Glad you are feeling better, James. And I truly wish my country could get its shit together regarding health care - sadly I don't see it happening in our lifetime. :(
My mother and her father both died suddenly from a cerebral aneurysm. So every 2 to 3 years I get to stick my head in one of those loud banging machines so the medicos can look for one. If they ever find one (so far so good and yes every time I get the 'we scanned your brain and there's nothing there nyuk nyuk' jokes <insert rolleyes> ) I'm certain there is modern medical technology available to go after it.
Right after my second child I went into massive heart failure and was a day away from drowning in my own fluids. Daily EKGs and modern meds and eventually full recovery. Although I had my tubes tied laparoscopically because another pregnancy would possibly have killed me again.
And I'm in Canada so the sum total of all these screenings and interventions is $0.00 because the hospital is a five minute walk from my house.
Since I immigrated to Canada, I've had surgery on both ears, my eyes, and recently for Peripheral Artery Disease. If I was still in the U.S., at my age (71) I would likely be dead, if not dead, then blind and totally deaf, plus unable to walk without agony. My medications are $4.11 CAD. In the U.S. those same medications cost me almost $300. USD.
People in the U.S. argue that they don't want to pay for someone else's health care. But if they have group health coverage from where they work, they're doing that very thing. In Canada, we all pay for health care through taxes, and other forms of government revenue. Preachers and politicians (2 low forms of life) use the scare word Socialism if there is a plan to help a lot of people. I have no use for either of their ilk. IOW, fuck'em and feed'em fish heads.
James, I'm glad you survived and are thriving. I don't have any dramatic stories, but I've had 3 Cesarean sections, and I have asthma. Any one of those would have killed me by now without modern medicine. For which I'm grateful every damn day.
Yeppers! CT scan with contrast and IV antibiotics and blood tests and bacteria cultures all recently on record, Plus burly men to lift my hulk to a gurney at my home who then drive me to the hospital where they figured the shit out. Oh, and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
I am Autistic, and I am positive that would be true even if I had never had any vaccines. Oh... wait... no, if I had not had vaccines I would not be Autistic because I would be DEAD as a fucking doornail, and I'm pretty sure brain wiring doesn't matter if you're dead.
I've also been saved by anti-biotics (many times), x-rays, several sutgeries, radiation treatments, anti-depressants, blood pressure medication, an MRI, tetanus shots, a blood transfusion, one of those oxygen monitor thingies they put on your finger, an EEG, my CPAP machine, and probably more things I am forgetting or don't even know about.
I live in the US, so I am very fortunate that I had sufficient medical coverage to get all these things.
Wait, nothing about allergies? Because they can sure as shit kill you. Once upon a time I would have been dead of a bee sting. And if that didn’t somehow miraculously kill me, it would have been my damn pecans in my breakfast cereal. Thanks, medical science.
Antibiotics for sure saved my life. I have freakishly narrow eustachian tubes (they drain fluid from your inner ear) and one of my numerous ear infections would have killed me slowly and painfully without antibiotics. Insulin saved my life too because my Mom was a type I diabetic and would have died at the age of 13 if she’d been born in 1900 instead of 1948.
We also live in Canada. My daughter had a stem cell transplant which has improved her cancer prognosis and may actually save her life. Had she been American, she would have died because she couldn’t afford it.
At 12 a Ct scan showed that my son had a bleed on the brain and then an MRI showed what caused. The following day an angiogram through the artery in the groin under a general anaesthetic gave the more information and a plan could made to treat my son.
At 26 the same son presented to our local hospital on Christmas Day with pain in 1 testicle and an ultrasound found a possible tumour in the other testicle. Minor surgery to remove said testicle and a biopsy confirmed the cancer diagnosis. With chemo and awesome medical staff and great hospitals my son is now 5 years cancer free.
I could’ve lost my son twice but with modern medicine and socialised health care he’s still here and we didn’t go bankrupt to have him treated. The waiting lists for what is referred to as elective surgery is long here in Australia but emergency surgery and illnesses are treated as quickly as they can be.
May you continue to be filled with healing strength...your voice is an important one, in today's world.
a few years ago, I found out I had been carrying Hep C for decades. How did I find out? I puked up a bucket of blood on the kitchen floor, and was rushed to the ER. Modern surgical tools and techniques sealed off the blood blisters in my esophagus that had popped, and were causing me to bleed out. I would have been dead in hours had they not been at hand.
