Somewhere along the way, starting with HMOs in the mid 80s and managed care Medical treatment came under the control of regional medical monopolies. I remember when it seemed like every medium sized city and town in Massachusetts had its own locally controlled community hospital.
Most have been shut down in favour of regional medical cartels. The Medical Industrial Complex was born, a cabal of regional medical centers and the pharmaceutical and device industry.
My daughter had a rectal stricture dilated at a major medical university recently. I was concerned that no colon cleanse was ordered. I was informed that everything went as expected, and she was sent home in severe pain. She ended up in our local hospital with a general surgeon trying to save her life as she had a perforated colon. She went home 3 weeks later after another surgery to clean out additional infection with a colostomy. The hospital care was dismal, even though some nurses were great. Doctors changed every 4 days so continuity of care was sketchy. Six weeks later she is still weak, and only able to work a few hours a day. What we were told was a minor out patient procedure turned into a nightmare. Sadly, I don't think this a rare occurrence. Your advice to not get sick is spot on, but life happens. After that, it's a crap shoot.
Somewhere along the way, starting with HMOs in the mid 80s and managed care Medical treatment came under the control of regional medical monopolies. I remember when it seemed like every medium sized city and town in Massachusetts had its own locally controlled community hospital.
Most have been shut down in favour of regional medical cartels. The Medical Industrial Complex was born, a cabal of regional medical centers and the pharmaceutical and device industry.
Ownership of the process is one of the major casualties of corporate owned medical practices.
My daughter had a rectal stricture dilated at a major medical university recently. I was concerned that no colon cleanse was ordered. I was informed that everything went as expected, and she was sent home in severe pain. She ended up in our local hospital with a general surgeon trying to save her life as she had a perforated colon. She went home 3 weeks later after another surgery to clean out additional infection with a colostomy. The hospital care was dismal, even though some nurses were great. Doctors changed every 4 days so continuity of care was sketchy. Six weeks later she is still weak, and only able to work a few hours a day. What we were told was a minor out patient procedure turned into a nightmare. Sadly, I don't think this a rare occurrence. Your advice to not get sick is spot on, but life happens. After that, it's a crap shoot.