is it right for you?

  I keep seeing and hearing television advertisements for drugs. Take this for that, ask your doctor about this. Monoclonal Antibodies is the latest thing I've heard them hawking. A daughter is talking to her Mother who was just diagnosed with Covid 19. The implication being that is a death sentence! The daughter pleads with her Mother, call now, call right now, don't hesitate. Call your Doctor and ask her if Monoclonal Antibodies are right for you! As if anyone beside a trained medical professional would know what the heck a monoclonal antibody is. I googled that and still don't really understand what the heck that is all about. Google says, you inject a mouse with an antigen. Okay what's an antigen? Google says it is a foreign substance introduced into a body to induce a immune response. Hmm, I don't like the sound of that. But this monoclonal antigen will produce lymphocytes specific to the antigen. Lymphocytes? Back to Google and find out there are two types of those B & T. You can find them in blood and lymph tissues. Yeah I had best ask my Doctor about that. She will tell me if that is right for me. That means that could be wrong as well. Guess I had best not get those monoclonal antibodies at Walmart. Better check with the Doctor first.

 That is just one example of the stuff I keep hearing about. The list of drugs for mental health is growing too. It could be manic depression, several types of that, bi-polar, a few variations of that as well, or I'm just plain old nuts! But not to worry there are over the counter drugs for all of that or you could consult with your health care professional. You have been given the full list of symptoms to help the Doctor diagnosis the problem. And that is what I'm thinking about this morning. I'm thinking all of that has to be a big pain to the doctors out there. It surely has to be a source of frustration. I wonder how many doctors have to deal with patients attempting to tell them how to "fix" them. What I mean is, as a mechanic I always was annoyed with those that had just read a book or heard something somewhere and then they think they know more about my profession that I do. I read this article that said you could just, and that is where it usually begins. If I where a doctor, after all those years of study, and some clown comes to me about monoclonal antibodies insisting that they should get that because the television commercial recommends that, I will be annoyed. That's what I'm thinking about. Patients bringing the diagnosis to me. 

 We have all heard about hypochondria. I can't see where all these advertisements don't contribute to that. I believe that is especially true with generation x and the millennials. They have been subjected to this constant bombardment of possible health issues. I have heard commercials saying you can have this issue, a serious issue, without even knowing it! You had best get checked right away. We baby boomers were not subjected to nearly the level of that. Most of us were told, rub some dirt on it, it'll be fine. And seeking help because you feel sad? I don't think so. We certainly weren't so worried about our "quality of life" which is a code name for doing whatever you feel like, whenever you feel like doing it. Nowadays you have to seek out the proper specialist for whatever ailment you believe you may have. That's what your primary care physician is for. He, or she, is like the cruise director. Monoclonal antibodies can be found on the Lido deck. All of that started in 1997 when the FDA allowed the pharmaceutical companies to advertise their products. In just 25 years that decision has dramatically changed health care in America. And I don't think it has been for the better. At this moment I hear a commercial in the background saying, ask your doctor for a prescription to the free style one touch monitor so you can monitor your blood glucose level daily. Just, tell your doctor. Maybe that is right for you.