Cutting health care costs

If you want an excellent example of why our health care is so expensive, please watch the youtube video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m64cy1MMPg&feature=related

As crazy as this link is, it is completely true.

Reducing health care costs could start in a few simple places:

1-No family member (nor anyone for that matter) should have the ability to revoke a DNR. The only person who should be able to revoke a DNR is the person who make the decision in the first place. We see this all the time: The 91 year old person who has been a DNR for a few years, goes unresponsive (hello...he is dying...!) and the family says, "Oh no, do everything you can!!" When the patient wanted to let nature take its course....So we tube him, put him on gobs of expensive meds, so we can prolong his death until his family deals with their unfinished emotional business.

2-Allow doctors to be doctors. Many end of life decisions should be removed from the control of the family. I know that is a sore subject, but it is true.

3- Change in attitudes: Health care is so expensive because our culture believes it should be a 5-star hotel. People have the attitude that they should get what the want, all of what they want, all the time. The attitude of "You owe me," must change. An attitude currently rampant in many other areas of our culture.

4- Protect doctors. Someone died, because they were very, very sick, yet it has to be someone's fault. This is crap. Bad things happen but it is not always someone's fault. Yes, when health professionals make egregious errors (read cut off the wrong leg), these errors must be dealt with, and yes, some people should lose a license over it. Sometimes it just goes badly and no one made a huge error.
We have to get away from the attitude that every bad thing is someone's fault.
It's not. We also have to end stupid, ludicrous lawsuits.

The changes that need to happen to make health care more financially agreeable will mean less of what everyone refers to now as "customer service." It will be less control for the patient and the patient's family. It's a hospital, we are trying to save lives. Quality of life has to be a major factor in the equation, not unfinished emotional business or worse yet, no one wants to let him die because he is worth a lot of money - this last thing sickens me.

In the words of one of my fellow nurses:

"I can't prolong your life, but I can prolong your death."

True in ways you would be frightened to see....

Kate Update

Kate is settling in nicely. She is calming down, her separation anxiety becoming less and less an issue. Her obedience training is coming alone. Sit, Stay, and Down are starting to be executed readily, although she is a bit stubborn.

Exercise is required, as she is a high energy dog. When walked and exercised, she is wonderful.

Yeah! New doggy!

Thieves!!!

Thieves suck!!!

Last week my iphone was stolen at the gym. Sadly, I am now well versed on all the software and options for protecting your data and inactivating your phone.
This sucks!!

My whole life was on that phone. Now, I am trying to wait for my upgrade option time, (2 months) and decide if I want to purchase the MobileMe option that lets you remotely wipe the phone.

So frustrating!!

Our trials can be others' gifts.

I have a friend who is battling cancer for the second time. She has a wonderful husband and two small boys. It is just unthinkable that she would be battling this AGAIN at such a young age and at the prime of her life.

Her attitude and the support of her family speak volumes of who she is and what we should all aspire to become. I can only imagine what this type a struggle is like, but I know from watching her progress and reading her posts, I am thankful for her healing and her heart.

That's how I think it goes sometimes. One person's struggle can teach you so much. Simple because you root for them so intensely. I want nothing more than for her to be healthy, cancer free and watch her two young boys graduate college and have kids of their own one day for her to spoil.

Just knowing I feel that for her, makes me realize how much her battle has taught me. How much it has taught me to be thankful people like her are in this world.
And I want her to stay.
A really long time.\
Go Debbie!!

Kate and John snuggling!

Kate snuggled right up to John, melting into his lap and being oh so comfortable! She is starting to respond to her name and doing pretty well. We have a few challenges, but she will be all worth it!

Meet Kate!

Here is Kate! I adopted her on Sunday! She is settling in well and very smart!

How Will We Change an Attitude?

Edmund Burke

“ The only thing to allow for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

How do you teach people to forgive and not to hate? I just finished watching Tears of The Sun starring Bruce Willis. The story line is of a navy seal unit assigned to extract an American doctor from Nigeria since the rebel dictator murdered the democratically elected president and took over. She, of course, will not leave without some of the people she is caring for.

Watching the movie, I could not help but think of our own in Iraq and Afghanistan, apartheid from years past, even our own, on going battle with racism.

I think we have proven beyond any standard deviation that one nation, one culture, cannot transplant an ideal to another culture.

A culture can only come to a new way of doing things in their own time.

We cannot transplant democracy to Iraq.

We cannot walk in and tell people to stop hating another person because they are of a different religious faith, a different skin color, or a different language.

No amount of ammunition or force can change those things.

So, how is it that one person, or one nation can offer support to those ideals most conducive to peaceful, beneficial existence?

What do we offer for support for a people to protect themselves and their family, much less something as lofty as ideas?

Do we sell them weapons?

Give them weapons?

