You might feel that this is a lot of rules for a blog – I used to feel the same way, but experience has taught me differently so, now, especially as everything that appears in this blog reflects on me, for good or ill, we have rules. I don’t believe that they’re onerous. As you can see, this is mainly a list of prohibitions, but this still leaves a vast amount of scope for posting a comment and getting it published.
I would, though, ask you to bear in mind that Comments mean just that – this isn’t the place to indulge in long or off-topic conversations with others – please exchange email addresses or FB links if you want to chat.
In addition to the points below, I won’t respond to the type of comments which I have specifically asked you not to post in this message.
1. This is not a democracy – the only absolute right to free speech, here, is mine.
1a. If you don’t like my blog, that’s fine by me, it’s your right, just stop reading it and go away. Don’t read post after post and leave comments bitching and whining about them (especially comments that show, clearly, that you haven’t actually read them at all – not with any degree of comprehension, at least), because they’ll be binned unread after the first one.
2. Of paramount importance is this – comments accusing me of helping people to fiddle the benefits system, no matter how polite they are, will be treated with the contempt that they deserve.
3. Please be brief – I’m seriously ill and don’t have the energy to spare for dealing with long comments. Over-long comments, especially those presenting a viewpoint diametrically opposed to mine won’t be published.
3a. Because I am not in the business of providing a platform for others – go write your own blog.
4. If you disagree with me, show me where I’m wrong – I want proof, not just your opinion which, after all, is no more valid than my opinion, with which you are disagreeing. Show me I’m wrong, and I’ll correct my text – there are a number of posts where I’ve done just that.
5. This is a blog, not a forum. Comments soliciting the opinions of others won’t be published.
5a. In the same vein, holding extended conversations with third parties is inappropriate – it’s not what the Comments section is for. If you want to talk to people ask them to Skype, IM or DM you, then you can swap email addresses. I’ll publish your email address if you specifically ask me to, but I accept no responsibility for the consequences.
6. Comments that stray from the subject of the post won’t be published.
6a. Comments which are incomprehensible will be binned. There are one or two regular commenters who, sadly, fall into this category – sorry guys, but if I don’t know what you’re on about, nobody else will
6b. Comments which are libellous won’t be published, no matter how much the person libelled might warrant it! I value my blog too much.
7. Comments based on the premise that I’m wrong and you’re right will be consigned to oblivion, as there is no scope for discussion or consensus. Nor do I have the energy to spare/waste. This isn’t a debating chamber.
8. Pointless and irrelevant comments will be binned too, as will those submitted to the wrong post (with rare exceptions).
9. And it should go without saying that abusive and needlessly argumentative comments will never see the light of day.
10. Comments which are clearly grinding a personal axe won’t be published (again, with some exceptions, based purely on merit).
11. Comments, no matter how flattering, that are designed simply to publish a website or blog link – i.e. Spam – won’t be published. How dumb do you think I am?
Finally – more an observation than a rule – anybody who manages to track down my email address and emails me, uninvited, will earn my ire; the email will be binned and the sender tagged as spam and blacklisted (it’ll have to be pretty special not to be).
And do bear in mind that the opinions expressed by others in comments are not my opinions.
Ron's Rants... 
Ron,
I found your bit on purines in beer really helpful. Gout has struck and I need a substitute for beer. There isn’t one but Perry abd Cider seem the best alternatives. Thanks
Hi,
The big problem with beer is the sheer volume people tend to drink (or is that just me? 🙂 ). I decided, once I’d figured out the problem, to ignore it.
Perry and cider are, as you say, viable alternatives, but getting quality draught cider is a poser – those few that do appear on draught tend to be too strong, 6% or higher, for a session drink – which leaves you with overpriced bottles, and even they tend to hover around 5%. And, of course, the problem of stopping the cretins referring to perry as “pear cider”!
Ron.
Hi Ron,
Wow you give some good tips, can you help me out with this one.
A friend of mines husband passed away a few years back over the weekend and on the following day she told the benefits office what had happened. She is also claiming DLA. Recently 2 and a half years later they are telling her that she didn’t tell the office soon enough about the passing of her husband and are telling her that she was still claiming his carers allowance when in fact this was hers and not his, She is unable to work due to BBD rheumatoid and osteoporosis arthritis, they are wanting to make her work when she is unable to get out bed some mornings, or get herself dressed i personally think she should have a professional carer but she rely’s on the family to help where possible, but this is her choice. She cannot afford to pay a professional.
They are now threatening to take pretty much all of her benefits and leaving her with about £4 a week to live on, as in her state who is going to hire her!
She has had all the reviews and x-rays, medication is confusing enough. We`ve been to CAB and their advice was completely rude and insufficient. What would you say was the next best action?
