Question:
Anyone know?

I didnt get to go, alas I am trapped in the UK unable to afford visiting myfamily, let alone going to stand up for Dr Derry, but my heart was with himand all his patients who are suffering at the college's ignorance.

Answer: A controversial doctor who treated his patients with highdoses of thyroid medication will fight his renewed suspension by theB.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons, he said yesterday."They've completely cut me off from making a living," David Derrysaid. "We intend to appeal."Dr. Derry had his licence to practise medicine revoked because ofsuspicions arising from the deaths of two patients and seriousillnesses diagnosed in five others. In June, the ruling was upheld bythe Supreme Court of British Columbia, unless he was cleared by thecollege.Now the college has informed Dr. Derry in writing that he will"continue to be suspended from practice until he satisfies the collegethat he has adequate skill and knowledge to return to the generalpractice of medicine."In particular, prior to return to practice, he will undertakeremedial training in an approved and accredited family practicetraining program or an equivalent program, acceptable to and approvedby the college, with a written report to be provided to the college bythe program director(s)."Dr. Derry, 64, said the order to take the training was not specificand "remedial training" could mean as much as a return to medicalschool for four years. "There's no way to win. They haven't definedwhat they require."He is arranging to take a course of approximately four months and then"go back and see what [the college] will do."Dr. Derry has been practising for 30 years and has about 3,000patients. He advocates the use of thyroid medication, sometimes asmuch as five times the normal dosage, to treat a variety of disordersand many of his patients have spoken and written in support of thetreatment.Many of Dr. Derry's patients have stood by him. He has more than 2,000supportive letters from patients who have undergone his thyroidmedication treatment. Many wrote letters to newspapers in support ofhis treatment.Shirley Christina said she was Dr. Derry's patient for about threeyears. "Since I can remember, I was, for the lack of a better word,screwy," said Ms. Christina, who admitted to serious emotionalproblems with suicidal tendencies. "[Thyroid medication] has changedmy life. I can hold down a job. I was so suicidal when I met him, Idon't think I'd be alive today."Another patient said she had a serious illness and had seen anotherdoctor, who prescribed large doses of drugs. She went to Dr. Derryafter hearing about his holistic approach to medicine. "I absolutelyknow beyond a shadow of a doubt that he saved my life," said SharonSmallenberg. "I couldn't work." She called the suspension of Dr. Derrya "travesty" and said the issue boiled down to freedom of choice inhealth care.Donna Biggins, who travelled about 40 kilometres south from Duncan toDr. Derry's office in the West Shore community of Colwood, said otherdoctors she had seen could not help her chronic fatigue and softtissue disease. Some made her condition worse."Within three weeks, I was feeling so much better," said Mrs. Biggins,who began seeing Dr. Derry on July 31 last year. She said hercondition regressed after she was unable to receive the thyroidmedication from Dr. Derry."I just don't understand how a bunch of people in Vancouver can dothat to people," she said of the college. "Why don't I have the rightto say I want this?"However, the college's position has been supported by the medicalcommunity."Taking a lot of thyroid hormone will make you feel better, that iscorrect," said Dr. Daniel Drucker, a Toronto endocrinologist. "Thereis also no question that taking a lot of amphetamine or cocaine willalso make you feel better. But I don't think there's any evidence fromscientific studies that show it is an appropriate practice, and thereis lots of evidence to show that it is dangerous."