It's a real life Frankenstein story come to life. Once again, lack of regulation is coming back to rear it's ugly head. Yet, according to the last elections, everyone seems to want less govt. regulation and oversight.......WTF!

I think that people have a difficult time in determining and communication when they want MORE regulation versus when the want LESS.

In the medical profession, you're dealing with a constantly changing game - not only in the equipment, but in patients, doctors, and nurses. Equipment and procedures are ever improving, but along with that, doctors, nurses and technicians also need to keep up, and I feel that our system does not adequately maintain consistent education of our experts.

Patients, also, are pushing harder for quick, immediate results, and spending time Googling every symptom to the point where many now disrespect even the most qualified doctors. I work in the foot care industry, and see this 24/7. (In plantar fasciitis, for example, many patients want a cortisone shot for instant results, when they'd be better served in the long-term by daily stretching)

Thus, I feel we need MORE, improved regulations in the medical profession - from education, to as rd said, checks of the equipment, and more.

On the flip side, I feel we need LESS regulation in other areas - certain areas of business, for example, (note I said CERTAIN, not ALL), so that we have a better chance of bringing industry back to the US. I think the TSA needs a reduction on power, and LESS regulation there, because I feel that they're current system is not the most effective option, especially considering the cost.

It's possible to want both more regulation and less, we, as citizens, however, have the responsibility to learn how to communicate effectively with each other, LISTEN to each other, and communicate to our government to effect change.

People believe regulation is bad because Fox News and friends say it is. Gullible ignorant people who believe Fox News is some kind of legitimate news authority. As long as the medical industry is about profit and extremely wealthy doctors, the medical industry will remain broken. This is yet another area where capitalism does not work.

You are generalizing. This is about healthcare, not a rant against FOX.

Who cares? You know these people just want to make a quick buck and sue the hospitals for tons of money. We don't need any regulation, because that kill business. If it was regulated then there is no way we would even have access to newer technology. So yeah, these people are the cause of why our insurance keeps going up. They are going to sue and we are going to pay for it. /sarcasm

---This story is is exactly why we need government regulation. We have these people who will never get their quality of life back. We have these little girls that will never have their mother back and even if they get compensation, the damage is already done. I am so sick of peoples attitude towards the government on a whole. Yes, we need a more efficient government, but No the government is not totally useless. We need the government for the people and by the people. Not the government for the corporations and by the corporations, but that will never happen when we have special interest pouring money into EVERY political camp. There are no honest politicians, because they all take "blood" (exaggeration right there for all the slow to catch on people) money. The question is who is going to screw us the the least. I hope these families find some comfort that their stories are out and this might prevent these kind of things from happening in the future.

Mark VanGelder-1693883 ...... craig speakman..."Once again, lack of regulation is coming back to rear it's ugly head."

I beg to differ. The article states ...."The F.D.A. approved the retrofitted linear accelerators with little review on the grounds that they were mere extensions of existing technology". AND “a combination of user error, coupled with neither the manufacturers nor the F.D.A. being able to anticipate a potential safety flaw in a ‘mix and match’ treatment delivery system.”

Plenty of Regulators in the FDA, but they are too busy making sure the kids eat tofu and alfalfa sprouts, banning salt and french fries and putting road side farm stands out of business to actually do the job they are supposed to do....Just my thoughts on the matter....

Mark what is wealthy, tell us what the top amount of money anybody should possible have in there yearly income and even their life time. Was Ted Kennedy to wealthy. Are there people on your street that you hate and envy becuse of the money they've worked hard for and have been able to save? Please you sound like you know exactly what we all need. Is FOX news the only one of the large media giants we should watch out for?

Don't assume all doctors are wealthy and money hungry, because it's not true. My next door neighbor is a doctor - pediatric cardiologist specialty or something, and she works CONSTANTLY. Yes, she earns a nice paycheck, but it's not enough to pay back all of her medical school debt in addition to covering her insurance. She chooses to live in a small townhouse within walking distance of work.

That said, there will always be the doctor who thinks he's God and people should bow to him, but you'll find the same complex in the business world too.

And Jahmekan, thanks for a balanced view on politics. Democrats aren't correct, Republicans aren't correct, NO ONE is 100% the "right" party who'll "fix" everything. We need government regulation, but we'll only have it properly if we educate ourselves and vote for what we believe in, not what media tells us to. Make the change in your personal life first, then work outwards. It beats the hell out of throwing accusations and pitying yourself.

those who bitch about doctors earning too much were too dumb to take the MCAT, too lazy to get 4.0 GPA in college, or couldn't hack it through 8 more years of school + 4 year residency. There's a reason health care professionals are (and should be) top earners.

