A couple of questions from Chris

Chris asks, and I've taken my time to answer :

A chem question for you,what are your thoughts of MD'S handing out SSRI'S like candy to address peoples problems.
Question 2,Think of Big Pharma GSK Et Al,do you think it is morally acceptable for such companies to hold onto patents for AZT and other Anti Viral's that would save lives.
I personally consider Pharma patents to be morally obscene,some would say big profit drives research,what do you say?.

I'm not into acronyms but presumably SSRIs are drugs.

I may have a rather conservative view of the purpose of our Health Service.

I am wary of the medical profession in that they can so easily take over though, this has gradually changed.

When I had cancer back in about 1976 I quickly got known by the specialist with

"so you're the one that asks all the questions"

Yes that's me: I want to remain very much in charge of what happens to me. To do this I need to ask questions - lots of them. When I've got my answers I'm then in a position to give my approval - or disapproval - of what the Health Service System does with me.

Doctors and Surgeons have their own agenda and it's important to each on of us to find out what this is. It can so easily be a different one to our own. With the amount of work they are asked to do they form general assumptions as to what we all want. From their point of view I can be a awkward bugger as I think differently to most people.

One commonly held belief in Britain and maybe the West is that people want to live as long as possible. This leads to people being kept alive and made to 'live' through a living hell. In the worst scenario I understand there are some fed with tubes and unable to do much other breath  and think. I refuse to live like this.

One thing that frightens the living daylights with me is the way the System treats those with Cancer. I have experience a close friend caught in this system and even though a strong minded person all his life , his obstinacy gave in in the last weeks of his life. He was enduring so much that he allowed others to dictate. The result was that he was denied treats that he would have normally enjoyed  - because they might - detract from his health - he was dying for God's sake - the diagnosis was clear. So what would be achieved? He might, might, yes might live a few more days than otherwise. Days without any treats.

The medical system can easily inflict as was the case with my friend, endless journeys and waits to travel to Preston to receive 'treatment' with what purpose: to extend his life by a few months maybe.

For me I need to be given as much information that is available and then be left - with no pressure from other people to make my own mind up what to allow to happen to me.

In order to decide I need information - as far as can be assumed from previous treatments in similar situations - information about probabilities of success. The answers will be in the form 50 to 75% chances of 'success'. And what is 'success' I ask.

" Oh you'll be left flat on your back without your eyesight and have to receive liquid food for the rest of your life"

With all this information and preferably someone 'neutral' to thrash out all the options. Then and only then, having had chance to conclude whether I think this is a life I would want live; then I would be in a position to decide.

One of my options must be absolutely sacrosanct: To say "No thank you, I prefer to take my chances of not having treatment and continuing to enjoy life to the degree that it is possible as I am now."

So my general view of the Health Service is that in general it is there to help my body function normally and living with drugs is not 'normal' so I take drugs with great reluctance. If I've a head ache : I will go for a walk in the fresh air. If I've got pain then I'll try telling my body " thanks for the message that I'm hurting but now I've received it can you switch off telling me". I'm quite 'happy ' living with Tinnitus and switch of the continuous message that there's an annoying noise in my head all the time. It's like those that live right next to a railway line with trains passing all times of the day and part of the night - you get used to it and it stops registering. You can enjoy lots of other things regardless.