Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,

They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
Saturday. It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
then the inversion. They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.


We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm. As the sedation cleared it
went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.

I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me and then the
cardiologist discharged me.

I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5 weeks.



FWIW..... my final bill for one night in ER and 5 days in cardiac
ICU...... $0.

On 2020-08-26 7:01 p.m., Dave Smith wrote:
> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
> in cardiac ICU.Â* Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>
> They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
> Saturday.Â* It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
> started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
> then the inversion.Â* They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
> they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
> down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>
>
> We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
> completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
> at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm.Â* As the sedation cleared it
> went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>
> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me and then the
> cardiologist discharged me.
>
> I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
> follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5
> weeks.
>
Great!!! I have an irregular h/beat (atrial flutter) and my Garmin
records the short pulses when I'm on my bike, whereas my sphig counts
the pressure peaks.
Is ablation a possibility in the future?
>
> FWIW..... my final bill for one night in ER and 5 daysÂ* in cardiac
> ICU......Â*Â*Â* $0.
>
I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:

> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,

That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?

Free health care but TV costs extra!

-sw

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 19:25:03 -0600, graham > wrote:

>On 2020-08-26 7:01 p.m., Dave Smith wrote:
>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>> in cardiac ICU.Â* Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>>
>> They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
>> Saturday.Â* It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
>> started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
>> then the inversion.Â* They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
>> they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
>> down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>>
>>
>> We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
>> completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
>> at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm.Â* As the sedation cleared it
>> went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>>
>> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
>> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me and then the
>> cardiologist discharged me.
>>
>> I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
>> follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5
>> weeks.
>>
>Great!!! I have an irregular h/beat (atrial flutter) and my Garmin
>records the short pulses when I'm on my bike, whereas my sphig counts
>the pressure peaks.
>Is ablation a possibility in the future?
>>
>> FWIW..... my final bill for one night in ER and 5 daysÂ* in cardiac
>> ICU......Â*Â*Â* $0.
>>
>I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.

Canadians aren't the only ones with free healthcare, you know. But
they are the only ones who always brag about it. Maybe because
Canadians compare everything to the US. That's a very low bar!

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 20:34:52 -0500, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:
>
>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>
>That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?
>
>Free health care but TV costs extra!

Is it the other way around in the US? Free TV but healthcare costs
extra?

On 8/26/2020 9:01 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
> in cardiac ICU.Â* Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>
> They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
> Saturday.Â* It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
> started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
> then the inversion.Â* They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
> they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
> down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>
>
> We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
> completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
> at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm.Â* As the sedation cleared it
> went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>
> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me and then the
> cardiologist discharged me.
>
> I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
> follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5
> weeks.
>
Glad you're home. Take it easy.

Jill

On 2020-08-26 9:25 p.m., graham wrote:
> On 2020-08-26 7:01 p.m., Dave Smith wrote:

>> I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
>> follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5
>> weeks.
>>
> Great!!! I have an irregular h/beat (atrial flutter) and my Garmin
> records the short pulses when I'm on my bike, whereas my sphig counts
> the pressure peaks.


That sounds like a better product than my Fitbit I was pretty confident
that my heart rate was okay because it was tracking my resting heart
beat, and that was always surprisingly low. I didn't pay a heck of a
lot of attention to the exercise tracking part of it because it was
early in lock down and I wasn't getting much.

It turns out that a friend of my son had a problem with AF. He was
wearing a Fitbit too, When he looked into the exercise reports he was
getting strenuous workouts around 3-4 am. It seems his heart was racing
like mad in the middle of the night. His not so smart watch was logging
the afib as exercise.



> Is ablation a possibility in the future?

The first cardiologist did not think so because at that point I was not
just experiencing bout of it. My heart just would not slow down. Now
that it has slowed to a normal rate that might change things. However,
his other concern was the wait list for that.
>>
>> FWIW..... my final bill for one night in ER and 5 daysÂ* in cardiac
>> ICU......Â*Â*Â* $0.
>>
> I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.