Thanks kindly Emidian
Check the links at the bottom of the page titled Read before posting questions – they should be able to help.
hiya ron! i stumbled upon your site 4 hours ago! cannot get enough of it. i have read loads of posts with interest and signed up for email updates when new posts arrive.i also read your story about your life etc. i wont bore you with my ills! but hope you are well..youve loads of advice and knowledge of the dreaded dla. i too am on full rate for care and mobility. it has taken a long time..many claim forms,rejections etc. but hey i won in the end and have been awarded benefit for life. well.. from reading some posts,an indefinate award doesent always mean that does it! but heres hoping eh.good luck with all that you do!.regards,damon.
Hi Damon,
Just read that when DLA changes to PIP, if you can, in theory, use a wheelchair, whether or not you actually have one, you don’t qualify for PIP. That sounds insane even for this government – being demonstrably disabled excludes you from a disability benefit? If true – and I have no idea if it is – it would exclude the majority.
Mind you, given Cameron’s absolutely insane hatred of the sick and disabled, it would surprise me not at all if this is true.
Ron.
Hi Ron
I refer to your paragraph as follows:
“Salmeterol xinafoate aka Serevent -another long-acting bronchodilator. NOTE: when prescribed this inhaler it is vital NOT to stop taking your inhaled or oral steroids – deaths have resulted among people who have. Again, not all GPs are aware of this; hospital clinics are, though. 2 puffs every 12 hours, or as close as I can get – it’s not critical. 4 times a day at need.”
Can I just ask why, for something as important as deaths resulting from stopping inhaled or oral steroids when taking Serevent, have you not elaborated a little bit? Do you know why the deaths have taken place? I take both and become frightened now of forgetting to take my inhaled steroid in case I might die!!
Thank you
Christine
Hi Christine,
Forgetting to take your steroid inhaler won’t do you any harm – I often skip a dose if I feel I don’t need it, usually at 13.00 most days – so I have a fallback position in a crisis.
You are NOT going to die if you miss a dose – or even several.
That’s not remotely the same as stopping taking it altogether.
As for why that’s all the information I’ve given, I’m just passing on, in its entirety, what the Pulmonary Function Laboratory consultant told me. And for the same reason – to get people’s attention and ensure they don’t stop their steroids.
It is – as I’ve said more times that I can count, vitally important to ask one very simple question when prescribed new meds – “Is this instead of or as well as?” The people who died clearly didn’t do that, made their own choice, and got it wrong. And even if you forget to ask at the time, and the doctor forgot to tell you, s/he is only a phone call away. It’s vital to find out.
What I subsequently found out is that, when Servent was new, it was released in the US before it was here, and some patients, for reasons that elude me totally, chose to assume that it was instead of their steroids. About 12 of them died as a result. And I assume these were among the most seriously ill, the very people who should have had that question engraved on their souls, because it can be a life-saver. I have said this, in full, at several points in my blog – you seem to have stumbled on the short version.
It didn’t take long to figure out what had gone wrong and, by the time I got mine, it was standard procedure to tell the patient not to stop their steroids.
Thing is, though GPs are always pressed for time and, in my experience, unless asked that question specifically, are liable to forget.
To sum up, no, you are NOT going to die if you miss your steroid inhaler – the worst that can happen is that you might get a bit wheezy. What’s most likely to happen – depending on the dose – is nothing at all.
Relax – you’re perfectly fine. 🙂
But, you know where to find me if you have any other worries.
Ron.
Hi Ron.
I see you’ve written a post about the TPS here: https://ronsrants.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/bt-is-abusing-the-tps-system/
As many of your readers will be having the same problems as yourself regarding these nuisance calls, would you be interested in OptOutUK providing your blog with a guest blog post on why many nuisance calls are legal and therefore cannot be stopped by the TPS?
We provide a service where UK citizens can come to our website to read about why they receive nuisance calls and how we can help to stop them.
Feel free to contact me via the email used to post this comment.
Many Thanks
Zak – OptOutUK
Ron – read with great interest your piece on bloating and how Altacite was a great remedy. I’m in the U.S. and it doesn’t appear to be sold here. I found two pharmacies in the UK but they were sold out. Do you know if it is still available? Thanks Kevin.
Any pharmacy – and sold out seems to be the default state for most – a euphemism for we can’t be bothered stocking it. They should be able to get it for you in 24 hours though.
In the US, look for products containing the active ingredient, Activated Dimethicone (aka Dimeticone). That’ll get the job done.
THank you. How are you getting on?
Not great – heart failure, with a bunch of complications, plus aortic valve calcification/stenosis and, of course, COPD. And at least one consultant claims I’m going to die no matter what he does. Since the condition he claims is killing me isn’t fatal and is easily curable – see this post
I don’t believe him.
There is, though, a lingering suspicion that he got the name of the condition wrong and I am dying – sure as hell doesn’t feel like it though and I don’t intend to worry about it. I’ll be very annoyed if I die while I’m waiting for my new wheelchair to be delivered! 😉
On the plus side of the ledger. my ME/CFS is in remission.
you’re an inspiration my friend.
Cheers Kevin . . .