Author Topic: Chat thread :)  (Read 18730 times)

Weisel

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #225 on: January 09, 2016, 12:11:59 pm »
Oh, yeah! That's a good idea. I didn't think about how popular it was (and therefore how many used copies are floating around). I imagine lots of people are like "eh, I don't read these anymore" and bam, they sell them all for fairly cheap. No.6 isn't like that since it's not popular and used volumes go kinda quick I think.

Speaking of which, I should go check my mail to see if my volume 5 came in... I thankfully live one block away from the post office so I can just put on some boots and a coat and no one would ever know I just rolled out of bed and those are pajamas under that coat. (My pants aren't obvious pajama pants, I can get away with it lol)

Kai

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #226 on: January 11, 2016, 07:09:15 am »
I know I'll be broke forever if I do that, that's the problem. -laughs-

And I did think about going to the bring and buy section at conventions. But that would mean I have to go to conventions and then there's barely a chance for English one's. I might get French around here, but English is rare. Garage sales are practically nonexistant, too. You need a permit for something like that.

I'll probably have to hunt used copies online and go hunt for real whenever I get to the US or UK. Ah... it'll take me ages. Maybe I should just be happy with reading scans online.

Also, our weather is... strange. It's was almost night dark, I heard thunder, then there was a bit of ice-rain and now I can see blue skies again in some places. An hour ago it had been sunny, too. Kinda creepy.

Weisel

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #227 on: January 11, 2016, 10:48:38 am »
I didn't realize garage sales and things like that would need a permit anywhere... Here in the US you can just sell your junk right on your driveway, even on the sidewalk if you're not blocking the way. Some Amish people would regularly sell strawberries by the closed down gas station near my old house. I think it's only an issue in some cities... I don't even know then, there are usually a lot of people with little stands or street artists in the really busy sections of cities. It's kinda free game here. The boardwalk in Los Angeles is just packed with little temporary stands since it's not a road for cars and it's impossible to get through there without someone getting in your face about selling you something. (It was definitely like that in Ghana as well, LOTS of people selling stuff on the street.)

Uh... Got s little off topic there, huh? Well, my friend told me to go check my mail today since I didn't get my package on Saturday. Maybe it's finally here? Also the weather yesterday was sort of weird. It was so windy my apartment was creaking and it scared my cat.

Ahiku

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #228 on: January 11, 2016, 11:22:48 am »
For street sales and all kinds of stalls...even if you just want to sell your strawberries, you need a special permission or even a trade certificate, otherwise you can get into trouble with the police. :D Wel, when they find out that you're not allowed to sell your stuff.

Oh, I hope you'll get your package soon, Weisel. o.o
Someone kept ringing the doorbell earlier... XD I assume it was the parcel deliveryman who wanted me to take packages for my neighbors. x.x But I have to admit, I don't do this anymore...not since some people didn't pick up their stuff... one time I had a super huge and heavy package in my apartment (it was in my old apartment, which was pretty small.)
That was horrible. <,< After 3 days, I went to that certain neighbor and told him that he has a package and he had the nerve to tell me I should bring it to him when I wanna get rid of it. WTF Ò_ó
People usually tell me when they are visiting me and I know when I ordered something, so I just open the door when I'm waiting for someone. ^^°

Weisel

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #229 on: January 11, 2016, 12:27:22 pm »
I'm pretty sure I've hidden while someone's knocked on my door... Very adult of me, right? Also my package is totally here, the slip saying I have a package is in my post office box, and even though the hours posted on the door say the post office should be open... IT'S NOT OPEN! *cracks knuckles* Just gonna bust my way through the gate and get it myself... (Or just check back later when possible lunch hours are over, I think small town post offices have lunch breaks where the desk is closed and they don't post anything saying that.)

Weisel

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #230 on: January 11, 2016, 12:47:16 pm »
Lol I was right, it was lunch hour. So now I have volume 5! Hallelujah! Only three more to go and I'll officially be complete No.6 trash.

Speaking of street merchants and such, thinking back, one of the markets I went to in Ghana was a little like the market in the West block, though less deadly... I definitely felt like I aged at least a few years there. People were trying to rip me off since I wasn't a local (since it's easy to scam tourists, though I wasn't a tourist and I had the chief's daughter helping me out heheheh...), a drunk guy tried to get me to marry him. He was very persistent and followed me around, and I had a merchant chase after me because I wouldn't buy his overpriced goods (it's all bartering at the markets). I was more than ready to go back to my little house and not talk to anyone.

