"The (MEDICAL) Industrial Complex"

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Nurses speak out every day of the world. You don't know what you are talking about. Nurse's licenses are independant of MD's. Because of that they are required by law to speak out. There is no such thing as "I was following doctor's orders" as an excuse by law. I dealt with this every day. You have no IDEA the extremes nurses go to to protect patients from incompetent and/or uncaring physicians. Do you think nurses don't have families that have sick and dying? It is our families that motivate us to try and change the system. If we can't make it good for everyone we can't make it good for ourselves and our families. That struggle has been going on since Florence Nightingale. Hell, we're still trying to get physicians to wash their hands between patients. Who is the worst group for not washing hands? Surgeons

[reconeil]

You missed one key word, as in: "Some" nurses.

Neil

[1CAVCCO15MED]

In that case, you're right. I might add, instead of some, it is very few. What I would do in that case is write the incident up myself and list the nurse as a witness.

[reconeil]

Glad seeing that you've mellowed-out somewhat.

Still, and given fairly recent personal events, I didn't find MANY wearing a white coat or white dress,...that could be blindly trusted to do what's best for me and Mine. Quite the opposite, and more so only A FEW.

Believe a 24 hr. literate Private Detective with no vision problems, infinitely more valuable to a lenghty hospitalized patient, than any 24 hr. Private Nurse will ever be.

Case in point:

Wife had a 10&1/2 hour spinal cage operation at Somerset Hospital, NJ, plus 3 day stay there,...where everything went A-OK.
We got lucky there with surgeon, doctors and nurses.

She was then ambulanced to JFK Medical Center, Edison, NJ, and specifically to their JFK REHAB. CENTER, supposedly best around at the time. Apparently good horror stories hadn't got out yet?

After 8 days of visiting The Greatly Doped-up Vegetable (was more lucid at Somerset Hospital), I finally got to bring The Greatly Doped-up Vegetable Home. At which time and after getting her situated comfortably, I did as directed and went and bought an about $400 pill cocktail, so that I might continue her hospital medications and I too might keep her indefinitely as a Greatly Doped-up Vegetable.

Well, after 6 days of this white coat directed nonsense showing no improvement,...I finally got the a$$, and started reading the paperwork that comes with all prescription drugs. Previously didn't think such necessary, since didn't believe ANY HOSPITAL would knowingly given a patient wrong medications for 8 days, and I was simply continuing same. WAS I EVER WRONG.

After reading 4 different drug caution pamphlets and discovering that wife have every side-effect listed (no diahrrea-constipation instead) and even shortness of breath through intensive interrogation (Vegetables have to be intensively interrogated, if wanting to find out anything?),...I cut her off: "Cold Turkey" from everything white coat prescribed or white dress recommended.

I was really pissed at Those Illiterate Bums at JFK Rehab, for making me a co-conspirator to whatever-the-hell those also Color Blind Bums (no one at JFK paid any attention to her EXTRA Red Armband denoting NO CODEINE either) were trying to do to her. And, just take a wild guess what was in most of meds, INCREASED TWICE DAILY for therapy sessions for A Vegetable? Yeah,...that's right CODEINE and INCREASED TWICE DAILY for therapy sessions for A Vegetable. Sick, sick, sick,...but absolutely amazing in retrospect.

Within 2 days, a few Tylenols, a little Malox and SOME REAL MEDICAL CARE & ATTENTION,...I now have a human wife AGAIN that can eat AGAIN. Fortunately for her, besides being in great shape prior the operation, everyone having served in The 7th Cavalry are literate and not color blind. Well, that I know of anyway.

Thusly, I might not have been able to read and: "Come to the rescue", and The Vegetable might of ended up where many vegetables end up,...due unarguably and solely to the gross incompetance and negligence of both Doctors and Nurses at JFK Medical Center - Edison, New Jersey. Guess "They" must've had more important matters to be concerned about,...during their 8 hour shifts?

Hey 1Cav,..."if the shoe fits.."????
If "It" doesn't fit either you or associates,...I really don't care.
I say: "Screw you, and the horses you rode-in-on".

Those standing idly by daily while knowing that such foul practices exist and are going on, are just as bad as those medical killers doing so, even if only A FEW(???),...which I quite seriously doubt, since perpetrated for 8 days, by 3 full shifts.
That's a lot of white coats and white dresses.

