I'm not concerned about swine flu..are you?

It seems to me as long as everyone uses some common sense regarding swine flu there shouldn't be such a big panic over it. Don't go out if your sick, wash your hands often, watch out for people who are sneezing, and if you feel like you may have the flu go to your physician and get checked. Most important of all, be sure you get accurate information regarding this flu. The best place to get your info is directly from the CDC or WHO. I've added the link for the CDC in my sidebar so you can easily check for the latest information. 

If you do your research you would find that most of the deaths from the swine flu In Mexico were due to inadequate health care. Most likely if they had gotten medical attention as soon as they got sick they might have survived it. There are many confirmed cases in the United States with only one death and that was a small child (23 months). 

I think what most people don't take into consideration is the fact that for the most part the swine flu cases in the United States have been mild and most are just simply getting the antiviral and recuperating at home. As was reported on CNN by Jack Cafferty   http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/, there are more deaths each year from the seasonal flu than from our current situation with this swine flu. You don't see the same panic or threat levels for the seasonal flu. With so many deaths every year, why not? In either case if everyone just follows the simple rules for hygiene, that can solve a lot of it. 

I do have one other solution that can help slow down the spread of flu's and colds. It's also a simple one. It's been suggested that if your sick, stay home. Don't go to school or work. As for school that's a more simple solution, but as for staying home from work, that can be a bit more difficult. In some cases It's more difficult to do this for two reasons. 

1. Not all people can afford to stay home. Many have no sick days so if they don't go to work they don't get paid and that can make It impossible to pay bills.
2. In many jobs these days, if you don't show up for work (sick or not) you either get a write up (which goes on your employee record) or you simply get fired for not showing up.

With the job market as it is today, who out there can afford to lose their job? For those reasons they go to work when their sick and it just spreads from employee to employee. So when it's recommended that people stay home when there sick, these things also have to be considered. Employers need to be more willing to work with those who are ill and would be better off at home rather that at work spreading the flu to everyone else. That of course is for another blog. Something really should be done about that.

Anyway, I definitely feel this whole swine flu thing has been blown way out of proportion. Just follow the CDC recommendations and all will be well soon enough. What do you think?

So I just need to say it again...

So yet here is another case of someone in the health care system dropping the ball just because someone didn't have health insurance. I hear it happening over and over again. When is it going to stop? 

My oldest son's girlfriend is currently in the hospital with complications from Lupus. She began having problems many months ago. She went to the hospital and doctor several times and every time was just medicated to help the symptoms, mostly pain medication, and sent home because she had no health insurance. She has 3 forms of lupus and this should have been caught and treated right away. But too many times someone dropped the ball.  She even had one doctor tell her she wasn't being treated properly for her lupus, but did he do anything about it? No, he simply told her to see a specialist. So she calls to make an appointment and you guessed it. They couldn't fit her in for 3 months. Now she's laying in the hospital where she's been for weeks. She's had 3 surgeries to remove blood clots. 

She's receiving hyperbolic treatments to try and save as much of the foot as they can, but again I feel they are taking too many chances. The hyperbolic treatments seemed to be working at first. At one point they were only going to have to take the toes. Now because they didn't do something at that point and instead continued the treatments, her foot is getting worse and she will likely lose more of the foot. She's in constant pain and they have her medicated to the hilt.

I have to ask, when did the words 'Do no harm' fade away? This entire situation could have been avoided if they had just started her lupus treatments as soon as she was diagnosed. But no, she didn't have health insurance so she was turned away. 

This lack of compassion has to stop! Those of us without health insurance matter just like everyone else. We are not second class citizens and should be treated with respect! It's as if our lives don't count, so we don't deserve health care. It just makes me want to shout out, "HELLO...we're over here..we are important and we want to live!" But the question is, will anyone hear us? I hope someone is listening out there and stops this unfair practice of sweeping us under the rug as if we are so much garbage!

Ok so I have to do this!!

OK so I usually don't give this kind of thing a second thought, but I just couldn't resist this time. Is anyone besides me sick to death of Perez Hilton and his whining? This feud of his with Miss California is gonna drive me over the edge of the next cliff I see (just and exaggeration to show how nuts this guy makes me). 

Yes I sent him an email letting him know how narcissistic I think he is and suggested he stop acting like a 2 year old. He started out as a blogger just like you and I, but somewhere along the way he decided he was actually a real reporter. I think his friends need to sit him down and tell him he's not all that as they say these days. I mean come on...I've met many people who are full of themselves but he's gone over the top. It doesn't help that the media invites him to their programs. It somehow led him to believe that his opinion's are more important than they really are. So much so that he thinks he can tell Miss California how she should word her responses to questions. Maybe he would have been happier if he had been allowed to write all the questions with acceptable responses for all of the contestants. After all his opinion is the only one that counts. Right? NOT!!

Don't get me wrong. I totally support same sex marriage. What I don't accept is someone in this country thinking they can tell someone else what to believe and how they should express their opinions. If I never hear the words 'Politically correct' it won't be too soon for me. Get a clue Perez. In this country we have the right to express our opinions in our own words even if it upsets someone else. It's called free speech and if I'm not mistaken Perez uses it everyday. Do I get to go on his blog and tell him I didn't like the way he stated something so I would like him to word it a different way so it doesn't offend me or others? No! If I don't agree with someones statement or the way they said it I do what everyone should do and what the typical teenager does. I let it go in one ear and out the other.