One more thing I just remembered that made me laugh, they have "ground nuts" instead of peanuts (they grow in the ground but aren't quite the same as peanuts) and they make it into what's basically runny peanut butter, but it's called "ground nut paste." Doesn't quite roll off the tongue so well, huh? The women who made it (men hardly did **** there) would sell it at the markets in these giant bowls, and they'd package it in a plastic bag. It looked kinda gross, but it was tasty!

Kai

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #231 on: January 12, 2016, 02:24:21 am »
Yep, it's as Ahiku said. You need a permit for almost anything here. It's kinda funny, since we are a free country with democracy and all, but at the same time the Swiss are pretty orderly and hate too much interaction most of the time. Probably why all those regulations came to be. There's close to nil haggling options and people get annoyed/uncomfortable and when a stranger talks to them on the streets.
There's not very many beggars either since the social system is rather good with preventing complete homelessness - most beggars actually are organized from outside the country (and sometimes you kinda wonder how someone with clean adidas pants and nike shoes actually tries to get your pity by kneeling (on a warm blanket) and whining - I can't afford those clothes.). Though I have to admit I'm very careful in general with street beggars. I tend to, if I have things to spare drop them off at the emergency shelter or what I did once was go help loading up trucks for free with school supplies (desks and benches ect.) that were to be brought to Rouanda directly to build a new school.

There's a lot of organizations 'helping', but it is known that about 85% of the donations are being used to pay their members and adverts. So where am I helping when my money buys a new poster that depicts a cardboard and says that's what a homeless people in (put in a poor region) sleeps on. - Yes it may actually do that, but if you'd use the damn money for twenty cardboard boxes instead of that poster, that poor person actually might have had four walls instead of one piece of cardbord to sleep on and ninteen others as well. Not the best they could get, sure, but it would still be better than just what you're lamenting about to me.

That's also why I refuse to work these jobs, asking people to sign up for those organisations. I mean I already hate chatting up people in the first place, but it's gross. They make students do that and make it attractive since you generally get paid 30 bucks per hour. (I worked at a gas station shop for 20 an hour - though I got regular fee since I received a key and most of the time was resposible for the shop - I think the other student got 18/hour - also this is Switzerland, don't complare directly about 35% of that goes to the state, a McDonalds hamburger for example costs 6.50 and the rent for my approximately 15 square meter room is 550 a month - that's why minimum wages are around 18/hour).

Ah... anyway. I'm ranting about something I started myself. And I know I have a pretty harsh opinion on this topic. But it's close to what Nezumi once said in the book. What's it gonna help except make YOUR conscience better when your good deed is just grazing the real problem. Either get down and diry and see through that your effort actually reaches the places you want to make a difference or just leave it and accept that you're not willing to step out of your comfort zone.
I'm not saying that giving money is no help at all. We did collect money too for the truck business - knowing very well that fuel is not cheap and they will have to bribe officialls to reach their destination. But that's not something that can't be done with volounteer work entirely. But it really depends where you drop off your charities whatever form they may have.

Okay, I try be done ranting now. -laughs- I think the weather might start having an impact on me.

Happy reading with volume 5, I think that's a good one especially!

Also, 'ground nut' technically is a literal translation of the German word for peanut. Not quite sure about French or Dutch but it very well be connected and that might have actually been the influence on the people in Ghana. Or did the nut itself look different?

Ahiku

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #232 on: January 12, 2016, 06:48:19 am »
@Weisel
Woah, that really sounds like a real life West Block experience. o,o
What did you do in Ghana?

@Kai
Feel free to rant as much as you like. :)
We have quite a lot homeless people in my city. (Halle/Saale)
I know at least 5 spots where you can always find beggars... you really can't give money or other stuff to all of them, otherwise you can just sit right next to them and start to beg as well.
Many, many years ago, an acquaintance of my mother (the husband of one of her colleagues) told me that he offered a homeless person 10 Euro... he just wanted them to sweep a path...that guy owned a bowling alley... It was not a long path, not even 50 meters or so. You'd be done in 10 minutes or so. ^^° The homeless person refused to do the work and just wanted the money. Hmm o.o°
I know that there's some kind of support for homeless people in the city, and emergency shelters.

