I turned 50 today while a stranger dies in the hospital

[MichaelHarris]

Today is my 50th birthday, the plans my wife made are all gone. A lady came into the hospital last night in very bad shape, she had no doctor. My wife is a hospitalist in a small community, she is pretty much always on call. She hasn't left this woman's side.

I've read some posts over the last few days lambasting health care, there was even one recent post discussing hospitalists. Someone suggested hospitalists refused treatment on a patient for insurance reasons, one poster even suggested I was naive when it comes to health care. I've known many doctors over the last 25 years, this is what they do. When a stranger is in need they apologize to the family and leave the comfort of home to heal. That's all they want to do is heal.

I don't mind at all spending my birthday alone, I know a woman and her family are in good hands. My wife will spend Christmas with them this year. If the woman doesn't make it I know my wife will show the utmost in comfort and care, that's my peace, that's my joy.

Michael Harris

[annabanana]

1. I expect it is a Birthday you won't soon forget.

By the time we reach 50, we know there'll be another one coming around soon enough for whatever plans were put on hold this year.

Bless your wife for her good heart.

My wishes for a good year ahead.

[MichaelHarris]

17. Ty anna

My wife came home, the lady didn't make it :(

[rocknrush]

2. Happy Birthday!!!!

And may God Bless you and your wife! The sacrifices you & your wife makes today will be greatly rewarded later.

[knitter4democracy]

3. I've had many an anniversary and birthday put off, too.

:hug: My hubby's an internist, and I'm well-used to those late nights and missed birthdays and such. You're right: most doctors are working hard and doing the best they can. A few shouldn't make everyone look bad.

[Bluzmann57]

4. Happy Birthday to you Sir

And I think it is the insurance company bean counters who are denying needed health care to people. "It isn't covered because..." seems to be a common mantra among those a**holes.
You and your wife are among the people who still make this a great country. Thank you and keep up the good work.

[truedelphi]

7. May I second that sentiment and Happy Birthday!

We aren't blaming the doctors or the nurses, I hope.

We know it is some of the Administrators and the bean counters.

Cheers to the Big Five O!

[Olney Blue]

5. Your loving wife is a reflection of the man she married!

[Gormy Cuss]

6. Good for your wife to be such a caring doctor.

"Hospitalist" is an odd neologism. It always sounds more appropriate for an administrator than a physician.

Hospitalists may not deny care based on insurance, but some of the hospitals they work for do. That's one of the reasons our system doesn't work as well as it should for patients and why so many doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals are ready to support a national health plan.

[tblue37]

25. My daughter is a med student specializing in emrgency medicine--will graduate in May--.

and I have never heard the word "hospitalist" before!

[graywarrior]

8. Happy Birthday, MichaelHarris

[shireen]

9. your wife is a wonderful person, please send her my good wishes

I think many of the negative comments you've read, where all doctors and nurses are condemned, come from people who have suffered medical-related tragedies. They are angry. But when anger is not clouding the mind, most rational people would never condemn the entire medical profession. I've known many good doctors too. My primary care doctor, for example, is also a devoted mom. Yet, when I was seriously ill in the hospital, she came to see me, several times late in the evening when she should have been home having dinner with her family and helping her kids with homework. Other times, she was there very early in the morning, when most parents were getting their kids off to school. (BTW, her kids are not neglected, she has a good support system.)

I know medical professionals like your wife, and I appreciate them. Thank you for that post.




BTW ....

Happy Birthday!!!!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
:party:
:woohoo:
:applause:
:hi:

[zippy890]

10. Happy Birthday

your wife sounds like a wonderful person.

[demodonkey]

11. I wish you happy birthday and I wish my mother had your wife for her doctor tonight...

My mother is not dying (I HOPE) but she is suffering horribly tonight in a strange hospital several hundred miles from home.

She has been fighting to bounce back from a stroke, still improving 23 months post-stroke, and she would do a lot better if we didn't have the barbaric "me first" insurance-driven healthcare system in this barbaric country.

