Patrick Swayze has Pancreatic Cancer...

[Raven]

I think the ol'days should be when only 10% or less of the population remembers them.  Seems like a fair number.

[Quicksilver]

There does seem to have been a huge upswing in cases. When I was little my nan passed from breast cancer and it seemed really unusual (admittedly I was little but the grown ups in my family also seemed to find it really unheard of) now cancer seems like something you're  lucky, almost unlikely, not to have a personal brush with at some point in your life

Sometimes it seems like every third person in my church has cancer, plus my mom, plus my grandmother, plus my best friend (all three happily recovered now, thank God) . . . it's endless.

On the other hand, I remember C. S. Lewis writing about how his mother, father, and wife had all died of cancer. Maybe it wasn't as rare back in the old days as we tend to think from our perspective.

Your experiences at church probably aren't coincidence, most people that are terminal or related to someone who died tragically or is terminal, become very religious. So ergo, a lot of people in church are going to have cancer or know someone that has it.

I think all diseases are in an upswing. Imo medicine has just delayed the inevitable .  In ecology we were taught a great deal about population thresholds. The human population is way way over the amount our world can sustain. Basically if the population keeps going up over this limit, your in for a big crash. In our case it's going to be cancer, crazy viruses, weird diseases like autism.....on and on. It's a biproduct of our lifestyle. We can get anything we want, but it all has consequences. We're effectively controlling our own evolution and unfortunately there are going to be problems. Children arent going through puberty at the age of 10 for no reason.  It's not the end of the world, but more of another step, forward or even backwards, depending on how we handle these issues and than a lot of it, is completely out of our control. Kinda went too deep sorry

[AmandaGal]

Considering that children used to be married and having kids themselves at the age of 16/17, I don't know that puberty age has decreased that much.  The studies that I've read have only found a difference when they compared the poor and undernourished of "olden time" to people of today.  Of course you're not going to go through puberty as soon if you're not eating enough to sustain your own normal body functions, which was fairly common in olden times.  You see that in animals too and even anorexia stops a woman's menstruation.  I'm not saying that I've read every study out there, but the ones that I have found the menstrual age in the rich in "olden time" was comparable to today.

It's weird that, before our time, people used to be considered old maids in their 20s.  Individuals we consider as "children" now (and who act like children) used to have families, farms, etc (out of necessity more than want probably).  Not that that is the better way, but we've imposed our views of chastity and obedience on a group that once had a whole lot more freedom (and sense).  Not that I would encourage any of the 17 year olds I know to have kids and start a farm.  They are very immature, but apparently that wasn't always the case.

[Quicksilver]

You made me think  A LOT

I just think there's more "rich" people. I feel even lower classes are rich compared to the pre-1900's. I mean I'm not well off, however I have way more than enough food, shelter, 2 cars, toys, and more than enough luxuries, but I'm considered poor.

My point, most of the kids have everything they need, comparatively; Including estrogen in the water supply. Which actually could be the real reason girls menstate earlier. Basically it's from women receiving estrogen replacement therapy, pass their estogen to the water supp;y, because it doesn't break down quickly.....Think of all the meds we take now........hell, kids on adderall. Medicine is changing everything. 

[gbeenie]

I think all diseases are in an upswing.

Is that a joke?

The human population is way way over the amount our world can sustain.

HORSESHIT. Prove it.

Basically if the population keeps going up over this limit, your in for a big crash. In our case it's going to be cancer, crazy viruses, weird diseases like autism.....on and on. It's a biproduct of our lifestyle. We can get anything we want, but it all has consequences.

All stated with the certitude that can only come from a complete lack of objective evidence.

[Quicksilver]

I'm not going to argue... believe what you want

[AmandaGal]

Like kids today really drink water.  We should be testing the sodas

There was an article about drugs in the water linked to the reputable beacon of public information known as slashdot today (in other words, take with a grain of salt).
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080309/ap_on_re_us/pharmawater_i_4;_ylt=ArJ7VfgNcnDbrdEsPogmg7gE1vAI

Is it mean and horrible that I laughed out loud when I read this, "A sex hormone was detected in San Francisco's drinking water."  Explains a lot about San Fran!

