The spectrum of medical care: typically one pays for what you value and value what you pay for. I suspect very few posters are self-insured or have indemnity health insurance which allows (nearly universal) individual choice (of physicians) and, usually, higher degrees of satisfaction.
Couldn't agree more that nurses deserve far better, but who's going to pay the cost? An article this week stated the average age of a nurse in the US is 43 with few replacements in the training pipeline. Also, the same stated that Filipino physicians are retraining in nursing to get a free pass to the US where they can then requalify as physicians.
Saw a peer reviewed paper this week stating that of the 80,000 physicians over 65 still practicing in the US, perhaps as many as 8,000 may have "dementia" (of varying degrees).
As I retired early, I was stunned by the numbers.
M

mike, you are always a ray of sunshine :)

Claire_bluesky, please post a trip report when you return from Glacier. Have a great trip!

<b>Caph,</b> I didn't see you post this week -- are you doing okay? Hope you had a nice trip to your MIL's house. :)

Saraho, I am downgrading my rant to a &quot;minor complaint.&quot; Sorry about your accident and ruined plans. Hope your recovery is quick.

Thanks wtm003!

Mike

Twice, I've been referred to older surgeon's who now do simple surgery's. In my case it was skin cancers. I think the cancers are gone but I have big scars, you can even see where the stitches were.

cd, I also had skin cancer surgery which left a large permanent scar for the past 19 years. However it was not an older surgeon. His nurse made a bad judgement call when I talked to her a few weeks after surgery and she advising me that I could start to use my leg normally. lots of the wound split apart. I guess some people might have sued but I focused on success and said bye bye to the cancer.

rant: That I came home to find my 13 year old son and his friend with cross country skies duct taped to their shoes, ski helmets on, goggles, and pajama bottoms &quot;skiing&quot; down the street.

rave: That cross country skiing down the street in summer is the worse thing that my 13 year old son has done....he looked like such a knucklehead but there are so much worse that 13 year olds good be doing in their spare time....

LOL, Nina! :-D

AnnMarie - thank you for the lovely compliment! I wish you and yours a wonderful anniversary. Blowing Aloha kisses your way!

stw,
Gotta know reality.

Oh, forgot: Jury duty - I was, as an avocation, while still practicing medicine, an expert (highly trained, experienced and compensated) witness for very many depositions on both sides of the fence (guess I had some &quot;presence&quot; as none went to trial).
I was always personally in the Dallas jury cattle call about every 15 months and never got chosen 'cuz of my knowlege of procedure - lawyers and judges hate that - but, I should have been there to lead the jury and hang many of the perps.
On the other hand, you never want to be summonded as a juror to a Federal jury as it's for 30 days: a friend moved from Dallas to Miami and failed to cancel his D voter registration. The Feds made him return to Dallas for 30 days of Fed'l grand jury duty with no additional compensation.
Still, way better than Mexico where few citizens have voices and expats have only their feet.
M

Rave: last night I took my brother out on the town with me and he was totally fun.

Rave: I met my first fodorite face to face and she was really nice!

nina, were you able to keep a straight face when you chewed them out? I doubt I would have been able to LOL

Mike,<i> I suspect very few posters are self-insured or have indemnity health insurance which allows (nearly universal) individual choice (of physicians) and, usually, higher degrees of satisfaction.</i>
We are self insured-can see whomever we wish.
One needs a good choice to get that degree of satisfaction. If you have hundreds of surgeons in NYC, you have choice. If you have 4 in another state, it is not always going to be satisfying.

laclaire, how many years between you and your brother? There are 10 between my baby brother and me :)
We don't see each other often, when we do, we have the best time! I am always so pleased that some things never change, through the years..of course, I am his big sister so he knows I will give him nuggies if he is disagreeable :D

Scarlett,
One simply needs an insider to recommend the very best.
M

Also, based on many personal patient experiences, it is most irrational for a middle aged couple to not have catastrophic health care insurance in the US: one gets physically devastated while the spouse gets financially whacked.
M

Thanks for your get well wishes, claire bluesky. This is my first time ever to have broken bones. Who would have ever expected a serious injury to happen while taking the dog for a walk down the street? At least I wasn't in Rome.

It is kind of humbling not to be able to get dressed by myself,cook, drive, etc., etc. While we have good health insurance,I still have to pay someone to help me a few hours a day while my husband is at work.

I can hardly wait for my missed four generation get-to-gether with my 93 year old mother and my daughter and baby grandaughter. I'm giving these bones six weeks to recover!

Mikemo, just curious about why you are an &quot;expat&quot;. A few months ago you said that the only home you own is in Mexico. You seem to be very involved with American political issues but you have chosen to live in Mexico. I have traveled and lived abroad as well but I never considered myself an expat.

jorr,
Property taxes and cost of living expenses forced me out of my home of 25 years in Dallas.
I chose to retire at age 58 3/4 rather than &quot;play the game&quot; and pay the awful increasing price of daily medical practice.
I am able to vote in the US, pay US federal income taxes, served commissioned service in the USN (11 1/2 years: 8 1/2 active - the last 4 1/2 as a LCDR, MC) and am about to jump on the federal social security teat (I paid max FICA for the max 35 years) shortly.
I live here 'cuz I want to and have the choice to live anywhere.
Sis (and BIL)live in Minneapolis, which I think certifiable from a weather perspective, but she has a house on Anguilla which helps.
Should my involvement in politics be silenced? Perhaps, but not in your lifetime.
M

mikemo: Our new neighbors are said to be from Minneapolis (they're not quite in yet actually, but it's in the works).

No matter how long you stay away from this website it's always the same people with the nasty comments. Just fyi, gov't doctors are notoriously known not being that uh, good. Think about it, some are left with no choice to work for the gov't because they can't succeed in their own practice. Just some food for thought. I hope the people on this board are smart enough to think twice before taking medical advice to from a total stranger not even currently practicing medicine in this country.....