Veterinary medicine also fits into Health Chaos. My dog has grown an extra toe with a nail on it. I ignored it until she started licking it and biting it. So now I have to take her to the veterinarian tomorrow. What kind of an anomaly is this? She is by far one of the healthiest dogs I have ever had, except for this anomaly on her right front paw. Has anyone out there ever heard about this? Could you give me some advice? One of my son’s said “If I could grow an extra finger, I wouldn’t have to worry so much about using a knife”.
Extra Toe
November 24th, 2008What is an RN? Really Nothing.
November 23rd, 2008What is an RN? Really Nothing.
Yesterday I had a call from an old friend who was disappointed that her nephew’s wife dropped out of nursing school. I think it was the best decision she could have made. Health care in this country is in such chaos right now; no funding for anything meaningful. I was looking at the ads in the Sunday paper today. I find it interesting that they all say “RN or LPN or CNA”. So they are interchangeable now? One of my reasons for being unemployed is that people see my resume and laugh. I have a bachelors and two masters from three of the best universities in the country. Nobody wants somebody like me anymore. They want technicians, not people who think and are creative and innovative. So I guess I have to keep looking for work at grocery stores and flower shops to supplement my social security checks. As you know, there is no work out there.
Scoliosis and what to do…
May 29th, 2008My scoliosis was first diagnosed when I was in college, way back in the 60’s. It is lumbar, one of the worst kinds. It didn’t bother me for years; I made it through 2 pregnancies with no pain. And then lo and behold, I lifted some heavy bags 4 years ago, felt a “pop” and here we go. Found a pain specialist at a major medical center. Surgery is on his mind. Not for me. No one is touching my spine with a knife!
So my solution: an occasional 1/2 pain pill during bad days. A 1/2 muscle relaxant on bad nights so I can sleep. But the very best!! yesterday I had a private bikram yoga class taught by the teacher and founder at the local center who has scoliosis too. What a great relief from stretching out those muscles and vertebrae. I will be going back and taking classes.
The bottom line: lots of folks have scoliosis. I would recommend anything before, or instead of, surgery. I also found that over the counter Icy Hot does almost as well as medications. Heat helps too. The yoga teacher works in a highly heated and humid room. How can you help relaxing?
Why do I have scoliosis? I attribute it to the fact that the “girls” in my generation did no exercise. We read and studied while the boys all played sports. As an adult I was a runner for 30 years, but it was too late then to reverse the damage, and may even have made it worse.
The bottom line: if you have this condition, try anything but surgery. And keep the young ladies in your life physically active. My daughter in law was a basketball star and is now a runner. Lucky her!
Here we go again; more drugs
April 4th, 2008i was dismayed to read and see all the news about blood pressure and cholestrol reducing drugs this week. i really believe that my previous internist received her md by watching the drug ads on television.
i refuse to take more than one little pill for my borderline hypertesnsion. and i refuse to have my cholestrol level ever tested again.
 today’s local paper was (first section: the real news!) filled with articles about how great these drugs are. oh sure; maybe high blood pressure drugs can curb heart attacks and strokes if you take a bunch of them every day. but what do they do to your GI system? and that short newspaper section had no less than one full page devoted to a pharmacy that could get you all of your drugs, with a reduced price for generics. AND one drug company, advertising their cholsestrol reducing drug had a two full page ad!!!
 i refuse to have my cholestrol level measured ever again. with my low fat diet and walking my dog four times a day, i am not going to worry about little numbers going up and down. and i refuse to take drugs that maybe i need and maybe i don’t.
 here’s to your health. take charge.
tonite’s rant about health care
March 18th, 2008i am still not sure what obama’s plan would be, but i am sure i do not want “hillbilly” in office with her shouting and her support from the drug lobbyists, and her cockamany plan to say that everyone must pay for health care, and it could even be garnished from wages. suppose you don’t have any wages? suppose your job was eliminated…
 have we forgotten about national health care like other developed countries?
 obama’s speech today offered, as he usually does, a new voice, a voice of hope, and not a republican in democrat clothing. he, i believe, will enable the fixing of our society, or make a serious attempt, including health care.
