Health | Piss and Moan

Must endure

Posted on December 20, 2021 by backuphill

The next three days will be a slog…gotta admit. Why? Well, there is a vacation on the horizon and not checking into work for the better part of nearly two weeks has got me excited.

Thus, I must endure the next several days.

This will be the first real vacation for me in quite some time. The last week of February this year, in fact. There have been days off here and there in between, but this will be the first extended time since then.

Anyway, just thought I would put out there that I am feeling a little “short-timer’s disease” and looking forward to some time off.

Anyone else taking time off during the holidays?

**Interesting note: when you type in “vacation” for the free pictures in Pexel, nearly all the pictures come up as tropical, sunny, and sandy…I must be doing my vacations wrong…**

Lost humanity

Posted on December 8, 2021 by backuphill

Another trip in the ambulance and another ER visit. This time in a much larger city close by. There was a noticeable difference in care – both in quality and in humanity.

There are and have been a lot of things said about this whole health thing going on – you know, the one that starts with C and ends with D. It has caused a lot of fear and that fear has turned our society into a bunch of people with lost humanity. We have lost what it means to be human and to treat people in a humane way.

We see it all the time with the lockdowns. We see it all the time in the mandates. We see it all the time in masks and shots and the continual testing and the fight for basic medical rights/privacy as they are stripped away. We see it in the denials of service. We see it in the confrontations over restrictions. We see it in pointless rules that actually make things worse rather than helping the people they are supposed to.

Yesterday, I wasn’t allowed into the ER. Barred, with a whole bunch of other people, to sit and wait to see what happens – with little to no communication from the hospital staff. The patient actually had to text me, when able, so I could have updates.

I watched a mother of a severely autistic child argue with hospital staff about accompanying her child. It was obvious of his condition and lack of ability to communicate.

I watched as one of their own hospital nurses (white crocs, scrubs, name tag) struggle to breath while sitting in a wheel chair outside the ER doors. She was alone. She was probably late 20s maybe early 30s. When I mentioned to the lady behind the counter she was struggling, she shrugged and said she was being taken care of.

Obviously, I am frustrated with the treatment of my own loved one. The ER basically did nothing, other than monitor. My loved one said she had never experienced a more unfriendly healthcare experience. The ER doc said that since it didn’t appear to be life-threatening and their job isn’t to diagnose, they were going to release her. Basically, “We can’t help you and we don’t know what’s wrong with you, so get out.”

President Franklin D Roosevelt in his first Inaugural Address said that the “…only thing we have to fear is fear itself…” I has become increasingly clear that Americans have forgotten those words. We have totally and unwisely let fear control us over the last two years and, unfortunately, will probably continue to let fear control us.

Fear has caused us to lose our humanity. It’s a sad state to comment on, but the reality is that we have forgotten what it means to be human and to treat others with empathy and kindness.

This can’t be the way we move forward. We are doomed if that is the case.

The danger of precedent

Posted on December 2, 2021 by backuphill

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com

You’re gonna hear about the Supreme Court a lot in the coming days and weeks. They’re hearing a case that could change the course of human events in the U.S. for a long time to come (or not). It really depends on how the court decides the case it heard yesterday, the one about abortion and limiting it.

One of the ways the court makes it’s decisions is based on precedent. Precedent is used to help guide the court in making decisions related to issues of the past. A court obviously can’t really know if a decision they are making in the current day will be used as precedent, but they certainly know in the present when they are using the precedent set by earlier courts.

One of the things about SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) is that it relies heavily on precedents set by previous courts. This is kind of a nod to the fact that those justices have made a correct ruling based on interpretation of the Constitution, intent of the Founders, etc., etc. Therefore, most decisions coming from the court often don’t step on previous decisions and most often don’t overturn precedent.

But, there have been times where that has taken place and it was no small matter.