Good luck with that.
>

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>
>They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
>Saturday. It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
>started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
>then the inversion. They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
>they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
>down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>
>
>We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
>completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
>at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm. As the sedation cleared it
>went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>
>I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
>couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me and then the
>cardiologist discharged me.
>
>I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
>follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5 weeks.
>
>
>
>FWIW..... my final bill for one night in ER and 5 days in cardiac
>ICU...... $0.

I'm happy your are out. Wifi and TV is no extra charge at my hospital
Janet US

On 8/26/2020 9:52 PM, Bruce wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 20:34:52 -0500, Sqwertz >
> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:
>>
>>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>>
>> That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?
>>
>> Free health care but TV costs extra!
>
> Is it the other way around in the US? Free TV but healthcare costs
> extra?
>

They pay taxes, we pay insurance. Nothing is free. No extra charge for
the TV though.

On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 8:02:02 PM UTC-5, Dave Smith wrote:
>
> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>
> They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
> Saturday. It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
> started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
> then the inversion. They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
> they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
> down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>
>
> We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
> completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
> at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm. As the sedation cleared it
> went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>
> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me and then the
> cardiologist discharged me.
>
> I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
> follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5 weeks.
>
>
> FWIW..... my final bill for one night in ER and 5 days in cardiac
> ICU...... $0.
>
Thank goodness they got your heart back to normal or near-normal. Do
everything they tell you to do and don't miss any upcoming appointments.
I know you won't, but some people get to feeling better and see no reason
to keep doctor appointments.

On 8/26/2020 9:01 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>
> They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
> Saturday.Â* It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
> started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
> then the inversion.Â* They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
> they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
> down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>
>
> We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
> completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
> at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm.Â* As the sedation cleared it
> went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>

Glad to hear it. Hope it holds now with the meds..

On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 8:25:08 PM UTC-5, graham wrote:
>
> I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.
>
Good luck with your surgery tomorrow, Graham.

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 22:43:31 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

>On 8/26/2020 9:52 PM, Bruce wrote:
>> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 20:34:52 -0500, Sqwertz >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>
>>>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>>>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>>>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>>>
>>> That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?
>>>
>>> Free health care but TV costs extra!
>>
>> Is it the other way around in the US? Free TV but healthcare costs
>> extra?
>>
>
>They pay taxes, we pay insurance. Nothing is free. No extra charge for
>the TV though.

Nevertheless, the US is a 3rd world country compared to the rest of
the western world.

On 8/26/2020 10:37 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>>
>> They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
>> Saturday. It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
>> started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
>> then the inversion. They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
>> they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
>> down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>>
>>
>> We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
>> completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
>> at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm. As the sedation cleared it
>> went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>>
>> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
>> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me and then the
>> cardiologist discharged me.
>>
>> I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
>> follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5 weeks.
>>
>>
>>
>> FWIW..... my final bill for one night in ER and 5 days in cardiac
>> ICU...... $0.
>
> I'm happy your are out. Wifi and TV is no extra charge at my hospital
> Janet US
>
Granted, it's been a while since I was in the hospital (2008) for almost
a week but it never occurred to me to bring a laptop with me or ask if
they had wifi so I could connect to RFC. Congrats, Dave. Now take care
of yourself.

Jill

On 2020-08-26 8:47 p.m., wrote:
> On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 8:25:08 PM UTC-5, graham wrote:
>>
>> I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.
>>
> Good luck with your surgery tomorrow, Graham.
>
Thanks! It's on my bald head and there isn't much flesh the-(

On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 10:57:13 PM UTC-5, graham wrote:
>
> On 2020-08-26 8:47 p.m., wrote:
>
> > On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 8:25:08 PM UTC-5, graham wrote:
> >>
> >> I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.
> >>
> > Good luck with your surgery tomorrow, Graham.
> >
> Thanks! It's on my bald head and there isn't much flesh the-(
>
Tell that doctor to be careful around your noggin'.

My brother has had some skin cancers removed over the last 2 or 3 years.
He now wears an SPF-50 sunblock and a wide-brimmed hat when out doing
yard work. He tried just wearing a long-sleeved shirt but it would
just burn him up.

