Discussion of various issues

The hot item now days is the progress getting made on the health care issue. I have Time, Newsweek and the newspaper that keeps updating the latest progress, its still up in the air as to how all of this is going down, or if the Republicians can railroad it out of existance again. I think changes will be made, it will depend on how powerful the insurance companies, drug co. will get their way. I wish everyone can keep a level head, we are learning things we were never aware of before, its no time to get bent out of shape about the way it has all operated, instead hope that we can come up with a better system. The public has been bombarded with all kinds of scare tactics, like killing off Grandma. The government is broke and things have to change. I would like to jump into the middle and give my two cents worth of how I have seen the abuse of medicare, scooters sold to people who didn't need them, like Tom Lyman getting a $5000 scooter that he sat in once before he died. Pauline having one that she couldn't run, and many more, aside from all of the disability caused by people running around in scooters.
In spite of AARP"s stand I think Medicare need managed care, they keep saying you can see anyone you want, what a waste that has been, it should have been monitored much more carefully, the whole system including Medicaid has not been properly monitored. I used to be assigned people who had abused the system after they had racked up thousands of dollars and believe me they were a hard bunch to contain, they prefered to see a doctor a day if possible.
Doctors are saying they are ready and willing to get things under control, themselves included. I have tried to emphasize that you could charge $140 a visit, and you got paid $29.00. So Linda the figures on your bill doesn't mean much, you should find out how much was paid if you want to know how the system really works, your MMR probably got one forth of what it was billed to be. How did it get that way? because of what was billed to Medicaid and Medicare vs insurance. They got billed as though it was insurance, had to bill that way. I know all about 15 minute appointments, that was the usual way of making appointments, then people who took longer cause the others to have to wait and wait, but on the other hand alot of appointments didn't even take 15 minutes. I read last night where a doctor in Oregon set up her own clinic, spends an hour if needed, the community helps finance her clinic, but people will get all the attention they want. I have never wanted to go to my doctor and pour out my heart and soul, I wanted to do what was necessary and get the hell out of there. I wanted to get fixed and be done, but some don't know how to fix, even their own speciality. can't really blame them even there, the body is more complicated than we might want to believe, and alot of our problems we brought on ourselves. Doesn't pay to get mad at the doctor when you've abused your body. Its still the challenge today to keep the old body in shape. Or get it back in shape.
I read Linda's blog yesterday, can't find it today, Gerry was giving her quite the lecture of her attitude, complaints and lifestyle. Who can be the judge??? Don't kick when someone is down.

I am up in the middle of the night. wanted to write about a story I read in Spirituality and Health.A woman Emma Bragdon wrote this article, I have been trying to blog her but can't do it. She found about a Spiritualist healer John of God who performs healing on hundreds of people in Brazil and is now coming to Us She said in the spring of 2001 while teaching in Brazil she went to see John of God, the worlds best known practitionrt og dpitiyidm snf dsif yo hsbr vutrf yhoudsnfd og proplr. zhr id s gstmrt eiyh no gotmsl rfuvstion he performs psychic surgery as well as physical surgeries while in a trance. My doctorate in psychology has led me to believe that spiritual healing is anujsuallu an illusian, but I was also certain that psychologists and psychiatrists do not know all the answerw to mental illnesses. I will have to get a copy of this if you are interested, The writer says she could feel a mololcular change in her body the belief is, when a patient has no ability to exercise her will over the negative influence, then she is considered possessed. Many healers are used to work with individuals Anyway thousands are makeing the treck to meet John of God. I am going to call the woman who wrote this to find out more about him. Looks like I hae my fingers on the wrong keys Its 1230. will talk later. Facinating stuff.

What will get me motivated today?

Days go by and it seems difficult to get on a track I want to be on. Yesterday was stimulating since I dashed down to Wachovia office and sold stock to buy into International Air Medical services. I have read their business plan and mainly am impressed that this attorney is excited to start a business that he previously started and sold, waited until his non-compete time is over and is ready to start again, making it bigger and better, go international. First I wonder about all of the doom and gloom and collapse of businesses and jobs. then to see that others are willing to take risks and start businesses for the future. To hear some talk their is no future, we are at the end of a way of life. Ending our excessive lifestyles may not be a bad thing, learning the basics all over again and putting in more effort for out survival and the survival of our kids stays a challenge. Nowdaays young people are told to keep going to school, that that will be the answer, but after school the tough decisions are still there about what kind of living, interests and on and on. Kids nowdays have learned more about fun and pleasure, taking advantage of what is out there.
Thousands of people over 50 are in st. george this week for Senior Games, I read where many of them have been coming for years to participate in there favorite sport. One old cowboy with a long mustache is here for the shooting event. Games mean alot to some, probably those who participated in younger years.
I began thinking last night that I need to admit to Linda that I have the gambler bug as that is what the stock market is all about, better not get attached to that money too much, it can disappear without you doing a thing.
I have been thinking about our family's past life, we had to admit we were ina family of priviledge even though we didn't think much about it. Did it make or break us, maybe about the usual that happens to the next generation that don't put all energy into "being successful" "having money" moving from poor to rich as has Floyd, Jay and Quentin. As did Clyde.
I have heard for years that LaRena has made alot of money, but she never talks about her accomplishments, maybe her new car or house or vacation but not about the challenges of being a successful businesswoman. Sometimes it seems that different kinds of success the emphasis is not on the ride but the results. The ride is what matters. I just read Raymond's blog, we all have talked alot to him the last few weeks and probably caused him to again need to explain his vision and desire. He is theonly one in the family to go in this direction and really we want him to succeed and reach the level that he's met his goal. He is banking on his talent which is very different than counting change other ways. Many have and are succeeding in the arts. I listened about a woman who has a one person show on broadway that takes us through all of the stages of life.Sounds like she is doing very well.
Seems that life is sorta of a wait, waiting for things to happen, waiting and preparing for the next stage. We went to the funeral of Floyd's nephew who had an accident on a ATV 18 years ago and lived the years as a quadrapeligic, couldn't even feed him self. He was a dentist in Vegas. Had four girls and a boy. One daughter gave the eulogy which made life sound like a life well lived in spite of it all. All kids graduated from college and on their way with kids. Anyway a life lived like that is sobering. Many died this summer with ATV accidents. Its getting late, need to find food, if I can think of what would be really good.

