State of the healthcare system in America: Let's discuss why it's failing

Brenda Rodriguez said:They aren't thinking straight.

So, here is the situation... I have been lying in a hospital here in the States for eight days now, dealing with sudden weight gain and massive water retention. I assume they’ve drawn about a liter and a half of blood from me over these last eight days. I managed to put on 30 pounds within a single year without changing my diet at all. Fortunately, I can still manage to burn some of it off...
I just hide my stomach and use some blush to mask the puffiness, and then I can tolerate being around people. But it is taking a toll on my health. I have stretch marks on my abdomen, high blood pressure, breathing issues, exhaustion even with minimal movement, and moments of fainting...

And while I have to wait a month or two for the hormone results, the doctor's diagnosis is simply that I am "healthy overweight."

I truly cannot believe it.😲

Please, I am asking for your help.
I need to get this fluid out of my system. And honestly, I'm exhausted...

Look, if you were retaining fluid that fast, you should have already gone through a full workup with an internist. If your kidney function is actually fine, they should have you on some heavy-duty diuretics to get that extra weight moving out. Honestly, if things were truly hitting the fan, you’d be sitting in the ICU right now.

Just wait until you get your lab results back to see if everything checks out. In the meantime, brace yourself—you're looking at a strict diet with way less salt.

wanderingcobra2 said:Look, if you were retaining fluid that fast, you should have already gone through a full workup with an internist. If your kidney function is actually fine, they should have you on some heavy-duty diuretics to get that extra weight moving out. Honestly, if things were truly hitting the fan, you’d be sitting in the ICU right now.

Just wait until you get your lab results back to see if everything checks out. In the meantime, brace yourself—you're looking at a strict diet with way less salt.

Yes, I am, at a hospital here in the city...🙂 I'm currently at the endocrinology clinic. They told me the results won't be ready for another four to eight weeks...

Does anyone happen to have a link for a reduction diet focused on lowering salt intake?
I feel like I'm constantly retaining water lately... ever since they put me on diuretics, my face just looks so drawn. Honestly, I'm looking as puffy as that girl from the Gavrilovic commercials.🤣

I’ve been diagnosed with cataracts and need surgery. Because of some other health issues, my ophthalmologist recommended I see Dr. Busic over at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
My initial exam and the diagnosis itself happened at Light Clinic; I paid out of pocket for the private bill, and that was that.

I went in to schedule things on May 11, 2009. When the nurse saw I had records from a "fancy" clinic, she basically told me I should just go back there so they could "take care of me." It was incredibly rude. I came to her facility, so she really had no business telling me who should be treating me. The doctor actually ended up being grateful for the scans later on.
After all that, I managed to get an appointment—not with Dr. Busic himself, but with a junior colleague. I was scheduled for June 24, 2009, at 9:35 AM.
I arrive at the clinic at 9:00, hand over my paperwork, and the nurse supposedly adds me to the daily schedule.
10:00—waiting
11:00—waiting
12:00—waiting
13:00—waiting
14:00—waiting
15:00—waiting
At 3:30 PM, I finally get called in. The doctor examines me and tells me I need to head up to the 3rd floor to schedule the actual surgery. He even seemed genuinely confused as to why I was there in the first place!
The thing is, I’m diabetic, and the last thing I ate was at 7:00 AM before heading to St. Jude. Naturally, by 3:30 PM, I must have hit hypoglycemia at least ten times. Even the nurse remarked, "You don't look so good!" When I asked if I could step out to grab something to eat, she said she didn't know and warned me I might lose my spot in line.
So, there I was, having a little "picnic" with glucose tablets...
I went up to the 3rd floor and managed to book the surgery within 15 minutes, though by pure chance, it can't happen for another nine months. That was it.
What am I trying to say? Why do people have to show up, make appointments, and then wait seven hours just to be seen? I told them I'd be late for work, not that I wasn't coming at all. Luckily, my bosses are reasonable people.
While waiting, at least 15 or 20 people just wandered in. The nurses kept arguing, claiming there were two different clinics—one for initial exams and one for follow-ups. People who arrived after 7:00 AM were already leaving fifteen minutes before I did.
What is the issue here? What's the point of making appointments if it's more important to just be there in person and cut the line?
In my opinion, this is straight-up corruption.