Back on topic:

Whenever you deal with a new technology, accidents and injuries are bound to happen. Precision surgery, particulary in dicey arenas such as brain surgery, is always better than taking a chains saw to someone's head and then screwing it back together. In this case, we have a great idea clashing with a dearth of technology to accomodate it.

Once technology catches up to the idea this'll be a sad chapter... but the page will have turned.

Your comment about xrays tells me you are clueless regarding these matters. No, I am not an xray tech. I do work with radiation though daily. You should become a little more educated regarding a topic instead of just running off at the mouth.

rd*******Just so you know, all x-ray equipment including the aprons are tested/calibrated on a regular basis. Calibration is performed when patients are not present and monitored by appropriate qualified personnel. Perhaps you should inquire more about this at your local hospital prior to blogging wrong information.

So, Tired of Extremists, maybe they keep the number of medical school entrants low so that society is protected from morons like you.

I work in the medical device industry and been through F.D.A. audits all they do is look at the paper work not the device. They don't care as long as the tech follows the procedure. The problem is the cone was not adapted to the linear accelerators. The device has to look like its anouther attachment. The manufacture did not change the software until after a problem was seen.

Tired of Extreemists probably fits into one of the categories I described, jealous he couldn't make it to the MD degree. It's ok, I didn't get into med school either (dental school admittance, however, is another story :) but at least I have respect. I'll take an MD performing my surgery, hell diagnosing my cold, to an RN with a laptop any day.

From the above statements, they calibrate x-ray machines all the time, but an SRS machine that's cobbled together with parts and software from who knows where is not.

Does anybody see a problem here.

The manufacturer of this junk needs to be taken to the cleaners, then sat down in front of their equipment with their victims at the controls. That would make for a real PROFITABLE year.

my father has had a few doctors that almost killed him because they were incorrectly balancing his medication. if he hadn't known more about his medical condition than they did, he would probably be dead.

more personal experience: my wife was contracting a month early and we went to the hospital. despite our OBGYN telling us to go home, a Nurse discovered that my wife's placenta was detaching and she was at a high risk of not only losing our child, but her life as well.

I'd take the RN over the doctor too. Even without a laptop.

One word, TRAINING! The medical care system is so concerned with profits that they have sacraficed funding for training. All medical tecs should have a manufacturer specific certification process on this type of equipment instead of the intern type training they're getting now. The law requires mechanics and engineers to go through a specified certification for equipment, why are medical techs not required to do the same?

What do you expect in an American hospital? This is private enterprise-- supposedly THE BEST? Only one small reason for your high medical premiums. And as for Medicare patients, the hospitals slobber over the prospect of radiating the elderly at the first chance, (60 minutes show last spring) so that they can collect more checks from the taxpayers. Corporate welfare continues. Its the WILD WEST, no or minimal government interference, regulations only in name, just like you Americans voted for in November. Can you imagine how many of these types of dangerous errors occur around the country and aren't reported? C'mon!

"Once technology catches up to the idea . . ." When will that be, 20 years from now?

those who bitch about doctors earning too much were too dumb to take the MCAT, too lazy to get 4.0 GPA in college, or couldn't hack it through 8 more years of school + 4 year residency. There's a reason health care professionals are (and should be) top earners.

The fact that you have a superior memory doesn't make you particularly intelligent. It takes a good memory to get high grades in school, not necessarily the ability to extrapolate -- a much better indicator of real intelligence.

You CLOWN. Jimbo from Kaplan College online is operating the equipment, not the doctors.

That's WHY life expectancies are so much higher in democratic countries that use allopathic medicine - Death Rays!!

Never heard of preventative medicine here, no siree. Doctors are all part of an evil cabal to make people sick.

That shaman living as a hermit in the forest hut who works for chicken beaks is so much better...

sorry ah CAMTD the man or lady is right. if it's something severe get a second third and fourth opinion, before making any heart wrenching decisions. it maybe a mistake.

otherwise stay away from doctors.they're hazardes to your health.

