does anyone know...?

mp327 said:

Marynb

I don't know the chemical composition of Desitin, but I'm sure it has contained zinc oxide.  Supposedly, Johnson & Johnson made a pledge (no pun intended) to remove the toxic chemicals from such products that they manufacture by the end of 2013.  Now, as to whether or not they have actually done this, I don't know.  Thanks for the heads up.

I use something called Ozonol. It isn't available in the United States, but is produced and sold in Canada. I get it from people I know in Canada; they bring it down when they visit NY; I don't know if it's available on the Internet, but it's just an over-the-counter ointment, so it might be. It contains zinc oxide and .18% phenol, which is derived from petroleum, something some people feel isn't risk-free, but nothing is risk free. Breathing isn't risk-free. Applied topically, it'll cure almost anything, seemingly. The reality of industrialized life is that you're always going to get something you don't want, mixed in with something that you do, if you buy that "thing" commercially. With care and forethought in what you select and use, my guess is that one can minimize the risks, and that once that's been accomplished, the undesirable parts won't kill you.  That's my guess. But an industrialized world carries health risks. One can take steps to mitigate exposure to things deemed hazardous, (and that bar is often set differently by government and consumers) and after one has done that, the only real healthy attitude is to use the product that seems best in results and lowest in risk (not absent of risk, because you're probably not going to find it, but lowest in risk) and don't worry about the hazards.  I mean... we're smearing goop on our butt holes. Is that going to kill anyone?

ppaseka said:

Treatment in two different years

My wife's cancer was discovered in Oct of 2011. With the  CT, PET CT Surgery etc we meet the out of pockets expenses of 10k.  We started chemo and radiation on the 26 of Dec. 2011. By Jan 30, we meet the max out of pocket for another 10k. That sucked.

It absolutely does suck. It's very similar to what happened to me. Had I known then what I know now, I would have waited three weeks... three short weeks and rather than an $8,000 co-pay I would have had a $4,000. Then again, $4,000 is the same as $8,000 to me. Both are so far beyond my reach to pay that the difference between the two doesn't even matter.  These scenarios will play out over and over, to more and more people as long as we have for-profit health care, pharmaceutical and hospital systems. I love capitalism as much as anyone, but health care and profit don't serve anyone except those working for that profit. In this case, the objective to make a profit--the only reason the insurance companies exist-- is not in the best interests of the consumer.  Consumer (patient) interests and the medical insurance companies' interests are mutually incompatable and always will be, and no amount of tweaking (as in Obamacare) will change that. I hate to keep refering to Europe, because their systems aren't free of problems either, but they're different problems than ours, and because literally every person pays into the system on a mandatory basis, everyone receives diagnostics, treatment, therapy and surgery when needed, without receiving bills for any of it; they've all already paid into the system and that's how they can do it that way. If you get sick or injured, you focus on your health, not your money. You don't get kicked out of a hospital before you're ready. You don't lie on an ER gurney, asking the surgeon if he accepts your insurance because he's just told you that you need your appendix removed. These are shameful, egregious scenarios that play out in this country every day (the last one happened to me). So, I feel for you ppaseka, just as I feel for everyone in this country who faces this health vs money dilema. You're right. It sucks.