Lori Alexander 37: Practicing Medicine Without a License

[AlwaysDiscerning]

I caught the good one. 

 

[AuntKrazy]

@Koala

My post about the FDA determination got me banned from her Instagram.  Only thing I have ever said on her page was the government regulations and consequences of a doctor recommending thermography only as a replacement screening.

[luv2laugh]

3 hours ago, lilwriter85 said:

To be fair, Steven and Emily live in upstate New York where the cost of living is lower than NYC and Long Island. So they might be in the upper middle class range.

They won't be for a long time. My best friend is an orthodontist and drowned in her dental school debt for 10 years. Dental school actually costs more than medical school. 

[Emilycharlotte]

Either Ken had a hand in Steven's bio on the orthodontic website, or Steven inherited his dad's writing style. 

Either way, he comes across as insufferably full of himself.  

[fluffy]

7 hours ago, Hisey said:

What do you mean that Emily "knew what she was doing?" by marrying an orthodontist? Do you mean she knew an orthodontist could earn well? Because everyone knows that. It sounds like you feel she was being conniving, but I don't see how.

You are right and my observation wasn't groundbreaking. I only meant that she knew she'd have a posh life without having to finish law school. I didn't mean anything more. :-) 

[Carol]

I can't find anything about mammograms on her FB page.  Was it taken down or am I not looking in the right place?

I'm hoping Ken came home, saw what she posted and made her take it down.  Oh, to be fly on the wall if that happened.

[molecule]

2 minutes ago, Carol said:

I can't find anything about mammograms on her FB page.  Was it taken down or am I not looking in the right place?

I'm not seeing it, either. 

I did, however, see this doodle about women's retreats.

 

[AlwaysDiscerning]

It's on Instagram.

[HoneyBunny]

1 hour ago, AlwaysDiscerning said:

I caught the good one. 

 

Why, thank you!  And thanks to FJ for the heads up that Crazy Lazy Lying Lori was once again passing out medical advice on a topic about which I have too much personal experience.

I understand the white coat anxiety.  I have it too, though definitely less than I did last year at this time when cancer was something that happened to someone else. I remember thinking at my mammogram that as least I could check that off the list for the year...until the phone call, then the diagnostic mammo ans then the biopsy. By that time, I think I realized that those appointments I hate and those people who make me anxious were the only things and only ones who could save my life. 

I was actually the proudest I’ve ever been when I convinced a friend to get her mammogram that she was long overdue for. She found out she has a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer, has had a mastectomy and is undergoing chemo. 

I don’t know how Lori can live with herself. 

[Hisey]

50 minutes ago, Emilycharlotte said:

Either Ken had a hand in Steven's bio on the orthodontic website, or Steven inherited his dad's writing style. 

Either way, he comes across as insufferably full of himself.  

I have to laugh at that bio. Steven, when you are in your 30s, it's time to stop writing about how you were good at basketball in high school (especially a small private high school) No one cares or is impressed.

Steven has eyes that seem so unhappy and flat. If I had to bet on one kid divorcing, it would be Steven. Emily seems like she's tough to live with and very vain.

[SuperNova]

If Lori didn't have money, she would be a crazy bag lady ranting on a street corner. I say that with no offence to ranting bag ladies. I've known a few and felt that they were generally good souls and really no harm to anyone. As it is, our evil bag lady Lori is dangerous because she seems to have, for some inexplicable reason, a following of clueless women that she enjoys misleading on a dialy basis. I have nothing but contempt for Lori. She deliberately preys on the minds of good women who are looking for part of Lori's message but are infected with hate and misinformation instead. 

On the doctor topic. My GP and my Ob/Gyn are both professors of medicine and will occasionally have students. It's ok on the GP side but not the Gyn! 

[Hisey]

2 hours ago, FeministShrew said:

@Hisey I'm glad I'm not the only one! I had a scare 18 months ago. It was a very small lump, & benign, even though it had grown since the last mammogram, and the pathologist said there was absolutely no need to remove it because it could not become cancerous, but now I'm terrified to have another mammogram. There has always been dense tissue in that breast, & now there's scar tissue around the path of the needle biopsy. Plus, my insurance screwed me over & I left me owing $1300. 
It sucks, because my doctor gave me an order for another mammogram months ago, & I just can't do it.

That's so much like my own situation. I'm extra afraid because of breast tissue density and scarring (actually, I hadn't thought to worry about scarring. . . ). I had to pay over $1000 for the biopsy. And I have a lump (a "lipoma") --I"ve had it for over 30 years--that I've always been told was no big deal.

I also have this belief that there's a lot of over-treatment and perhaps over-diagnoses. I'm suspicious, because a lot of money is involved. But unlike Lori, I usually keep these thoughts to  myself, because I don't know squat about it.

