A Decade of Mercy

I'm about to head to bed and by the time I wake up, this little dude's odometer will have turned, and he'll be in double digits.

Sure, my youngest hitting the decade mark makes me feel older than any of my own birthdays could. But the important -- and mind-blowing -- thing is that this one has made it this far in pretty good health and spirits. Sure, there've been more hospitalizations for him than the rest of my little family combined (more than double, actually) -- but none have been truly worrisome, really they've mostly been expensive annoyances. (for the skinny on this, if you're new to the saga, click here)

We don't owe this to his own strength and perseverance (which he has in spades), to the care of his wonderful mother, his passable father, his supportive siblings (who are really his most devoted caretakers when it counts), the grandparents and extended family who are always ready to drop everything and help, his two excellent doctors, or anything else merely human.

It's the mercy and care of Our Lord, who by His providence has given him better health, greater strength, and better kidney function than anyone could've expected. But this covenant child, recipient of the promise of God is seeing His God's hand at work in his life. He, more than many his age, can see that (in the words of Thomas Watson) "We are kept alive by a wonderful-working Providence. Providence makes our clothes to warm us, and our food to nourish us. We are fed every day out of the alms-basket of God's providence. That we are in health, that we have an estate, is not by our diligence—but God's providence."

So tonight we celebrated the anniversary of his birth. We celebrated the time we've had with him, and the time we look forward to. But most of all, consciously or not, we celebrated the Triune God's care for him.

Gracious Lord, I thank you for our little Arnold, and beg Your continued care for his health as I plead for You to draw him to a saving knowledge of You.

And son? Happy birthday, and Lord willing, many happy returns.

Fiddy

Am sure this is of little concern to you all, but it's big enough to me that I have to mention it (besides, this has been one of those über draining days that render thought almost impossible, so be happy I came up with anything). A few months back, I said that I'd lost 20 pounds so far this year. I've kept at it, and am pleased to announce that I've lost a little bit more:

And it's a good thing I hit that yesterday. Have had one of those weeks where I was on the verge of throwing in the towel and piling it on--you know, having a large Chicago Fire Pizza every day for lunch, and getting caught up on my lounging around. I'm tired of all the work, fed up with feeling hungry all the time...yada yada yada. But when the scale flashed that magic number at me, that was all the reinforcement I needed. Back to the trench warfare that this weight-loss project has become...15 lbs to go!

Real Health Care Reform

The Idaho Press-Tribune today talks about a new local company doing something to offer real, needed change to the Health Care Industry (and no, I'm not being sarcastic/ironic/snarky/whatever).

An RN and an anesthesiologist^* have developed this little thing they call "Privacy Preferred Hospital Gown" and it offers just that--a hospital gown with privacy, which most people (other than sitcom writers looking for an easy joke) prefer. Y'see, it parts on the side and ties in the front, yet provides all the easy kinds of access people with IVs, needles, stethoscopes, etc need to have.

Simple, straightforward, an idea that who's time has come (decades ago, really). May their tribe increase.


^* yes, I had to copy and paste that word to make sure it was spelled correctly.

The Day Every Parent Dreams Of...

...before they wake screaming.

I took my son to the orthodontist for an initial consultation today. Ahhh, the memories we'll cherish.

First off, I should say that all the staff were very friendly, very pleased to see us in their office, and gave an overall impression that this was a great place to be. Now I know that many companies strive for their employees to act that way amongst customers/clients (esp. prospective ones), but I got the impression that these people were genuinely excited about orthodontics. Which is pretty scary.

Even the waiting room was interesting--the tasteful photographs on the wall were enough to make the subconscious open to the idea of braces--a shot of the Statue of Liberty under construction (or the remodel in the 80's) surrounded by scaffolding, another of a suspension bridge being built. Which at least gave us grounds of an impromptu lesson in bridge construction (Frodo was convinced the guys in the picture were doing it backwards).

So we go back and get all sorts of X-rays and close-up pictures of his teeth, the shape of his mouth and whatnot--several using oddly shaped pieces of hard plastic to pull his lips out of the way (and man, I wish I could've been taking pictures of that to use as blackmail)--and a couple involving mirrors, of all things. After which, the doctor did the typical poking and prodding thing, using a light so bright I halfway think Frodo wished he was struck blind before being exposed to.

