That would be really good, great awesome if HIV could be eliminated, toned down, anything. Its a horrible disease and just thinking about the many many people that suffer from it all over the world breaks my heart.

Now if only doctors would step it up and solve the problems with other blood diseases and conditions; that would be great, for me.

So far I do not have problems with Barack's panel. I'm just waiting to see some action...

Thailand... Thailand, Thailand... Get it together, ehh?

What that man in the United Kingdom did to his children was just awful. He is someone that deserves that sentence. He should rot in prison and think about what got him there and WHY he should not have done it.

Life in prison doesn't cut it.

Coding problems?

I think it's smart of Obama to be giving news conferences - it gives people the feeling that someone's paying attention to the economy. Bush really seems to have checked out early and Paulsen's flailing.

I agree with blue...but I'm a lady, so I won't say what I think should be done to that man.

And it says in the article he could get out after 19 years. UGH.

LOL, well I appreciate the optimism but isn't that like saying if everyone would just behave crime can be eliminated?

There are a lot ifs involved in eradicating HIV/AIDS.

I think Obama's press conferences go along with is promise to have transparency in his white house. He is keeping the American public informed every step of the way. He has a hard road ahead of him and can't wait until Jan. 20th to start getting to work.

I think the economic recovery panel is a GREAT idea! We need the politicians (who make policy changes) working with people in the business sector (who understand the impact of policy) and the academic community (who understand history of similar events) all working together.

I think it is very scary how the estimates that they have been putting out for our economy have been consistenly BETTER than what the reality has been. For example, they estimate that unemployement will be a certain level during the 3rd quarter, and when we actually look at the facts it is much worse than the estimate.

"Now if only doctors would step it up and solve the problems with other blood diseases and conditions; that would be great, for me."

Step it up? Because they're leading such leisurely lazy lives now, I suppose.

You could always become a doctor and do it yourself?

Considering that I have lived all of my life with a major health condition and have a family full of nurses and both of my parents were doctors; I know enough to be able to say that doctors working in hematology should by now have a better handle on my condition. My relatives/parents taught me well, hithatsmybike. Sometimes I have to make suggestions to my doctors, if I wanted to go through medical school and bear the stress of being a doctor (which could send me right into crises from my health condition) then I would have done it by now.

Just saying, I don't think someone should pass judgments on another person's profession if they're not willing to do it themselves.

You must harbor a lot of resentment towards the medical professionals in your family for not curing you yet.

No I don't resent anyone. I just sometimes feel that the world is too busy focusing on the things that are not at all important versus focusing on the things that actually mean something.

I have sickle cell anemia its been around for ages, what I get a little upset about sometimes is the way that it is treated by people who should know better because they have years of medical schooling while I do not. I have years of a medically trained family showing me, telling me, teaching me better ways to take care of myself. There are thousands of people with the same condition, similar conditions,etc who do not know how to care for themselves. Not all Dr.'s are in medicine for what is important. Some of them are just in it for the money, the status, the good stuff. I resent not for that is an awful thing, but I am often disappointed. Recently I was ill and in the hospital for about a week, I had to choose which hospital to go to. Why? Because in my area there are some hospitals that just have no idea what they are doing when it comes to my symptoms. Shouldn't every hospital in the United States be capable of caring for a disease/condition that is practically all over the world?
Its a tricky thing... I just want medicine to catch up with it already.

Of course every hospital in the USA should be capable of caring for you -- but I have no defense for America's healthcare system or its medical schools. Some of them are very good, some of them are not. I have no jurisdiction or obligation for either, and will likely go my entire life without being patient or physician for the system.

Sickle cell anemia is rare, as you must know, but you also must know why there is no cure yet. Doctors are not magicians. They cannot re-write your DNA. When they find out how, they'll fix much, much more than sickle cell anemia.

You got a raw deal, it's true, but the very fact that you can even live with it attests to the value and accomplishments of modern medicine.

They are trying. Thousands, possibly millions worldwide, of scientists & physicians are working to solve your condition, but they're also fighting cancer, HIV, cystic fibrosis, and every other illness imaginable. Some are just making better breast implants. In any case, they can't be everywhere at once, and the demand for doctors far exceeds their supply.

Yep. I know, the product of two doctors knows... And... its not quite as rare as most people think. Rare yes, but not as. SS is a peculiar 'little' bugger. Chances of inheriting it are like playing Russian roulette. And as a bonus for medical efforts in the cancer area, I get meds that were designed for cancer patients but work well with sickle cell patients. I'm all for medical leaps forward, if that leap happens to help me along... great.

well, it's rarity can depend largely on your family tree, I would imagine. I don't know much about the symptoms (yet) of sickle cell anemia, but we touched briefly on the genetics of it in 2 of my classes this year. I mean, the gene for the disease has its obvious advantage in some instances, hence its continued prominence in the human genome.

"if that leap happens" is much nicer than "step it up" lol

Yeah. The symptoms are terrible... But, I'm so used to all of this at this point. Its a lifestyle, I think that's the best way to explain living with it.

Meant 'step it up' in a good but, 'if that leap happens' definitely reads nicer.

Happy Turkey Day.