The REAL problem with government healthcare....

Okay, so I read this article about Medicare fraud. I mean, you have to be naive to think that no one ever tries to scam anyone else, including the government. But THIS...this is ridiculous. Here are just a few tidbits from the article (Reader's Digest, October 2009):

"One pair of scam artists in Florida used the Medicare identification numbers of DEAD DOCS to bilk $1.3 million from the government--also known as we the taxpayers.....More than 50,000 of the bogus claims involved doctors who had been deceased for at least TEN YEARS."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

"Here's another good one: the podiatrist who allegedly billed the government for treating people with no feet. Dr. David Quang Pham was indicted in St. Louis this past June for charging the governemnt for nonexistent procedures that he backed up with phony notes (Pham has pleaded not guilty) {of course}. As an unforgettable press release from the local U.S. Attorney's office put it, 'Dr. Pham submitted reimbursement claims for treating the feet of patients whose feet had been amputated prior to the dates of service.' Once again, it was the taxpayers who had to, er, foot the bill."

I'll just let that one sink in a minute.

"The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association estimates that more than $60 BILLION a year is lost to fruad." Hmmm...I wonder how many Czar's you can employ for $60 BILLION a year? Maybe some of them should concentrate on plugging these holes instead of creating more programs for people to scam.

* Michael DeJesus Huarte set up 14 health care clinics to treat cancer and AIDS, and billed the government for $70 MILLION in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

* 1,581 "medical equipment companies" billed Medicare for $97 MILLION.

* a "pharmacy" in Florida allegedly selling nebulizers for asthma patients was actually a broom closet, and the pharmacist, an air-conditioning repairman.

* In Michigan, Dr. Robert Stokes removed MINOR skin blemishes telling his patients they had cancer, scaring them half to death, and jacking up his Medicare reimbursement.

* In Pennsylvania, a dentist pleaded guilty to doing root canals on patients who didn't need them

"In January 2007, Medicare shut down 18 medical equipment sellers in Florida after investigators discovered they were phony. But the companies were reinstated on appeal--only to be indicted several months later, after they had been paid another $5 MILLION in taxpayer money. Loopholes that allow quick reinstatements-OFTEN AFTER JUST A SWORN STATEMENT FROM OWNERS-must be closed."

Okay, read that again. They were closed for being phony, appealed, and were reinstated (and PAID) for their word. Only the government.

The article ends: "True change may take some time. But here's one small step Washington could take right away to restore some confidence: Make sure that doctors collecting our dollars STILL HAVE A PULSE."

A Wonderful Pastor

A dear Pastor came to see me today. His name is Pastor John Hutt.

Last MARCH, I tried a church called The River here in Allegan. And I really liked it. I ran into Pastor Hutt (although I knew him as REVEREND Hutt : ) during the meet-and-greet. He was my "Reverend" when I was 8 years old at the CRC I grew up in. I could NOT believe it. Well. We caught up a little after the service, and I told him about my "challenges", as well as my miracles, including my amazing husband and miracle child.

Since I have been known to say some rather critical (ahem) things about churches and pastors in the past, let me publicly tell you about THIS pastor.

I saw him at this church ONCE. I was able to go one other time since then, but Pastor Hutt wasn't there.

Pastor Hutt has called me every 2-3 weeks since March to let me know he has been praying for me and that he hasn't forgotten me. (I KNOW!) I had to pick my chin up off the floor too! Bummer of it is that he usually calls at nap time, and the ringer is off! I'm not much of a phone talker anyway, what with the trach, and Jacob being such a busy boy.

I e-mailed him and asked if he ever made house calls. I've been longing to talk to a Pastor again, and I just can't get out to see him right now. (He is a counselor at The River, and sometimes preaches there as well). He called me and came out to see me today. It was AWESOME.

SO....thank you thank you thank you to Pastor John Hutt, and to any other pastor or layperson out there who is as vigilant with the chronically ill. GOD BLESS YOU ALL....You may never know the depths to which you reach people.

What's in YOUR Thought Closet?

Whoo!

