Antibiotic resistance - bacteria's out of control in hospitals.

I have been hearing on the news that more people are dying due to an increase of antibitoic resistance strains of bacteria in hospitals. Hospitalized patients and especially people who have surgery are in the high risk of getting these bacteria that are deadly as there is NO antibiotic out there that is effective in killing them. This is so scary! Now the hospitals are telling the drug makers this is a dire emergency and that they need to come up with meds that these bugs cannot become resistant to. Yeah, I can just imagine the side effects to a drug like that! This is pretty scary, I mean this makes me NEVER want to step foot in a hospital ever agian! They say they have seen a big increase in infection related deaths at least here in the States. They say the biggest risk is in anyone undergoing any type of surgery. Bacteria can evolve and become resistant within months. It takes the drug makers at least 15 to 20 years to develop an antibiotic! Looks like we are all going to be doomed if that is the case.

Maybe interesting, the government does have antibiotics that no one has access to, they will be used during epidemics or biological warfare, and no one is allowed to use them because of the resistance issue.

Quinolones used to be a last resort antibiotic too, something that should only be used for people with serious diseases, crohn would fall under this, but they started using quinolones for regular infections, it was even used mistakingly for viral infections, and now a lot of stuff is resistant.

They use far too many antibiotics on animals too, lots of animals carry very resistant strains.

I agree, the government does have the Big guns that are hidden in case of biological warfare. But believe me, they wont let that out unless millions started dropping dead of these virulent infections.

Bottom line is that we are going to have a serious problem in the not to far off future. I mean even if the government does have some strong stuff, I cant even imagine how harmful it will be on the human body. They are saying that if these resistant bacteria start getting to bad, then NoBody will even be able to have surgery anymore, there will be no more transplants or anything due to the high risk of contracting a deadly infection. Basically we will be going back in time, except that now the bacteria are much more deadly than they ever were and there would be many more deaths from what use to be considered minor infections. I just watched a Doctor talking about this on TV today..

They also were saying that right now people should avoid the hospitals at all costs. And if you need to be in the hospital, then you should only stay for the shortest time possible, they said for every day you stay in the hospital, your chances double that you will pick up a bad infection that is hard to treat.

Ihurt said:

I have been hearing on the news that more people are dying due to an increase of antibitoic resistance strains of bacteria in hospitals. Hospitalized patients and especially people who have surgery are in the high risk of getting these bacteria that are deadly as there is NO antibiotic out there that is effective in killing them. This is so scary! Now the hospitals are telling the drug makers this is a dire emergency and that they need to come up with meds that these bugs cannot become resistant to. Yeah, I can just imagine the side effects to a drug like that! This is pretty scary, I mean this makes me NEVER want to step foot in a hospital ever agian! They say they have seen a big increase in infection related deaths at least here in the States. They say the biggest risk is in anyone undergoing any type of surgery. Bacteria can evolve and become resistant within months. It takes the drug makers at least 15 to 20 years to develop an antibiotic! Looks like we are all going to be doomed if that is the case.

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Yeah, I know. We were watching the news reports on this at he hospital during my husband's recent stay.

kiny said:

Quinolones used to be a last resort antibiotic too, something that should only be used for people with serious diseases, crohn would fall under this, but they started using quinolones for regular infections, it was even used mistakingly for viral infections, and now a lot of stuff is resistant.

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I went to a clinic a few years ago and was prescribed Quinolones for pneumonia, but read up on it before having the prescription filled, and went back and asked for amoxicillin instead, which worked just fine. some of the side effects were just too scary for me.

Oh yeah, Those quinolones( cipro, levaquin) they are horribly toxic! I had to take one a few years back for a nasty UTI and within two days I woke up in the middle of the night with severe pain in my upper arm. Called the doctor and that was useless, he said it was likley not due to the drug! Well I went a step further and called the pharmacist and she told me my doctor was wrong, that all those drugs in that family can cause spontaneous tendon ruptures!! Well till this day I have issues with that tendon in my arm! I was telling the urgent care doctor this when I had went a couple years ago( it was a holiday and my drs office was closed) I had another UTI and needed treatment. When I told her I could never take cipro due to the tendon thing I thought she would poo poo it like the one doctor did. But No, she actually told me she suffered a complete rupture of her achilles tendon due to cipro!!! She said it was awful and agonizing pain. So yeah, I cringe when I hear people on this board having to take that stuff. It is soooo dangerous in my opinion......

Thought this a nice article and good read on how we could do a better job at controlling antibiotic resistant germs.

"CDC Should Stop Playing Politics With Disease Control"

http://news.investors.com/ibd-edito...itics-with-disease-control.htm?fromcampaign=1

Good Article Beach! Yeah, it is true, I just heard on the news that a lot of people get this false impression that being in the hospital when you are sick is the safest. Well in reality they said that sick people are actually at high risk when they step foot in any hospital due to all these drug resistant infections.