The best example of a court reversing it’s own precedent (and really the best one to apply now to abortion) is the 1896 case of Plessy vs. Ferguson. The precedent that was set by the court as a result of that case became known as the “separate but equal” doctrine. Essentially it established that, for all intents and purposes, segregation was legal as long as accommodations were equal for both races. Of course, we know the application of that doctrine didn’t really get applied that way and was the basis for all sorts of discriminatory and racist laws. Over and over there challenges to those racist laws and over and over the court upheld decisions in favor of racism simply because the justification was the precedent of Plessy. That precedent would eventually be overturned by a different and later court, which set a new precedent. The 1954 case of Brown vs. The Board of Education turned Plessy on it’s head by deciding in the case that separate was not equal but inherently unequal. Thus, sanctioned and legal racism was stamped out by a future court righting the wrongs of a previous court. There was a new understanding and interpretation and it was decided that the precedent was wrong, so they fixed it and made it right. It took 58 years to make that morally wrong decision, morally right.

Today, some 43 years after the Roe vs. Wade court decision SCOTUS has a chance to right another wrong. A chance to reverse a precedent that has cost millions and millions of human lives – those of unborn children. A chance to stand on what is morally right, saving the lives of babies, instead of standing on what is morally wrong, killing babies. It doesn’t seem like this should be that tough of a decision. But, apparently it is.

Going against public opinion isn’t an easy thing and I am sure it wasn’t that easy in the Brown decision, but it was the right thing to do. Lots of things have changed in 43 years since Roe was decided. Healthcare, medical knowledge, and technology has gotten a lot better in those years, so denying that life starts at conception is backwards as saying the Sun revolves around the Earth.

The arguments from the liberal side of the bench were a little strange yesterday. Sonia Sotomayor is standing on precedent and arguing for maintaining the status quo simple so the court can take on the appearance of legitimacy? Isn’t it less legitimate if it doesn’t correct precedent and right a wrong? To me that seems like a weird argument to make when talking about morally wrong judgements. Can you imagine if the court argued in 1954’s Brown decision that they needed to keep the Plessy precedent to “survive” and remain legitimate?

Anyone else find that strange?

Anyone else care about this topic? What do you think?

Ultimately, precedent can be a positive way to look at pending cases and it can be used as a guide to current issues, but if precedent can’t ever be corrected (despite public opinion) it’s a dangerous thing to stand on.

Health frustration

Posted on November 24, 2021 by backuphill

The body is a mystery. When it comes right down to it, the medical professionals still don’t know as much as they would like you to think they do. Because of this, when there really is a mystery they are pretty much spending your money and playing a guessing game when they have no idea what is really going on.

Many many blood tests. Many doctor’s visits. Multiple meds tried. Multiple xrays done. Specialists seen. MRIs being done. Still, no answers.

No one wants bad news when it comes to their health.

Headaches, extremities tingling, touch sensitivity, a never ending and persistent cough for seemingly no reason, extreme fatigue…the hope was that the MRI on the head would reveal something that would give the docs a clue as to what is going on. Results? Everything looks normal.

In one sense, that’s great news! But in another sense, that really sucks. Again, no one wants bad news but at least bad news would be something. Now what?

Going into Thanksgiving, we can’t help but be thankful for what and who we have in our lives. We really are blessed. Can’t deny that.

BUT, this has been going on for 2+ months now and there is no answer in sight. Frustrating to say the least. Maybe the MRI of the spine will show something, but likely not. There was really the thought that the head MRI would be the picture that was needed to discover a (some) cause. Not so much.

The frustration continues.

Policies, policies

Posted on November 16, 2021 by backuphill

I have found myself stuck between two policies at work. The policies have forced me to take a “sick vacation.”

So, this last weekend I was sick again. The second time in two months. Normally I have a pretty good immune system, but apparently the cold/flu season is going to be coming back this year. So, of course, with the cold comes all the congestion, runny nose, cough, a general miserableness. No fever though, thankfully. I was a couple nights of discomfort over the weekend but not too bad.

