Window Shopper

Apparently, one trip to the hospital with a spider bite is not good enough. Last Friday, I took a trip in an ambulance to the hospital south of us about 50-60 miles away. I will not really go into the absolute circus this particular stay involved. I will tell you that it was extremely unpleasant, even for a usual hospital stay. That brings up health care in general. Where we live, there are doctors and an urgent care clinic. Other than that, we are left to our own devices. We did have what people used to laughingly call a hospital but that closed some time ago. The owner of the property and building where the old hospital was will not sell it for less than a huge amount.That means that we are not going to have one for the foreseeable future. Not good.

Health care in Arkansas can be good, depending on where you live. In our area, the doctors try to do it all. That cannot work simply because they are human and need time off too. Most of the time, however, health care here is as bad as my trip to the hospital south of us. I do want to mention one thing here. And this is specific to this particular hospital. I am on several meds that are needing to be taken at specific times….every 8 hours. But this place is much different in how it gives out meds. For one thing, despite the fact that you might have your own with you, it is policy for them to hand them out. I can understand that. They want to know everything you are taking.

This hospital has also a policy or rather the pharmacy at the hospital does. If you specify every 8 hours on a med, they will give it to you with a “2 hour window” every 8 hours. What does that mean anyway? However, if your med says that it has to be taken 3 times a day, that is a different kettle of fish. Frankly, that does not compute to me. 3 times a day works out to every 8 hours. Not so. According to this pharmacy, if it states 3 times a day, you will find your med being given to you at 9am, 1pm and 5pm regardless of what it might do to you. That is simply nuts, in my not-so humble opinion. I have never heard of such drivel until I went there. In fact, it was in a hospital that I learned that you cannot take those meds in less time than that. I used to take meds every 4-6 hours and go to bed. Nope. That’s why you find yourself getting awakened at the hospital to take a med. They are on the 8 hours schedule. Usually. This whole thing makes me want to look up those Brazil vacation packages and just take off and forget I ever heard of Arkansas and the beautiful way they treat people.

You know, this is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. You would think that it would then include adequate to superior health care. But I have heard too many stories of how this place and that place are too horrible to return to. This particular facility is now in that category for me. Unless there is no other way to do it, I do not think I will end up there again. That was too much of a circus. Oh it was more than the med policy. I do not have enough energy to go over it all right here. Just believe me when I say that I do not want to go there again!!!!

I just have to get this off my chest. And I am going to talk about my trip to the hospital because I cannot stand people who will not do their jobs right simply because it’s either more fun to do it badly or just being hateful. What am I talking about?

I was in that hospital for 4 days. During that time, I was treated like most people in that facility and became someone’s pin cushion daily. Yes, they wanted blood over and over. The first day, the lady was really good although I did get the expected bruises. She said it would do that. She took an amazing amount of blood in my right arm in two places.

Right before that, a nurse came in and put in a heplock. For those who do not know what that is, it’s the little device that allows them to hook you up to the IV solutions when necessary. Because I am a touch stick, they decided to put it in my right hand. I AM right handed so that was a bit unhandy, not to be handing out puns today. No really.

By Sunday night, I had already had three blood draws. It could have been more, I admit, but that was more than enough. Then the worst happened. The heplock slipped out. It meant that I had to endure another one being put in. The person who tried to do this had no idea how to do so and that hurt a lot. She did try to put it in in several places but to no avail. She finally got a person who actually had the capability to do it.

After that, I got moved out of that unit into a regular room. I had so many sore spots and places that were bruised that I could not stand one more. All day long, no one came to get any blood. I thought I was home free. That night or rather at 5:30am, some woman came into my room, said my name so loud that I am sure that the neighbors were awake too. Then she proceeded to snap on the brightest light in the room. Both my husband and I were very much asleep. And then we were not. Very rudely not.

This woman was so rude that I told her NO when she wanted blood. She did not ask. She was simply going to take it. NO!!! I SAID NO!!!

A person like that has no business, I said NO BUSINESS being in health care at all. She needed to be reported. I probably will do this. Does this person not have a clue that people are in the hospital???? That they are sick? Some are elderly. Is it possible to scare someone to death? I’m certain that is possible. And rude women like that do not belong there.

There. That’s my gripe session for now.