Again with the ridiculous generalizing!!!! Not all doctor's are filthy rich. Not all technicians are uneducated. Not all doctor's are out to take your money. You might be surprised how much insurance companies actually reimburse for treatments, etc. And just for the record....certified, licensed technicians have required continuing education requirements to keep thier license. "Don't trust one word of your doctor's mouth"....great advice. And your medical degree is from where???

my medical degree is from the school of common sense.certified liscense technician, doesn't necessarily mean certified liscense technician. most of these technicians, are from fast eddies school of nursing,and mechanics.continuing education?of course right back to fast eddies school of n ursing and mechanics.it's a joke. i could do a better job reading out of an instruction book or off the freaken internet.

i for one and i'm sure my collegues agree we don't see doctors when we really don't need them.

the name od game in this country and in the medical field is MONEY MONEY AND MORE MONEY.you know where it's coming from?right off the backs of the miserable. so continue to live in la la land and my collegues and i will continue to live in reality land.

our motto again?stay away from doctors as much as possible they're hazardous to your health.

oh and one more thing, Doctors not making money?holy crap could of fooled me around here?they all drive around in BMW's, and their houses are to die for, pardon the pun.

So CARLES, if you get into a severe car accident or are having a massive heart attack, you don't want a 'sociopath' to try and save your miserable life? Who ya gonna call, a chiropractor or acupuncturist? Or are THEY too wealthy and sociopathic too? You sound like a true liberal, someone who hates and resents anyone who works hard to make a better life for themselves and their families. Don't go blaming others for your stupidity and failures.

knock yourself out gloria. I'm sure you can do the job, since you sound like a complete an utter idiot. You are such a moron. You have no clue what you are talking about. We'll see how long you decide to stay away from a doctor when your life is on the line and you need one. your comment tells the world what a moron you are.

Oh, now it's the whole country and the medical field that is all about money? So you and "your collegues" are involved in a career where you don't make money????

Where did you get your education, off the internet??? And by the way, la la land is so much better than arrogant, know-it-all-land.

do the job?probably better than you can.oh and by the way if you really must resort to name calling, because you RMil and the other one there what's his or name,are so do desperate to get your point across. here's a news flash for ya,DON'T TALK ABOUT YOURSELVES THAT WAY.it really does nothing for your image or selfesteem.

remeber boys and girls the school of common sense.

Not desperate to get my point across as you are obviously closed minded. You still didn't answer what your field of expertise is as you state that you can "do the job better"....what job is that??

the hack job that they did on this poor woman.that's what we're talking about. does incompitence ring a bell?

It is tragic what happened to this woman. Again, what I don't agree with is your generalized opinion that all healthcare professionals are uneducated, uncaring, and only in it for the money. There is incompetence in every profession, yours included (whatever that may be).

so you're in the medical field. let me tell you something, first of all enough with the belittling. can you just be a tad more diplomatic.diplomacy goes along way.

the incompetence in my profession, whatever that maybe?you don't know what my profession is, and you don't know whether i'm incompetent or not.so let's leave it at that.

tell you what genius, how about if i say that there's incompetence in every field, and not everybody is incompetent.will that unruffle your feathers?there's good and bad in every crowd.

Law enforcement can't even keep their radar guns calibrated, why should anyone expect the TSA to keep their scanners operating within design specifications? I suppose that over time in order to reduce operating costs the TSA will contract the maintenance of their scanners to the lowest bidder. That along with hiring minimally trained grope masters could make for even more unpleasant air travel. I used to work for a defense contractor that manufactured microwave antennas. I asked an R.F. engineer about the controversy concerning cell phone frequencies causing harm to the brain, and his reply was that it's possible. It's approximately two gigahertz that agitates water molecules, meaning they heat up. That is how a microwave oven works. The discovery that microwaves cook food was by accident, when a guy found a softened chocolate bar in his pocket and later realized he passed in front of a microwave emitter. Cellular phones and Bluetooth operate around these frequencies. It's anybody's guess what frequencies those scanners operate at?

Virgil, the difference between a microwave oven and a cellular phone is that the former is about 1,000,000 times more powerful than the latter. It takes power to produce heat, the amount of heating is directly proportionate to the amount of power. The brain naturally generates about 40 watts, the blood carries that heat away. The added 0.010 watt produced by a cellular phone, even if all of it went into the brain, would be too little to matter. In fact, of course, most of that power doesn't go into the brain, otherwise there would be none left over to reach the cell tower and allow the phone to work.

Of course radio waves are non-ionizing. They don't have the non-thermal effects associated with X-rays or gamma rays. The latter damage cells by knocking electrons loose from molecular bonds, changing the chemical nature of the cellular material. That can cause cell death, or cellular mutations leading to such things as cancer. Exposure to even relatively low intensities of ionizing radiation is a concern. None of that is a concern with radio waves, all they can do is cause tissue heating, and that's only significant at high power levels.

John, Thanks for the intel. What I know about R.F. has been told to me by engineers. My level of expertise is with audio frequencies.