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

20 minutes ago, SuperNova said:

On the doctor topic. My GP and my Ob/Gyn are both professors of medicine and will occasionally have students. It's ok on the GP side but not the gyno! 

I didn't mind when my Ob/Gyn had a student sit in on my appointments both times I was pregnant, but that's largely because he asked me if it was okay for them to come in, each one was a woman (my tolerance for male medical personnel viewing my nether regions apparently caps out at one), and each time it was only a single student. Both young women were very nice. I wonder where they're practicing now?

[Carol]

This is straight from Steven's bio.

Dr. Steven Alexander
Dr. Steven Alexander is native of sunny Southern California, where he grew up in a family that was surrounded by many orthodontists as family friends. Steven confirmed in his mind that orthodontics would be his profession at age eleven as he traveled with his father around Europe with a number of famous orthodontists as they lectured and spent the evenings talking about how beautifully aligned teeth can make a true difference in a life. It seemed natural to want to change lives by giving the gift of a beautiful smile, so Steven set his course and went about achieving his goal.

This is some of the worst writing I've ever seen.  And, OMFG, can you imagine spending your 11-year-old evenings talking about how beautifully aligned teeth can make a true difference your life??  And, wow, what's it like traveling with famous orthodontists in Europe??  Is it kind of like traveling with famous dentists in Peru??  Famous podiatrists in Russia?  

Oh, Fuck, just get a gun and shoot me.

[lilwriter85]

2 hours ago, luv2laugh said:

They won't be for a long time. My best friend is an orthodontist and drowned in her dental school debt for 10 years. Dental school actually costs more than medical school. 

Oh I agree, if he has debts it will be years before they are paid off. Cassi's husband will also be drowning in dental school debt and he might have debts from pharmacy school which he left to pursue dental school.

3 minutes ago, Carol said:

This is straight from Steven's bio.

Dr. Steven Alexander
Dr. Steven Alexander is native of sunny Southern California, where he grew up in a family that was surrounded by many orthodontists as family friends. Steven confirmed in his mind that orthodontics would be his profession at age eleven as he traveled with his father around Europe with a number of famous orthodontists as they lectured and spent the evenings talking about how beautifully aligned teeth can make a true difference in a life. It seemed natural to want to change lives by giving the gift of a beautiful smile, so Steven set his course and went about achieving his goal.

This is some of the worst writing I've ever seen.  And, OMFG, can you imagine spending your 11-year-old evenings talking about how beautifully aligned teeth can make a true difference your life??  And, wow, what's it like traveling with famous orthodontists in Europe??  Is it kind of like traveling with famous dentists in Peru??  Famous podiatrists in Russia?  

Oh, Fuck, just get a gun and shoot me.

I bet Ken wrote that. I recall on the Always Learning blog, he or Lori posted a few times about how he traveled around Europe for speaking events for dentists and orthodontists.

[Sarah92]

I sometimes can't help but think that beautiful aligned white teeth are a sign of privilege that many people don't have. Not every person is able to get the coffee stains from late nights of hard work off their teeth. I don't fault people for wanting them and being able to afford it though. Perhaps it's just that bit of jealousy because my parents couldn't afford braces for me. So I've been learning to accept my imperfect smile. I have to remind myself that the reason and joy behind a smile is much more important than what it looks like. 

Also that's an awful bio. 

[December]

3 hours ago, louisa05 said:

My idiot sister-in-law is now selling super special organic locally produced herbal teas in her yoga studio ($5 for a small cup after yoga class, as well as looseleaf and tea bags) that she (and the people making them) claim will prevent/cure all illness, mental or physical. 

I hate seeing faux-medical products like that being sold, especially when it's at a shop/cafe that I otherwise liked! I realize in some cases the people probably really believe in it, and genuinely don't know that what they're promoting is potentially dangerous. But then I'll see one that's worded very cautiously on purpose to imply some health benefit, and those just make me sad. 

[Evangeline]

There are famous ... orthodontists? 

[Curious]

7 hours ago, Koala said:

  That's not the first we've heard of that particular bit of bullshit.

From 2011:

She continues:

And how is Lori qualified to decide which medical procedures are "healthy"?

From 2013:

A reader confronted Lori:

Dr. Lori's snotty reply (and medical advice):

 

LOL I have "cadalliac" insurance and I'm pretty sure if I asked for an MRI rather than a  mammogram they would laugh and say we are paying for the mammogram.

Also, some people (like me) can't have MRIs because they have metal in their body.  The M in MRI stands for magnetic.   Magnet + Metal = bad things happening to your body and their machine.

Anyone taking ANY remotely medical advice from Lori really deserves what they get.  That sounds mean, but seriously you have to research your options at legit sites.  Not woo sites that are meant to scare you off getting necessary medical treatment.

