Comments on: Watchdog Barks, Bites Own Butt, Blames The Cat http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html Poise! Poise! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:30:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: BigDuck http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-954062 BigDuck Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:49:29 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-954062 That Mayo Clinic page on Mrs. Holmes is still up.... It appears to have been cleaned up a bit, only refers to "tumor" once, and implies that the Canadians diagnosed it as a tumor. Ironically, in a search for "tumor vs. cyst," the Mayo Clinic web page comes up near the top: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tumor/an00463 "Tumors and cysts are two distinct entities. " "A cyst is a sac that may be filled with air, fluid or other material." "A tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue." But tumor sure sounds scarier than cyst. That Mayo Clinic page on Mrs. Holmes is still up….

It appears to have been cleaned up a bit, only refers to “tumor” once, and implies that the Canadians diagnosed it as a tumor.

Ironically, in a search for “tumor vs. cyst,” the Mayo Clinic web page comes up near the top:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tumor/an00463
“Tumors and cysts are two distinct entities. ”
“A cyst is a sac that may be filled with air, fluid or other material.” “A tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue.”

But tumor sure sounds scarier than cyst.

]]> By: thepoliticalcat http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-954038 thepoliticalcat Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:33:08 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-954038 SouthernBeale, many's the time I've had something horribly (acute, not chronic) wrong with me and called the doctor's office only to be told that they have no openings available for at least a month or longer. I'd switch doctors, but there are NO doctors anywhere near me who are taking new patients. As I pointed out to the charming young lady on the phone the last time this happened, by the time a month had passed, I'd either be dead or cured. Her response: Go to the emergency room. As a fully-insured working person paying top dollar for my employer's "generous" health package, I resent having to sit in the emergency room for half a day or more while bleeding gunshot victims have their lives saved. There's no need for me to be there sharing my germs with them. The last time I had pneumonia, I went to the emergency room because I couldn't get an appointment with my "primary care provider." Grrrr. SouthernBeale, many’s the time I’ve had something horribly (acute, not chronic) wrong with me and called the doctor’s office only to be told that they have no openings available for at least a month or longer. I’d switch doctors, but there are NO doctors anywhere near me who are taking new patients. As I pointed out to the charming young lady on the phone the last time this happened, by the time a month had passed, I’d either be dead or cured. Her response: Go to the emergency room. As a fully-insured working person paying top dollar for my employer’s “generous” health package, I resent having to sit in the emergency room for half a day or more while bleeding gunshot victims have their lives saved. There’s no need for me to be there sharing my germs with them. The last time I had pneumonia, I went to the emergency room because I couldn’t get an appointment with my “primary care provider.” Grrrr.

]]> By: commie atheist http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953946 commie atheist Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:18:55 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953946 <i>But the curx of this story is that Ms. Holmes said she was in very dire straits and would have died if she hadn’t gone to the Mayo Clinic, which isn’t true. That’s the point.</i> According to the tape of her interview, the /Mayo Clinic wanted to admit her when she and her husband told them they had made appointments back in Canada to get the situation taken care of, and were asked how far of the appointments were. She told them six weeks, and it was at that point that the doctor "took off his glasses" or some other dramatic shit and said, "you'll be dead in six weeks." Let's assume for a moment that she is accurately describing what happened, and that the doctor didn't, in fact, diagnose her with something that she interpreted as being imminently life-threatening. How hard is it to imagine that this doctor saw a potential $100,000 payday about to walk away, and said what he had to in order to prevent that from happening? What, no one around here has ever heard of doctors doing or saying something unethical? But the curx of this story is that Ms. Holmes said she was in very dire straits and would have died if she hadn’t gone to the Mayo Clinic, which isn’t true. That’s the point.

According to the tape of her interview, the /Mayo Clinic wanted to admit her when she and her husband told them they had made appointments back in Canada to get the situation taken care of, and were asked how far of the appointments were. She told them six weeks, and it was at that point that the doctor “took off his glasses” or some other dramatic shit and said, “you’ll be dead in six weeks.”

Let’s assume for a moment that she is accurately describing what happened, and that the doctor didn’t, in fact, diagnose her with something that she interpreted as being imminently life-threatening. How hard is it to imagine that this doctor saw a potential $100,000 payday about to walk away, and said what he had to in order to prevent that from happening? What, no one around here has ever heard of doctors doing or saying something unethical?