Then, rather than talking to us there at the chair, we were taken back into this tiny little office for a description of what was going on. I'm not exactly sure why--it's not like there's a great need to protect our privacy, every other patient/parent in the place knew what we were there for--the same thing as them. Anyway, we're shown those photos just taken, highlighting the several areas of concern/problems. The main issue is that he has 4 deciduous teeth (if he were younger, he'd feel okay with me calling them 'baby teeth') that have no permanent replacements growing beneath them--and 2 of those are starting to cause some big problems--so gets to have them removed (oh, the fun never stops!). Then they'll work on moving things around so those gaps are filled, and start to align things to correct his "deep bite." "Deep" being a polite euphemism for "overbite so bad he might as well be drawn by Matt Groening.

But the good news was that he doesn't want to start this right away--for one thing, we have to have those extractions, and then there are a couple more deciduous teeth that need to come out on their own, etc. So we'll get a checkup or two and then probably start this whole process in earnest in a year and a half or so.

And just as I start to think about that time frame and feel a sense of relief (on Frodo's behalf), he adds, "Which is good, that'll give you time to go home and start saving your pennies--because this one's going to cost you."

That's right, the orthodontist thinks this is gonna be expensive.

Anyone have a rich, dying uncle to spare?

Carly Fiorina on Health Care Reform

GOP Senate Candidate Carly Fiorina delivered the weekly GOP talking point snoozefestradio address this week -- without mention of parties, election campaigns, or any individual politician, that alone should warrant a lot of attention. Maybe even a Congressional Medal of Honor or something.

Anyway, this particular breast cancer survivor looks at the effect that the recent recommendations from that task force on changing when women should get mammograms would have under proposed Heath Care Reform bills. And the picture she paints ain't pretty.

Multiply that out over the effect such committees could have over all sorts of medical tests/procedures, and you begin to get an idea of what a devastating impact this reform could have on lives (ignoring quality of care, economics, taxes, etc.).

Here's what she said:

Hello. This is Carly Fiorina. And today I’d like to speak to you as one of the more than two and a half million women in America who have been diagnosed with breast cancer — and beaten it.

Like everyone else who’s diagnosed with cancer, I never thought it would happen to me. I was fit, healthy, and active. I even got regular check-ups. But earlier this year, just two weeks after a clear mammogram, I discovered a lump through a self-exam.

Soon after that came the diagnosis, the surgery, the long and difficult treatment regimen, and the painful experience of wondering whether I would make it, whether I’d pull through.

I’m fortunate to live near one of the greatest cancer centers in the world. I’m fortunate to have the incredible love and support of family and friends. And my diagnosis gave me time to think about my future — because one of the things that happens when you have to face your fears, including the fear of dying, is that you can face your future with renewed hope and enthusiasm.

My doctors tell me I have won my battle with cancer. And, I realize that this makes me one of the lucky ones. Last year alone, more than 40,000 Americans died from breast cancer. Aside from lung cancer, breast cancer is the most fatal form of cancer for American women. Nearly 200,000 new cases were reported last year alone.

That’s why a recent recommendation on mammograms by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government-run panel of health care professionals that makes recommendations on prevention, struck such a nerve. The task force did not include an oncologist or a radiologist, in other words cancer experts did not develop this recommendation. They said that most women under 50 don’t need regular mammograms and that women over 50 should only get them every other year. And yet we all know that the chances of surviving cancer are greater the earlier it’s detected. If I’d followed this new recommendation and waited another two years, I’m not sure I’d be alive today.

What’s more this task force was explicitly asked to focus on costs, not just prevention. As it turned out, costs were a significant factor in this recommendation. Will a bureaucrat determine that my life isn’t worth saving?

All this takes on even greater urgency in the midst of the ongoing health care debate in Washington. We wonder if we are heading down a path where the federal government will at first suggest and then mandate new standards for prevention and treatment. Do we really want government bureaucrats rather than doctors dictating how we prevent and treat something like breast cancer?

