Let me start by saying my husband is a semi-awake normie who has been neck deep into the healthcare system for 20 years. He’s been on disability that entire time, and regularly takes 15 different medications to help anything from depression to high cholesterol, diabetes, pain management, you name it. In spite of seeing doctors at least once a month average, he has been suffering from extreme fatigue due to anemia from low red blood cell count for at least the last 6 months and we still have no answers. It took a month to see an oncologist, he waited 9 weeks for a colonoscopy (inconclusive since they couldn’t see everything… “do another in 3 months”) and now has to wait until April to get into a urologist due to a new discovery of alarming psa levels compared to his last from two years ago. He is slipping away before my eyes. Sleeps or is in bed close to 20-22 hours a day. He broke his leg in three places last April simply by bending over to stretch his aching back, so his bones are wonky as well. There is something clearly very wrong but the urgency from healthcare providers is zero. They (the people who call him to get him the appts) say there aren’t enough doctors. He has to wait his turn. He’s only 59.
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I worked IT in several healthcare orgs after a career mostly in manufacturing/distribution and real estate.
It opened my eyes for certain.
My experience is that the vast majority of providers are dedicated and well-intentioned. But they're caught in a system that severely regulates what they are able to do. Some are awake and aware and do their best to work within and around the system. Others are blissfully unaware and just do what they're told and were trained to do.
After I left, I still cautiously trusted that most are doing their best to help. COVID caused me to leave healthcare permanently but it wasn't until I got a mystery illness over this summer that I realized just what an expensive joke the whole sad system is. I could write an entire post about the crazy symptoms I had and the crazier path to not diagnosing the problem.
My wife had been doing a great job trying to lead me there and control my diet and health without being a scold. I realized that she was right all along.
I went on an anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal diet. Started exercising regularly. Dropped about 20lbs. Cut out sugar and caffeine. We eat mostly meat (stalking Walmart to snag steak on sale). Rarely have sweets. No seed oils, no processed foods, etc. It's a little expensive and we're fortunate we can afford it. OTOH, we also rarely eat out which offsets a lot of the cost.
Feel great. Can't wait for spring so I can start walking every morning again and loose some more weight.
I'd go to the local clinic in a heartbeat for stitches or a broken bone (but I would monitor every medication they gave me) but I'm through with "healthcare" in this country otherwise.
Also, beware supplements on Amazon. Most are placebos at best and dangerous at worst. There are so many I tried in the past with no effect and have retried in the last six months from researched brands only to find they actually do work when you get what you're buying.