Roller Coaster

Lots of things have been going on since Daddy had to go to the emergency room a few weeks ago. He ended up staying in the hospital all week. He was passing blood and they couldn't get it to stop. On Friday they ran a camera up his urethra and looked around. The urologist called after surgery and told me nothing looked cancerous, but the bleeding was at the prostate. He didn't know why. They sent Daddy home after that. 

That was a strange week. The hospital was almost like wandering through a rabbit hole. They are remodeling and adding on a wing or something and there are places partitioned off and you practically need a map to navigate the halls. 

Mama and I went with Daddy to surgery and it was like walking through a maze. A nurse showed us an exit that came out near the emergency room, close to the elevators when they took Daddy into surgery.  We would have never found our way back to Daddy's room the way we came. Mama and I made our way back to the room to wait for him to get out of surgery. 

They finally wheeled Daddy back to the room loaded up on morphine. Daddy said it really hurt. He has a narrow urethra which made it more difficult. I hope he doesn't have to go through that again.

I was afraid Mama wasn't going to make it. She had a hard time getting around the hospital because of bronchitis. Daddy made them get Mama a wheelchair so she wouldn't have to walk down the halls. She couldn't have made it on her own. She had to stop and rest every little bit. Whenever she has trouble breathing I am afraid blood clots are in her lungs again. 

When we came to the hospital to visit Daddy she wouldn't let me find her a wheelchair to ride in. She walked all the way. Daddy fussed at her. He said they had volunteers who just loved to push people around when they couldn't walk on their own. 

Mama is stubborn. So is Daddy. And you wonder where I get it from.

I offered to mow the yard Thursday but they didn't want me to mow that day. I told Daddy to call me and let me know if he wants the yard mowed anytime. He's getting over a surgical procedure and shouldn't push himself. They had to sedate him. Daddy had finally stopped bleeding when they let him go home but he got a wild hair and decided to mow the yard that Saturday. He  started bleeding again. 

I don't know what it is about men, or people in general, but they do some of the dumbest things. One time my grandfather had back surgery to fix his discs. It felt so good, he decided he could plow the garden not long after surgery. By the time he got off the tractor he had messed his back up so bad he had back pain for the rest of his life. I tried to help Daddy avoid the same mistake.

Daddy decided to try mowing the yard again a couple of weeks later. He only rode for a little while before he allowed Mama to finish mowing. He started bleeding as bad as he did when he went to the emergency room. Fortunately, he had an appointment with his urologist the next day. The urologist didn't want to do anything else until Daddy healed from the laparoscopy surgery.

I told you Daddy is stubborn. Maybe he will finally listen to me and let me know when he wants the yard mowed.

******

In other news, Colt's not working with Scout anymore. He missed a couple of Monday's and Bob took it upon himself to let Colt go. I got Colt to write a letter explaining he had missed those days because he was working on his final Capstone project and had to work on it and meet teachers and other students to work on it on days that they were available. I thought Bob knew Colt had a very important semester and his classwork came first. Colt wasn't laying out. Scout never did give the letter to Bob.

Bob told Colt he needed someone full time and said Colt wasn't fulfilling his needs. Scout said that Bob never fires anyone and his excuse didn't make any sense. 

Scout doesn't even work 40 hours a week. He's lucky if he gets to work four full days a week and half a day on Friday. Forget it if it rains unless they are lucky enough to be building a barn or something. 

Scout is considered "self employed". He doesn't have any benefits. That is why I think it is so important for everyone to have health care in America. His job is dangerous and demanding. Lots of men couldn't handle working with their hands and back all day. More than one person has quit working for Bob after they found out how hard the job really is.

Scout said the new guy Bob replaced Colt with wasn't doing very good. He said the boy couldn't hammer and just piddled around, wasting time. It looks like Bob didn't get such a bargain after all.

Scout and Colt's friend, Allan, is also working for Bob. One day Scout said they had been working all day long and Allan said he had to stop and get something to eat because he was feeling sick. Bob brushed them off and said they had a couple more trailers to get up first. They were baling hay.

Allan has severe diabetes and has gone into a coma several times. Allan went to the truck and found a honey bun to eat. Scout was very upset with Bob for ignoring Allan and not giving them a lunch break. Allan wasn't able to work on Friday because he was sick.

Allan had to go to two hospitals over the weekend because of his sugar diabetes. Since Allan hasn't been working long, and he doesn't have any insurance, he can't afford his insulin. Allan is a young man. He's the same age as Scout. Every time his body goes into a coma it damages his organs. It makes me furious because people like Allan have to do without insulin to help them control their diabetes through no fault of their own. 

