Disturbing discussion with my nurse practitioner by Linda Foster, guest writer who has been poisoned from her dental fillings. Feburary 2008 I went to the doctor today to get my blood work done. It has been two years and I wanted to see how I was doing with my CBC, lipids, glucose, etc. As I don't get sick very often, this is about the only time I go to the doctor these days, to get blood work ordered. I belong to Kaiser here in California and I see a nurse practitioner (NP), by choice, instead of a doctor. I like nurse practitioners. They can give you more time and are not standing there poised to run out the door while you are still trying to tell them something. They are usually easier to talk to you, more open minded, gentler, all of the good stuff you wish your doctor was. The only prescription I take is Armour Thyroid (from pigs, but at least not synthetic). But sometimes I forget to take it for a day or two. I am mercury damaged and I do forget things. The NP was telling me that I needed to exercise and I know that. No argument there. She said that was more important than worrying about having blood work done to follow my progress. She also said that Kaiser will not let her order more than the basic two tests for thyroid as they are very expensive. She also said they won't test for things that they don't treat. I think she was referencing phosphorus or something I had written on my request list. Interesting concept, if we don't test for it then it doesn't exist I guess is the philosophy. Scary idea. She said I could become diabetic as I am overweight and teeter on the brink. I realize that also. Again, no argument. I said that being diabetic would be hard since I forget to take pills sometimes. She told me that if I became diabetic I would have to take my pills on exactly the prescribed schedule and then if I forgot to take my pills that I could be made to have a conservator who would force me to take my pills as directed. I was stunned and speechless. I said I didn't have any family who would bother to do this and it would have to be a stranger. She said it probably would be a stranger. Now, where they will come up with this stranger who will force me to take my pills is a mystery to me. Do you think this is the party line at Kaiser that she is parroting and probably is taught at staff meetings? To tell patients they will end up with conservators to force them to take medications. Do you also believe and think that this is related to the forced vaccine issue and threats of taking people's children away if they don't get them vaccinated? Kaiser is a huge HMO here in California. They have their own hospitals, clinics, ER's, and except for trauma patients and some specialties are pretty much one-stop shopping for people who belong to it and people love to belong to it. I never wanted to belong to Kaiser but it comes with my job (our only choice of insurance coverage) and is really inexpensive for me. I am always stunned at how sick everyone looks that I see in the halls and sitting in the waiting rooms. They are usually there with horrible viral infections, such as the "stomach flu" that is going through whole families and last year when I was there it was whooping cough. Whooping cough! I didn't know anyone got that anymore. I thought that went out back in the 1920's or thirties. This conversation came after another conversation about my interest in having blood work done so I can track the results over the years, especially since having my amalgams removed and doing detox. I told her way back about what I had done in a general way as I know most medical people are skeptical and write "hypochondriac" or something worse in your file when you share these things with them. She must have it written in my record as we didn't actually discuss it this time and I don't see her very often for her to remember it. She did mention going over my chart in her office before coming into the room. She said, "It is very controversial." (Believing that amalgam fillings are dangerous and cause illness in people, or at least I am assuming that is what she meant.) She actually said that there is "more research that says that it isn't dangerous and doesn't cause problems in people." She finally admitted that maybe I was just very sensitive and that was why I had a problem. I agreed that I was sensitive to many things. I tried to sputter out something to the effect that there is much more evidence showing that mercury in amalgams is very destructive to almost all people who have it, but she was starting to leave the room and I was reminded of some advice I had read that said don't bother to argue with doctors and dentists when they say this. You are not going to change their minds and it just makes their hackles go up and you risk not getting the care you were seeking from them. Move on to someone else if you can. We had already discussed my problem with Rosacea on my face, only on my nose recently instead of my cheeks being so awful. She asked me if I was using the Metrogel she prescribed. I said I really hadn't been as it was only in one spot on my nose. She had also prescribed tetracycline, the same as my former dermatologist had done, but I stopped taking that too as it is so hard on one's intestines. I said I thought the Rosacea was from eating chocolate. I told her that I was going to have to put chocolate in the same category that I put booze in, untouchable for me. It makes me so sick, so quickly. I think coffee is going into that same category too. Luckily I am a major tea drinker, herbal and regular, so I won't miss the coffee that much. I was dumbfounded by the whole experience. It is one thing to really encourage people to exercise, but to threaten them with conservatorship if they don't take their prescription medications as directed, that is scary. I wonder if Kaiser is giving seminars on how to talk to patients like me who exhibit outrageous beliefs in being poisoned by mercury and such. Or, if we don't want to take all the synthetic and toxic chemicals they prescribe to us for just about anything and everything you can think of having. Are we now to be threatened that we will lose our rights if we have these issues? That evening, once I was able to sit down and actually think about what she said, I was feeling like mainstream medicine is turning into a German concentration camp and I am one of the detainees who is being experimented on against my will. Make me sick and then punish me when I exhibit symptoms of my illness. I keep having these weird experiences with doctors and other medical people. If I could live without them, I would. It is scary to think of not having medical care in the event of getting hurt in an accident, but I sure don't want them for illness treatment. The propaganda campaign is strong and consistent. Only prescription drugs will heal. A complete and total disdainment for the toxic affects of things like mercury that is introduced into our immediate and personal environment by way of our teeth, vaccines, contaminated fish, coal fired power plants, etc. I was blindsided by this woman. I had always been under the impression that she was a reasonable and open-minded person. I am really disappointed to find that she is just another shill and mouthpiece for the AMA, the ADA, the FDA, the drug companies, huge corporations like Kaiser, and all the other mercury pushers, deniers, and protectors out there. I suppose she has to protect her job and her livelihood. I just don't understand how they stand there with a straight face and protect the use of mercury in people's mouths and promote all the vaccines for tiny babies. Not yet stunned into submission, fortunately, I am continuing the quest to beat the odds and improve my health without the help of mainstream medicine. I will recover in spite of them. I have gotten this far with help from all the advocates on-line and who have written books and dedicated their lives to this issue. I am forever grateful to them and to everyone who contributes to this forum. (Editor's note: Linda was referring to an online mercury forum, of people poisoned by mercury.) Thank you for your insights, your courage, and your perseverance. It is a nearly impossible task, but we have no choice but to continue and fight the good fight.