The result of socialized medicine.

Sometimes we as Americans have to accept the reality of life. Medicine, as with all other aspects of life, is subject to the laws of supply and demand. When government interferes, that balance is thrown off, and what we are left with is a healthcare system that, while free, is lacking in almost every aspect. Realize this, IF SOMETHING IS FREE, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR.

The following is from a news article located at the link below. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=459909&in_page_id=1774

"'Doctors said all I needed was rest - in fact cancer was slowly killing me' ,says Delta Goodremby. Only those closest to Delta Goodrem knew of the toll the debilitating treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma took on the singerA year after spotting the first symptoms of the cancer which left herfighting for her life, chart-topping singer and Neighbours actress DeltaGoodrem, then 18, stole hearts with an emotional appearance at Australia'sequivalent of the Brits.Her glowing appearance belied her failing health as she collected arecord-breaking seven awards at the ceremony in October 2003, showing off aglamorous off-the-shoulder pink dress and short, choppy hairstyle.It was no secret that she was battling Hodgkin's lymphoma, a blood cancerprevalent in the 15 to 34 age group.Elton John and the Australian Prime Minister John Howard were among thepeople who rang to offer their good wishes.But only those closest to her knew of the toll the debilitating treatment,which began in July 2003 and lasted a year - including nearly eight monthsof chemotherapy and two of radiotherapy."I lost my innocence to cancer," says Delta, now 22."The world became darker. The awards gave me something to look forward to,and I spent ages planning my dress."But after several months of chemotherapy, I only had little tufts of hairleft which were going grey. So I wore a wig and had my nurse backstage."Delta lives in London with boyfriend Brian McFadden.Delta glittered for the TV cameras that night, but, as her treatmentcontinued, she was shocked by what she saw in the mirror. "First I became skeletal and then, when I was put on steroids, became puffy and bulked out. "My skin became sallow, I had no eyelashes or eyebrows, and my teeth started moving so I had to wear a brace. "I felt very unattractive and wrote my 2004 album, Mistaken Identity, about that whole time. And yet I felt wise, as though I knew something other people didn't." Delta, who now lives in London with her boyfriend, former Westlife singer Brian McFadden, has an elegant beauty and quiet maturity. She hopes she has finally put cancer behind her, and is now raising awareness of Hodgkin's, which is diagnosed in 100,000 people a year in the UK, half of them under 50. She has worked tirelessly to help raise money to research the disease, and has become the face of a new fundraiser for Leukaemia Research - the Alternative Hair Show - a hairdressing and showbiz extravaganza to be staged in October at the Royal Albert Hall. Hodgkin's is a cancer of the lymphatic system that carries white blood cells throughout the body to fight infection. It usually affects groups of lymph nodes. The lymph nodes in the neck are the most common site of cancerous tumours in Hodgkin's, but they can also be found in the armpit, chest, groin and abdomen. The cancer can spread through the body via the lymphatic system and affect the bones and organs such as the liver, lungs and spleen. Delta had the tell-tale signs of the disease for nine months before she was diagnosed. These included a lump in her neck, which grew to the size of a large plum, night sweats, exhaustion and unexplained weight loss. Two GPs told her she merely needed to rest - she was filming Neighbours, as well as pursuing a pop career the rest of the time, often flying to London and back for TV appearances. In October 2002, she developed a rash on her face. "It looked like chicken pox and spread over my body," she recalls. A dermatologist prescribed cortisone, which failed to help. "It was the first sign that my immune system was breaking down," she says. Then, out of the blue, Delta began having night sweats. "I woke up drenched," she says. "I've always been tall and lean and I love my food, but although I was eating the same amount, the weight started to drop off. "I was also really tired, but I was used to being busy and the adrenaline kept me going. But at the gym one day, while doing a sit-up, I felt something pop just under my neck by my collarbone. "When I touched it, it was the size of a grape. I knew this wasn't right so I saw a doctor. "He said I was run down, that I'd had a cold and that was why the lymph gland was swollen. I don..'t drink, smoke or take drugs, so I just thought I probably wasn't getting enough sleep. "The lump got bigger, and two months later I went back to the doctor, who again said it was my lifestyle. He said there was only a one in ten chance I could have a serious disease, so I shouldn't worry. "But as I sat there, an alarm went off inside me and I thought: 'That one in ten is me. "Yet still I did nothing. Now I know you should listen to what your body is telling you. "I was No 1 in the charts that year. But I had this underlying fear something was going to happen. I was so tired that sometimes I could hardly stand up." One night, early in July 2003, Delta struggled home to her Melbourne apartment, swaying as she walked. She awoke from a nightmare after two hours sleep. "I was drenched in perspiration and couldn't move for fear. I thought I'd seen a dark figure trying to hand me a note. Now, it's obvious my subconscious was warning me to get help." The following night, after filming had finished-Delta left for Sydney to attend a hospital appointment her mother had made for her. "I knew I wouldn't be back," she recalls. Cells from the lump were tested and Delta underwent blood tests and an MRI. The following day, she was at the recording studio when her mother, Lea, and brother, Trent, arrived unexpectedly. Delta says: "Their faces looked serious. Mum said: ..'They think it's cancer. "I had to go straight to the hospital, where I was told they would operate the next day. "The doctors told me it was Hodgkin's lymphoma and that they were concerned the cancer had spread. I started shaking uncontrollably. I was so scared." The next day the tumour was removed. Then there were more tests. Hodgkin's can affect the whole body, so she was scanned from head to toe. It confirmed that the cancer had spread. The following week Delta began chemotherapy, having six drugs injected into her arm in a session which lasted for six hours, this was repeated every fortnight. "I would feel delirious as the drugs took effect. After the first cycle, I felt I'd been hit by a bus. I was just feeling well again when I had to begin the next cycle." Two months of radiotherapy, to blast away any remaining cells, followed. "I could smell burning and afterwards I was lethargic and slept a lot," she remembers. After 12 months of treatment, and with the cancer in remission, Delta returned to her music career and filmed scenes for Neighbours to explain her character's departure. Meanwhile, she set up her own cancer charity and publicised the symptoms of Hodgkin's. The long-term effects of her treatment and her depressed immune system have stayed with her. "My appendix has been painful and I've had several kidney infections requiring hospital treatment. If I get a cold, it lasts for a month. "Brian is very caring and makes sure I get myself checked regularly. I don..'t know if we will be able to have children because the treatment can make you infertile. At 18, I felt I was too young to think about having my eggs frozen." Right now, Delta is simply celebrating being alive and being free of cancer. "I feel healthy, alive and energetic," she says. "I used to get stressed out, but my cancer has put everything into perspective."

In this present crisis, Government is not the answer to our problems...Government is the problem" --Ronald Reagan.