I can't understand how anybody would turn their backs on people who don't have insurance, or any money for health care. There's something wrong with a country that thinks it's okay as long as they get theirs but to hell with other people because they don't "deserve" health care. It especially makes me mad to think that our elected politicians feel that way.

*******

Autumn leaves are falling and the light isn't quite as bright. I'm sorry to see another summer ending but I'm excited to see what lies ahead. 

AS ALWAYS

PIO

Money and Medicine

Insurance is the problem. Actually, if you'll follow the money you'll realize where the problem is in medicine. You have to look at the big players. The players are the doctors, nurses, technicians, office workers, equipment, tests, drugs, management, hospitals, health departments, and insurance companies. Those are the main players in the health industry. 

Kaiser Report says Romney's voucher plan would cost at least 60% of seniors more money.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/10/15/its-official-non-partisan-kaiser-foundation-says-60-of-seniors-would-pay-more-for-medicare-under-romney-ryan-voucher-plan/

Everyone is worried about social security becoming insolvent and complaining about medicare going broke, but President Obama has proposed a plan to keep it solvent for an additional four years. That would give us time for the government to fix the mess we are in now, provided they cooperate with each other and learn to compromise, and figure out how to save medicare and rejuvenate the system. I have no doubt that we could turn the whole ACA , Affordable Care Act, around and ensure every American citizen fair access to a medical doctor whenever they are ill, and for yearly wellness visits to monitor their health and help them control illnesses before they become life threatening.

If congress would learn to work to advance the American people and their needs, instead of working hard to impede the progress of the federal government as long as Barack Obama is president, America could grow and the economy would improve more quickly. Every few years we go through a recession and then the economy starts to improve and it grows again. There is no fear that this recession will last. The only fear we should have is the fear of settling for the pitch of a snake oil salesman trying to profit off the highest office in the nation, while stripping America of her resources and constitutional rights. 

Mitt Romney has promised to deny funding to Planned Parenthood and PBS, Public Broadcasting System, among other things. He is as out of touch with the people and disrespectful of the people who will be affected by his policies as our Georgia Governor, Nathan Deal. I am extremely upset with Governor Deal right now for closing the Georgia Archives to the public. Now you will have to make an appointment to visit the archives and can only have access for a couple of hours.

Anyway, getting back to my idea about insurance, I think it's ignorant giving retired people vouchers so they can run all over the country comparing policies and trying to figure out how to get the most for their dollar, cause the insurance companies are going to be trying to get out of covering people with medical conditions and they are going to be trying to sell people shitty policies, or policies that cost out the ying yang and suck up that voucher money and every penny you have left. The insurance companies are in business to make a profit and they have proven their better natures by turning people with illnesses off of policies and putting caps on lifetime spending on people with serious disabilities that costs a fortune over a lifetime. The only solution is tighter regulations. And control over the cost of medical care and equipment. 

I can never understand when someone wants less regulation and oversight by the government after seeing the mess that was made by too little monitoring over Wall Street and the stock market. Those people play with billions of dollars every day. When you handle huge sums of money all the time, it no longer seems real. It's like Monopoly money. It doesn't hurt near as much if you're gambling with someone elses money and lose it. They didn't care. That's why the stock market barracudas all deserved to be punished. Bernie Madoff shouldn't be the only one spending a lifetime behind bars. They destroyed the savings of thousands of people, and fleeced them for their own gain. Too many people will never fully recover their savings. 

We need to push congress to oversee the prescription drug industry more closely and regulate the cost of newer drugs so that patients who need these drugs can afford them. 

When doctors start making more money on treating and helping patients control their blood pressure and cholesterol and monitoring them more often, it will be a win-win for the doctors and the patients as medical costs come down. Cancer and heart disease can be caught in earlier stages if everyone is able to have a yearly physical. More people will live longer with preventative medicine. That might not be so good for social security but I can guarantee you that a lot of people will be happy to know that they will have a chance to live a longer, healthier life.

I can not stress strongly enough to you how important it is for America to visualise the next 20 to 40 years and the overwhelming need for jobs in the field of healthcare. The American baby boomers are all aging. They will not settle down, without a fight. They have always been movers and shakers and don't take no for an answer. They will be on the move and active, if at all possible. The best solution I can imagine is for our federal government to get involved in inspiring young people to seek some field in medicine. College students will need grants and scholarships to help defray costs. President Obama recommended forgiving the debts of college graduates who work in community service when they enter the work force. That same plan should be accentuated in the healthcare field so that they can encourage the brightest and most passionate students to serve in medicine.