Yesterday, I was telecommuting (my normal days are Monday, Thursday, and Friday) and mentioned that I hadn’t felt good most of the weekend but was recovering fine. I was considering flipping my telecommute days so that I could stay home a couple more days in a row just to let the symptoms subside a bit more when I was told that I would need to have a negative Covid test before I could go back to work at the office. WTH? I talked with my manager (she isn’t happy about the policy either because it creates a lot of stress for the whole team) and with the telecommute policy limited to 60% of the month and a holiday coming up, switching days just wouldn’t work. Since that is the case, I am forced to take two sick days while I seek out a test and wait for results.

Seek out. Yes, I have to seek out a test. Weird, isn’t it?

Remember “back in the old days” of this whole thing you could go some place, drive thru and be done in 15-20 minutes? Not so much now.

In a world that is entirely consumed with fear about covid and makes irrational policies about what you can and can’t do, you would think that finding a place and opportunity to get a test done would be ample. Not so much! In my community and surrounding area (within about a 20 minute drive) there are roughly 10 places to get a test. More than half of those places require an appointment. At least three of those places are “urgent care” facilities and require long waits (don’t get me started) and a full charge visit to a doctor. Most of those places don’t even do a test for you unless you are “symptomatic.” For all intents and purposes, anyone looking to get a test done would likely have to take time off work to get one done.

Good grief.

All this fear but no one seems to want to make it easy to find out if you have it or not.

All this just to go back to an office I really don’t want to go back to in the first place because I can do my job anywhere with internet.

Friggin’ world is backwards.

Hey, kid

Posted on November 8, 2021 by backuphill

Your momma warned you back in the day. Don’t take candy from strangers, especially the guy that rolls up in a creepy looking van and entices a kid to get in by offering them a piece of candy. You remember that ol’, “Hey, kid, want a piece of candy?” thing, right?

Well, it seems the Democrats in New York essentially have become “that guy in the van.” This is beyond creepy.

Now that the shot is approved for kids 5-11, NY has taken to bribing children to get the shot. Right now, at least according to the article, it can happen at school with parent permission. I can only imagine that when not enough get vaccinated that way the Dems will find a way to remove the parental permission and just let kids decide for themselves. I mean, parental rights have been removed for other healthcare things so why stop for a shot?

Man, this just makes you feel dirty when you think about how the government is going after our kids.

Sure, there is some need for shots and there have been great advances but do you think this is going a little overboard? Actually bribing kids and making it attractive to get a shot when they can’t (in most cases) or won’t even brush their teeth, take a shower, brush their hair, or even wear deodorant?

Oh, but let’s just add one more thing for kids to bully, tease, and harass other students about. I can hear it now…”I got my shot. Did you get yours?”…”So and so doesn’t have the shot! Ewww, you’re do dirty!”…”I bought such and such with my shot money. What did you get?”…

The peer pressure will be immense and you know, without a doubt, that kids will be forging their parents’ names to get the $100.

Sorry, but this is almost criminal when you start thinking of the implications.

Really, really disturbing the Dems have done this route. But maybe I really shouldn’t be surprised, they are already bullying and threatening adults who don’t get the shot, so this is the next logical step.

The slippery slope is no longer a slope.

Remember, remember…

Posted on November 5, 2021 by backuphill

http://pictures.4ever.eu/art/movies/v-for-vendetta-186177

“Remember, remember, the 5th of November…”

Is it weird to celebrate a graphic novel and iconic movie today?

I mean, after all, at one time the dystopian tale of government created viruses, large numbers of deaths, protests, government crackdowns, citizen demands for safety over freedom, increased government surveillance, and finally forced obedience/compliance to a national party/religion seemed like a tale that would never happen in real life. Right? Clearly no one would ever fall into that story or scenario. Right? Has “V for Vendetta” become prophetic?

