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When I died

blog.maryrosecook.com

21–30 of 35 posts

Re: When I died

#21

Fascinating. On a side note: if that happened to me I suspect I'd be ruined financially. Even though I have an insurance: they would have decided to pay for only one or two of those MRI scans and angiograms, because they'd think that should have been enough for a doctor to figure it out. I have a couple of friends involved in cardiology and I suspect those are pretty accurate predictions.

Having grown up in the UK, I've always taken for granted that this level of healthcare is readily available to me whenever I might need it, money no object. The concept of having to consider the cost implications of treatment like this seems very alien to me. I'm now contemplating moving abroad and this is something that I've been thinking about lately. Not having the NHS around would have made me hesitate more before starting my own business, I think.

Re: When I died

#22
post #11

Thanks for sharing your experience. An online store of which I have a high opinion sells a product called SutureSafe which they say relieves tension on stitches and staples. Maybe they would be helpful to you: http://www.leevalley.com/gifts/page.aspx?c=2&p=61673&#38...

Owtch. This post would probably have a better score of people knew Lee Valley didn't have an affiliate program.

Is that what people are thinking - that I'm angling to rake in 10 cents on some kind of business relationship with Lee Valley? I sure am curious what they have in mind.

Re: When I died

#23
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doctors in the US usually over-test people due to lawsuit fears.

Getting paid more for over-testing probably has something to do with it too.

Not really. My parents (both physicians, just like a sizable part of my extended family) do not believe in unnecessary medical procedures, much like almost every other doctor. You don't become a cardiac physician unless you actually care about the people and what you do, trust me. Cosmetic surgery pays much more, holds less risk, and is less demanding if you're just in it for the money. In addition, most cardiac tests don't award the physicians any monetary value aside from decreasing malpractice risk through negligence.

Re: When I died

#24
post #21

Fascinating. On a side note: if that happened to me I suspect I'd be ruined financially. Even though I have an insurance: they would have decided to pay for only one or two of those MRI scans and angiograms, because they'd think that should have been enough for a doctor to figure it out. I have a couple of friends involved in cardiology and I suspect those are pretty accurate predictions.

Having grown up in the UK, I've always taken for granted that this level of healthcare is readily available to me whenever I might need it, money no object. The concept of having to consider the cost implications of treatment like this seems very alien to me. I'm now contemplating moving abroad and this is something that I've been thinking about lately. Not having the NHS around would have made me hesitate more befor…

You should always consider the cost implications. The money has to come from somewhere — it's just that on the NHS, other taxpayers are the ones responsible for your health problems.

(I'm a Brit who's had a little too much social liberalism today. Sorry.)

Re: When I died

#25
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Owtch. This post would probably have a better score of people knew Lee Valley didn't have an affiliate program.

Is that what people are thinking - that I'm angling to rake in 10 cents on some kind of business relationship with Lee Valley? I sure am curious what they have in mind.

As an aside, I'm impressed with how well we handle spurious downvotes here. I saw your comment at -3, and yet it has since been "neutralized". Good to see.

Re: When I died

#26
I am 29. I have had two open heart surgeries, three valve replacements, one valve repair, and an ascending aortic aneurism repaired with a Dacron graft. I can't really explain why, but it's always somewhat comforting to find other people with the rare experience of having dealt with their mortality at a relatively young age. Thank you for sharing this. You are not alone, and your experiences are appreciated.

Re: When I died

#27
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having grown up in the UK, I've always taken for granted that this level of healthcare is readily available to me whenever I might need it, money no object. The concept of having to consider the cost implications of treatment like this seems very alien to me. I'm now contemplating moving abroad and this is something that I've been thinking about lately. Not having the NHS around would have made me hesitate more befor…

You should always consider the cost implications. The money has to come from somewhere — it's just that on the NHS, other taxpayers are the ones responsible for your health problems. (I'm a Brit who's had a little too much social liberalism today. Sorry.)

I happily pay my taxes, exactly so that someone like Mary can get the required treatment. Hardly any individual can carry the costs of such medical investigations and operations.

Re: When I died

#28

I am 29. I have had two open heart surgeries, three valve replacements, one valve repair, and an ascending aortic aneurism repaired with a Dacron graft. I can't really explain why, but it's always somewhat comforting to find other people with the rare experience of having dealt with their mortality at a relatively young age. Thank you for sharing this. You are not alone, and your experiences are appreciated.

I also find it comforting to discover other young people who have weird hearts. Even cardiac doctors and nurses remark on my age.

Further, there is a medical unit in London called GUCH (Grown-Up Congenital Heart) that was created specifically for people like us who had heart problems early on in life. The need wasn't there before because, in the past, we'd all be dead by adulthood.

Re: When I died

#29
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having grown up in the UK, I've always taken for granted that this level of healthcare is readily available to me whenever I might need it, money no object. The concept of having to consider the cost implications of treatment like this seems very alien to me. I'm now contemplating moving abroad and this is something that I've been thinking about lately. Not having the NHS around would have made me hesitate more befor…

You should always consider the cost implications. The money has to come from somewhere — it's just that on the NHS, other taxpayers are the ones responsible for your health problems. (I'm a Brit who's had a little too much social liberalism today. Sorry.)

Yes, I certainly know how lucky I am to live in a country with a nationalised health service. And I am eternally grateful to the rest of the population who have contributed to my healthcare via their taxes. I know that if I live to be a hundred, the taxes I pay won't get close to covering the cost.

Re: When I died

#30
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having grown up in the UK, I've always taken for granted that this level of healthcare is readily available to me whenever I might need it, money no object. The concept of having to consider the cost implications of treatment like this seems very alien to me. I'm now contemplating moving abroad and this is something that I've been thinking about lately. Not having the NHS around would have made me hesitate more befor…

You should always consider the cost implications. The money has to come from somewhere — it's just that on the NHS, other taxpayers are the ones responsible for your health problems. (I'm a Brit who's had a little too much social liberalism today. Sorry.)

The NHS is one of the greatest things we've invented in the UK. It's not always perfect but everyone uses it at some point, some more than others that's just the nature of illness. You may not have had to use it yet, but one day you or your family might and if that happens you'll be glad it's there.

Thanks to the NHS we don't have stories like this one http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/164436/boy_dies_fro...

I gladly pay my taxes for things like the NHS, my taxes are spent on far worse things thats for sure.

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