It is getting so scary. I mean honestly, they DO NOT follow strict cleanliness guidelines in the hospitals. I Cannot tell you how many times I have had to ask a nurse or doctor to wash their hands before touching me!! That means that they have touched different surfaces that God knows what kind of germs are on it. That hand sanitizer junk is NOt enough. Hand sanitizer does not even kill C-diff( another infection that is wide spread in the hospitals). Only bleach will kill it! Doctors and nurses and Anyone who touches anything of a patients or a patient should have to wash their hands first! A friend of mine, her baby died due to the neglegence of a nurse who did not take proper percautions before changing a port the baby had. He had to have heart surgery and he got an infection in the port going to his heart. My friends husband said he saw several of the nurses come in multiple times and all they did was put on gloves, they NEVER washed their hands. Well what good is it to put on a glove that you already contaminated by touching it with dirty hands!! It is an outrage. They need to hold hospitals responsible for these infections that are being spread to the patients due to pure neglegence. I mean if they started getting held responsible for these deaths and were forced to pay out millions to the people who have lost their loved ones due to getting these nasty bugs, I can Gaurantee that you we would see WAY less of these unessasary deaths.... They need to really get strict with the hospitals. I mean if a nurse is caught not washing her hands, she's fired! Same with a doctor. I mean they have to do something. Also the custodians need to be doing their part too when it comes to cleaning. No half-baked cleaning. Even if it means paying them more, well I think it would be worth it...

Beach said:

Thought this a nice article and good read on how we could do a better job at controlling antibiotic resistant germs.

"CDC Should Stop Playing Politics With Disease Control"

http://news.investors.com/ibd-edito...itics-with-disease-control.htm?fromcampaign=1

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Thanks, I thought it was a nice write up also! Not to give hospitals a bad time or anything, but remember years ago my father was a salesman selling hospital cleaning supplies. He used to know EVERYTHING about what it took to keep hospitals clean, disease rates, etc. It was his job. I got to hear about it as a kid, if I wanted to or not! It was a serious problem, germ spreading in hospitals I recall. And I think today it remains one of the top ten reasons for death. Kind of grim. Well, hospitals know they have a growing problem, and there are ways to address the issue. Hopfully we won't resort eventually to have to go back to the days before antibiotics, where quarantines were used. Oh, that is awful about your friends baby dying from an infection picked up at the hospital! Yeah, that is one thing I've learned from experience, hospitals are a hell of a place to be when sick. I'll go when needed, but from what I've experienced and seen too with my grandfather in particular, it isn't a place I would want to stay for a long period of time.

Wow, so your dad actually got to see how it was. I mean it is scary that is for sure. Heck, when I went to the ER last month I was terrified. I mean call me a germaphobe, but the nurse tried to hand me the remote, I was like No thanks! I was not about to touch ANYTHING in that place. I mean I was terrified. That is my biggest fear, if I need to be hospitalized. I mean I do NOT want to ever have to be hospitalized. My husband says that if I have to even be in the hospital he will bring a bottle of spray bleach and bleach everything down!! I mean seriously, I would. They say that the custodians clean the floors, bathrooms etc... But they do not clean the beds, bedrails, TV remotes etc... where most of the germs are! That is gross. I mean years ago when I was still in my ignorant years, I did not even think about getting sicker when in the hospital. Now half the time you go to the hospital you end up getting something way worse than what you went in for it seems. Sorry your grandfather went throuh some bad times, I am guessing he got sick at the hospital? Thats horrible...








QUOTE=Beach;614388]Thanks, I thought it was a nice write up also! Not to give hospitals a bad time or anything, but remember years ago my father was a salesman selling hospital cleaning supplies. He used to know EVERYTHING about what it took to keep hospitals clean, disease rates, etc. It was his job. I got to hear about it as a kid, if I wanted to or not! It was a serious problem, germ spreading in hospitals I recall. And I think today it remains one of the top ten reasons for death. Kind of grim. Well, hospitals know they have a growing problem, and there are ways to address the issue. Hopfully we won't resort eventually to have to go back to the days before antibiotics, where quarantines were used. Oh, that is awful about your friends baby dying from an infection picked up at the hospital! Yeah, that is one thing I've learned from experience, hospitals are a hell of a place to be when sick. I'll go when needed, but from what I've experienced and seen too with my grandfather in particular, it isn't a place I would want to stay for a long period of time.[/QUOTE]

I think if I needed to be hospitalized the food would get me! I remember that with granddad. He had a heart attack, and we all commented about the terrible unhealthy food he was being served. With my gut healthy diet, I'd probably need someone from the outside to sneak me in some contraband grass fed steaks, along with some vitamin D and magnesium pills.

