OT: Mary and Mayo

Well thanks, I guess, but "best of luck" doesn't cut the mustard for me any more than vague promises of "hope" and "change" did.

"Rots o' ruck" was a dismissive derisive utterance back in the 'Nam days. Modern lipstick doesn't substantially modify the pig.

Mary's care will be based on best available medical skill and knowledge, not luck. That's none of your business because it's not happening at your expense or at cost of increased national debt.

I reciprocally wish you best of luck with your health care choices entrusted to politicians of your chosen party. Rots o' ruck!

Reply to
Don Foreman
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children.

Yes, I think that his kids generally worked out alright. I always liked my FIL. He never gave me any trouble, except once he decided to trim some bushes and cut an extension cord that was going through one bush.

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Reply to
Ignoramus9135

Since my FIL had lung cancer, I did a bit of reading.

Aside from asbestos and such, LC is mostly a smokers disease. Most NSCLC lung cancer patients are smokers. About 10% of smokers die from lung cancer (there are more smoking related diseases that affect smokers).

There is a particular genetic mutation called EGFR (search for EGFR mutation), and those with it have high chances of getting lung cancer regardless of smoking status.

It seems that once the patient is declared inoperable/uncurable, there is somewhat less research about the process of dying from cancer, than about getting a cure, which is understandable. A relatively reliable sign of a death coming in the next few weeks is Cheyne-Stokes breathing pattern. This is when breathing stops for a few seconds (like 12-20 seconds), which the patient does not even notice.

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Reply to
Ignoramus9135

Well, is it OK to say, "More Power To You!"?

I'm also against socialist medicine, and against government intervention of any kind in private transactions. Government's job is to fix the roads and schlep your sewage.

I have no need for the guy who schleps my sewage to dictate what I may or may not do with my own body, thank you very much.

But dangit, I _do_ wish you the best - nobody deserves to be struck down in the prime of life, and I _am_ pleased to hear that the worst is over.

Cheers! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

Maybe for the sake of comparison? Once, a few decades ago, I had a serious kitchen mishap due to my own negligence, and I went to the local ER. (I had cut my hand so bad that I'd severed a nerve trunk to my little finger.) At the time, my employer provided insurance as part of the employment contract - I presented my insurance card at the reception desk, they did some paperwork, and within ten minutes or so some hand surgeon came out and sewed me up.

I have no idea what the bill was. I think it'd be extremely instructive to know exactly what they're charging - what _should_ have happened, in my not-so-humble opinion, would have been for the hospital to send me the bill, and make it my responsibility to go to the insurance company to try to get reimbursed per the insurance contract.

That's how they do it with car insurance, or fire insurance, or "life" insurance, right?

Thanks, Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

Because toomanytwinkies is an insensitive ass.

I'd hate to have seen that bill.

If they did that, they'd give away their largest secret: That insurance companies pay pennies on the dollar (10-50%) of those bills while the little guys without insurance pay full boat. It's enough to make a little guy go postal, it is.

Sometimes. It varies widely by state and industry.

-- Experience is a good teacher, but she send in terrific bills. -- Minna Thomas Antrim

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Of course, thank you.

We're a bit past prime, I'm afraid, but I do appreciate the good thoughts.

Reply to
Don Foreman

Comparison with what, and to what end? A more relevant question would be what we pay for insurance that provides the best-available care we want and are willing to pay for ... but that isn't what TMT asked. His motive is quite transparent.

Reply to
Don Foreman

Yes! Ischaemic heart failure is high on that list.

I have no cancer in my ancestry so I thought I could smoke until I got hit by a meteor, struck by lightning, run over by a bus or shot by a jealous husband.

WRONG!

Smoke free almost 3 years now after quintuple bypass CABG. Didn't need Mayo for that routine procedure, local hospital sufficed nicely. An old fella was having a smoke outside Mary's rehab facility when I arrived to be with her for a while today as I do every day. We're having a thaw, much different from the -25 wind chills of last week.

I don't know why that old black man is there, but he has an incredibly interesting face and another resident told me he'd written several books in his time. I don't yet know his name because I don't want to intrude, but he now grins at me with recognition so maybe I'll get to know him a little soon if he's open to that.