The response we’ve gotten to these questions has been less than encouraging. In the face of a national outcry over the recent task force recommendations, the Secretary of Health and Human Services said the Preventive Services Task Force doesn’t set federal policy. The real question, though, is whether bodies like this would set policy under the $2.5 trillion, 2,074-page plan that’s now making its way through Congress?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question isn’t encouraging either. The health care bill now being debated in the Senate explicitly empowers this very task force to influence future coverage and preventive care. Section 4105, for example, authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to deny payment for prevention services the task force recommends against. Another section requires every health plan in America to cover task force recommended preventive services. In fact, there are more than a dozen examples in the bill where this task force is empowered to influence care.

There is a reason American women with breast cancer have a higher survival rate than women in countries with government-run health care. Unlike those countries, our government doesn’t dictate what prevention and treatments women can get.

While some defend the idea of a government task force, my experience with cancer tells me it’s wrong. Cutting down on mammograms might save the government some money that it will then spend on something else. But it won’t save lives. And isn’t that what health care reform was supposed to be all about?

This is just one in many examples of serious problems with this healthcare reform legislation. Rather than remaking the entire national healthcare system at the cost of higher taxes and exploding deficits, we should build on what works, such as expanding access to integrated care and to community clinics that will give those most in need appropriate care at a reasonable price.

Congress should reform medical malpractice to match what we have in California where frivolous lawsuits are a thing of the past. We should permit consumers to purchase health insurance from any company in the country, expanding consumer choice and driving down cost and unnecessary mandates.

People want to know that their care will stay where it belongs: in the hands of doctors and patients. Unfortunately, the path Congress is on in this debate is not giving us the confidence that it will.

Thank you.

Some Things to Ponder

Another one of those days where as much as I might sit and stare at the blank white space here, nothing fills it.

• Fantasy author Jim C. Hines has a spot-on piece, "Lincoln U’s Big Fat Fail"

  In 2006, Lincoln University in Pennsylvania instituted a policy that students with a BMI of 30 or higher must take a "Fitness for Life" class. The students affected by this rule are now seniors, some of whom may not be able to graduate, either because they haven’t gotten their BMI tested by the university or because they have a BMI of 30 or higher and haven’t taken the class.

  As a follow-up, he posted a link to Kate Harding’s slideshow of various BMI ranges
• TV Writer Ken Levine tells some of the behind-the-scenes tales from A Charlie Brown Christmas that make our possession of this treat seem even more special.

  A holiday tradition is A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS and we pretty much have a Mad Man to thank for it. John Allen was a Don Draper at McCann-Erickson in the mid 60s. On behalf of Coca-Cola he was lobbying for Charlie Brown. It would be the first animated adaptation of Charles M. Schultz’s classic PEANUTS comic strip. But Allen had to really twist arms because in typical fashion, CBS hated it.
  
  They thought the animation was awful, the story too thin and depressing, the jazz score inappropriate for kids, and of course wanted a laugh-track.

• Over at the Campaign for Liberty, Sheldon Richman discusses the similarities between Inconsistent Conservatives and ProgressivesListening to the leading voices of conservatism and progressivism, one gets the feeling they are not quite listening to themselves. On any given day you are likely to hear each side make arguments against the other that fully apply to itself in some area of public policy.
• Last, but not least, Jon Stewart on Climate-gate/problems the Left is having under our new prez

  The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
  Scientists Hide Global Warming Data
  www.thedailyshow.com
  Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

  
  

Not Sure Which is Worse...

Trying to imagine what this man went through, or the very real possibility that there are countless like him.

From the Daily Mail:

A car crash victim has spoken of the horror he endured for 23 years after he was misdiagnosed as being in a coma when he was conscious the whole time.

Rom Houben, trapped in his paralysed body after a car crash, described his real-life nightmare as he screamed to doctors that he could hear them - but could make no sound.

'I screamed, but there was nothing to hear,' said Mr Houben, now 46, who doctors thought was in a persistent vegatative state.

