Prevention Vs. Early Diagnosis

Am I the only one who gets annoyed to hear about “prevention” of breast cancer by getting a mammogram or “prevention” of colon cancer by getting a colonoscopy? These are the tools of early diagnosis, not prevention.

These are VERY important tools and I make sure I do my own monthly (minimum) breast exam (especially after my own brush with a growth in my breast) but let us not confuse FINDING something early and increasing our chances of survival with PREVENTING it from growing/becoming in the first place.

One of the things that grows ever clearer to me is that our current health care system is not sustainable, either financially nor for the health of the people. The health care system is failing. Just look at the rates of disease. People are NOT healthier because we spend tens of millions of dollars each year on health care.

Cancer is a great example. Diagnositic tools for cancer are improving all the time. Our treatment of cancer is improving all the time. My dad only lived for a year and a half after diagnosis (and he had some mis-diagnosis in that time) BUT when he was on chemo he didn’t have many horrendous side effects that people would experience 15 or 20 years ago. They gave him anti-nausea medicine at the same time he received the chemo.

Anyway, I digress. Rates of cancer are NOT decreasing, if anything they are increasing. More people are surviving longer after cancer diagnosis but we are not reducing the numbers of people that are getting cancer in the first place.

As individuals we have a lot to do about our health, short and long term. 75% of our health care dollars go to treat PREVENTABLE disease.

In my next couple blogs I will post some of what we can do to prevent disease and illness. In the meantime, take some personal responsibility for your own health and do something good for your body and soul…get some exercise today. Here in Michigan it is a lovely, sunny spring day. Jewel (my dog) and Keith (my hubby) and I will be off for a walk as soon as I post this.

Final thought…the top five causes of death (and where 80% of health care expenses go) as shared by Dr. Jamie McManus:
Heart Disease
Cancer
Stroke
Prescription Medicines (taken properly, not abused)
Diabetes

Post your comments and tell me what you think or contact me through e-mail at keithdonnacopeland@sbcglobal.net  Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who is paid a comission by Shaklee for products purchased through her or her website: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com