Well, I think that with all this new technology is not always so good. My dad had this done with a brain tumor, that was malignant. He got a couple of horrible months - he had high hopes but it wasn't to be. I wish they would have just told him they had done everything they could do for him and let him go with his dignity.

We have to face up to the fact - none of us are getting out of here alive!

It went out the door when someone decided that medicine should be for profit. I am old enough to remember when health insurance and the majority of hospitals were not for profit. Insurance was extremely affordable and you felt like a person if you had to go to hospital not an income stream.

I briefly worked at a Massachusetts hospital years ago in the Facilities Maintenance Department. One day management came looking for an overtime volunteer, so I raised my hand since I was young and broke. The job was to drive one of our Techs over to the VA hospital in Albany, NY. after the workdayand return a dosimeter to their Rad Health Dept that had been on loan to our hospital.

On the way I asked the more experienced tech who went with me, "what's a dosimeter?"

She explained, "It's the device that determines how much radiation a cancer patient gets during a rad therapy treatment session. We've been using the VA's spare for and have to return it."

"Where's ours?" I asked.

"Broken and being repaired...it keeps breaking and this has been going on for several months now," was her reply.

So how does Rad Health determine how much to nuke the patient while ours is in the shop and we don't have a loaner?" was my next question.

"Basically, we just estimate it," was her response.

Mentioned my obvious concerns to my supervisor the next day. He shrugged his shoulders. I quit working at that hospital very soon after.

Radiation affects the brain as well. Maybe that is why these folks don't seem to care K-Man.

Hey Bob, the reports,on that and how many people got sick,from patdowns because the goon TSA agents never changed their gloves after each pat down.

wait it gets better.

I've wondered about the same problem myself. It seems so rushed into service for simple screening of 80 year old ladies and young children and not really for the people they should be profiling for, by using there eyes. Less government intrusion, please!!!

Does anyone remember the scene in Airplane when two middle eastern fellows loaded for bear walked through the metal detector with no problem, then a sweet little old lady passed through setting off the alarm and was tackled for airport security?

We need to get over all this and if we aren't going to use some type of scanning then just admit that bad things happen. We are a target, and I don't care who gets screened, xrayed or patted down. Choose to fly or drive or stay home. But keep safety first.

In defense of TSA - they are new at security. Problem is, they must be politically correct. isreal uses profiling - not only race, but body language. Their airports have half the security people we have, and are 1000 times better. Two reasons.

1. Their security people get extensive training.

2. Their security people are paid twice what our top people make( comparatively).

They scan luggage, and metal scan people. They walk around with explosive sniffing dogs. And they watch people form the door to the plane. And you won't know half of them. The guy with the seeing eye dog may be a security agent. The lady with the big bag might have a metal detector. They are very thorough, and low key. Only the troops patrolling tip you to how serious they are.

Julie, if people are willing to be photographed essentially naked or have a complete stranger feeling up their breasts and between their legs, in front of a crowd of people, a little thing like a fatal dose of radiation won't keep the sheep off the planes. Once you've given up your dignity and self respect, nothing else really matters to you I guess.

Julie, unless I'm mistaken, and I don't think I am, Johns Hopkins was involved with testing the radiation from the TSA scanners and found it well within acceptable levels. I'm sure I'll be attacked for voicing that, but that's the breaks.

we're not jumping on you Ken, we're trying to educate you and warn you Ken.yeah and found it to be at acceptable levels after the government or who ever is selling, this garbage junk greased their palms.you might want to ask Mike the Weasel Chernoff about that one Ken.

one more time Ken, these garbage machines are dangerous.that's no bull sh!t Ken!

More dangerous than another 9/11? More dangerous than a bomb in someones underwear? I think I want every precaution to be taken when I fly the friendly skies.

If adjusted, you get 6 times more radiation from flying at 15,000 feet than the scanner. If independant testors do it, the problem is, they will be the low bidders. Kinda scarry.

"There is no American criminal class, except for congress." Mark Twain, 1903

Notice that the people condemning the scanners' safety don't provide any sources? Consider Gloria who said "government or whoever is selling..." So she doesn't know who is supposedly profiting off poisoning people, but by gosh, she just knows some evil company is out there cackling madly while they kill people. The truth is that these devices put out far less radiation than flying itself exposes you to. There is an unbelievable wealth of information available to illustrate this, but conspiracy nuts will never believe the truth.