I wish I could remember the technical name for disease picked up while in hospitals. I remember hearing it often when younger from dad. I'll have to ask him next time we talk. It is a serous problem back then, and even more so today with new super bugs. We have to lookout for our own best interests. It is nice that your husband is understanding with your concerns over germs and your condition too. That is one item I recall with my granddad's stay in the hospital, his room wasn't as tidy and clean as I expected. The place overall was chaotic too. Maybe my expectations were to high.

Yes definitely the food would get me too. I am gluten free and also like you, I only eat grass fed and antibiotic/hormone free chicken and meats. I also try and eat as organic as possible. I would also have someone bring my meals to me. No way would I eat their food. And you know their food is Not going to be top quality!! I mean think about it, they are not going to serve you healthy foods, they want people to stay sick( more momey for them!! lOl).

Maybe your grandad had that MRSA or Clostridium Difficile?? But yeah, I do remember something going around back in the day in the hospitals too. I mean I think there is no excuse for any hospital being dirty though. I mean when I went to the ER last month the restroom in the ER was filthy! I mean it was disgusting. I understand that they have a lot of people using these toilets( even vagrants), I mean when I was there, there were at least 2 homeless people sitting in the ER just to have somewhere to go. This was in Chicago's Top hospital too!! I mean sorry, there is no excuse for that restroom being filthy. There was urine on the floor, all over the seat, I mean just gross. They should have a custodian cleaning that bathroom every hour or so since it gets so dirty. I imagine it is like this in a lot of the hospitals...

Beach said:

I think if I needed to be hospitalized the food would get me! I remember that with granddad. He had a heart attack, and we all commented about the terrible unhealthy food he was being served. With my gut healthy diet, I'd probably need someone from the outside to sneak me in some contraband grass fed steaks, along with some vitamin D and magnesium pills.

I wish I could remember the technical name for disease picked up while in hospitals. I remember hearing it often when younger from dad. I'll have to ask him next time we talk. It is a serous problem back then, and even more so today with new super bugs. We have to lookout for our own best interests. It is nice that your husband is understanding with your concerns over germs and your condition too. That is one item I recall with my granddad's stay in the hospital, his room wasn't as tidy and clean as I expected. The place overall was chaotic too. Maybe my expectations were to high.

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Ihurt,

I just got the shocker of my life. Remember my husband's recent hospital stay? Well, in his prednisone induced irrationality, he decided to call the hospital and complain for literally hours, days, even weeks on end, about getting stuck in the emergency room for 30 hours, during which time he couldn't see the doctor who refused to take a 30 second elevator ride from the 2nd floor down to the 1st floor. That he was discharged at 5 pm, but couldn't leave until after 10 pm, because he had to wait for someone to take out his IV, and that's how long it took. Oh, and that they kept giving him the same heart medication, even after he was told that was most likely causing his potentially fatal chemical burns. They also told him they were concerned that his condition could be infectious, but it was 45 hours before they sent an infectious disease doctor to take a look and order the tests run, etc., etc., etc.

After over a month of complaining, the hospital called today to tell us that he is "free and clear" because they are writing off his entire bill! Yes! Yes!

He didn't even ask for that, and was just hoping they'd reduce it a little. I think they just wanted him to stop calling.

Ah, this is awful, I talked to my father today but forgot to ask him about his past work with selling cleaning products to hospitals! I had a quick question for him about taxes, then talk about the Illinois b-ball team, which we won today! Yaaa!!!. Nice game. That is something that would interest me though in what dad used to do, with his work and all. Just a few years ago my middle aged nephew came down with whopping cough and he had been inoculated. He had a relatively mind case. We suspect that possibly might have to due with his taking vitamin D, which is thought to help ramp up the immune system. My nephews friend wasn't as lucky though. He had a rough go with the condition, being ill for a week or more if I remember correctly.

That's disgusting with the Chicago hospital bathroom! Sounds similar to some of the gas station restrooms I've been unfortunate to run into. As for my grandfather, to be honest I don't recall if he picked up an infection at the hospital or not on that trip with the operation. He might have, as he was in the downward spiral at that point, with one problem after another. It was just chaos though with his visit, much as Ya noy mentions with her husband. I just remember how grateful he was to be out of the place. Later on after developing cancer, he decided to pass away at home. I suspect his visit years earlier at the hospital from the heart attack might have played a part with that decision.

I think most people would rather die at home,and as far as Chicago hospitals go? I would never voluntarily go to hospital in the city, especially not one either close to or in the "loop". There's a lot of homeless/vagrant people in the downtown, and they're not just just in the hospitals, but in the subway, train stations, malls, public buildings, etc., because there is no place else for them to go. It is a problem.

