And there goes the day

Some days your day is just going swimmingly, then next thing you know, in a sudden transition worthy of film editing, you’re at the local emergency room awaiting news from a friend.

That was me yesterday. I was settled in to another good day of work when I suddenly get a call from close friend. She’s got a medical emergency that requires me ferrying her to the hospital as soon as possible. What do I do at that moment but drop everything and leave work? I’m immensely appreciative that I work at place where I can leave at the drop of a proverbial hat, no consequences. Any slack from the work I’m responsible for will be taken up by my colleagues (coordinated via Slack, naturally).

That is worth everything. Work will always be there, but the life events of the people close to you - good or bad - will only be there once.

Thankfully the injuries suffered by my friend is not too bad. Wounds will heal and she’ll be just like before in no time. There was a peculiar sensation I discovered during the ordeal during the wait outside of the emergency room. There’s only so much scrolling on the phone I can do while waiting out the multiple hours. So I started to space out and think about whatever comes to mind. That’s when a sort of existential crisis came up: “What the heck am I doing here?” “What day of the week is it?”

“Why did I get picked to have this predicament?” That is a surprisingly selfish thought, especially when I’m not the one with the injury. Of course I have no qualms with assisting a friend (or family) in their time of need. But truth be told: it is still an incredible hassle. The rest of my day have been utterly rearranged. Whatever schedules and routines I’ve got are completely out the window. Again, I’m perfectly willing to help. I guess when you’re outside the hospital waiting for hours for good news, this is the type of thoughts that comes to mind.

Obviously, it’s all part of life. It never goes forever smoothly and happily. We simply have to be up for the challenge. There’s no rewind or reset buttons, no matter that sometimes we wish there is one.

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Don’t forget.

You really get what you pay for

Recently, my mom took an awkward fall off her bed, causing a hair-line fracture on her left clavicle. Before knowing this diagnosis, she went to her family doctor to check on the massive bruising and pain that resulted. The clinic took a CT scan, and recommended she go to an emergency room to have the x-ray images checked out, and if needed, receive treatment. The clinic itself is not equipped for such procedures, and heading to the emergency room would be far quicker than waiting for a referral to see a specialist.

Being disabled, mom has Medicare coverage, so she can quite literally go to any emergency room at any hospital. We chose a local private hospital because we figured there’d be less people there waiting than SF General, the city’s public hospital. My presumption was correct as there weren’t a line at all (this is 7 PM on a Friday, for what it’s worth); we quickly checked-in and my mother received care almost immediately. The facilities are modern and nice, and the staff is super attentive - no less than four personnel tended to my mother for what amounted to only a confirmation of small fracture and a demonstration on how to use a sling to secure the arm.

The quality of care between private and public hospitals is immense.

I’ve seen this myself. I’m lucky that my work provides great health insurance through Kaiser, and as someone who grew up poor and relied on clinics and hospitals catered towards low-income, the superiority of the care at Kaiser was eye-opening. I remember vividly getting blood-work done at a Kaiser campus, and was surprised the results came back the same day within a few hours. I was still accustomed to waiting a few weeks for reports and test results that was the norm of my childhood healthcare experience.

For the richest country this planet has ever seen, this gulf of care between the haves and have-nots (healthcare-wise) shouldn’t exist - it’s morally wrong. Until the day America provides universal care for its citizens, it’s a continued stain and shame on this country. The benefits of a healthy populace with no fear of medical debt burden are incalculably positive, and we can certainly afford it (looking at you, military budget.)

For me personally, the question of healthcare certainly gives me some pause in regards to switching jobs or moving to another State. Having proper insurance takes such a load off in terms of stress that it’s downright scary the thought of being without it for any period of time. Imagine a United States with Medicare for everyone: people would be more apt to move freely within the country for jobs and opportunities, and I think it’ll be great for innovation.

We can get there. We have to. One of the saddest things in America are the GoFundMe campaigns for a person’s gross healthcare bills. A failure of society that we mustn’t continue to accept.

I don’t always drink regular Coke, but when I do, it’s got to be the bottled version with real cane sugar. Stay thirsty my friends.