'I dreamed myself away,' he added, tapping his tale out with the aid of a computer.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1230092/Rom-Houben-Patient-trapped-23-year-coma-conscious-along.html#ixzz0Xh8dZBP1

You've got to read the whole thing.

Arnold Kidney Update

Had our regular checkup with Arnold's nephrologist today, on the whole, things are very positive, and look good for now. He's recovered from his recent hospitalization, and bout of Swine Flu well. Everything's about where it should be.

I did learn a couple of things, both about the future and about kidney treatments in general. First of all, the doc reported that his hemoglobin was good. Am pretty sure this is the first time he's bothered to mention that--maybe he's muttered something mostly to himself about it a time or two. He went on to inform me that when his kidney function worsens (about 25% efficiency or so), he'll need a weekly injection to boost that. I'm getting it on the record now that I hereby volunteer TLoML to give that, assuming it's not something a professional has to administer.

His growth rate is slowing, and assuming it continues the way it is, within a year or two we're going to have to talk about growth hormone. Apparently, and this was news to me, it's not that kidney patients don't produce the normal amount of growth hormones themselves. Rather, there's something also produces that blocks the hormone. So, (assuming he gets the hormone) he'll be given a dose equivalent to that given to someone who doesn't produce the hormone on his own, which will be enough to overcome the block. This will come in the form of daily injections. Please see the previous paragraph for my stance on the administration thereof.

His kidney function had been thrown off by the infections/dehydration that were behind his recent hospitalization, but the lab results show that they're back to where they were before. In the past, the doc's been able to do a quick and dirty calculation to estimate kidney function based on those results. But thanks to that pediatric study we've talked about before (here and here, for example), that calculation has been thrown out. The doc was sorta grumbling about that (a diagnostic tool he's used his entire career has been tossed) and sorta informing me about the use of that study. Apparently, they've been able to adapt the calculation to come up with a way to estimate function for girls, but they're still working on it for boys, so his usual rough guess is rougher than normal. We're at 35%-ish. He didn't tell me what the range on that is, but in the past it's been +/- 15%.

The last thing I wanted to mention has nothing to do with Arnold's condition, but when we talked about the hospital stay, I mentioned that the insurance company was hassling us about paying for it. He was incredulous about that and volunteered to help with the appeal. Then he said something about at least when dealing with an insurance company there's a person you can talk to and "if it gets to the point it's the government deciding these things, it'll be a wall." I see him briefly catch himself before finishing his thought after saying the word "government", but then he must've decided he didn't care about opening a potential can of worms and spoke his mind. I know there are exceptions, but I've yet to find a medical professional in favor of the legislation before Congress.

whoo-hoo! I'm a statistic!

Just got back from the doctor's a little while ago, turns out I have swine flu. They decided to treat me aggressively because 1. he's afraid of me developing bronchitis/pneumonia and the quicker this goes away, the less likely that is; and B. they don't want Arnold getting this--so again, the quicker this goes away...

Trick is, my pharmacy is out of the stuff they need (apparently there's been a run on this stuff, maybe a lot of people are sick or something, I should check the news...), but they called around and found a few doses at a competitor in town. Otherwise, I'd have had to wait 'til Saturday at the earliest.

Major kudos to the clerk at Walgreens for going well beyond the call for me.

Unscheduled Absence

So much for that streak...Sorry I've been away from the blog, Arnold's been in the hospital since Friday, so obviously, not been very conducive to blogging. Nothing serious, I'll post some details in a day or so. Maybe.

Anyway, he'll hopefully be released tomorrow, so I'll try to get back on this thing by Wednesday.

Not Exactly Sure How This is Supposed to Make Me Sleep Better

As I've mentioned before, I have sleep apnea, and occasionally (far to rarely, to be honest) use a CPAP machine. Ideally, this device is supposed to keep air flowing into my lungs no matter what my body wants.

In reality, this device makes a lot of noise, makes my face sweat and will frequently convince me that I'm being smothered in my sleep.

But anyway, it's something I need to use, because if I remember my 8^th grade health class, breathing is a pretty important thing to do.