[usmcmom]

Comversational detour:

On Lori's IG story, she is eating lunch while watching the Pioneer Woman's show. She says she LOVES The Pioneer Woman because PW loves her husband and her children and she loves to cook. I guess Lori thinks it is okay that Ree Drummond travels the country WITHOUT HER HUSBAND AND CHILDREN. She is often on the road for days at a time without her family. Also, her oldest daughter is in college in another state. Oh, and you could hardly call her food healthy.  

I just get so confused as to what is right in the godly mentor's eyes. 

Also, in this video, Lori appears to be eating alone. I was under the impression that Ken works from home. Why don't they eat lunch together? Why doesn't Lori cook him a nutritious meal every day?  We've often talked about the fact the all of Lori's food posts are about what SHE likes and what SHE eats every day. I wonder if they really do lead separate lives in that big house. 

P.S. Lori did pick two large oranges from their orange tree this morning, per Ken's request. She gave him oranges for breakfast. 

[Sarah92]

Dang she likes the Pioneer Women? I don't really watch her show but I have a number of her dishes. I love to mix and match the patterns. I ask for her dishes for Christmas. But that stuff takes a lot of work if she's involved in the design process so I'm sure she's not at home like Lori preaches she should be. 

[Curious]

6 hours ago, Hisey said:

I never felt like they smashed my breasts, though, perhaps I was missing something. Just felt like a bit of pressure to me.

I learned that breast size plays a part in how much pain from squishing you get.  The larger the breasts the less pain.  Naturally, I have very small breasts so get to enjoy a full-on flattening smashing at my mammograms.   I don't start to get anxious until I'm actually in the room and then I remember how much it hurts (which probably makes it hurt worse).

 

 

6 hours ago, Hisey said:

Hi, Koala. Thanks for sharing. I also try to keep my personal life off FJ, but was sort of triggered by Lori's comment. It helps me to know I'm not the only one.

I'm glad you found the courage to go (it is hard!) and were able to get your problem resolved. I had the same exact experience last week! I had something that was bothering me for a while, something that seemed minor but you never know for sure. My husband got tired of listening to me complain and started saying I might have something serious. That scared me into action, and I made an appt for after the holidays. My therapist knew I was going, so that sort of forced me to keep the appt, because I did not want to say I cancelled.

My doctor (who is so nice) helped me immensely, relieved all my fears, and made some suggestions that pretty much resolved my problem, as well as a few others. And the result is that my quality of life is so much improved. I don't have pain anymore AND I don't have the fear that I have cancer or some other terrible diagnosis. "Avoidance is the road to hell" someone once told me, and it is true.

I know! I felt euphoric too!

My husband usually drives me, and that does help, mostly because of the distraction. He has even come into appointments with me, as though I were a child. The doctors say it happens all the time. At my gyno, there is even a "husband chair". 

My husband goes to and goes in with me at every. single. appt. I have.  I do not care what people think.  The only times I have ever had problems with drs was when I was trying to get on disability would not let me have my husband in my room (a legal right you have).  After each appt, I figured out why.  They lied on reports and if they let someone into the appt with you, you'd have a witness.   Since then, I've never had a problem and no dr. has ever had an issue, but I will NEVER go into a medical appt without my husband again.   I will leave and find another dr. before I go through that treatment again.

No one should be embarrassed or feel like a child because they have someone in the exam room with them. 

[lilith]

What I found interesting about Steven’s bio was that the young dentist listed below him was mentioned as being active in his local church, but nothing was mentioned regarding Steven’s church or faith (or godly mentor of a mother. Who went viral! And wrote a book!).

Also, the older partner doesn’t mention a wife or children. He also gives a vibe of possible being a confirmed bachelor. Which wouldn’t suprise me - Ken has shown he’ll always put profits before his proclaimed beliefs.

Whats with the Internet cafe, entertainment room, and complimentary ice cream though? I know Ken recommends that crap, but if I saw it at a doctor or dentist I would assume they were overcharging me to cover silly bells and whistles I don’t want or need at a medical appointment.

[slp]

My teenagers (remember we have been through a traumatic situation with their father in recent years) still want me in the room with them at the doctors.  I've heard stories about doctors demanding the parent leave etc with a teen, but my doctor doesn't bat an eyelash about it. My teens answer all the questions and I add things if I feel they've left anything pertinent out.

There's nothing wrong with needing someone with you if you have some anxiety about it, and as pointed out above, a witness is always a good thing.

 

[smittykins]

13 hours ago, AlwaysDiscerning said:

I bet this will be her post topic tomorrow. The fevers started out as an instagram and then a post. Lori is doubling down on the medical advice. 

I was just on previously.tv and one of the "sponsored content" articles at the bottom was "What You Need To Know About Infant Fevers. "