h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The NHS I find is variable. The usual problem I get is that doctors think they know more about your symptoms than you do, and precribe according to what they think you said instead of what's actually wrong with you. I've had that several times.

The worst I've ever had was a doctor who I went to with back problems. He said he'd refer me to the physio. I assumed the delay in hearing back was waiting lists. I spent nine months in pain before I gave up waiting and went to another doctor. She referred me 'again' and I got an appointment the next day.
This was the same doctor who prescribed me asthma meds for a chest infection. And who insinuated that I ought to be grateful for the hypermobility because I wouldn't get the problems associated with stiff joints.
Incompetent liar.

I had one of those doctors on my HMO, back when I used to have health insurance. His under-diagnoses were the reason my pneumonia lasted 6 months. And when my thyroid started to pack in he just told me I was overweight and should go on a diet.

I went up to the unemployment office -- no, they call it the WORKFORCE CENTER now -- only to discover that I shouldn't go in till Monday, ~after~ my last day of work. At least I've already got their forms filled out.

Foo.

for Lil. What an awful week.

for kelli. That's outrageous. Make a formal complaint.

for Ben. That was a very fair and coherent summary of the NHS and its recent history.

That's enough hugs.

I've just discovered, on this website, that my brother had an operation earlier this week Then I discovered that the rest of the family knew about this. I didn't, because I've hardly been at home all week. But even so, what is the world coming to when I discover things like that *on the internet* rather than from somebody *telling* me.

Sigh.

Mol

>>I went up to the unemployment office -- no, they call it the WORKFORCE CENTER now -- only to discover that I shouldn't go in till Monday, ~after~ my last day of work.

Sometimes they make you do a waiting period before you can start receiving, too.

[Bagpuss]

*catching up*

The hotel internet has been a little unsteady - earlier today, I saw some wee men looking at a thick bunch of what certainly looked like network cables, scratching their heads and employing a little thingy that went "ping"...

Aw, Lil - lots of Danish-Mexican vibrations your way.

And some in GDZs way I do remember when we went out to buy wedding rings - yes, we did that together - it was such a warm fuzzy feeling.

And I got to see some horse racing in Mexico City today There's a track at the back of the conference center - and suddenly, they were racing horses. And being there, right next to the track, with no need of paying entrance fees

http://www.lindevej.dk/blog/2008/11/unexpected-horse-racing.html

I've found that Mexican internet is dicey at best. 

I'm actually terrified of losing my insurance coverage next year, because my back makes it highly unlikely that I'll be able to get any private coverage, so I'd better get a job with group coverage, that's all I have to say!

[fg]

I do love the NHS. Even when they spent this entire morning poking me viciously and then telling me depressing maybes about my insides and sending me away to wait for certainty for, ooh, a week? Two weeks? A few months? Sorry, did you actually want to know what was up with your insides? Whatever for?

But at least they are THERE.

The NHS is THERE, that is. My insides are only partly there.

My next door neighbor's house was robbed, apparently in the early evening right about the time that I got home from work. I didn't notice a thing. And I'm told it's the 4th robbery in the neighborhood.

Sorry to hear about your job situation Lil.

The current medical situation in the US, in addition to the great masses of people who have no health care that Hypatia mentioned, is that the people who *do* have it often have to jump through hoops to get treatment. A doctor recommends a treatment, it has to be approved by the insurance company, often by an untrained twenty-something whose sole job it is to save the insurance company the cost of "unnecessary" treatments. The profit-incentive screws up the whole deal, and I think leads directly to the great masses of the uninsured.

And then when any politician proposes a solution that limits the meddling of insurance companies and puts the patient in more direct contact with his or her doctors, someone labels it as "socialized medicine" and starts advertising that it will "take away your choice of doctor". And "socialism" is still such a scary boogyman word in the US that millions of people end up thinking that improving access to health care is a Very Bad Thing.

Oooh how I hate those missing LEDs. And meant to say congratulations, GDZ.

OK, ran out of time when I was typing this morning, so it's likely I'll forget even more of what I was going to respond to

Sheesh, Lil, give me a boring day anytime over your day a couple days ago (?) (yesterday?)

Kelli, that's just...

Ben, googlability hasn't even entered my mind in the name search. I just want to find a name that won't get an automatic from Tom (he named Faith, and I had veot power, and I get to name Notepad, with him having a veto) I think he thinks I'm kidding when I tell him to make a list of "Absolutely not!" names, to save time

Healthcare-situation-wise, we fall into the cracks. We're technically just eligible for MediCal (California's version of medicaid) but we have a share-of-cost each month equal to around half our monthly income. While the school district that I work for does offer benefits to part-time employees, you have to work at least 4 hours a day, and I (and most other part-timers) work 3.5 hours a day normally...

Today's been a rather brain-dead day. My bladder woke me up shortly before 4 (I know because the clock in the living room chimes on the hour), and I ended up lying in bed awake until about 10 'til 5, when I decided to try making some warm milk. I never did fall back asleep... I'd agreed earlier this week to come in early yesterday and today for some overtime (yay for pay periods--the extra funds will come just in time for Christmas shopping) so I couldn't just take a nap after taking Faith to school. Luckily I was entering a second (actually, my first...) wind by the time I had to drive home from work! So today was interesting... But on the good side, a box arrived from SoCal today

Congrats GDZ!

And I'd also meant to tell Runescribe that that's great news!

Crap. Sometimes I can't remember what I want to say. Congrats, GDZ!

And glad you got the box, Amy!

And you have an email Though I hadn't noticed the pin when I wrote it--Faith and I have entered negotiations over it

Oh yeah, the snowflake pin. Let me know who wins!

Good night all.

~{SC}~

Congratulations, GDZ.

Just two more performances to go.