Comments on: ‘Sicko’ offers glimpse of alternatives

By: Sandra

Sandra — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:00:24 +0000

I feel like a fog, not that it matters. I’ve pretty much been doing nothing , but eh. Today was a loss. I haven’t gotten much done for a while.

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I’ve basically been doing nothing to speak of. Basically nothing seems worth thinking about. I feel like a void, but that’s how it is. I’ve just been hanging out doing nothing.

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By: car hire perth

car hire perth — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 06:40:10 +0000

I haven’t been up to much recently, but whatever. I just don’t have much to say lately. Basically nothing happening to speak of. So it goes. My mind is like a complete blank. Such is life.

By: vinyl tote bag

vinyl tote bag — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:08:46 +0000

I feel like a fog, not that it matters. I’ve pretty much been doing nothing , but eh. Today was a loss. I haven’t gotten much done for a while.

By: Mary Caruso

Mary Caruso — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:26:22 +0000

I wish life were so easy. Most of us in the health care profession are doing our best, but we don’t control all the outcomes, too many factors come into play.Hospice is a wonderful organization that assists people in having a “healthy death”, that’s what we call it when someone passes in peace without pain…with the terminally ill that’s the only goal. Comfort, support, and pain control. It’s even the law and health care professionals can be held accountable for not providing those things.For the rest we do everything to make the odds of survival the priority, but the human body is far from perfect and the same with it’s owners. I have a guy right now with a horrible diabetic wound that’s infected. We do everything to help it heal and he sabatoges everything we try to do. He’s getting the rest of his leg cut off next month, and maybe it could have been avoided if he were more compliant with treatment. The same with those with a 50 yr smoking habit and then expect modern medicine to save them from lung cancer and death. It’s not that those in the healthcare industry don’t care, that’s why we choose this profession in the first place..but we can only do so much to help others, they have to also take responsibility and do their part if they want to heal. We have effective treatments available for most diseases, but if you want to “get rid of the experiences that cause personal growth”, then people have to embrace healthier lifestyles, and even then there are no guarantees, because life happens.

By: Jed

Jed — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 11:14:58 +0000

Mary,Okay, let’s agree that none of us are in need of any more personal growth, and get started on getting rid of all those experiences that cause it!

By: Mary Caruso

Mary Caruso — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:40:10 +0000

Funny, your personal growth settled around your middle and mine went straight to my butt!!

By: Jed

Jed — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 18:27:03 +0000

Mary,By all reckoning, given my many “personal growth” experiences, I should be at least 7′9″ tall by now. Instead, it all settled around the middle. I don’t need anymore “personal growth,” thank you. Let’s get that research done! Now! Along with a universal heath system so EVERYBODY benefits from it!

By: Mary Caruso

Mary Caruso — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 14:44:43 +0000

I agree, Jed. We need to do everything we can to aleviate suffering and find treatments for the sick. We can do that and also accept the fact that hardships often offer personal growth. As a nurse, I see death often and as a natural part of life, so maybe that’s why I’m more accepting of it. I’m not afraid to die anymore. Going through cancer gave me the opportunity to accept my mortality and make the most of living. I’ve lost more than a few loved ones from cancer..from my 7 yr old nephew to my life long friend who died at 39, leaving behind her two young daughters..All this has made me realize how precious life is and how important it is to cherish each day as a gift.Like you, I’m also pissed at how much money this country has wasted on this war, money that could have been used for so many positive and useful things, like health care for those who can’t afford it.

By: Jed

Jed — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 06:45:37 +0000

Hey Fleetie,As I recall, we actually got to the moon.

By: fleettwood

fleettwood — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 02:53:02 +0000

“if they had even a small part of the money we blew on a failed war in Iraq.”

Now that is the weak argument of the weak. How many could we have saved if we had never gone to the moon? Silly argument by the silly minded. Libs, you gotta love ‘em.

By: Jed

Jed — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 02:49:01 +0000

Of course death is always with us. That doesn’t mean we just give up and accept it, or glorify it as some sort of “gift” or “growth experience.” There’s a lot of pain and suffering involved, and that can be treated to some extent if there weren’t people counting beans, and others who think it’s somehow “purifying,” and others who wish opiates had never existed.There are also researchers who might actually get a handle on cancer, and other horrible ways to die, if they had even a small part of the money we blew on a failed war in Iraq. But then all those people might be denied the “gift” of getting that diagnosis!

