In the last 5 years, have you had a medical procedure?

[Solly Mack]

If Yes - Please - answer the following

1 - Was it emergency/life-saving or elective?

2 - Name the Supreme Court ruling(s) that have either

a - put said medical procedure in jeopardy of being banned - or actually banned
b - reaffirmed the right to the medical procedure
c - don't be silly - it was a medical procedure

3 - Name the state votes by any court, Congress - and or - election ballot that have

a - put said medical procedure in jeopardy of being banned - or actually banned
b - reaffirmed the right to the procedure
c - don't be silly - it was a medical procedure

4 - Medical facility for medical procedure (to include a doctor's office) - Has it ever

a - been bombed or threatened with a bomb?
b - been picketed by confrontational people?

5 - Upon entering and exiting the location where your medical procedure took place - Have you

a - ever felt unsafe because of the people outside the location?
b - worried about being shot when entering or exiting or while inside?
c - worried about being bombed while entering or exiting or while inside?


6 - When entering and exiting the location where your medical procedure took place, did you need an escort to ensure safe passage inside and outside the building?




Thank you in advance.

[ThomCat]

1. You are Friggin Awesome!

:applause:

:loveya:

Answers: Yes, I have had a medical proceedure in the past year. It was not life threatening. To branch of the government approved, interfered or cared. And that is as it should be for everyone for all medical procedures.

[Solly Mack]

2. Hi ThomCat!

Awe... Thanks! :blush:

all those yes answers...and yet

[Forkboy]

3. LOL...great thread...easy to K&R this one.

BTW,yes,I had life saving surgery in January,and I was escorted into the operating room by a nurse named Roger. :)

[Solly Mack]

4. Roger sounds like a swell guy!

Everything OK now?

[Forkboy]

5. Getting there...some more things to go.

Hopefully by the end of summer things will be better.

Roger was a nice guy...even got me a bucket to puke in after the surgery. :)

[Solly Mack]

7. Warm vibes and well wishes!!!!

[Forkboy]

10. Thanks!

:hi:

[11 Bravo]

6. Great Post!

I have had several procedures done in the last 5 years, none of them life-threatening, none encumbered by any judicial or legislative bullshit, and none in a facility where I felt even remotely threatened. 10 years ago I did have life-saving (cancer) surgery, and my answers would remain the same for that event. Of course, I'm a guy. Our overwhelmingly patriarchal judiciary and Congress have no plans to restict my testicular freedom. But a uterus?! That's a whole different story. Clearly you ladies require a big, strong man to assist (force) you to make the "correct" decision with regard to your reproductive systems.

on edit: typo

[Solly Mack]

8. The Uterine Guard to the rescue

Thanks, 11 Bravo

[11 Bravo]

11. "Uterine Guard" ... With your permission, I'll be borrowing that!

:toast:

[Solly Mack]

23. It's yours!

:)

[tavalon]

26. Uterine Guard!

That is excellent. I'm going to be lifting that one. I pick up such great terms from DUers. I've been using Silverspoon Sociopath to describe the blivit for years and I lifted it from someone here. Uterine Guard is now going to join that one in my vernacular.

[AwakeAtLast]

9. Yes I have

I had my gall bladder taken out 3 years ago. It was laproscopic and I was back home by 5:00 p.m. Not feeling too well, but home. At the time it was not an emergency or life threatening, but if I had let it go, it would have become that way.

All involved were dedicated to my comfort and care, and I was able to freely come and go.

:yourock:

[Solly Mack]

12. Hi WakeMeUp!

Glad it went well!!!

Thanks! :)

[HawkerHurricane]

13. Let's see...

1. Life threatening internal bleeding.

2. No

3. a. the proceedure itself has not been threatened by congress or court, but my ability to get it has... (military medical provides service to retired military at no cost. Republicans, in there efforts to support the troops, have attempted to eliminate this.)