I was right about getting admitted to the hospital. On Friday after the doctor visit, we went into the hospital, my husband helping to take care of me and me being the patient that did not have the sense to tell the doctor sooner about that blasted bite. Believe me, I had a lot of time to think about what might happen the next time, if there is one. In fact, I had a LOT of time to think. We did not get out of the hospital until Monday afternoon.

You know, I got to thinking about what we had been doing to earn an income. If I was going to continue to be productive, as long as I was tied up without a laptop computer like I have been wanting for ages, I would have to take notes and work things out on paper. What a concept, huh? We did a lot of talking, some about blogs and some about other things like a small business opportunity or two. Some day, we might be able to pull that off IF I can stay healthy, if my husband can stay healthy and we can both get ahold of some laptops so that this particular problem will not exist again.

Having had all that time, we did not believe it was wasted having taken notes on all sorts of subjects. We wrote some material for blog entries as well. Take away the television and the phone and you have some time to yourselves. We did. It was not bad at all.

In the meanwhile, the spider bite is slowly going away. With all the antibiotics I was taking and am still taking, I cannot see how an infection could stand it. But it was pretty impressive when I did go to the hospital. Now, the red spots that were so hot are no longer there. Doc says the hole left in my arm will slowly close in about a week to week and a half. This is one experience I will never ever forget. And I am now going to go to battle against any spider that crawls across our doorstep or gets in however they do it. No more crawlies for me.

Yesterday, I was at the doctor for a follow up check up. Because of what I thought was a sort of minor problem, I might have forgotten to tell him or just didn’t think it was worthy of his notice. In this case, it was a bite from a brown recluse spider or so he says. He wasn’t sure about it but thought so. Since it had not occurred to me that the small, insignificant thing I told him about was all that big a deal, I might have risked losing part of me or worse.

Some things truly are insignificant but you cannot always tell that yourself. I do realize that doctors hear about the most trivial things at times but would you actually risk your life or a limb to keep something like that a secret? Hey, I know that people lie or exclude small or sometimes larger details when talking to the doctor. I have done that myself. The question is…what are you risking by doing that? Actually, I have no idea what I have risked in the past when doing that. Now, I see what that little practice can cost.

I am to go back to the doctor today so that he can see what effect some antibiotics had on my spider bite. Frankly, I doubt that it has done much because what I now know is an infection and a rampant one at that, is going to probably put me into the hospital. IF I had only gone to the doctor on the day it was discovered instead of waiting several days until a regular appointment, I probably could have saved myself some serious aggravation.

So, I would recommend that when you go to the doctor, please tell him or her everything regardless of how insignificant YOU might think it is. Sometimes, it could save you aggravation or even your life. By the way, do you tell the doctor what all you take for medications? Okay, you’re thinking the same thing I did, that he already knows everything you take because he or she prescribed it, right? Uh Uh. How about vitamins and minerals? Did you tell the doc about that? How about over-the-counter things? I take OT Prilosec but for the longest time, my doctor did not know that. He should. She should. They do need to know all things about you.

I just posted a post concerning being able to boost brain power. I really liked the idea that I could do something that would help me think better and get my memory back. Part of my problem is that simple things like words that I used to be able to spell and say are now sitting back in my mind and not showing up when I want them. It is very important that I not lose that function. I am so happy to have a spell checker on wordpress. Oh yeah.

So, when I saw that I could play games, I was a very happy camper. I went straight to Popcap Games online where they have some really creative games. There are word games, puzzles and all sorts of things that will challenge your mind, I guarantee it. There is a word game that certainly challenges me because it requires you to build words for points. The trick is to get them put together before the flaming letters end up at the bottom. If they do that, end of game. I’m not really here to promote that site but I do love to play several of their games. But now I need to find some new challenging games too. I wonder what else is out there. Anyone got any suggestions? Keep it clean!!!

Many moons ago, there was the idea that when people got older, it was assumed that with that went the memory. Not only that but the older person might start losing their mental edge, their power of thought. All because you are growing older, really older. After all, it’s a part of the aging process. Would you like to stop losing your mental abilities? I certainly would. There are things that are harder and harder to remember for me. I need this!!!

The whole idea is to use it or lose it!! Now, where have I heard that before? Ah, that’s what they say about exercise, isn’t it. What if there were a way to exercise the brain too. Would you be interested in that? I know I would. I recently read a news article that talked about just that. And they gave a few tips for getting back that mental acuity. If I do not change the way I do things with my brain, some day it will be a 0 balance transfer in my brain and then I will have nuttin’ left. ACK! I cannot do that! There are five things that can actually help your mental abilities so that you do not head into that older person syndrome of no balance transfers today! We can call them brain exercises.