Joanna and I are doing a Bible study called Me, Myself, and Lies, by Jennifer Rothschild. It is awesome. Talk about self-inspection. Yikes. Be prepared to look into YOURSELF with a highly power microscope on this one.

The overall gist of the whole thing is that we have thing running monologue with ourselves...and that much of what we say to ourselves is either damaging, untrue, or both. This Bible study asks you to take a look at what you say to yourself, silently, 24 hours a day, and challenges you to hold it up to the Truth of God's Word. If the two don't gel, I can guarantee you which one is wrong, and it ain't God!

Joanna and I were talking about why so many Bible studies we do seem to be AMAZING when we do them, but then we forget...and Jennifer addresses this in her study in just one brief phrase: DAILY MAINTENANCE. We need to DAILY take our thoughts captive and REPLACE them with God's thoughts (to put in the thought closets of our mind).

As a person with chronic illness, my thoughts have a tendency to get negative when I'm not feeling well. I immediately start telling myself I have no value, that I am useless since I am not a productive member of society, that I'll never amount to anything, etc. All because my illness has changed my way of living.

What I have to remember is that I HAVE NOT CHANGED. I'm still the same person with the same dreams, loves, likes, passions, skills, goals, flaws, and intellect. Underneath the muscle weakness and facial ticks and problems swallowing and the trach...it's just ME. I am NOT my illness. My thinking needs to reflect how God sees me, illness or not.

You probably struggle with negative thoughts about yourself whether you're healthy or not. "I'm not a good enough wife. I'm not a good enough mother. I'm not a good enough friend. I'm not a good enough daughter, sister, Christian...." Whatever, you fill in the blank.

My dear sisters in Christ, we can only be good enough because Christ's blood has MADE us good enough. On our own, no matter how healthy, smart, funny, generous, good, lovely, no matter how badly we want to be enough, we will NEVER be. But with God...He is MORE than enough. And when we allow Him to live in us, when we allow HIS thoughts to permeate our being, then we, too, are more than enough.

Just the way you are.

Get the book. You won't regret it.

My Name Is....

I am shocking.
I can hurt you.
I will devastate your life, and change it in ways you could never imagine.
I can be the worst thing to ever happen to you, OR
I can be the best thing to ever happen to you.
I might take away your ability to work,
or walk
or laugh
or breathe
or see
or think clearly
or even live.

My name is chronic illness.


I will damage the connection between your nerves and muscles.
I will effect your ability to speak,
to swallow
to walk without falling
to hold your own head up
to breathe on your own
to go out alone
to be independent
to live a "normal" life.

My name is myasthenia gravis.


I will save your life.
I will cause you more trouble.
I may make you gain weight.
I may make you grumpy
or tired
or weepy
or hungry
or sad.
I usually help more than I hurt, so you keep me.
I may make you feel trapped.

My name is medication.


I can save your life.
I can give you a reason to go on.
I can bring you back from the edge.
I can make life bearable.
I will never give up.
I will help you fight when you just don't want to.
I will help you go when you just want to stop.

My name is HOPE.



"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
I am Freedom.
I am Emmanuel.
I am the Prince of Peace.
I am the Healer.
I am Wonderful.
I am your Counselor.
I am your Savior.

My name is JESUS."

A Few Thoughts for the End of II Week

Well, first, let me just say how timely it was when I went to the grocery store yesterday afternoon. I FINALLY got someone from U of M to call me back and call in some different pain medication. So I go to the store, park in handicapped, start limping in to get my medication and a couple of other things. I'm just thrilled that I can go to the store, alone! Even though I'm in pain, my MG is ALMOST behaving itself (thank the Lord!). The amount of times that I have been able to go anywhere (shopping) alone since Jacob has been born is about....3 or 4, maybe. So I'm thinking this is awesome. I even used the self-check out!