Neil

Well maybe ya got me pegged.Maybe I'm such a silent,laid back,go with the flow,maintain a low profile and let the patients take care of themselves kinda guy.Course,if that's the case I'm gonna have ta try an figger out how come I ended up with two field-grade article 15's,a CMB, was the initial prime suspect in an attempted murder(fragging)case, recieved a promotion and two ARCOM's all within the space of about a year.Or,then again,maybe you're just a tad quick to point fingers when you actually have little/no knowledge of what you're talking about.

I believe you are correct that Rx. costs are a crime.I am totally at a loss as to why you think nurses have anything at all to do with what a perscription costs.High perscription costs are only one symptom of our terminal health-care system.If you'd ever like to discuss same in a reasonable manner I think you'd find that I'm not nearly as "silent" as you seem to think I am.

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Reconeil, put you money where your mouth is, sue them, or at least report them to their respective licensing boards. Otherwise you are too one of the silent ones standing with your arms folded. "Sound and fury signifying nothing."

I 2nd that!

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Address for Joint Commission for Accreditation of Hospitals:
JCAO
601 13th St SW
Suite 1150N
Washington, DC

Hot line for complaints of inpatient care in the State of New Jersey: 1-800-792-9770 Seven days a week

Either one of these will scare the hell out of the people at that rehab hospital

[melody1181]

Neil, I know you were not attacking every nurse. It is just an area I get deffensive with.

I have a cousin that works for some drug company. He is filthy rich and is a scum bag in my opinion. He isn't a close cousin of course.

I have been around hospitals and doctors the past year more than I care to be with my grandparents. You should see these drug reps come walking in, usually 2-3 at a time. Their suitcases of "free product"

Want to know why we pay so much other than research? You should see the $h!t they give away. That is the major problem. They are buying a placement for their drugs....plain and simple.

You still would be shocked at what most nurses get dumped on them. There are some though that I have had experience with that are not of the highest quality of people. Maybe that is what you mean. There is bad people in every field on the planet. Including religious fields and gasp...politics. The whole thing has become to political and money greedy

[reconeil]

Whether my wife and I sue and could easily end-up owning JFK Medical Center (entire and lengthy Medical Travesty well documented), or am demeaned and insulted by the likes of: "Should take your head out-of-you....", "Don't know what you're talking about", etc., are irrelevent to this: "The American (MEDICAL) Industrial Complex" thread,,...plus to me personally.

Hell,...even Gimpy's foul and demeaning barbs never rattle ME.
You Guys are truly quite mild and mellow, in comparison.

Whatever, and given the hang-up here by some nurses that all nurses are dedicated, over-worked and underpaid,...I say: "NONSENSE", and that such also has nothing to do with Americans forced going out of country for acquiring sorely needed prescription drugs AT A FAIR TRADE PRICE,...just like most OTHER sick or invalid people on earth pay.

I said: "NONSENSE", because if ALL truths were ever exposed about doctors, nurses, or even auto mechanics and/or any hands-on professionals having their clientels by-the-short-hairs or at their mercy,...the ACTUAL RATIOS of which ones are actually GOOD and which are actually BAD, would truly surprise no one.

Maybe, and since associates and co-workers pretty-much keep bad things within-house or to themselves, within the clique or trade, hushed-up or just shoved-under-the-rug and away from public scrutiny,...autopsies of all hospital: "Heart Failures" and better mechanical detective work at normal auto accident scenes, The Public might then be expose to more realistic and/or more HONEST RATIOS??? Not the profession/trade sugar-coated or favorably profession/trade varnished norms.

Regardless, and the way I see things, our little nursing discussion here ties in quite well with that Old Pirate phrase of: "Dead Men (women also) Tell No Tales",...plus that those quite lucky at the hands of others are quite thrilled at still being alive, having escaped, and just having survived.

Besides, that only possible victims MUST sign consent forms as if taking some dangerous carnival ride (even for having an ingrown toe nail taken care of),...was never very reasuring to me.
Which AGAIN, has absolutley nothing to do with American Civilians being perpetually and greedily (quite Royally also) screwed-over and around every which way possible by: "The American (MEDICAL) Industrial Complex".

Neil

P.S. Doc,
You should be rightfully proud of all your decorations and accomplishments, as all other Honorable Veterans should be proud of their Service to Country, also. After all, what better is there at being praised and commended for,...other than ones Selfless Service to Country, Friends and Comrades.
Regardless, and even here too, we're right back to that old: "Which AGAIN, has absolutely nothing to do with..................................."