In regard to the ground nuts... o.o I would rather say earth nut when you want to translate "Erdnuss" literally... XD otherwise I'd rather say "Bodennuss". Oh and when we translate peanut literally into German, it's "Erbsennuss" Weird...it doesn't look like a pea.  Or maybe because it's in this kind of shell like a pea... since peanuts are not nuts but legumes. Hmmm~

I just checked out dict.cc for fun... o.o
http://www.dict.cc/?s=Erdnuss
The page says it's British English... (?) Not sure, though...this page uses to fail sometimes. XD I still like it, because you can listen to the pronunciation of almost every word.

Oh, but as you said, Weisel...it's not really a peanut. this page
http://www.differencebetween.net/object/difference-between-groundnut-and-peanut/
says  that a peanut is a type of groundnut and groundnut may refer to peanuts as well as specific kinds of roots and tubers.
Hmmm~

Read more: Difference Between Groundnut and Peanut | Difference Between | Groundnut vs Peanut http://www.differencebetween.net/object/difference-between-groundnut-and-peanut/#ixzz3x29vCsFk





Weisel

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #233 on: January 12, 2016, 12:40:03 pm »
I think there was just a slight difference in the ground nuts from peanuts we're used to, but not much. They tasted almost exactly the same. Sort of like how they had millet instead of corn, just a slightly different type to fit the dry environment. (I was there during the rainy season and it was DRY!)

I went to Ghana with my dad, stepmom, and sister. My dad had traveled there as a volunteer teacher about ten years before that, and he's kept in contact with the one chief he met. He ended up going back several times to help out with the school there (it's a tiny village and the school won't get government funding until it's been running for so many years) and so he was doing that again. (We did some stuff as well, like fixing the desks in the school, but it was mostly my dad doing stuff with the chief.) I think he basically wanted me and my sister to learn more about the world and stop being the prissy princesses our mom raised us to be. I stayed there for a month and I definitely learned a thing or two (or twenty) about the world... I was sixteen then, still in high school. I definitely had a lot less sympathy for some of my friends when they complained about stuff, like my one "friend" (really didn't like her but she had no idea I guess, we were in the same little group though) was complaining that her parents weren't totally paying for her MacBook Pro... I was just like "grow the **** up, you have the money to get it yourself, you spoiled brat." After seeing people living off of nothing and working their asses off just to have enough to eat, it just boggled me. (Not saying parents helping out financially is bad, just expecting them to cover a luxury when you can get it yourself... I'm completely reliant on my mom right now because of medical stuff, but she isn't responsible for fancy new gadgets...) Bleh, I just have less sympathy for "first world problems" so to speak. (PSH, I've turned into Nezumi...)

Uh, anyway, so that trip was definitely the biggest adventure of my life. We almost got involved with a war between tribes (the chief asked for my dad's help since he excels in war tactics) and I was totally willing to risk my life if it was going to help save more lives in the long run, but my dad was like "you should value your life more!" I was reminded of that when Nezumi says that to Shion about the blood serum... I think the funniest thing about it all was that my dad was super concerned about any of us getting sick, but he got giardia (I think that's now it's spelled) and an eye injury. I felt a little bad from the heat sometimes and sometimes my digestive system was like "what the heck is this??" but otherwise I was TOTALLY fine, at least until we went to Europe. (I had a really hard time in Europe, not so much in Ghana, which is the opposite of what I'd expected.) My sister had a panic attack when we first got to the little village, which we thought was a heat stroke, but I guess she just was freaking out because we had next to no communication with the rest of the world, no cell phones or anything... I think she's deeply afraid of death and so she was making herself crazy thinking of all the ways she might die there. The only time I was particularly scared was when I woke up a donkey on accident in the middle of the night on my way back from the bathroom. (It was a good thing it was AFTER going to the bathroom, hahaha...) My sister was with me and somehow she wasn't freaked out by the super loud donkey having a panicked fit and I was just trying not to scream. I was laughing about it as soon as it was over though. (Oh yeah, the language in Ghana is English, very little French. It was one of the few countries in the area that England tried to colonize.)

