Posted on 06/09/2005 1:06:46 PM PDT by clearsight
Texas Officials, Parents Spar Over Girl's Cancer Treatment Parents Think Doctors Have Not Been Upfront About Treatment Options
UPDATED: 11:41 am CDT June 9, 2005 CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- A judge has postponed until Friday a ruling that could prevent doctors from treating a 12-year-old girl who was taken from her parents after Texas officials accused them of not doing enough to treat her cancer.
It's the latest maneuver in a dispute over the medical care of Katie Wernecke, reported KPRC-TV in Houston. Her parents, Michele and Edward Wernecke, said their daughter's Hodgkin's disease is in remission and she doesn't need radiation treatment after undergoing a round of chemotherapy.
Texas Child Protective Services said her life could be in jeopardy if chemotherapy and radiation treatments don't resume. Speaking Thursday on NBC's "Today" show, Michele Wernecke said her daughter's illness is unique and should be treated as such. "I think they should treat her for what her body calls for and not standard protocol. Nobody will look at that," she said. "Not every cancer is the same. Nobody understands that. Her body is not standard, and her cancer is not standard."
The couple, members of the Church of God, have said they oppose blood transfusions unless they were from Katie's mother. Doctors have said the two aren't a match. The couple's attorney, Daniel Horne, said religion wasn't at issue. Rather, they believe doctors haven't been upfront about Katie's care and have not answered all their questions about the side effects of the radiation treatment.
"This issue is about parental rights, not about religious rights," Horne said. "They just want to be informed of her treatment. They want to be involved in this." Last week, authorities issued an Amber Alert to gain custody of Katie after receiving an anonymous tip about possible neglect.
She was found with her mother at a family ranch, about 80 miles west of Corpus Christi near Freer, on Saturday. She remains at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to undergo tests, officials said. The Werneckes' three sons were placed in a foster home.
Michele Wernecke was arrested on charges of interfering with child custody and was released Monday after posting $50,000 bond. During a court hearing Wednesday, the couple asked juvenile court Judge Carl Lewis to bar doctors from providing radiation therapy until a custody hearing Wednesday.
The judge said he would make a decision Friday, the day before Katie's 13th birthday, because doctors in Houston will have more information then. Katie was diagnosed with cancer in January. In a videotaped statement recorded by her parents, Katie said she's feeling better.
"I don't need radiation treatment. And nobody asked me what I wanted. It's my body," she said. CPS also took custody of Katie's three siblings because their mother refused to cooperate with their investigation into the issue. A court hearing to determine who will be given custody of the children was set for June 15.
Katie's family has maintained a blog on the situation at prayforkatie.blogspot.com. The online journal offers updates on Katie's progress and allows supporters to leave messages for her.
This is reminding me of the big fish that got away. . . You and clearwater both say there are all of these alternative ways to cure cancer at a much higher rate than medicine achieves, yet still there is no proof. Anecdotal evidence from the web by some person who may or may not be telling the truth cannot be considered proof.
Riiight. I hear everyday "Well we won't be having kids cause they might get sick and the state might make us treat them."
lol That might be so! However, I don't think it could be considered a valid alternative medicine method because God doesn't tend to perform on demand. ;-)
"...what happens when one of their children gets cancer? "
Or a loved one, or themselves...
I know a cardiovascular surgeon, a very successful, highly respected one, whose wife got breast cancer in the late 80's. She opted, with his blessing, to not have surgery, radiation or chemo, but rather chose an 'alternative route'. Today she is alive and well, free of the cancer.
I know of an oncologist who developed cancer - he chose not to subject himself to the radiation/chemo route because he said he KNEW they did not work, and that the side effects could be deadly. He chose an unconventional treatment route, and lives. He said that prior to his own cancer, he felt he had to continue doing the stuff that didn't work - said he otherwise would have been blacklisted by the AMA and hospitals where he practiced.
Does the AMA, drug industry conventional establishment try to prevent proven alternative treatments? YES!
Okay, so I just gave you two 'one-off' examples. There are many out there. Check it out for yourself.
If anyone came up with a more successful method not even the combined forces of Merck/Pfizer/Glaxo and Satan could stop them from becoming world famous and fabulously wealthy. Now any crackpot can count on desperate people falling for their scams.
When my wife was dying she became convinced that this treatment in Santo Domingo using magnets could cure her. I didn't have the heart to dispute her and we threw 25 Gs down the drain so she could try it. She went down with her sister and, needless to say, it didn't work.
And that's fine. If adults want to refuse treatments, I have no problem with that at all.
1) Please try not to be a jerk, obviously I know that monopolies aren't good for consumers.
2) Monopoly? Sometimes, but not always. Often patients decide (along with their doctors) about what treatment they want. For starters- surgery, radiation, and older chemo drugs that could be available in generic forms (I'll admit the options of what chemo drugs to use is often limited or not as effective as anyone would like them to be).
