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Turn that frown upside down :-)

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2508

I am going to turn that frown upside down like Shari did..

Finished my exposure this morning..Went and did my Labs at a local lab and doctors office thats 2 miles from my house, it is part of the larger one that I go to..I even asked the receptionist for the name of a good doctor in their office being that it is so close and I am not happy with traveling the long distance to their big hospital/clinic site in the heavy traffic. So she gave me some names and said it would be no problem moving me over to their office.

The doctor I have now and I clash anyway..I discussed it with the patient advocates and large clinic operations supervisor last month and told them I would give my present doctor and their large hospital/clinic another try and if it didn't work out I would be making a change. I have to say here, that being your own advocate is a major challenge but it has to be done and changes can be a good thing. It isn't the first time I have had to assert myself on my behalf or the last I am sure..This is something I learned how to do from the cbt program here..This type of exposure I find is very tiring both emotionally and physically especially when your sick..I am hoping things turn out better this time around..Saying and doing nothing is not a option anymore..

As for tuning my frown upside down..As a reward we stopped and had coffee and breakfast on the way home and are off again now with cup in hand for our peaceful walk at the lake again..

Thank God for the walks at the lake..and Thank God for the lake for that matter..it is a diamond in the rough in the Big City..and only 30 minutes away..

Red....

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2508

I agree it has come down the fittest and richest..and the pursuit of the a mighty dollar..

I guess I should consider myself lucky to have insurance!! even though I have a cost share on the reduced cost of because of my insurance. I am paying 25% out of pocket for a care or non care that I receive..I meet my catastrophic out of pocket cost of $3000 last year and again this year already..After that my insurance pays in full. I guess I should feel lucky but $3000 is still a lot for me to pay on my fixed income of just $1200 monthly..The only way to come out on top is to have no insurance or home, than you can get those that are insured or the taxpayers or those who own homes to pay you bill..For those of us that have a little are the ones that pay the most for our health care here..We pay the inflated costs to make up for those that can't or won't pay..You see if I don't pay my bills they can but a lean on my home for payment later. So I pay my bills for tests, services and surgeries that are not always needed so that rich can get richer and the poor can get poorer..The working poor or retired are usually hit the hardest here..Yes it is all about making money and getting richer, the 1% get richer while the poor suffer in America.

So off I go to get my labs done this morning and to follow up appointments over the next two week in hopes that they can help me instead of hurt me again with unecassary and painful tests that shouldn't be painful and surgeries that were never really needed but were done because I have insurance that will pay its share just like me. While the rich can get richer again and again...

So this time I will pay even closer attention and weight the pros and cons and go with my gut instincts before I make any healthcare decisions again..You see I am not in for the money like some of them..I just want help when I need it.

Red....

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

You know that in the end it is going to come down to the fittest which now a days means the richest. History repeats itself. Some one always wants what others have and some where along the line the poor pay. We have a choice, health care or security. We can not spend the money on armed forces and health care at the same time although the armed forces have very good health care. Or freeways in cities that are already too large and covering good farm land so the pollution can cause Cancer. We can't build hospitals and close them because there is no money or staff to man them. But we do. Everyone can have a cell phone that few really need so you can text on it while you wait in the waiting room.

Apple made seven billion dollars last year. A drop in the bucket compared to the cost of world health care.

We seem bent on self destruction, all in the name of the dollar. (as the song goes) The pursuit of the dollar is the true silent killer.

Davit

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 177

Davit and Red,

If it were up to our Liberal party, all hospitals would be privatised here. They're cutting thousands of jobs, yet expect us to be able to afford higher living expenses and healthcare. Queenslanders voted in the Liberals for our State Premier and as much I hope it doesn't happen, I have a feeling we'll be getting a Liberal Prime Minister for our country as well in the September election. I know it's risky talking politics but that's just how it is, Labour is for the poor, Liberal for the wealthy. Unfortunately, my family and I are on the poorer end of the scale.

You're lucky to have your health insurance Red, at least that's one positive. It's hard knowing things aren't as regulated as they should be. The specialists are probably under a lot of pressure too, and are forced to see patients as a chart number, not people.
There is always room for improvement no matter where we are. Although there's no such thing as a perfect world, we shouldn't have to settle for less than average.

Kaitie.

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2508

Hi Kaitie,

Thanks for the response and info...There are a few of these clinic in the part of Calif. that I am in..These clinic are for people that have no health insurance and payment is based on there income..These clinic are not for people that have insurance though we can't go there. Once you have insurance you have to find doctors that accept your insurance to be seen..and not all the doctors accept every type of insurance...So basically the doctors and hospitals are calling all the shots and setting the inflated prices for health care in the U.S..I go to a huge clinic that is renowned for their cutting edge medicine..It is a teaching hospital/clinic and people come from all over to go here..Even so with all these fancy education and fountains and such it does not work anymore. Wes need socialized medicine for everyone because the insured are not getting the care they need..The doctors, clinics and hospital need to be regulated and if this is ever done than maybe they we can get back to what really matters..Doctors treating patient like people again and helping them to get well..Than in turn we the patients in the u.s. can get the care we need and get well again..

