IL Postcard

I'm glad you were able to get the good medical help you needed but I feel compelled to point out that you are luckier than the coral. Everytime a tourist steps on coral or boaters drop ancor on coral, it contributes to the degradation of reefs. No amount of medical treatment anywhere can save the coral.It is only through our awareness that the reefs have any chance of staying alive.

What a wonderful ending to what COULD'VE been a tragedy!
I suppose that's why those rubber mocs, scuba divers wear, are such great sellers?

In 1991 I was taking my Mother for an afternoon drive - just to get her some fresh air and sunshine and to see a few sights since my Father died. I stopped at the end of an 'Off Ramp' (w/2 Stop signs) in Newburgh NY and I twisted to the left to check to see if it was safe to pull out. Immediately we were struck from behind by an out of state driver (admittedly accelerating to 45mph) - who was unfamiliar with that intersection (just NOW under re-construction).

Our car was pushed about 20ft - luckily NOT into the adjoining traffic stream. Turns out NYS Dept Of Transport had designed the intersection poorly (confirmed by records of the local police dept - averaging 100 rear-end collisions pa or roughly 1 every 3 days).

We both suffered whiplash and abdominal injuries (I'm suffering to this day) and I heard/felt a distinct 'pop' at the moment of impact. As MRI scans (MUCH) later revealed - my seatbelt had caused a fractured vertebrae (5th lumbar) also resulting in a bulging disc. As I had stiff-armed the steering wheel and brake pedal (to twist my upper torso to the left - due to the angle between both roads) I also suffer premature arthritis in those limbs and a fallen arch in the right foot (throwing off posture even more).

The 'treatment' we received at the local high-tech medical centre? - X-rays of our necks and foam collars.

Weeks later my Mom suffered a massive stroke - after repeatedly complaining to HER doctor (paid through Medicare) of cold sensations in her head and neck. After her death; doctors revealed she'd suffered an aneurism in an artery (coincidentally?) located right where she'd been complaining of coldness.

I awoke the day after the crash fully paralyzed (though I could still breathe). Only after several hours did I regain movement. I suffered (and still suffer) intermittent numbness and/or shooting pains in certain toes and fingers. I also have a problem with cold as my back muscles tighten and impinge spinal nerves.

What was the 'treatment' I received for these symptoms? - weekly physical therapy (until the "NYS No Fault' mandatory US$50,000 coverage was depleted) consisting of mild stretching, electric nerve stimulation and moist heat-packs. It took the medical 'professionals' 3 years to prescribe an MRI - which finally revealed the spinal damage and cause of my abdominal problems - too late to sue NYS for negligence though.

Due to my Mom's stroke I was left to provide her total in-home care (except bathing - covered by a weekly 2hr visit by a Home Health Aid) until her death 10 years later. We HAD contracted law firms to help us (on a 'contingency' basis) but received a mere US$5000 in reparations and NO corrective medical care.

The NYS DOT's engineering staff's negligence caused our crash BUT the cause of our prolonged suffering, my Mom's stroke (and eventual death) were caused by the NYS 'No Fault' auto insurance laws and the attitude of medical and legal professionals toward those laws.

I had been driving my Mother's (well maintained) car in a safe and prudent manner and she had a US$300,000 'underinsured driver' clause in her policy which WOULD'VE covered all necessary expenses HAD that policy been enforced instead of our being forced to rely upon NYS' 'mandatory' No Fault law provisions.

Had NYS (and/or the USA) had medical cover the like of France (and other civilized nations) we never would've suffered this fate. Heck, if the citizens' healthcare costs were paid out of taxes - our crash never would've happened - because DOT engineers would have been forced to correct the unsafe design of the intersection after the FIRST few crashes (to ensure fiscal responsibility).

Apparently it wasn't enough that the US Veteran's Affairs (VA) department ignored my Father's requests for aid after HE returned from Leyte in WW2 suffering from all the symptoms later known consistent with Parkinson's Disease. His 'unknown illness' (their diagnosis) though brought-on during his (honourable) service in the Pacific Theatre couldn't be linked due to (then) an unknown cause (extremely high concentrations of manganese in the drinking water) and they ignored later revelations in subsequent appeals to cover his medical costs.