Anyway, I needed to vent. I actually have a list of everyone who was scheduled that day if anyone needs it... (just kidding, I can't share personal info), but I honestly could give it to the media. Someone needs to explain where all the money we pay actually goes, because when you're desperate for a doctor, it's a total disaster.
It felt like I had to apologize for being an inconvenience... using my own money!
Unbelievable.

Browsing through various threads on different forums, I’m noticing a pattern: there is a massive amount of general dissatisfaction with the US healthcare system among the general population (the ones actually online—and honestly, it terrifies me to think what the people who *don't* know how to use the internet are thinking). Usually, this frustration gets boiled down to just bashing the medical staff—which, let’s be real, is sometimes justified and sometimes isn't.

Here are a few points that people really ought to understand, assuming anyone here is actually interested in a deeper discussion...

1. Medical school in the States, much like the rest of our education system, doesn't provide an adequate foundation in my opinion (I've experienced this firsthand—it takes way too long and provides far too little).

2. Physician working hours—though not necessarily the hours for other medical staff, based on what I see around me—violate numerous labor laws (if I’m interpreting them correctly). For example: we're looking at roughly 60 to 80 hours of paid overtime every single month due to those 24-hour shifts that stretch into 25 hours minimum, every month of the year. Last year, I spent about 100 days pulling 25-hour stretches at the hospital; last month alone, I had 88 overtime hours, plus another 8 that nobody even bothers to record anywhere.
Let me be clear: we don't have a choice whether we pull these shifts or not. Anyone who hasn't spent 24 straight hours on the job should probably hold their tongue before commenting.
When you're in a state of exhaustion like this, it’s absolutely insane to expect a smile, warmth, or a good mood—even though I still try my best to provide that, I'm finding myself giving in more and more and becoming just like the people who make you so angry in the first place.

3. Primary care has completely failed (I don't know the exact reasons, but I see the results): it's likely a mix of administrative headaches and a total lack of oversight regarding "home visits" during those final hour and a half of the workday (have you noticed your primary doctor finishes up around 1:00 or 1:30 PM, even if their shift goes until 3:00 or 4:00 depending on whether they start at 7:00 or 8:00?). Then there's all this maneuvering regarding leasing offices versus running actual private practices. The bottom line? Very little actual MEDICINE is being practiced in general practitioner clinics.

4. In field EMS services across the country, with a few exceptions, the jobs are being filled by people who aren't quite up to the task—mostly young grads fresh out of med school with zero days of actual work experience. Of course, you shouldn't blame the individuals who are just trying to earn a living; you have to look at the Ministry for that. We might see some change in 5 to 10 years when the first true emergency medicine specialists finally emerge (from what I understand, specialists in urgent medicine already exist in places like Mexico—so much for our progress compared to our neighbors).

5. At hospital ERs, it’s usually residents or brand-new specialists on duty—again, not through any fault of their own (you notice the pattern: in the places where experience is most critical, you get people without it). In some hospitals, they have decent supervision from senior colleagues, but in others, they're basically flying solo because proper supervision isn't provided. Don't get me wrong, I personally believe supervision is ESSENTIAL; ultimately, it should be legally mandated, because residents are still in training and shouldn't be working without oversight. (That’s just my personal take.)

6. Here comes a crucial point that most people either don't grasp or simply choose to ignore, and it concerns the patients themselves.
Anyone using the ER for every little thing (and there are a huge number of such patients) is directly endangering patients who are in real, life-threatening situations. We urgently need to implement a system of sanctions—whether financial or otherwise—that can be applied to patients who abuse emergency services and hospital ERs.