By: Mary Caruso

Mary Caruso — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 01:58:42 +0000

Of course we wish they were here with us, but death is as much a part of life as being born. Learning to embrace life no matter how fragile and short it is the way to happiness, Jed. You have to learn to let go of what you can’t control and enjoy the moment, for however long it lasts. To love is to risk getting hurt, and sooner or later everyone leaves us or we leave them. I would love for there to be a cure for every illness and that no one would die, but that isn’t going to happen. There sin;t a day that goes by that I don’t miss my friends and loved ones who have passed away, but I get joy from the memories I have of them..and I focus on what I still have, that’s what’s important.I’m sure you miss your wife terribly, but at least you know what it feels like to love and be loved. Some are never that lucky. You’ve been blessed, and for that you need to be grateful.

By: Jed

Jed — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:56:05 +0000

Cos, Mary,That’s a cop-out and you know it. What you and I really wish is that they were still here with us! There isn’t a day goes by that I haven’t got a question for one or the other of them, and I’m stuck with having to figure out what he or she might have said. I’d much rather just ask them.I wish that all the money invested in cures for baldness and silicone implants and butt lifts and nose jobs had gone to research the important things, the things that kill us. Then maybe we could just ask!

By: Mary Caruso

Mary Caruso — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:38:11 +0000

That’s exactly what I meant Cosmos. Even losing someone makes you realize how important it is to let those you love know how you feel about them. The only thing any of us have is today.I saw a Peanuts cartoon long ago that I loved, Charley Brown is telling Lucy that she “should live every day as though it’s going to be her last”. She imediately goes into a panic and starts screaming “SOMEONE HELP ME, I’M DYING..AHHHHHHH!”Charlie Brown responds “Well, I guess that philosophy isn’t meant for everyone”.I try to live everyday in a meaningful way, but I’ll admitsometimes it’s a challenge!

By: cosmos

cosmos — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 05:30:06 +0000

Jed,

The “gift” is: “Don’t sweat the small stuff…and it’s all small stuff”.

I’ve lost family, and close friends to cancer. The “gift” is to value EVERY moment that we are alive.

By: Jed

Jed — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 05:21:03 +0000

Mary,I lost my parents and my daughter and my best friend to cancer. I don’t consider that a gift. Apparently what you consider a gift was that yours was treatable!

By: Mary Caruso

Mary Caruso — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 02:11:18 +0000

It’s not what happens to a person, but what they do with it that counts. I think cancer was a huge gift to me, I’ll never look at life the same way..I love and appreciate the things in life I never even noticed before and the small things don’t bother me.A good friend of mine who died from cancer used to wear a t-shirt to work that said “Don’t sweat the small stuff…and it’s all small stuff”.After I went through the “Big C”, I knew exactly what she meant.

By: Jed

Jed — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:53:58 +0000

Mary,”Just hang in there and keep fighting for everything you need. In the long run you’ll be a much stronger person and have an appreciation for life that a few of us get to experience.”

You mean he should just think of it as another growth experience? From the sound of his post, he’s already too tall for the average waiting room!

By: Mary Caruso

Mary Caruso — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:34:12 +0000

Fed Up, Sorry I’m just now replying to you…work is keeping me really busy.Just hang in there and keep fighting for everything you need. In the long run you’ll be a much stronger person and have an appreciation for life that a few of us get to experience. Cancer treatment is much better than ever and the chances for survival are the best they’ve ever been. Just hug those who you love and enjoy each new day as if it’s a gift.I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

By: delsol

delsol — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:23:26 +0000

Timothy Noah of Slate.com points out that health care costs REALLY disadvantage American businesses:http://www.slate.com/id/2169131/nav/tap1/ In fact, it's so bad that Rick Wagoner, chairman of GM, has asked Congress to tackle it, as he lists health care as a "Top 3" priority to fixing American manufacturing industries:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/documents/wagoner_feb_10.pdf This is sort of like the global warming issue. Some folks believe that if they look outside their door and all is well than that means that all is well everywhere. Well, it ain't well, and it's time we stopped ignoring the problem. I will be writing Tiarht, Brownback, and Roberts this week.