Side Effects

You get an ailment, maybe cancer, and they come up with all these drugs, surgeries, procedures and more to 'cure' you. Eventually you start to feel better and get to that 'new normal' crap they tell you about. And then something starts to not be right with your body and you go back to the doctor and find out your oh-so-wonderful cancer treatment has left you with a side effect that might kill you on its own.

I know people who this has happened to. My sister in law's sister was treated with radiation to her chest in her teens for Hodgkin's and ended up dying of breast cancer at 47. A woman at the gym, her daughter just had a very serious heart attack at the age of 53 as a result of her treatment for Hodgkin's as well. A friend has heart damage as the result of her breast cancer chemotherapy. And I can go on.

My rheumatologist is considering switching my treatment combination for my RA but is concerned about side effects that could potentially cause life long problems for me. I also need a yearly chest x-ray, which is standard procedure for those on one of my medications, to make sure I am not causing permanent damage to my lungs.

As medications get stronger to treat more and more ailments, their potential side effects can be deadly. One of the most important parts of clinical trials is balancing the potential side effects from a specific dose, with out killing the patient.

They cure you from one disease and end up killing you from something else as a result in the long run. Does this seem right? It does not to me. I am not very happy about this. But what options do I have?

There are people who say they cured themselves through some diet change, a secret potion found on an island in the South Pacific, or becoming a raw paleo vegan or something. None of those options appeal to me. I do my best to take care of me but I also try to live my life the way I want.

I do take my Western medicine and hope the side effects will not kill me in the long run. This is the part of the system that needs to be changed.