7. We can go further if there's interest... in the hope that "tomorrow" we might actually have a functional healthcare system.

I’m really glad a doctor started this thread...😉
So, here’s the deal... my dad is dealing with some health issues, so we’ve been spending a ton of time at the hospital, moving between different departments. To cut to the chase... the staff has been incredibly unpleasant. Honestly, it's been a disaster. At one ER, I couldn't believe the things a "doctor" would actually say to you. We ran into the exact same attitude at another ER in a different department. Look, I get it—being a doctor isn't an easy gig and I truly respect the profession. You have to be a lifelong learner and maintain top grades just to get through the door, which limits the field to a specific kind of person. The training is grueling and never really ends. But that doesn't give anyone a pass to be rude, dismissive, or downright obnoxious. A perfect example? Some of these young residents. They barely even start their practice and they're already acting like they own the place. Just the other day, I witnessed a total mess in the hallway where about six doctors were standing around. Their behavior toward patients was appalling, and they were basically just slacking off on the job. It’s one of those moments that sticks with you forever. Naturally, there have been plenty of other incidents, but that was the breaking point for me. Now, I see them as just any other profession—just regular people. I think I put them on too high a pedestal before, but not anymore. It’s not that I hate them; it's just that they're ordinary people who don't need a crown. Obviously, I don't mean everyone, but it feels like the majority fall into this category. And the rest of the medical staff isn't much better, but I won't go down that rabbit hole. I could write a whole book on this, but it wouldn't change a thing. When I tell people about what happens in these hospitals, they aren't even surprised—they all have their own horror stories. Everyone is just fed up. It’s shameful, really. Instead of being role models, they’re showing the absolute worst side of themselves. I actually have a surgery coming up soon, and while nothing is set in stone, I’m definitely going to a private clinic. If everyone did that, maybe the standard for citizens would actually improve, though who knows when that will happen. Honestly, some of this nonsense has even decreased lately due to certain connections or "inside tracks," but if it weren't for that, things would be even worse. Look, doctors: everyone respects your hard work and your education, but this lack of professionalism and arrogance is lower than the standard of someone without any training at all. I'm posting this because I'm just tired of thinking about people wearing white coats and stethoscopes.👎

Well, I was actually getting ready to jump in with some more complaints, but I hate to disappoint you all. I’ve actually got a pretty positive story to tell.
By some stroke of luck—and after pushing it off for years—I finally went in last Friday to get an atheroma on my neck operated on at the Varazdin General Hospital.
I was honestly pretty terrified beforehand because of all the horror stories I’d heard from self-proclaimed "experts," so I was definitely feeling the nerves. People were warning me about everything from being operated on without proper anesthesia to pure negligence, arrogance, and just straight-up rudeness.
But, honestly? My experience was nothing short of great.
None of that nightmare stuff happened to me.
I showed up right when they told me to.
The doctor was incredibly kind, genuinely interested in my case, attentive, and clearly knew his stuff (if you know Dr. Lekic, you know).
Even the three nurses I dealt with—at reception, in the clinic, and in the OR—were all super friendly, caring, and smiling.
Everything went perfectly smooth, and I even spent the procedure chatting with the doctor while he worked.
It just goes to show my theory is right: a little smile and a kind word go a long way. Of course, that works both ways if the patient is also being decent. By keeping things positive on my end, it set the tone for them to treat me with that same respect (at the end of the day, they're just people too).
The actual facilities they're working in are frankly terrible—we're talking ceilings falling apart in the OR, green sheets washed so many times they're unrecognizable, and office chairs that look like they're about to collapse... yet none of that stops them from doing their jobs professionally.

I’ll just add one thing: if a patient is being aggressive, rude, or just plain obnoxious (like that visibly drunk guy screaming at doctors in the ER because they "haven't seen him yet"), no amount of medical training is going to turn the staff into saints.