But my impression of the hospital my husband went to was completely different from his. Yes, he had to wait 30 hours in the emergency room-- but he had his own private room and they had to keep him in the hospital to treat and monitor his condition anyway, so what's the big deal? The food was really good too, great selection of fresh fruits and veggies, and even seaweed salad and sushi! I ate every meal there.

Only thing that really upset me was when the nurse kept spilling my husband's roommate colostomy bag all over the floor, and then didn't clean it up, and other staff members just walked on it, tracking poo all over until I finally cleaned and disinfected everything myself. I didn't want to, only because I didn't want to embarrass my husband's roommate. We later found out the reason they kept spilling it was because they were using the wrong size and brand bag.

Oddly enough though, that wasn't one of the things my husband complained about.

Sounds like your husband had it better than he thought where he was at. I remember my grandfather's long stay in the hospital here, and tended to agree with his complaints. It wasn't a horrible place to be, but wasn't quite what was expected I suppose. When he was passing, he had the option to go to the hospital for further testing and such, but in the end choose to stay at home. He had lived a good life he mentioned. Not much point in trying to eek out a few more weeks. This will be an interesting point going forward with hospice care. I've seen a few articles of late about some troubles they are having in some locations.

Has been interesting reading the scandal over in the UK too with a hospital. I hope this isn't coming our way.

"British Hospital Carnage a Window into US Future"

http://blogs.the-american-interest....ish-hospital-carnage-a-window-into-us-future/

Britain was rocked this week by one of the biggest scandals in the recent history of its health system—and it just might be a taste of things to come in the U.S.
The scandal surrounds a recent hospital report’s findings that Stafford Hospital in Staffordshire ignored even the most basic standards of treatment to disastrous, and disgusting, effect. The NYT has more:
The report, which examined conditions…over a 50-month period between 2005 and 2009, cites example after example of horrific treatment: patients left unbathed and lying in their own urine and excrement; patients left so thirsty that they drank water from vases; patients denied medication, pain relief and food by callous and overworked staff members; patients who contracted infections due to filthy conditions; and patients sent home to die after being given the wrong diagnoses.
As the piece goes on to explain, the hospital’s actions sprung from its single-minded pursuit of cost control. It drastically reduced its operating budget in hopes of qualifying for foundation-trust status, a legal category that would grant it more freedom from central government control. It’s a textbook case of how structural incentives in government-dominated health care systems can lead to terrible outcomes....

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Saw tonight also that Illinois is having further funding troubles with home care. Hopfully an answer to this pension mess can be found in the near future. It is hurting funding for other services.

"Home care agencies to keep providing services despite state shortfall"

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/po...ies-keep-providing-services-despite-state-sho

Beach,

Sometimes when I read these things I really have to wonder, especially since I've spent the last month driving our 80+ year old neighbor around to look at various assisted living facilities, because our village is literally evicting her from her home. I would think that was awful, but I've been in her home and have seen houses in episodes of the TV show "Hoarders" that were far less of a health hazard. I'm pretty sure she is singlehanded supporting the entire newspaper industry with those 10 foot high piles of newspapers she's been collecting for the past century. I don't know how, but she's also managed to retain her full time job at the VA hospital, and every time they attempt to force her into retirement, she takes them to court, and wins. It's pretty bizarre.

But anyway, every single one of those facilities I visited with her was absolutely lovely. Even without any govt. assistance, the cost starts at about $900/month, and that's for a nice studio apt., with all utilities, 3 meals a day--which they will bring to residents to serve in their apts. Also includes weekly maid service, where they not only clean, but also do all the laundry and even change the bedding. There's also transport service, lots of activities, and even little offices for doctors, hairstylists, and other personal service providers. I talked to a number of residents, and they seem pretty content and well-cared for. Those in need of financial assistance were paying as little as $200-$300/month, with Medicare picking up the balance. Oh, she didn't like any of them. The last one she rejected because she said there was no "pink". Whatever.

My husband and I also volunteer at the county nursing home, which is also really nice. Even the maintenance and housekeeping staff is super friendly and helpful, and we transport the residents around to little parties, bingo and card and other types of activities and games. Or we just sit and read to them or take them to church services, doctors appointments, etc., and there are tons of volunteers who come and do all this with the residents, every single day! Yes, we do wheelchair races down the hallways. Everyone there is kept as active, engaged, and entertained as possible.

I don't doubt horrible facilities exist where residents are neglected and even abused, but thinking that's more the exception and not the rule, at least, I hope it is.

Of course, we also live in the Western suburbs, which is quite a bit different than certain other areas of Chicagoland....