1) Try using your other hand to do things. Try doing new things that you have never done before with the hand that is not your primary hand. It will likely be awkward at first but it works.

2) Try closing your eyes to experience things like a shower or when eating something that has a lot of good smells to it. Sniff flowers with eyes closed, for instance. That way, other senses come into play. A lot of times, we shut out the other senses because the eyes take it all in or so we think. Not really true.

3) Play challenging games especially new ones. It is not about actually mastering the game. It’s about having to think about it. Play new games with others.

4) Do completely new things. Sit in other places. Try a new way to work. Change the way you do the usual things.

5) Be sure and include Omega 3 in your diet. We use fish oil capsules. We find that they are the best way but several kinds of fish work too. Add antioxidants to your diet. We use spinach but you can have berries and tea too with your leafy greens.

Now, you need to avoid stress and get more sleep. All these things are going to help you change the way your mental abilities work.

Because of a recent stay in the hospital and because my bro-in-law is currently in the hospital, it occurred to me that sometimes it is a bad idea to leave the hospital shopping until it’s needed. Frankly, it should be done when a person is in their right mind, making sure that things are as needed when needed and, of course, that your doctor goes there if he or she is the one that you need to see for the particular affliction. If they are not needed, then another hospital might be something to seek out.

Why am I saying this? Because of a recent awakening to what hospitals are willing to put you through. For instance, a private room…no matter what anyone says…is the best way to go. You get the control of the television and if you are a tv buff, you will want that. In our experience, the other guy always gets the control and you get to watch things you never intended to watch.

In addition to that, you might want to check out what the rooms look like before committing to being there. When my husband went in for a heart cath and a stent put in a couple of weeks ago, he was supposed to lie still for a total of almost 10 hours. Obviously, it would be better if he could have something to do during that time period. They put him in a room that was constructed by a complete moron. He was put by the window. The other guy had control of the television which was mostly on his side of the curtain. The bathroom was way over on his side too. In fact, except for the equipment that was specifically for that bed, nothing was accessible on that side of the room. The truly horrifying part is that this particular wing was just built last year. It’s brand new. With no bathroom on the one side. You have to go completely into the other guy’s room to get to the bathroom. How stupid is that?

We were finally able to bed them to put him in a single room so that I could stay with him. We live quite a few miles from the hospital and it would be a hardship to drive back and to the hospital again. In the other room, I couldn’t really have stayed with him. It was a nightmare.

The next week, he had chest pains. Since he had just had that procedure done, it was necessary to go back to that hospital again. The pain was from a muscle but we did not know that at the time. Guess where they put him? Back in the same double room. ACK!!! And his doctor deemed it medically unnecessary for him to have a single room. We got one anyway but it cost us out of pocket to do that. Insurance will not pay anything the doctor does not authorize.

Another thing to watch for is simple patient care. In that hospital, they come in at all hours of the night, snap on a bright light even if you are asleep, take tests and stats. That snapping on of a bright light sometimes can scare a person who is fully asleep. And that has to be a major stress thing especially for a heart patient. They sometimes talk so loudly you would think that it was the middle of the day instead of the middle of the night. In comparison, my bil is at another hospital where they respect the patient by using flashlights and not taking any tests or stats that are not completely necessary. The rooms are all private too. There was no question about that.

Yes, it is very important to check the hospital out that you are intending to trust with your life or the lives of your loved ones. And the truth is that I never really thought about shopping for hospitals before but it is a smart thing to do, don’t you agree?

For years, I have been on a quest to lose weight. Well, that is not exactly true. Some of those years, I was trying to leave well enough alone. But the rest of them, I was definitely trying to get rid of bulges and bulk. And I have done a crappy job of it because I always focused on the diet and the dreaded exercise. I do hate diets. All they do is make you focus squarely on the losing. That does not work for long. But lifestyle. That’s another animal. Hey, I know that I have to change my lifestyle. That is usually the problem for everyone. When one likes the lifestyle they are in, it is extremely difficult to change it. Why? I thought that was incredibly obvious. They like it too much to give it up.

So, a person has to find a way to WANT to change. And it cannot just be about the weight. Know why? Because if that is your focus, sooner or later it will blow up in your face. You will hit the point that you don’t like what you are doing and that will be the end of it. Well, not really. Because once SOME weight is lost and you give up, more weight comes back. More than you started with. Believe me, I know that one.

