One day last week, thats the week ending, the 14th January, (just in case) I received a call on my mobile, from the lovely Percy.
Now Percy is not a bloke, Percy is the lovely young lady from the ‘Medical Practice’ that I attend from time to time.
She is the ‘Registered Nurse’ and, without doubt, the best needle ‘jabber inner’, blood ‘taker outer’, that I’ve ever come across, and believe me, I’ve come across plenty. The infamous ‘Vulture Brigade’ as I’m wont to call them.
But with Percy I’ve never so much as felt a needle go in, never had a bruise, (and I bruise easily) and each month, when she gives me the large B 12 injection, that I have to have, since I mis-laid my stomach,somewhere, a couple of years back, I feel nothing except the fluid flowing into my body. Percy is amazing, and I’ve grown very fond of her.
To get back to the phone call, Percy called to remind me, that I had to make an appointment to see the doctor, and have the annual BIG check up; as well as get my B 12 shot; and to be sure that I did; made the appointment, then and there, for Wednesday the 18th, which was yesterday.
I have no idea of the workings of socialized medicine in other countries, but here in Australia, if and when you reach he age of 75 years, the government takes added interest in you. You get the full treatment.
Besides a medical, there are many other checks, obviously to see if you’re losing your marbles. Mental as well as physical!
Physically, I’ve shrunk even more than I thought; where I was once 5’9″; I am now 163 cm which = 5.34776903′ (according to the metric converter I’ve now installed) and weigh-in at 64.84 kg = 142.947731 Pound/s.
Don’t you just love the Internet?
Percy, conducted the bulk of the check and tests, a couple of which I’ll bore you with.
I was shown a drawing, for want of a better word, it was of two pentagons entwined, I was then told to draw what I’d viewed. Which I did. I was then told to write any short sentence; which I did. On looking at the sentence, Percy complimented me on my writing, I still have a clear, legible hand, which is more than can be said for the present generation.
Has anyone ever noticed how the people of today, hold their pens or pencils? My teachers would have given me a right old whack, across the knuckles, if I’d have held mine, like they do today.
She, Percy, said what a funny sentence, and asked me why I’d written what I had. So I told her.
It was the very first sentence, that I’d learned to read, when I started school in 1938. I can still see the little books, that the LCC issued to the schools. The ‘Readers’.
I explained to Percy, the meaning of the sentence; how it was designed to teach children the letter ‘A’and it’s pronunciation. I think Percy was tickled by this, as instead of tossing it in the W.P.B. like she did my drawing of the pentagons, she stuck it on her computer!
Once the full test were finished, the results (again for want of a better word) were printed out and given to me. This report has my full medical history, going back to the first illness, recorded in December 1935, and covers everything that has happened, or inflicted me health wise since.
I have an up to date copy, for when I turn my toes up for the last time, to go with my corpse, to the University of Wollongong; for bottling, me not the report.
Percy asked my permission to place all the information, on the national data base, to which I readily agreed.
For anybody getting this far, and wondering why I’ll try to explain as briefly as possible; which is hard for me, as you may well imagine.
By having my full medical on the database, should I, at anytime, be, shall we say, in sunny Melbourne, and taken sick and unconscious to hospital, the staff there can access my full medical history, which will give them something to work on.
Of course, they can always say, “waste of time” and bung me off to ‘The Gong’.
Ah, the evils of socialized medicine; as I called this post; I wouldn’t want it anyway other way.
Almost forgot,
The cat sat on the mat!
🐻
LordBeariOfBow 
We don’t have socialized medicine, but increasingly we do have electronic records. A lot of people still object to that because, they say, it makes it too easy for the government or whomever to spy on them. Personally, I see it very beneficial for all my health care providers to have full and easy access to all my medical records whenever they need it. At worst that access is a convenience; at best it could one day save my life.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My sentiments entirely. Why would I NOT want ALL doctors to gain immediate access to my records if it will assist them in anyway towards attending me?
This consultation took well over an hour and a half, would you believe, and the cost $0.00!