4. a. Yes. Naval Hospital. Worked there as a MP. Got bomb threats all the time, probably from the staff looking to take a break.

5. Sorta yes. We had some terror alerts.

6. Nope.

on edit: OK, I missed the point. Got it now. Sorry.

[Solly Mack]

16. Hey HawkerHurricane!

Hey - I know what it's like to have to stay put because the road is blocked off due to threats

and I know just how limiting military health care can be

Thanks for replying!

[Stinky The Clown]

14. K&R ... and yes ... life saving

And yes, still legal .... so far ..... I think .... assuming they still permit me to go on living.

[Solly Mack]

17. All better now?

[Stinky The Clown]

24. Yeah, mostly .....

I just got grumpier .......

But mercifully, there was no gauntlet to run on my way in to the ER and the only counselling I got was helpful.

[Solly Mack]

25. Grumpy can be very endearing :)

It better be anyway...

[madokie]

15. yes dvt and no to all

VA hospital

[Solly Mack]

18. Everything good to go now?

[madokie]

41. yes the clot is gone but the underlying cause is still here. pad

[Solly Mack]

46. Warm vibes and well wishes, madokie

and Thank you

[iverglas]

19. you forgot to ask

Was I "counselled" for
- one hour
- 5 minutes
- not at all
before I was allowed to have the procedure?

Was I required to wait
- one day
- three days
- as long as it took to get scheduled
before I was allowed to have the procedure?

It was cataract surgery. Oddly enough, I was never told that I might get pseudophakic cystoid macular edema and Irvine-Gass syndrome if I had it. I did. I am emotionally scarred by regret and shame now. At least, I will be if my damned vision doesn't clear up soon and I walk into a lamppost ...

[Solly Mack]

21. Excellent questions

Damn - on the surgical side effects

[magellan]

20. Yes

Emergency appendectomy. Because we didn't have health insurance I dragged my feet about seeing a doctor until I couldn't keep anything down and my temp was 104. I went in around 9 p.m. and by 1 a.m. I was in surgery for a ruptured appendix. Untreated, I would have died. There are no laws barring the excellent care I received, thank goodness, although if we hadn't gone to a county hospital I might have been turned away for lack of insurance. I was released three days later. A very nice young man wheeled me out, per standard hospital policy. :)

[Solly Mack]

22. Glad you're all better now!

and very glad you got the care you needed!!

[tavalon]

27. I have assisted many a woman with an abortion

I have helped many a woman through second trimester abortions because the baby was deformed or the mother's life was in danger. I volunteer for such assignments because a) I don't think any nurse should be required to assist if it is against their personal beliefs and b) I want these mothers to have a nurse who is genuinely empathetic and caring during such an emotionally painful time.

I have not ever personally had an abortion but have never been able to carry a child to term. Nonetheless, I support any womans right to choose. The only time I don't support it is if the child is past the point of viability and doesn't have a deformity. Honestly, in that situation, I think the mother should carry the child and then allow for its adoption. That said, I still would support that woman's right to choose, even though I wouldn't personally choose abortion in that situation.

[Solly Mack]

45. Thank you, tavalon!

[Swamp Rat]

28. No, I can't afford it.

I have a couple of broken bones, torn tendons (and cartilage?) sustained during Katrina, and internal problems (could be major-who knows?), a severe back injury that needed surgury 10 years ago (pain 24/7 for over a decade), etc., but I just have no money to address any of these problems. At least I don't limp as bad as last year.

[Solly Mack]

29. Damn, Swamp

:(

[Swamp Rat]

31. The thing is, I can't remember how I hurt my ankle.

I can hardly walk now without pain (I injured my left knee when I slipped on an outdoor escalator in the rain in Spain last January because I was trying to favor my swollen right ankle). I remember breaking my toe on some debris when cleaning out my house after the storm, but I injured my ankle at a later time, though I cannot remember how. :wow: What the hell is wrong with me that I cannot remember this injury? Now, I have had the stomach ulcers since the storm (probably due to stress), but none of these problems comapres to the daily pain I have felt in the thoracic region of my spine for the last decade. The constant pain has certainly altered my thinking, perhaps causing me to feel cynical for quite sometime now.

