the tangled web of medicine...

Oh the tangled web of the medical world... and we have our judicial system and our legislative system to thank for it.... pardon me if I neglect to be grateful.


Seriously, yesterday and today were days of phone calls and a doctor appointment, all of which had to take place BEFORE we could get Ellen an appointment with a neurologist.  I found great humor in listening as our family doctor's receptionist attempted to get a referral to a pediatric neurologist for Ellen.  She had more hoops to jump through than I had the day before.  It did my heart good to know that doctors have to jump through each other's hoops too. ; )


This has also given me a much deeper appreciation for my friends who have to do this every single day of their lives.  My friend, Donna, advocates for her 4 year old autistic son every day.  Josh is not only autistic but he also has a mitochondria disease.  She has spent countless hours on the phone and at appointments jumping through the hoops of the tangled web of the medical world in an effort to find a prognosis for her son.  


My friend, Kathy, has to advocate for herself.  She's had a number of strokes and her speech is severely impaired as a result.  She is in a wheelchair and yet has to jump through hoops to get to appointments that only result in another appointment being scheduled on another day to get another opinion.  


I dread the upcoming years.  This issue will only get worse thanks to our legislatures who have passed laws to govern medicine in an effort to counteract the high number of law suits that have driven up the cost of medicine.  Honestly, I am thankful that this has happened with Ellen now and not in a couple of years.  I'm not sure we would even be able to get an appointment with a neurologist then.


I am VERY thankful that we do have an appointment next week for Ellen to see an pediatric neurologist.  I am VERY thankful for my primary care physician and his office staff who were able to get me the appointment.  I am VERY thankful that we have insurance to cover the costs of these appointments.  


However, even though I am only on the edge of this tangled web, I have been reminded again of how much I am against the healthy care system in our country.  I hate the way it is now and I hate the "fix" that has been promised for the future.  


I know that I've only experienced a small step into this awful mess called medicine.  I also know that Donna and Kathy are not the only ones who deal with this on a daily basis.  I tip my hat to all who have to fight through the tangled web of the medical world in the good ole' US of A.