Look, Doctor, most of what you’re saying hits the mark, but we aren't going to fix this by whispering anonymously on internet forums; we fix it through medical associations and public advocacy. You are the ones on the front lines with the patients, which means you should be the first ones applying pressure to the government to overhaul how this entire system is structured.
As a member of a very active cancer advocacy group, I can tell you firsthand that we’ve been left out in the cold by the medical establishment more than once. We’ve actually had to step up and publicly defend the profession ourselves because everyone else seems terrified of crossing the Medicare administration or the Department of Health and Human Services.
It is time to pull together and start acting as a united front.
Regarding point 6: you simply cannot expect a patient—a layperson with zero medical training—to distinguish between an emergency and a non-emergency. That is yet another systemic failure where a triage process should be functioning before any processing even begins.
As for point 7:
If all we do is sit around complaining to one another without taking concrete action, we could post things like this forever and never see a single tangible result.

Just to clear the air—I’m actually a guy. My wife opened this account, but I didn't really feel like dealing with it myself, so here I am using hers.

Look, I’m in no position to be making any big moves or changing things right now, and there are two very specific reasons for that.
1. In the grand scheme of the corporate ladder, I’m pretty much at the bottom.
2. Until I finish paying back that 1,000 $0.00 debt to the system that supposedly "trained" me, I can't exactly afford to start throwing punches—if I lose my job, those collectors are going to be knocking on my door immediately.

Side note: we can't just band together and act as one because, let's face it, we don't all see eye to eye, and these changes aren't going to sit well with everyone.

Kate Collins67 said:Just to clear the air—I’m actually a guy. My wife opened this account, but I didn't really feel like dealing with it myself, so here I am using hers.

Look, I’m in no position to be making any big moves or changing things right now, and there are two very specific reasons for that.
1. In the grand scheme of the corporate ladder, I’m pretty much at the bottom.
2. Until I finish paying back that 1,000 $0.00 debt to the system that supposedly "trained" me, I can't exactly afford to start throwing punches—if I lose my job, those collectors are going to be knocking on my door immediately.

Side note: we can't just band together and act as one because, let's face it, we don't all see eye to eye, and these changes aren't going to sit well with everyone.

Then where exactly is the patient supposed to sit in this hierarchy? Who do you think should be driving the change? Some big shot executive, or maybe just some little guy like you, standing next to another little guy, who stands next to another little guy—civil society.

2. Until I pay back the $1,000 $0.00 I owe the system that "educated" me, I can't exactly afford to start throwing punches. If I lose my job, those debts come knocking immediately.

Honestly, I think you and everyone else thinking this way are just making up excuses to avoid going toe-to-toe with the beast and getting your hands dirty. But that’s expected, isn't it? We live in a society raised to believe someone else will swoop in, fix our mess, and hand us an instant solution. This applies to everyone—doctors and patients alike.
As long as you have that mindset, you don't get to complain. Only the person who actually tries to shake things up and fails has the right to moan about it!

Do you really think patient advocacy groups all think the same way or share the same interests? Of course they don't. But we fight, and you know why? Because we've finally had enough and we're drowning in it—we have no choice left. Clearly, the doctors haven't reached that breaking point yet.

To build on what dustymarlin10 just said... my dad is an incredibly polite guy, especially when it comes to doctors. He has this massive amount of respect for them—honestly, I’d say he overdoes it sometimes. But clearly, that hasn't paid off; having that kind of attitude doesn't actually mean much to medical staff. What you described is definitely an extreme case, and naturally, the staff isn't going to bow down to him; if anything, they'll just focus more on the work and talk less.

To be perfectly honest, I have a massive issue with how this whole setup works—but if or when an individual like me actually has the power to change things, I’ll certainly give it a shot. For now, though? My hands are tied.
Just a heads-up: this is strictly my own take, and I can almost guarantee most doctors aren't going to agree with me on this one.