]]> By: M.Sphinx http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953917 M.Sphinx Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:55:37 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953917 Ok, and now for something a little serious. I just read about a 24 year old newlywed woman who has been denied a life saving transplant twice by her insurance company. http://www.katu.com/news/50319587.html <i>Alyssa Olsen calls it her death sentence. Olsen is fighting for her life and her insurance company, which has denied her requests for a transplant. "I'm dying," she said. Olsen is just 24 and a newlywed. She suffers from a severe immune deficiency that lead to diabetes, Crohn's disease, and an underactive thyroid. She coughs constantly and tires easily. "So I look for elevators in every building that I'm in, and map the quickest way out of places, park as close as I can," she said. Olsen's heart beats twice as fast as a normal rate. Her lungs operate at half their capacity. "So I live like a 90 year old in a 24 year old's body," she said. Since childhood, Olsen has been hospitalized more times than she can count. She worried she'd never find a husband who'd stay with her in sickness and health. But then she found Kyle. "It breaks my heart. I feel so helpless," said Kyle Olsen. Alyssa Olsen's immunologist claims a bone marrow transplant offers her only hope for survival, but her insurance carrier has denied coverage twice. "My doctor has said I have two to three years if I don't get this transplant, because of the complications I'm experiencing," she said. Without insurance coverage, the transplant would cost at least $250,000. With her job at a nonprofit group and his job as a police officer, the couple simply can't afford it. The Olsens are appealing Regence Blue Shield for a third time but admit after two rejections, they hold little hope.</i> This is horrible. Ok, and now for something a little serious.

I just read about a 24 year old newlywed woman who has been denied a life saving transplant twice by her insurance company.

http://www.katu.com/news/50319587.html

Alyssa Olsen calls it her death sentence.

Olsen is fighting for her life and her insurance company, which has denied her requests for a transplant.

“I’m dying,” she said.

Olsen is just 24 and a newlywed. She suffers from a severe immune deficiency that lead to diabetes, Crohn’s disease, and an underactive thyroid. She coughs constantly and tires easily.

“So I look for elevators in every building that I’m in, and map the quickest way out of places, park as close as I can,” she said.

Olsen’s heart beats twice as fast as a normal rate. Her lungs operate at half their capacity.

“So I live like a 90 year old in a 24 year old’s body,” she said.

Since childhood, Olsen has been hospitalized more times than she can count. She worried she’d never find a husband who’d stay with her in sickness and health. But then she found Kyle.

“It breaks my heart. I feel so helpless,” said Kyle Olsen.

Alyssa Olsen’s immunologist claims a bone marrow transplant offers her only hope for survival, but her insurance carrier has denied coverage twice.

“My doctor has said I have two to three years if I don’t get this transplant, because of the complications I’m experiencing,” she said.

Without insurance coverage, the transplant would cost at least $250,000. With her job at a nonprofit group and his job as a police officer, the couple simply can’t afford it.

The Olsens are appealing Regence Blue Shield for a third time but admit after two rejections, they hold little hope.

This is horrible.

]]> By: tigrismus http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953736 tigrismus Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:24:24 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953736 From the CNN article: "Her treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona cost $100,000, and she and her husband put a second mortgage on their home and borrowed from family and friends to pay for it." From the CNN article: “Her treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona cost $100,000, and she and her husband put a second mortgage on their home and borrowed from family and friends to pay for it.”