As for homelessness, it's pretty bad in every city in the US. Even in Ithaca where I used to live (it's a pretty small city as it is, closer to a large town) there were homeless people. The big problem is that in the US, once you're in poverty, you're pretty much out of luck. The "credit" system here is a confusing mess (which comes from specific credit card practices, paying bills on time, stuff like that)... You don't even start off with good credit, you have to work up to it. It's insanity. You can't even get a new car without good credit. Some of the really shitty used car places have signs outside them that say "no credit? no problem!" And in a lot of places here, you really need a car to have any kind of decent life. Only really organized cities have good public transportation. Even in Albuquerque, where you NEED a car because it's so spaced out, the public buses don't start running soon enough for some of the jobs the people in poverty actually need to get to. And then to get an apartment anywhere, you have to have documents saying you regularly make 3x the amount of rent... So if you don't have a job, you don't get a house, even if you have the money to start. Like I said, once you're in poverty, it's hard to get out... Even the homeless shelters aren't so great, the Salvation Army won't help Muslims or transgender people, sometimes gay people (not positive on that one but I wouldn't be surprised), and I think they're the biggest group in "helping" the homeless. Like if I didn't have anyone helping me out right now, I'd be living in my car. It's basically impossible to get anywhere without help. And without a college degree or some kind of certification, it's hard to get a decent job. The best one I ever got was $10/hour. And then when I was okay enough health-wise, I was working three jobs and splitting the costs of rent with a friend (I actually didn't know him beforehand, he was getting kicked out of his house for being transgender so I just told him to come live with me) and we weren't living in luxury, that was for sure... And on top of that, health insurance isn't available to everyone or even cheap for that matter, and healthcare basically run as a business. And without insurance, one medical can put you in debt for life if it's bad enough. They'll even sneak expenses for other people's treatments in your bill sometimes. It's super messed up... I'm on my mom's insurance until I'm 26, so I have to start figuring that out *cries* and filing for disability is practically impossible. Basically they deny every application the first time (no exaggeration) and then you have to apply again with a lawyer to argue your case. And without an "acceptable" diagnosis, the case won't stand. But to get a diagnosis, you need medical care. To get medical care, you need insurance. Without insurance, you need a lot of money. To get a lot of money, you need to be able to work a lot. To work s lot, you need to not be disabled. ...You see? No one can win. I'm really hesitant to even start that process because once you file for it, you can't add any other new diagnosis to your file. You could have lupus and file, then halfway through the process you could lose half your leg in an accident, but you wouldn't be able to add that to your file. You'd have to give up and start all over. And it takes YEARS... For me, I have diagnoses that won't be covered by disability. I have hypothyroidism, hypermobility, and fibromyalgia. The thing is, I'm pretty sure it's Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but it's so rare (more like missed by doctors) that the doctors I see who CAN diagnose it aren't willing to look into it. Even my physical therapist thinks it's Ehlers-Danlos, she's worked with people who have it and she's sure, but she can't actually diagnose it. That's probably the once shot I have at getting disability, getting that diagnosis. Makes me cry. ;_; But yeah... I was getting at that medical problems will instantly **** up your life unless someone's helping you out a LOT... So a lot of homeless people are disabled, both mentally and physically. It's really messed up.

Oh man, sorry that got so long... Uh, anyway, I am very thoroughly enjoying my new volumes of No.6 because now I have that kiss scene and the dance scene in print. Now I can cry on them for real.

Okay okay, I gotta stop typing and head to my physical therapy appointment. The weather is getting bad today so I have to drive slower... I think it's going to snow right when I'm getting my groceries and coming back home. (Again, sorry for the long rant, but it's all horribly true.)

Kai

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #234 on: January 12, 2016, 03:47:21 pm »
@Ahiku
Okay, point taken, I was thinking of how earth can mean ground as well in literature, less in science. And I admit I was too lazy to actually google it and just go for an (un)educated guess.

But the homeless story sounds so typical. And it sadly sheds bad light on those who would want to do and work. We had a bad case like that with a refugee family in the neighbourood. They would have been allowed to live in a newly renovated farm house and turned it down because they wanted something better. That's just... you're fleeing from a war, you get offered a house that actually has a lot of worth (rustic renovated farmhouses actually are expensive), is warm, cared for and has everything you need, in a counry that is considered very safe. Appreciative much? Other people get temporarily housed in military bases (which is still warm, has a bed and proper meals) and don't complain.

@Weisel
Oh, good thing that friend of yours hasn't told me. I would honestly ask her to explain me why this is so bad, especially if she has a functioning computer already/would get a less expensive one that covers her need for education or enough savings to buy it herself. I'd make her explain it to me and probably drop very snide and sarcastic questions. Behaviour like that... is just... asking for people to lower their respect and expectations.
I get it if someone indulges a little every now and then and complains that they don't have a luxury item or just say they would really like one, we generally are spoiled brats in industrialized regions, but there's a line where it gets ridiculous.
I'm also really glad my parents taught me how to respect value and don't take everything for granted.