Right, and the government had Kennedy assinated, the lunar landings were faked, and aliens landed at Roswell. Conspiracy theorists will believe anything. Get a grip people. Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, we really landed on the moon, there were no aliens at Roswell and the airport scanners are safe. If a total stranger seeing me naked or patting me down keeps me safe on planes, then go for it. Get over yourselves and comply with the SAFETY regulations AND DROP THE CONSPIRACY THEORY NONSENSE!!!!!

Low bidders on a government contract - not exactly a cheap plan.

All you believers out there STEP RIGHT UP!!! Oh that 9/11 attack, who do think orchestrated that??? NOT CHENEY, OR HALIBURTON, NOT MUCH THEY DIDN'T

Been There, Kinjiru, and Vince don't know whose profiting off this garbage. can you reads or are you blind?he is the formner head of the homeland security. he left ands started his own security company then cuddled up with the weasels that are manufacturing this crap.made out and is making outf like a freaken bandit.

you think this is more dangerous than 9/11. you can bet your fat ass it is.Julie is right they knew 9/11 was going to happen and these bastards ignored it.this crap at the airports is 10 years in the makingl it's a big fat business venture nothing more, nothing less.

is there a safety factor with this garbage going on at the airport?the answer, gullible people is a resounding YES!they don't kn ow how much radiation that piece of junk gives off they lied to you gullible people. here's another little factor about that junk, those backscatters can't even detect explosives, all that porno thing does is give some stupid goon sitting in a room an 8by 10 glossy of your fat ass.

so if you people are so god dam braindead to believe this utter bull s h it and nonsense fear factor, then by all means, kn ock yourselves the hell out. you'll lose out in the end for being gullible and stupid.

nobody is reeling conspiracy theories here. what is being said is the teruth and you people are too gullible and stupid to handle the truth.

Who do I think "orchestrated" 9/11 - Terrorists from other countries, not Cheney - not that I like the guy, not some big conspiracy. We think since we live in the US that we are immune to what Europe and others have been aware of for years. But we are vulnerable to these terrorist attacks.

I'm not brain dead or gullible or whatever else you think. I have traveled extensively and know that I want to be safe and I want my childrenand grand children to be safe. The truth is available to those who look for it, independently without the crazies of the world - conspiracy theory lmao.

hey BenThere were you there at 9/11?perhaps you're going by the crap that you were told.did you know that they were warned and it was completely ignored?what's the explantion for that?please don't tell me it's a conspiracy theory because it's not.

you're right the truth is available for those who look for it. the problem
?you're not looking hard enough, that's real problem.

we're not the crazies, the crazies of the world are the people who you believe and what they are telling you.

you also forget,you want your kids and grandkids to be safe. they're not being safe by being lied too. by having fear mongering shoved down their throats. by being exploited at these airports, and being told a pseudo safety fairy tale.it's all a facade.

most of all you forget one thing,perhaps the most important thing having their precious 4th amendment rights obliterated, based on lies and deceit.that sir or madam should not be happening in gthis country by holding all it's citizens suspect.

God bless them, now? If that were the case, seems God would've had the strategical foresight to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Yep--god will take care of everything---sure

Free will, DataLink, free will. Look it up.

You can't have free will and intervention from god, the two are mutually exclusive - which was my point... Think about it.

Of course you can, Data. Free will 100% of the time...no, not if you are also asking for intervention. Free will in general, sure, why not?

Ken-880631

Free will 100% of the time...no, not if you are also asking for intervention.

Then explain his lack of intervention to all the kids sitting on hospice from cancer. But, I guess the prayers for getting laid rank higher on his list of those to be answered?

Ken isn't it sad how DataLink just don't get it. Free will, that's life. Take your chances, you have some personal control you know.

sweaver209, Huh? I'm not arguing against free will, or personal control as you put it. Seems you are the one not getting it... Sigh.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people - no matter how hard you try. Always get a second opinion, especially with radiation, amputation, or your health.

There isn't any such thing as free will anyways...everything is the result of predictable chain reactions. The root of the reasoning behind our actions is too complex for us to understand or not intuitive, thus being interpreted as free will.

Cheerios or Froot Loops? Your eyes send an electrical signal to your brain which sends an electrical signal to the cells in your arms, ATP is broken into ADP, the muscles contract and you pick up the Cheerios.

But that's completely unrelated.

Bingo Dave.all the sheep believe the backscatters are for their safety.

Some time ago doctors learned the hard way that you do not use 100% oxygen in an area where laser surgery is being performed. They managed to cause a spark in a woman's throat while performing laser surgery, while she was on 100% oxygen. There results were what amounted to a blowtorch inside the woman's throat. It turns out that even after all of the education, you cannot instill common sense into a person that lacks it.