That's absolutely wonderful that you and your husband volunteer at a local nursing home! My grandma is in an assisted living facility, and I often feel bad for her and the other residents there. It is a nice place that they are at I feel. The staff is generally friendly, doing what they can to service entertain everyone. The dinning room could use an upgrade with the food served! It isn't bad food, but just junk food. It's desert basically 3 meals a day. All the treats and candy given seem to make the residents grumpy. It's best to not show up after lunch. They seem to be on a sugar high by then.

Compared to what you have seen, the price we pay at the home for grandma is considerably higher from what I've been told. Recall my father mentioning recently that it cost $6000 a month to have grandma at the facility! That seemed high to me, and possibly my father was mistaken. The home grandma is staying at has a waiting list though to get in. Well, the place just added onto their facility doubling their size if I remember correctly, so maybe the wait list isn't what it used to be. They added an Alzheimer's wing too, which have to imagine sadly will be a growth area in our economy. My other grandma passed from Alzheimer's disease. She thankfully was friendly when she had the condition. Her mom, my great grandma, had alzheimer's also, and she was a terror due to the disease from what I was told.

Appropriate to mention on an iBD forum, we volunteer from time to time to clean the facilities carpets. My father in particular does this, as I've just done it once. Not everyone is able to make it to a toilet in time there. The place in generally clean, but it doesn't take long for brown spots to show up in the carpets. So I have a nice carpet cleaner and we'll take it down to the facility, doing what we can to make the carpets look brand new again.

The place grandma is at would be ripe for the spread of germs I would imagine. I haven't seen any major illnesses there though, thankfully! It is similar to most homes though. Seems once something had a cold, everyone else catches it at some point.

Today is the big day of the week at Bickford Homes. John will be there this afternoon to play his guitar. Everyone likes John. He really does put on a good show. The ladies will pretty much all show up to see him play in the lobby. The staff likes to rib my grandma in particular that she has a crush on John. It's probably true. She does get excited when he shows up. As I like to joke, I wouldn't be surprised if at some point some of the ladies threw granny panties at John! :lol2:

Beach,

$6000 for a private nursing home sounds about right. The difference is that in assisted living, residents are basically still functional and mobile, and don't require "round the clock" full-time, professional nursing care and staff physicians, which is where the high costs comes into play. Assisted living is more like living in a condo, with all expenses, meals and housekeeping included. Usually if someone is in a nursing home, once their finances are exhausted, Medicare will kick in to pick up the tab. The county nursing home we volunteer at is funded by the state, local and federal government, but I think it's actually nicer than a lot of private facilities.

I think it's great that you and your dad help clean carpets at the facilities, but I'm kind of surprised they don't have their own shampooer. Even I have a Bissell for my home carpets. Doesn't compare with a professional carpet cleaning, but for in between, it does a fairly decent job. "Rug doctor" machines you can rent from hardware stores don't cost that much more.
A number of local organizations, such as the Girl Scouts, Shriners, and Masonic Temple visit and entertain frequently at the nursing home we volunteer at too. They have a huge projection TV for watching movies and events such as New Years Eve in Time Square and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. It's enjoyable free entertainment for my husband and me as well.

Of course, as the baby boomers continue aging, funding for health care facilities will likely be a problem, unless everyone keeps working into their 80s, like my neighbor.

Ya Noy: yes you are right about the hospitals in Chicago. I go to Northwestern Memorial, it is located downtown and yes, there are issues with the vagrants around there. I mean dont get me wrong, I feel bad for these people but they should be going to homeless shelters, not hospitals when they need somewhere to go in my opinion. When I was in the ER there were two people there that were homeless but you could just tell they were there to kill time and stay out of the cold, they were not there to see a doctor. But still, the hospital is responsible for keeping it's bathrooms and facilties clean no matter what. I mean the rest of the hospital was clean from what I saw, but that ER bathroom was nasty!

BEACH: Oh yeah, I had whooping cough as a kid, it was bad! I mean when I had it they did not even have a vaccine to it yet. It is going around now where a friend of my teaches. She said like more than a quarter of the school has come down with it. You think they would close the school down for a bit until they can get in under control. That and so they can disinfect the whole school..

My mom when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer back in 2002, she Never went to the hospital. She enrolled in hospice care. They had a nurse come out when she got real bad. I was always with my mom or my dad was so she was Never alone. They had a nurse come to administer her pain meds( or I would do it). They had one nurse come during the day and one through the night.