I think the only thing I really have not tried are the diet pills. You know, things like Phentermine. It’s a prescription drug designed to take the weight off. I know they work. And they should be used with care and a doctor. The only thing my doctor ever tried with me, other than the usual weight loss diet sheets that NEVER work…ever…..were those all liquid diets. Those things are nasty. You get to sit and drink your drink while everyone around you eats all your favorite foods. Yeah, that one works….if you are a hermit it might.

Well, that’s great about those drugs but what happens when the prescription runs out? You do have to change the lifestyle but I think that you have to want to change it enough to change it for the right reasons. Health comes to mind. Not weight, HEALTH. Everyone knows that you cannot lose weight because someone else wants you to do it. Never works. But if you want to lose it for the sake of your family, that works. Not because they expect it of you but because you want to for them. You must want it badly enough so that you will be around to see your children grow up, to see your spouse for long years ahead. You must want it because it’s the right thing to do.

Take the time to seek out why you want to lose the weight. Find the best reasons, then find the helps that will guide you along. Maybe the help comes in the form of a new hobby or a new career. Okay, it could be a new someone in your life too. There are as many reasons to lose weight as there are not to do so. Go shopping!!! NO, do not max the credit cards out. Not that kind of shopping. Find friendly foods that are going to help you on your way to a better you!! It does work when you want it badly enough. Now, I just have to take my advice and work it.

Last year, the doctor told me that I had blood sugar problems. Usually, they call that diabetes but he would not go that far at that time. I got classified as being hyperglycemic which, from what I have read, means diabetic. I was to test my blood sugar every day. Unfortunately, designated as that, I could not get the meter and test supplies paid for by Medicare. The doctor finally did something that allowed me to get them. Then my husband got diagnosed with the same problem. He has yet to get his first supplies because it is stopped by Medicare. Sigh.

With all that going on, I get a bit concerned about what would happen if I’m out shopping somewhere and I start to bottom out or get really high sugar. Someone told me about medical jewelry like a bracelet or a pendant that would have a note about being diabetic. I really think that’s a great idea for anyone who has any type of medical condition. I have noticed that people who have that info on them get faster attention at the hospital if they go there in crisis. The doctors and nurses do not have to guess at the problems that way. It’s a great idea. Now if only the doctor would designate my husband so that he could have his supplies paid for too. Otherwise, he cannot do the testing every day. Sigh.

The first thing I want to say is..please, please do your research about insurance companies. A woman who had been insured for some time for disability insurance contacted her insurance company because she needed some cancer related treatments. She had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and it was spreading all over her body. The insurance company began requiring her to send information. They needed more information.

After several months of doing such things, they denied her the short term disability money she needed at that time. It was due to the fact that despite all the forms she filled out and sent it, she had not proved to their satisfaction that she was disabled. The company she had worked for could not give her another job. She was unemployable. Yet, the insurance company said she didn’t prove a disability.

In the meanwhile, bills were piling up. As the insurance company kept stalling her by asking for more and more information, she was losing one thing at a time and the bills kept on coming. So, she hired an attorney. She then filed for long term disability instead of short term. Her policy stated that she would receive 60 percent of her salary if disabled. Said insurance company then objected to her situation saying that before all this, she had another form of cancer that is unrelated and therefore is not eligible for the insurance coverage. She had been cancer free for some time prior to all this.

The thing is, if the insurance company can delay and deny claims or pepper the claimant with all sorts of delaying tactics, the claimant will likely give up and go away. Many insurance companies hope you do that since then they do not have to pay out a claim that the customer has paid premiums on for years to that company. The problem is that there is no law or oversight group to change this. No one is going to force the company to do the right thing. Therefore, they can pretty much do as they please without penalty. They can be dog-slow and no one can change that. They can pepper you with all sorts of forms to fill out. You can be at that for months before they decide to say no to discourage you. And there is very little you can do about any of it.

Unfortunately, this can be a life or death situation for many people who need the money to survive. Many do not because the insurance company bets that you will die before you can make them pay out to you. I firmly believe that there ought to be more regulation on the industry. Such companies should be required to answer claims within a short period of time. They should be expected to get all of the information that they need right away and make such decisions based on the claim rather than their pocketbooks. This SHOULD happen but it will not. This is as difficult as it is to make the oil companies pay us back for all the money they have been ripping off of the people at the gas pumps.