Like it matters anymore. If I had any readers of this blog, I sure drove them away by not posting anything for almost two months. Maybe I've gotten more readers grateful to see I have nothing to say. A break from my soap box.
I don't think the BP thing happened yet, when I last blogged. If only we could turn back the clocks to when we were only dealing with the financial bubble. Lately, I don't watch much of Charlie Rose or read much of the NYTimes. I haven't given up, it's just things have to get a lot worse in health care before the masses take this option seriously. Then I'll be ready, as I've been spending most of my work time for the last few months on my research database, as mentioned in painful detail in my last post.
A woman I'm good friends with called me a few weeks ago, and she was curious how much I was melting down over the BP oil spill. I said it's not bugging me at all. We are destroying the environment at an alarming rate and maybe this will be a wake up call to really make a 'change we believe in'. I don't think it's bad enough to really change things, so just wait until hell on earth is here. Then when we are collectively backed into a corner, then we will change.
I really don't want to blab. Just one story. Rarely do I chat up people in public. I'm in my bubble. I'm very focused at my work. I don't smile at strangers, with the 'talk to me look'. I'm grateful for it. My plate is full. I only like a few courses in life.
A couple weeks ago, I'm eating at this Jewish deli with decent bagels. This old Jewish couple is sitting in front of me at another table. The seem to be in their late 70's or early 80's. They look like one of those Jewish couples that were married forever. I see the husband get up to walk, and he clearly had the aftermath of a stroke. One side of his body isn't working so well. You can see his wife is worried that he doesn't take a spill. But she just looks at him loving like she cares, but he needs to try to walk without her help. It starts to break my usually freezing cold heart. She sees I'm looking, as he goes to get a napkin or something. She smiles. I smile back, surprising myself. Soon I am doing what I do best -- prying into every frickin' detail of their life.
Yep, they are married. Yep, he had a stroke. It turns out he was a Western Medicine doctor for 50 years or so. Family Practice or whatever they called these generalists back then. He's in his early 80's. He tells me how much he loved being a doctor and I bet his patients loved him. He told me how screwed up Western Medicine is in the the West. I listen -- I'm in the choir. They ask me what I do. I say, "Chinese Medicine, but educational only. Seeing a bunch of patients was never my thing." They both perk up and tell me the specifics of how Chinese Medicine helped with her severe back pain. I smile and say, "You're lucky to have found a a talented practitioner of Chinese Medicine. The system is rigged to make you mediocre, at best". I let the soap box drop, even though they're interested.
I pry on. I'm curious. I thought of my Dad and how much he loved being a dentist. This guy seemed like he loved being a doctor. I say,"You're probably one of the last Western doctors alive who had a chance to enjoy being a doctor". They smile. They agree. I'm thinking, I'm so frickin' grateful my calling wasn't to be a Western Doctor nowadays.
We're ready to go our separate ways. Then she tells me what motivated me come out of my shell to write this post. They seemed like your stereo-typical Jewish couple. Money-wise. He was an MD for 50 years. They probably have a lot of dough to live off of to enjoy their old age, the best they can given the situation.
She says, "He was in the hospital for 6 weeks for his stroke. It was a wake up call for both of us, being on the other side of the fence. If it wasn't for Medicare, we'd be bankrupt right now". I'm shocked. I really am. It can't be that frickin' expensive to wipe out this money-wise Jewish couple.
I say, "How much did it cost Medicare. She says, " A couple million easily". I smile a sad smile reminding me to bide my time, because the world might not be ready for Chinese Medicine now. But as sure as shit when a shit load of us baby boomers, like me, are on Medicare breaking the US Government bank, the masses is gonna have to desperately look for other options. And I'll be sure as shit be ready.