I read in the New York Times yesterday, that high on the agenda from Congress and the GOP is abolishing Obamacare as soon as possible, leaving at least 18 million without any cover whatsoever, and that number will escalate, to more than 30 million in a very short time, whilst the cost of insurance will more than double.
I wonder how many of that 18 million cast their vote for trump!
LikeLike
A thought occurred to me, when I was in the shower a short while ago PT, I wonder what your “Imalibaterian” (or whatever it is he calls himself), follower would think about this post.
I’d be in for it I’ll wager 😈 XD 🐻
LikeLike
I never managed getting logged on when the electronic system was introduced a few years back so I gave up. You have reminded me I should bring it back up the priority list. Not that I’m sick . . . often. Nor am I seventy-five . . . yet. But no doubt I will be both one day, and it would be helpful to have my data recorded and available. I hate the way we lose our data when we change GPs.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s certainly worthwhile doing Gwen; so extract the you know what, from the you know where, and get going girl 😈 🐻
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on johnsstorybook and commented:
Obamacare is out. What’s coming. Why don’t you Yankees look at Australia. (We are a small country a long way away. Just go from LA towards Hawaii and keep going. You’ll find us. We have one or two things we could tell you about.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks John, 🐻
LikeLike
Great read!
I’m not going to spill the beans on an upcoming post of mine, however I can’t wait for Obamacare to go away!
Just a taste tho…. I can’t go to the 2 nearest hospitals to my home because they don’t take my $590 a month plan! How is that plan beneficial to me? I have no choice/option to buy a different plan that the hospitals take either! I am scheduled to get a tattoo on my chest that states, “bring me to an in network hospital, please!” Haha!
Only conspiracy theory folks worry about coverage going away. No one will be without coverage.
LikeLike
Tell me that in 2 years time, when you wont have an hospital to go to, because you cannot afford the exorbitant fees, that the insurers, and the hospitals charge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
$590 isn’t high? And I still have a high deductible.
B4 Obama, when the market was open and more than one insurance company was selling insurance, I paid $150 a month with NO DEDUCTABLE! I had a hysterectomy and paid only $300 because I wanted a private room.
The same operation today would have me in the poor house.
Obamacare turned insurance into a monopoly. After its gone, more than one company will offer insurance creating lower prices due to competition.
As of now, even tho I am not capable of having a child, I have to pay for maternity. That was an option before. Not everyone needs it.
This care is a ruse in lieu of a tax.
LikeLike
The trouble is you cannot, will not, accept the idea that there are some services that provide better if run by one central authority. The government. Here in Australia ALL Australians and Permanent Residents are treated equally. Not who can afford what, even the very rich here believe in our National Health System.
I’ve had two major operations after a stroke, the cos? $0.00.
I had a total gastrectomy (complete removal of my stomach – cancer) a month in hospital, top care cost to me? $0.00.
This service is available to ALL Australians and P.R’s. and we do not have the worry about who or how we will pay for this; which is a great relief to the minds of the patients and helps in a speedy recovery.
But don’t you worry young lady, your new POTUS will take care of you and ALL Americans, after he’s looked after himself and his buddies first though!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you’re doing better in the health department… seems you had a rough spot there.
Monopolies (or gov run programs) don’t work in America. Too much greed.
SOMEONE is paying for medical, whether it be from taxes, programs.. medical is not just appearing out of the sky for free! What are Australia’s income, property, sales, inheritance, taxes like? Guessing higher than ours. That is why medical is ‘free’.
Did you know our current elected officials are NOT enrolled in our Healthcare system? They get a buy.
Did you know they do not have to pay into our social security system? They get a buy.
Right now, our elected officials are NOT putting into the system they force the citizens to be in.
Trump ‘promised’ (don’t make me go into campaign promises… I know only 50% get done) that that would change.
Yes. If all things were equal here, I wouldn’t pay for a surgery, nor would the homeless guy down the block. Now, only the homeless guy (and our elected officials) are benefitting without putting in.
BTW, my rant post ran today, so if you’d like to pop over, please do. 😊
LikeLike
Sorry I didn’t ask before I reblogged this. I usually do but I am using my mobole phone at the moment ‘cos my laptp is AWOL and typing is more difficult.
