tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466349610919897231.post2463966314091533861..comments2012-04-26T21:22:24.328-07:00Comments on Social Innovation Perspectives: Why My Dying Sister Needed Less Health CareAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289520108311532776noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466349610919897231.post-17935780388891676252010-02-07T20:31:03.889-08:002010-02-07T20:31:03.889-08:00Hi Tish,
I wish you and your sister the best. My...Hi Tish,<br /><br />I wish you and your sister the best. My belief is that in a democracy, the government actually is me and other people like me who take time to vote and make our voices heard. The idea that patients should decide what level of care they get seems fine in the abstract - but the reality is that the abstract runs into the reality that health care dollars are limited. Through Medicare and because of budget deficits, increasingly baby boomers are going to be passing on the cost of our health care to future generations. As it happens, I don't have children, but I do feel a responsibility to my nieces and nephews and others of their generation to pass on a system that is solvent enough to enable each generation to make its own choices about how to allocate dollars for education, health care, even national security. Unfortunately, young adults today are going to be buried under a mountain of debt which is going to make that all but impossible.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03289520108311532776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466349610919897231.post-91317986215650506852009-11-19T09:48:14.204-08:002009-11-19T09:48:14.204-08:00I am sorry for the loss of your sister, but I am l...I am sorry for the loss of your sister, but I am losing my sister to melanoma that has mets to her brain and I do believe the PATIENT deserves to make the decision a to their choice of treatment. Maybe the battle was difficult for you to see because you love your sister but it should still be the choice of the patient, NOT THE GOVERNMENT.Tish Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04698752812754090670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466349610919897231.post-84711137612389973342009-09-15T12:40:44.744-07:002009-09-15T12:40:44.744-07:00"The brain lesion surgery was a farce."
...<i>"The brain lesion surgery was a farce."</i><br /><br />Are you sure about this? Isn't it possible it extended the time that your sister was mentally aware and communicative? <br /><br /><i>"No one in the entire process was looking out for "the system." And by that, I mean, looking out for whether the dollars being spent for my sister's care should be traded off against other health care needs."</i><br /><br />Have you considered whether the profits the hospital made on your sister's brain lesion treatments helped offset the losses they took on (presumably) lower margin treatments or charity care for others? <br /><br />I've watched a loved one die as well. I empathize with your loss, but I am wary of your extrapolations here. Where your position inexorably leads is to an economy where the smartest and most ambitious Americans work on things like Microsoft Bob and health care becomes as innovative as your local utility.DaveinHackensackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01313169814904229272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466349610919897231.post-948478120754487272009-09-14T20:20:37.841-07:002009-09-14T20:20:37.841-07:00Hi Monica, thank you for posting this account abou...Hi Monica, thank you for posting this account about your sister. I remember when she died. I lost my mum to breast cancer and now I'm caring for my dad, diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. I've noticed in Australia that the fight to the death mentality is not so prevalent in the system. Anyway, as I said, thanks for sharing. Susan W. P.S. I didn't realise you are such an ace writer!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466349610919897231.post-25161993668622176372009-09-10T14:33:47.441-07:002009-09-10T14:33:47.441-07:00A very touching and frank article; thanks for writ...A very touching and frank article; thanks for writing it and I hope the issues it raises gets a bit of traction during this (seemingly never ending) health care debate!Gary Szabohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02337886297053223291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466349610919897231.post-47247804786073737492009-06-23T14:28:34.089-07:002009-06-23T14:28:34.089-07:00Too often preference is given to length, rather th...Too often preference is given to <i>length</i>, rather than <i>quality</i> of life.<br /><br />It was nice to read about how things happened, because I was very out of the loop. I wish I had known Aunt Frannie better, but with her living in Reno I'm just glad to have seen her as much as I did.JonnyRockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00536793238955609311noreply@blogger.com