All too often, their diagnosis and treatments don't work and they refuse to look at non-harming options. It is much easier for them to prescribe the latest drug, surgery, or chemical to alleviate a problem than to really study what the root-cause is and adjust a person's life style or diet accordingly.

For instance, my father (92 years old, by the way) was in pretty poor condition this past summer. Sleeping all the time, not eating, pain in his legs...just not up to par for him.

He lives by himself and had been pretty active up to this point, going down to the local AmVets to play pool and kabitz with the other locals in the small town he lives in.

After much coercion from my siblings, he agreed to see a different doctor since the one he was currently seeing was no longer doing much for him...other than prescribing more pills. He was taking 12 different medications a day!

His new doctor, right away, took him off all of them but one, gave him two pints of blood and within a week, he was back to his old self. Imagine that! Now, grant you, he has put him back on three other meds, but at least he's able to keep track of those himself.

Please note that not once has either physician suggested any dietary or lifestyle changes for my dad. I'm sure if they became schooled in this field as well as the drug field, it would have a bigger impact on my dad's health and he could probably do without a couple more pills.

Another case in point is my brother who a year and a half ago went through surgery for colon cancer. He was 54 years old at the time. Yeah, they re-attached everything six months later after his chemo and radiation therapies, but for what good?

They led him to believe that everything would start working okay again once he healed (6-8 mos.) from his second surgery. That hasn't happened, and if he eats or drinks anything, he can't be far from a restroom.

Now, due to his job, he takes medication to stop him from going to the bathroom during the day and then takes medication to make him go once he's off work! Does this sound normal to you? This is the best they can do?

When we suggested he see another doctor, his response was, "This doctor is the one who messed it up...I want him to fix it!" The problem with that answer is what if his doctor doesn't know how to fix it? Maybe another doctor would have different knowledge that his doctor doesn't have that would better serve him.

Are you even aware that a five year survival rate after the mainstream medical cancer treatment is considered a success. That is how they hog-tie you into their web of harmful treatments. How many cancer patients actually ask what the survival rate is for the treatment you'll be getting and how much harm is this going to do to your body in the meantime?

There are many more incidences that have happened in the last few years that I'm not going to go into. But one thing is for sure, I've decided to take my health care into my own hands and not just take the current mainstream medical industry's word that they know what's best for me. Obviously, they don't.

I now urge anyone who is diagnosed with a health problem, please do some of your own research so that you can ask pertinent questions in treating it. If you doctor can't answer your questions or says he doesn't have time to, find another doctor!

Ask if there's something as simple as a diet change that could make the health problem better. Most physicians don't even approach this as a way to treat you. It is more profitable for them to prescribe medication. Understand that the medication will alleviate the problem for now, but it is not going to get at the root cause that started it to begin with.

We are so over-medicated in this society that, I believe it is past time for a complete overhaul of the medical profession. There is more harm being done by most treatments then good. Sure, it may help you in the short term, but what affects are all the medications doing to you in the long term?

I'm taking a stance for my own health. Are you?

Jackie Martin writes from a perspective of her own self-education after three siblings (in the last five years), her mother and several other extended family members were diagnosed with cancer. Her blog: WhenCancerHitsHome deals with the personal side of each siblings diagnosis as well as her self-education resources and findings.