I just want to remind all the Vets and Baby Boomers that it was George Bush who put an end to open enrollment for Veteran's benefits and doubled the co-pay on meds for most of you guys/girls. And it is Bush who promises to veto the bill that would require Medicare Part D providers to negotiate for lower drug prices, just as the VA is required to do.

So when you're 65 and your company medical benefits stop providing drug coverage (thanks to Bush and Medicare Part D) and you find yourself paying out the wazoo for your meds, remember who screwed you.

When you go to apply for your veteran's benefits and find out that putting your neck on the line in 'Nam is no longer enough - now you have to qualify by being "low income" to receive the benefits you were PROMISED when you enlisted, remember who screwed you.

I hope you guys/girls at least got a kiss from old George.

Bubble: Btw, my SIL's grandfather's surgery and subsequent butchery and infection happened in Mesa, Arizona.

Scary, scary stuff. Did you say that you work in the medical field, Bubblebutt?

One of the determining factors in choosing my doctor for LB surgery was that he uses a hospital that only treats well people. It's for orthopedic surgeries, LB, hernia repairs, gallbladder, etc. I figured that it probably would not have some of the infectious diseases like staph infection and other junk that lurks in hospitals so I wouldn't have to worry about getting those.

What I didn't think about is that at that hospital much of the nursing staff is working there part time and at other hospitals part time. So I guess they could carry stuff from one hospital to another. In fact, I suppose that could be true with surgeons and anthesiologists. Or is that probably not a serious factor in choosing a hospital?

Bubble: Thanx for the info. It boggles the mind that in 2007, people might not be using basic infection control procedures!

As for my local grocery, I guess our lettuce and spinach are not the only things we have to watch out for, even Peter Pan is contaminated!!! What's the world coming to?

In our hospitals there are dispensers of waterless anti-bacterial soap everywhere, including the entrances to the hospitals and the entrances to all the rooms. When my mother was dying I was always washing my hands! And immediately post SARS everyone had to wear a mask.

Often times that stuff will dry out your hands over time. I mean to the point of your hands bleeding. It depends on the brand and chemicals used.

A lot of people don't like some of the brands because the 2nd time you use it, it tends to get a slimy feel on your skin.

People are just lazy, there is no excuse for hospital staff not washing their hands or using the chemicals.

When I was in the hospital, a nurse, an aid and a doctor each put their gloves down on the the shelf below the mirror above the sink before washing their hands, then dried their hands and put on the gloves before attempting to touch me. I refused to allow them to touch me until they washed again and then took new gloves out of the box. I told each of them, that they may have been protecting themselves, but they sure were not protecting me.

I've heard so many people say that when you're a patient you should insist that anyone who is going to touch you should wash their hands first. I don't know how you get the nerve to do that. If you think they are capable, you shouldn't have to remind them to do something that basic. But I must say that even in my doctor's office, it makes me nervous when I can hear him talking out in the hall or the room next to mine and shortly after that walking into my examination room. I didn't hear any water running... how could he have washed his hands that quickly?

I've heard so many people say that when you're a patient you should insist that anyone who is going to touch you should wash their hands first. I don't know how you get the nerve to do that. If you think they are capable, you shouldn't have to remind them to do something that basic. But I must say that even in my doctor's office, it makes me nervous when I can hear him talking out in the hall or the room next to mine and shortly after that walking into my examination room. I didn't hear any water running... how could he have washed his hands that quickly?

ASK!!:help:

What wat wat? Infection, cross-contamination are more important than my doctor's feelings? Surely you jest.

I can assure you that the person will be more embarrassed that you had to remind them to wash their hands than what you will feel. It just isn't an unreasonable request.

How would you feel if you were having a dinner party and you were handling raw chicken and started to tear lettuce for a salad without washing your hands? Would you be embarrassed if someone gently reminded you to wash your hands first or would you be offended?

I went thru the liver transplant evaluation with someone who had Hepatitis C and I was appalled at the number of health care professionals who drew blood etc from this person, without gloves, and who did not wash their hands after exams, etc. I mentioned this to one nurse and she said, "We are so used to wading ankle deep in blood in the ER, we forget."

I have spent a great deal of time in the hospital with my son and there are signs all over telling us to ask if the health care professional has washed before doing anything with the patient. So I guess they're trying to create a culture of patient empowerment.

I have spent a great deal of time in the hospital with my son and there are signs all over telling us to ask if the health care professional has washed before doing anything with the patient. So I guess they're trying to create a culture of patient empowerment.

Or trying to cover their butts against law suits.

My doctors always put gloves on before touching me.

Yeah, Green, but that's just YOU! :heh:

Bubble: If someone at my dinner party reminded me to wash my hands after handling raw chicken, I'd be both embarrassed AND offended (because I'd be so embarrassed) and totally disgusted with myself. I'd probably run shreiking from the room and order pizza just to set their minds at ease, then I'd bring out the hard stuff and after tipping back a few, we'd all have a big laugh.

My doctors always put gloves on before touching me.

But how they handled the gloves before putting them on is very important, not just the wearing of the gloves. See my comment above about placing the gloves on the shelf before putting them on..

In a similar vein, Tina and I went into a cafeteria one time (during the in between lunch and dinner lull), where there is a sign that said that all servers must wear protective gloves while serving food. The cashier went to the restroom, so the food server, served the person in front of me, walked to the cash register, rung up the order, accepted the money and made change, before coming back to the serving table.

I asked for a bowl of Soup (for me) and a sandwich for Tina. The server took the bread out of the hopper and placed in on the counter and proceeded to apply mayonnaise, at which point I said, "aren't you spreading germs to my wife's sandwich?"

He informed me that he was wearing gloves as per regulations, but I said, "So what. Those gloves are now as dirty as your hands would have been if you were not wearing gloves."

When he changed gloves, but proceeded to keep making the sandwich with the same bread he had started with, we left. He started yelling to us about what was he going to do with the bread. I restrained my natural impulse to suggest what he could do with the bread and left. Tina loves it when I stand up for our rights.