Aches and pains, source??

I think I have learned the source of increased aches and pains. After this mornings talk with Floyd, he laid on the bed and went to sleep. I sat trying to read the newspaper getting more discomfort by the minute. No choice but to take medication, it takes thirty minutes or more to feel any relief. Could by chance the source of my pain be financial ? Could needing to have @23,000 to Utah State Tax commission and $64,000 Federal taxes. We don't talk in big money terms often but after all the selling and settling that has gone on to split Floyd's estate with his kids, guess who gets the taxes to pay. Last year was even higher. The really strange, stupid or whatever you call it, Rod doesn't have enough money to pay Floyd $1500 a month. This too long a story to tell, I have written some in my history but basically I am out of the Ence Assoc. and now need to shut off my mind and think of more enjoyable things to think about.
What, Katie and I bottled pears Monday and enough is left to make some jam, that isn';t real exciting but will get my body up and going. Enough for one day. Glad Tom is on his way home.

response to article about mental illness

Gerry just wrote about an article that was written in the newspaper in Arizona about the mentally ill. Just what can be done to help in the increasing problems with the mentally ill is a big challenge mainly because the entire system is broke and until the medicaid and medicare systems can do more, offer more, or at least not start removing people whose only survival is that system what can be done individually?? It seems quite certain that until the health care issues are straighten out, no new assistance will be happening. It seems that the route that is being taken is that everyone is going to have to get involved in assisting the sick and disabled. Its strange to hear that if the uninsured get insurance that we don't have enough doctors, nurses, etc.to take care of them, with our broken system its bad enough. That isn't a reason not to go ahead with insurance for all, but spectations are running high about what that will do to change and improve. I will be glad to see those with pre-existing conditions able to get reasonable coverage, and hopefully insurance companies lowering the premiiums. Then what about the issue that when the insured are taken care of, hugh amounts are added to their bill to make up for the uninsured, surely we can come with a better system.
I have worked in the psychiatric and public health field most of my 30 plus years of working as an RN and APRN (nurse practitioner) Most of those years were overwhelming in trying to balance the need to what we are capable of doing. Health problems are becoming more severe and challenging or at least we are waking up to what is expected and what is possible. Chronic conditions take up the largest amount of time with medicine. Prevention has to be the goal of the future. If I were still practicing I don't know where I would prefer to focus on. The leading causes of illnesses are well known and change is coming gradually. Public Health focus was always on trying to get to the next generations andstop some of the illness causing factors such as smoking and obesity. I am talking in generalities because its quite overwhelming to discuss indivual people and their serious plots in life. For today I will talk in generalities. Nothing New.

Sun article, Nonordinary states of conciousness

I was so interested in this article I got up in the night and tried to write about it. I lost it and tried again, tried again and it still didn't post. I'll see if I have learned enough from Aaron and Andy's lessons to see if I can post a blog, no wonder people don't blog, its to easy to push the wrong button, get into the wrong place and such, will keep trying. but until I learn the lessons of the computer I won't get far into this article

Anyway an article, above, is about a doctor from Czechoslovakia who has used psychedelic drugs exploring the effects. He is currently using breathing techniques to induce altered states since he doesn't have access to drugs in US. My interest was that in reading this that I think that Gerry, Linda mostly can induce a different type on consciousness. Birth experiences, going back and reliving those especially tramatic ones like Ann's and LaRae's, Gentry would be conditions that would affect later emotional problems or hangup, the fear of traveling into a different level stops many of us, I would be most affected by my lifelong episodes of asthma, I am sure if I had help in going back to that time I have mostly suppressed the feelings of those happenings. Gerry does travel back at time to how sexual abuse affected her emotionally. Anyone interest in reading this I will copy and send, Cheryl do you still take Sun. I have thought I wouldn't renew as Gerry doesn't seem to like it, Ann never comments, but one in a while I have read something that opens up thoughts about being more honest and straightforward in writing as found in the Sun.

I worked with people at Arizona State who experimented with various drugs. Mike was there because of continued paranoia over LSD use. The whole wide world seems to be seeking out drugs for what reason------trips to where, altered states of consciousness, why ? This doctor I think used these drugs trying to find a benefit for them, for the most part people who use them discriminatly seem to destroy themselves or something. We will never change the drug problems until we figure out why people destroy themselves with them but with reading Dr. Grof in the future better usemight be found. Again I think our family have been interested and experimented with these ideas, even quigie board. Any discussion?