I'll grant you that almost all of the new chemo agents are government allowed monopolies by the pharm company that developed them, but you don't always HAVE to use these newest drugs (although you will see your oncologist have fits if you start second guessing what chemo to do! might be good for them, though, if you do it nicely!).
At any rate, if you're an adult, you can refuse any treatment you don't want.
It will not be long untill the medical profession will have swat teams. Many Of my friends when I would say something about alternative things would say I want something that is been tested and is safe, I have to bite my tongue everytime another drug is taken off the market because the side effects become known. Please note ALL DRUGS have side effects and that is the reason why new named ones are put on the market as you could sue if a doctor gives you a drug with known side effests. The medical community does great on diagnoses but the drug industry is an evil empire.
Well, I can't get much information in the time I've spent looking, and again, we're stuck trying to guess between the lines. Sounds like the family is nuts, and that's where I'd place my bets, but I acknowledge that it could just be the media's typical biased portrayal of religious people. I'll let you take your pick.
Here's a few of links, and I'll point out as a gentle criticism, this is more than the original poster bothered to provide.
http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3450507&nav=Bsmgap1k
http://kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3438600&nav=BsmgaiVI
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8AIHDR01.html
I'm not familiar enough with what is going on in this case to know why the parents have allowed some treatment and are stopping it right now.
My extended family has lived through something similar. My sister-in-law developed colon cancer. It was diagnosed early enough so that the doctors all said with chemo and a colostomy she would live for many years. She was afraid of that and encouraged by my mother-in-law to refuse.
Instead she took Laetrile and other so-called natural cures. All under the supervision of a so-called doctor. By the time she came to her senses and went back to an oncologist, it was too late. She died and left two small children. So much for alternative treatments.
Speaking of miracles; my wife before I met her was diagnosed with possible ovarian/uterine cancer (pap smear of 5). She was scheduled on a Monday for exploratory surgery to find out for sure. Tuesday prior, she was prayed over for healing by a Christian group (you know? those Jesus freaks.....). She said after they prayed that she felt this intense heat begin on the bottom of her feet and then move up slowly up to the top of her head. She obviously knew something had happened, so she called her doctor the next day and demanded another pap smear. After the results came back she got a call from the office to not go to the hospital but to see him in his office instead. His exact words were "I do not know what has happened, but your case is closed" We have had two fine children since then. Who would have guessed........
"Some cancers (like pancreatic cancer) have a high fatality rate"
Pancreatic cancer can be cured. It takes 'unconventional' treatments to do it. Dr Kelley, a dentist who had pancreatic cancer chose to treat himself with digestive enzymes that included the important pancreatic enzymes Trypsin and Chymotrypsin in a formula developed years previously by a Scottish doctor. His self-treatment was successful. Following his own successful cure (yes, cure) he successfully treated many other pancreatic cancer patients who heard about his success and came to him. This continued until the FDA shut him down. A young doctor who came to check out first hand and worked with Dr Kelley, became a believer, and now is treating patients using Dr Kelley's protocol. Finally, he has received a grant and FDA approval demonstrate the efficacy of the treatment.
It is time to break the lock that the FDA/AMA/DrugCartel has on this sort of thing. We should all have choice in these matters. Yes, choice. The FDA/AMA/DrugCartel has already demonstrated that we should not trust them. Consider Vioxx, Bextra, Celebrex - these drugs kill people. Consider Lipitor and the other drugs designed to lower cholesterol - these drugs have never prevented a heart attack, but they have caused serious side effects in patients. Some of these drugs are still being prescribed, and they are now looking for other 'diseases' to treat with Lipitor.
These are just a handful of examples about why not to trust the FDA/AMA/DrugCartel.
REPORTED mistakes by conventional medicine (doctor, hospital, drug mistakes) is now the leading cause of death in this country. Time to break the lock...
I didn't read where any one said the treatments wouldn't help, other then the parents. I don't know why the parents are refusing the radiation treatments. I do know that the treatment for Hodgkins is usually a combination of the two. As a mother, I would utilize every possible avenue to make certain my child was cured. Seems very strange to me that they would refuse. IMHO
I'm curious. You say you have two children How do you handle their health care?
Well, I just watched the news clip (I think it was available from the first link I posted), and apparently the parents "knew they were breaking the law" when they tried to hide their daughter, so I guess it wasn't a misunderstanding as far as that is concerned.
At any rate, I hope that the parents can get custody back, that the girl gets the best treatment available, and that it all ends in a happy story...
Just so you know, Pap smears are for detecting early cervical cancer (not ovarian or uterine cancer). I'm glad she's healthy!
You didn't answer my question.
You fell back on, I know I'm right because I was involved with all of it for so long--and never mind my having to explain what I said a while ago.
You got defensive.
I guess you must be part of that big conspiracy you were talking about.
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