health care

[Guest guest]

This is sickening! So now we are going to become a society that allows people

to die " by the side of the road " because someone playing God will determine that

their death is of more benefit to society?

Of course, the " recession " and " medical care crisis " began for us in 2001, and

I'm sure the crunch has been felt by all of you who have a child with ASD.

With our son's regression came a non-specified metabolic disorder and a

non-specified immune disorder. While our son has progressed from

moderate/severe to high functioning as far as autism issues go, we have still

had to deal with a disrupted immune system. He has had pneumonia several times

over the years. For every year except last year, he would get an infection with

fever every two weeks. Last year he missed only twenty-three days of school,

but we had to put him on a long-acting steroid to accomplish this. He will

still develop cellulitis every time an insect bites him. His medical bills have

taken our life savings and then some. I'm sure many of you are in the same

boat.

Why isn't anyone looking at what doctors make as a possible area to cut costs?

Doctors are essential to society in the same way teacher, policemen, and firemen

are, but let's look at the disparity between what these professions make and

what doctors make. And how do they make their money? For the most part, it is

by guessing! It is by trial and error.

If I pay $2000.00 to get my car fixed and it isn't fixed, the mechanic has to

fix it or give me my money back, or he gets in trouble for not fixing it. If I

buy a product and it is faulty, I get my money back. A doctor can kill you or

(give your child a shot that damages him for life) and he gets off free.

No where is " Caveat emptor " more apropos than in the medical profession.

Doctors are taught " When you hear hoof beats, think horses, " but more often than

not, the answer is a zebra. They over book their days and rely too heavily on

the pharmaceutical industry. Unfortunately there are more " dealers " than

" healers. "

I am appreciative of the " healers. " They are hard to find. How many doctors

would stay in the profession if they were salaried as teachers and policemen?

There would be no doctors without teachers.

If there are doctors who truly care about these children with autism and all the

related illnesses that go with it, then why won't they accept Medicaid?

After eight years I am so aware of the many ways our children have been failed

--medically, educationally. It makes it hard to believe in democracy as

anything more than a nice idea in theory. It is incomprehensible to me that

while many of these children suffer an iatrogenic disease, they are not afforded

the same civil rights afforded to a murderer -- most importantly the right to be

heard.

Sorry, I just had to vent!