Friday, July 31, 2009

Health Care reform

I am SO SICK of government wrangling and infighting on this issue. I have a plan to get this fixed, NOW....

The elected officials in this country (USA) are sitting on the best health care plan available. They are paid $50K or more and get lots of "perks" for being elected...

1) Freeze all elected official's assets.
That means the dog catcher to the president - anyone who is elected into their office, freeze their assets. No income, nothing to sell, nothing to use as backup...

2) Reduce their pay to $1800-$2200 a month with NO BENEFITS
This means no health care, high taxes, no vacation, no travel benefits, nothing.

Let's see how fast they figure out how to provide health care then...

I heard an objection - Saying this legislation will reduce the quality of health care

PUH LEEZ!!!!

We have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world.
We have more obesity, more diabetes, more heart disease, and more cancer, than just about any other country in the world.
Our medications are overpriced and hard to cover with insurance, much less pay for if you have no insurance.

Don't tell me about the quality of health care in this country. That's pure bullshit!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Test Results

All my test results were good. That's good and bad. It's good that there was nothing found, bad because we don't know why I'm feeling so poorly.

More meds, add a vitamin regimen, see what happens in a month. "Modern" medicine is a pain!

Maybe I'm just getting old. Both my parents are gone, so I can't ask them what getting older is like. I don't get to ask them about bodily functions - not that we ever talked about that while they were alive anyway...

A blessed day off!

I actually have no where to be today. I don't have to work, at work or on the house, and I got to sleep in. What a treasure!

I do have things to do - of course! Laundry, housekeeping type stuff, packing for the move, and a meeting.

I've been deciding which meeting to go to - downtown at noon or tonight. I think noon - I'm missing a headlight and can't have it replaced till next week, so that would be my best bet.

I've gotten all my clothes all dirty and stinky with the work I've been doing at the house, so I need to do a couple of small loads today. I need more change, of course, so I'll pop by the bank after meeting and get a roll of quarters.

I also need more get-well cards. My aunt is in rehab with a broken arm (she's 81) and I started sending her a card a week - for a few weeks anyway. She wrote and told me she loved them and the staff howled with laughter at the cards (laughter is the best medicine) so I need to stop by a dollar store and get about 12 more of them. She will be there for at least another 6 weeks, and these stores are the least expensive option.

Who knows - maybe I'll even get the e-zine done for my site today! That would be a wonderful use of time!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Health Care and Work

This is a political statement - if you don't want to read it, don't...

I've been employed at a couple of places in the last 7-10 years that "downsized" and actually moved the bulk of their payroll overseas - or at least out of the US. The reason for this, was the cost of health care.

Yes, health care.

This was several years ago, and these outfits needed to cut costs. A way to do that, was to move their payroll to a country with Universal Health Care. It slashed their payroll costs. They laid off over 700 people in one case, and moved to Canada.

Canada has Universal Health Care. It's part of the income tax. It's nationalized. Whether it needs to be fixed or if it is causing a bottleneck, I don't know. I just know that 700 people here were out of work.

We need Universal Health Care. Pay for it out of income tax. Provide it for ALL people. Get rid of the insurance companies that are rationing health care. Sure, some folks need more care than others - that is the nature of health care.

Pay bonuses for staying healthy and not using health care, if you have to. Financial incentives work!

Someone's downfall

I stayed with a woman (call her K) - rented a room - for about 3 months several years ago. She kept saying things that hurt and verbally attacking me, so I pulled my typical passive/aggressive stuff and made myself need to move - which is what I wanted to do but didn't know how to verbalize at the time.

Well, K is getting her come-uppance right now. Not for what went on between us, but for years of behavior that have built up a history of deception, cheating, unethical practices and so on. It's hard not to gloat.

I ran into someone a few weeks ago who bought her house and we started talking. We didn't even know these ties when we met! God truly puts the right person in your life at the right time. She's validating my experience with K. My part is still my part, but I wasn't crazy - it truly was a crazy situation. My behavior was coping behavior, and because of this validation, I can be much easier on myself for my part in things.

I prayed this morning that K will have a soft place to fall. I know she needs to go through this, but I hope she doesn't completely come undone. I know that she's in the heart of the universe, that God has her in his hand, and so on...

It just shows that the laws of Karma are still in play. This is the stuff she sowed, she is now reaping the harvest. Truly, we gather ten times or more what we sow.

She's in deep doodoo- literally! Septic tanks included...

It's SO hard not to gloat!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Not Strep!

I went to the doctor's office and my throat, laryngitis and feeling like garbage is not strep! Instead, she gave me 2 MORE inhalers.

I'm going to be SO GLAD to get out of this apartment! This place is KILLING me!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Laryngitis!!

I never had this before - sore throats and such, yes, but this is day 2 of no voice.

I can't talk on the phone, can't hardly talk to my cats - but I can still click and stuff.

I always thought this was something that would not happen to me. But here it is. I have a sore throat (4 days now) and a stiff neck (about the same length of time).

I think this is because of the air conditioner. My landlady changed the unit in my bedroom about 10 days ago in her annual musical-AC unit shift, and this unit seems to be setting it off. She put in a second unit, but that one barely cools the bedroom, much less the full apartment. Her intent was to pull the big one and leave the little one, but it just isn't strong enough to cool this place in summer.

So, for my last 3 months here, I'll be having recurring sore throats and laryngitis.

I'm going to be SO GLAD to move! And into my own house, to boot!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Cancer and Friendships

Some friends of mine have had cancer. Thankfully, I have not. However, the one I see most around here, told me of a dilemma for the cancer patient - those cute little hats!

Did you know that only a few places make nice ones? I'm going to put my costuming experience to some GOOD use and make some of these in cool fabrics for hot climates.

I need a plastic head to use. The hats themselves will be adjustable, so the size is not an issue - I just need something to use for forming and design purposes - something I can stick a lot of pins into.

I haven't tried this before, but with my sewing background, this should be an easy transition. Can't wait!

3 more months of this little apartment, and then.... ROOM! Room to sew!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Medical Procedures-

EGD and Colonoscopy - Already had new allergy testing...

MAN! $406 out in less than 3 weeks. No wonder I'm feeling very BROKE right now! And the tests are *not* pleasant!

The allergy testing took all morning and I was seriously sugar and water deprived by the end of that. I needed food *NOW* - and that wasn't enough. I had to use glucose tabs, too. At least they only did stuff on the outside of my body!

So far, the EGD (upper GI) was the worst - I was totally dehydrated when it came time - for a 2pm appt, and they kept me sitting around for another 2 hours --- and then couldn't get the IV started for the anasthesia.

Yeah! Right! Like that's going to be easy after that long without water....

I about went into shock. I said that (after the 4th stick) if they didn't get it going, I was leaving. No more. I'm all bruised and very unhappy about it all.

The test was pretty short after all that - and they did 2 biopsies. Not a good start to the process with this interior scanning.

The colonoscopy is Monday. I'm starting the prep today by eating a low-fiber diet and drinking a lot of fluid. Tomorrow is the nasty day - stay home, a liquid diet and other things I don't want to think about...

At least when they stick me for the IV, I'll be hydrated this time.

At my age, I guess you have to do this kind of thing. It's just really nasty, and I wish I didn't have to.

"Modern" medicine is still pretty stone-aged. I wish it was like on Star Trek, where you get scanned and they can tell all about your functions and there are no needles, no IVs, and no invasive surgery.

I can dream, can't I?