Health Care Conondrum

I got pretty sick last week and ended up in a local city health center on Thursday. You could tell by the waiting room that it served mostly lower-income patients--Medicare, Medicaid, uninsured or underinsured, etc.; it had the feel that you unfortunately would expect to have at a run-down, inner city health center. I am fortunate enough to have pretty good insurance and my own car, so I could have chosen from any number of doctor's offices in any number of areas, but that was the first place I found that could take me that day, and my throat was really unhappy so I took the appointment there.

First I was seen by doctor-in-training flying solo, who decided I didn't have an infection, just a really really swollen tonsil, and didn't need antibiotics, just an anti-inflammatory. They would take blood and do a blood test to check my white blood cell counts, and if the anti-inflammatory didn't help I would be referred to an ear-nose-throat specialist who would perform a scope through my nose to get a better view of my renegade tonsil.

The overseeing actual doctor came in later and did his own brief exam and said there was a decent chance I had strep, but they weren't sure. I was sent off with prescriptions for an anti-inflammatory and an antibiotic, with instructions to begin the anti-inflammatory, and call the next day for the results of a throat culture; if it was positive then I should start taking the antibiotic at that point. (And I suppose if it was negative, to just take the anti-inflammatory and pray or something.)

The next morning, the anti-inflammatory hadn't done much for me, so I decided to hell with it, I went ahead and got the antibiotics and started taking them. If the culture was negative I would stop, but if it was positive I wanted the head start. Unfortunately I slept all day and failed to call the office in time to get the results, so I kept taking the antibiotic. The next day was Saturday, but they had Saturday office hours so I figured I could call.

On Saturday, they didn't answer their phone. I was starting to feel a little better, albeit supplementing the anti-inflammatory with ibuprofen and acetaminophen, so I kept taking the antibiotic.

Today is Monday, four days after I felt horrible enough to decide to go to a doctor. I called this morning shortly after they opened, someone took my info and said they'd call me back. I called back at lunch, someone took my info and said whoever I had talked to that morning was working on it and would call me back. Three times being a charm, I called just before they were closing, and was told they didn't have the results yet, they might have them tomorrow, and someone would call me tomorrow. Forgive me if I'm not holding my breath.

So, if I had followed their instructions, I would be sitting here four days later writhing in pain with a still-rampaging infection, no closer to an answer or to feeling better than I was last Thursday, but with the very real chance that I would have attempted to remove my tonsil with my bare hands in a fit of pained frustration.

What's the point of this very long-winded rant? I'm feeling a lot better, so hopefully all's well that ends well. And next time, I'll know to exercise my other health care choices, which are open to me thanks to my insurance. But what about all those other people sitting in that waiting room? Most of them would probably read this whole thing and roll their eyes and say, "Well yeah that's typical of health care," because the only options that have ever been available to them have been overworked, understaffed health centers with outdated, inadequate facilities and slow lab arrangements. They don't have the same options for better care next time because they don't have the same little insurance card that I have.

I have my insurance because of my job. I have my job because I worked and did well in school. And I have a big part of me that believes in the simple idea of self-responsibility; everyone is their own person, makes their own decisions, etc. But I also know that I have that belief as a white person from the American suburbs who grew up in a good school district and an environment supportive of "success" as defined by dominant American culture. Two of my sisters' kids spent their early years living in condemned houses and have severe learning disabilities as a result of lead poisoning and other factors. Their chance for "success" was taken away from them just as mine was given to me, through sheer luck of the draw.

It leaves me so torn and with so many questions. I know there are some people out there who are on disability, welfare and Medicaid who don't have to be, who are bilking the system. But I also know there are a lot of people who never had the choice. Should people be doomed to shitty health care because of their social lot in life? Should good health care be treated as a pure commodity, the same as nicer cars and bigger houses? I'm sure there are levels of health care I can't fathom available to those with more money than I'll ever have. Is it right for one person to have a personal doctor who makes house calls and only has perhaps 20 patients, while someone else has to go to a clinic that has difficulty diagnosing strep throat?

I don't know jack shit about state-run health care vs. private health care, or how bad or good things could be if we had universal health care. I'm not an expert; I'm not advocating or condemning a choice. I'm just voicing my frustration that it seems to me that something is seriously fucked up here.

Do You Know Who You're Donating To?

Maybe I just wasn't paying close attention to WHY its call sign is WDUQ, but I honestly didn't realize before that DUQ was operated completely under the umbrella of Duquesne University, including financially. So, I was surprised and disappointed to see that Pittsburgh's primary provider of NPR is not accepting underwriting from Planned Parenthood, because Duquesne says no.

Of course, realizing the connection betwen WDUQ and Duquesne, I'm not surprised; Duquesne doesn't exactly have a progressive reputation. But I do have to wonder if the administration is very aware of the social leanings of the main demographics that tune in to NPR. Are they similarly unwilling to accept donations from liberally-minded individuals who support options other than abstinence?

I also have to wonder how many of those liberally-minded members realize that when they are donating to WDUQ, they are pretty much donating to Duquesne. I, personally, am supportive enough of NPR that I don't think I will reconsider my decision. However, it did give me pause to realize the connection. A good reminder to always be sure you know just who you're donating to.

Very Well Said, Luke

To quote our adorable cherubic mayor, "That's what 27-year-olds do and I shouldn't be any different."

This is also why 27-year-olds are generally not the mayors of large cities. Or any cities.