That's my two-cents worth.

AS ALWAYS

PIO

Weekend Review

Don has been working overtime recently. He was supposed to work 10 hours a day 7 days a week. Last Saturday he hit his knee on something and it swole up so bad he couldn't walk. He decided to take a vacation week off. By Tuesday he felt so bad that he went to the doctor. They took blood. The doctor couldn't syringe any fluid off his knee so he ordered x-rays. An observant nurse pointed out a spot on Don's knee that looked suspicious. The doctor took a biopsy. The doctor filled him up on prescriptions and sent him home.

Don and I went to the Diagnostic Center and got his x-ray. I asked about mammograms and found out you have to have a doctor's order to get one. While I was at it, I asked how much it would be if I didn't have insurance. The lady said $525, I think. I was flabbergasted! Every time you fart in a medical situation it costs you $500 dollars. Colt's episode cost over $400. Don's last medical exam cost over $500. I think that is standard procedure, or something. How in the name of heaven can you look someone in the face and charge them $500 to mash the hell out of them with two window panes that are screwed down enough to make you feel like you are going to pop and take a picture? No wonder most people can't afford to go to the doctor. The cost is exorbitant. 

Don had been hobbling around like Chester in Gunsmoke. Anybody remember him? He hasn't been able to get outside and work in the garden so Colt and I have been taking care of it. Colt planted beans and tomatoes and I planted some okra.

Don called his doctor to find out about the x-ray and biopsy. They told him it was good news. He didn't have melanoma but he does have gout and needs to be taking another medicine. I hope his knee will get better so he can walk normally again.

Friday I mowed the entire yard, back and front. I usually break it up in a two day job. It was so nice and mild I didn't get tired like I usually do so I mowed the backyard without stopping. After that I had to mow the front yard and get it over with. It didn't take very long. This weekend is the yearly Battle of Resaca  reenactment so I wanted the yard to look nice.

I must have really pushed myself because I started limping around like Don. Every time I sat down for too long my legs locked up and I couldn't walk. I stumbled around like a spastic until I worked the soreness out of my legs. Now I can appreciate Don's pain. My soreness will wear off. I'm not so sure about his.


Colt and I rigged up two flagpoles so I could put a couple of Confederate flags in the front yard for the Battle of Resaca this weekend. People coming and going up Dixie highway will see them. That was my small contribution to the spirit of the occasion. That's all for now.

AS ALWAYS

PIO

Ramblin

Hello! My name is Pam, and I am a blogger. A blogger is like an addict, who sits in front of a computer screen hours on end, thereby providing their social life. I have far more entertaining and stimulating friends than I could ever have met in person. My BF and BBF* list keeps getting longer, and longer. My real life, not so much. When I am on the internet, it doesn't matter if I sit down dressed to the tees, or in my jammies. Nobody cares. I can be scarfing down a plate of chimichanga's if I want to, and nobody will know. It is the ideal world. 

People are so much friendlier; places are so much more open, and ... tolerant. No, not tolerant. Vocal and contentious sometimes, but not always tolerant. I know, I'll just say more democratic and like a republic where people are able to vent their views and swap ideas. Sometimes they're even able to bridge a gap between people. and continents, and cultures, and languages, and find out that we are all basically the same. Aren't we? We want to feel safe, and able to afford food and clothing, and care for the ones we love. Or am I a dreamer? A Pollyanna who things everything will be alright and who always looks on the bright side? Nobody ever accused me of that.

Isn't the internet wonderful? I've met people from around the world. I was in awe of people who could speak English, however broken it sounded, until Colt reminded me that they could use an interpreter. Wow! Isn't the internet amazing? It's like we are all a part of a great community and not divided by race, creed, sex, or religion. We are all anonymous but we can interact with each other. 

I've become addicted to Facebook and following threads that people post. I've met a few wonderful people that way. I love it when anybody agrees with me. I live for the times when somebody disagrees. That's when the "meow" comes out. It's like catnip. "It's on!" as they say.

The other day I was following a thread about a doctor who posted something on the internet about a patient who was on medicaid. According to him, she had a gold tooth, several tattoos, and admitted to smoking at least a pack of cigarettes a day and even indulging in a few beers and pretzels. He was disgusted because the patient didn't have medical insurance. He thought that the patient should be putting their money towards medical insurance instead of personal indulgences. He made it clear that he looked down on people on medicaid and judged them for it. 

The doctor never mentioned why the patient came to see him, or even if he was able to treat them for their condition. I don't know if he even tried. He was more fixated on what he saw and the choices the patient made. 