Thanks to the greed of a skilled nursing facility where she was trying to get therapy, my mother is tonight in a University Medical Center in the northeast. She had a seizure last week while traveling to get help with her stroke (long story as to how the nursing home caused this) and although there was no new stroke and her mind is fine, she is now in terrible spasms and agonizing pain. Just screaming in agony. I am here demanding CARE for this pain -- pain management which is a specialty this hospital supposedly has -- and CARE that her spasms do not become additional contractures that will leave her bedfast. But her doctor (a resident) gets her confused with another patient, then wants to discuss nothing but pushing her out the door into another nursing home. Social worker (whose job really it is, I know from sad experience, to push 'em through and is not really on the patient's side) isn't really listening to what I am saying either.

Pain like this is a medical NEED, perhaps an emergency, and all they want to do is make the revolving door go faster as they push her out.

Your wife may be the exception, for in my sad experience the majority of our healthcare industry is out for the almighy DOLLAR, not to help anyone. My mother has seen hundreds of nurses, doctors, case managers, CNAs, etc. over the past two years and I can count on my one hand the ones who really care. There are a few out there but so sadly, very few.

So here I am, in a strange hospital and far from home, facing Christmas with NO friends and my dear mother screaming in pain while I fight bureaucacy. And I DO mind this; in fact I am miserable.

O yes, and this will be our first Christmas without my beloved brother, who died last May AT AGE 49 from TWO concurrent infections acquired in another nursing home.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Happy Birthday Michael

What a lovely post. Your wife is lucky to have you.

[NNN0LHI]

13. My uncle was a doctor and it seemed liked every time one of his patients died he died a little too

Many years ago an 18 or 19 year old boy came into his office and he gave him an injection of penicillin. Turned out the kid was allergic to penicillin and he died in the office. He never got over that. It seemed like he aged 20 years after that.

Don

[MichaelHarris]

21. It's that way here right now

the lady just died.

[tom_paine]

14. God Bless you and your wife, Michael.

n/t

[MichaelHarris]

19. Thank you

rough day, not being 50. Knowing a family lost a loved one :(

[MadMaddie]

15. A Happy Birthday to you Michael Harris and a Happy Holiday

and Happy New Year to you and your wife.

Doctors and Nurses are doing the best they can...bless your wife and others in her profession.

:party:

[MichaelHarris]

16. Thanks everyone

The lady didn't make it :(

They kept her comfortable until the family could get there.

[lost-in-nj]

22. ....

please


thank your wife
and give yourself
a hug

:hug: :hug: :hug:


been there


lost

[lost-in-nj]

18. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL HARRIS.......

you and your wife will be able to sleep.....
some people can't because of the choices they make
you BOTH have a HUGE hearts......

I know about giving of ourselves.....
it is noble
but mostly its right.....

Health care is more than a shot, x-ray or pill.....
some people are to clinical.....

THANK YOU BOTH...
for your caring
and love......

lost

Mom of a Paramedic and volunteer fireman.........

[Maestro]

20. Tell your wife she is a great person!

I still have the utmost respect for doctors and health care professionals. My MIL is a nurse as was/is my brother. He is now a fireman, but still performs nursing duties when he needs to ride on the ambulance. Doctors have saved my life and rid me of cancer. My disdain for the health care lies directly with the insurance that try to usurp what good doctors and medical professionals are doing.

Happy birthday! You are extremely lucky to have such a caring person as your wife. Give her my good wishes as well.

[unapatriciated]

23. Happy Birthday

Michael is a good name (my son's name). You may have read one of my post regarding three doctors and one clinic. Yes there are many great doctors out there. My son will celebrate his 30th birthday soon because of one, but because of another doctor he is disabled. Unfortunately when you are dealing with a long term illness the odds are you will meet some doctors who are in the wrong profession. My problem is I met them at the beginning of my son's illness. The Insurance Companies do willfully deny medical care and sometimes even tie the hands of good doctors. I'm sure your wife is a wonderful doctor but the fact remains under our health care system many are denied treatment for various reasons that generally boil down to Insurance Companies profits. I have three boxes full of correspondence to my Insurance Company regarding denial of coverages or refusing to approve treatment because they deemed it to be "experimental" for my son's condition (Dermatomyositis). His physical therapy was constantly interrupted because they would approve treatment than "review" his case and stop payments or worse yet reverse payments leaving me some hefty medical bills. So don't take our anger with the Insurance Industry and a few bad doctors who are in bed with them personally. My Son's doctor at Childrens understood my feelings about his previous doctors and never questioned my gratitude and respect for her. To this day she and his grandfather are his heroes-mine too.

[live love laugh]

24. Happy Birthday! n/t