Monday, February 6, 2012

in which i rant about things i know nothing about

After talking with Eve on the drive home yesterday I've become half convinced that so much of prenatal care/screenings/tests is deliberately designed to make the parents freak out and then have to go to specialists.

So Evesdottir (still in the womb, keep in mind), has one kidney that is slightly larger than normal. This, according to what Eve told me, is one of the most common birth 'issues', and usually corrects itself. But she only knows this after having been told that the problem which causes that enlargement is one of the signs of Downs Syndrome, panicking about that, then being told that Evesdottir doesn't have any of the other signs three weeks later, then being told that if the problem doesn't correct itself that Evesdottir will be born and have to have surgery. So they have to go to Sarasota, which is a larger city north of where we live, to see a specialist to keep an eye on this 'problem' which, according to everyone is most likely not a problem at all. But just in case. Thus sucking more and more money out of Eve and Kyle, all while making them worry that there's something horrifically wrong with their baby.

*sighs*

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely understand that modern medicine is a necessary thing in many instances. That it saves people who would otherwise die. I'm all for it, when it's necessary. But is it really necessary to panic people for seemingly no reason at all except to have to send them to specialists?

18 comments:

  1. Modern medicine in America is designed to suck money out of us. Doctors make us paranoid and make us feel like we need tons of meds or specialists. The baby is probably just fine. Its horrible but they tend to take advantage of new parents. If there are no other signs the baby does not have Downs. That condition is also extremely rare, despite what doctors may make you think.

    Only specialist I would go to is a geneticist prior to getting pregnant. But that is because I have a condition that can be passed on.

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    1. We're told over and over again how sick we are, basically, and how many things can go wrong at any given moment. And it's all just so the doctors can make money!

      I'm sure that Evesdottir is fine, really, and I'm upset that the doctors are making Eve upset while they just do this to make more money. It's terrible.

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  2. I can tell by alot of American bloggers blogs... that they seem to visit the Dr alot more than we do in the UK.

    In the UK unless something is wrong you are scanned at 12 weeks and I think again just before 20 weeks. the 2nd scan to check you are moving along.

    In between you really dont see a DR, unless you are sick. you seem to see the midwife and have bloods done. But I can say that there is no way we have as many appointments as you guys do over there.

    And it doesnt stop there. on blogs people are all "peanuts head is now 70 percentile". Hell compared to what? I am the same height as an adult to the lady who sits opposite me, but she has a tiny head and I have a big head compared to her? Can we no longer be unique? Will we all feel mutant if we arent a certain size of head? Getting a bit Gattaca if you ask me. Book me in for longer legs. 5foot isnt tall enough

    and life isnt hard enough already

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    1. Most people go to the doctor around here for everything. Happily, when I was growing up my pediatrician was of the opinion that kids needed to be allowed to get sick in order to build up the antibodies, rather than just giving them antibiotics at the drop of a hat. But the whole pregnancy thing is something else altogether. You apparently go to the doctor *all the time*! It's terrible!

      Well, they're already capable of tweaking certain things, though I don't believe the practice is widely spread or accepted. We're headed for a genetically manipulated future, I'm certain of it.

      Also, you're 5 foot? I shall put you in my pocket! ;)

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    2. just a little over, but hey, good thing come in small packages

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  3. Seriously American medicine is messed up. I spend tons on meds every month and I cant get insurance to cover me because I need meds. Time to find a natural solution cause our healthcare system is getting ridiculous. And Sol is right, you only need to be checked out like 2-3 times before the end of a pregnancy. I knew someone who went for an ultrasound every 2-3 weeks! Insane!

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    1. I really think we've just become so paranoid and so afraid of death that we're willing to do *anything* in order to avoid it. It's crazy. Absolutely insane.

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  4. Oh yeah and on top of that it costs extra to get insurance to cover maternity....um what?!

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  5. i also found in Canada that they really only had named brand asprin or tynenol (cant spell that).

    16 paracetemol is about 30p and if you want paracetemol with caffeine and asprin then you are looking at 45p for 16.

    We defo have cheaper headache meds.

    I suppose it is all due to the national health service.

    it can swing both ways. You guys get checked for everything if you break your arm and over here if you have a repeat problem unless you insist on seeing a specialist things get missed. and you only get 10 mins with your GP so if you forget a symptom then it can be missed.

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    1. I don't know what that converts to...like...47 cents, American? You can't buy anything for 47 cents. I know that some people buy their meds from Canada because it's so much cheaper up there than it is here.

      I think there are good and bad points to all kinds of health systems.

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  6. I'm starting to lose a lot of faith in doctors. It was bad enough when I read an article that interviewed doctors who said they tend to only treat one problem even if someone comes in with many, because the way insurance companies handle it's a smarter financial decision for the doctor to leave patients with problems so they'll have to return soon. But between my parents' recent health problems and realizing that their vet outright lied to get them to buy expensive "prescription" cat food that is known to cause problems in pets, I don't know why we still bother going. Except, of course, we have to. True they ignored my mom for a year and missed that she was having heart problems right up until her heart attack...but there's really not much we can do about that because she needs treatment now and there's no real alternative. So unfortunately, this doesn't surprise me at all and I expect you're right that there's at least some element of overemphasizing negative possibilities so parents will be more likely to see doctors.

    I noticed a comment above that people in the UK don't go to the doctor nearly as often. I wonder if that's because they have socialized medicine, so the doctors don't have as much to gain by jerking patients around and bringing them back for more visits. It probably also means they all have more patients than most doctors here, so they might not have the time to bring people back when it's not likely necessary.

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    1. I see doctors as minimally as possible. I actually really like and trust my doctor but he's rare, in my opinion. They're too much about making money and not enough about actually taking care of people, or that's what it seems like to me.

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  7. You are probably right. Also if something were wrong with the baby and they didn't say something, Eve might say, "Why did you not tell me??" and sue them. I think our country's extreme use of lawsuits has contributed to the problem somewhat.

    Sol's comment made me smile. And the fact you shall put her in your pocket, Amber. :)


    Sanil, I hope your parents and cat are better now!!

    I like to think most doctors are fine, but the system is very much broken.

    Peaceful wishes to Eve!

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    1. True enough. There still has to be some way to do that without making the parents panic or sending them to doctors for something unnecessary.

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  8. ok so shall I start sending headache pills over and sell them? I can see Amber on a corner having people buying paracetemol! lol

    in france they have paracetemol and vitamin c in them. i take it that is for hang overs? Only the french would think of that!

    I buy them when we are there. In france you can also take mushrooms you have found in the forest to the pharmacist and they tell you if you can eat them or not! Not that is service!

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    1. You'd make a killing. Of course, I'm fairly certain that it's kind of illegal, but just don't get caught! ;)

      No one I know would even think of bringing mushrooms to the pharmacy! They'd call for the men with the white coats!

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  9. I find it really interesting how different we are US-UK. how we speak technically the same language but some words mean completely something different to us. Its really fascinating

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    1. It really is. The drift of language is kind of interesting to watch. And even within the same country, some words have different meanings depending on the region you're from.

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