FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Mr. Ypsi]

...but prior to the Supreme Court's coup d'etat in 2000 to install King George...

Well as long as you've had your sleep and are now rational...

Sorry, Oz, but with W, that's as rational as I get!

[Retired Old Rat]

Thanks to everyone who has sent good wishes my way here and through emails and personal messages.

I think I have confused many of you as to what I actually had done.

The procedure I had at Mayo is called Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.

Radiosurgery delivers high doses of radiation to a tumor with surgical precision to avoid damaging healthy brain tissue. The key to the success of Gamma Knife surgery is its ability to accurately focus many beams of high-intensity gamma radiation to converge on one or more tumors. Each individual beam is relatively low energy, so the radiation has virtually no effect on healthy brain tissue.

If you care to learn any more, http://www.elekta.com/patient_international_gamma_knife_surgery.php

Those of you who visit here regularly know which way I lean politically.  And I learned to say out of most political discussions.

I think we can all agree that health care finance is a huge issue.  As we baby boomers age it is gets huger.

Interesting statistic (at least to me):

Number of Gamma Knife machines in Canada:  3
Number of Gamma Knife machines in Minnesota:  2

(These machines are about $4M each)

[Klopenhiemer]

Wow it has been fun reading these post, and all the opinions that people have.  I find it very interesting to see where people stand/think. 

One of my customers is a middle aged man with an ailing wife.  She has a lung disorder which prohibits her from living a normal life.  She is bed ridden and goes through constant breathing treatments.  Every so often she has a spell that sends her to the intensive care unit.  Once she comes out of this spell she is given two options go the nursing home or go home.  Of course the only option is to go home.  Does she need to stay longer?  Yes she does and both her and her husband know this.  Why is she asked to leave you say?  Because the insurace company states that after 7 days, a decision had to be made on her status.  So she is forced to go to the nursing home/Hospice or head back home. 

Her husband pours this story out to me in a meetings time and time again.  He is tired and frustrated and wishes he had his healthy wife for his "twighlight years".  She is going to die soon, and he is going to spend the rest of his days and his upcoming retirement wandering around with out her. 

My point you ask, other than downing the mood of the board.  Though the American medical system might have its faults, everyone has beaten that horse and boy is he dead.  The question I ask is, would you prefer to be in another country when the big one bites you?  We have more resources at our disposal.  We have more treatments and more specialized clinics than anyone else in the modern world.  Take ROR he made an excellent point.  2 Gamma Knife's in MN and 3 in all of Canada!  If I were in his position (glad to hear your alright) I shudder thinking about being in another country. 

The point of population was brough up.  Socialized health care works in Norway and Sweeden just as $7.00 gallons of gasoline and Mini Coopers work in Belgium. 

Why is everyone so quick to pick on the CEO's of insurace companies.  How about the doctors who join the HMO so they can work less hours, be on call less weekends, and enjoy the rewards of their education.  Who are we to say that they are wrong.  This would be saying its wrong to pay George Clooney 5 million dollars for the last film he produced.  My point again you ask is simple economics.  There is a market for the product and market bears the price.  I compare this to the oil industry.  The market is bearing 3.65 a gallon in my neck of the woods.  Everyone complains while they fill up their vehicles.  Nothing will change until the majority of the people change, thus changing the supply/demand curve, thus chaning the going rate. 

One that note, its time for a gin and tonic and a little tv viewing. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Before anyone gets TOO carried away with the "2 Gamma Knife machines in Minnesota; 3 in all of Canada" stat, note that while Canada has roughly 40 times the area of Minnesota, it has but 6 times the population.  And since one of the machines (at least) is at the Mayo Clinic (truly a world facility, not just Minnesota), the discrepancy is not what it may seem.

I am NOT knocking American medicine - at its best, it is clearly the finest in the world.  In terms of health care delivery to all citizens, I think we could do much better.  That may or may not mean a Canadian or British model, but I suggest that the current model is severely flawed.

[stanbob]

Bennie, on a side note, did you know that the trainer for the Stars is from Tracy?  Graduated high school with him in '76.

[retagent]

Geez Ypsi. I find that you are a rational sort, but then you bring up the "King George" and the 2000 election. Get the real facts, then GET OVER IT!!! Find out that Mr "I invented the Internet, and the Sky is falling" Gore was trying to get a favorable count in a very underhanded way, and the Supremes sang, Not So Fast.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Geez Ypsi. I find that you are a rational sort, but then you bring up the "King George" and the 2000 election. Get the real facts, then GET OVER IT!!! Find out that Mr "I invented the Internet, and the Sky is falling" Gore was trying to get a favorable count in a very underhanded way, and the Supremes sang, Not So Fast.

So far as the real facts are knowable, I've gotten them, thank you.  A full recount in Florida would have almost certainly given the election to Al Gore, the clear winner of the popular vote that year. 

BTW, everyone not still in thrall to the Republican spin machine knows that Al Gore never claimed to have invented the internet; go to Wikipedia: Al Gore/Internet.  Even Newt Gingrich has stated that this fodder for jokes is a lie.  Also, I can't recall him claiming the sky is falling, but the glaciers sure as hell are melting.

[Ralph Turner]

I cannot count the number of times that I have been called into the hospital as the OB-Gyn on call to see someone whose life choices have been imprudent at best.

Frequently, they were very dissatisfied that I could not eliminate all of the consequences of their bad decisions, could not arrange their (free) care to a more convenient time and place, required of them the initiative for subsequent follow-up and that I would not become their enabler for their co-dependent behavior.