Your trip to Ghana though sounds like a lot of valuable experiences. And helping out like that as a teacher, now that is 'charity' I can respect. It's not easy getting yourself to places that don't have a comfortable life. Although it is true what your father said with valuing your own life. You can't help any further once you're dead after all.

Also that's actually even known around here that the US insurance/health system is ****. And that it can ruin people. We don't have the perfect system either, it's ridiculous as hell sometimes, but I'm actually rather happy, compared. I pay way too much for insurance (over 300 a month) but I'm at least certain I can get medical attention when I need it, where I need it and the basic needs are well covered. Also as a citizen here I can always fall back on social help by the government. It may be a pain to prove it that you need help, but to land your rear on the street isn't gonna happen very fast.
It may be not easy to get certified as disabled, but it's not impossible either, you're always allowed to ask for a second opinion from a different doctor and usually the best and most up to date work in university clinics, which are not private and therefore not needed to pay yourself. (That's just if you want some fancy private doctor, then you need a private fancy insurance - it's not like that matters much though in a general hospital, I've dealt with privately insured patients as well, all they get is a more fancy room alone and the chief shakes their hand more often/is present for the doctor's visite. Okay, as a student I'm only allowed to treat them if they agree to have me, so they get asked beforehand and not just put on a student's roster. But that's about it, really.)
So the system might be a pain in the ass still, but I'm grateful to at least have to posibilities when I bother to look for them.

The nordic countries though have worked it out best as far as I know?
 
I hope though that the things we learn from those countries get adapted here as well, and I especially hope the US gets some change in their healthcare in forseeable future.

Weisel

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #235 on: January 12, 2016, 05:18:30 pm »
@Kai I'll say now I had very little patience for that "friend"... I ended up reaming her out about a lot of nonsense over the years because I think my patience ran thin early on in my life. And she totally had a working laptop then. She definitely had the "only child" personality... (Lol she didn't invite me to her wedding so maybe it finally got through her head that I don't like her.)

I talked to my substitute physical therapist today, and she said my usual physical therapist might be able to write a letter to my doctors since she thinks I might have EDS. I'm already on my "second opinion" rheumatologist and she's way better than the first, but she's still not as receptive as I need her to be. I'd have to go to another place for that, likely hours away from where I live and it'd take months to get an appointment... And then months of waiting for the appointment. Another hard part is finding a doctor that my insurance will cover. It only covers certain hospitals and care (there's still a copay with everything though, it's far from free). It's all just a major hassle, enough I've considered just moving to a country where I can get some real help. Not the easiest option, but then again, it might be just as easy as getting disability assistance (and sometimes they just drop you from the system because ???? who knows. It just happens to some people). I'd like to just move to Finland where they have their country running well and it's cold all the time. I don't even care, I'd make an igloo if I had to. A big problem in the US is that big businesses keep sticking their hands into government things, and with health insurance and pharmaceuticals being huuuuge businesses, it's hard for anything actually beneficial to the healthcare system to be passed. It's all so freaking crazy. If you want a good look at how messed up it is, just look up stuff about Lyme disease. It's crazy. Doctors can lose their license for not following the treatment protocol, but the protocol rarely cures Lyme disease, and it's because pharmacy companies and insurance companies all have some kind of impact on those treatments. It's all about money to them, people are dying, and the people who suspect it's something created by the government are seen as crazy conspiracists (even though the outbreak began right where they were developing biological weapons... like diseases...). That's actually another possibility for me since Lyme disease can affect so many things and I was bitten by a tick in one of the highly affected states when I was a kid. But Lyme disease tests often show a false negative (or a false positive), so I guess I can't say for sure. It's like a dystopian novel, except less cool because it's real. :(

Jeez, sorry for the crazy tangents, I guess I have a lot of opinions about the medical system here in the US. Hopefully it's interesting to someone haha...

Kai

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #236 on: January 13, 2016, 03:46:30 am »
Well, I'm certainly interested. I think of perhaps doing some work over there as experience. So it's good to know the frustrations I may meet in patients. I know the system's bad and I'll probably be pissed off myself when I have to work in it, but yeah, exchange might still move small things, get them to know how I learned to work and me some new ideas as well.