But if you look at it from the patient's perspective, the problem is way more deep-seated, which means the burden still falls on the patients to force a change in the system.
The thing is, "patients" usually go about using the media and other platforms all wrong. Instead of pointing out the specific, systemic failures, they just end up attacking the staff...
I've listed a few examples below.

dustymarlin10 said:Well, I was actually getting ready to jump in with some more complaints, but I hate to disappoint you all. I’ve actually got a pretty positive story to tell.
By some stroke of luck—and after pushing it off for years—I finally went in last Friday to get an atheroma on my neck operated on at the Varazdin General Hospital.
I was honestly pretty terrified beforehand because of all the horror stories I’d heard from self-proclaimed "experts," so I was definitely feeling the nerves. People were warning me about everything from being operated on without proper anesthesia to pure negligence, arrogance, and just straight-up rudeness.
But, honestly? My experience was nothing short of great.
None of that nightmare stuff happened to me.
I showed up right when they told me to.
The doctor was incredibly kind, genuinely interested in my case, attentive, and clearly knew his stuff (if you know Dr. Lekic, you know).
Even the three nurses I dealt with—at reception, in the clinic, and in the OR—were all super friendly, caring, and smiling.
Everything went perfectly smooth, and I even spent the procedure chatting with the doctor while he worked.
It just goes to show my theory is right: a little smile and a kind word go a long way. Of course, that works both ways if the patient is also being decent. By keeping things positive on my end, it set the tone for them to treat me with that same respect (at the end of the day, they're just people too).
The actual facilities they're working in are frankly terrible—we're talking ceilings falling apart in the OR, green sheets washed so many times they're unrecognizable, and office chairs that look like they're about to collapse... yet none of that stops them from doing their jobs professionally.

I’ll just add one thing: if a patient is being aggressive, rude, or just plain obnoxious (like that visibly drunk guy screaming at doctors in the ER because they "haven't seen him yet"), no amount of medical training is going to turn the staff into saints.

Believe me, looking at it from the perspective of an oncology patient, you don't have to be stumbling drunk to get a tiny dose of actual "humanity."
But hey, it is what it is; you get what you pay for. That logic applies everywhere, including medical services. Empathy is something they only bother writing about in palliative care textbooks—which, by the way, remains a total mystery in the US, even though we've been living in the 21st century for ages and its foundations were laid back in the Renaissance.

Jerry Lee32 said:To build on what dustymarlin10 just said... my dad is an incredibly polite guy, especially when it comes to doctors. He has this massive amount of respect for them—honestly, I’d say he overdoes it sometimes. But clearly, that hasn't paid off; having that kind of attitude doesn't actually mean much to medical staff. What you described is definitely an extreme case, and naturally, the staff isn't going to bow down to him; if anything, they'll just focus more on the work and talk less.

I don't know about that, but I have to disagree: I've learned that just being decent makes life way easier in pretty much any situation—whether it's arguing with a neighbor, dealing with coworkers, talking to a cop, or interacting with medical staff. Besides, I'm not exactly a kid anymore (I'm 45), and I've been in plenty of situations where I or someone in my family needed medical help, and the experience was positive enough that I don't think my recent run-in was some freak outlier.
Anyway, I'm with Angela Wright on this one—the system needs to CHANGE FROM WITHIN, driven by the pressure from all the honest, good people out there.

Kate Collins67 said:To be perfectly honest, I have a massive issue with how this whole setup works—but if or when an individual like me actually has the power to change things, I’ll certainly give it a shot. For now, though? My hands are tied.
Just a heads-up: this is strictly my own take, and I can almost guarantee most doctors aren't going to agree with me on this one.

But if you look at it from the patient's perspective, the problem is way more deep-seated, which means the burden still falls on the patients to force a change in the system.
The thing is, "patients" usually go about using the media and other platforms all wrong. Instead of pointing out the specific, systemic failures, they just end up attacking the staff...
I've listed a few examples below.