On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 9:34:55 PM UTC-4, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:
>
> > Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
> > in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
> > books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
> That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?
>
> Free health care but TV costs extra!
>
> -sw

Why not? TV isn't health care.

Cindy Hamilton

On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 10:43:37 PM UTC-4, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 8/26/2020 9:52 PM, Bruce wrote:
> > On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 20:34:52 -0500, Sqwertz >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:
> >>
> >>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
> >>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
> >>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
> >>
> >> That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?
> >>
> >> Free health care but TV costs extra!
> >
> > Is it the other way around in the US? Free TV but healthcare costs
> > extra?
> >
> They pay taxes, we pay insurance. Nothing is free. No extra charge for
> the TV though.

Those of us who can afford it pay insurance. Those who can't have much
worse outcomes.

We pay more than other Western democracies for worse results overall,
mainly because of historical circumstance (the health insurance industry
is huge and has a strong sense of self-preservation) but also because a
bunch of people say, "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Cindy Hamilton

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 20:34:52 -0500, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:
>
>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>
>That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?
>
>Free health care but TV costs extra!
>
>-sw

Depends where you are - here it is always free, donated by an
anonymous wealthy citizen and gratefully received by all.

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 19:25:03 -0600, graham > wrote:

>On 2020-08-26 7:01 p.m., Dave Smith wrote:
>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>> in cardiac ICU.* Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>>
>> They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
>> Saturday.* It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
>> started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
>> then the inversion.* They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
>> they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
>> down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>>
>>
>> We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
>> completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
>> at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm.* As the sedation cleared it
>> went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>>
>> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
>> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me and then the
>> cardiologist discharged me.
>>
>> I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
>> follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5
>> weeks.
>>
>Great!!! I have an irregular h/beat (atrial flutter) and my Garmin
>records the short pulses when I'm on my bike, whereas my sphig counts
>the pressure peaks.
>Is ablation a possibility in the future?
>>
>> FWIW..... my final bill for one night in ER and 5 days* in cardiac
>> ICU......*** $0.
>>
>I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.

Good Luck! A friend had one removed about a month ago, she said it
was not too bad.

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 22:43:31 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

>On 8/26/2020 9:52 PM, Bruce wrote:
>> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 20:34:52 -0500, Sqwertz >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>
>>>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>>>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>>>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>>>
>>> That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?
>>>
>>> Free health care but TV costs extra!
>>
>> Is it the other way around in the US? Free TV but healthcare costs
>> extra?
>>
>
>They pay taxes, we pay insurance. Nothing is free. No extra charge for
>the TV though.

I believe insurance in the US is very high whereas our sales tax is
more or less, depending how much money you have free to spend on
goods. If you are wealthy and buying mercedes, then you pay more.
Seems a good idea to me!

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 23:25:38 -0400, jmcquown >
wrote:

>On 8/26/2020 10:37 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:
>> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>>>
>>> They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
>>> Saturday. It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
>>> started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
>>> then the inversion. They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
>>> they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
>>> down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>>>
>>>
>>> We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
>>> completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
>>> at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm. As the sedation cleared it
>>> went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>>>
>>> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
>>> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me and then the
>>> cardiologist discharged me.
>>>
>>> I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
>>> follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5 weeks.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> FWIW..... my final bill for one night in ER and 5 days in cardiac
>>> ICU...... $0.
>>
>> I'm happy your are out. Wifi and TV is no extra charge at my hospital
>> Janet US
>>
>Granted, it's been a while since I was in the hospital (2008) for almost
>a week but it never occurred to me to bring a laptop with me or ask if
>they had wifi so I could connect to RFC. Congrats, Dave. Now take care
>of yourself.
>
>Jill

Last Xmas when I was in for nearly three weeks it was my life line
being able to text with my kids and grandchildren. We could all
communicate without disturbing other people with phones ringing at odd
intervals.

