Esterly, Burzinski, and Cancer

The BBQ Pit
1

Triskadecamus and Canadian Sue have, in the U.S.Women with breast cancer denied access to lifesaving treatment, have condemned the previous answers as lacking in compassion. I respect their opinions, and acknowledge the many correct and informative answers that they have given in the past.

But, in this case, they are wrong.

We are (or at least I am) incapable of judging the amount of truth and sincerity in Jo Ann Esterly’s claim that she herself has metastatic breast cancer. Very well, let her statement be taken at face value: she has metastatic breast cancer. A horrible disease, and a horrible future to face.

But she is not seeking sympathy for her plight, natural, understandable, and worthy of response as that would be. She is not seeking sympathy for other women in the same position. Rather, she is hysterically demanding that a known and proven fraud not be supressed (although this “supression” seems to amount to no more than a more-than-usually half-hearted requirement that his “treatment” be proven effective by the ordinary standards), that he be allowed to poison thousands or tens of thousands of women, and that a government conspiracy is somehow denying access to “lifesaving” information (although said information is easily located via Web browser).

As I have said, a personal appeal for sympathy by Esterly is understandable. A hysterical assertion by her that she would take arsenic for her condition might be submitted to, albeit with sadness, as she is presumably a woman of mature age and entitled to her own wishes. But a demand that thousands of other women be administered the poison, that the poisoner be feted and acclaimed, and that the awful powers of the Federal government (which she apparently believes should be the exemplar of all that True and Beautiful in this world, or perhaps the world that she thinks that she lives in) be applied to make the poisoning, and the poisoner, accepted and acceptable, is not. At best, we must suppose that her emotions have overwhelmed her reason, and gently but firmly lead her away.

We can only hope that this is indeed an expression of grief, to be tolerated although not approved of. Anything less, and this must considered a particularly cruel urban legend and spam, to be condemned by everyone who even asserts concern for women in this condition.

2

What Akatsukami said. :slight_smile:

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen

3

I’m wrong? Read again what I wrote please.

I went through the whole realm while taking care of my mom who died of breast cancer. It was ugly,hurtful, painful, debilitating and at times very degrading for her.

Were you with us? Did you suffer through the pain that we went through, that my mother went through? How can I be wrong about something I experienced?

Do any of you really know what you are talking about? I’m with you Krispy, I’m embarassed that this woman has received the responses she has. Get a grip people, she wasnt looking to be ripped apart.

This isnt a right or wrong statement. This is my opinion. How can an opinion be right or wrong?

Give your children these two things: One is roots, the other, wings - Wally Wally He’s our Man

4

I agree with Sue 100%. Unless you have been there and walked in those shoes, don’t try to do the dance.

** Sigh. So many men, so few who can afford me ** Original by Wally

I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.

5

Ah, well, let us try to make up for our lack of sensitivity and try and craft an suitable reply to Ms. Esterly, shall we?

“You poor dear, you’re absolutely right. Burzynski is a hero, a saint, nay, a demi-god, for his long and stressful efforts in the field of oncology with so little to show for them. Shalala and Henney are lying, scheming, callous bitches for taking bribes from the bloated pharmaceutical industry and the money-grubbing conspiracy calling itself the AMA to conceal the very existence of Burzynski’s existence so deeply that it can only be turned up by a casual web search. We must and certainly will march on Washington to burn the thugs of the Clinton administration alive and let the supressed remedies of alternative medicine out into the light that they so richly deserve.”

Hmmm, no, doesn’t seem to quite strike the right note. Let’s try again, shall we?

“You poor dear, we’re so sorry to have to tell that Burzynski is a fraud and a scammer, preying on sick, frightened people such as yourself. We know that only your physical and emotional pain would have caused you to post libels like you did against Shalala and Henney, and those wild conspiracy theories about the government, and we certainly won’t hold it against you.”

Hmmm, still a bit smarmy. Perhaps a more compassionate, caring person than I can express the right amount of sympathy whilst conveying the information that Burzynski is a loser, and his “therapy” without redeeming value.

6

You really just don’t get it do you.

Give your children these two things: One is roots, the other, wings - Wally Wally He’s our Man

7

Why, no. Since the various sufferings that I have gone through, both personally and vicariously through friends and family meeting ugly, degrading and, in some cases, untimely, deaths, have not involved breast cancer (other types of cancer, yes, other diseases, yes, but not breast cancer), I obviously can’t “get it”. And since those who could perhaps convey this information do not, I probably won’t ever “get it”.

However, I daresay that I’ll manage to muddle through life without this information, just as I have had to do for the past few decades. Doubtless I will be deemed inadequate for being unable to heal the sick and raise the dead, provide infinite amounts of sympathy and patience in the face of unlovely behavior, prove a tower of strength able to meet any challenge, and cause others’ lives to become unruined, but then, I have so often been proved to be inadequate in these and other respects in the past that the shock value has long since worn off.

8

I am sympathetic to Jo Ann Esterly but she did post a “plea” that was a thinly veiled attempt to legitimize a quack. I believe that more people will be harmed than helped by his methods. I don’t think she will be back, not because of what anyone here said to her, but because that was never her intention.

And Akatsukami, the part that you don’t “get” is that you’re coming across as flippant. I agree with you, and I still think you sound like an asshole.

9

Precisely!

Give your children these two things: One is roots, the other, wings - Wally Wally He’s our Man

10

I am often wrong. I certainly might be wrong about Ann Esterly, since I have only her assertion that she is suffering from a dreadful and dreaded condition. I could be wrong as well in my assessment of Dr. Burzinski. But I stand completely on my assessment of the responses of the board prior to my post, and some following it. They were overtly skeptical, and lacking in compassion.

There might be truth to your assertion that Ann Esterly does not deserve my compassion. She gets it anyway. You are obviously wrong in asserting that I encouraged any belief in miracle cures, or quack medicine. My post specifically warned Ann that her emotions made her assertions and suppositions untenable. I chose to be very careful, and caring in my wording. I do not find that fact to need defending.

Go back and read my post again. Please find the portion that canonizes Burzinski, encourages paranoid delusions about politicians, or encourages false hope in quack medicine. Post those quotes, and I shall reply to your accusation that I was wrong. What I did write was intended to be an expression of concern to another human being about a real problem in the midst of a huge emotional storm. I did not lie to her, nor did I find fault with her for her lack of rationality. I considered that an inappropriate matter for comment.

I agreed with Krispy Original, and in public! That is shaky ground on this forum, but that does not trouble me. I had not seen any compassionate responses to the person of the original poster, and I tried to provide one. If my observation offended you, consider it a difference of choice on what is important in communicating with unknown people about very poignant issues. I choose to believe that the truth can be offered with care, and love.

Tris

Imagine my signature begins five spaces to the right of center.

11

This Burzynski was supposed to have NIH studies, as well as studies in other countries. All have backed out.

He told one woman with a brain cancer so big it was displacing her skull that she would feel better soon. Well, she died on the plane ride back to NYC.

Sure this is a crock, injecting oneself with urine and expecting a cure. All for only $14,000.00 a month.

But come on. People have the right to be stupid. If it gives them false hope to think this Polish doc can cure them with their own urine, so what?

Never mind that the stuff he produces from the urine which is collected from public urinals is insoluble in water and body fluids.

Let them believe they will get better.

Although the last I read this guy’s clinic had finally been shut down. What difference would it make if the people are going to die no matter what, what quack treatment they use?

lindsay

12

Because it’s fraud. It is despicable predation on the weak and desperate.