That smoke sure smelled good! Not as good as the grill smoke outside of the Hu Hot Mongolian Grill in Rochester, but pretty damned good.

I'm not tempted to resume smoking. I'm glad to be free of the habit. But it did smell good! I reckon that old black man can smoke with impunity because he'll probably die of something else and may already be in process of doing so.

Reply to
Don Foreman

I suppose that would 'free' him to do whatever he wanted.. like that sixties series "Run for your Life" in a small, sad way. In a sense we're all free in that Dylanesque way because none of us is going to last forever.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

Hey, I'll take good luck, thanks! Prayers are also welcome. I'm not a particularly religious person, but Mary is glad to have her set of prayer warriors on her side. That's not a disrespectful term; she calls 'em that herself and they do too.

My response to TMT was because he was clearly looking for a way to exploit our situation as basis for yet another troll.

Reply to
Don Foreman

I know, and I think that society should help those who are truely unable to provide for themselves. We have a generous welfare system in place, have had for years. Indigents are eligible for free cellphones, go figure. I don't need a freakin' cellphone, why do they? I do have a cellphone for emergencies, a disposable dopedealer phone that suffices for my needs. I'm a non-indigent elder. Maybe if I were indigent I'd have a better cellphone at your expense, thankyouverymuch.

It costs me about 10 bux a month. I carry it next to my .38 when I walk outdoors during clement weather in case I fall and break or have a cardiac event I survive enough to punch 911. I'm far more likely to need the phone than the pistol, but neither of them weigh much and they both comfort me. I'm quite good with a pistol, not so much with a cellphone. I've considerably more experience with the pistol. I don't think society should provide for those who are able to work but "get a better deal" on the public tit. 9% unemployment is still

91% employment.

This certainly wasn't the first recession in American history. We've weathered a few, as have a lot of quiet Americans. Engineers, technicians and machinists were pumping gas and flipping burgers in So. Cal in the early 70's. Some eventually found other opportunities and never did return to their disciplines, but they didn't stay on the public dole either.

Responsible citizens provide for lean times rather than consume and borrow to the max and beyond. Irresponsible politicians buy votes and favor with handouts to the greedy (both rich and poor) from the public treasury. Our health care insurance costs less than a two-pack-per-day smoker spends on his addiction. I don't have much empathy for those who choose to afford smokes in preference to health care insurance if they can only afford one or the other. I'm not an anti-smoking zeolot, far from it. I enjoyed smoking for 40 years until I quit on May 12, 2008. A heart attack made it crystal-clear to me that I had to quit, but I don't mind if others smoke in my presence.

Our healthcare insurance costs less than many of the folks at Wal-Mart spend on their cellphone service, not to mention cable TV etc.

Reply to
Don Foreman

I wish there was something I could do to help Mary. Have not said anything until now because good wishes are not much comfort.

But on Cell phones..............Take a look at Page Plus. They use the Verizon network and I think they are the least expensive if you do not actually use the phone. $10 will get you 100 minutes good for 120 days. $80 at one of their dealers will get you 2000 minutes good for a year.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

_The Intention Experiment_ has done experiments which provide evidence that prayer works. They've also done work which demonstrate that "good vibes" work every bit as well as prayer. Sending "good vibes" to you both.

Reply to
Steve Ackman

I think that this was disproved. I can try to look it up if anyone is interested.

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Reply to
Ignoramus895

Many years ago, somebody put out an album, "You don't have to be Jewish." It was essentially Jewish humour. One of the bits was at some funeral, the eulogist gets interrupted by some woman saying, "Give him some chicken soup!" He says, "Madam, it wouldn't help." She replies, "It couldn't hoit!"

Cheers! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

That sounds pretty good, if they have coverage near my cabin. The map indicates that they do.

Reply to
Don Foreman

Gottem! Thanks!

Encouragement really does help attitude, and attitude really can affect the body's ability to fight disease because feelings can have strong effects on body chemistry.

Reply to
Don Foreman

Further coincidence: the SIL of a friend of mine is very sick in Strong Memorial hospital in Rochester NY with a very rare disease. Staff at that hospital knows about as much as anyone about this particular disease, LaMierre's syndrome. Something like 160 cases in

100 years up until recently.
Reply to
Don Foreman

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