Do we educate them?

How do we teach them to grow beyond what they already are? To grow beyond where they are?

How does a culture change within itself?

What is that process?

It is a difficult question with no answer that is universal. Some of these things, we here in the US still struggle with intensely.

I do not think going in and solving problems for others really solves anything. People must learn to be self-sufficient. It is the same when raising a child, a pet, or a nation. Everyone has to have ownership of a culture, of a life.

Not to harken back to Biblical scripture, but, give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Even still, I think the man must be willing to learn.

Fresh Veggies!

My tomatoes and broccoli are sprouting! the garlic is crazy already!

I planted three varieties of tomatoes and one of broccoli in my indoor seedling starter kit. They seem to be doing well so far. Little green sprouts are coming up. I will have to leave the top of the little greenhouse box off soon.

Keep on growing!

Already Mid-January 2010

Wow, it's already mid January in the new year! I always have this vain hope the new year will pass a little more slowly than the previous.
Alas, I guess not.

Is it that the ratio of lifetime to one year gets more skewed as you age? Is this why time seems to fly by at an ever quickening clip?

I can remember as a child, awaiting the beginning of a new school year feeling as though summer would NEVER end. I was one of those kids that loved school....

Now I think, it is December again, already?? How did that happen?

Is the pace of time perception quickened by our state of busy? Or our endless responsibilities?
And yet, that watched pot still does not boil....

The questions of perception fascinate me.
I guess I can just try to stop and smell the roses!

Favorite Side Effects

Below are a few of the best "side effects" patients have listed as to why they do not want a particular drug.

1. Ambien: "It makes me drowsy" (Isn't that the purpose??)
2. Morphine: "I see my dead relatives and it creeps me out." (This is valid...)
3. Zofran (an anti-nausea med that does not make your loopy like phenergen): "It doesn't do to me what I want." -> These people always want the phenergen....

Some of side effects listed that are funny, but I don't remember the drug associated:

1. "That makes my teeth hurt."
2. "I felt like someone was holding me down." (I did not ask whether there were restraints involved.)
3. It gave me anal leakage. (yeah...)

There are a few gems for your enjoyment.

Breckenridge 2010

Our ski trip is again great fun! We all wish for more snow, but the slopes are groomed and the icy, slide-E parts are avoidable. I have done a great blue-black this trip and will continue skiing this trip. I won't say no to snowboarding in the future, but it has been great fun being able to hang with everyone and ski together. Never would have happened had I boarded.

I have not wiped out too badly either, falling only a very few times. However, I have had this crazy time of falling while getting off the lift. I have done this three times, at varying degrees of hysterical. The best was was my basically getting behind my skis and sitting on my skis while sliding on my palm all the while removing myself from the lift line. Janell pulled me up and they did not have to slow the lift. It is hard to get up while laughing hysterically.

The wrong turn by one of the group was also film quality distress. My choices for skiing were: mogels, grass, rocks, or ice.

Needless to say there was much falling down the slope. We made the mental note to never, NEVER do that run again. It was truly funny though.
Like I said, one of my goals this year was to laugh more....
Mostly at myself.
Check!

Car Maintenance

I took the Subaru in for its 105K maintenance. Not as expensive as I thought it would be but pricey enough.

I intend to drive the car until it throws its wheels up into the air and cries "Mercy!" No car payment is dreamy and I don't want another one. My goal is to save up now and pay cash or lots of cash for the next one.
I see no reason to ever buy new again. You can get that "new car" smell in a bottle if you so desire, and for a lot less money.

I have decided my next auto purchase will be a medium sized truck. So many times I have needed the functionality of a truck! John promises to let me drive his sports car at least once a week if I buy a truck, so the deal was made! We will see how long the Subaru lasts, but I think, short of an accident, it will last for some time.

It drives much better now too. I don't fear dogging it at this time either! I will try very hard to avoid speeding tickets!!

Ski Time Yet Again!

Saturday we leave for Breckenridge, CO. Ski-time is here again! This is unofficially mine and John's anniversary trip as this is where we got to know each other three years ago. Although I would not want to live in solid snow for 5 months out of the year, I love to visit, play in the snow, and ski.
Yes, just ski.
I believe I have, for one of the few times in my life, admitted defeat.
I have decided unless you live there and started snowboarding at a younger (read immortal here) age, snow boarding is just too hard to do once a year. I mean, I'm on vacation....

Skiing is great fun and I get a little better every year.

It is always a great time!
I do, however, have to get some diving in this year!!

A Year in Review

As 2009 closes, I find myself looking back at the year.

• I bought a house
• I renovated it
• I moved my mother to assisted living
• I gave my sister a place to crash for a while - she is on her own road to home ownership!
• Still lovin' my job
• Still lovin' my motorcycle
• Majorly lovin' my man (How did I get so lucky??)
  
