Some medications act backwards - they cause the problem they are prescribed to prevent. So I think of them as backwards. A recent example of this is the drugs prescribed to prevent osteoporosis rarely cause degeneration of the jawbone or fractures of the thigh bone.
In a nutshell, here is how my non-medical brain understands this: Drugs are okayed through clinical trials. There is increasing pressure to decrease the length of time of clinical trials to speed drugs to market (which is another post all together) - now I think of them as taking around 3-5 years of human tests. But then we have an aging population who is living longer with chronic conditions. Take the two together and we have populations who are taking prescriptions, or even OTC medications, for five times or more the length of the clinical trials. New long term side effects are then discovered.
Now I have been on synthetic thyroid hormones for nearly thirty years. I seem to be doing okay. There are issues reported with bone loss if you are on it for long term. So if I live to be 80, I will have been on it for sixty years. Do they have any studies for people who are on it for that long? Probably not.
This is another issue in modern medicine. Aging populations who are on medications for decades. What about these really long term patients and their side effects? Another factor in the problems of redesigning clinical trials.
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Don’t Forget to Book Your Hotel for the National Conference for Young Women! Check out the Updated List of Speakers and Workshops!
Body, Mind, Spirit 2010 is quickly approaching and so is the deadline to book your room at the Hilton downtown for a preferred rate of $129 per night! You won’t find a better deal for a beautiful downtown Toronto hotel.
If haven’t registered already, do so now at www.cbcn.ca.
This three day conference is full of information relevant to survivors at all stages of their breast cancer journey. The 36 workshops include topics and speakers such as:
Psychosocial Issues of Young Women after Breast Cancer: Theory & Reality (Hinda Goodman)
Money Matters (Pamela Bowes)
Grieving Loss & Celebrating Life (Patsy Beattie-Huggan)
Babies After Breast Cancer (Jill Taylor-Brown, Dr. Ellen Warner, Ina Sumar, Melanie Sourisseau)
Talking to Your Children (Jill Taylor-Brown)
The Many Faces of Breast Cancer: Personalized Medicine (Dr. Dhesy-Thind)
Complementary & Alternative Therapies: The Ayurvedic Approach to Health and Well-Being (Christine Marie Gross)
Intimacy and Sexuality: Keeping the Flame Ablaze (Dr. Sally Kydd)
Intimacy and Sexuality: All the Single Ladies (Dr. Sylvie Aubin)
Fighting Breast Cancer Together: A Journey with Your Partner (Dr. Karen Fergus)
Let Your Voice Be Heard: Self Advocacy (Barbara Thomson & Nancy Baker)
Living Green (Liz Armstrong)
Breast Cancer Husband (Marc Silver)
Managing Lymphedema (Anna Kennedy)
Getting Your Life Back: Post-Treatment Living – The Role of Exercise (Dr. Roanne Segal)
Understanding Your Pathology Report (Stephanie Burlein-Hall)
Chemo Brain – Practical Tips to Help You Manage (Dr. Heather Palmer)
Breast Reconstruction: Knowing Your Options (Dr. Nicholas Guay)
Breast Cancer in the Aboriginal Community: Our Lives Through Our Eyes (Tina LaRose)
The Labyrinth: Walking Your Spiritual Journey (Dr. Vanessa Compton)
Practicing Relaxation, Meditation & Visualization: An Experiential Workshop (Dr. Rob Rutledge)
Yoga – Restoring Your Body, Mind & Spirit (Jillian Cook)
And many more …
Looking for more information on the BRCA genes? Don’t miss the 3 part workshop series “It’s in the Genes” facilitated by “previvor” Colleen Lyle. Workshops will focus on:
Management Options (Iman Haroun), Psychosocial Issues (Dr. Mary Jane Esplen) and Fertility
Our Plenary Speakers include:
Carol Ann Cole, breast cancer survivor and author of Comfort Heart, Lessons Learned Upside the Head and If I Knew Then What I Know Now
Lisa Rendall, former radio personality who has lived with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer for 10 years and is featured in the film About Her
Jackie Savi-Cannon, author of The Pink Notes and motivational speaker and breast cancer survivor
Dr. Rob Rutledge, author of The Healing Circle and Radiation Oncologist specializing in breast, prostate, and pediatric cancers
Dr. Natasha Zajmalowski, a naturopathic doctor who emphasizes a Pro Active Health Care regime
See you in October!
Please contact Jenn McNeil at jmcneil@cbcn.ca or 1-800-685-8820 ext: 224 if you have any questions.
Scholarship Funding is Still Available for Some Regions for the “Body, Mind, Spirit” Conference. Apply Now!
Scholarship funding for the National Conference for Young Women Living with Breast Cancer is still available for the following regions:
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Rural Manitoba
Northern Ontario (Timmins, North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Dryden, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Francis)
If you are a young woman interested in attending this conference who is in need of financial assistance towards, accommodations, travel and/or registration submit your scholarship application today.
Scholarship forms are available at www.cbcn.ca under the Young Women’s Conference tab.
I do have to say that I found the Dr's final comment "that's priceless" to be heartless. All joking aside, A friend took femara for metastic breast cancer, along with drug that was supposed to avoid the potential bone loss issue. She now has a very painful degenerative jaw issue going on. They have no clue how to treat that, and she will be on antibiotics for the rest of her life. 'That's priceless'?!! Somehow that seems a very heartless thing for a doctor to be quoted saying.
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