Your link is not helpful. lol

LOL What happened?? I know I typed it. I'll try again.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crazy Talk - Newsweek's story about Oprah

I quit paying any attention to anything Oprah has to say anymore. IMHO, she is totally over the top and gone around the bend. Very weird woman. VERY weird.

Helen

Hi helencolby.
I agree totally with you!

Welcome to the KT!

Lori

Just add my name to Helencolby's post. I've felt that way for a long time. Oprah is a very sad, disturbed person. Goes to show money can't buy happiness.

Welcome to the board Helen.

The Newsweek article did a decent job of describing the show with Suzanne Sommers. I watched that show and it reminded me of an infomercial. I was waiting for a QVC host to come on and start shilling the products. After 15 minutes of listening to Suzanne Sommers describe her health routine and all the pills, injections and procedures she routinely undergoes I decided she's still as crazy as her character from Three's Company.

There are times when I'm watching Oprah that I wish she would have done her homework or had her staff research the topics more thoroughly or at least present a broader discussion of the issue. While celebrities like Jenny McCarthy and Suzanne Sommers are well intentioned Oprah listens to their comments and presents their opinions with the same authority as Dr. Oz.

I should just try to remember that Oprah is 'Entertainment' and that she's trying to appeal to a broad audience. But I also wonder how many people believe what they hear because it's on Oprah. Perhaps there should be one of those scrolls at the bottom of the screen stating "The opinions presented here have for the most part not been scientifically proven."

I don't care much for Suzanne Sommers and I sure as heck don't want to live to be 110... but I do think some of what she says could be helpful. I'd rather take herbs and vitamins than a lot of the prescription drugs that have side effects worse than the original symptom!

I've found Progesterone cream extremely helpful (especially for cramps/fibroids which I had been suggested by my gyn to have a hysterectomy for - the fibroids are gone, cramps almost non-existant now), I am also low in B12 and take injections for that (monthly prescribed by my gp) as well as some of the other vitamins mentioned. IF I were rich I'd take growth hormone too which I am most likely deficient in (my gp ordered the test, but none of the hospitals in my area do it). At about $5000. a month for human growth hormone.. I doubt she will have too many followers.

Don't know that I'd agree with all that SS does, but I'd probably listen to her more than some of the cr*ppy doctors I've had the past 10 years.

Poor little rich girl, Oprah...reminds me of Michael Jackson. Sometimes the more money they have the more isolated they get, or at least they acquire people around them that are nutso, so they become nutso. Michael Jackson was not always as wierd as he is now...Oprah's rating are going down also. I never have been a fan of hers anyway. The last time I watched her show was maybe 13 years ago, but I don't think I missed anything. LOL.

Oprah said,"After three days, the sky was bluer, my brain was no longer fuzzy, my memory was sharper. I was literally singing and had a skip in my step." On the show, Oprah had her own word of warning for the medical establishment: "We have the right to demand a better quality of life for ourselves," she said. "And that's what doctors have got to learn to start respecting."

I don't know what she is doing but she seems to like how she feels. Time will tell though.
As far as the medical establishment, I feel there are some good family doctors and quite a few that become complacent and uninformed. Just keeping up with all the new drugs is time consuming. I personally don't think enough doctors look at women as a whole and try to find out what each woman needs to feel healthy. I went to a PA a few months ago when I had various symptoms and by the end of our conversation she said, could you pick one thing out that bothers you the most? Hmmm, should I pick the racing heart or the fuzzy memory or should I pick the ear ringing? She made me so mad. Eventually my doctor called me at home because I made the comment to his wife/nurse that they were in it for the money. I told him what I thought of about his PA and the "pick one thing" attitude. A month later he had me in again and FINALLY made the statement that my heart shouldn't be racing for so long. I could have hit the roof about then. I'd been telling him for a few years but they kept shrugging it off and by now I felt quite a few other symptoms. My eyes bugged out and my jaw dropped when he acted like he had some kind of eureka moment. I felt like pooping him in the eyes with my two pointer fingers like one of the three stooges.
I agree with your last sentence Lydia.

