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Sometimes, good comedian just hits the right note of humor and intelligence to pass through the television screen and feel like a real human being. Another such talent we’ve lost is Bernie Mac. Although the official cause of death this August was pneumonia, he had been fighting sarcoidosis for many years. This is an autoimmune disease that, somewhat unfairly, operates along racial lines. Black Americans are sixteen times more likely to die than white Americans.

Although there are some side effects if you use a steroid like Prednisone over longer periods of time, e.g. an increase in body weight, fluid retention, etc. these are prices worth paying for those with this disease. Often affecting the lungs and leaving you breathless, people are left without energy. If it enters the heart or brain, you get symptoms mimicking a stroke or seizures. That Bernie Mac kept going and entertained so many for so long is a testament to the kind of man he was and the therapeutic quality of Prednisone.

There is no cure for this disease. It can affect any part of the body where groups of cells clump together. Where these so-called granulomas occur, the body is damaged. The standard treatment is Prednisone. This corticosteroid modifies the immune system, reduces inflammation and, in many cases, induces remission. Bernie Mac had been in remission for some three years before his death.

Ask your physician how to deal with chronic moderate pain and the usual answer is to prescribe a painkiller like Ultram. The key issue is that, rightly or wrongly, painkillers have a bad press. Open a newspaper and you’ll routinely see stories of people arrested for dealing in narcotic painkillers, or hooked on them and going into rehab.

It’s true that the medical profession is under pressure. Not enough doctors are prepared to work in general practice. But prescribing pills is a lazy answer. It gets patients out of the door quickly, but it’s not treating them as human beings with a problem to solve. People need reassurance that a drug like Ultram is safe (which it is when used properly). More importantly, they need options if they prefer to avoid taking medication for their problems. The medical profession has the resources to deliver physical therapy. Sometimes, it’s at the light end with massage. Other times, it’s at the heavy end with manipulation. If trust is established, people work their way through the fear of movement to find they can move without feeling pain or with reduced pain than they expected. This doesn’t mean people should avoid Ultram. It simply means they should take Ultram only for a limited time and work more at getting better naturally.