I thought that, if the patient had a gold tooth, they probably had some money at one time because dentists will not put gold teeth in your mouth unless you're able to pay for them. The tattoos could have been obtained when they were younger and more affluent. Naturally, I imagined some old fart like me sitting there instead of some twenty-something young chick since the doctor made no reference to the age or illness of the patient. They may have hit hard times and ended up on medicaid. Or, give the devil his due, they could be milking the system. I don't know, but neither did the doctor. 

Who's to say the patient didn't have nice shoes and a fancy telephone because they bought them second hand? Lots of people are recycling everything on the internet nowadays.

I've seen plenty of people who could do better, and make better choices, but I still don't see what that has to do with treating a patient. I used to smoke cigarettes but made my mind up to quit smoking. I had three reasons to quit smoking. One, I broke out in a sweat and smelt like a nasty cigarette; two, I wanted to quit smoking before I got pregnant; three, was because of the waste of money. It literally went up in smoke. It is very hard to break a bad habit and people sniping at you and judging you doesn't help.

The doctor made a good case for the need for Obama care, indirectly, because he thought it was disgusting that the patient was on medicaid. If everyone in America has health coverage doctors will have to treat everybody, irregardless of being on medicaid. Many doctors refuse to accept patients on medicaid because of the paperwork and the hoops they have to jump through to get paid. They are never reimbursed fully for their service. That is why the good patients who pay their bills willingly have to help shoulder the burden of the doctor's expenses.

While I'm on this rant I might as well go on and add that I think it is way past time for the medical profession to go online and have some kind of national database to monitor patients and medications. This would be a good way to make sure patients aren't doctor shopping and monitor for fraud.

Like it or not, the health care system is going to be overhauled in 2013. Some people are acting like Chicken Little, running around and hollering, "The sky is falling!" Other people are thankful because the new laws guarantee that an insurance company can not drop them because of a preexisting condition. It is funny to me that some people despise people who are poor, and don't have insurance, but the only way you can afford insurance is if you have money.

We have insurance, but it's still very expensive to go to the doctor. I don't go very often. Donny has to go two times a year because he has high blood pressure. They take blood and run tests, and it costs a lot of money. Still, it's important that he takes care of himself. He is the breadwinner. His insurance doesn't cover our dental visits though. That's where all my medical money goes. I don't want to become toothless. So far, so good. 

I don't know how people can afford health care who are really sick. We can't even afford to use it. Health care, checkups, medicines, tests. If you ask me, I think the government should regulate the drug industry more closely and bring the price of drugs way down. Until the medical community changes we will all be at the mercy of the insurance companies and our medical providers.
Till then we've always got Edgewood Insurance. Oh, no!

* BF best friend,  BBF best, best friend 

***

This weeks new habit is punctuation. How am I doing?

AS ALWAYS

PIO

Why Everybody Needs Health Care

I've been going though some dental problems for the last couple of years and it's not cheap. I was diagnosed with periodontal disease. First they planed and scaled my teeth close at the gums. My teeth started getting loose and backing out so I had to go to a specialist. He had to do a bone graft. My teeth were finally healed enough for him to do reconstructive surgery on my gums. I am having trouble with them and don't know what he will do next. We don't have dental insurance so the entire cost is on us. My hygenist said that periodontal disease has been linked to heart disease so the health of my teeth is very important to me.

When we need glasses or contacts we have to pay the entire cost for those, too, because the insurance we have doesn't cover it. My son's have to have a special prescription because their eyes are so bad and the contacts have never been cheap. I don't know how people can afford to go to the doctor and the dentist and the eye doctor and take every member in their family to make sure everyone is healthy and their needs are provided for when it costs so much for glasses and everything. The economy is bad and people have lost their jobs and can't afford to pay that COBRA (or whatever it is) to keep their insurance and they can't even get proper medical care.

I know someone who looks as healthy as a horse but he developed diabetes and has had to be admitted to the hospital because his sugar was so high. He has never had a good job with benefits so he doesn't have insurance. He would never even qualify for insurance if the government hadn't approved the health care act. He doesn't check his sugar every day because he can't afford the test strips. Never mind the fact that he should be on insulin. His blood sugar has spiked over 600 and it is destroying his body. He can't keep it down. He should be able to go to the doctor and get proper attention and medicine to regulate his body but he can't. He is probably just one of millions of people who really do need to go to the doctor, whether they can afford to or not.