Oprah might be going to greater lenghths than most of us to keep a certain quality of life but I think she is on to something by telling us we need to look at the whole picture.We should Find out what each person needs, to feel better.
I kind of wonder, since Oprah is rich, single, and childless, if this doesn't give her more time to ponder and explore unconventional ideas. I'd like to see how she is doing in a year.

[Oprah said,"After three days, the sky was bluer, my brain was no longer fuzzy, my memory was sharper. I was literally singing and had a skip in my step." On the show, Oprah had her own word of warning for the medical establishment: "We have the right to demand a better quality of life for ourselves," she said. "And that's what doctors have got to learn to start respecting." ]

While I agree that many doctors do not listen to what their patients are trying to convey to them, I also believe that each person needs to take on the responsibility of finding the right doctor that WILL listen to them and take them seriously when they explain what is going on and why they have concerns about their health.

But for the most part, I take anything that Oprah says with not just a grain of salt, but an entire box of salt. That woman will embrace any new avenue that opens up to help her and her friends fill their bank accounts.
I am not saying she doesn't do a lot of good things with some of her money, but she does those things to enhance her own status in this world. It is to glorify "Oprah" and for no other reason.

And thank you Wildchild and lorifromutah for the welcome to the Kitchen Table.

Helen

I went to a PA a few months ago when I had various symptoms and by the end of our conversation she said, could you pick one thing out that bothers you the most? Toni, I had a doctor like that too! I had been so excited to go see him since he was an endocrinologist. I gave him a long list of about 25 symptoms (20 of them were indictive of hypothyroidism) and instead of thinking "maybe I should do some serious testing on this woman..", he wants to treat me for each symptom individually! Needless to say I didn't go to see him for long. It took another 6 years to finally get diagnosed with what I knew I had all along - hypothyroidism.

Welcome to the KT Helen, I hope you enjoy it here.

Now as for Oprah and the 'wacky cures' - I don't pay much attention to those shows. I think the Newsweek article was accurate. For the most part Dr. Oz does a great job. Dr. Northrup is a little too 'spiritual/mystical/touchy/feely' in her presentations. When celebrities like Suzanne Sommers and Jenny McCarthy appear and promote their personal experiences/books, products etc. I almost think Oprah owes it to her audience to present a balanced view and allow other opinions to be presented. It's one thing to discuss what you have experienced and discovered and use that as an opportunity to offer one option but it's another to actively proclaim that your way is right.

As for our own health- we must be our own advocates and take an active part in our health care. Ask questions, take notes, speak up.

Susan- have you had a chance to read the article- what did you think?

Here is a link that might be useful: Patient info

I started reading the article at work last night, but only got as far as the Suzanne Somers part. My plan is to finish it online....but right now I'm on my way out to get the shingles vaccine. I heard about it here, not Oprah. :-)

I didn't read the whole article...got about to page 3 before I lost interest. Actually, I am interested in alternative medicine and I don't believe in takeing medicine...or vaccines...if you can avoid them. I did not have any vaccinations when I was a kid...and I am probably healthier than almost anyone I know. However, my rehabber friend just lost two raccoons she raised to tetanus and I am planning on getting a tetanus shot. I have had one before, when I had a very bad bite by a horse.

As far as Suzanne Sommers....the extent she goes....that is just too far out for me. But, if it works for her....it's her money.

As for Oprah...I don't care for her. I realize she has had enormous success and respect her for that, but I quit watching her program years ago.

IMO....I've watched O off/on for years....more off than on the last 10. Just like with her weight losses over the years, she jumps on first one bandwagon, touts it on her show, in print, etc like it's been a message from the most high......then all of a sudden, it's rarely/never mentioned, and she's on to the next thing. A lot of people have that tendency in life, but 99.99% of the people don't have her avenues to 'spread the news' and have it believed/followed by thousands of others.

Shirley

I read the whole article. A couple parts were so ridiculous I actually did LOL while I was reading.

Suzanne is a basket case.

As for Oprah, I think she has done an incredible job of going from "rags to riches," but like so many others has found that "riches" is not what it appeared to be.

I'm not a fan of Oprah's. I watched the show in the beginning when I could, but not any more.

I think Oprah is actually bored and still trying to find meaning in her life.

What happened to Steadman? Is he still in the picture?

I think being a "nobody" is a pretty good way to live!

Sue