blood clotts

[rthom]

It's open weepy and black today--the skin for about 2" around the wounds.

[Polar Bear]

I can't for the life of me understand why your doctor doesn't have this under nurse care. Why he doesn't have you attending the Treatment Room for nurse attention or having what would be our (UK) equivalent of the community nurse visiting with you to check and dress it, or do whatever is necessary.

I must be missing something here. Is your US system so much different in how it works ?

[ViewsAskew]

rthom is in a Canadian system. Different from the US - I think closer to the UK model, but maybe not!

[rthom]

I'm in ontario--canada

Things have changed alot here in the last few years--Nursing is hard to get at home--even when I had my lung surgery and chest wall reconstruction with tubes hanging out of me it was only available every 3 days 10min once a day--translation--they came in changed a bandage and did not even notice a nasty infection, later that day I had to travel 1 1/2hr to the hospital because it was so bad my fever was 104 degrees. Healthcare is really tough here now. The dr's office won't even tell you whether to go see someone else for fear they get it wrong--so everything you do is mostly a guess on your part--if you guess wrong and you didn't need to be seen you waiste alot of time , money and they harass you for taking their time needlessly. There is something called telehealth here that is a program to help and you call to ask and a nurse tells you what you need to do--so you call wait along time to get someone, they ask tell you to go see a fr within an hour and they tell you it was a waiste because you should have seen your family dr instead--it could wait a day---like you'd ever get in in a day. So the system keeps cutting costs and you are made very aware of it. Like the dr telling me he only got $16 for my leg and not using anestic--my wife had to play the nurse part--doing the sterile stuff--opening things like the blades, gauze getting meds etc. He should have been telling me what to do with it and a nurse should have been assisting (especially since she was sitting on the floor because she faints at the sight of my blood and he was told that) Still this is just like field medicine here. Don't know if it's all over or just our area--but holy crap.

[rthom]

When I went to get an appointment to have my leg seen by my family dr. The receptionist said the "so they're dealing with it through the hospital, what are you doing here." She will not let me see the dr unless it is what she thinks is necessary. So wrong. What am I to do now--Hospital dr told me not to come back unless it goes really wrong (too many other patients), the family dr doesn't want to see it and the telehealth won't take no for an answer--must be seen within the hr. --Easy for them to say they aren't dealing with the hospitals.

[debbluebird]

How close are you to the states? I am really worried about your leg. If I were you, I would drive to the states and go to a hospital and stay until it starts to look better. I'm serious.
Otherwise, when the dressing is wet, it needs to be changed. You can wrap around the leg so you don't need to use tape.
I am just at a loss. You need to go and see someone, now !!

DEB

[Polar Bear]

Can you get a telephone appointment with your GP to discuss the state of your wound ?

[rthom]

Deb, I never use tape (horrible skin sensitivity due to allergies) I've just been gently wrapping with a small tensor. The states Idea is a great one--but it's not possible for me. No money available anywhere.

PB They do not take messages here or retur calls--not cost effestive--I tries that today--thought i might be able to talk to the nurse in the office and convince her to have the dr call--or just take a look herself and give me some direction. This unfortunately is the way it goes now.

[rthom]

Just to clarify--the black is a result of the exema weeping and not a wound infection--so don't be allarmed about that--I've had this happen before--it's a mix of fluid and stuff upsetting the top layer of skin. Best I can explain---Just don't want you to have the impression it's my leg ready to fall off or something. Thus the problem--if it was more serious I would have a better chance of having it seen.

[EeFall]

Take care of yourself, sounds like you are the only one who can or will at this point. I almost moved to Canada years ago because they were going to pay me to make artwork all my life, the Canadian government I guess. Sometimes I daydream about what if I had, but man, with the healthcare system so messed up it sounds like I made the correct decision to stay in the US. Maybe all the money is going to the artists for all I know

[rthom]

Now that would not surprise me, especially if you are french or indian--good luck anyone else-lol
Hope you arn't spanish or something. It's all messed up here--we spend more money appologising for the past than helping the present folks, just not much good sense--lots of good intentions though.

[rthom]

It's the Canadian way politically correct right to the end--doesn't always help much. Love my country just the same!

[rthom]

Just like having kids--love them hate what they do sometimes.

[EeFall]

The idea was founded on good intentions. Instead of having a bunch of starving artists who give up and do something else for a living (like I did) they wanted to give artists the opportunity to do art as they wanted to do it and pay them for doing it so that they would not have to worry about their next meal, housing, or healthcare for that matter. In return society would be better because art would be in everything and everywhere. It would lift society up on a higher plateau and all of society would benefit in the long run.

I don't think it works because the rest of the people have to pay for the artists, 80% of them probably sit on their rear ends, and the other 20% try to make a difference but very few of them do. I always loved the thought of it though...

[rthom]

You and I think very much alike. I bet the 20% do it for nothing as well. I do a sort of art thing--do plays to help educate folks--but they arn't the dry preachy ones--but the tell a story and use comedy to teach a lesson kind.
This I do for nothing--but am always greatful for thoe times when you get a bit of millage or a free room for the night for my trouble.