]]> By: kate http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953732 kate Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:18:18 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953732 Here in NH you can get poutine (prounounced 'poot-sin') a few different resturants, with your choice of plain gravy on the fries or everything in the gravy that the kitchen has to offer from just farmer's cheese curds to hamburg, peppers, onions and even kielbasa. The real french canadians around here have it with a side of beans and some groton (prounounced gor-toe). Thank you BigBald Bastard for clarifying my question about worker's comp, I had forgotten about the wage compensation portion of it. Still, I think without the need for medical coverage, the costs could be lower, which would get most thinking small biz persons on board, as WC is always a bitch. But, being self employed in construction, I can tell you that I'd rather pay the small amount for WC than have to deal with an injury that I could possibly be liable for out of pocket (plus fines). I had a compensable injury here in NH quite a few years ago. I forget that I actually received a portion of my wages, as my wages were so small at that time anyway, the "compensation" was an amount that barely covered the fuel bill to the doc's office. In addition the attorney that represented me was so incompetent that I had to fight for a few years after just to get all the med bills that should have been paid, covered. Might I also add that my face was injured as well; the compensation for my face injuries was the lowest. NH, home of the non-union mill towns has one of the worst comp rates in the country. I'm sure here in NH if they could have gotten away with it, the legislature would have refused to pay death benefits to workers killed on the job. What the hell? Zombies can stand at a knitting machine! Here in NH you can get poutine (prounounced ‘poot-sin’) a few different resturants, with your choice of plain gravy on the fries or everything in the gravy that the kitchen has to offer from just farmer’s cheese curds to hamburg, peppers, onions and even kielbasa.

The real french canadians around here have it with a side of beans and some groton (prounounced gor-toe).

Thank you BigBald Bastard for clarifying my question about worker’s comp, I had forgotten about the wage compensation portion of it. Still, I think without the need for medical coverage, the costs could be lower, which would get most thinking small biz persons on board, as WC is always a bitch.

But, being self employed in construction, I can tell you that I’d rather pay the small amount for WC than have to deal with an injury that I could possibly be liable for out of pocket (plus fines).

I had a compensable injury here in NH quite a few years ago. I forget that I actually received a portion of my wages, as my wages were so small at that time anyway, the “compensation” was an amount that barely covered the fuel bill to the doc’s office. In addition the attorney that represented me was so incompetent that I had to fight for a few years after just to get all the med bills that should have been paid, covered.

Might I also add that my face was injured as well; the compensation for my face injuries was the lowest. NH, home of the non-union mill towns has one of the worst comp rates in the country.

I’m sure here in NH if they could have gotten away with it, the legislature would have refused to pay death benefits to workers killed on the job.

What the hell? Zombies can stand at a knitting machine!

]]> By: Substance McGravitas http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953703 Substance McGravitas Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:24:40 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953703 Nah, I figger she travels to Washington DC on her own dime to do a public service to downtrodden Americans, especially after spending six figures on surgery. Nah, I figger she travels to Washington DC on her own dime to do a public service to downtrodden Americans, especially after spending six figures on surgery.

]]> By: Qbert http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953699 Qbert Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:22:46 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953699 Krugman linked on his blog a few weeks back to a study that looked for evidence of significant numbers of Canadians coming to the US for treatment. It came up with nothing. So much for Ms. Holmes' Friedmanesque story about the US border guard praising her for her "bravery in coming forward" about the horrors of health care here. The woman is a lying wingnut. I'll bet she's sitting on a big fat check from the people who put her in that ad. You want an anecdote? My US-born uncle, who lives in Alberta, is conservative and VERY rich, has had to undergo surgery 3 times in the last 10 years, for prostate cancer and heart surgery (twice). He could have paid for his surgery out of pocket in the States if he'd wanted. He had every operation performed here in Canada. Krugman linked on his blog a few weeks back to a study that looked for evidence of significant numbers of Canadians coming to the US for treatment. It came up with nothing. So much for Ms. Holmes’ Friedmanesque story about the US border guard praising her for her “bravery in coming forward” about the horrors of health care here. The woman is a lying wingnut. I’ll bet she’s sitting on a big fat check from the people who put her in that ad.

You want an anecdote? My US-born uncle, who lives in Alberta, is conservative and VERY rich, has had to undergo surgery 3 times in the last 10 years, for prostate cancer and heart surgery (twice). He could have paid for his surgery out of pocket in the States if he’d wanted. He had every operation performed here in Canada.

]]> By: MzNicky http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953666 MzNicky Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:55:29 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953666 <i>How much do you pay out of pocket for treatment at the Mayo Clinic?</i> When Mr. N. had his thyroid cancer surgery there years ago we ended up paying $32,000 out of pocket. No shit. We had wretched health ins. at the time. What we've got now is marginally better. How much do you pay out of pocket for treatment at the Mayo Clinic?

