Question: Part 1: For this week's forum post, I chose question series one, "Is it ethical for the federal government to pay the costs of kidney dialysis for all patients, regardless of age or income, as it now does, but not to pay the costs of other illnesses? Which would be more reasonable and more feasible: extending benefits to those who have other illnesses or withdrawing them from those who need kidney dialysis?"
Let me start by saying both the questions for choice one and two this week fall into the category of loaded questions for me, which made it difficult to choose which ones to answer, or even determine if there could be a correct answer. As for whether it is ethical for the federal government to pay the costs of kidney dialysis for all patients, regardless of demographics versus not paying for costs of other illnesses, it is hard to say whether this is ethical and will vary widely on the person or groups asked. It seems it is more unfair than unethical. While I do not believe in the government being responsible for my health care, it does not mean that somebody else might feel they are choosing dialysis patients over diabetic patients or cancer patients. I am of the school of thought, to be thankful if something is covered for me at all. With that said, it does seem if the government is going to foot the bill for one ailment, they would, could, or should be responsible to foot the bill for others.
After spending, the better part of 30 years working in the field, my school of thought is help as many as you can or as many as who want to be helped. Granted, there is no money tree, and it has to come from somewhere. I cannot say treating one type of illness would be more feasible over another, nor can I predict who will benefit more. If the government is paying for treatment, it is a bit questionable if that is even ethical. We have seen what can happen when a group holds significant power over another group, and having the government be responsible for the costs of health care in my mind is quite dangerous and gives the government a lot of power. As for extending benefits of the federal government, this would mean more taxes need to be collected, and some may question if it is ethical for a person who takes good careoff themselves (eating healthy, exercising, etc,.), works, pays taxes, gives to charity, and has their own major health issue such as cancer, should be forced to pay taxes to the federal government to cover dialysis costs for a person who may have made poor health choices in the first place. I personally believe dollars are best spent on those who can be fixed or are deemed to benefit from some quality of life. This may be because, I have no desire to be a burden to my family or the government, and I will most likely allow nature to take its course if it is not something I am able to afford.
One of the things which always crosses my mind when I am dealing with ethics classes for nursing and/or teaching are quotes from the original Jurassic Park Movie.
1. "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
2. "If I may... Um, I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here, it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could, and before you even knew what you had, you patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox..."
These quotes sum up much of my opinion on ethics and how to consider them. Would love to hear the thoughts of others regarding these quotes and their application to ethics and medicine
Part 2: You made some very valid points in your post this week. Kidney dialysis has become a costly and badly supervised program that lines the pockets of providers as growing numbers of terminally ill Americans find themselves receiving dialysis treatments. Congress passed a law nearly 45 years ago that provides nearly free care to almost all patients whose kidneys have failed, regardless of their age or ability to pay. It was meant to keep young and middle-aged people alive and productive. Instead, many of the patients who take advantage of the law are old and have other medical problems, often suffering through dialysis as a replacement for their failed kidneys but not living long because the other chronic diseases kill them. The cost ocontinue this program is hitting the pockets of tax payers due to the increase in patients who are prescribed dialysis. The real question is should we be responsible for the governments accumulation of fees for a program that many who receive benefits of do not really need?
Part 3: I really enjoy natural medicine and the remedy features in foods. Growing up in a family who was always cautious about what we ate and for what reason we ate things promoted a curiosity in me very young. I like how you have listed so many things in your post from watercress, which I love, and other things like cinnamon showed you have done some research or you already knew about them. One thing I like in terms of the fountain of youth is that people want to feel young and look young. The idea that beauty is from within is so true. How do you think a positive attitude plays in longevity? Do you think a positive attitude, a life dedicated to something, and a motivation for wellness or others could play a role?
Another often missed habit that has been said to play a huge role in youthful appearance is that of water. Water and the organ of skin, which takes such a beating all the time, go hand in hand from proper bathing, from sweating out toxins, and to just tone and fullness. Sometimes just a simple motivation to be regularly hydrated and avoiding certain cosmetic chemicals on the face and skin can make a huge difference.
Part4: Discuss the dietary changes needed to slow development or prevent cancer or heart disease. Find one reputable website related to the disease you picked and describe the dietary recommendations.
When it comes to cancer diet is really important to reflect on. Today there are so many different types of food out there and with our growing society the food industries need to keep up. In order for them to keep up they need food fast and need it to last longer so it can make it all over the world and still be comestible. With that being said to be able to make this happen they need to use certain pesticides, antibiotics and chemicals to do so. These things are very important to look at. I have been told in the past during a few health classes that you are what you eat. This is true.
Think about it if you eat beef what did that cow eat? Were they given high amounts of grain and antibiotics to fatten them up? Or where they free range grass feed cow who were able to grow at normal rate? If these chemicals are on our foods and in our foods then that means when we eat them we now have these chemicals inside us. Our body is not made to process these chemicals and does not know what to do with them. So they are stored. When they are stored they become things like cancer, unhealthy dieses or fat.
If we focus more on eating healthier food like organic foods that are not chemically altered and meets that are grass feed free range animals not only will you be more healthier you run less of a risk of developing cancer
Part5: There are some people that believe there are health benefits to drinking alcohol and there are people that feel it's only harmful to people. After looking up a few things there are things to look at from both sides of the argument. A lot of people look at alcohol and how it's related to weight gain. Alcohol is an energy rich nutrient which has about 7 calories per gram. The relationship between the two isn't that simple. While drinking can lead to weight gain, studies have shown that moderate drinking has been connected to reduced weight gain. The increased weight gain comes more from the heavy drinking. Light drinking has also been connected to reduced cardiovascular disease. Light drinking increases the good cholesterol in the bloodstream. It decreases blood pressure, lowers blood clots, cuts the risk of diabetes and temporarily reduces stress. Heavy drinking is dangerous and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. In relation to alcohol and type 2 diabetes, drinking alcohol in moderation seems to help fight the main symptoms of diabetes. Drinking alcohol with meals may cut the rise in blood sugar more than drinking water. With some of the good things alcohol may seem to do, it is still dangerous. Alcohol is addictive and has caused major problems for some people. Heavy drinking causes health risks but it also impairs judgement. Alcohol is a big cause of chronic diseases, accidents, traffic crashes, and social problems. It also causes birth defects in pregnant woman. If you are going to drink, the key is to know when you've had enough.