Chickens Coming Home To Roost

The Crack Whore's TV

This is a picture that Bubba texted with the message:

This is why Weed got thrown out

Certainly looks like he punched it a few times, huh?

So I guess this is going to be yet ANOTHER reason why she isn’t going to pay child support.

BTW, my response was “.. I could care less”

Anyway… so just to keep y’all in the loop, Weed wound up coming back to the house yesterday morning.

He’s like Alfonz, the cat.. stays out all night and then comes in in the morning wanting to eat and sleep.

But anyway.. yesterday he comes in and he’s sitting on the couch moaning and whatever because his tooth hurts. Like, REALLY hurts.

So I come out from my bedroom and ask him what his problem is.

His reply?

I’ve been trying to get to the hospital for three days and nobody will take me because everybody hates me.

My reply?

What are you.. like FIVE?

I made myself a cup of coffee and asked him where he went last night because if MY tooth was hurting THAT bad, I would have spent the 5 bucks and jumped on public transportation … since, it’s like.. a DIRECT ROUTE to the nearest hospital. But that’s just me.

He didn’t reply because HE knows that I know.. y’know what I’m saying??

So I told him we’d drive him to the hospital but we weren’t going to sit there with him. He’s going to be 22. Time to man-up.

Did I mention we had a blizzard? Oh.. well.. we did. 18 inches or something. So the car had to be dug out. Chief and Weed went out while I was putting my snow gear on and as I was walking out, Weed was walking in. I asked him where he was going and he was all huffy saying, “… I have to shovel snow and then read a magazine.”

I laughed because he was referring to being on his father time schedule and not his.

We finally get in the car.. drop him off at the hospital.. and went to the super market to get some things. He was in and out of the ER a lot faster then I thought because as soon as we walked into the kitchen with all the bags, we had to turn right back around and pick him up.

There really wasn’t anything the ER docs could do so they gave him a script for antibiotics and for 10 Percocets.

WONDERFUL!!

Give the junkie his drug of choice.

They also told him to get oil of clove. That’s like the OTC Miracle of Miracles for toothaches.

He’s making these remarks under his breath about not having any money to get the scripts filled and I ignored it. I asked Chief where we can get oil of clove and he said at CVS. There was one close by so we pull in and park. I didn’t think Weed was going to go into the store but he did. AND went straight to the pharmacy counter to find out how much the pills were going to cost .

I found the oil of clove and that was like 8 bucks for this really tiny bottle. But Chief agreed with the doctor.. this was the shiznit.

I go to the pharmacy counter where Weed tells me that the Perc were going to cost 12 dollars. I ask him how much the antibiotics were and he said he didn’t ask.

Well OF COURSE NOT!! DUH!! What junkie would want antibiotics???

I tell him that he needs the antibiotics more then he needs to Percs because it’s the infection that causing all the pain.

He tells me he disagrees.

Well OF COURSE HE DOES!! DUH!! What junkie is going to pass up a legal script for Percs??

I don’t think he appreciated how loud I said that.

I ask the pharmacy tech how much the antibiotics were going to cost and she said 20 bucks. I tell Weed that he has really good timing when it comes to him needing prescriptions filled. It ALWAYS happens when I’m close to broke. He apologizes but I know he’s just salivating over the Percs.

I tell the pharmacist to fill both scripts because 1) I have a plan and 2) I’m not as dumb as I look. I also tell Weed that I’m going to hold the pills and will dole them out solely based on the doctor’s order. He’s fine with that but I know he knows that his FATHER never follow through with what HE says and that he thinks he’s going to walk away tonight with a bottle of Perc to either swallow at one time or sell.

Heh. Silly boy.

Because I know that I have arthritis aspirin for my dog that looks JUST LIKE Percocets. I also think that it’s good to have antibiotics in the house since I don’t have health insurance and am prone to flus and virus’ and stuff.

I know.. I know.. I’m bad. Emailing me all you want.

So we get back to the house.. he does his oil of clove thing.. I give him an antibiotic and the Perc placebo and guess what he does?

Puts his jacket on and heads out to God knows where.

Like I said, he’s just like the cat!

He came back at around 10.. slept until around 2 this afternoon.. got up.. wanted more pills.. and then hit the highway again.

He’s back now.. has been back for oh, 3 hours or so.. and guess what? Hasn’t asked me for his “pills”. I’m sure he’s gotten the real stuff from whoever during his travels but I have to admit, I giggle when ever I think about how stupid junkies really are!

The End Of An Era

In 25 days a small community hospital that has been operated by a major health system for the past 10 years or so will close.

Supposedly it was a swift business decision deemed necessary to save the health system, which reportedly is 16 million over the budged loss for last fiscal year.

Or was it? I have my doubts. My gut tells me differently :: and as it’s ever expanding so is my ever expanding insight!! Ha! :: No. Seroiusly. The thing about the suits that sit on the top floors making these decisions is that they really, honestly and truly think that the people who work on the floors under them are stupid.

I’m not going to get into all the specifics because that’s not really what this post is about.. but for someone who spent many an hour putting 5000 piece puzzle pieces together I’m going to tell you that closing this hospital was in the works for a long time.

So 850 people are out of jobs come the end of the month. Alot of people. Alot of people that I know personally. Because that’s the kind of place this hospital was.