So Perez, my suggestion to you is that you 1. get a clue...2. get a life...3. get yourself a big cup of stfu...and last of all 4. GROW UP!!

Well that's my 2 cents worth on that subject. Sorry for the rant, but I just needed to get it out of my system and move on. Thanks for listening. I'll be back later I'm sure.

Just another day

Not too much going on here today. Just trying to get some work done a little at a time as my back permits. It's been quiet for the most part here...everyone is just kind of doing their own thing as usual. I recently began using Twitter. Its a lot of fun and lots of fun folks out there to follow. One of my favorites is Ashton Kutcher's twitter. He's such a hoot and finds some of the funniest video's to post. I was watching some of his video's of him and Demi on vacations. It really brought home that they are just normal people like the rest of us. Makes you see "stars" in a whole different view and I mean that in a good way. To tell you the truth I never paid much attention to him at first. Don't get me wrong, he's really good at what he does. But seeing him up there as just a regular person actually made me take more notice. He and Demi seem to be very happy and have a lot of fun. 

After watching his video's and the funny things he finds online to watch and make you laugh he reminds me of my son's. He's a real nut and fun to follow. Now if i could just find a way to get him to follow my twitter so I could talk to him that would be great, but I'm not gonna hold my breath on that one. 

Just have to say though if you haven't tried twitter yet you should! It's just too much fun! OK well that was my random thought today. If something comes to mind later I'll be back. I'd like to hear your random thoughts too, so feel free to chime in and if you twitter you can follow me at @imjstsayin

Healthcare in America (or the lack thereof)

This is a very personal issue for me. I'm one of those who slips through the cracks. The focus seems to be on everyone except those of us who have no options for getting any kind of healthcare. My health has been getting steadily worse for the last 4 or 5 years and being diagnosed with diabetes about 6 months ago just added to my long list. At this point I can't work because of my health which means I have zero income. I'm forced to live with 2 of my grown children until something drasticly changes. I can't seem to qualify for any help because even though my children don't make that much income they still have to use the income of anyone i'm living with which means I don't qualify for any kind of aid. So what? I only have hope of help if I become a baglady on the street? 

I don't know where the heads of our politicians are but it isn't with those of use in need of healthcare in this country. Do they not get the concept that if i were able to get real healthcare there might be a chance I could at least return to a part time job if not full time? Does it mean that because i'm unemployed and uninsured I don't have the right to live like everyone else. I kind of half jokingly tell my children they will know the full extent of my illness's when my autopsy is performed. If i'm seriously ill my only recourse is to go to the emergency room. While there i'm treated as if i'm less than human and the only treatment i'm likely to get is something to mask the symptoms and sent home.

I was recently taken to the emergency room by my daughter because of chest pains and a serious problem with my left arm. Much to my surprise I was checked in for tests to make sure it wasn't a heart attack or blood clots since I had all the classic symptoms. After 2 days and many tests to check my heart and check for clots luckily the tests came back negative. But what about my arm? I can't use it or even lift it over my head. Its swollen in several places. The pain is constant and on the 1 to 10 scale a 10 most of the time. But did they check to see what the problem was? NO! It wasn't my heart so they sent me home. To top it off..the doctor at the hospital that was handling my case only came in to see me once the whole time I was there. The visit lasted for all of about 10 minutes and I never saw her again. She ordered the tests on my heart and passed the results to me through the nurses. The nurses were even upset that she didn't do further testing to find out what the problem was. They even called her twice on my behalf to try to get her to keep me in for more testing, but she refused. I guess since i'm unworthy to live I wasn't worth her time.

It's sad to say, but in my opinion the doctors who become doctors because they have true compasion and want to help people get well are far and few between. I think they can forget the hypocratic oath, it no longer means anything in todays medical world.  It's all about money. If you don't have money or insurance you are now worthless and not deserving of healthcare. I have Graves disease, diabetes, osteo-arthritis, fibromyalsia, degenerative discs with bone spurs in my back, severe acid reflux disease,  and those are just the illness's that have so far been diagnosed. I also need several other tests to diagnose or rule out other possible problems. But without any health insurance the tests will never get done.  One of the social services workers at the hospital will be working with me to try to help me get medicaid/disability, but after being told I don't qualify for any other help I don't hold out much hope for that.

I was recently infuriated by some information my sister had heard about. She wasn't sure of the details but I will be doing some research and will post regarding it in the furture. I believe it was at the state level but they are considering passing a law requiring everyone to have health insurance. So if they pass this law...what about those people out there like me. I have no income! So I'm suppose to pay for this health insurance with what? I guess I could always sit on the street corner with a cup and beg money, but I'm not thinking that would go over to well. 

Well thats my story such as it is. I'd like to hear your stories and opinions on this subject. Jump on and give me your thoughts.

P.S. President Obama, I'm putting my faith in you. Give me a chance to live like a normal human being and not feel like a second class citizen who isn't worthy to live. I worked for years and raised my children and what do I have to show for it? NOTHING!

New blog

The title speaks for itself. Just a place to discuss thoughts on just about any topic. I figure anything going on in the world these days is worth discussing so its time to let it out. I don't intend it to be just serious topics...something humorus now and again is good too. Check in often and add your two cents worth and if you have a great topic to discuss, suggestions are great. I just created this blog today so I'm not sure how what I'll start with but I'm sure something will strike me before the days over with. I'll be back later to start the ball rolling.