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:57:09 -0600, graham > wrote:

>On 2020-08-26 8:47 p.m., wrote:
>> On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 8:25:08 PM UTC-5, graham wrote:
>>>
>>> I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.
>>>
>> Good luck with your surgery tomorrow, Graham.
>>
>Thanks! It's on my bald head and there isn't much flesh the-(

Well that means you won't come home with a bald patch mowed in your
hair :-Þ

On Thu, 27 Aug 2020 02:53:04 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
> wrote:

>On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 10:43:37 PM UTC-4, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> On 8/26/2020 9:52 PM, Bruce wrote:
>> > On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 20:34:52 -0500, Sqwertz >
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>> >>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>> >>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>> >>
>> >> That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?
>> >>
>> >> Free health care but TV costs extra!
>> >
>> > Is it the other way around in the US? Free TV but healthcare costs
>> > extra?
>> >
>> They pay taxes, we pay insurance. Nothing is free. No extra charge for
>> the TV though.
>
>Those of us who can afford it pay insurance. Those who can't have much
>worse outcomes.
>
>We pay more than other Western democracies for worse results overall,
>mainly because of historical circumstance (the health insurance industry
>is huge and has a strong sense of self-preservation) but also because a
>bunch of people say, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
>
>Cindy Hamilton

Healthcare started in Canada in 1968 - I remember all the ads and
screaming Blue Cross etc did!

On 8/27/2020 7:42 AM, Lucretia Borgia wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:57:09 -0600, graham > wrote:
>
>> On 2020-08-26 8:47 p.m., wrote:
>>> On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 8:25:08 PM UTC-5, graham wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.
>>>>
>>> Good luck with your surgery tomorrow, Graham.
>>>
>> Thanks! It's on my bald head and there isn't much flesh the-(
>
> Well that means you won't come home with a bald patch mowed in your
> hair :-Þ
>
LOL!

Jill

On 2020-08-26 10:37 p.m., wrote:
> On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 10:57:13 PM UTC-5, graham wrote:
>>
>> On 2020-08-26 8:47 p.m., wrote:
>>
>>> On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 8:25:08 PM UTC-5, graham wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.
>>>>
>>> Good luck with your surgery tomorrow, Graham.
>>>
>> Thanks! It's on my bald head and there isn't much flesh the-(
>>
> Tell that doctor to be careful around your noggin'.
>
> My brother has had some skin cancers removed over the last 2 or 3 years.
> He now wears an SPF-50 sunblock and a wide-brimmed hat when out doing
> yard work. He tried just wearing a long-sleeved shirt but it would
> just burn him up.
>
I've been doing that for many, many years but these things take a long
time to appear.

On 2020-08-27 5:42 a.m., Lucretia Borgia wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:57:09 -0600, graham > wrote:
>
>> On 2020-08-26 8:47 p.m., wrote:
>>> On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 8:25:08 PM UTC-5, graham wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I am due to have a basal cell carcinoma removed tomorrow. Cost? $0.
>>>>
>>> Good luck with your surgery tomorrow, Graham.
>>>
>> Thanks! It's on my bald head and there isn't much flesh the-(
>
> Well that means you won't come home with a bald patch mowed in your
> hair :-Þ
>
Certainly true:-)

On 2020-08-26 11:25 p.m., jmcquown wrote:
> On 8/26/2020 10:37 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:
>
>> I'm happy your are out.Â* Wifi and TV is no extra charge at my hospital
>> Janet US
>>
> Granted, it's been a while since I was in the hospital (2008) for almost
> a week but it never occurred to me to bring a laptop with me or ask if
> they had wifi so I could connect to RFC.Â* Congrats, Dave.Â* Now take care
> of yourself.
>

TY. If I had known that I was going to the hospital I would have taken
my laptop with me instead of having to wait for my wife to bring it.
This is my fourth trip to the hospital in 10 years. The last one was for
a hornet sting and I was in and out in a few hours. It would have been
faster except that I had to stay for observation. The times before that
were an angiogram that went badly and the stomach flu that turned out to
be a very badly infected gall bladder.

