I was recently watching late night television with my daughter and saw a commercial for Alzheimers. My first encounter with this debilitating condition was with an older gentlemen that banked at a savings and loan that I worked at at a very young age. The gentleman was sweet and kind, in his younger years he had been a producer of films in Hollywood and was quite well off financially. I worked at this financial institution for a little over two years, and watched how this gentleman plummeted into the throws of Alzheimers. One excrutiatingly hot July afternoon, with temperatures towering in the 120's (Palm Springs, California often experiences these kind of temperatures in the summer months), my gentle friend brought me a beautifully wrapped "Christmas" present. He wished me a very "Merry Christmas", and told me he would see me again on Valentines Day, which came (in his mind) shortly thereafter.

As I watched the late night commercial for the medication used to treat this awful disease, I was quite pleased to hear that there might be something productive to help those suffering from this puzzling disease. As I listened, a list of side effects were noted. "Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting" were just a few that were listed. As I jokingly (perhaps more seriously than jokingly), said to my daughter, "I think the effects of Alzheimers sound less brutal than these drug side effects ." In the weeks that followed, I started to notice more prescription drug commercials. One (I cannot remember which health problem it treated, as I did not pay attention until I heard the horrific side effects), drugs side effects were swelling of the tongue and sudden death. Is the treatment of any health condition worth sudden death?

Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson. All presciption drug victims. All victims that lost their lives. The presciption drug useage has even exceeded the illegal drug useage with doctors playing the role of "pushers." The only difference is that most illegal drug dealers have actually taken the drugs and can pretty much describe the "trip" you will go on (in no way do I condone the useage of illegal drugs). With the huge amount of prescription drugs on the market today, most doctors know what symptom the drug is used to treat without truly knowing the sometimes potentially lethal side effects of the drugs they prescribe. They unknowingly become "ignorant pushers." They also do not know the potentially fatal outcome of mixing certain drugs.

America has become unhealthy and has started popping pills to treat the symptoms associated with their poor choices in lifestyle. Presciption drug manufacturers are money making machines and often give "kick backs" to doctors to prescribe their products. The pharmecutical industry spent an estimated $25.3 million peddling their prescription drugs in 2003, with much of that money going to physicians in the form of free samples, meals, conference fees, air fares and continuing medical education activities. The drug companies are adamant that these "gifts" have nothing to do with the fact that doctors are prescribing their products. But these companies do not spend this kind of money on these "kick backs" unless it is in turn producing sufficient income on their behalf. Ultimately, the end result is these "perks" effect your doctors decision in your treatment.

When my son was 9 he was in the Boy Scouts of America, and it was required that he receive a full physical from our family doctor. He passed his physical and the doctor was about to excuse us when my son told him that he thought he had asthma. I immediatley told the doctor that he did not nor has never had asthma. The doctor told me to let my son talk and to basically "stay out of their conversation." He asked him why he felt he had asthma, he told him because sometimes he could not breathe. The doctor prescribed an inhaler with steroids (which can have serious side effects) for him to "puff" when he could not breathe. After we left the doctors office, I asked my son why he felt he could not breathe. He told me "Everytime Sarah (his 5 year old sister) makes me mad, I can't breathe." Needless to say we switched doctors and he did not get his inhaler.

The bottom line to this big money drug dealing industry is to study what you are being prescribed. Don't just trust your life and your health to anyone. Look up the ingredients and side effects. Get healthy, don't live a physically and mentally unhealthy lifestyle and then just treat the symptoms not the cause.

Eight to twele years of schooling does not make someone an expert on all the medications on the market. You be responsible to research what you are putting in your body and what it should note be taken with. The side effects of what you are taking are also very important. I won't put anything in my body that states that although I get a good nights rest, I could end up with a swollen tongue, depression, suicidal thoughts, hallucinations and possible sudden death. Are we crazy? I would rather have the insomnia than "sudden death"!

You do the homework, it's your body and your life!