Till then I am going to follow my own intuition when it comes to my health..for this is the safest way to approach it right now..I am so looking forward to having socialized medicine like You and Davit have some day soon..

Red..

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

kaitie

Each province is a bit different in Canada but it is pretty much the same as Australia. Maybe shorter periods for elective but a lot is free including the scans. There are mobiles that go to the areas that don't have a hospital with equipment. And we have walk in clinics too. Because of my income I don't pay medical and only a fraction of my prescriptions. I've logged over two years in hospital for free. 15 operations. I don't know how long we can do this.

Davit.

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 177

Red,

Australia is so lucky to have access to free health care, and Medicare levies that reimburse most of those expensive specialist costs. We do have very long waiting periods on elective surgeries, some up to five years or more, but our government is working to fix this (supposedly). Indigenous Australians get pretty much everything for free here, and complain if they do have to pay like the rest of us, which annoys me.

I never realised how bad healthcare actually is in America until I saw an episode of Dr Oz the other day. He went to help out at a free clinic in Los Angeles, apparently there are more of these clinics around too so it might be good to consider looking for one near you. There was one lady who had breast cancer for three years couldn't afford the expenses of seeing a doctor. By the time Dr Oz saw her, the growth was the size of a grapefruit and actually ruptured the skin because it was so large. When she took the dressing off, he had to sit down because he was in shock. He's done quadruple bypasses but this affected so much more than that. It was awful.

We have free breast screen clinics here and they send out reminders every 2 years when you're due for the next one. I hope the US adopts a similar scheme soon. No one should have to go through what you guys have to.

Kaitie.

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Jennie (my first wife) was diagnosed with a Carcinoma in her early twenties. She never got a second opinion just got rid of it. She is alive but we never had kids. We will never know if we could have or if the operation was really necessary.

But with Cancer it is best not to fool around.

Davit

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2508

Thank you Vincenza,

Sorry to hear about your friend..Good to hear she is resting and getting the information and help she needs..so she can make a informed decision about her own situation..

I agree Second and Third options can be helpful. The problem arises when it comes time to pay these experts..They change high fees for their expert opinions. $400 to $600 per expert opinion in my case which of course insurance will not pay for more than once..

So when making a appointment with another doctor for the same health problem the issue that always comes into play is how much the doctor is getting paid. The doctors get very angry when the get a lower free like $150 because you have seen by someone else already and have now shown up in their office for their second or third opinion which ever it may..and in turn they are not always glad to see you in there examining room. This does seem to put a strain on the patient/doctor relationship which is something I have experienced of lot of lately. I find myself in a dilemma when it comes to getting second opinions and have shied away from these doctors for the time being..no one likes to feel the doctors distaste for them when they walk in..What it really boils down to is money and not the patient here in the states..Not something I see improving in the near future..We need socialized medicine in the states like they have in other countries..Than maybe everyone will be treated fairly and social class with not factor in to it for the majority of us anymore..This way the doctors would all be treated equality I hope and would not feel the need to take it out on the patient if they are not getting paid as much as the other doctor for the day..an in turn the patient would hopefully be treated fairly and equally too..I hate having doctors yell at me when I walk in, telling my they had to come in on their day off to see me..Of course this doctor was not getting paid the full price for his second opinion that day..This not the first time this has happened to me..and it will not be the last. I am sure it must be happening to others too.

I know another long post..but I felt the need to get up on my soap box again and speak out for all the patients in the U.S. that are not getting the care they need...I wanted to let others know what is happening to us down here..

Red...

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1853

Hi Red1,

You brought up two big themes that I've experienced through a friend recently. The first is the importance of being informed of our options when it comes to our healthcare and voicing our concerns until we are satisfied with the care. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer

. Her oncologist and surgeon had very strong opinions on whether she needs to have surgery. Although she is happy with the care both are providing, she chose to get a 3rd and 4th opinion to learn what she can about her condition and her options.

You also remind us that life is sweet and good - especially when learning to appreciate the small things in our lives. Considering my friend's shocking diagnosis (she is 35), she truly is living each day to the fullest (even if that means resting as much as she can). She is grateful for many aspects of her life.

Thank you for sharing an inspiring post and reminding us how sweet life can be, even through very challenging times.

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Turn that frown upside down :-)