When Mr. N. had his thyroid cancer surgery there years ago we ended up paying $32,000 out of pocket. No shit. We had wretched health ins. at the time. What we’ve got now is marginally better.

]]> By: actor212 http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953662 actor212 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:15:16 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953662 <i>How much do you pay out of pocket for treatment at the Mayo Clinic?</i> Hemmorhoid surgery begins at $15,000. Now forget that I told you that. How much do you pay out of pocket for treatment at the Mayo Clinic?

Hemmorhoid surgery begins at $15,000.

Now forget that I told you that.

]]> By: actor212 http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953661 actor212 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:14:16 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953661 <i>Little Studebaker was putting pressure in some really bad spots yesterday</i> Maybe if you hadn't installed the swimming pool under the pancreas, Studie wouldn't think it was a high diving board... Little Studebaker was putting pressure in some really bad spots yesterday

Maybe if you hadn’t installed the swimming pool under the pancreas, Studie wouldn’t think it was a high diving board…

]]> By: actor212 http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953660 actor212 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:10:28 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953660 <i>Might need more than a day and a half’s worth of bedrest to get him to make the trek, though. Hmmm…</i> TOO MUCH INFORMATION!1!!!!!! But...do you have a cute sister? Might need more than a day and a half’s worth of bedrest to get him to make the trek, though. Hmmm…

TOO MUCH INFORMATION!1!!!!!!

But…do you have a cute sister?

]]> By: RvB http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953639 RvB Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:19:43 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953639 Poultine jokes aside, they've got some healthy fckers up there. Ruddy cheeked mounties, burly lumberjacks, Olympic athletes... ...well, maybe they're the exception that proves the rule of socialized medicine. Let's see, Australians: noted weaklings, physical rejects demoralized by waiting 6 months for brain tumor treatment. Uh, sadly no, more like notoriously robust specimens so buff and healthy-looking that their actors routinely steal American jobs. The cognative-dissonant crapfest of all this really beats everything I've seen, and I lived through 8 years of Reagan. Poultine jokes aside, they’ve got some healthy fckers up there. Ruddy cheeked mounties, burly lumberjacks, Olympic athletes…
…well, maybe they’re the exception that proves the rule of socialized medicine.
Let’s see, Australians: noted weaklings, physical rejects demoralized by waiting 6 months for brain tumor treatment. Uh, sadly no, more like notoriously robust specimens so buff and healthy-looking that their actors routinely steal American jobs.
The cognative-dissonant crapfest of all this really beats everything I’ve seen, and I lived through 8 years of Reagan.

]]> By: g http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953630 g Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:31:35 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953630 well, without intending to give anyone TMI, a couple years ago I had an acutely painful condition making it difficult to SIT DOWN, and under my gold-plated US health insurance coverage, I was also told I had to wait four months for an appointment with a specialist. And I'm not being sarcastic about gold-plate coverage - I really do have a relatively great health-insurance plan, by US standards. Hell, if I'd had the money to travel to a famous clinic and pay for treatment that was outside my network coverage, I might well have done so. Does the article say anywhere what this all COST Holmes? How much do you pay out of pocket for treatment at the Mayo Clinic? well, without intending to give anyone TMI, a couple years ago I had an acutely painful condition making it difficult to SIT DOWN, and under my gold-plated US health insurance coverage, I was also told I had to wait four months for an appointment with a specialist.

And I’m not being sarcastic about gold-plate coverage – I really do have a relatively great health-insurance plan, by US standards.

Hell, if I’d had the money to travel to a famous clinic and pay for treatment that was outside my network coverage, I might well have done so. Does the article say anywhere what this all COST Holmes?

How much do you pay out of pocket for treatment at the Mayo Clinic?