Over the next few months, my situation worsened, and I had two more episodes...the last one put me in a medically induced coma for the Christmas/New Year's period. Not only were more blood blisters sealed off, but, an operation on my liver cut the blood pressure to them causing the problem...
Then, a year later, Sovaldi came on the marketplace...finally... It was the ONLY treatment for Hep C, and, thanks to some great advocates I ended up being one of the few in the state of Tennessee that got on the program to receive it. I am alive today because of the amazing advances in medicine, and the excellent care I received....
I am really happy you are fine now. We could be reading about you from someone else instead of from you! I would add Epipen (epinephrine) to your list if someone hadn’t already bring that up. I could have been dead 3x if it weren’t for that. I am allergic to wasp stings and (unintentional and accidentally) eating mold, twice! Also Pacemakers, I have friends who could have died if it wasn’t for their implanted pacemakers! Oh my god, so many advances in just medical technology alone.
Been so sick, I was not only willing to die, I wanted to die. Antibiotics and steroids brought me back to life. Had to stay home while on the steroids because my inner Hulk was released, and I would’ve run over anyone who got in my way, and knocked off the head of any fucknut who spouted conspiracy shit, or the like.
Glad you are feeling better, James. And I truly wish my country could get its shit together regarding health care - sadly I don't see it happening in our lifetime. :(
My mother and her father both died suddenly from a cerebral aneurysm. So every 2 to 3 years I get to stick my head in one of those loud banging machines so the medicos can look for one. If they ever find one (so far so good and yes every time I get the 'we scanned your brain and there's nothing there nyuk nyuk' jokes <insert rolleyes> ) I'm certain there is modern medical technology available to go after it.
Right after my second child I went into massive heart failure and was a day away from drowning in my own fluids. Daily EKGs and modern meds and eventually full recovery. Although I had my tubes tied laparoscopically because another pregnancy would possibly have killed me again.
And I'm in Canada so the sum total of all these screenings and interventions is $0.00 because the hospital is a five minute walk from my house.
Since I immigrated to Canada, I've had surgery on both ears, my eyes, and recently for Peripheral Artery Disease. If I was still in the U.S., at my age (71) I would likely be dead, if not dead, then blind and totally deaf, plus unable to walk without agony. My medications are $4.11 CAD. In the U.S. those same medications cost me almost $300. USD.
People in the U.S. argue that they don't want to pay for someone else's health care. But if they have group health coverage from where they work, they're doing that very thing. In Canada, we all pay for health care through taxes, and other forms of government revenue. Preachers and politicians (2 low forms of life) use the scare word Socialism if there is a plan to help a lot of people. I have no use for either of their ilk. IOW, fuck'em and feed'em fish heads.
James, I'm glad you survived and are thriving. I don't have any dramatic stories, but I've had 3 Cesarean sections, and I have asthma. Any one of those would have killed me by now without modern medicine. For which I'm grateful every damn day.
Yeppers! CT scan with contrast and IV antibiotics and blood tests and bacteria cultures all recently on record, Plus burly men to lift my hulk to a gurney at my home who then drive me to the hospital where they figured the shit out. Oh, and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
I am Autistic, and I am positive that would be true even if I had never had any vaccines. Oh... wait... no, if I had not had vaccines I would not be Autistic because I would be DEAD as a fucking doornail, and I'm pretty sure brain wiring doesn't matter if you're dead.
I've also been saved by anti-biotics (many times), x-rays, several sutgeries, radiation treatments, anti-depressants, blood pressure medication, an MRI, tetanus shots, a blood transfusion, one of those oxygen monitor thingies they put on your finger, an EEG, my CPAP machine, and probably more things I am forgetting or don't even know about.
I live in the US, so I am very fortunate that I had sufficient medical coverage to get all these things.
One of my surgeries was a hysterectomy I needed because I had endometrial cancer. So I feel compelled to acknowledge that my life was saved partially because of the horrific abuse suffered by enslaved Black women who were the test subjects for at least two surgeons in the 1800's, and who were routinely operated on without anesthesia. Wakefield is evil, yes, but he has nothing on these fucking monsters. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2018/06/04/american-medicine-was-built-on-the-backs-of-slaves-and-it-still-affects-how-doctors-treat-patients-today/
Wait, nothing about allergies? Because they can sure as shit kill you. Once upon a time I would have been dead of a bee sting. And if that didn’t somehow miraculously kill me, it would have been my damn pecans in my breakfast cereal. Thanks, medical science.