On 2020-08-27 7:38 a.m., Lucretia Borgia wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 22:43:31 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>
>> They pay taxes, we pay insurance. Nothing is free. No extra charge for
>> the TV though.
>

The US spends a lot of money on health care, about $2,500 per person,
Canada spends about $7,500 per person, and everyone is covered.


> I believe insurance in the US is very high whereas our sales tax is
> more or less, depending how much money you have free to spend on
> goods. If you are wealthy and buying mercedes, then you pay more.
> Seems a good idea to me!


That sounds good in theory to some people, but I am not sure that it is
fair to all concerned. It is much like the argument that restaurant
servers use, that if someone can afford an expensive meal in a
restaurant they can afford to leave a bigger tip. If they didn't have
to leave a tip they might be able to afford to go out for more dinners.
Buying an expensive car is often an economical move. They are more
reliable, last longer and have a better resale value.

Check out the sales tax on new cars in Denmark. It runs from 100-180%,
the more expensive the car the higher the tax. Part of the reason they
reduced it was to encourage people to work. People living in areas with
poor public transit could not afford to get to work.

On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 12:41:44 PM UTC-4, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2020-08-27 7:38 a.m., Lucretia Borgia wrote:
> > On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 22:43:31 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
> >
> >> They pay taxes, we pay insurance. Nothing is free. No extra charge for
> >> the TV though.
> >
> The US spends a lot of money on health care, about $2,500 per person,

We wish. It's slightly north of $11,000 per person. That's everything: insurance
premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.

<https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NationalHealthAccountsHistorical>

Quite a bit of that $11 large is paid by employers. And of course people who
make very little money pay less or forgo seeing a doctor, etc.

Cindy Hamilton

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>
>They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
>Saturday. It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
>started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
>then the inversion. They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
>they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
>down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>
>
>We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
>completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
>at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm. As the sedation cleared it
>went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>
>I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
>couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me

What did the dietician recommend?


>and then the
>cardiologist discharged me.
>
>I have a number of medications I have to take for a while, have to
>follow up with my GP in a couple weeks and then the cardiologist in 5 weeks.
>
>
>
>FWIW..... my final bill for one night in ER and 5 days in cardiac
>ICU...... $0.

On 2020-08-27 9:22 a.m., graham wrote:
> On 2020-08-26 10:37 p.m., wrote:

>> My brother has had some skin cancers removed over the last 2 or 3 years.
>> He now wears an SPF-50 sunblock and a wide-brimmed hat when out doing
>> yard work.Â* He tried just wearing a long-sleeved shirt but it would
>> just burn him up.
>>
> I've been doing that for many, many years but these things take a long
> time to appear.

I have been seeing a dermatologist for a few years. I get little bumps
that are apparently a pre-cancerous condition. He sprays them with
nitrogen. It seems to be keeping worse things at bay.

Sheldon Martin wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>>
>> They tried to get my heart rate back to normal with cardiac inversion on
>> Saturday. It wa up in the 180s when I first went to the ER. That one
>> started of with transesophageal cardioechogram...... no fun at all, and
>> then the inversion. They tried it three times but it didn't work, so
>> they switched to intravenous medications. When those got my heart rate
>> down under 100 they opted to try inversion again.
>>
>>
>> We did that this morning. It worked. I was heavily sedated but not out
>> completely. I felt the jolt. Within a minute I was alert enough to look
>> at the monitor and I was beating at 50 bpm. As the sedation cleared it
>> went up to about 60 and stayed there, and was regular.
>>
>> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
>> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me
>
> What did the dietician recommend?
>

Spinach.

On Thu, 27 Aug 2020 02:50:08 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton wrote:

> On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 9:34:55 PM UTC-4, Sqwertz wrote:
>> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:
>>
>>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>> That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?
>>
>> Free health care but TV costs extra!
>
> Why not? TV isn't health care.

Just like ketchup isn't French fries.

Don't be lame. You're even starting to act like Bruce.

-sw

On 2020-08-27 1:21 p.m., Sheldon Martin wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith

>> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
>> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me
>
> What did the dietician recommend?

