Here is the short version:
Full PDF:
http://keithhennessey.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/kennedy-draft.pdf
Here is the short version:
Full PDF:
http://keithhennessey.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/kennedy-draft.pdf
Hey Mark, I haven’t had a chance to read this, but please do not post to all 5 of our message boards. If I see that again, I’ll consider it spam–and we have a zero tolerance policy for spam. The professional boards are for professionals to post in, and the family/friends board is for family and friends.
It would seem to be reasonable to me that each group of individuals that would be affected by this bill would have some interest. I was not aware that a government bill would be considered spam. I guess the professionals do not have a tolerance level for the lowly peasant.
They may well be interested, but if so, they’ll need to read it on the patient boards. The professional boards are for professionals to post, and we want to keep them that way.
Nothing like a sense of entitlement. These “professionals” need to be aware of who is paying their bills. I have been to graduate school with a 4.0 and I am just as professional as these individuals. Patients/health consumers have great ideas, also. I think it is unhealthy for these “professionals” to live in an echo chamber of hearing themselves talk. It could be that they just do not want to hear differing points of view. In fact, I have more education than the vast majority of these “professionals.” I think that they need to hear the viewpoints of people who are deeply affected by their actions, attitudes and stereotypes. I think these “professionals” need to practice what they preach. Some day, these individuals will be held accountable. Honestly, I think much of dialysis is cruel. These “professionals” are NOT any better than me or any health consumer. Yes, many patients are clueless, however, the same could be said of these “professionals.”
By the way, how many brains does it take to figure out, how much fluid needs to be removed so the patient/consumer does not scream for saliene or salt water? I thought the objective was remove fluid? Now, Professor of Nephology and Medical Director of the Barwon Dialysis Clinics John Agar:
Dialysis Issues
Blood Pressure
and
Ultrafiltration in Dialysis
When thinking about fluid in a dialysis patient, several principles apply …
Fluid taken in, stays in
For most haemodialysis (HD) patients…
fluid into the mouth means fluid in the body
… with no way of it getting out again … except by dialysis.
You see…
Most HD patients pass insufficient urine to keep up with a comfortable fluid intake
Some are lucky and still make a reasonable volume … but this is the minority of patients.
Fluid restriction is the worst restriction most HD patients must face
Fluid restriction can be even more difficult for diabetic patients where high blood sugars aggravate an already raging thirst
Drink too much fluid and risk ‘drowning’ in excess body fluid
As any fluid ‘taken in’ by drinking will stay ‘in’ until removed by the next HD, the ‘weight gain’ that occurs between HD treatments is not true body weight gain but, rather, reflects the amount of fluid gained in excess of any fluid lost since the last dialysis.
This fluid gain:
Swells the blood volume
Distends the blood vessels
Raises the blood pressure
Wets the lungs (sometimes to the point of near-drowning)
Strains the heart and makes it weaker, like a repeatedly over-stretched rubber band
The sad facts of a typical dialysis day (for most) …
The patient struggles in for HD on a Monday morning after a ‘long break’, that weekend off for dialysis staff that forces a 68 hour break for without dialysis on each and every facility-based dialysis patient …
The arrival scenario …?
The patient is short of breath with a ‘thumping’ heart and a 4 kg weight gain in excess of the weight recorded at the end of the previous Friday’s dialysis … and remember: a 4 kg weight gain equates to a 4 litre retention of ingested fluid
The dialysis plan …?
Remove 4 litres over 4 hours HD … or about 1 litre/hour for every hour of dialysis
The dialysis result …?
Cramp, nausea and a horrible ‘flat’ - that awful moment when the blood pressure drops and the eyes roll back in a dead faint
The treatment response …?
A frantic ‘revival’ effort with intravenous (IV) fluid – when the whole object of the session has been to remove 4 litres of fluid
The treatment outcome …?
The patient goes home, washed out, exhausted and thirsty-as-hell.
The rest of the day is ‘written off’ to allow recovery
Meanwhile …
The patient immediately starts to drink fluid (when knowing its wrong) to slake a raging thirst.
Why …?
Because a rapid reduction of blood volume stimulates
THIRST
hmm… interesting read. Thanks for the links. As for where to post, I thought everyone reads the patient section (professionals and patients) as the issues involve us all as a team in all areas of the world. Just was my understanding of it all. But it is understandable that you got defensive as you feel strongly about this issue but perhaps you misunderstood and thought you were being kept quiet. The thing is … there is no need to get defensive or worry that people won’t read if it isn’t posted in multiple areas. People just click the New Posts button and will see what you put. Perhaps that is why posting the same thing more than once is annoying. Don’t feel it isn’t being read. Because trust me … people are reading it. Infact I have been coming here more because it isn’t being posted on the other forums I belong to…
I agree that 3 times a week dialysis is not enough. I agree with Dr. John Agar that more dialysis is needed but I don’t understand how the proposed changes in the American Health Care system will change that. I thought that was a separate issue… Also reading this I am impressed with the bill as it seems better than Canada’s system as our system you CAN be turned down for pre-existing health conditions and raised premiums if you are a smoker. So … umm… why are you against the bill? I have had Americans ask me about the Canadian system as we have had universal health care all my life … and I tell them do NOT compare your possible future to Canada’s current system as Universal Health Care will never be the same in the USA if you guys get it. You gotta do what works for you. But as my experience with it in my country, I have had no issues. People have questions wait times … I have never waited months for anything … but perhaps that is because I have been apart of the medical system since I was a child … who knows? I can’t speak for everyone…
I am curious, have you made a video about your strong opinions and started hosting it on YouTube? That is a great way to reach a broader amount of people. Just an idea. Also might be easier to get your points across in a clearer way as people get lost in a lot of text. Voice is easier to focus on when a lot needs to be addressed. Like this video … I found it easier to understand (as I am not American I have a hard time understanding some of the things you have said) this guy in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foXQbmZxWYY
Also I was just reading this (I get google alerts in email): http://community2.myfoxorlando.com/_Considerations-For-HealthCare/BLOG/350016/72667.html
Take care