But how the.... can you have problems with Lyme? That's one of the first things a doctor looks for when you come after a tick bite and even if a few weeks of antibiotics isn't the greatest thing, but in that case it gets taken seriously. The worry's more FSME here, since it's pretty bleak considering treatment AFTER so the talk is all about the vaccine.
(Lyme is pretty serious but the healing rate is I believe over 90% if you get to it early. And we teach children already to look out for symptoms after a tick bites.)

Stories like yours just astonish me. How can doctors be so disinterested? What happens a lot here instead: if the doctor's not quite sure himself because his specialties lie elswhere he will personally refer you to a specialist of that field.
For example, I had to take a thorax x-ray for traveling to China, making sure about tuberculosis or something (that I'm not infected) and when he noticed I had an anormal heart shape he gave it over to a cardiologist to check me. As in his office organized me an appointment with them directly.
It just boggles me to hear that's not the usual. I mean, there probably are some pricks with too much ego or pride that attempt to try it themselves, but there's no shame in saying 'hey, I don't deal with this very often, but I know a colleague that has some experience, I want him/her to take a look at you, too'.
Even we physical therapists tend to do that if we realise that the conventional method and some creativity we've come up doesn't get anywhere. Then you just call up someone with more experience and either have them give you tips or ask if you can refer the patient to them or you even start talking to someone that has experience after you first diagnosed something or just find trouble you can't quite pinpoint and you're not too familiar with, next to looking it up in the books.
I just feel like that is showing more competence rather than rendering you incompetent. There's so much health trouble out there, who's gonna expect one person to be an expert in everything?

The biggest annoyance we meet here from a professional viewpoint now are insurances as well. They can make a lot of ruckus if they want. If you meet something unconventional and you want to try unconventional methods you have to look into it carefully. Because if the insurance wants to make a claim you have to be able to defend each and every method you've used to treat and they generally only accept evidence based treatments you can back up with studies taken and lots of statistics. Or in other words you practically have to scientifically bullshit your way through it.

Insurances are private businesses here as well, I have to add. But really the worst thing with them actually isn't the getting help but the continuously increase in ridiculously high premiums. It's a strong capitalism and buisnesses are very greedy for money, but at least humanity hasn't quite vanished yet. The way you describe things makes me question the humanity of people.

Weisel

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #237 on: January 13, 2016, 12:50:37 pm »
Ah, it's sort of a finicky thing with Lyme over here. My sister got is while in Philadelphia, but she caught it right away thanks to having a friendly doctor as her neighbor. He recognized it right away and made her go to the hospital for the proper antibiotics (since he couldn't exactly treat her from his apartment, haha) and she was able to recover. However, chronic Lyme disease is totally overlooked. In the medical world, it doesn't even "exist" regardless of the people who suffer from it. And like you said, you have to bullshit your way through defending unconventional treatments. No matter how much these doctors help people with chronic Lyme disease, insurance companies will get sued millions and have their licenses revoked for going against protocol. That's the kind of greed involved. As for the risk for me, I got bitten by a tick right on the back of my neck. I think I was ten at the time. I felt something weird and itched my neck, then looked at my hand and there was a crushed tick and my blood smeared all over my fingers. I didn't say anything to my dad because I knew nothing about tick bites or Lyme disease and I didn't want to complain because he always got annoyed when I whined about anything.