About 13 years ago, my hospital saw the challenges of the large Medicaid population residing in the Section 8 apartments within the 3 mile radius of the hospital.  With the goal of an integrated health care delivery system that could efficiently meet the needs of this community, the hospital contracted with 11 board-certified obstetricians who would commit to three 24-hour shifts in the hospital per month and two-three half days supervising nurse practitioners and midwives in the the outpatient clinic and to see the high-risk patients.  The commitment meant that these doctors would arrange alternate coverage for their patients to make the clinic and the obstetrical service work.  This integrated approach became a very effective safety net/alternative of high quality care for patients who no longer had to seek care at the county hospital/medical school.  The hospital was able to put all of the social services and ancillary support into the clinic to make it work, much more support than I had in my own office.  This integrated group of OB's and other specialists in the hospital literally saved 2-3 high-risk patients per year.  (I do not overstate that fact!)

About half to two-thirds of patients were satisfied with the arrangement, but the biggest complaints from the clinics were...

"I didn't get to see the same doctor every time."

"I didn't like that doctor."

"I had to wait too long."

"It wasn't convenient for me."

At least once or twice per month, there were episodes in which security would be called to deal with family members.

The sense of "health-care entitlement" will be one of the greatest "dissatisfiers" to the doctors who must provide care under a nationalized system.

One last thought from the sociologist, Edward Banfield, "the greatest determinant of social class in America is how far into the future the acculturated individual can imagine himself/herself.  The highest social classes can imagine themselves (or their descendants among the immigrant classes) forty years into the future.  The lowest social class cannot imagine themselves next Thursday."

[OzJohnnie]

Please, Yspi, don't take advantage of the kindly environment you have found here to try and turn this into a troll-fest about hanging chads or the melting point of steel.  There has a been a lively discussion about socialized medicine since it has relevance to our lives and might actually happen in one form or another.  You'll make me regret the complement I gave you earlier for your moderation.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Please, Yspi, don't take advantage of the kindly environment you have found here to try and turn this into a troll-fest about hanging chads or the melting point of steel.  There has a been a lively discussion about socialized medicine since it has relevance to our lives and might actually happen in one form or another.  You'll make me regret the complement I gave you earlier for your moderation.

What have I said to bring on this change of heart?  Al Gore did NOT ever claim to have invented the internet.  (He also never claimed to have 'discovered' Love Canal, nor did he ever claim to have been the model for the protagonist of Love Story.)  These were all fabrications that have become 'urban legends', thanks to Fox News and the 'liberal' media.  And an exhaustive study by the Associated Press concluded that under 6 out of 7 possible scenarios, the result of a recount in Florida would have been a different president in 2001 than the disaster we got.

And even W now acknowledges that global warming is occurring.

What exactly have I misstated?  'Troll' is an appellation I heartily condemn, and certainly do not think I fit into.  (I also think that 'socialized medicine' is a pejorative that does not fit what I advocate, but oh well.)  Could you be more specific on what has turned me from praised to reviled?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Ralph,

I understand (and share) your pain and frustration about some members of the 'underclass'.  When my 16-year-old was about 8, his then best friend (also about 8) already had 6 younger siblings with an unwed mother.  I 'quasi-adopted' 'T' and his next oldest sibling for soccer and other sports activities, telling his mom (otherwise a wonderful mother, but dumb as a pile of bricks) that they had gotten 'scholarships' (which would have been true, except they, like we, were Ypsi city, and the programs were Ypsi township).  While my son and 'T' are no longer close, he seems to be doing quite well, but alas, his next oldest sib is already in prison, another is pregnant, and I've lost contact with the rest.

Let's see, there was a point to this wasn't there?  Ah, yes - while Banfield wildly overstated the case, he had a point.  But while future-orientation is critical to the overall pictrure, I'm not clear on how it relates to whether the bill is paid by government or Aetna?  Mommy 'C' clearly would not be able to afford Aetna (and perhaps wouldn't have thought to do so even if she could), and I am confident you don't think her kids should suffer for her failings, so what is the solution?  I view it as downright criminal that any child should die (or have life chances curtailed) because his/her parent(s) were imprudent, but private enterprise is not structured to care about that.  Insurance companies reap profits by NOT paying claims; governmental 'insurance' prospers by satisfying voters.

[OzJohnnie]

Sorry - I don't feel like listing exactly what it is that makes me wish I could change my vote in the poll above, but it was in between the Supreme Court stealing an election for King George and your defense of eight year old Al Gore discussion points.

EDIT: Ok - Exactly?  It's exactly that those points have exactly nothing to do with health care.  And they are the first, and a big, step toward senseless name calling.  When I congratulated you, it was because you were keeping away from things that could lead to senseless name calling.  In your next post?  King George destroyed FEMA which was great before his election (which was stolen, yada, yada).  How does that possibly relate to health care?  That's exactly why.

ROR - I've gained a little wisdom today.  Silver linings in every cloud and all that.

EDIT: ROR - guess I didn't pick up as much wisdom as I thought.

[janesvilleflash]

Speaking of healthcare, I may have to go see the doctor, cause I'm getting sick of this crap.

[Rugman]

I have a real urge to weigh in, in response to some of the recent posts, but don't want to aggravate anyone on this glorious Master's Weekend (my favorite weekend of the year).

However, I do have one question related to the purpose and value of this message board.  Does it only exist for the purpose of talking about D3 sports?  Or, does it create a virtual community made up of people who love D3 sports, where they can come together, get to know each other and talk about a wide range of subjects?

The above poll asks this same question?  Sort of?

[janesvilleflash]

Good point shoulda, if everyone is enjoying the debate, go for it. It appears I'm in a minority. I can live with it, but I reserve the right to throw in a smart assed comment on occation.