333
09-24-2007, 09:25 AM
Peace,
I sit here wondering if I should or should not speak , but in the end I believe I will resolve to be heard.
I am in my late 30's, have paid plenty of "dues" and "taxes", managed to stay out of the criminal justice system, managed to stay out of the mental health care system. Banking, Insurance and Credit have been impossible to avoid.
Being in the construction service related industry for 20 years, I have had my share of personal accidents causing minor to moderate bodily distress.
So the health care system would seem to be hard to avoid completely with a folks like myself. It seems as if its every 8 years or so for me personally, an emergency room visit are my dues.
On Friday last while reclaiming some lumber used for temporary support on a personal project, (pulling nails) I managed to implant a shard of steel in my middle finger from my cat's paw (nail puller) you strike with your hammer to set and lever out nails.
I am not a complete stranger to the local emergency room, I had my share of visits, I was prepared for the waiting with my issues of BHM, I took the time to eat and shower and see my little ones for dinner then set out to get this foreign object out of my body.
Needless to say here it is Monday and I still posses this 1/4 grain of uncooked rice sized (split length wise then quartered) fragment in my finger. 1 Tetanus shot, 2 different antibiotics, 2 ER visits, and dozens of phone calls, finally an appointment with a ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON $$$$$$ Tomorrow.
The hospital staff were most efficient in collecting revenue, privacy and distributing drugs, radiology was professional and pleasant. When it came to removing the steel however I am presently still waiting. I have seen the X Rays and done plenty of my own minor surgery including some suture work to concur the steel is not in the bone and a little deep for me to attempt it myself.
It cant be for lack of money or insurance, they have received both from me. It certainly was not for lack of staff in the place. Every person who spoke to or treated me had 1-2 people "tagging" along with no apparent function that I could discern.
So I sit here and think perhaps it is because there is such good insurance and those co payment cash sums to be had that it is better for them to string it out, a job security thing. Perhaps I didn't complain enough or wasn't assertive? Perhaps the PA was not skilled enough? Perhaps there was no doctor on call to come see my on the first visit? Perhaps its just the fact I chose Friday for this event.
Health care ???
333
I sit here wondering if I should or should not speak , but in the end I believe I will resolve to be heard.
I am in my late 30's, have paid plenty of "dues" and "taxes", managed to stay out of the criminal justice system, managed to stay out of the mental health care system. Banking, Insurance and Credit have been impossible to avoid.
Being in the construction service related industry for 20 years, I have had my share of personal accidents causing minor to moderate bodily distress.
So the health care system would seem to be hard to avoid completely with a folks like myself. It seems as if its every 8 years or so for me personally, an emergency room visit are my dues.
On Friday last while reclaiming some lumber used for temporary support on a personal project, (pulling nails) I managed to implant a shard of steel in my middle finger from my cat's paw (nail puller) you strike with your hammer to set and lever out nails.
I am not a complete stranger to the local emergency room, I had my share of visits, I was prepared for the waiting with my issues of BHM, I took the time to eat and shower and see my little ones for dinner then set out to get this foreign object out of my body.
Needless to say here it is Monday and I still posses this 1/4 grain of uncooked rice sized (split length wise then quartered) fragment in my finger. 1 Tetanus shot, 2 different antibiotics, 2 ER visits, and dozens of phone calls, finally an appointment with a ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON $$$$$$ Tomorrow.
The hospital staff were most efficient in collecting revenue, privacy and distributing drugs, radiology was professional and pleasant. When it came to removing the steel however I am presently still waiting. I have seen the X Rays and done plenty of my own minor surgery including some suture work to concur the steel is not in the bone and a little deep for me to attempt it myself.
It cant be for lack of money or insurance, they have received both from me. It certainly was not for lack of staff in the place. Every person who spoke to or treated me had 1-2 people "tagging" along with no apparent function that I could discern.
So I sit here and think perhaps it is because there is such good insurance and those co payment cash sums to be had that it is better for them to string it out, a job security thing. Perhaps I didn't complain enough or wasn't assertive? Perhaps the PA was not skilled enough? Perhaps there was no doctor on call to come see my on the first visit? Perhaps its just the fact I chose Friday for this event.
Health care ???
333