My younger daughter faces this every day, she works at a vet clinic and folks just turn down treatments and ask for euthanasia instead. Our vet now refuses euthanasia for any reasonably healthy animal that just needs a little extra care. I'm might say I should be embarrassed at how much I spent on my last companion at the end, but frankly it's my money and my choice (> MX2's).
Right Scott, I forgot about those who would rather do that than try to care just a bit.
This was a chihuahua pekinese mix who was around 17 years old, just fell over one day like a seizure, and crawled into a nearby dog bed. He stayed there for a couple days and wasn’t eating, was pretty uncomfortable looking.
At the vet they wondered why we were doing this, and we explained how we just knew he was in grave condition. After a few minutes listening to his heartbeat, he eventually agreed that he must have had a major heart attack and was just basically dying...
My Grandpa had this nice Fisher 500 that I would listen to during visits, was very smooth compared to our Scott 299 at home. When grandpa was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he went through chemo. After asking the doctor if there was any hope for his sex drive to return, he was given hormones, yet no anti-coagulation meds. A blood clot took him out one day just a year into his retirement at age 68. My first realization that doctors are not always thorough!
I was offered the Fisher setup by my grandma, but it made me sad, couldn’t deal with that at that time.
This was a chihuahua pekinese mix who was around 17 years old, just fell over one day like a seizure, and crawled into a nearby dog bed. He stayed there for a couple days and wasn’t eating, was pretty uncomfortable looking.
At the vet they wondered why we were doing this, and we explained how we just knew he was in grave condition. After a few minutes listening to his heartbeat, he eventually agreed that he must have had a major heart attack and was just basically dying...
My Grandpa had this nice Fisher 500 that I would listen to during visits, was very smooth compared to our Scott 299 at home. When grandpa was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he went through chemo. After asking the doctor if there was any hope for his sex drive to return, he was given hormones, yet no anti-coagulation meds. A blood clot took him out one day just a year into his retirement at age 68. My first realization that doctors are not always thorough!
I was offered the Fisher setup by my grandma, but it made me sad, couldn’t deal with that at that time.
Herding dogs are not necessarily bad with humans. I have met ones that are. Blue heelers are a PITA.
A friend of my family has the top ranked herding dog in the world. It is a Border Collie, and very sweet with humans. The young one they have is a little too smart and lets itself in and out of the house on multiple doors and they had to put a guard up along the back of the house. And I think it is the sister of the top ranked one that likes to sit on the golf cart while the husband does his rounds on the property.
A friend of my family has the top ranked herding dog in the world. It is a Border Collie, and very sweet with humans. The young one they have is a little too smart and lets itself in and out of the house on multiple doors and they had to put a guard up along the back of the house. And I think it is the sister of the top ranked one that likes to sit on the golf cart while the husband does his rounds on the property.
We have a dog here, is part red heeler and part border collie.
He’s quite a good dog, very smart as well, but can be a bit of a goody goody type when the other dogs are around him.
It would be interesting to see the top border collie, had a coworker who would train his in an open field in Snohomish wa.
He’s quite a good dog, very smart as well, but can be a bit of a goody goody type when the other dogs are around him.
It would be interesting to see the top border collie, had a coworker who would train his in an open field in Snohomish wa.
Seems to me your care anywhere is strongly influenced by the skill of your doctors. I went to one specialist who on the initial visit got my vital information. On the second and last visit his records had my height, weight and family history wrong. He wanted to do a bit of exploration, I wasn't comfortable with. Also the first visit only contact was with what is called a physician extender. (Not a doctor or even nurse.) Another item was the offices weren't as clean as expected and had a funny odor.
So I made an inquiry of another specialist who also taught at a local medical school. He referred me to another doctor who had initially even practiced with the first. Much different experience and the outcome was running a few tests and I am just fine. I guess clean offices, and a university setting made a bit of a difference.
Now the humorous part is the second practice was based in the way largest maternity hospital around here and my first appointment was on my birthday. (Yes I was born there.)
Basically I think the most important issue is picking a doctor. I do look up their CV. Interestingly the local hospital is such a nice place almost all the interns an residents are from the top of their classes. Virtually all of them stay after a residency. The bad news is it is a small hospital, so no 24 hour a day staffing in all services. Meaning for a heart attack after hours it is better to head to a different and larger one next to the university district.
For trauma care there is a third hospital that excels for that.
Finally if I ever do something silly like a serious saw cut, then a better choice is another hospital that is more inner city and sees stab wounds more often. Second close choice would be the trauma center. (Better choice if arriving in two pieces.)
I am a bit confused though. I though Chris was in Canada where they do have national health care. So slow on not urgent ailments, but quite good for serious issues. But of course folks still complain.
I used to have private insurance, at first an HMO and later a similar plan offered by not an insurance company but rather a university based hospital system. Now I use that as my supplement to the government run medicare oldish folks program.
So I made an inquiry of another specialist who also taught at a local medical school. He referred me to another doctor who had initially even practiced with the first. Much different experience and the outcome was running a few tests and I am just fine. I guess clean offices, and a university setting made a bit of a difference.
Now the humorous part is the second practice was based in the way largest maternity hospital around here and my first appointment was on my birthday. (Yes I was born there.)
Basically I think the most important issue is picking a doctor. I do look up their CV. Interestingly the local hospital is such a nice place almost all the interns an residents are from the top of their classes. Virtually all of them stay after a residency. The bad news is it is a small hospital, so no 24 hour a day staffing in all services. Meaning for a heart attack after hours it is better to head to a different and larger one next to the university district.