Well, here we are. I am left thinking that the students I used to show this film to and the way we analyzed it would keep them from doing exactly what I see some of them doing, and actually advocating for the very thing they thought was over-the-top when they watched the film.

How short their memories are…

Maybe we haven’t gotten that far in the U.S., yet. But it may be coming sooner than we think or would like. Maybe they have gotten there in Australia, or New Zealand. It’s weird to watch it on a screen and then watch it from what feels like a world away. Yet, it also feels like we are watching it inch closer and closer in the U.S. Almost as though it is an out-of-body experience. You can watch the events from afar and you can see what is going to happen before it happens, but you can’t do anything about it or you are unable to influence the outcome.

It’s weird, right?

Anyone else see the eerie similarities or is it just me?

OK, good to know I am not alone in this…

https://quotesgram.com/img/v-for-vendetta-movie-quotes/475808/

Where’s your line? The government is coming for you and your job. Blind compliance out of fear? Where’s your line? Safety over freedom? What are you begging for? Does the government have to grant it to you? Where’s your line?

Gonna stand up and be counted, or sit down and be quiet?

Better off?

Posted on October 26, 2021 by backuphill

We’re coming up on an election again – Nov 2. As I look at the ballot sitting on the counter along with the Voter’s Guide, I am forced to stop and think about where we were a year ago. The question that keeps coming up in my mind, am I better off this year than I was last year? Maybe it’s an unfair comparison, maybe it isn’t. How are we to judge our politicians if we don’t look at it through that lens?

There were lots of promises that were made from the Democrats – LOTS of promises about making things better for everyone, if they could just get rid of the evil, orange man in the White House. Well, they were able to swing the vote (one way or another) to get their guy into the office, along with a whole bunch of other offices, with a promise of “Build Back Better” and it’s time to survey the land for improvement.

I don’t see any. None.

We’re coming up on a year and, quite frankly, I am not better off. I am actually noticing a lot of changes that are making life just a little bit more uncomfortable. The changes are slow in most cases, but there are some rather obvious ones that haven’t been slow at all.

I don’t know if you have noticed….of course you have noticed, jeez, you’re not blind…but the cost of EVERYTHING has gone up. Like everything! Automobiles, food, fuel, electronics, you name it. There isn’t a single thing that I have notices where the price has gone down. It’s more expensive to buy anything and everything. Those bills are creeping higher and higher. This wasn’t the case a year ago, so I am not better off there.

The government keeps reaching into my pocket and taking more money. Taxes have gone up on payroll, the ones that already existed before this administration took office (at the national level and the state level). But since then, there have been new taxes (not ones I asked for or voted on) have been added to my paycheck. So, nope, not better off here either.

Here’s something to think about too. About a year ago, most everyone was unvaccinated because the vaccine was just being approved and getting ready for rollout. Hospitalizations were high, but there was no claim that they were overwhelmed at that time. Now, more than 2/3rds of the country is vaccinated and they want to blame everything on the unvaccinated. Supposedly the hospitals are overwhelmed and there is now a mandate for workers to be vaccinated to keep their jobs and businesses want proof of vaccination before you can spend money at their place of business. I am near certain I am not better off now than I was last year at this time.

The media doesn’t report the facts, they report agenda. The “fact checkers” don’t check facts, they check against an agenda. Social media suppresses speech it doesn’t agree with, factual or not. Tolerance, across the board, is at an all time low. Natural rights are being taken away in favor of government granted privileges. “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” seems to only apply if you are falling in line with the group-think. Think outside of that, well, you’re a hateful and intolerant bigot and you don’t deserve the same things being claimed all people deserve when they weren’t in charge. Again, I am not better off here either.

The border crisis is at epic proportions. China is flexing it’s muscle across the globe and making things less safe and testing supersonic missiles . There are cyber-spies or hackers under every rock (seemingly) these days. Afghanistan was a freaking disaster, where the Taliban have regained power and a safe haven for terrorists is now open for business again. North Korea is launching more missiles. Iran is doing their own thing with nuclear development, again. The world isn’t getting any safer, so I don’t feel better off on this front either.