Yay! For dental schools…
February 28th, 2008Having been unemployed for over a year, I have no medical or dental insurance. Pretty scary, as Barack knows. So I decided to go to my local dental college. It was pretty amazing. All the recommendations made by my local money mongering dentist were nixed by the student and her professors who are in the business of good service and care, not retiring next year with a fat income.
Having been a health professional student myself, years ago, I admire the interest in learning, interest in providing optimal care, integrity, not to mention learning how to navigate the halls of academia, without getting lost, before you graduate.
And all at reasonable cost. Takes more time, but it is worth every minute and every penny.
another failed job interview
February 28th, 2008About 3 months ago I applied for a position with a 3 month asthma research project. I stayed in touch, looking forward to an interview. They wanted to interview me yesterday. Only yesterday. Well too bad, I had plans that I could not cancel or change. So, how nice. They would interview me today at 10, by phone. Guess what? No call. No call of apology. They offered the position to someone else at the end of the day yesterday. Would you really want to work for that place? This is how they treat their applicants? That was as bad as the realtors who need me and my dog to get out of my house, then they never show up. Doesn’t make you feel good about people. Stay positive. Can’t live without it!
Incompetence in school health
February 28th, 2008Just read an aricle in my local newspaper. (yes; some of us still like to have that rag in our hands!)  my sons (now adults) and I moved to this city from Berkeley nearly 4 years ago. I can’t say the schools are any worse here. They were very “politically correct†to a fault there. But I did do a 9 day stint as a school nurse last fall, with the schools in this city. My application took months to process, to the tune of about $200. I was so disenchanted by the poor, no, incompetent communication within the school health staff. There are apparently 99 schools in
The wheel goes round and round
January 31st, 2008It goes round and round.
Just got a message from a dr’s office (spinal pain). Not willing to see me; “nothing more to offer me†how does he know? Hasn’t seen me for over a year! WHAT? That means he doesn’t want to do charity care. His office bills independently. Nice. I just wanted a damn consult about pain and budding incontinence. And the muscle relaxants he prescribed are outdated. He can’t even do that? Oh I get it. He came to this country to get rich. I forgot. So if I can’t pay 5k out of pocket, why should he bother seeing me? So I left another message for his scheduler. I will run her ragged. Who cares? I just want a damn consult, paid for thank you, by charity care for which I was approved till june of 08. His message was for me to see my usual provider. Well, thank you, fool, but my PA at the cheap clinic is not a spine pain specialist, and referred me to YOU. And I have no insurance. So I get no help anywhere?
Not sure what to do next. I am my own patient now…after all these years of advocating for others, no one advocates for me. screwed. I am really angry.
I have been a health professional, an advocate, for nearly 40 years. And now I find myself living like a health care indigent. NO INSURANCE AND NO WORK after being laid off twice in the last 7 years. So the clinic admin person just called. She will talk to the doc again. yah sure. We shall see.
Finding Work; Declining Work
January 5th, 2008My premise is that there is less expected of health care professionals today. Is it just in this state, that I moved to 3 years ago? I think not. Professional positions that not long ago required at least a bachelors degree, if not a masters, now require an associate degree, or any educational level that provides the person with some very basic education and the employer can pay a LOT LESS in salary.
I see this trend not just in my profession, but in many, many professions. Yet we are told that our economy is strong and there are lots of jobs! Sure, for slightly more than minimum wage, very limited or no benefits, and no job security. More and more I see contracts for a limited time vs. the days of longevity meaning you can invest in a retirement plan and your position is relatively secure. I live in an “at will” state which means you sign a paper, a contract, which states that you can be terminated, at any time, without notice, with no warning and no reason given. On the other hand, you, the employee, have the same privilege. And I have exercised this right twice this year. Why?
 Now employers are looking for “technicians” or “specialists” which in health ”professions”  in this state, means a student, or an entry level worker,  who wants to earn a few dollars, with no higher goals, ambitions for professional growth.
 In support of my observations, I must say that I have found that the attitudes of those doing the hiring and firing has become very vindictive and demeaning. Perhaps because the ones “in charge” who have been promoted to the role of supervisor or manager are not qualified, educated, nor experienced for their role. Their communication skills seem to be nonexistent. ?the old “peter principle” at work again?