Honestly, I think quite a few of the errors made in hospitals comes down to simple human error. These technicians often perform the same treatment many times a day, every day, in 8-12 hour shifts. Plus, the technology is constantly "improving" and changing, but the investment in education is not.

This case is not the rule, as clearly there were additional faults with the equipment, and this is definitely a preventable occurrence, but I don't think hospitals really understand the increase in risk when a process becomes too routine.

Even car factories and Jelly Belly factories understand the risks of too much routine, and they rotate their employees tasks to keep them involved and alert. Not as easy to do in the medical field, I know, but the lesson is still there.

funny, I've never died in a hospital

My husband almost did, they gave him an overdose of morphine for pain, and he specifically ASKED for them to only give him a VERY small amount. THEY APPARANTLY DIDN'T HEAR HIM VERY WELL!!

I almost died from avoiding going to the hospital...appendicitis that ruptured, PA diagnosed and rushed me to the ER where I was treated for sepsis, high WBC counts, high fever (nearing 105°F). Now I'm alive!

My dad avoided the morphine all together, against Dr. wishes he snuck in tylenol and ibuprofen and took those instead. He's a DDS (not an MD, but has medical training) and is so firmly against taking opiates he refused the good stuff :) Your husband could try that!

That Morphine is really nasty stuff.

Chemo is merely a money making conveyor belt for the administrators. Someday it will be looked at as being as barbaric as blood letting

thanks Dave couldn't of said it better myself. chemo has been around for the last 60 yrs,and they still haven't found anything to replace this s h i t.

So nice to see some clear open and objective observation of this practice of medicine.

Bypassing the profanity filter can get you suspended. Just a heads up.

I don't believe in reporting people for that.

ah Mike you'd have to report the whole board because lots of people swear on here.Just a heads up!

Lets hope you never need medical attention since everyone is an idiot!! Oh, but maybe you know what the "idiots" education is??? Please enlighten me. And you know they are all "idiots" how???

Wow - you clearly lack any knowledge on education in the medical field.

1. Yes there are a lot of for-profit career schools (eg: Kaplan) that don't train well and give technicians a bad name. HOWEVER, 90% of these graduates don't get jobs as technicians, they work in collections for the medical field to get "experience" and other dumb jobs so the school can boost it's employment rate.

2. REAL nursing schools, technician schools, etc force you to work your bum off. Not kidding - you would spend every day studying, practicing in skills labs and interning. There is on average a 5 year wait-list to get into these programs because they only accept students as the program can handle new students, and you do NOT progress to the next level until you can complete the current level you're on successfully - and getting a "C" is not considered passing. If you mess up pulling meds as a student 3 times (always verified by a licensed nurse) - you're kicked out. That's it, your done, you don't get to go back. EVER.

3. The "idiot" operating the machine does not just "go home", the idiot is in full awareness that over their lifetime their exposed to more radiation than you ever will. The "idiot" stays on call all night, willing to get up at 2:00 am if someone needs him, is willing to work on Sundays and every holiday. The "idiot" cleans up after the patients they're trying to help - often times getting up to their elbows in vomit and diarrhea, depending on the persons condition.

4. TECHNOLOGY CHANGES CONSTANTLY - they have to constantly learn, and they have to rely on the manufacturers of the equipment to provide good instructions and training. If one person makes a mistake, there are probably 12 other people involved that didn't make a mistake. It's unfortunate, but we're HUMAN. It happens, and all we can do is strive to improve and learn not to.

No, I'm not a tech. But my husband is a nurse, my Dad is in cancer research, my best friends are techs (cardio, MRI tech, and more), my Father-in-Law is a Dialysis Technician, and my neighbor is a Pediatric doctor.

These are PEOPLE. They might not be perfect, but most of them work harder than the rest of the world and are willing to do things that make others cry. How would you like to be the Dialysis tech for a man for 2 years and become his friend, knowing the entire time he'll still die young and there's nothing you can do about it except try to support him and keep him enjoying his last years? My Father-In-Law does this every day.

The Medical Field needs help, but the PEOPLE working it do not deserve to be called idiots and morons, because they are almost all honorable, caring people.

I trust them with my life. And while I hope I don't need their services, if I do, I go into it understanding there are risks, and knowing education and kindness will do more than anger. Should I have a problem, yes I'll be upset, yes, I'll probably publicize what happened. Not for money, but because EDUCATION and AWARENESS improve the world. Hiding your head behind insulting good people does not.