]]> By: celticgirl http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953627 celticgirl Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:23:55 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953627 Stimp: I think the point is that a major medical organization used a patient for propaganda purposes for political end. And she may well have been led to believe her life was in danger or her symptoms were extreme enough to give her that impression - and believe me, they can be. Even my benign, symptom-free "tumor" sounded pretty freaking scary when it was being described to me, sort of like a ticking time bomb scenario. I have a 22 year old step-niece with the same condition and she has suffered terribly with life long complications since childhood, even with the surgery. She was left blind in one eye and is on a cocktail of meds and hormones that she will be dependent on for ther rest of her life, plus the annual MRI scans to make sure it's not growing back. And of course she has no medical insurance but hey- because of her family's poverty she qualified for assistance. I guess if anything the irony is that this condition is an argument for universal healthcare, not against it. If left untreated I'm quite sure my step-niece could have died or become permanently dibilitated - the 'cyst' had become that large. With treatment and monitoring, she is able to live a fairly normal life and is training to be a teacher. I guess the point is was Ms Homes actively complicit, or vulnerable and manipulated? I get a bit squeamish when we start to blame medically vulnerable people. Granite countertops etc. Stimp: I think the point is that a major medical organization used a patient for propaganda purposes for political end. And she may well have been led to believe her life was in danger or her symptoms were extreme enough to give her that impression – and believe me, they can be. Even my benign, symptom-free “tumor” sounded pretty freaking scary when it was being described to me, sort of like a ticking time bomb scenario. I have a 22 year old step-niece with the same condition and she has suffered terribly with life long complications since childhood, even with the surgery. She was left blind in one eye and is on a cocktail of meds and hormones that she will be dependent on for ther rest of her life, plus the annual MRI scans to make sure it’s not growing back. And of course she has no medical insurance but hey- because of her family’s poverty she qualified for assistance. I guess if anything the irony is that this condition is an argument for universal healthcare, not against it. If left untreated I’m quite sure my step-niece could have died or become permanently dibilitated – the ‘cyst’ had become that large. With treatment and monitoring, she is able to live a fairly normal life and is training to be a teacher.

I guess the point is was Ms Homes actively complicit, or vulnerable and manipulated? I get a bit squeamish when we start to blame medically vulnerable people. Granite countertops etc.

]]> By: zombie rotten mcdonald http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953594 zombie rotten mcdonald Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:43:09 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953594 So, MzN, if I get preggers, I can get my wife and son to bring me poutine? Deal. So, MzN, if I get preggers, I can get my wife and son to bring me poutine?

Deal.

]]> By: MzNicky http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953588 MzNicky Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:25:22 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953588 L. Dr. Ms.: I recommend immediate bed rest for the duration and demands for lots of bonbons or whatever you want to eat. Milk it, sweetie. This will be your last chance. Trust me on this. L. Dr. Ms.: I recommend immediate bed rest for the duration and demands for lots of bonbons or whatever you want to eat. Milk it, sweetie. This will be your last chance. Trust me on this.

]]> By: OneMan http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953587 OneMan Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:11:40 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953587 The answer is obvious, LDMM: bring the Mockhammer down on 'em. The answer is obvious, LDMM: bring the Mockhammer down on ‘em.

]]> By: Lady Doctor Missus Marita http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953554 Lady Doctor Missus Marita Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:21:52 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953554 <i>Lady Doc, missus Zombie was put on bedrest for the last four weeks before Z-prog was born.</i> I'm counting my blessings - my blood pressure is still fairly low, and there were absolutely no signs of early labor today. I'm really hoping to work as close to my due date as possible; can't even imagine four weeks in bed. My muscles are all stiff and achy from the past two days of doing nothing... four weeks would be hell. Lady Doc, missus Zombie was put on bedrest for the last four weeks before Z-prog was born.

I’m counting my blessings – my blood pressure is still fairly low, and there were absolutely no signs of early labor today. I’m really hoping to work as close to my due date as possible; can’t even imagine four weeks in bed. My muscles are all stiff and achy from the past two days of doing nothing… four weeks would be hell.

]]> By: zombie rotten mcdonald http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/23360.html#comment-953549 zombie rotten mcdonald Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:17:19 +0000 http://www.sadlyno.com/?p=23360#comment-953549 Lady Doc, missus Zombie was put on bedrest for the last four weeks before Z-prog was born. Nearly made her nuts. Nuttier, I mean; after all, she married me. But I believe that barfing on morning commuters would have brightened her days considerably. Lady Doc, missus Zombie was put on bedrest for the last four weeks before Z-prog was born.

Nearly made her nuts. Nuttier, I mean; after all, she married me.

But I believe that barfing on morning commuters would have brightened her days considerably.

]]>