[Solly Mack]

34. Perhaps you landed funny? Not enough to notice but still cause damage

that you feel later...

I get bruises and small cuts that way...can't recall how I got them

I broke my back 13 years ago and was told to do crunches to ease the pain...they are supposed to strengthen the back which decreases the pressure/stress (pain)

I do and it does...but not sure if it works for all back pain/problems

((((Swamp))))

Warm vibes coming your way!!

[Swamp Rat]

35. Thanks!

:hug:

I was doing 2-300 crunches every other day up until a couple of months ago, but my academic schedule is BRUTAL right now. I feel like I am in a mad rush against time to finish school in order get a real good job with a decent insurance plan before I croak! :crazy:

[knitter4democracy]

39. Pain changes a person.

I know that one, as I went through a year of unremitting, horrific pain. It ended up being my appendix. Anyways, I just want to tell you that I know how pain changes a person. It's horrible.

You need to get care. How can we do this? You need several tests (at least one CT to see what's going on with your spine), and you need a good doctor to take care of you. I don't know any doctors in your area, sadly, or I'd call in a favor. Hmm. Damn, I wish we all had Dr. House on-call for people in situations like yours. Maybe you could talk an internist into fighting for you? You'd probably have to travel, though, considering how badly the hospitals are hurting in the Katrina-struck areas. I know my hubby would do his darndest, but I don't know how you'd get to Michigan.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

30. Yes, twice.

One for prostate surgery. Two, Emergency for urinary tract infection that occurred after the surgery.

I didn't receive any threats.
No bombs.
No one spouted bible verses at me.
My multitude of sins were not brought up.
Had some interesting conversations with nurses from: Belarus and Ukraine. And, a cleaning lady from Nicaragua. (I didn't inquire about their status as immigrants - none of my business and of no concern to me).
I did receive a brief and fruitless lecture about my smoking.

Other than the usual unpleasantness of being in a hospital and eating the equivalent of the usual Styrofoam flavored food, I was damned grateful for the care given and the good fortune to have insurance.

[Solly Mack]

32. Everything OK now?

It never enters my mind either to fret over the legal status of people I meet.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

33. Some problems remain. But, compared to death, they are minor irritations.

I won't bother with the details, but they are worthy of a shrug and an "oh, well", compared to the poor who have no access to medical help.

Thanks for asking.

[Solly Mack]

36. Being poor and uninsured shouldn't be a death sentence

but it all too often is...and such is just accepted as "the way it is"...as if there wasn't a remedy.

[knitter4democracy]

37. Yes. Several.

Let's see, just over a year ago, I had an exploratory lap that found my source of my horrendous pain wasn't endometriosis, as we'd thought for ten years, but instead my appendix. Then, seven months after that, I had a CT with contrast (I'd had some odd symptoms, and Hubby talked me and my doctor into getting one) that found my big-ass kidney tumor. Since, I'd had several blood draws and am getting another CT with contrast tomorrow.

I wonder how people would feel if any of that crap happened to them for anything they were going through. When I had my lap, we were worried that they'd have to remove at least one ovary, possibly both and my uterus. What if some crazy idiot had said I couldn't have that because it would've compromised my fertility? Then we wouldn't have found my appendix was massively inflamed until it was far too late.

I haven't always felt safe during procedures, though. I had a radiology tech assault me during an abdominal and vaginal ultrasound. She pushed down so hard that I could barely breath during the abdominal (getting pictures so bad they were worthless, btw), and then during the vaginal, it got worse. I did everything I could get get her fired and unable to work anywhere, but I was stymied at every turn. Took therapy to deal with that.

[Solly Mack]

42. (((knitter4democracy)))

WOW!

Warm vibes and well wishes!