Hello my friend Gloria!!!I can't believe how closed minded people are. The SHEEP GET SLAUGHTERED!!! You all think HOMELAND SECURITY/TSA is really looking out for the public's interest??? This is the start of a POLICE STATE, HELLOOOOOOOOO

Julie - did I say anything about the TSA and believing in them? Please re-read this thread, and explain how we're discussing TSA.

I have respect for the medical field and think improvements are needed. I, however, feel that the TSA has completely over-stepped their powers and are currently providing an ineffective service.

I believe radiation, when used PROPERLY, has medical benefit for treating conditions. I believe radiation for a body scan is excessive and harmful. Simply because an opinion is stated on one subject does NOT mean that you know a person's opinion on every other subject.

Your arguments would be more effective if they were on topic and not focused on insulting people.

minneel - I frankley don't care what you say or said. yes, another know it all here!!! TSA has body scanners/cancer scanners = radiation!!!!!

MinneeL, I couldn't have said it better myself. I work in a radiology department supporting the techs and the radiologists. They are hard working caring people who do their best to insure every patient we see is as safe as possible. They are well trained with lots of schooling,clinicals and continuing education. They didn't just get their license out of a cracker jack box as some seem to imply. Our equipment is constantly checked to be sure it is working properly and safely. Things do happen but we are all human. I am sure everyone has made mistakes in their own life/profession. We can only learn from them. While this incident is terrible it is not the norm. Doctors,nurses,techs,and many others help save lives everyday.

hey Julie!how ya doing? looks like another day in paradise.

You know what? It is another day in paradise!

I thank the Lord every day that my doctor was able to diagnose my skin cancer early. I thank Him that modern research led to a treatment that didn't involve radiation or chemo. If that treatment hadn't worked, then I thank Him that I still had the options of surgery, chemo, and radiation.

I thank Him for my friends in the medical field, for being able to calm my fears and offer encouragement.

I thank Him for my Dad - who participated in the research on the treatment that helped me.

It is a wonderful day! And I have many people to thank for the help they offered me, and many more people whom I can hopefully help by being in the trial for the treatment!

you were thankful that your doctor was able to diagnose your skin cancer early. well that's great and i really mean it. however did it ever occurr to you how you got that skin cancer. did it ever occurr to you why so many people are getting cancer in this country.so much so that it's become an epidemic.

Research? how about researching what causes this epidemic. look for the real cause along with the cure. i'll guarantee you you'll cut this epidemic in half.

the cause of all these cancers that's the answer. i can tell you part of the cause already, it's man made.

again glad you made it, but think about why you got it.thin k about finding what causes this crap, then maybe you can really find the cure.

Thank you Minnee and Marta V, you both express your views without putting people down. Real life, practical, personal experiences....refreshing!

Gloria should take a lesson from you.

RMil if there's any lessons to be learned it's you who needs to learn them. having.you have an opinion and so do i.stop trying to be condesending.

if you're refuring to my post 17.9 then your way off base on that one.i didn't belittle anyone i simply made a common sense statement. where did the cancer come from, and if she knew. i also stated that along with all the cures, they need to find the causes. do you know what an epidemic is?all commonsensel.your lack of there of.

if any one is putting anyone down it's you, with your condesending arrogance. oh and i'll add ignorance.it really doesn't become you sir or madam.ponder that big shot!

Short term memory loss Gloria?....remember calling these techs "morons" "idiots", how you could do a better job reading it off the internet???? That's not belittling people? Hmmmm...guess that common sense education didn't include word definitions!

no you're the one with pee brain. did i specifically point anyone out?why NO, i didn't.i specifically said idiots in general.there's thousands of them.

your constant trolling is just that trolling.i just bet you're one of those incompitent Techs, or disgruntled doctors, or maybe even a nurse, who has something to feel guilty about. they're out there..

listen you arrogant pee brain, there's idiots in every profession.in this field of medicine these people better get a hell of alot more training before they zap anyone else.the person getting zapped better see about that too.

anything else genius?cause i'm here all week

Thank you, Gloria, I do appreciate your understanding for being grateful it was caught. I don't fully disagree with you - I'm sure there are man-made causes that contributed to my condition.

I just don't think it's fair to let a few bad apples in an industry justify calling all techs, doctors, and nurses "idiots" and "morons". Perhaps I take extra offense to it, as I'm so entwined with a hospital community, but I supported my husband all through nursing school, I see him work every Thanksgiving so someone else can have it off, and I see what it does to him when a patient dies that I know he did his best for.