When my mom first got diagnosed with cancer they doctors were just horrible. They told my mom she had liver cancer and that she had to undergo many tests to find out where the cancer was originating from. That is what pissed me off. They had her go through all these tests( colonoscopy, mamogram, CT scans etc...). Then they come back and tell us they could not find the originating site, but that really it did not matter as my mom had
4th stage cancer anyhow and that there was no cure for her, that is was terminal! They knew this before my mom went through all those useless and uncomfortable tests! They just wanted to make some $$$$ off her running these tests! My dad and I were so mad. I mean my dad even asked the nurse what the hell was the point to run all those tests??? The nurse you could tell felt bad for us. She came right out and said why do you think??? It was all $$$$ making.

Well anyhow, my mom died peacefully at home. I think anyone would want that. I do NOT want to die in a filthy hospital! I dont care if I am on my last breathe, I told my husband Do NOT leave me in no hospital.

The real sad part about all this is that due what my dad saw with what my mom went through with the doctors and what I am now going through with being sick, he has not stepped foot in a doctors office in the last 12 years! He says he will NEVER go to a doctor. He said his chances are better if he stays away from them!! I mean I wish he would go just to get a check up and maybe some blood work but he refuses. His words were " No way, those doctors do not know crap, they only know how to push lethal drugs and most do not know their *ss from a hole in the wall, and they are interested in is your pocket book!" So yeah, no way I will be able to convince him otherwise. I mean I dont blame him, I have seen first hand how bad some doctors are. It is scary. I remember when I first got sick 9 years ago I went to several doctors at the time, even went to the ER I was so sick. My husband was scared, I was scared and in awful pain. I cannot even tell you how my mis-diagnosises I have had. I had a doctor tell me I had AIDS or lupus for sure. (I do NOT have either of those things). I had one tell me I have scleroderma. I do not have that either. I also was told I likely was exposed to lyme disease.( not sure about that either)! I mean what kind of doctor( and these were supposedly top doctors) tells a person they have a devestating disease without being 100% certain?? The stress that they caused me and my family is unbelievable. I think that is why I and my family have lost so much faith in them. I mean I dont trust doctors at all. It is a shame....

Ya Noy - Yeah, we've complained to our selves about the home not having a carpet cleaner. As you mention they are not terribly expensive to buy or rent. But overall we don't mind helping out. I think dad feels it gives him browny points with grandma, coming down to help. The entertainment at the home grandma is at overall isn't that great I think. If someone had an active mind, Bickford wouldn't be the place to be. Most of the residence there though have little energy, and rest most of the time. Grandma for example goes to bed at 3:30. As far as i can tell, most others are similar. There are a few more actives at the house I've noticed. One lady even has a car and can drive into town. As can be imagined she is the big lady on campus. I'm not sure what she does, other than have seen her helping out often with the other residence.

Ihurt - I think many of us guys have a natural allergy going to doctors and hospitals. Your mom's situation wouldn't have helped matters, obviously. I have to admit I myself have not seen my doctor in a few years now at this point. We had a falling out last time I visited. Since then I've bought a place in Florida. Figure sometime soon I'll find a new doctor down there to my liking. I'm like you in some ways, maybe the situation hasn't been as ruff, but had a tough go with diagnosis, had the many AIDs testing too (used to joke that if doctors kept sticking me with needles for AIDs test they are likely to give me the disease eventually - and then all would say, see we thought so!). In general I like doctors and hospitals but I've learned over the years it is good to do research on your own, be your own advocate, etc. Much of what is promoted seems to be marketing hype in the medical industry. They aren't different from other groups. I'm happy too with these new tests one can arrange on your down - either with home testing or with Direct tests such as with Direct Labs. This makes it easier.

Sometimes we use Direct Labs to arrange our own testing:

http://www.directlabs.com/

or I'll buy home testing kits from:

https://shop.trackyourplaque.com/Product/78/TYP_Program_Guide.aspx

I haven't gotten into them myself, but these new health apps look interesting. I'd have to guess this will be a growth area.

"Are Smartphones the New Doctors?"

http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2013/02/10/are-smartphones-the-new-doctors/

Oh, reminds me my father of late has lucked out with doctors! He found a newer one that really works with him on testing and such. He's a happy camper going to the hospital now, it seems.

Beach: Thanks for the links, I appreciate it!

Lol, I like your theory about getting poked with needles so much they will likely give you AIDS!! So true. I mean I sometimes feel like a pin cushion. I swear they are vampires and drinking the stuff!

Maybe you are right, maybe it is more of a guy thing as far as not wanting to bother with going to the doctors, but honestly when my mom was alive she made my dad go for checkups. But again, that was likely because my mom made him go, otherwise I am sure he wouldn't have .

Oh you are so right about being your own advocate. I am with ya there. I mean dont get me wrong, I know there are some good doctors out there, My primary care doctor, she is very good and very nice. It took me 5 years to find her. Hope she does not retire anytime soon.

