Tim Russert Deserved More Time
"Sicko" & "Sick Around The World"
Julie and I have viewed, for the third time, the facts presented in both these well-documented presentations. A PBS production, "Sick Around The World" details, from well respected sources in government, hospitals, patients and officials who know, the numbers and the results of "Universal Health Care."
As one who has written editorials on the subject over these past three decades and informed our representatives in Washington about the need for an overhaul in our healthcare system - I can say with authority, that the problem with our health care is tied to these factors: 1) A for-profit system that rewards the pharmaceutical industry for producing drugs that pyramid the problem with side effects that require more and more pills without positive results. 2) A lack of will on the part of our government to stand up to the power of money in their campaigns - handing over control of healthcare to the people who profit most. 3) Doctors who have been rewarded with perks, free samples and encouraged to sign their name to prescriptions without questioning the efficacy of the drug. 4) Insurance Companies and Health Systems with CEO’s being paid 2 million dollars for a system of health care that is ranked 45th by the World Health Organization. 5) Patients who treat their physicians like the Gods of Greek Mythology. Our current system is made up of people who are an example of the "blind leading the blind." 6) For $24 we were able to purchase the DVD "Sicko" and "Sick Around the World." The facts speak for themselves. Okinawa has four times the number of people over 100-years-old as mainland China and spends half of what we do on health care.
What can we do about it? Stop rewarding those who contribute to the problem. Prevention is better medicine than any physician can prescribe. How do I know? They told me so and know that the only pharmacist worth recognition is the one who designed the fresh fruits and vegetables we eat and the wild fish we catch in water not contaminated with carcinogens.
Tim Russert didn’t have to die at 58. His doctor knew that he was diabetic and anyone looking at Tim knew that this great man was not attending to a lifestyle that was destructive and in the end denied his son from the pleasure of having children who could enjoy a grandfather as wonderful a man as Tim Russert.
Physicians need to start their examination with more time and real facts on the lifestyle of their patients that can lead to an early death. A history like that taken prior to surgery is a good first appointment to helping your physician know where to go with you.
When I put together an eating regimen that so impressed my physician that he called me, insisting that I write the book, "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change," I saw the enthusiasm of a little boy who discovered a treasure. Dr. Argen charged into the examination room, asking me what I was eating and how did I get the results so quickly without medication. Why don’t doctors start their first exam by asking you about you lifestyle, your favorite foods, the exercise you enjoy the most and then record weight, blood pressure, examine ears, throat, eyes and overall body shape?
You need to change that, by putting your doctor in a position to know whether you are working too hard, sleeping too little, eating all the junk foods and stressed out with your relationships while trying to fill the void with fat, sugar, sodium, pizza, cold cuts and sugar-laden beverages. A profile of your lifestyle should be the key a physician needs to advise and treat you. Prevention can only be achieved by knowing what it is that should be addressed before the symptoms arrive.
Our system of health care puts the cart in front of the horse. Plaque build up is a major problem leading to high blood pressure and cardiac consequences, destroys your joints and robs you of valuable years of joy with your family, friends and grandchildren - not to mention your community and the good you can do to make the world a little bit better.
Having set my alarm clock to allow me time to watch "Meet The Press" every Sunday, I feel we have been robbed of a great figure of our time. Loving politics, I found no peer capable of the highly intelligent approach used by Tim Russert. My regret is for his son Luke whom he loved so much, because there will be no "Big Russ" for Luke’s children .
As for those responsible, I believe that the physicians who worked with Tim Russert could have made a point of convincing Tim of the need for him to work as hard at maintaining his body as he did at his profession.
I cried when we lost JFK and I am old enough to have seen the sadness in my father’s eyes when we learned of the death of FDR and I will miss this wonderful man for all he did to help us understand the people who run for office. His ability to get to the facts is ironic because his methodology is exactly what we needed in seeing to it that Tim lasted longer. This election will be unlike any I have known since JFK ran against Nixon and it was my first vote for a President. I felt then as I do now, some people are just too good to be taken for granted. I feared for the life of JFK from the moment of his election. I fear for the life of Barack Obama and I grieve for the loss of man who would have enjoyed this election like a little boy with a brand new toy.
May we treasure all that we have and remember to take care that we maintain our bodies in a manner that preserves the time we have to offer the best we have. There is much research that would have made clear that living on junk food will shorten the life of great men - just about the time they are at the peak of their ability. Having a special clinic where people could learn to eat the right food would be a good start.
As it was with other great men, the pain will not pass easily from our hearts and minds as we wait patiently for someone to fill that void.
Tim Russert was the best of Buffalo in the form of a really beloved man. He graduated from the same school as my oldest son. We need such a rare jewel as Tim Russert in order to confront the problems we face with knowledge. Tim did the research and asked the hard questions and expected you to use his work to make decisions which would lead us to do the right kind of people to make sure that government of the people, for the people and by the people would not perish from the earth.
We all miss you Tim and Buffalo will always remember a special representative of the heart and soul of all Buffalonians.