My opinion, since I'm a pharmacist I know a little about drug effects on the body.  I find it hard to believe that trace amounts of most drugs would have any long term effects at all.  They don't even have any long term effects on the people who use them (blood pressure medications: you stop taking them and your blood pressure goes up, etc).  Even some of the negative effects go away when you stop the drug because the body has organs (kidney, liver, intestines) that constantly filter those drugs out.  The long term effects that stay around are when a drug damages and organ or cell, which they can and will do, but most of that is even dose related.  We routinely do "drug levels" on patients and the only ones who have even have therapeutic doses of drugs stay around are people who have problems with their major organs.

Your body also adjusts its own production of hormones based on the hormones you're given.   That's why when you take prednisone, you have to take 5 today, 4 tomorrow, 3, 2, 1...it's "tapering" the dose.  Your adrenal glands says, "eh, you're getting all the cortisol you need. I'm going to take a nap" but when you start getting less and less, it says, "Hmm, I better kick it up."  Estrogen is similar as are the male sex hormones. 

Your body tries very hard to keep itself balanced.  Transgender people have to take a whopping dose to overcome that natural urge of the body to regulate.  For the estrogens, they take 4-5 times the recommended dose and the dose we give to normal women is small to begin with.

Until I see real evidence to contrary, I'm not going to worry about my water.

[Courtney]

There was an article about drugs in the water linked to the reputable beacon of public information known as slashdot today (in other words, take with a grain of salt).

At first glance I could have sworn that said "reputable bacon of public information."  Damn you, Bill Corbett.

[mistressrylie]

i heard the blind singer from roadhouse died too at some point recently of cancer.  this is sad shit. 

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

heh i was gonna respond to qiucksilver but beenie put it more succinctly than i ever could (granted it turned out quicksilver was more into talking than in a conversation as she merely dissmissed rather than eaborate) and amanda who pointed out things i was gonna point out albeit less intelligently. 

[bettertomorrowamy]

mmmm, beacon

[anais.jude]

heh i was gonna respond to qiucksilver but beenie put it more succinctly than i ever could (granted it turned out quicksilver was more into talking than in a conversation as she merely dissmissed rather than eaborate) 

more like beenie was so harsh with her rebuttal quicksilver probably decided there was no point in elaborating. i prefer that over useless arguements where no one actually reads the other persons post they just wait for the post to finish (i am not saying sarc or beenie do this. You know who i'm talkin bout)

[PlayMSTie]

cs lewis was only writing that in the 50s maybe even the 40s,   shouldnt the old days be longer ago than that.

He wrote it in the '50s, but his parents died in 1908 and 1929 respectively.

Your experiences at church probably aren't coincidence, most people that are terminal or related to someone who died tragically or is terminal, become very religious. So ergo, a lot of people in church are going to have cancer or know someone that has it.

It's the other way around. People who've been going there for years have gotten cancer; they haven't gotten it and started coming (at least not in most cases). I honestly wonder sometimes if the building should be tested for toxins!

The human population is way way over the amount our world can sustain.

You haven't read much in recent years about population trends in places like Europe and Japan, have you?

[Tripe]

Your experiences at church probably aren't coincidence, most people that are terminal or related to someone who died tragically or is terminal, become very religious. So ergo, a lot of people in church are going to have cancer or know someone that has it.

It's the other way around. People who've been going there for years have gotten cancer; they haven't gotten it and started coming (at least not in most cases). I honestly wonder sometimes if the building should be tested for toxins!

Are they all the same kind (or related kinds) of cancer?" Because there might be something to that if that's the case.

[PlayMSTie]

No, several different kinds. But still, it seems weird sometimes. Of course, it's a big church close to an urban area, and I suppose it's likely that any large group in that situation might have a large incidence of cancer. My parents go to a different church not far away, and their church started a prayer ministry just for people who have cancer. It's usually a pretty long list.