Hacking away at home...

Not hacking on the computer... hacking my lungs up next to me on the couch. Thought I could make it at work yesterday since I had been pretty well controlled. First patient, HIV. Stepped out for one major hacking fit -- major --- and decided instead of risk killing him, would just fill out the scripts he needed and have the nurse hand them back to him. Next patient, relatively healthy, but after my third return back in the room, he asked me to make sure I wash my hand before touching him ;).... so then I went home. People don't need to get sick from me, right? "You want a flu shot?" === get away from me before I give it to you :)

Finished "Three Cups of Tea"... sorry, Mom. Three Cups of Tea :) by Greg Mortenson. Mom thought so well of it that she actually mailed it to me when she was finished, telling me to put it at the top of my list. I've been working through it. Definitely makes me wish I had paid more attention to the Afghanistan/Pakistan war junk. Apolitical. That's me. But I can do this type of politics. The kind where you fix the root of the problem. This man builds schools for girls in Pakistan/Afghanitan. Risking his life for that which he believes in. You really need to read it. Too bad couldn't read it before the election on Tuesday.
Book really needs to be read by those who keep hounding Obama cause his middle name is Hussein and acting like that means anything. Seriously. Driving me crazy. (And no I am not touting any political beliefs - told you, don't side with anyone.) This book needs to be read by people who ignorantly believe that Muslim = crazy extremist. I've known several and for the most part, I would say they are a heck of a lot more devout and respectable than many of the Christians I know. But anyways... read it!

And as for my own mission field I like to call "the clinic" --- seriously gotta work on our healthcare system. As the head of the health district keeps reminding us, there is more financial and emotional support for the animal shelter than for healthcare for those without insurance. And now that UTMB is kaputz (SP?)... we have nowhere to send our patients - even more than before. So if you are a doctor (and don't think any of you are :) ) or some major politician who has influence (once again... I need new people)... work on it... And shame on you! Some of you have heard this story... but I'm still mad. Two weeks ago I had a patient come in with uncontrolled diabetes who had developed gangrene and had to have an amputation of his foot in Harris County (that's Houston - I live in Galveston County)... Seriously, they chopped off the end of his leg and sent him on his way. Usually you cover up the end of the leg with skin. A flap. Normally done in the ER, right? No! This was like Civil War, cared-for-by-Scarlet O'Hara-type wound! Hacked off with an open stump left. They sent him out cause he didn't live in Harris County. Didn't line him up with an orthopod to follow up with. Didn't set up a payment plan to let him follow up at an outside clinic. Honestly, didn't really seem to care about what happened to him at all. Just set him out to find his own doctor who would take him on... now weeks later with a raging infection to try to sort out this junk! Ug... I was, and am, livid in addition to all the others I work with. This is what it's coming down to. And you might be thinking, ok but he was an illegal immigrant like your other patients (and once again, shame on you for thinking that).... you would be wrong. Employed but uninsured mechanic, US born and raised.... UG!

One of my roomies, you know who you are, asked me why and if I liked my job. I guess I complain a lot. Not intentionally complaining about the patients - although there are some I would like to throw against the wall... Mostly complaining abou the screwed up system that isn't gonna get fixed. Little old ladies who need medicine who have never had anyone intentionally try to save them money on their meds. Little Spanish speaking diabetics (illegal perhaps) who never had anyone actually explain to them, in their own language, that they need to quit eating 7 tortillas a day. To be able to be a friendly face to the 40 year old woman who did something she regrets and wants someone to not judge her, to just test her to see if she got a STD... That's me! This is why I do it... As I said, my mission field. No one will move with me back to Mexico so I go to my own little Mexico just down the street.
Thanks for the job offer Kristin and Cathy - but I love my job! :)

PS: Doesn't Sandra Lee (food channel) make you want to gag? UG (last one I promise!)