COVID Cases are Going Up!

Anyone think that's because more tests are being done?


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Changes to the Change

Remember this post, where McDonald's was possibly dropping its; health plan? Looks like they won't have to now:

McDonald's, 29 other firms get health care coverage waivers

Nearly a million workers won't get a consumer protection in the U.S. health reform law meant to cap insurance costs because the government exempted their employers.
 ...
Without waivers, companies would have had to provide a minimum of $750,000 in coverage next year, increasing to $1.25 million in 2012, $2 million in 2013 and unlimited in 2014.
 ....
"The big political issue here is the president promised no one would lose the coverage they've got," says Robert Laszewski, chief executive officer of consulting company Health Policy and Strategy Associates. "Here we are a month before the election, and these companies represent 1 million people who would lose the coverage they've got."

Wow, this is one major clusterfuck.

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On Healthcare

A few bullet points:

- If the .gov is doing it, it will cost at least twice what they estimate
- If it costs twice as much, the .gov will have to find additional funding sources
- Those sources will be people like me, who don't make a whole lot of money

Finally:

Hope you're hungry.

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The Benefits of Light Exercise

Just a quick health note: I've been going to the gym on a semi-regular basis for over a month now. Nothing much, just a mile, mile and a half on the treadmill (walking) and some time on the weight machines.

Lost a little weight, feeling better, but the real benefit?

I haven't had a gout attack since I started going. Not even a twinge.

I'd like to pronounce myself cured (it's a miracle!) , but more likely, the exercise is letting my medicine do its job more effectively.

Either way, I'm glad I started.

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Gardasil

Here's something I got via email. I'm not saying it's 100% true (it did come from the Internet, after all), but I have heard grumblings from various sources on how this drug isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Dear Friend,

There's so many conflicting reports floating around about Gardasil that it can be tough for parents to know what to believe. And a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association only clouds the issue even further.

The study claims that Gardasil's side effects are rare and continue to occur at the same rate they did in the clinical trials.

But what they don't tell you is that those trials were a sham.

Instead of giving the control group a true placebo, they gave them one that was aluminum-based. To the untrained eye, this can make the results look convincing--and that's what the drug company is banking on.

But the truth is, the aluminum-based placebo pills alone can cause side effects like nerve damage, the deck was stacked. So it's no wonder the drug wasn't that bad compared to the placebo--they were both equally dangerous!

But the cat's already out of the bag, and a growing number of doctors, researchers and parents aren't being fooled by these clinical shenanigans. You won't be fooled, either when you see the damage it's doing.

Dozens of little girls have died after getting this vaccine. Others have experienced disabling nerve damage, and some have even gotten ALS -- Lou Gehrig's disease.

That may be why the editors of JAMA decided to run an editorial alongside this new study questioning whether this vaccine offers any benefit over a pap smear.

Allow me to answer: It doesn't.

Even one of the top researchers behind the vaccine's clinical trials, who has been paid by Merck to speak about its supposed wonders, is now publicly questioning it.

No, I didn't just make that up. Dr. Diane Harper told CBS News in August that some of the side effects could make the vaccine riskier than the cervical cancer it's supposed to stop.

Remember, this is the same company that rushed Vioxx through the system, and we know how that turned out. Some folks even say Merck's HPV vaccine really stands for "Help Pay for Vioxx."

Here's the answer we should all give them: Not at the expense of our daughters' health.

Emphasis above supplied by me because it illustrates exactly what is wrong with the whole "new drug" thing.

One, how can a private company rush something through the system? Doesn't the government agency responsible do its due diligence? [quit laughing]

Two - Vioxx. That drug was a heart attack in pill form. It not only made it through the company's strict quality control, [again with the jokes! yer killin' me!] but the FDA didn't find anything wrong with it either.

Here's what I think - I think the FDA should be disbanded and a private not-for-profit organization be established for the testing of new drugs. That way, the government employees won't be playing nice so they can get that cushy Pharma job once they leave .gov service.

I wonder who's making the swine flu vaccine....

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Tricare as a Model

For those of you who may not know, Tricare is the health insurance for the military. It also covers military retirees.

I really like it. The premiums are low, all my treatment is at regular civilian doctors, most of my medicine is free as well. Good stuff.

So, there are some folks who are saying this is a prime example of how government run healthcare would be for everybody.

As Kim du Toit would say, Nazzo fast, Guido.

First, Tricare took the place of the "free healthcare for life" military members were supposed to get after they retired. It isn't regular health insurance. The government spends a lot of money on it.

42 billion last year.

That's 42 billion for about 9 million covered people. That's 42 billion on 3% of the population.

Doing the quick math, we're getting into the trillions. Again.

They also require retirees like myself to use any other health insurance I might have first, then I can use Tricare as a secondary. And can I point out that the vast majority of active duty members (and their families) are under 40? Not a lot of extended care going on there. Any young service member unfortunate enough to require long term care are usually put out of the military and into the VA system.

The VA ... ah, I'll talk about them another time.

Hat tip to Moogie, who I finally blogrolled. Thought she was there, but no, just on my feed reader.

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All Clear, Nothing to Report

Looks like I'm good to go for the next five years, the colonoscopy turned up nothing.

Yes, the prep's the worst part.

Yes, you are knocked out during the procedure.

Yes, you're done in 15 minutes.