As for doctors not listening, it's unfortunately very common for women's issues to be overlooked. Women with serious conditions are often told they have fibromyalgia and are simply given a mild antidepressant and that's the best treatment they get. It seems like we're still stuck in the ages when "hysteria" was the go-to diagnosis for women... Last time I went to the ER was a couple years ago. I was sitting in my room typing on my computer when half my body started going numb and at first I was like "whatever, probably not important" but then I thought about how my friend would have reacted if I told her... and I realized she would have dragged me to the ER herself, so I just went ahead and drove to the ER at about 3AM. Once I got there, the doctor told me it was probably just a panic attack. Didn't matter that I was pretty damn calm, he just dismissed it as a panic attack. I insisted I get a CT scan because jeez, I'm not stupid enough to believe that when half my body is suddenly numb for no apparent reason... (And I'd experience a panic attack where my whole face went numb and this was very, very different.) And unless I've been having a "panic attack" for two consecutive years, it's something neurological going on. Thanks, doc. (I've gone to a neurologist and she found nothing, and it's been left as sort of a dead end case. Doesn't matter that I'm still numb... My PT has an idea, but again, she can't diagnose people.) My first rheumatologist totally brushed off my suspicions of EDS because I'm probably just another depressed woman (doesn't matter how well my psych meds are working, I'm just a mildly depressed lady, after all, as all women in pain are apparently). I at least was insistent about not getting antidepressants because I've got my bipolar meds well balanced now and I don't want to mess with that. I never had much luck with various antidepressants, anyway. I only end up with unfortunate digestive issues and no actual relief. And on the topic of respect towards women, I was "****-shamed" so to speak (a very tumblr phrase I never thought I'd have to use in real life) by my nurse a couple years back. I was checking into a hospital for mental stuff a few years back (things were rough) and my (male) nurse was asking me for my meds list. I had to also tell what my relationship status was for things like therapy (so they know if domestic abuse is a risk I guess, not positive) so he already knew I was single. After telling him I was taking birth control, he was like "you don't have a boyfriend? And you're on birth control?" And I just wanted to tell him to go **** himself. Like, what is this, the fifties?! A lot of women (sometimes even girls) are on it for heavy/painful periods, myself included. I wasn't even sexually active. (He later tried to call me an alcoholic during group therapy and annoyed me while I was trying to write. I should've just kicked him in the balls and stayed there for an extra week. Would have been worth it. I still remember his stupid ugly face.)

At least my primary doctor is good in general. While she'll dismiss some things as not likely, she will send be in for a test or to see a specialist if I express enough concern. Some of the stuff is that she doesn't want me to go through unpleasant tests for nothing, like getting spinal taps and uncomfortable/painful tests. Like I told her I think I have celiac disease (which can go hand in hand with thyroid disease sometimes) because gluten makes me really ill. She said it's possible, but I was already off gluten and feeling better, there was no point in getting tested. Either I'd have to be eating gluten again for a month (and feel sick that whole time) or I could get a test where they'd have to stick a thing up my butt to get into my large intestine... So she was like "just stay off gluten if it helps, and a diagnosis won't help anything because there's no other treatment for it anyway." It's nice that she'll explain things if I ask. She'll get stuff done if I say I really want it done, but she'll tell me why she does certain things, too. Plus she really knows how to work the insurance system. She managed to get me in for a breast reduction within only a few months with no trouble, and it's usually near impossible to get that process going at first for some women. (Of course my surgeon wasn't very good when I kept coming back for wounds opening up... I eventually gave up and just let my roommate use that special medical tape that stays on for days at a time. He sort of made this grid over the wounds to keep things in place. I have a ton of scarring on my chest from that and my whole chest is numb. Anyway, I'm basically saying that even with a good doctor, it's hard to get anywhere with disinterested specialists. There's only so much my primary doctor can do on her own. 

Jeez, I've gotten more trouble from the medical system than I thought. Well, I'm glad you're learning something relatively useful from my rambling.

Kai

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #238 on: January 13, 2016, 03:32:28 pm »
That's just sad.

It's the same here though as a physical therapist you're not allowed to make official diagnoses, but in very many places at least everywhere I've interned at so far, the doctor or specialist perscribing the therapy expects updates and reports from us and it isn't uncommon that we have different opinions or find new things and if that happens we're actually expected to call the doctors and tell them or actually just chat them up when you see them/in their office. And they tend to react to what you tell them...

Well alright, I guess the main problem though are insurances. I understand their need for checking a little bit, since there are a lot of idiotic lazy butts that want to cheat their way out of work by feigning illness and some doctors make money that way... But when it turns into a scheme that's just looking more like 'trying to keep the money' instead of looking for cheaters... well...

I'll just keep my fingers crossed that the things for you will start falling in place. You've worked a lot for it that I can read out of your texts, you'd be someone where health care can make a good 'investment'.

Weisel

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #239 on: January 13, 2016, 04:13:54 pm »
Yeah, I'm hoping, hoping, hoping... I'm hoping PT will be the turnaround point for me.

The issue with insurance is money honestly. It's all run as businesses from medications to seeing a doctor. Just capitalism doing its thing. :(

I think that's the end of my US healthcare rant. Phew, back to our regular agenda...

I'm gonna hopefully make another cosplay video soon, I was hoping today but we'll see if my stomachache goes away. I have to eat a bunch of chicken nuggets for it, which might be difficult if I feel sick. (I got some weird asks for January...)