The hot topic for the past year or so has been the push for a united health care or some type of health care reform. I will not make myself an expert on the topic of government politics or will I take a clear cut side on the issue. I will speak on what I know to be true and have seen in my little time on this planet called Earth. I may be delusional in my thoughts, but I want to keep with the essence of my thoughts.
There are people in this great country; young and old, that are physically and mentally on the verge of crisis the sad part is that they do not know or do not know how to deal with the issue. We know of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity to name a few and the consequences that come with them. There are so many other common dysfunctions, for instance sleep apnea, that we have heard of and may or may not know the symptoms. Even when we do know signs, we cannot diagnose and treat ailments fully. Seeking qualified medical help is a must to get the full effect of treatment.
Getting down to the facts of life, treatment of any ailment begins with a diagnosis. Sometimes we over look the fact that going prolonged times without treating an illness can lead to others down the line. Using as an example an obese person that continues his/her unhealthy lifestyle can invite other attackers on the body. Linked to obesity are the aforementioned sleep apnea, diabetes, respiratory issues and heart failure. For some, the cure for obesity is adopting a healthy lifestyle to include diet and exercise, but once obesity's buddies have joined the party, it becomes harder to make those changes for a whole new set of rules are in play. Exercise is hard for someone who has trouble breathing during physical activities; it's also hard to get the energy to exercise when one is not getting the proper sleep during nights.
Now that an individual has determined that medical treatment is the only option in order to see favorable results. Here's where the trouble comes to play. Medical specialist are trained treat all ailments within their scope of specialty (usually one or two) and defer to a different specialist for any issue outside of his/her expertise. And we know that each physician charges a fee just to meet, greet, and shoot the breeze with you much less any examination. This means treating multiple issues can become costly, but we all know this. This leads people to make a decision on which treatment that is best to be pursued. One may select which ever treatment that helps the most; maybe getting adequate rest will help him/her have the energy needed to exercise properly and focus on a consistent diet. Costs also influence that decision; maybe it's less expensive to seek weight consultation and training.
The example given is only one of the many that can occur. The disconnect facing many Americans is finding the qualified knowledge needed. For many, just going to a family doctor is a financial burden that cannot be handled. Children are taken care of in cases where available, but once they are adults or no longer eligible to be covered by what ever health plan they grew up with, life is completely different. Different factors come into play for teens and young adults; new stresses and demands cause an array of problems that may not be addressed by the plans that cover(ed) them. For those not covered by any form of health care, there is little to any hope of finding reasonable consultation that is affordable. How then have these issues been handled?
For the most part, individuals and groups have sought to reach those that cannot receive assistance on his or her own. Free clinics and health fairs, educational sessions, on-site nurses and physicians, etc are methods that are used to bring the knowledge to those in the community that have been lacking for one reason or another. Programs are funded for certain treatments and study of diseases and dysfunctions. The simple fact: we are taking all of these steps, but still there are citizens that cannot and will not receive attention for all that they need addressed. Preventive steps are great for those that have no conditions but do little to nothing for those with them.
The bottom line of this rambling, as it may be called by some, is that the difference between knowing there is a problem and having the problem solved is dollars on end, but the decision to follow through is a life or death decision. I know this because I witnessed a friend live this very kind of decision. I'm no expert; I call it like I see it.
