Note, new posts are located below this one.
Dear Friend and Reader:
I’ve added some extra coverage of the equinox today to the Cosmic Confidential Diary. Much of it focuses on Eris, a conversation I would like to spark up again because there are three different points about to make conjunctions to Eris in the next week or two — Venus, Mercury and the Sun. This could help us get a new sense of what this planet is about. For those curious, go to the Planet Waves homepage and you’ll see a short book I wrote on the subject, which you can download for free.
There is an interesting discussion below about the international flavor (or lack thereof) of Planet Waves and I would encurage all readers from outside the United States to read these perspectives.
The question is: is Planet Waves too focused on the United States and what can we do about it? There is an invitation to people outside the States, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, to contribute writing and photography.
We’ve begun posting articles on tomorrow’s vote in the U.S. House of Representatives (our lower house) on the health care issue, which our country has been dragged through for a solid year, and which has divided our political system viciously. These are collecting below this post (which is sticking to the top, so new posts are all below this one). Len Wallick just called me and reminded me that we are experiencing Sun opposite Saturn, which I have not mentioned (but I’ve been watching). Sun-Saturn + equinox are encouraging signs that the right outcome will happen.
Those from other countries or regions of the world can contribute to the conversation by describing their experience of health care in their country. Is the Canadian system really that good? How about the famous total-care system in England? Would anybody have to declare bankruptcy because they got sick in Europe, or would that be scandalous, as one Swiss official said?
One conversation is going — connected to the chart for the House of Representatives posting its revisions to the law to the Internet on Thursday afternoon, starting a particular deadline in motion.
From the hills of upstate New York, this is Eric Francis.
Congrats Sari! And yeah having been a midwife (briefly) I hear ya!
Eric, the system works – up to a point. Care is always free at the point of need – although there are exceptions to this. Obviously its paid for via taxes but when you need it and for however long you need it for it is free. (although dental work has to be paid for and by a legalistic quirk if you are in a road traffic accident then your treatment will be billed to your car insurance…)
My mom has had a straightforward path through her treatment for breast cancer – she was sent to a specialist and seen straightaway, biopsy taken, operation (s) scheduled, chemptherapy sorted – taken to her treatments by ambulance FOC. Given great care by the staff all the way through.
I, due to me being a diabetic, now have free scripts for life – not just diabetic meds but anything I might be prescribed. For instance last year I was given a combination of meds for my stomach problem which if I had to pay for them would cost 150 – 200 US / month. Appliances / room alterations etc etc are also funded from the NHS if you fall into the category of patient that needs them.
Where it fails is with dealing with the demand that the service ’causes’. And it simply does that by making you wait, for consults with specialist hospital staff, for scans, xrays, (my father waited five weeks for a MRI scan when he was dying of an undiagnosed cancer) , other tests, more consults etc etc …
Each area of the country is divided into small localised authorities and each othese carries a budget and each authority gets to decide what services to commission so one person living a mile down the road may get Infertility treatment (as an example) and person B living a mile the other end won’t be allowed it because person B’s primary care trust won’t fund it … This often happens with certain drugs too. Tthere was a recent case where a cancer pt receiving care at a hospital was prescribed a new form of chemotherapy but his trust wouldn’t fund it, but other patients under the same oncologist (because they came under a different trust) were allowed it…
Sari,
Congratulations on the homebirth! Fabulous!! And probably your wee one just wanted to get a look at what he *did not* have to negotiate! (If he’s a she, tell her she might want to do something about that amazing umbilicus).
Hugs!
M
Sari, good for you guys,.. my daughter was born at UCD after three days of home birthing, bad, bad news but, the girl came out, threats from the vaccu-sheisse. She was healthy, and stronger than any of the other little babes in waiting. This gal knew how to navigate, long before she hit the floor running like a mad woman!
Blessings, and Love.
Jere
i had a classic experience with the nhs this week. my baby was born sitting in front of the fire at home, no midwife, just good friends. really magical.
so we phoned the midwife, who seemed freaked we’d done it by ourselves and made us go to hospital to have the baby checked out.
and we entered mordor, like some kingdom hospital hell of beepers and wires and oppressive unwellness. and loads of women wandering around in labour with drips and no privacy and no fresh air.
but the baby was shiny and healthy and we managed with a bit of psychic protection to not feel too woozy from the experience.
and yet i still love the nhs. its a bit like burning man festival, you can’t quite believe it can function its so huge and unwielding – and yet it just audaciously muddles through.
Well Mandy…
I can vouch for you being a rock-solid source equipped with a mind that walks through walls, besides.
Does the system work, and can you give us say two examples each of how it does and does not work?
e
Well… I could be classed as the resident expert on the NHS. I know its history, have worked in it and have been a consumer of it … and am close to someone who could be regarded as one of the gatekeepers of the system…
Ask away …
I have thought a lot about it …