My Ephemerae » Health

Why wait for Medicare?

James S. Huggins — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:00:39 +0000

Bernie Sanders Sherrod Brown and Roland Burris Offer Medicare for All Amendment.

For info, see
http://www.enewspf.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11955

Quoting from the article:

Highlights of the amendment include the following:

* Patients go to any doctor or hospital of their choice.

* Comprehensive benefits, including coverage for dental, mental health, and prescription drugs.

* …the plan saves at least $400 billion annually

* Community health centers are fully funded, giving the 60 million Americans now living in rural and underserved areas access to care.

* …provides resources for the National Health Service Corps to train an additional 24,000 health professionals.

* …modest new payroll and income taxes amounting to less than what most businesses and people now pay for insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.

Names of the Dead

James S. Huggins — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:56:51 +0000

http://namesofthedead.com

Men and Women Being Sick

James S. Huggins — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:48:48 +0000

Right now, I’m sick. Fever, cough, scratchy throat, chills. Last night I slept mostly upright sitting in a great chair. Mother says I’m just like my father and that he did not “do” being sick very well.

My mother’s contention is that women “do” sick better then men “do”.

What do you think? Agree or disagree?

Thoughts from Barack Obama With Which I Agree

James S. Huggins — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:21:22 +0000

No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick.

Insurance Companies Do Not Mind Taking Your Money … Unless You Get Sick

James S. Huggins — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:17:28 +0000

Here is the story from NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105680875

Notice of a Multiple Sclerosis Research Study

James S. Huggins — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:51:42 +0000

Dear James,

My name is Ashley Toal, and I work in Patient Advocacy at MediciGlobal. We’re working on a multiple sclerosis clinical research study assessing the safety and effectiveness of an oral investigational study medication, teriflunomide. We’d love your help in informing the MS community about this study. Since your blog is so influential in the MS community, would it be possible to post the below study information (in blue) on your blog?

Information about this study is also listed on a number of MS advocacy group websites including the National MS Society, MS Foundation and the Consortium of MS Centers. I hope that you can also help us inform you MS blogging community about the study. Please feel free to call or email me with any questions.

Best,

Ashley

Ashley Toal
MediciGlobal
1014 West 9th Avenue
King of Prussia, PA 19406
(P) 484-674-6873

atoal@mediciglobal.com
www.mediciglobal.com

A Clinical Research Study Evaluating An Investigational Medication for Relapsing Forms of Multiple Sclerosis

Medical researchers are enrolling people in a worldwide clinical research study for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS). This study will assess the safety and effectiveness of an investigational study medication versus placebo (an inactive substance which contains no active medication) in people ages 18-55 years old with RMS.

The investigational medication used in this study is called teriflunomide (ter-i-flün-ō-mïde). It is derived from leflunomide (le-flü-nō-mïde), also known as Arava®. Arava® is already approved in many countries for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, another autoimmune disease.

The first step in determining eligibility for this study is to take the pre-screening questionnaire either online or on the phone. You will be asked a series of questions related to your health and be given additional information about study site locations. Visit www.tower3.msstudies.com or call 1-866-565-0245 today to learn more about the study and see if you may qualify.

NB: Although I do not have MS, MS was a factor in my father’s death and my grandmother’s death. For that reason I have a section on my website for MS. You can see it here: http://JSH.us/ms.

Validation! (The Smile Video)

James S. Huggins — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 01:57:37 +0000

ALERT: This was hosted at Brightcove.TV; a few days after I posted this they shut down their site. I’ve found a version on YOUTUBE and posted it “above” on 29.Dec.2008 to replace this one.

(Depending on your browser security settings, you may need to click twice to start the video. If you are receiving this via email, or want to open the BrightCove page with the video, just click here: http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1892182081

I found this on the site of Alexander Kjerulf, author of the book, Happy Hour is 9 to 5 http://positivesharing.com. Watch the video. It is 15 minutes long so relax and commit. And learn how to smile!

A Link Everyone Should Send Their Doctor

James S. Huggins — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:19:34 +0000

I encountered an editorial in the NY Times that I believe everyone, without exception, should send to all their doctors (many people have several doctors you know). Here it is http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/health/02etiq.html. Entitled “The Six Habits of Highly Respectful Physicians” the article notes that “medical schools may be underemphasizing a much simpler virtue: good manners.” Ya think? Anyone here disagree?

I loved this line

My doctor may be tired, preoccupied or not that interested in me as a person; but I should still expect him or her to treat me with the kind of attentiveness and respect I recently received from a “genius” at the local Apple store.

Got that? The author is notes that we are getting more “attentiveness and respect” from young cyberdweebs than we routinely gets from the well educated professionals we call doctors. What is wrong with that picture?

So go ahead. Send a link to this article to your doctor … if you can find the email address of your doctor. HA!

Life is What Happens While You’re Making Other Plans

James S. Huggins — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:08:49 +0000

I encourage you to read forward in this blog but also to read backward.

There are a few themes that are going to be present for a while, specifically (1) my stroke and (2) the loss of my cat. But in each case, both events, especially the loss of my cat, continue to affect me deeply. If you are new and if you don’t read backward you may not know about my stroke and the loss of my cat. And these two items are VERY important to me. Yet I must keep moving and “forward” seems to be the best direction. Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.

I Have Had a Stroke

James S. Huggins — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:37:56 +0000

I am in the process of recovery. You see, I have had a stroke. Fortunately, it was a teeny tiny one (which is kind of like saying that the nuclear bomb was just a small one). I had the “event” on a Sunday night then forced myself to work thru the week eventually going into the hospital on Friday.

Please, please, please, if this happens to you do NOT do what I did. When you think you are having a stroke immediately go to the emergency room. There are some things they can do if you get there fast enough. Within the first couple hours they can apply some therapies and treatments that make a difference. Do NOT do what I did. Do NOT wait.

I was very lucky. I entered on Friday. They admitted me and tested me. I had a CAT Scan (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_scan ) and eventually an MRI (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mri). The CAT Scan was easy. The MRI was terrible. A full hour inside a teeny tiny tube, loud as blue blazes and tiny. Good thing my claustrophobia is not severe. I left the hospital on Saturday and I’m doing pretty well.

I’m making changes in my life … those changes we’ve all thought about but haven’t made yet. Eating more healthy. Committed to gentle exercise. I’m joining a local gym. Gold’s Gym (http://www.goldsgym.com) has a great deal for AARP members. Not an AARP member? Just join. It’s cheap.

This is just a tiny start. But it is a start. Wish me luck