So I'm on my way out, feeling a little tired, but mostly just in pain from my hips. I put my 3 little bags in the car, turn to get in, and notice this bleach-blonde, itty-bitty, overly-spunky soccer mom craning her neck to glare at me as she's pushing her 1525 pound cart to her mini-van. I felt like running her over, to be completely frank. I felt like driving over to her car and giving her the lecture of her life. Just because I'm not in a wheelchair or blind or have a helper-dog or whatever doesn't mean there's nothing wrong with me. I could just SEE what she was thinking. Pain makes me very cranky, and I had just about had it. It took FOUR DAYS to get different pain meds that would hopefully work, and this woman looked at me and judged me in about 5 seconds. So to you, missy: May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits, and may you never experience half of what I've been through. You obviously couldn't handle it.

I want to say a GINORMOUS thank you to Lisa Copen, founder of Rest Ministries and National Invisible Illness Awareness week. Despite living with horribly painful arthritis and not even being able to type with all 10 digits, Lisa has done incredible work to advance awareness, tolerance, and education about invisible and chronic illness. May God continue to bless the work of your hands, Lisa. You are AWESOME.

Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend

September 14-20 is National Invisible Illness Awareness Week, and I have been blogging all week to promote education about people with chronic illness. Below are some excerpts (used with the author's permission) from the book "Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend" by Lisa Copen, founder of Rest Ministries. Many times people truly want to help, but just don't know what to say, or what to do, so they say, "If you need anything, call me." Well, here are some specific suggestions from a chronically ill person. Anything in {brackets} are my words.

339. Don't pretend the illness doesn't exist, and don't act like that's all she is about now. Tell her if you feel awkward about how to address it.

345. Allow her the occasional pity party on your shoulder without your advice or perky attitude.

356. Give her a jar of encouragment. Fill a jar with slips of paper each bearing encouragement, such as verses from the Bible or positive sayings. Tell her whenever she is feeling down to pull out a word of encouragement.

363. Remember that the weather can dramatically alter how one feels physically. A bit of rain could make him bedbound for a few days. {or extreme cold, or high humidity}.

366. Understand the difference between sympathy and empathy. {In my (Kerri's) own words: try to put yourselves in my shoes, but don't feel sorry for me. We don't want sympathy, we want understanding.}

372. When you pray for him, remember to pray for his family (children and spouse as well as parents and siblings). It will bring him comfort because he's worried about how his illness is impacting their lives.

380. Suffering is humbling. Recognize he may be embarrassed to accept your help. Don't make a big deal out of it.

396. Validate her feelings by saying, "That would scare me too," not "You shouldn't be afraid."

405. Remember, you may be the only "Jesus" she sees visibly acting in her life right now.

412. You don't have to have money to encourage someone. It's about your presence not your presents.

417. When he cries, just sit with him. You don't need to do anything. Don't tell him, "Don't cry" or "This isn't worth crying about." {Or, try to "top" his misery with your own.}

422. Offer to change her sheets. This is an impossible task for many people with chronic illness but an awkward task to ask for help with.

433. {If you don't know what to say} Say, "I wish I knew what to say, but I don't. I'm here for you though." {In other words, don't just avoid a person because you don't know what to say!}

446. When you visit, leave behind a little gift or a note for her to find later.

453. Try to see the world through her eyes. How would you feel if tomorrow you suddenly couldn't stand, if you forgot your children's names, or had to quit your job?

472. Stand up for her when others make ignorant remarks about her illness in your presence.

482. Ask, "How far can you walk comfortably?" Don't take any amount for granted.

485. Understand that being chronically ill and sick are two different things. When your friend is both sick AND chronically ill, she desperately needs you.

486. Leave an encouraging message on her answering machine {or voicemail} when you know she will be gone so that she comes home to a message of warmth.

I think for me, the biggest thing is that I don't want to feel forgotten. I used to be a thriving, contributing member of society, and now I am basically home-bound. In my head, I'm still the same person, but my body has betrayed me. I am still the same person you have known, I just have different limitations now. Don't forget that's it's still just me.

Waiting and waiting; Tips to stay healthy

Have you ever noticed that when you're waiting for something important time seems to just stand still? Ask any woman who has ever gone over her due date!

But seriously....It feels like I've been waiting to hear from the neurologist for a month now. It's been almost 48 hours. Doug was like, Honey, do you know what it's going to take to organize an MRI under sedated with a trach? I was like, oh, yah, I get your point. They have to get the machine, the radiologist, an ENT, the anesthesiologist, and my neuro will probably want to be there too. I'll probably have to stay overnight, so they'll need a room for me...