As for me, in high school - tanning was the "in" thing. I went to the beach at least once a week. I lived for the outdoors - horseback riding, hiking, you name it! I never got a tan, though, and in my 20's, I found out this was b/c I was born with a skin condition - I lack most defenses against UV rays, and I have less pigment in my skin than most. This condition has been isolated down to a gene, and there's a 15% chance my future kids will inherit it. (Thankfully, it's recessive).

However, I also think my issues were compounded by man-made ish. Too many "fads", too many chemicals, pesticides, sugar overdoses, too much dairy in my diet. I've cut dairy almost completely out of my diet, and I have clearer skin, I'm 10 lbs lighter, and haven't had a cold in a few years (that's a contentious point people think I'm an extremist on, but oh well!). I also eat mostly organically, and I don't eat meat every day. I'm sure you and I would agree on surprisingly many things that are bad for us - I just don't like brutal generalizations against people who are at least trying to help those who already have a condition.

listen i come on strong however when i called them all idiots i was really shooting for the ones who screwed this poor lady up.that's what it was all about. i know what cancer is i myself haven't experienced it, but my father, grandmother,grandfather,3uncles,2 aunts all died of cancer. my brother had it, now his wife has it and is taking chemo pills, my best friend had it so far she's in remission. her and her husband will be over the house tomorrow night, and then there was a wonderful lady, who i knew well who passed away, on Christmas Eve.

so MinneeL if i'm on the war path about cancer and sort of pissed off at things, now you know why.there's too many people dying of this stuff. i'm getting sick and tired of looking at deaths from 35 to 75, all cancer. there's more of them than there is people dying of old age.something is causing this, .that's my beef.

i didn't want to offend you. you're a good soul.i wish you all the best. i'm glad you licked it.i understand where you're coming from.

yes they do... idiots.. less regulation so that industry and finance and so on can get away with murder for profits...

The problem will grow exponentially due to Obamacare. Talented medical personel will be leaving the medical profession in droves. New, young talent will defer to other professions, due to the minimal pay that they will receive for their abilities. The socialist path is the road to worse and worsest, instead of "better and best".

"Worse and worst"; I guess education in the US is already socialist, based on the miserable writing in these posts.

As a "mid-level practitioner", I'd like you to rephrase your comment. I put over six years into my training and work very hard at my job. Mid-levelers, like PAs and NPs, will be the ones to fill the gaps in primary care when the baby-boomer providers retire. New MDs will not be going into primary care because it doesn't PAY as well and there is not as much PRESTIGE.

Back to the point I think you were trying to make-- the technicians who actually perform these procedures, who take your xrays, who draw your blood, who measure your blood pressure, are often trained in certificate based programs that focus JUST on the job they will be doing-- a radiology tech is not trained in phlebotomy and a phlebotomist is not trained to run the xray machine. Let's leave it up to the specialists to take responsibility for these mistakes. Dont' blame this on the "low and midlevel practitioners".

As one of those radiation techs...I am very well educated. I probably know more about radiation exposure than most doctors. What you fail to see is that people go to the doctor for every little ache, pain, and sniffle and most are not happy unless the doctor is ordering a battery of tests- yes, those include tests that use radiation. Doctors are now afraid not to order diagnostic tests due to all the law suits. People need to take responsibilty as well, use some common sense when you are having your 3rd CT in 6 weeks for your tummy pain, or 5 xray pictures of your low back pain that you've had for 10 years. Oh, and by the way, I am required, by state law, to complete continuing education classes/modules to be able to renew my license every two years.

All the radiation experts on these posts

Politicians who are focused on the destruction of our healthcare system

Republican Politicians focused on killing everyone off by making sure insurance companies can rape everyone and let them die though the insurance companies existing death panels. Republicans won't be happy until everyone that is poor or middle class and sick has died off. If you think they care about you then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. They only care about making their corporate masters happy and to hell with everyone else.

Republicans scare me because they are about as close to a National Death Panel as you can get with their policies.

TC, you are quite right to fear that destruction. If they manage to destroy this initial foray into universal health insurance, then the chaos of the previous lack of a "system" for healthcare will eventually topple from it's own overbearing expense. American healthcare will no longer be available to any but the wealthy.

But, then again, shorter lifespans may be good for the economy - not so much expense keeping people alive for the last 5-10 years of their lives.

Its hit or miss. I was in the best Cancer facility for our city and surrounding area and they still made many mistakes! As for you get what you pay for, that saying is not longer true. 1.47 million dollars for my treatment.....Outrageous and a complete rip off!