Dr. Erika | Bioidentical Hormone Expert

Putting Tim Russert's Death in Perspective

The sudden death of Tim Russert could not be prevented. Death is not a preventable event.

He had his check-ups, was taking his medications for better or worse and was under the care of expert conventional physicians. Monday morning quarterbacking doesn't work so all the ifs, buts or maybes are a waste of time.

What is the lesson, if there is one?

Every one of us will die. The time of our death is unknown to us, doctors or fortune tellers. With that understanding we need to focus on how we live our lives today.

If we choose to dig into the liquor cabinet, chain smoke, never exercise and hold in all the stress, we may die younger, or not. But we certainly won't live a happy or balanced life.

All the supplements, medications, tests, therapies and doctors' knowledge cannot make your life better.

Only you can do that.

It doesn't really matter if you chose conventional or alternative medical treatments as long as you believe in the course you take.

Eating right, exercising regularly, sleeping eight hours a night and dealing with stress in a constructive way may not keep you around forever, but the quality of your life will be better than if you get drunk, eat junk and turn into a couch potato.

Pundits get paid to debate why things happen and how they could have happened differently. In real life, it doesn't matter. You only get one time followed by forever.

So what can you do?

- Stop worrying about what may happen. Stop second guessing everything you do. No one knows it better than you and no one lives inside you.

- Do not turn control over your life to anyone else. It's your life, do as you see fit.

- Do not allow a system to railroad you by turning you into a victim

- Never let fear lead you.

- Love your kids, your friends, your family and above all cherish and love yourself.

And to Tim's family, my condolences. He was a great man who made a great contribution.

Beware doctors with hidden agenda$

Readers of my blog are well aware of the dangers that arise when doctors and drug companies serve each other's interest and put profits ahead of patients. Here's another glaring example: World-renowned Harvard child psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Biederman , whose work has helped fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in children, earned at least $1.6 million in consulting fees from drug makers from 2000 to 2007.

 The full extent of the payments only came to light recently when a congressional committee forced him to confess.

Unfortunately the problem is that Dr. Biederman is one of the most influential researchers in child psychiatry.

His work has helped fuel a controversial and incredible 40-fold increase in the diagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder and, as a happy and not very surprising consequence for his drug sponsors, an astronomic rise in the use of antipsychotic medicines in children.

Oddly many in the medical community are asking belatedly whether this drug money influenced his findings. Why wasn't the question asked before?

Sadly, Dr Biederman is not alone in this healthcare jungle which abounds with doctors with hidden agendas. He is probably only the tip of the iceberg. All you have to do is watch the morning shows on network TV. Notice the majority of the ads are for drugs. Then watch how all too often the medical experts on the show recommend a path that leads to drug treatments benefitting the sponsors. And shockingly alternatives are nowhere to be found. Conflict or just oversight? You be the judge.

After 30+ years of taking care of patients I finally understand that doctors come in two categories:

 - Those who are honest and true to their Hippocratic Oath and are dedicated to serving only their patients.

- Those who work for a different master - the drug companies, the health insurers, the fear of malpractice, anything but your best interest.

Run away from the second group. If you stay, they will harm you. If you stop going to them, being intimidated by their bullying and fear mongering, eventually they will disappear and along with their extinction, we will all benefit from a new health care system that will emerge.

You can identify the doctors who don't work to serve you very easily. When you bring information to them that does not mesh with their masters' marketing message, they will push back. They don't listen or respect your opinion and they always are very sure of themselves and the information they dispense. They are not open to your questions and they do not acknowledge you as a person. Enough said.

Doctors in the first category, those who are the doctors who care and are in practice to serve you listen to you, respect your opinion, are open to information you bring to them and are always willing to learn. And finally but very importantly when they don't know something they will tell you so. They aren't all knowing. They are humble and caring. Stay with that doctor and I bet your outcome will always be better than you expected.