen as the next vanguard of wage-earners....bright young things eager to embrace technology and set the world on fire with inventions and new ideas.
Let's also spend research time/money finding a way to keep these diseases from happening, along with finding a cure. It is in our environment? Is it from all the chemicals in our food? Too much hormones in our livestock? Can it be stress related? [I know stress caused my cancer as I had no other triggers].
Some day I would love to see a vaccine that would help the next generation from getting these horrible diseases.
But you do raise a good point.
When I was 59 years old, my husband died ....so a few months later (when I could even think), I made it a priority to prepare for my departure. I gave our kids copies of my living will so that I will NOT be kept alive by any heroic measures.
We are all born to die one day.
Speaking for myself.......I enjoy good health and am here for my children, extended family, friends etc
However, when my time comes......
I do not want to linger for years in a mindless state.
I have my affairs in order and actually look forward to joining my husband.
I miss him greatly.
So - ultimately for me: to die is gain.
1. Cancer crosses all boundaries of age and therefore can affect more people than dementia which is perceived to be an elder problem.
2. Cancer organizations and charities have become adept and sophisticated about publicizing and fund raising.
3. Gilda's Club and Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong are, in my opinion, well known respected organizations, apparently well run, and provide good outreach and publicity.
4. Hospitals have expanded cancer support through hosting support groups, adding infusion centers, moving into "mindfulness" and crafts therapy.
5. To my knowledge, the Alzhheimers Assn. is the only and most well known dementia group. There are probably others, but I don't think they're as well known. And it serves a multi-purpose role, whereas some of the cancer charities have more limited roles.
6. The magazine CURE is I think a very good magazine and provides excellent articles on cancer ranging from scientific research to practical advice. I haven't really searched for a comparable magazine on dementia, so I can't speak to whether there is one.
7. I think the medical community is still learning how to deal with dementia, as are caregivers. It's almost as if there's a massive increase in diagnoses, yet cancer has unfortunately been around for decades if not millenia. I vaguely recall watching one of the scientific programs on Egypt on which cancer had been diagnosed in mummies. This is just a recollection though, and sometimes those become blended with other memories so I don't hold that observation to be 100% accurate.
8. And, although this may seem like skepticism and bias, I've heard comments from therapists and a few other medical professionals (and in fact on tv yesterday on an RLTV program) that there's big money in pharmaceuticals for cancer treatment (no surprise there) and potentially unhealthy links between the medical-pharmaceutical complex, something like the military-industrial complex.
On a negative note, though, there are some cancer groups that may be charities as classified by the IRS, but they're scam groups. Anderson Cooper occasionally hosts a program exposing some of these scam groups, including ones who prey on veterans and military families.
I'm not sure I would know how to compare the support levels, as they would encompass funding, programming, online and in-community support, hospital and SNF/AL and long term care support.
I do recall that when my sister asked the American Cancer Society for support for a medical leave for her second round of chemo in a year, they refused to work with her. Obviously they never get any money from us!
Thoughtful question; I'll be interested to read others' answers.
I saw just a glimpse of something on a much lower level once as I was leaving an all female medical practice. A runner was bringing in massive volumes of carry-out lunches for the staff. I casually mentioned it to the receptionist, who told me it was gratis. I saw on the runner's jacket the name of a pharmaceutical company.
Although I haven't followed this issue, it's my understanding that the U of Michigan banned all gratuities to medical personnel from pharmas. That's the first step in breaking the hold of the pharmas over physicians.
But there's still a long way to go, and the issue of contaminated meds from emerging market countries is one which complicates the issue. Who knows how many of the free meds are impure?
After some searching, I've found a pharmacy which respects my decision not to use emerging market manufactured meds. They tell me the name of the manufacturer and I call them directly to ask where that particular drug is manufactured. Granted that some of the ingredients may have been sourced offshore, but at least the manufacturing is done here, subject to FDA oversight.
Combined with the predominance of western medicine's reliance on medication first and natural remedies second, if at all, the pharma interest makes the whole issue of medication one which to me is troubling.
The reason is the drug companies make lots and lots of monies by developing and selling these drugs.
As for Cancer, it was the illness de jour for the past thirty years, so there are more and more drugs for this. In 1981, when my MIL was having symptoms of what I used to call 'Alzheimers' (everyone thought I was crazy at the time) there was virtually nothing written about dementia and/or Alzheimers. Today, it's more mainstream and drug companies are working on it because it's starting to affect the baby boom generation, the largest generation to come in the history of this country.
So, hopefully this will answer your question. It's all in the numbers and that includes the money numbers.
Each time I see ads for these sexual wellness medications, I wonder, What about those with MD, Parkinsons, Dementia, Alzheimers? What about those with diseases that we never hear of? And the answer always comes, it's about the numbers.
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