Feb 6, 2008

Buck Up

Several commenters have suggested that the "buck up" method of dealing with illness is likely to be a failing strategy for me going forward. Apparently these commenters are under the impression that I am aging. I remain youthful and vigorous, even more so than I was last year, so buck up remains a viable plan. I bucked up and made it to work today. We were short-handed at the store, so I gave out even more bogus information than usual. Going to work is something I am very good at. Not necessarily proud of, but very good at. I have complete confidence that in my thirty-six and a half years at Tedious Systems I missed less than thirty-six days being sick. That includes a five-day bout with a broken collar bone and another five-day absence when I had surgery. At one point I had over ten years of perfect attendance. Not necessarily something you want on your tombstone. So I went to work today. Another subject. When you are a semi-retired guy and own a television, you notice that a lot of late-afternoon television commercials are for companies who make their living off Medicare. Diabetes supplies and scooters lead the pack. When did someone decide that I owe a scooter to anyone? Call me mean-spirited, but I kind of draw the line at the government paying for medical appliances. Too many people lack even basic health care. The latest Medicare boondoggle involves a $250K artificial heart for people over sixty-five. Medicare is going to begin to cover these devices in the near future. In my never-to-be-humble opinion, this is insanity. We simply cannot afford to keep everyone alive forever. The available resources should be spent on a cost/benefit basis. Medicare and the insurance companies say that this will affect a relatively small population. Sure it will. Call me heartless, artificial or natural, but I think someone has to start drawing the line somewhere or we will soon be taxed into the poorhouse. Not me probably, but my kids and grandkids for sure. Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong, sometimes just full of it, but always judgmental and cranky

4 comments:

Kurt said...

65 isn't all that old. But maybe they should wait until they get the cost of those hearts down, to about $3,000.

Steve Reed said...

You're right -- lines must be drawn on Medicare spending. Of course, I might feel differently if I needed an artificial heart, but I don't think so. I really think I'd recognize society's limitations in terms of what could be done for me.

Bobby D. said...

Those scooters! They give people a free reign to eat 10,000 calories a day (mostly in Pie) knowing when they get too heavy to walk, then medicare will buy them a scooter. Then they can still get to the bakery to check out the pie of the day. I think doctors should weigh people at every check up as a matter of routine and talk to obese patients about staying fit so they will be able to walk instead of scoot.

Unknown said...

Once on our way into Wal Mart there was a very obese man riding a scooter about 3 feet away from where I was standing with my two small children. My daughter was about 4 years old when she loudly shouted, "I wish I could ride one of those, but they're only for old fat people."