Had all the vaccines as a child. I'm sure they saved my life.
I have celiac disease. Before diagnosis, I was sick all the time. Without the tests for celiac, I'd still be unaware that food was poisoning me.
I have episodes of diverticulitis. They suck, a lot. Without modern medical knowledge, I'd be dead or in horrific pain.
They suspect I also have IBS. Basically, my intestines hate me.
I'm type 2 diabetic, controlled. It's good to know this information.
Will be getting cataract surgery soon. Otherwise, I'll be blind eventually.
Had constant ear infections as a child. Antibiotics were handy for that.
Ate an entire bottle of baby aspirin when I was 4. Had stomach pumped at hospital. That was pretty cool. Thank goodness I don't remember it.
I get every vaccine that is available for me. Life is tough enough. Why take more chances?
I'm always looking forward. The good ol days weren't that good.
Antibiotics for sure saved my life. I have freakishly narrow eustachian tubes (they drain fluid from your inner ear) and one of my numerous ear infections would have killed me slowly and painfully without antibiotics. Insulin saved my life too because my Mom was a type I diabetic and would have died at the age of 13 if she’d been born in 1900 instead of 1948.
We also live in Canada. My daughter had a stem cell transplant which has improved her cancer prognosis and may actually save her life. Had she been American, she would have died because she couldn’t afford it.
At 12 a Ct scan showed that my son had a bleed on the brain and then an MRI showed what caused. The following day an angiogram through the artery in the groin under a general anaesthetic gave the more information and a plan could made to treat my son.
At 26 the same son presented to our local hospital on Christmas Day with pain in 1 testicle and an ultrasound found a possible tumour in the other testicle. Minor surgery to remove said testicle and a biopsy confirmed the cancer diagnosis. With chemo and awesome medical staff and great hospitals my son is now 5 years cancer free.
I could’ve lost my son twice but with modern medicine and socialised health care he’s still here and we didn’t go bankrupt to have him treated. The waiting lists for what is referred to as elective surgery is long here in Australia but emergency surgery and illnesses are treated as quickly as they can be.
May you continue to be filled with healing strength...your voice is an important one, in today's world.
a few years ago, I found out I had been carrying Hep C for decades. How did I find out? I puked up a bucket of blood on the kitchen floor, and was rushed to the ER. Modern surgical tools and techniques sealed off the blood blisters in my esophagus that had popped, and were causing me to bleed out. I would have been dead in hours had they not been at hand.
Over the next few months, my situation worsened, and I had two more episodes...the last one put me in a medically induced coma for the Christmas/New Year's period. Not only were more blood blisters sealed off, but, an operation on my liver cut the blood pressure to them causing the problem...
Then, a year later, Sovaldi came on the marketplace...finally... It was the ONLY treatment for Hep C, and, thanks to some great advocates I ended up being one of the few in the state of Tennessee that got on the program to receive it. I am alive today because of the amazing advances in medicine, and the excellent care I received....
I am really happy you are fine now. We could be reading about you from someone else instead of from you! I would add Epipen (epinephrine) to your list if someone hadn’t already bring that up. I could have been dead 3x if it weren’t for that. I am allergic to wasp stings and (unintentional and accidentally) eating mold, twice! Also Pacemakers, I have friends who could have died if it wasn’t for their implanted pacemakers! Oh my god, so many advances in just medical technology alone.
My 94year old mother has had a pacemaker for at least 2 decades.
Absolutely has been instrumental to her still good quality of life.
Antibiotics, steroids, statins, antidepressants... Many CT scans, MRIs, blood tests, vaccines. It takes a lot to get to 66 y/o.
Been so sick, I was not only willing to die, I wanted to die. Antibiotics and steroids brought me back to life. Had to stay home while on the steroids because my inner Hulk was released, and I would’ve run over anyone who got in my way, and knocked off the head of any fucknut who spouted conspiracy shit, or the like.
I'm relieved you're still with us to swear another day, mate.