Well, you've got it backwards, at least regarding the association I represent. We have never, ever, ever gone against the medical profession. On the contrary, we build and maintain excellent relationships with doctors. Everywhere we go, we emphasize how vital good working conditions are and highlight the high level of expertise we have here in the US; we collaborate heavily, especially on prevention campaigns and second opinion initiatives. Like I told you before, we actually experience the exact opposite: whenever we speak out publicly to advocate for medical workers' rights, the profession stays silent. Then, the government turns around and claims we're lying because, since the doctors aren't reacting, everything must be fine.
Look, sorry, but we've practically swallowed our pride just to fight for you, and then when it's time to point out what's actually happening, you all just scurry back into your mouse holes... so where's the progress in that?
How are patients supposed to get on your side and use the media effectively if this is how it works?

EDIT: here is a =63230&tx_ttnews[backPid]=23&cHash=f1ad1cca92%3E[tt_news]=63230&tx_ttnews[backPid]=23&cHash=f1ad1cca92']link to the show "Openly," which does a great job showing the difference between how doctors defend the profession versus how patients do. When you watch it, please try to view it through the eyes of someone who is sick, or maybe someone in your own family, rather than looking at it through a doctor's lens. It completely changes your perspective.

Angela Wright said:Believe me, looking at it from the perspective of an oncology patient, you don't have to be stumbling drunk to get a tiny dose of actual "humanity."
But hey, it is what it is; you get what you pay for. That logic applies everywhere, including medical services. Empathy is something they only bother writing about in palliative care textbooks—which, by the way, remains a total mystery in the US, even though we've been living in the 21st century for ages and its foundations were laid back in the Renaissance.

Let’s be real: palliative medicine practically doesn't exist in this country in any meaningful sense.
We’re talking about actual hospices here.
But look, there are a couple of cold, hard facts we have to face:
1. Most oncology drugs just don't have a logical cost-to-benefit ratio. (That’s the brutal reality right there)
2. There is only so much money in the pot, and within the system, it has to be allocated where it can actually do the most good.
There’s more to it than that, but I don't want people getting the wrong idea.

Angela Wright said:Well, you've got it backwards, at least regarding the association I represent. We have never, ever, ever gone against the medical profession. On the contrary, we build and maintain excellent relationships with doctors. Everywhere we go, we emphasize how vital good working conditions are and highlight the high level of expertise we have here in the US; we collaborate heavily, especially on prevention campaigns and second opinion initiatives. Like I told you before, we actually experience the exact opposite: whenever we speak out publicly to advocate for medical workers' rights, the profession stays silent. Then, the government turns around and claims we're lying because, since the doctors aren't reacting, everything must be fine.
Look, sorry, but we've practically swallowed our pride just to fight for you, and then when it's time to point out what's actually happening, you all just scurry back into your mouse holes... so where's the progress in that?
How are patients supposed to get on your side and use the media effectively if this is how it works?

EDIT: here is a =63230&tx_ttnews[backPid]=23&cHash=f1ad1cca92%3E[tt_news]=63230&tx_ttnews[backPid]=23&cHash=f1ad1cca92']link to the show "Openly," which does a great job showing the difference between how doctors defend the profession versus how patients do. When you watch it, please try to view it through the eyes of someone who is sick, or maybe someone in your own family, rather than looking at it through a doctor's lens. It completely changes your perspective.

Look, if you follow the news, it’s always the same old story—every other headline is some exposé attacking a mistake here or a failure there, someone being blamed, someone being accused of negligence... but you almost never see a front-page story about an oncology patient advocacy group begging for more hospice care. I get it, you don't call the shots on what gets published, but I'm just calling it like I see it in the American press.