It may well be true; spending on healthcare in the USA exceeds that of all other countries - but this story and my one clearly demonstrate - merely throwing money at the problem is NOT the solution. Care must be taken to aim it where it needs to be instead of using the 'shotgun' approach which elicits the FW&A so common in the US medical industry where HMO execs are paid (not 'earn') multimillion dollar bonuses (on top of salaries) for denying timely and effective treatment (such as my family was denied).
Reading this story against my own experiences (in the USA) brings to mind the quote by Vladimir Lenin "The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." Well, now that the good ole' CCCP is no more - it seems the people Lenin was referring to are out to hang the rest of us (in the USA).

Larry Pines lp115lp@yahoo.com

Hi all...I enjoyed reading about the ease of health care in another country. I walked into a hospital in London...and experienced the same thing...immediate, unquestioning care. I walked into a hospital in PaloAlto, CAlifornia...with a very injured hand from working in my storage...was asked so many questions, while I held a tissue over the deep wound...and the woman (who hardly spoke English) argued with me..as to what card she should use ...(I had 3 health cards). I finally walked out...and disinfected and bandaged the area....watched it carefully for two weeks...and voila...did not spend a red cent in that hospital..just cured myself! That's our ridiculous, corrupt system.....
I just bought a LOT in Mexico...and look forward to good care down there..should I move one day...
Bye for now....and good luck....

Healthcare would be that cheap and easy in the U.S. if there were no health insurance. If everyone had to pay out of pocket they would be much more discerning about what they wanted done. Now people just say, "I don't care what it costs. It's covered by insurance". Then insurance companies are billed obscene amounts of money by "medical professionals".

During my recent trip to Thailand, I found the people predisposed to healing, as a result of their grounding the Buddhist ethic. I very much appreciated that before providing a massage therapy, the therapist first did a brief meditation which enabled them to treat with a spiritual intention, thus providing a holistic form of massage seldom available in other parts of the world. Whereas money is a vehicle for an exchange of energy and wealth, I always found my exchanges with the traditional Thai people to be one of value for value among equals. It's a model from which people the world over could learn, and I am grateful for the brief time I was able to spend in Thailand and the benefits I received while among her people. The Thai attitude towards healing, stands in stark contrast with the technocratic western style "treatments," and practitioners seek to manage sickness for control and profit. Thank you for treating people as human beings, rather than patients..

Brigid, I'm so glad you had such quick treatment. Coral cuts are nasty and can cause infections if not properly treated. How great that you were in a place where you could be properly treated. Hope you were waited on and treated like royalty the rest of your trip. And what a great place to be if you're going to do something like this -- forget the medical part, it's the water, the island and the people that must have made it a paradise...ann

Well, I was very impressed at the no-nonsense approach the people there took to your medical situation. Here in the U.S., if you went to the hospital you would be in the waiting room for a minimum of 4 hours after you filled out numerous forms. I went to my area walk-in care place because I was having numbness in my arm that would keep me awake all night. After the second visit for the same thing, the doctor told me I would have to see a specialist and they couldn't just keep treating me there. The doctor gave me a wrist split which has worked perfectly, I have no numbness. Many weeks later I received a bill for the remainder of the cost of the splint which is basically a glorified ace bandage. The clinic charged the insurance company $96 dollars for that I may part was to pay $8.06. I live in the United States and the cost of health care is really obscene.

My daughter had a major operation in Thailand this year and the surgeon, staff, clinic etc. were excellent. In the hospital language was a bit of a problem but the care and facilities were first rate.

Yep, the Thai Medical system is great - when I was living in Japan, I vacationed in Thailand. I bought travel insurance to make sure I was covered in-country for about $30.

I lost control of a scooter and got some pretty good scrapes - I went to the all-night doctors new years eve to get patched up. Total bill $8 USD.

I was laughing that I spent so much on insurance for such a cheap bill