Sounds like you went through a lot with crappy doctors too, that is too bad. They just make a bad name for the rest of them. I mean I have seen more bad ones than good ones unfortunately so I try and hang on to any good ones I happen to come by. Yeah, you should probably look for a new doc now that you have moved to a new area. I always say it is better to be searching for one when you dont really need them at that point in time, then you can pick and choose. It is harder when you are sick and need to be seen right away as then you may be at their mercy. I mean that kind of happened to me. I had to see a gynecologist ( my gyne retired). Well I never really bothered to find a new one since I was not having any issues there. Well when I had a CT scan at the ER last month they said they had seen Fibroid tumors in my uterus. Well I needed to find a gyne right away and did not have a lot of time. Ughh, So I picked one guy who I just did not connect with. Well I opted for this one lady gyne thinking she might be ok as one of my friends goes to this same group. Well was I wrong! Oh my gosh, when she examined me she was about as gentle as a bulldozer! I literally hurt for days after that exam! Sorry, I have had many gyne exams and none of them left me in pain for days! But whatever, I mean I got the ultrasound done finally and everything was ok so that is good. But now I am going to have to search for another gyne! Ughh, what fun! Sorry for going off on a rant there, I am sure you really wanted to hear all about my gynecologist issues!:ybatty:

Glad your dad found a good doctor he trusts! That is good..

:ack::lol2: Oh, that made me chuckle about the gynecologist problems. Not a fun issue! Just bringing it up. The Crohn's form is wonderful. I wish this sight had been around when I first developed this condition. There are sooo many Gi and overall health problems and doctor/ hospital issues that I can't really being up with family and friends. Well, I can but it is hard for others to understand. It's one of those things you have to live through - not that I would want to wish this condition on anyone! Here though it's not a problem. It's great.

Where do you think you will go from here? Is there some future testing planned to hopfully get to the bottom of your condition?

Yikes! My husband was in the ICU at Resurrection in Chicago when he nearly died on a plane coming back from overseas (status asthmaticus) 5 years ago. The ICU was very clean and the staff were great. The food was pretty good too. He was in ICU for 4 days and in a regular room for 2. In the regular room, he had a roommate who keep crapping on himself because he was lazy, and the staff were quick to clean up after him each time, including disinfecting the floor all around his bed. From what you all are saying about Chicago hospitals, it sounds like we had a rare positive experience.

Ihurt


My husband's mom passed away from stomach cancer a couple of years ago, and she had in home hospice care too. It was really hard on my father-in-law though. He put on over 100 pounds from all the stress of staying home to handle her care, and is now suffering severe health problems himself.

Northwestern is a very good hospital, one of the very best, not just in Chicago, but in the entire nation. I don't even understand how that can be possible, especially if they don't even employ adequate sanitary measures, but very little surprises me anymore. Well, except for the hospital here deciding to write off my husband's bill, which was a real shocker. There almost has to be something that happened that we don't know about, and now I wonder what they're not telling us. I don't have much trust left either.

I personally know more than a few people who have survived stage 4 cancer, but I think a lot depends on the type of cancer and where it originated. Liver cancer does not have a good prognosis to begin with. However, even at stage 4, if the cancer originated in the liver, (primary) the survival rate is about 30%, while if the cancer originated somewhere else (secondary) and metastisized to the liver, then the survival rate is virtually zero. So making treatment decisions depends on the point of origin.

My very favorite homeless person in Chicago was an accountant who worked for Streetwise. He survived a stage 4 brain tumor by entering into an experimental clinical study with 17 others. He was the only one who survived, and was cured! By then though, his practice was destroyed, and he had lost his home and family, so he didn't feel there was any point in trying to rebuild his life. So he retired from living on the streets of Chicago, by moving to Florida to live on the streets there. He has a cell phone though and keeps in contact.

I'm afraid of doctors and hospitals in general, so I do everything I can to try and and stay healthy, to avoid them like the plague. Even though I realize that, in the long run, I'm fighting a losing battle. Still...

Beach,

Even at the home we volunteer at, not all the residents join in the daily festivities-and there's a lot of festivities. One of the reasons there are so many volunteers is because there are a number of medical and nursing schools in the area, and especially in today's bad job market, volunteering looks good on a resume. Some of the more dedicated volunteers even end up getting hired.

Ya noy,

I don't get to Chicago often, but is the retirement home you and your husband volunteer at down town? Oh, I ask because I had a good friend that attended Northwestern law school. His dorm room was downtown near the Hancock building, I believe. I didn't visit often, my illness was just kicking into high gear at that time, but we used to chuckle at how the medical students were housed with the law students. The two groups would leave juvenile messages on each others doors. It was fun visiting and playing tennis next to the giant buildings.