Nothing good for my palate. In addition to my former cardiac diet I am
now supposed to avoid salt pretty much completely, and have to limit
liquid consumption to two liters per day. Red meat should be avoided and
plant based meals once or twice a week.

Apparently, it something is tasty and filling, I should not eat it.

On Thu, 27 Aug 2020 15:42:52 -0500, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Thu, 27 Aug 2020 02:50:08 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>
>> On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 9:34:55 PM UTC-4, Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>
>>>> Well, that trip to the lab for blood work and EKG turned into 6 day stay
>>>> in cardiac ICU. Thank goodness my wife brought my laptop and some
>>>> books. Thanks to Covid19, wifi and TV were free,
>>> That would normally cost you extra in a hospital?
>>>
>>> Free health care but TV costs extra!
>>
>> Why not? TV isn't health care.
>
>Just like ketchup isn't French fries.
>
>Don't be lame. You're even starting to act like Bruce.

A well disguised compliment.

On 2020-08-27 1:08 p.m., Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2020-08-27 9:22 a.m., graham wrote:
>> On 2020-08-26 10:37 p.m., wrote:
>
>>> My brother has had some skin cancers removed over the last 2 or 3 years.
>>> He now wears an SPF-50 sunblock and a wide-brimmed hat when out doing
>>> yard work.Â* He tried just wearing a long-sleeved shirt but it would
>>> just burn him up.
>>>
>> I've been doing that for many, many years but these things take a long
>> time to appear.
>
> I have been seeing a dermatologist for a few years.Â* I get little bumps
> that are apparently a pre-cancerous condition.Â* He sprays them with
> nitrogen. It seems to be keeping worse things at bay.

I was on that regime but a few months ago he had me use Efudex and it
cleared up everything.

On 8/27/2020 5:01 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2020-08-27 1:21 p.m., Sheldon Martin wrote:
>> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith
>
>>> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
>>> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me
>>
>> What did the dietician recommend?
>
> Nothing good for my palate. In addition to my former cardiac diet I am
> now supposed to avoid salt pretty much completely, and have to limit
> liquid consumption to two liters per day. Red meat should be avoided and
> plant based meals once or twice a week.
>
> Apparently, it something is tasty and filling, I should not eat it.
>
>
Isn't that always the way? At least there are some good herbal
seasoning blends available (Mrs. Dash brand comes to mind) that can
impart flavour when you can't use salt. Potassium chloride is touted as
a salt substitute, too, but that stuff tastes nasty. Good luck, Dave!

Jill

On 8/27/2020 9:10 PM, jmcquown wrote:

> Isn't that always the way?Â* At least there are some good herbal
> seasoning blends available (Mrs. Dash brand comes to mind) that can
> impart flavour when you can't use salt.Â* Potassium chloride is touted as
> a salt substitute, too, but that stuff tastes nasty.Â* Good luck, Dave!
>
> Jill

For some of us it would be worse than salt. My potassium level
sometimes runs high. It can also mess with your heart.

I use salt but not much. If you use a lot it takes a couple of weeks to
get over it and food tastes normal again.

On Thu, 27 Aug 2020 21:10:36 -0400, jmcquown >
wrote:

>On 8/27/2020 5:01 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>> On 2020-08-27 1:21 p.m., Sheldon Martin wrote:
>>> On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:01:56 -0400, Dave Smith
>>
>>>> I had to be monitored for a couple more hours and it was still steady a
>>>> couple hours later. They sent a dietitian to talk to me
>>>
>>> What did the dietician recommend?
>>
>> Nothing good for my palate. In addition to my former cardiac diet I am
>> now supposed to avoid salt pretty much completely, and have to limit
>> liquid consumption to two liters per day. Red meat should be avoided and
>> plant based meals once or twice a week.
>>
>> Apparently, it something is tasty and filling, I should not eat it.
>>
>>
>Isn't that always the way? At least there are some good herbal
>seasoning blends available (Mrs. Dash brand comes to mind) that can
>impart flavour when you can't use salt. Potassium chloride is touted as
>a salt substitute, too, but that stuff tastes nasty. Good luck, Dave!
>
>Jill

A scant pinch of msg does wonders.