Sure, people can be weirdly indifferent, but that isn't just on the medical staff. Just look at how little anyone cared when the unions organized those strikes over pay cuts a year ago—or whenever that was. They didn't exactly break any attendance records, did they?

The truth is, both you and I are going to have a hell of a time fighting for anything just by "gathering people together"—because real change doesn't just happen overnight.
My take? We need to spread awareness about the actual, underlying issues through every channel possible. Eventually, that critical mass will build up, and maybe then we'll start seeing a shift in the collective mindset.

dustymarlin10 said:I don't know about that, but I have to disagree: I've learned that just being decent makes life way easier in pretty much any situation—whether it's arguing with a neighbor, dealing with coworkers, talking to a cop, or interacting with medical staff. Besides, I'm not exactly a kid anymore (I'm 45), and I've been in plenty of situations where I or someone in my family needed medical help, and the experience was positive enough that I don't think my recent run-in was some freak outlier.
Anyway, I'm with Angela Wright on this one—the system needs to CHANGE FROM WITHIN, driven by the pressure from all the honest, good people out there.

I think you're missing the point... the "extreme" isn't your hospital visit; it's the case of a drunk guy where doctors simply can't be polite. If someone shows up intoxicated or aggressive, the doctor might have to match that energy just to manage them... hopefully, you see what I mean. As for the whole kindness thing, I won't even comment—that's subjective. But in life, that attitude often comes at a cost. A kind word doesn't always open doors, at least not here in the States.

Kate Collins67 said:Let’s be real: palliative medicine practically doesn't exist in this country in any meaningful sense.
We’re talking about actual hospices here.
But look, there are a couple of cold, hard facts we have to face:
1. Most oncology drugs just don't have a logical cost-to-benefit ratio. (That’s the brutal reality right there)
2. There is only so much money in the pot, and within the system, it has to be allocated where it can actually do the most good.
There’s more to it than that, but I don't want people getting the wrong idea.

Of course we don't have hospices, even though the government stood before the European Union and gave guarantees that the first hospice would be built by 2008. But sure, building a house is the easy part—who actually works in it? Nobody was willing or capable of training the first specialized team abroad—maybe in somewhere like Mexico or maybe even some parts of South America where they have excellent hospice programs—and then somehow establishing a palliative medicine department at a medical school... you know, solving the problem *systemically*.

I'm well aware of points one and two. And as for the money, it exists; it's just being funneled into repaving highways, bailing out billionaires, various scandals, or keeping big-name sports teams afloat so they can compete in international tournaments.
Look, from top to bottom, the whole system is a circus, so it makes sense that we ended up with a system like this. But while people are busy living their small lives, they fail to recalibrate our values and realize that health is number one. By ignoring preventative measures, we aren't just being irresponsible toward ourselves, but toward society as a whole. When you get a preventable cancer—one of the top four most common carcinomas hitting the population—and you don't catch it until it's advanced, the treatment costs vastly more than if it had been caught early or prevented entirely.
If everyone actually did their part, then those poor souls who happen to be struck by some rare sarcoma—for which the medication is so expensive even a wealthy person can barely afford it, and isn't even registered in the US because of Big Pharma's damn profit margins—might actually have a few cents left over just to try their luck and see if they stand a chance.

Everyone has the right to fight for their life and their recovery.

Jerry Lee32 said:I think you're missing the point... the "extreme" isn't your hospital visit; it's the case of a drunk guy where doctors simply can't be polite. If someone shows up intoxicated or aggressive, the doctor might have to match that energy just to manage them... hopefully, you see what I mean. As for the whole kindness thing, I won't even comment—that's subjective. But in life, that attitude often comes at a cost. A kind word doesn't always open doors, at least not here in the States.

Alright, I hear you.
But personally? I'm still sticking with being kind...

dustymarlin10 said:Alright, I hear you.
But personally? I'm still sticking with being kind...

Me too, unfortunately... but that always ends up costing me. We can save that deep dive for another time, though.😉