So now I get a recall notice from the machine's manufacturer. If I have a DC powered humidifier, I may be in jeopardy--I'm fine if it's AC powered. Somehow, this is the only appliance I have with a power chord where both the chord and the place you plug it into have no labels about amps, volts, or other words used by energy drink marketing gurus. So instead I get a grainy, black and white zerox of a photo of the back of a DC powered machine.

I think my machine matches--I may have to take a digital photo, print it on an old printer and run it through a copier for a few generations to be sure, tho. So now having determined that I probably have a DC machine, "There is a remote probability that some failures may result in thermal deformation..." Now, I'm not a technician, or an engineer, so I'm not absolutely certain, but to me "thermal deformation" sounds like "things will melt due to heat."

I'm assured that, "There have been no reported injuries or property damage as a result..." That sentence is just begging for a "yet", isn't it?

The thermal deformation will be accompanied by a "blinking blue light" on the control knob, so I'll have some warning before I become eligible to be the exception to the "no reported injuries or property damage."

Of course, the only time I use this doo-hickey, I'm asleep, and I tend to do that with my eyes closed, so I probably won't notice any blue lights, blinking or otherwise.

That is, if I ever sleep again.

Shocked, Shocked to Hear this About Oregon's Assisted Suicide/Health Care

I'm also still having problems believing that there's gambling at Rick's...

Basically, Oregon's Health Care system won't pay for this lady's chemo, but they'll chip in to help in other ways, like say, Assisted Suicide.

Szasz on Universal Health Care

Thomas Szasz, who should be required reading for everybody on Pschology, has some wise words on the idea of Universal Health Care. Go check out his WSJ Opinion piece "Universal Health Care Isn't Worth Our Freedom". He begins with:

People who seek the services of auto mechanics want car repair, not "auto care." Similarly, most people who seek the services of medical doctors want body repair, not "health care."

We own our cars, are responsible for the cost of maintaining them, and decide what needs fixing based partly on balancing the seriousness of the problem against the expense of repairing it. Our health-care system rests on the principle that, although we own our bodies, the community or state ought to be responsible for paying the cost of repairing them. This is for the ostensibly noble purpose of redistributing the potentially ruinous expense of the medical care of unfortunate individuals.

But here is the crux of his point (but leaving some of the details for you to read in the original)

The idea that every life is infinitely precious and therefore everyone deserves the same kind of optimal medical care is a fine religious sentiment and moral ideal. As political and economic policy, it is vainglorious delusion. . . .

Our national conversation about curbing the cost of health care is crippled by the vocabulary in which we conduct it. We must stop talking about "health care" as if it were some kind of collective public service, like fire protection, provided equally to everyone who needs it. No government can provide the same high quality body repair services to everyone. Not all doctors are equally good physicians, and not all sick persons are equally good patients.

Arnold Update

Had our regular checkup with the kidney doc today. Everything was in the good to excellent range on the blood test front. Kidney function was at 35-40%, but the doc's not worried--hydration level alone is worth a few percentage points. The doc took a minute or two with the other kids to drill them on anatomy, and teach 'em a little bit (that was fun). And I learned the phrase "the third kidney." Educational for all involved.

Overall, very pleased.

The big news is, he started reading this week. Yeah, if he was less stubborn, he'd have done it in February. Yeah, he's older than his siblings were when they started. But, really, who cares? The kid's on the verge of literacy.

Couldn't be prouder.

...oh yeah, and this weekend, he started whistling. He's pretty good at it, definitely better than any of his siblings (either at this age, or currently). And he knows he's good, so he does it a lot.

Absolutely irritating.

Not for the Weak of Heart

From The Mail Online:

The largest kidney stones most doctors ever get to see is the size of a golf ball.

So surgeons in Hungary were taken aback when they removed a stone the size of a coconut from a man earlier today.

Sandor Sarkadi underwent an abdominal operation in Debrecen, 150 miles east of Budapest, after doctors discovered he had a kidney stone inside him that was 17 centimetres in diameter.

Yeah, 17 cm in diameter, 2.48 lbs.

Click the link to see photos, X-Rays of the thing. I honestly do not know if I've ever felt sorrier for anyone than I do that Hungarian. Feeling faint just thinking about it.