Beach: Yeah, I have went through some testing already( MRE of small bowel, CT scan, blood work, stool cultures). I still need to have a colonoscopy but my gastro does not want to do it since he is worried it will make other issues I have worse. I have IC( interstitial cystitis) of the bladder and I am very prone to getting infections of the urinary tract. When I had the MRE test I had to drink this crap that gave me nasty DIarreha. Well that stuff I drank really infammed my bladder and I got a UTI that I could not lick for like 2 months, it was horrible! I had that MRE back in October. After that he thinks that if I do a colonosocpy it is going to really mess my bladder up( and it likely will). I mean when I get diarreha like that( watery), I get a urinary infection. It sucks being a woman sometimes let me tell ya! But I think if things keep up the way they are,I am going to have to do the scope to see what is going on, I mean I just do not know what else I can do . Yes, I agree with you, this board is wonderful and it really helps to share our stories on here. You are right, I can say things on here that I would never tell some of my friends or family..


2thfairy and Ya Noy: Holy cow, yep, that is suprising 2thfairy. I am happy your husband had a good experience though. Which Res hospital was he at?? I know there are a few. There is one here that is located on Talcott and Harlem ave. which is pretty nice. There is one on Central and Addison which is NOT so good. That is the one my mom was at when she was dx with the liver cancer. There may even be a couple other Res hospitals here too on the south side of Chicago. I am not as familiar with the ones on the South side. I mean I also had a procedure( bladder biopsies) at RUSH hospital here in Chicago and I will NEVER go back to that place. When I went to leave a urine sample in the bathroom there was stool all over the floor!! I mean it was so gross. That hospital just looks dirty. I mean when I went to have my procedure, they had me all ready on the gurny. Well then the nurse tells me, Oh, we have to go to the elevator and go upstairs to that OR for the procedure. I was like, ok. I just figured she would roll me on up there in the gurny in the elevator. NO deal, she had me get up and walk to the elevator ( she said the gurny would not fit)!! I found that nasty as I was only wearing my socks and I did not appreciate walking trough the nasty dirty floors in my sock feet! Ughhh, really gross. I mean there are some good hospitals. Like you said Ya Noy, Northwestern is suppose to be one of the top hospitals here. I mean they have the best IBD doctors. They are the only hospital in and near Chicago who does the stem cell transplants for crohns. Yet, I still feel I am not getting the best of care. I mean I just dont know where else to go. I have seen already quite a few gastro docs here in Chicago in the last 9 years when I was having upper gut issues. I was not too thirlled with the gastro's I have seen. I found one at Northwestern and he was great. He moved out of state so now I am seeing another gasrtro there. He is very nice and has a wonderful bedside manner. I just dont know if he is making the right calls or not with my gastro issues though and it makes it hard because I have other health issues which he is worried about making worse. I mean I understand that. It is just so frustrating being in so much pain and having No answers....Not knowing what is wrong really sucks..









QUOTE=Beach;615480]:ack::lol2: Oh, that made me chuckle about the gynecologist problems. Not a fun issue! Just bringing it up. The Crohn's form is wonderful. I wish this sight had been around when I first developed this condition. There are sooo many Gi and overall health problems and doctor/ hospital issues that I can't really being up with family and friends. Well, I can but it is hard for others to understand. It's one of those things you have to live through - not that I would want to wish this condition on anyone! Here though it's not a problem. It's great.

Where do you think you will go from here? Is there some future testing planned to hopfully get to the bottom of your condition?[/QUOTE]

Talcott and Harlem. It was 5 years ago, but I remember it SO well. Very scary time. Maybe if I went there now, I wouldn't think it was so great afterall. Ha!

Actually the one on Harlem and Talcott is a better one. It is A lot nicer than the other one. I actually see my allergist at the Harlem and Talcott one. So yeah, your husband was in the good one so that is good. A friend of mine had her gallbladder out at that hospital and she said the food was good there too. This is the hospital that my primary care doctor is affiliated with too. Thank god your hubby was taken to that one and not the one on Addison and Central! That one is awful! That is the one my mom was in...

2thFairy said:

Talcott and Harlem. It was 5 years ago, but I remember it SO well. Very scary time. Maybe if I went there now, I wouldn't think it was so great afterall. Ha!

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Beach said:

Ya noy,

I don't get to Chicago often, but is the retirement home you and your husband volunteer at down town? Oh, I ask because I had a good friend that attended Northwestern law school. His dorm room was downtown near the Hancock building, I believe. I didn't visit often, my illness was just kicking into high gear at that time, but we used to chuckle at how the medical students were housed with the law students. The two groups would leave juvenile messages on each others doors. It was fun visiting and playing tennis next to the giant buildings.

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No, we live way out in the suburbs. Would take way too long to get downtown. Although I did work downtown for a while, but there are express rush hour trains that travel pretty fast.