Sure, some would argue that the Republicans are blocking everything the Democrats are trying to do to make things better for all
Americans. If they would just let the infrastructure (and other pet projects of the Liberals) bill pass…all I can say to that is that you’re dumb if you think that is the answer. Sure, the infrastructure needs some definite improvement, but you do realize that the money has to come from somewhere, right? The government is either going to reach real deep into your pockets (especially if you’re rich and worked hard for that money or made wise choices to get it) or it will be grabbed from businesses who will pass along the lost revenue due to taxes on to the consumer via higher costs on the goods you buy every day. YOU are going to be paying for that giant price tag, one way or another. So, no, that plan doesn’t really make my life better either.

So, What do you say? Do you like the way things are going so far? Are you truly better off today than you were a year ago?

Urgent Care

Posted on October 15, 2021 by backuphill

Maybe I should have titled this one, “Urgent” Care. I can’t decide really. All I know is that “urgent” seems to be subjective. Let’s check out a definition and see if it is.

According to Dictionary.com, “urgent” means: compelling or requiring immediate action or attention.

All I know, is that yesterday I took someone to the Urgent Care at a local health clinic and the visit turned into an emergency room visit because the Urgent Care was apparently following some other definition of urgent.

When I checked the individual in, body parts were tingling, breathing was labored, coughing, inhaler didn’t seem to be helping, and there was some dizziness.

The lady behind the counter said an hour and a half wait (there were two other people in the waiting area) but that she would put a “rush” on it (whatever that means). We then watched the two others in the waiting room get taken back and three others from another part of the clinic go back.

Then it turned into a full fledged emergency, as there was now shaking, crying, and a distressed “I can’t breathe.” It was as if all of the sudden paralysis had set in. Couldn’t hold the head up, couldn’t move arms, couldn’t hardly function. The breathing was near panting…

I raced back to where you aren’t supposed to go without escort and yelled for help. People finally started moving. Unfortunately, it was too late. Now the person who probably could have been treated with stronger does of an inhaler needed to take a ride in an ambulance to the ER.

I went from a little worried to full on scared. This is not typical by any means.

Oh, and I’m a lot angry because “urgent” was more like “We’ll get you in when we can.” Really, it shouldn’t be called “Urgent care” at all. It is a walk-in clinic. That’s all it’s ever been.

The ER was pleasant. I mean that tongue & cheek, of course. No one likes to visit that place, especially when you feel it wasn’t necessary in the first place.

Tests. Fluids. Monitoring. Hours.

Of course, they had to administer another covid test (one had already been done earlier in the week and was negative…this one too was negative).

All to find out that it’s viral and there isn’t really anything they can do, other than recommend liquids, rest, ibuprofen, and call the doc if you feel worse again.

Really? So, there was an expensive ride in an ambulance and ER visit for something the doc’s office probably could have told us in the first place? “Urgent” my ass…

Irritating AF.

I’ve decided

Posted on October 11, 2021 by backuphill

I have decided it is most important for me to protect the dental health of others.

Therefore, I am considering a medical procedure that I hope every other person will also consider. Maybe it should even be government mandated to protect others as well, whether the others have teeth or not.

Anyway, I think if I have all my teeth removed it will keep others from getting cavities. It’s simple, really. If I can’t get cavities, then they shouldn’t be able to get them either.

If we all were to get out teeth removed, well, then no one could get cavities! Gosh, this is such a smart way to ensure dental health and it’s completely practical. It likely would lead to other health improvements too.

Don’t come at me with logic. That doesn’t work these days. It’s practically settled. Besides, logic is overrated. Science says, if you have no teeth, you can’t get cavities. Follow the science.

I can’t wait for this to happen!