It was a “community” hospital in the truest sense of the word. Everyone in the neighborhood was either born there or worked there or wound up doing both. Generations of families were born there and died there.

Nothing was cold.. nothing sterile :: figuratively speaking you guys! Sheesh! :: Upper managment.. the CEO’s the CFO’s took the time to know you.. not just your name and / or position. Get to know YOU. We had a baseball team that was employee funded :: with help from managment :: .. we had a golf team that was employee funded :: with help from management ::. Everyone truly worked hard to make this hospital one where you and your family were cared from from the minute you walked in until the minute you left.

People went above and beyond because they WANTED to.. not because it was expected. There was constantly something being done for someone in the community.. bake sale.. 50/50 raffle.. it was endless.

But then the powers that be decided that there should be one corporate hub and my department was moved into the corporate office. The people were different.. their work ethics were different :: dare I say “non-existant” :: and as much as they wanted to convey the TEAM mentality, people from my hospital were segregated.. left out..

Our hospitals’ work :: which should have been even distributed and worked on by the entire staff :: collected dust because no one wanted to bother learning our system.

Consequently, the hospital started to lose the revenue much needed by the health system and therein laid the path to closing it’s doors.

The corporate office IS doing something.. they’re turning it into an outpatient care facility but they still deemed it necessary to give everyone a pink slip and offered to rehire anyone if they needed.

The neighborhood and local council tried saving it but to no avail. I’m not sure how much of this was known by people of some power before it actually happened since an internet search turned up an organization formed to save the hospital roughly a year before it acutally happened.

Even worse is that fact that about 6 years ago, the health system reached out to the community to help them fight a land development deal by WalMart for the property across the street from the hospital. The community acted and the deal fell through. This is how they repay them.

But all that really doesn’t matter because in 25 days, it’s doors will close.

I have really spent any quality time in there for about 2 years but I still keep in touch with the friends I made there :: thank God for Facebook! :: but let me tell you.. she was a grand old dame.

And it’s sad. It’s more then said.

.. AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY CONTROVERSIAL: Nationalized Healthcare

DISCLAIMER: Healthcare, Hospital Revenue, Insurance Companies, et al is my field. I’ve been working in the industry :: on both sides :: for almost 20 years. Whether I worked on the insurance side or the hospital revenue side, my role was alot more then just punching keys or answering phones so I know of what I speak.

I’ve been hearing about National Healthcare since the days before Hilary had a make over

NOTE: Not to get off topic but did you see her recently? Maybe about a week or so ago when she was being questioned about something by some committee. Good Lord Woman, do you NOT have a mirror in your plastic surgeons office?

And then.. as it is now.. National Healthcare is NOT a good idea. At all.

The health system that I work for has an extremely high uninsured demographic. Most people that walk through our door are below the poverty level.. do not work.. and if they DO work.. they don’t have coverage through their job, can afford independent insurance and make just alittle too much to quality for state aid.

So they come through the ER with such minor ailments like stomach aches, ear ache or my personal favorite: I just don’t feel right :: that was a true statment made by a patient :: because they know that in the ER they have to be seen and treated. They have to be seen, treated and we are under state mandates that does not allow us to even MENTION anything financial until the patient is released. The yea.. Good luck running through the parking lot to catch up with them.

And even though my health system recognzies the fact that the majority of people walking through their doors don’t have the provervbial pot to release waste .. and even though they’ve gone through great pains to try and alleviate some of the challanges to receive payment from these types of patients, there is only so much they can do.

So I understand the need for everyone to be covered by insurance. And every body SHOULD have health benefits.

BUT NOT NATIONALIZED HEALTH COVERAGE.

I’m almost certain that every state has an indigent program available. I’m almost certain that every state has an low-income program and I know that in my state, every child CAN have coverage, all you have to do is apply for it. Every major insurance payer in my area has some sort of very low cost coverage for adults that is around 35.00 a month.

There is no reason, in this day and age, for a person NOT to be covered.

What people WANT though… is the best of the best and not pay for it.

They want the insurance that I pay over 200.00 a month for.. for free.

And that’s the point. You get what you pay for.

Do you really think that if the government implements nationalized health care you’re going to get the best of the best?

The thing about free enterprise, even in health care, is that it makes companies compete and that bodes well for the consumer.

Think about physicians. If there was no incentive :: not that physician’s are in the field just for the money :: that what would make them want to excel in their studies?

NOTE: Just to give you something to think about. My sister-in-law is a kidney specialist who was schooled who attended med school at Georgetown and did her residencies and interships at University of Pennsylvania. People assume :: and I did to :: that she was pulling in major bucks. In truth she was.. but a majority of her major bucks went to her student loans.. of which, almost 20 years later she is still paying back.

Anyway.. do you really want the government to dictate your health? To dictate what treatment you can, can’t or have to wait for? Do you REALLY want the government to tell you or a family member that they aren’t a “good” candidate for a procedure because they are too old or too sick and it would be a waste of resources to treat them?

You think I got that out of a sci-fi novel?

Nope. All true.

And if you don’t believe me.. the BEST place study nationalized healthcare is NOT Canada… is NOT England..

It’s your local VA hospital… a governement run institution

You REALLY want nationalized health care then go talk to the veterans at the VA Hospital and ask them how THEY feel about the treatment they are getting then come back and try to convince me that I’m off base.