• I actually put up two strands of holiday lights - get back!!
• Made substantial progress on my debt, still working on it though
• Every single day reminds me how precious my health is.
  

What do I want to do next year??

• Dive, dammit
• Buy a second house (My current one is almost done, what will I do with my spare time??)
• Go to Sturgis
• Eat better, buy closer to home, more healthy
• Ride the motorcycle a lot
• Go back to school for my masters (may not get to this, but it is a good goal)

Oh, and laugh as often as possible. Mostly at myself.

Food for Thought

I have done a lot of reading and have come to the conclusion I must change my eating habits.

I will do my best to purchase as locally as I can, and purchase those things in season.

I think the American people have decided they do not have any control over big business or how our food is brought to us.
But we do.

We vote with our dollars. If everyone decided to buy local and organic (such on overused word), the agribusiness machine would shift and upheaval would ensue. This needs to happen. If we as a population voted with our dollars, we CAN change how our food is grown, and how the people who grow and harvest it are treated. By making a conscious effort to buy only local, and buy from those who treat the animals they slaughter and the people whom they employee with respect and dignity, we can change how the food business runs.

• Buy at your local farmers' market: There are several throughout the metroplex.
• Plant a garden, even small one.
• Buy what's in season, that way there is less expense going into making the produce/product in the first place.

Buying making small changes in your purchases, we, as a whole, can change things.
It's about supply and demand.
If we demand it -with our dollars- it will be supplied.
Hold big business accountable for how they treat their livestock, their employees and you, their customers.
You do have a voice, you do have a vote.

The gift that keeps on giving

For Christmas, John gave me a Nook. I had been drooling over the Kindle and Nook for a long time and I think he did spectacularly on the gift!

Consequently, I was wish list shopping to build my reading list.

So. Many. Choices.

One of the titles I rolled across was "Survival of the Sickest, Why we need disease."

We do so need disease and as a society, we need to become OK with getting sick, slowing down so our bodies can heal and basically exercising our immune systems.

Disease keeps us healthy. Sounds strange, but it does. Us and our species.

Do yourself a favor and rest when you are sick, only take antibiotics when you have no other choice.

Even when sick, you are exercising....

You are exercising your immune system!!

Happy Holidays!

This is to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday. Spend it with people who are important to you and realize that today, now, is the present.

The catalogs found me!

I have moved so many times over the last three years, most all of the catalogs and extraneous mail I used to get went away.

But alas, this holiday season they are back! Amazing how they find me...they are even addressed to me too. I mean, yes, I understand 'mail forwarding' but still....

One that has returned is Dover Saddlery. I have to admit, flipping through it (I cannot seem to resist) brought on pangs of sadness as I looked over all the cool horsey gear and clothing. It reminded me how much I miss it. It also reminded me how expensive it is.

I would like to start riding again, and with my house almost finished, I hope this next year I will have whatever it takes to get to do just that.

Of course I am thinking of renting my house out and buying a new one...The house stuff may never end...

Motorcycle Dilemma

John and I have decided to take a trip to Sturgis, one of the oldest motorcycle gatherings. It is South Dakota.
And yes, we intend to RIDE the whole way.

Considering I love my little Italian Pony, I have a hard decision to make....

Do I sell my beloved Ducati Monster 800 to buy something more fitting to the 4100 some-odd miles that lie ahead of us?

Or do I keep it, and rent (very expensive!) a bike to ride. (this option does not appeal, but rationally I have to keep it on the table).

Lastly, do I buy a cruiser and have two bikes? (Seems outlandish and I can't justify two bikes)

My frugal nature does not like any of these options. Since I also have a problem "settling" I am stuck.

If I could just go do whatever and did not have financial sense, I would sell it and get a BMW F800 ST, which I have drooled over ever since I sat on it at the motorcycle show two years ago...It has just as impressive a price tag...

Sturgis is in August, so I have a little time to think and chose. Gotta start putting the miles in to build up callouses in the right location....

Any thoughts from my riding friends out there??

Who Controls You?

This seems a stupid question... You may think, "I decide things!"
But, in fact, do you?

One of the things I have tried to do, and is so very hard to do, is to make my behavior mine and only mine.
It is not contingent on what I get in return, who does or does not do something for me or who is or is not rude to me.

I want to chose my own behavior regardless of others' actions toward me. I strive to be the person I want to be every day, even if others are not nice to me.

Therefore, I ask again, who controls you?

Do you let rude or mean people alter your behavior?
Are you still carrying baggage around from some previous encounter?
When you see someone does that person's past behavior still affect you in some way?

When you allow someone else's anger, hostility, or negativity alter your own behavior, you are allowing them some level of control over you.

Resist!! It is not futile....

It is very, very hard to pull off all the time.