Then my darling husband gives me no less than FIVE Days in the next 4 weeks that he can't go. I was like, um, you said it yourself....do you know what it takes to put this together??? So I e-mailed the neuro (AGAIN) and gave him the dates, but I was like, if it's one of those or like DECEMBER, book it and I'll figure something out. I'll see if my parents or one of my sisters can bring me and then Doug can come the next day. For those of you who have known me for a while, this is a HUGE deal...that I could seriously go with anyone but Doug, and not need anyone there overnight. I used to be so anxious that I couldn't even function without Doug. I'm much better now...but I still need my hubby!

I'm not going back to Ann Arbor this Friday. I am feeling okay MG-wise, and don't feel like dealing with the possibility of more stress. One thing about autoimmune diseases, and especially MG is that stress makes the sypmtoms 100 times worse. This will give you a laugh: when I was doing pretty badly the last couple of months, Dr. Teener's nurse said, "You just have to identify the stressors in your life and do whatever you can to avoid them."

Yah, I'll let that sink in a minute.

I have an unpredictable chronic illness that requires a 280 mile round trip every 3 weeks for needles to get stuck in me, a workaholic husband, a 3 year old whom I am homeschooling, 2 dogs, a huge farmhouse, chickens, ducks, 2 turkeys (which will be dinner shortly).....but I have to remove all stress from my life. I'm like, well, unless I move to a convent on the top of a mountain....

And then, add to all this (which I have to say I just knew was going to happen) Jacob got a cold. Some hideous germ from the disgusting rides at the freak show, I mean, County Fair. Exactly 2 days later...the snot starts running. Just like when we went to Binder Park Zoo. Exactly 2 days later and he had a high fever and spots....roseola. Okay, for those of you going, what's the big deal, kids get sick...well, it's not a big deal for HIM. It can be a big deal for ME. Besides dealing with a cranky little one who doesn't feel good, and doesn't sleep well, I have to NOT get his germs when we're in each other's faces all the time.

But, I told Doug I am NOT getting sick. I will just keep saying that over and over. I will NOT get this. I think sometimes it's a kiddie virus anyway, maybe one that I've had already in my life. I used to get colds all the time, but since I've had to be the germ police, it's been a lot better. It is amazing what you can avoid getting if you're just super careful. People may stare and think I'm an idiot, but whatever....I'll live! Here are some of my tricks:

1. Always, always, ALWAYS wipe off the shopping cart you use. You can actually get hepatitis from a shopping cart. I know...how gross is that?

2. Wipe down your remote, phone, etc., if you have lots of people in your house, and do it FREQUENTLY when someone in your house is sick. Do the same for doorknobs and light switches. These are things people don't usually think of.

3. Skip this one if you have a weak stomach or like buffet's: Avoid them! Or at LEAST use your OWN utensils when you get food out. I swear this is true: At an Old Country Buffet one time with Doug's grandma, I saw someone drop a spoon out of salad dressing onto the floor. Another person comes by and puts the spoon on the metal shelf in front of the food. A little girl comes by and sticks the spoon in her mouth. Her mother takes the spoon out of her mouth and puts it back in the dressing.

4. Don't sip out of anyone else's glass or bottle...ever.

5. Wash your hands a LOT. You could probably avoid 75% of illnesses if you'd just wash your hands more often!

6. Don't touch your face: don't rub your nose, or eyes, or anything with your hands. Use a tissue or napkin.

7. Carry antibacterial wipes whereever you go. For example, when Joanna and I go McTalking for Bible study (and our sanity) either she or I wipe down the table before we sit down. Even if they've just "cleaned" it...it's still germy and filthy.

8. Wash your hands or use antibacterial hand stuff after you touch money. Money is one of THE dirtiest things on the planet.

9. NEVER lick your fingers unless they are just cleaned. Never lick your fingers when counting paper or money. YUCK.

10. Ask your friends and family to let you know if they are not feeling well before you get together. Remind people that it's very important that you don't get sick.

Anyone else have other tips for avoiding germs?