For trauma care there is a third hospital that excels for that.
Finally if I ever do something silly like a serious saw cut, then a better choice is another hospital that is more inner city and sees stab wounds more often. Second close choice would be the trauma center. (Better choice if arriving in two pieces.)
I am a bit confused though. I though Chris was in Canada where they do have national health care. So slow on not urgent ailments, but quite good for serious issues. But of course folks still complain.
I used to have private insurance, at first an HMO and later a similar plan offered by not an insurance company but rather a university based hospital system. Now I use that as my supplement to the government run medicare oldish folks program.
Perhaps we can discuss this matter without running too afoul of the censors (and thereby gettin canned) by engaging in GentleManlyDiscusion.
I respect your perspective sir, some Canucks bail on our ques and head south for medicine that is more quickly delivered and in some cases simply more effective. People from other countries do the same.
However, given the relative percentages (1 in 10 of 1 in ten), I choose to focus on the many more Americans that have to make the decisions outlined above.
Most Western Democracies have a history of increase health support for the community: water, food, materials, transportation ... health.
Healthy citizens are better citizens.
Hopefully you'll join us and the world can live as one.
Cheers ,
Jeff
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That seems obvious, it's where choice enters into the picture. You survey the field and make a choice the system has no say, that is my model.
Those can be quite useful. I have had a similar set for years along with another similar self-contained gadget. They are great for finding an offending device. If the whole thing is lighting up then they don't help a lot. You may need a preamp to get the most from them with a spectrum analyzer.
Healthcare in Ontario, Canada. It's pretty good overall. I have been asked to pay $50 on occasion for faster service for some tests. That stinks highly to me. I decline and wait my turn.
When Anita lost her hearing, our doctor was on vacation. So an appointment was made quickly with another doctor in the same practice. She had an appointment with a specialist within 7 days (I can't remember exactly and that includes a weekend). Our doctor was brought up to speed as soon as she was back and a follow-up appointment was made a week after the hearing loss occurred. She also already has an appointment for a CT scan, and an MRI will follow if they find anything out of the ordinary.
I've also had very fast service, one visit saved my life. If they see anything iffy in the triage or if you are in line, you go straight to a treatment room. No waiting.
One thing they are awful about is chronic pain. Hospitals will not prescribe most pain medications no matter what the circumstances. Not unless it has to do with a medical issue instead of being the medical issue. The government has rolled back the maximum dose, so while 80 mg / day was enough to keep me on my feet, they rolled that back to 60 mg / day. Now I use percocet for "breakthrough pain" almost every day and it's almost enough. The amount I'm on is only enough to take the edge off enough for me to function, and it has been stable at that level for years. I also have nerve block injections every two weeks that help some. Politicians should never become involved in a medical issue.
-Chris
When Anita lost her hearing, our doctor was on vacation. So an appointment was made quickly with another doctor in the same practice. She had an appointment with a specialist within 7 days (I can't remember exactly and that includes a weekend). Our doctor was brought up to speed as soon as she was back and a follow-up appointment was made a week after the hearing loss occurred. She also already has an appointment for a CT scan, and an MRI will follow if they find anything out of the ordinary.
I've also had very fast service, one visit saved my life. If they see anything iffy in the triage or if you are in line, you go straight to a treatment room. No waiting.
One thing they are awful about is chronic pain. Hospitals will not prescribe most pain medications no matter what the circumstances. Not unless it has to do with a medical issue instead of being the medical issue. The government has rolled back the maximum dose, so while 80 mg / day was enough to keep me on my feet, they rolled that back to 60 mg / day. Now I use percocet for "breakthrough pain" almost every day and it's almost enough. The amount I'm on is only enough to take the edge off enough for me to function, and it has been stable at that level for years. I also have nerve block injections every two weeks that help some. Politicians should never become involved in a medical issue.
-Chris
The kit I have: https://www.bellnw.com/downloads/datasheet/ets/7405.pdf offers a preamp (which I don't have) that's 100 KHz to 3GHz.
Ha, a true Canadian! I have been humbled in the waiting rooms of my GP, specialists and emergency when I look around and think "Crap, some of these people need it more than me!"
Ironically, I was just reading in one of my sciency books Simplexity, of the studies of Samuel Bowles who noted that people will often forgo a benefit to themselves if it violates the principle of fairness (putting it in a positive light). MRIing people shows that it activates the same centres as disgust; one of the handful of deep, guiding emotional traits in humans.
Further, I recall from other sciency books that this trait is noted in similar studies done on primates and other 'higher' animals. Fair's fair, even for squirrels.
When access to basic health care is reframed as something all citizens should have access to, the nicer instincts of our nature add a tasty frosting to the public-good cake.
Cheers,
Jeff
PS Crap, now I want cake.
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Hi TheGimp,
Back to post 7195?
Thank you for your concern. She's "dealing" best as you can expect. She made a bitter comment today about finding a CD that she likes, then commented that it didn't matter anyway since she can't hear music anymore. (her remaining ear has severe high frequency loss, from birth). I'd say that this is the one thing that bothers her the most. It also makes talking to her in the car difficult if she is driving. I'm on the wrong side then.
-Chris
Back to post 7195?
Thank you for your concern. She's "dealing" best as you can expect. She made a bitter comment today about finding a CD that she likes, then commented that it didn't matter anyway since she can't hear music anymore. (her remaining ear has severe high frequency loss, from birth). I'd say that this is the one thing that bothers her the most. It also makes talking to her in the car difficult if she is driving. I'm on the wrong side then.
-Chris
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