Julie and I have viewed, for the third time, the facts presented in both these well-documented presentations. A PBS production, "Sick Around The World" details, from well respected sources in government, hospitals, patients and officials who know, the numbers and the results of "Universal Health Care."
As one who has written editorials on the subject over these past three decades and informed our representatives in Washington about the need for an overhaul in our healthcare system - I can say with authority, that the problem with our health care is tied to these factors: 1) A for-profit system that rewards the pharmaceutical industry for producing drugs that pyramid the problem with side effects that require more and more pills without positive results. 2) A lack of will on the part of our government to stand up to the power of money in their campaigns - handing over control of healthcare to the people who profit most. 3) Doctors who have been rewarded with perks, free samples and encouraged to sign their name to prescriptions without questioning the efficacy of the drug. 4) Insurance Companies and Health Systems with CEO’s being paid 2 million dollars for a system of health care that is ranked 45th by the World Health Organization. 5) Patients who treat their physicians like the Gods of Greek Mythology. Our current system is made up of people who are an example of the "blind leading the blind." 6) For $24 we were able to purchase the DVD "Sicko" and "Sick Around the World." The facts speak for themselves. Okinawa has four times the number of people over 100-years-old as mainland China and spends half of what we do on health care.
What can we do about it? Stop rewarding those who contribute to the problem. Prevention is better medicine than any physician can prescribe. How do I know? They told me so and know that the only pharmacist worth recognition is the one who designed the fresh fruits and vegetables we eat and the wild fish we catch in water not contaminated with carcinogens.
Tim Russert didn’t have to die at 58. His doctor knew that he was diabetic and anyone looking at Tim knew that this great man was not attending to a lifestyle that was destructive and in the end denied his son from the pleasure of having children who could enjoy a grandfather as wonderful a man as Tim Russert.
Physicians need to start their examination with more time and real facts on the lifestyle of their patients that can lead to an early death. A history like that taken prior to surgery is a good first appointment to helping your physician know where to go with you.
When I put together an eating regimen that so impressed my physician that he called me, insisting that I write the book, "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change," I saw the enthusiasm of a little boy who discovered a treasure. Dr. Argen charged into the examination room, asking me what I was eating and how did I get the results so quickly without medication. Why don’t doctors start their first exam by asking you about you lifestyle, your favorite foods, the exercise you enjoy the most and then record weight, blood pressure, examine ears, throat, eyes and overall body shape?
You need to change that, by putting your doctor in a position to know whether you are working too hard, sleeping too little, eating all the junk foods and stressed out with your relationships while trying to fill the void with fat, sugar, sodium, pizza, cold cuts and sugar-laden beverages. A profile of your lifestyle should be the key a physician needs to advise and treat you. Prevention can only be achieved by knowing what it is that should be addressed before the symptoms arrive.
Our system of health care puts the cart in front of the horse. Plaque build up is a major problem leading to high blood pressure and cardiac consequences, destroys your joints and robs you of valuable years of joy with your family, friends and grandchildren - not to mention your community and the good you can do to make the world a little bit better.
Having set my alarm clock to allow me time to watch "Meet The Press" every Sunday, I feel we have been robbed of a great figure of our time. Loving politics, I found no peer capable of the highly intelligent approach used by Tim Russert. My regret is for his son Luke whom he loved so much, because there will be no "Big Russ" for Luke’s children .
As for those responsible, I believe that the physicians who worked with Tim Russert could have made a point of convincing Tim of the need for him to work as hard at maintaining his body as he did at his profession.
I cried when we lost JFK and I am old enough to have seen the sadness in my father’s eyes when we learned of the death of FDR and I will miss this wonderful man for all he did to help us understand the people who run for office. His ability to get to the facts is ironic because his methodology is exactly what we needed in seeing to it that Tim lasted longer. This election will be unlike any I have known since JFK ran against Nixon and it was my first vote for a President. I felt then as I do now, some people are just too good to be taken for granted. I feared for the life of JFK from the moment of his election. I fear for the life of Barack Obama and I grieve for the loss of man who would have enjoyed this election like a little boy with a brand new toy.
May we treasure all that we have and remember to take care that we maintain our bodies in a manner that preserves the time we have to offer the best we have. There is much research that would have made clear that living on junk food will shorten the life of great men - just about the time they are at the peak of their ability. Having a special clinic where people could learn to eat the right food would be a good start.
As it was with other great men, the pain will not pass easily from our hearts and minds as we wait patiently for someone to fill that void.
Tim Russert was the best of Buffalo in the form of a really beloved man. He graduated from the same school as my oldest son. We need such a rare jewel as Tim Russert in order to confront the problems we face with knowledge. Tim did the research and asked the hard questions and expected you to use his work to make decisions which would lead us to do the right kind of people to make sure that government of the people, for the people and by the people would not perish from the earth.
We all miss you Tim and Buffalo will always remember a special representative of the heart and soul of all Buffalonians.
posted by Stan Kent at
2:58 PM
1 Comments:
Stan, it's really encouraging to see that someone is trying to get information out there to people that just haven't seen the light yet. Keep writing, I'm loving it.
By
Jeremy Auger, at 9:29 PM
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