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I am the grandson of a doctor (my mom's father) and one has to wonder how such things were dealt with on the medical side back in the day. Since he departed this life in 1972 I am unable to ask him myself, so I can only speculate. With the amount I take in each day just to regulate my two most severe ailments, it's fair to say that in the 21st Century we in the modern world are indeed a heavily medicated society, and I am not talking about those of us who require psych meds to keep from becoming homicidal each day
Above you see the regimen I am on. The diabetes medications are the two white bottles at the top, those are the diabetic medications Metformin and Glipizide. I take two of the former and one of the latter, the two Metfomin for the daily balance and Glipizide before I go to bed. The three plastic containers down the left side are a water pill, blood pressure and cholesterol medications. The water pill, well, I won't attempt to spell it but it does have "hydro" in it. The others are Lisinopril (BP) and Lovastatin (cholesterol). I am also on the low dose aspirin in the yellow bottle and I voluntarily take a multi-vitamin.
That's six medications spread out over the course of the day, kids. One twice a day and the other five once in the morning. That's a lot of pills on a wake up dry mouth. Only the Glipizide is taken out of sequence as that is the overnight diabetic maintenance medication.
Compared to the medications that are taken by a cancer patient or a heart patient, for example, this really is a small amount, comparatively. My father was on almost 10 medications after he was released from the hospital when he had his first heart attack. I have a few friends battling cancer who have up to 20 medications plus the ones used to lessen the edge of chemotherapy. They would doubtlessly tell me I got off light taking only six meds a day, and I would agree with them. The thing is, whether you are on six medications or 26, they still cost money and that is the non-lethal thing that gets you
This is where I am going to get political for a second. I will be brief. I am for universal health care. Especially when it comes to the maintenance end of it. It's been dicey over my unemployment because since Avalon fought my unemployment and won, I have no income. Unfortunately diabetes and high blood pressure do not care if one is unemployed so at that point you have two choices...either you can ignore what's going on in your body, which up until this week was my modus operandi or seek help to get your medications and bite the bullet when it comes to where you receive your health care.
I chose the latter. I believe in people making money and that includes doctors and the medical professionals, but I think that, since the United States is allegedly the richest country on the planet, it should be free to American citizens. Let the government pay the doctors. Pay them well, but we as a nation should not have to pay for routine medical care. End of sermon.
One other thing before it's all over: Obamacare is NOT the answer. But that's another blog.
Of course, you want to believe that this all could have been prevented. A diet adjustment here...maybe a few more salads and water as opposed to snack foods and soda pop, but it's too late for me to wallow in regret. The main things I am looking to prevent by being proactive in my health care is of course, my other foot being amputated, kidney failure, a heart attack, or a stroke.
It was hard enough to adjust my daily routine around a big hunk of plastic, metal and silicone that is my right lower leg and foot over the past four years for me to even TRY imagining doing it with both legs. Back when my serious health problems manifested themselves I remember saying that of all the things that would kill me I figured my dad's ailments would get me before something like a blood infection. It's nothing to hope for, mind you, but it was in the "most likely" category.
So, that's the adventures of medicated man for now. I press on.
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