All the intuition in the world and the best medicine in the world won't help many of us if the rules governing medical care change and the price goes beyond our ability to pay. We have already had many of our doctors stop their practices this year in the two cities closest to us and many more are no longer taking new medicare patients. I just read an article where there is a growing shortage of medical students applying at the medical schools. Medical insurance for a family of four is estimated to cost over $20,000 per year in another 7 years. Our GP office visits have gone up $100 per visit in the last 15 months and they are in line with other doctors costs.

yep, me too. Sometimes by just looking at them.

Now,folks...let's not say too many bad things about doctors:). I happen to be one...and I am also a nut- case quilter. Being a physician is a very scary responsibility( can't just frog a seam,if work doesn't go we'll,you know). In my experience,most docs try to do their thing as well as they are able,but you do recall what they call the folks that graduate last in the med school class?( Doctor). Docs are very human; we aren't perfect,we do the best we can with hard problems to fix,too little sleep,much time away from our families etc etc. being a quilter helps me at work...I am known for my fine stitching on facial boo boos! Francie

Yep, when my Mom, brother and me has strep throat, came right out!!

We have already reached this point in NY. High deductable ($1000 deductable with pt. paying 20% of the remainder.) was $18,000 in 2012 for TWO people!!!! $1550 a MONTH.

For example; In 2011 we paid $1381 every month. I had surgery on my thumb and MY share , $1000 deductable, plus 20% of the remainder was $3000 (YES, on top of the $1381 we paid every month).

We can not afford these rates now, so we have the highest deductable, $11,000 for $703 a month. Unless we have a serious accident or cancer, heart attack, etc we get nothing for our $703. Doctor visits are $90, we pay for everything else too. My drugs are about $300 a month.

My husband's firm employs 7 people, and I certainly understand that his boss cannot pay for our health care coverage. Some of this is tax deductable, but THIS year our share has gone UP to the first 10%, where is has been 7% for years. Talk about our government putting the screws to us!!!!!

Adding to our angst is the fact that so so many get their care paid for by the taxpayers, US, either because of the burgeoning size of our government, or through Medicaid and Child Health Plus, Healthy Families, etc. WE pay yet we go without. If we don't pay we will be thrown in jail and/or have our house taken away from us. Welcome to the American middle class!!!

Let me add that NEITHER party has the right answers at this time, and MOST people don't know how bad the problem really is because they don't pay for their insurance.

I used to kiss my children's forehead and I kiss my husband's forehead. Our family has a history of pyloric stenosis. It usually occurs in first and last-born children (male or female). Also can happen in middle child. First symptoms are right after feeding (breast or bottle (mother's milk or formula, soy,doesn't matter) and the child is usually newborn- 6 weeks old. Right after feeding when you get ready to burp and the child literally spits up liken to vomiting like a projectile force. If this happens get the infant to the physician or ER immediately. The valve between the stomach and intestine (how I can only describe) tends to swell shut. The formula/milk has no where else to go but back the way it came out. This can lead to starvation. My nephew had this when he was born and his newborn son had it. My nephew was made aware of this situation as soon as he and his wife found out their son was his way. Some parents will let this go on almost till the next dr. visit. By that time the baby can be in the starvation mode stage 4 (nearly dead) and sadly CPS is called in. My nephew took his son to the ER in the middle of the night 3 days after they were home from the hospital. He was told it was just a little bit of spit up. He told them where to go, went out the door and to the next hospital where low and behold the ER dr. happened to be the dr. who delivered him and new what he was talking about. That same dr. was also my dr. many years ago and diagnosed my youngest son. My nephew little one had surgery the next day and he is thriving. He is a beautiful little 5 month old. So go with your gut instincts.

Also be aware of your family history. It can save your life.

The Drs. said I was just lucky. :mad: I remember ordering one out of my room but then was given a sedative to calm the crazy woman. I was breast feeding and got even more irate about the meds they were saying I had to have. DH was in the military and not home until after the birth. No family was with me. I despised those Drs. to their dying day. And they are all dead now.

I used to kiss the kids on their forehead, and if it felt too warm, I would check with a thermometer. We have come a long way, haven't we?

Doctors don't know everything. I had a leading gyn tell me, before examining me, that I had cancer because I was in my late 50's and bleeding nonstop. I knew I didn't (had it previously and knew how it felt). I asked him to do the tests and he did, and it was improperly cycling hormones, not cancer. He never apologized or acknowledged his error, and I lost a lot of respect for him. Can you imagine if I had not known my own body well, how worried I would have been? What would that do to someone else hearing that, before even being examined?