First the good story:
http://www.aolnews.com/philanthropy/nc/article/comic-book-creator-jonathan-krouse-8/1081316?icid=main|htmlws-sb-n|dl1|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fphilanthropy%2Fnc%2Farticle%2Fcomic-book-creator-jonathan-krouse-8%2F1081316
You do everything right. You are having chest pains. You don't know if it is indigestion or the beginning of heart trouble. You doctor sends you to the hospital for tests. You never hear from the hospital or the docotor. Uou assume that you are fine. Prevacid or Prilosec should do the trick. Wrong assumption if you went to this hospital:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/nyregion/26hospital.html?src=mv&ref=nyregion
In a way I can understand using technicians to weed out the bad cases from the good ones. It saves the doctors a lot of time. While I understand it, I certainly not in this lifetime will condone it. What do you think of the practice?
WHO AM I?
The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison
"This is a youth-oriented society, and the joke is on them because youth is a disease from which we all recover." Said the lady born in 1893 in New Jersey and died in 1989 in Ohio at the age of 96. I spent my childhood in Wisconsin. At first I was a school teacher. After my first marriage I moved to Ohio to begin my theatrical, lecturing and broadcasting careers. I hosted a local radio biography program and eventually in went national on the now Disney owned radio network. I was their first female commentator. I was approached by a representative from Scripps-Howard about taking a role in journalism. Despite My lack of experience in the field I traveled around the world, even conducting rare interviews with both Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler prior to World War II. I began her television career at age 54. I was the first woman anchor on the first half-hour newscast in the country. I was the first female in the United States to have my own television news analysis program. I have been referred to as the "First Lady of Television News." I was recognizable for my fiery red hair and was well known for her my controversial opinions. I could offend some members of her audience. In 1970 while live on the air, I made the following statement regarding the actions of the Ohio National Guard during the Kent State shootings, "What is wrong with our country? "We're killing our own children." Due to my reference to the shooting of the four students as murder, there were numerous calls from viewers for me to resign. I didn't resign but went on to cover the 1981 royal wedding of Prince Charles and Diana, the funeral of assassinated Egyptian prime minister Anwar Sadat and to Northern Ireland to interview the family of IRA activist/hunger striker Bobby Sands. At age 91 I still conducted interviews and read commentaries on-air three times every day. That ended when I suffered a stroke shortly after interviewing U.S. President Ronald Reagan via satellite. The station received so many phone calls from viewers asking about my condition that an automated answering machine service was set up, devoted to providing updates about my health. In 2003 I was posthumously awarded an Ohio Historical Marker for my contributions to journalism. Who Am I?
About Me
- William J.
- First, I think the birth sign is wrong. 6-21, some papers say Gemini, some Cancer. Guess that means I have so many personalities that I can do group therapy alone. For those that don't know how to read Google profiles I have put what I really mean in ( ). Hot (Good looking enough to be in movies(if I buy at ticket). A body like a God (Buddha). Romantic (Thinks begging is foreplay.) Physically fit (Heart trouble. Put 911 on speed dial before we get initmate.) Good Provider (has good life insurance in case you forget to put 911 on speed dial.) Loyal (has reference letters from Mom and parole officer.) Intelligent (scored 1600 on his SATS but you have to total the scores of the four times that I took the test.) Looking for someone compatible (Be between 30 & 99 and not inflatable.)
6 comments:
Good on that kid! Amazing that a second-grader could do all that. And good on the article, too, because if you clicked on a link, you could see one of Jon's comics.
As to the unread echocardiograms, that's just shameful. I can certainly see having the suspicious ones flagged to look at first, but to never get to the others at all? Malpractice. I was somewhat relieved to read that at least so far, they haven't found any that needed prompt attention.
Hi Pat
I've been writing the authors of these articles and told them it would be nice to some of the work of their subjects. I doubt it that is the reason but it couldn't hurt.
I just think it was incredible luck that they didn't find any that needed attention.
bill
What a great story about the grandson and the comic book and the money raised. I think, too often, people not involved with chronic or terminal conditions have no idea that it really is a "family affair." A diagnosis of cancer or Alzheiemers, for instance, doesn't just affect the patient. It's a battle or issue for the entire family and for close friends. Too often, as you and others of us here know, all the attention is on the patient, with little attention paid to the caregiver, spouse, children and close friends trying to help and suffering through myriad emotions.
As to the second article... scary. I can understand techs taking a first look to find the individuals in need of immediate attention, but *every* test needs to be reviewed and reported on to the doctors and the patients contacted. I long ago gave up thinking "no news is good news" when there was any test, but especially an important one. It's one reason I have a release on file with the lab, allowing me to pick up all test results for myself and, when she was here, for Mom, and a similar release for mammograms. Had my bone scan faxed to my chiropractor, who gave me a copy. Anyone can do this and I really encourage folks to make arrangements to receive your own copy of any tests done. It's your body, you paid for the tests, one way or another, and you have the right to have them in your own files. What if the doc's office burns down, is burglarized, all the computers crash? In the event I don't ask for or get copies of test results, if more than a week goes by, beyond when I was told test results would be sent to my doctor, I call the doctor's office and ask for the results. In our current health care environment, the best person to manage your health and health care is you or someone you consider to be a responsible mentor and monitor.
Hi DR
People on the outside certainly don't understand that diseases like cancer and alzheimers are family diseases but if you are involved with a relative that has either disease certainly does. It amazes me how many people that were effected by my dad's dementia. And of course we both agree that sometimes it is harder on the caregiver, spouse etc than it is the patient.
You are a definite role model about how to keep the doctor's on their toes. I think I am going to take the same steps you are. Again I agree that we definitely should manage our own health!
Bill
As to role model... I learned the hard way. First, when we were with an HMO and left and I discovered just how much I didn't know (I asked for the records for me, as we didn't know where we were going) and how much the docs "edited and condensed" reports. Then, with Mom, when her doctors didn't seem to be able to get lab results for NGM into their records, which is when I started picking them up and taking them with us. One of the advantages, especially to blood labs, is that you, yourself, can see the comparisons to this one vs the last one and, if there's a major difference, you can ask the doctor why. I've found there are usually pretty simple answers in most cases, but at least you know what the results are and why the doc is or is not concerned. Like with my cholesteol -- the numbers look high in a couple results, but the doc explained part of it is my metabolism and that the "good" cholesterol is more than
higher than normal" to offset the slightly "higher than normal bad cholesterol" and why. At least,if I have the lab results, I know what questions I want answered. Himself now also requests his lab results, as do several of my friends. Interesting, the more you know and the more you're aware of what to ask about, the more open our doctors seem to become and the more willing to spend time talking to us.
Hi DR
Also if your bad C is low and your total C is low then your good is going to be a little low also. The most important thing according to my doctor is the ratio.
Bill
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