No, you don't wake up feeling like a child molester who got caught in the wrong part of the prison block. No discomfort whatsoever.

Not the best time I've ever had, but the alternative is unacceptable. Cancer killed my mother, and uncles on both sides of my family. It won't get me without a fight.

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Today's the Day

Wish me well.

Although I haven't gone yet, I can say the prep was no fun whatsoever.

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Back From My Physical

Doc said "Nothing's changed", sweeet!

Then he said "You're at the age where we recommend colonoscopy."

Shit.

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Stung in the Head

Had the strangest thing happen to me over the weekend - after finishing up some yardwork, I came inside and the kids told me I was bleeding.

Sure enough, there was a trail of blood down the side of my face. It had already dried, so I didn't think anything more of it - till I went to take a shower. There I had an allergic reaction similar to one I'd had after eating some suspect fish - my body flushed red, palms started itching, and while my breathing wasn't "troubled", I was aware that my passages weren't normal. I got a bit dizzy, so I laid down. Like I said, I'd had this happen before, so I knew I'd be fine in 30 minutes or so, and I was.

Of course, now I was wondering - what the hell caused this? I figured the blood was somehow involved, but I didn't see any sign of a wound. I figured I might have hit something toxic and got a bit of contact poisoning.

Then last night, I noticed what I thought was a mosquito bite on my left temple had evidence of a puncture mark. Something big enough to cause me to bleed, so now I'm pretty sure something stung me and scored what we D&Ders would call a critical hit - venom straight into a vein in my head. Lucky bastard.

Now my big concern is - is this a one-off thing? Spending much of my life in rural settings, I've been stung by just about everything that flies - more than once. Never had a problem. Now, I've had a minor episode of anaphylaxis. Not a good thing.

So, my question is - am I now allergic to stings? Is it possible this was a one-off lucky shot by some flying bastard? If I am now allergic, will the next episode be more severe?

I am going to talk to my doctor about this, obviously, but I'd like to know what you all think.

Update - Thanks for the advice. I'll be seeing the doc tomorrow.

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Swine Flu in Memphis?

It's a possibility:

Officials say a "probable" case of swine flu found in a 12-year-old student at Incarnation Catholic School in Collierville is under investigation in Shelby County.

We're all gonna die!!1!

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Where Has the Day Gone?

Just got back from my surgeon, he's cleared me to participate in the Decathlon begin light exercise, said no weights or sit ups for another couple weeks yet.

Now, time to read my reader and other associated stuff.

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Appendix Blogging

I had planned on doing a big 'ol series on this, but the more I think about it, the less I want to think about it. Here's what I learned from all this:

The beginning:

Symptoms of appendicitis don't always begin with pain in the right side. I had about 24 hours of pain located in the center of the abdomen, right where the stomach is. It did eventually migrate, and the doctor figured it out pretty quick. Of course, a white blood cell count of 17k helped in the diagnosis, I'm sure.

Why did I wait so long? Specifically because of where the pain was (wasn't), and the fact that it wasn't *that* bad. In hindsight, any time you have abdominal pain (and a low fever) for more than a few hours, get your ass to the doctor.

The operation:

Don't remember this, of course, but I am glad beyond words I live in these times. They did it laparoscopically, meaning they didn't have to lay me open, they just poked a few holes in me and did their thing. That thing, of course, was removing my perforated appendix.

Recovery:

First thing is, recovery isn't laying around letting your incisions heal. It's hard work. In the case of abdominal surgery, the focus is getting up, moving around, and getting your guts working again. They tend to shut down after surgery. One big thing that held me back was the fact that I wasn't in shape. The extra weight around the middle and lack of core strength was like a ton of bricks on my gut, weighing me down. The sense of helplessness was frustrating. I plan on rectifying that situation.

Another thing I got to deal with were dreams. Between the infection, the pain meds, and all the other, my dreams were crazy. Of course, I don't remember them much now, but I do remember the "subject" of one of them: Non-Euclidean Physics. Take that, Lovecraft!

Then there was TV. The first night after the operation, here's what I was treated to:

NCIS - The victim was knifed to death, his guts laid open.

Some other cop show: Our hero took two shots to the gut

Crap, I think to myself, I guess I'll watch History Channel. No gut shots going on there, right?

Riiight: "The victorious (dinosaur) eats the stomach out it's still-living opponent."

(insert Rachel Lucas "Jesus" remark here)

TV off, I'll take my chances with the dreams.

At any rate, I took heart with the fact that my recovery went along quickly. At the end of each day, I could look back and see how much progress I had made. That helped. I also had great nurses (love y'all), and the support of friends and family.

Thanks to you all, I appreciate all the thoughts and wishes. You all are the best.

One last thing I noticed. When you're gone, unexpectedly, for a week, all the green jumps out of your grass and into your pool.

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Actinic Keratosis

That's the new term I learned yesterday. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, it's:

Actinic keratosis (AK), also known as solar keratosis, by far the most common precancer, is the result of prolonged exposure to sunlight.

It's treated by freezing with liquid nitrogen. Ouch. I now have red frozen spots on both temples, but luckily, that's all I have.

If you find any spots on your skin that are kinda like zits, but rough and tender to the touch, get them checked out. Especially if you're Very White like me.

That liquid nitrogen is cold! Continue Reading