I Passed!

Six weeks after taking Comlex, I learned that I passed!!

Pain Scale

The best explanation of the pain scale ever.

So you think your day was bad

Ouch!!

Consumer Driven Health Plan?

Most people agree that our health care system is broken.  Insurance companies are covering less and refusing to cover more people.  Is putting more responsibility on the patient a better way or just another way for insurance companies to increase their profits?  I noticed that this video was made by an insurance company, so I’m not sure that I buy that this is the answer.

I think that something needs to be done, but I haven’t found an answer that I like.  What do you think?

Getting used to a new title

Zoey Izabella Deanne Hayes

This is Zoey Hayes.  She arrived in the world just a few days ago.  She is my first grandchild.  Yes, this beautiful, little, bundle of joy has made me a Grandfather. I couldn’t be happier.  It’s taking me a little while to get used to the title of granddad.  I’m not old enough to be one, but I guess my daughter is old enough to be a mom.

Zoey weighed in at 7 lbs even and 20 inches.  Mom and Zoey are doing great.

Funny truck

Funny truck, originally uploaded by ron.lemaster.

You’ve got to love a business with a sense of humor. This sewage sucking truck was sitting in front of WV School of Medicine in Lewisburg, WV.

Getting off our butts

 

Yesterday, Dr. Ajluni, DO, President of the American Osteopathic Association spoke during a luncheon at WV School of Osteopathic medicine.  His main point was, as physician, we need to take the lead in the fight against obesity in America.

He was very persuasive about our need to lead by example.  A fit doctor may be able to convince his or her patients to do the hard work necessary to get healthier.

I have struggled with my weight all my adult life.  I was about 320 lbs at my heaviest about 8 years ago.  I lost 80 lbs on the Atkins diet in about 6 months in 2001 but the weight came back because I didn’t continue the life changes that I made to lose the weight so it came back with a vengeance.

About a month ago, I noticed that I was near the 300 lb mark again and decided it was time for a change.  So over the last month, I have made changes in my diet and increased my daily activity.  I have made it a point to walk for an hour at least 5 days a week.

So far, I’ve lost 20 lbs.  I feel better.  I have more energy.  I know that it is what I need to do to be healthy. 

I tell you all this to encourage you to get healthier too.  I would encourage you to go to www.do-online.org for more information about a program called "fit for life".  Also, let’s encourage one another in our daily battle to live healthier today than we did yesterday. 

Westboro Church of "God Hates Fags” Ordered to Pay $2.9 Million

I know this has nothing to do with medicine, but this verdict makes me so happy that I want to share it with you.  I have seen this group in action and I find their tactics most unChristian-like.  They are more Old Testament than Christ-like.

Westboro Baptist Church, the group led by Fred Phelps made infamous by its website www.godhatesfags.com, has been ordered by a Maryland court to pay $2.9 million to a grieving father who sued in response to their picketing of his son’s funeral, a soldier killed in Iraq.

This “church” has been spreading their twisted version of the gospel for some time.  They had the nerve to protest at the memorial service for the coal miners who died in WV recently.  But I heard that they jumped in their vans and ran out of town when they heard that a group of motorcycle riders where on their way to confront them.  I guess they don’t believe that God can protect them from angry motorcycle riders.

I wonder how they are going to get God to pay this court order?

Blogged with Flock

The Best Way to Die

I came across an interesting article from the web site, Newscientist.com. The article entitle, “Death Special: How does it feel to die”, is interesting look at several ways that lives end. Some are them are not very common anymore, like decapitation, but nevertheless, it looks at research done on many types of death and presents the findings.

I included a link at the bottom of this post, if you are interested in reading it. I think the best way to die is not to die. That’s not an original idea though. You may be surprised at the speed of some deaths or the agony of others.

 

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19626252.800

Socialized Medicine

Do you know who really pays for their medical care? The uninsured. Do you realized that insurance companies force doctors to collect from patients who don’t have insurance? So those who can least afford it are force to pay the full freight for an office visit or test, while insurance companies pay only a fraction of what the uninsured do.

How long before we do something about this messed up system? Doctors now spend more of their time jumping through hoops to get paid by insurance company than actually taking care of their patient. Doctors want a change. Patients want a change. Insurance companies have stacked the deck in their favor. We need to change the game.