I don't know how you kept from swatting the tech.

[knitter4democracy]

47. I don't either.

Still pisses me off that she wasn't immediately fired.

[iverglas]

49. chronic appendicitis

It used to be thought that there was no such thing. My sister had it 20 yrs ago, no one diagnosed it ... and she ended up in an ER in the classic acute appendicitis condition.

Now her young daughter has it. Her other daughter has Lyme, and my sister has been fighting for her treatment for over a year, and has narrowly escaped children's aid society investigation -- the local bit shot Sick Kids hospital takes the view that if the (unreliable) Canadian test comes back negative and the parent insists on the diagnosis anyway, the parent probably has Munchausen by proxy. Imagine then proposing that your other kid has chronic appendicitis ...

Just wanted to mention this since, although you got it fixed (glad to hear), others may not know about the possibility.

I was diagnosed with endometriosis many years ago too ... except it turned out to be pelvic inflammatory disease. Fortunately, the initial diagnosis only lasted until the head of dept at the hospital came into the room and did a 5-second exam, but meanwhile the other one had been saying lying in bed crying in pain for three days a month? that's normal, isn't it?

...

[Lars39]

38. Love the reframe, Sollymack!

Puts it all in perspective, doesn't it? :hi:

[Solly Mack]

43. Hey Lars39!!

I was kinda hoping it might :)

[Ilsa]

40. Awesome questions.

Yeah, I had some much needed elective surgery -- a breast reduction. I always felt safe.

I used to counter-protest the anti-choice crowd and help assist women into the clinic while they were being harassed. It's an ugly volunteer job to have, and you have to be vigilant coming and going. his was in Dallas were the pro-choice crowd was trying to establish a respectful dialogue with the religious freaks that harassed the pregnant women.

I usually did my hair up and wore a hat and wore something I could pull off to change my general description in case someone would start following me (and others), and would park fairly far away and walk in. When I left, I would drive around for awhile in case someone was following me. You can't be too careful with those radicals.

[Solly Mack]

44. Thank you Ilsa!!

For being there for others!!!!

[DFW]

48. Yes, and how!

1 - Was it emergency/life-saving or elective?
Emergency and life-saving (assuming I am not playing the lead in a "GHOST" remake)

2 - Name the Supreme Court ruling(s) that have either

a - put said medical procedure in jeopardy of being banned - or actually banned
b - reaffirmed the right to the medical procedure
c - don't be silly - it was a medical procedure

C (cardiac)

3 - Name the state votes by any court, Congress - and or - election ballot that have

a - put said medical procedure in jeopardy of being banned - or actually banned
b - reaffirmed the right to the procedure
c - don't be silly - it was a medical procedure

C (I had it done in Germany--no time to fly home)

4 - Medical facility for medical procedure (to include a doctor's office) - Has it ever

a - been bombed or threatened with a bomb?
b - been picketed by confrontational people?

No

5 - Upon entering and exiting the location where your medical procedure took place - Have you

a - ever felt unsafe because of the people outside the location?
b - worried about being shot when entering or exiting or while inside?
c - worried about being bombed while entering or exiting or while inside?

No, this facility was last bombed by the Allies in 1945.

6 - When entering and exiting the location where your medical procedure took place, did you need an escort to ensure safe passage inside and outside the building?

Upon arrival, they gave me a wheelchair so I wouldn't have a heart attack on the way upstairs.
I thought they were overdoing it at the time. I found out the next day that they weren't.

[Maine-ah]

50. yep.

c-section. Yes, lifesaving for the both of us.

3.I don't think this is in jeopardy.

4. no

5. no

6. no

I'd also like to say that years (and years....) ago, when I was very young, I had an abortion. I didn't need an escort there either. I don't know if it was ever a dangerous place or picketed or not (probably was at some point) but I never felt in danger.

[Th1onein]

51. Yes. Plastic surgery.

Now I'm made out of plastic.

No, seriously, I had some "procedures" done.