LikeLiked by 2 people
There’s no need to apologize John, it is a privilege that I rarely receive and for which I thank you.
LikeLike
I don’t know if it registers with you but there are 13 ‘likes’ on my page.
LikeLike
I only have 10, 😦
LikeLike
I’m not sure how it works. If someone looks at my site and then likes it does it register on yours? And also, maybe someone on my site only looked at my introductory paragraph and hit the like button, then it wont go to yours. So I reckon your ten are worth more than my 13.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is getting too complicated 🙄
LikeLike
Anyway it’s better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear lordbeariofbow,
Is there still room for me in Australia? I want a Nurse Percy. The way things are now at 73 golden girl years isn’t so easy. Yes, we now have electronic records, but they don’t communicate with each other, and mine aren’t always accurate so I have to ask for a copy and proofread everything. Furthermore, my considerable health record from birth does not exist anywhere, except in bits and pieces in my house. I’m all for a onepayer system but don’t see it happening in my lifetime. At this point, Medicare is the best deal of my life if they don’t mess with it. I voted for Obama both times and would vote for him again in a heartbeat if I could. You are an exceptionally fine writer, and I’ m indebted to Brother John for getting me over here to meet you properly.
Elouise
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Elouise, that it very kind of you.
Mostly I write rubbish, but once in a while I get angry, and write something like this.
In fact what made me angry was that I read in the NY Times, where the US GOP controlled Congress has the Obamacare top of it’s agenda, not for improving it; but by it’s abolition.
I hope you’ll come back and visit again sometime.Thanks again 🙂 🐻
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the invite! I’ll be over to inspect your rubbish soon. The Obamacare campaign to repeal forgets that the plan’s basic approach came from the Republican side of things. It replicates on a large scale many solutions that succeeded under then-Governor Mitt Romney (Republican) in Massachusetts.
I’m happy you got riled up enough to write about your situation. Lots of folks don’t like the word ‘socialist’ — as though nothing good could have ever come from it. Thanks for the good read!
Elouise 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post, Brian. So, should I come your way in 6 months?
LikeLike
Thanks Derrick, being a Pom, you’d definitely be welcomed, not that you’d know it, you’d still be a”Bloody Pommy”, as am I after 66 years in the country.
Once a Pom always a Pom; old Australia proverb
XD
LikeLiked by 2 people
Brian,
I wholeheartedly agree. I don’t know why in some countries they are so against it. The duty of government is to protect its citizens,
deliver universal education and health care and supply basic housing for all.
Neill.
LikeLike
I have no doubts about your feelings in this regard Neill; we atre of a like mind when it comes to matters of what’s right and whats not; Well up to a point, theres still the matter of you know who.
👿 😈
LikeLike
Brian,
yes, what are we going to do about the Polish Princess’ Birthday? It is this Sunday. I get out of Fr John’s Mass at about 10: 45 a.m., if he’s good with his 10 minute sermon, on the Gospel of the day.
Neill.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Social justice was at the centre of Gough Whitlam’s vision for Australia, and that is why we are blessed with universal healthcare.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps he should have been sanctified instead of Mary . He’d have loved that.
Always remember what he replied when asked what he’d do, & say, to god when they met on the other side of the Pearly Gates.
” ……I’ll treat him as an equal!’
Gough the Good had a way with words, besides being a visionary..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, I came to have a look at your “rubbish” and found some mighty good things in there. We don’t know how lucky we are with out health care in Australia, do we!?
In Victoria, they don’t do that “over 75, does she have all her marbles” for some reason, nor do we have to have a little test to see if we’re a menace on the roads. When I lived in Queensland, I thought it was a federal initiative. I used to get all hot and sweaty, hoping I wouldn’t forget the 3 words the nurse told me to remember!
LikeLike
I don’t know whats wrong in Vic but it is a national register run by My Gov. Go to MyGov and follow the prompts
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ok. But, I have to do some memory ezercises first. 😆
LikeLiked by 1 person