I dread it when my husband retires because we won't be able to afford insurance. I can remember my grandmother sitting at the table writing payments for her insurance and it was ridiculous. The cost of health care is outrageous and insurance is sky-rocketing. If everyone had yearly health exams people could be monitored and treated for any unforseen health problems. Fewer people would develope chronic diseases before they were out of control. That should cut down on health cost and provide a healthier nation. It shouldn't be too expensive to go to your GP or gynecologist or dentist.

I don't know how many times I have to say that. "Everybody should be able to go to the doctor." No doctor or dentist, no matter what their specialty, should be able to refuse service to you because you are poor or don't have insurance. Lower income people should have government supplements, if that is what it takes, to make doctors care for patients.

I can remember when being a doctor was a noble profession and doctors didn't turn you away because you didn't have insurance. I doubt many people had insurance years ago. Dear old Doctor Rosen had a first come, first serve service. You went into the waiting room and gave the receptionist your name and she put you on the list. After everyone  who came before you had their turn you was led into the exam room and got the doctor's full attention. I can even remember the last time I saw Doctor Rosen make the last house call in our family. He would come to the house with his little black bag and take care of you if you was too sick to go to his office. He even came to the house when there was a death in the family and he gave my aunt a sedative. You won't find any doctors doing things like that in this day and age. They're in too much of a hurry and aren't willing to go that extra mile. They're probably afraid of law suits, too.

I don't understand why the general public is so against universal health care. Most people don't go to the doctor because they want to; they go because they are sick. It would be a lot cheaper for everyone to have their own doctor than to have to run to the emergency room whenever they are sick. I hate to go to the doctor so I wouldn't go to the hospital unless I thought it was a real emergency. If people had a regular doctor he could monitor their medicines and make sure they weren't mixing medicines or overdosing or taking something that wasn't good for them. He could educate them on how to care for themselves and help them feel empowered about their own health.

I also know someone who had little kids and didn't know better than to let them sleep with a bottle in their mouths and these gorgeous little kid's teeth started rotting at the gum line. Nobody had bothered to teach them not to do this to protect the kid' teeth. I made the horrible accident of giving one some candy and he started screaming in pain. I was so sorry that I had given him candy. If they had of had a caring doctor he should have taught the young parents how to care for their kid's teeth.

As we grow older our bodies start falling apart and you can be healthy one day and falling apart the next. My sons, who are young, think I am kidding but it happens to everyone.

We live in one of the greatest countries in the world in this 21st century. We believe in freedom for all and that includes all men and women and all races and ethnicities. We like to pride ourselves on our generous and humanitarian attitude. As one of the greatest democracies ever established we should extend the protection of LIFE to everyone, not the least of these being the poor and regular people.

I am perplexed with people who are adament that the government shouldn't be involved in health care. Insurance companies aren't going to voluntarily cover people who are sick and need coverage. They hunt for every loop hole they can find to cancel a policy if they can, especially if someone is running up thousands of dollars with a long term illness. Lobbist's work to protect the insurance companies. Nobody is working to protect the people.

Gordon County has a man with a cancer that has eaten up his face. He is one of about 16 people who have contracted this disease and the only one who has survived so long. He had reconstructive surgery and was beginning to look normal again until his face started to split and he is back to living with a hole in his face. He is pitiful but, thank God, he is still optimistic. The doctors are going to try to reconstruct his face again. His family has to be facing millions of dollars in doctor and hospital and surgical bills but the community has had some fund raisers for him. Nobody should have to face such a devastating medical condition and also have to worry about paying his medical bills. He and his wife need all their energy to fight this disease and not worry about money. His name is Donnie Fritts.

I know some people who contracted Tuberculosis in this community and they had to be treated at the county health center for the disease. Since it is a potentially contagious disease the health department treated everyone without charge. One or two people refused to take the medicine on schedule so they were given some shot, I think. I don't know if this would qualify them as having a pre-existing condition but if it does they wouldn't qualify for insurance without the changes that have been enacted in the congress.

Health care isn't a luxury. Health care is a primary need. It is as important as clean water, sanitation, and safe food. We shouldn't differenciate between rich people and poor people. We shouldn't point fingers and blame others. We should be our brothers keeper.

If America can afford to spend billions of dollars for two wars and borrow money from a communist country, China, to pay for it, surely we can afford to make sure every American man, woman, and child has health care. We have poured millions of dollars into rebuilding Iraq after we blew it up and yet we refuse to make sure our own citizens have health care. I am ashamed that people are so callous and uncaring towards their fellow men. I am doubly ashamed that Christians think this is right. All I can say is "What would Jesus do?"

PIO