I’m a Celebrity....

Once again, Illinois, known for its infamous politicians, is the subject of national attention. On Thursday, jury selection began in a federal court in Chicago in preparation for the corruption trial of our ex-Governor, Rod Blagojevich. Rod and his brother, Robert, are accused of trying to “sell” President Barack Obama’s former state Senate seat.

Rod and his wife, Patti, became well-known in recent years for their appearances on television and radio shows. In 2009, Patti appeared as a contestant in a television series, “I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!” One memorable episode involved her eating a bug, a creature of the Costa Rican jungle. In the course of the programs, Patti endeared herself to her fellow celebrities who felt sorry for her and her dethroned husband. I watched the series and was surprised to find that Patti appeared to resemble a normal person. The fact that other contestants on the show portrayed themselves as jungle idiots definitely enhanced her image.

Rod’s trial is expected to last for months. Unlike his wife, he will not have to eat a bug. Because the Feds have 500 hours of wiretap tapes, the “bugs” he will experience could be far more dangerous. It’s a matter of time before Rod tells the judge, “I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!”

Spring Break – Part II

It is very important to carefully examine any and all charges for medical services. This is especially true for hospital billing. Henri was hospitalized for breathing problems. One day, when I visited, he informed me that a physical therapist and an occupational therapist had stopped by to talk to him. Neither Henri nor I understood why physical or occupational therapy would be necessary for a person with Henri’s diagnosis. The physical therapist billed $1,616.00, and the occupational therapist billed $491.20. The physical therapist accompanied Henri on a walk in the hall which had to be halted because she could not find a portable oxygen tank in the hospital for his use! When the occupational therapist learned Henri did not need her services, she gave him a reaching tool with a long handle as a “gift” because she had brought it with her. After Henri received his insurance Explanation of Benefits, he wrote a letter to the hospital billing office questioning these charges. He is awaiting a reply to that correspondence.

One of the many services Henri did receive while in the hospital was a CT body scan for which $3,060.80 was billed. This was done on Monday evening before Henri was admitted to ICU. On Wednesday morning, two nurses came to Henri’s room to take him for a CT body scan. When Henri protested that he already had one, they questioned when the scan was done, where the scan was done, and what the results were. Totally frustrated with the lack of communication among hospital departments, Henri’s response to the last question was, “I don’t interpret CT scans!”

Henri is now doing well. He survived his costly hospital stay of almost $40,000.00 because he was coherent and able to ask questions of the medical staff. A patient unable to communicate because of illness with no family members or friends to intervene can easily become a victim of duplicate and unnecessary services ordered by physicians with no prior knowledge of the patient. We’re all familiar with the expression, “Let the buyer beware.” Maybe we should modify this and also say, “Let the patient beware.”

Henri may want to consider a different Spring Break destination next year!

Spring Break – Part I

The blog was absent in April and May, and I will revert, at times, to events during those months. The topic today and tomorrow is Henri’s Spring Break.

T. S. Eliot is a 20th century Anglo-American poet, playwright, and literary critic, . Henri would definitely agree with the first line of one of Eliot’s most famous poems, The Waste Land: “April is the cruelest month....”

Henri began his Spring Break in late afternoon on Monday, April 12, and returned home in early afternoon on Thursday, April 15. His vacation destination was Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, a trip necessitated because of breathing problems. Henri spent several hours in the ER, 1½ days in ICU, and the remainder of the time in a standard patient room.

Because Henri’s doctor doesn’t administer to her patients in a hospital setting, Henri’s care was supervised by hospitalists. Hospitalists are medical doctors who are salaried employees of a group. From the medical point of view, the hospitalist concept has advantages for the primary care physician and the hospitalist. The physician doesn’t have early morning/late evening duty to care for patients in the hospital, and the hospitalist works regular shift hours with malpractice insurance paid by his/her employer group. The end result is the patient’s care is compromised because it is entrusted to medical staff who have zero familiarity with the patient’s history. I am not implying that hospitalists are not medically qualified. They, however, do not have the primary physician’s knowledge of or vested interest in the patient. Their “job” ends when the patient leaves the hospital. There is no continuity of care. The hospitalist concept ultimately provides care at the expense, literally and figuratively, of the patient. Unfortunately, the use of hospitalists is increasing in hospitals nationwide and is not limited to our area of Southern Illinois.

Spring Break – Part II – continues tomorrow.

Such a Deal!

In past years, a catchy advertising jingle used by the Kroger stores was “Let’s Go Krogering.” Henri and I “go Krogering” for groceries and household items quite often; in fact, Kroger is probably our primary social outlet. We know the layout of the store, the prices are reasonable, there is a 10% senior discount the first Wednesday of each month, and Kroger doubles coupons up to and including 50ȼ manufacturer coupons. Kroger also gives one point for each dollar spent and 50 points for each prescription filled. When the points total 100, Kroger offers a 15ȼ per gallon fuel discount if we use our Kroger Master Card.

Henri likes to read, especially the morning newspaper as well as various and sundry newspapers on the Internet. He also likes to read any books written by John Grisham. The May 23 Kroger circular advertised John Grisham’s newest book, Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer, which would be available in the store on May 25. I was surprised that Henri didn’t mention this because he usually memorizes the grocery circulars in the Sunday papers. On May 25, I went to Kroger, looked at the book, picked it up, and then put it back because I knew I could get a 10% senior discount if I waited until June 2 to buy it. Yesterday, I purchased the book at Kroger as a surprise for Henri, but I was also surprised at the outcome.

If an item scans incorrectly at Kroger, the customer gets the item FREE! The list price of the book was $16.99. With the usual Kroger 25% book discount, the book’s price was $12.74. Until June 20, however, the book’s special price is $10.19. When I self-scanned the book at the checkout, the price showed $12.74. Because the item scanned incorrectly, I got the book FREE but had to pay the tax. On a purchase of $10.19, the 8.5% tax should be 87ȼ. I’m not sure how the checkout supervisor calculated the tax as $1.01, but I certainly wasn’t going to complain about a tax overcharge of 14ȼ. Henri was surprised with his gift, especially because he didn’t know about the book, and is now enjoying it even more because the price was right!

Coops du Jour

Many have the idea that people living in Southern Illinois do not appreciate culture or have occasions to participate in refined experiences. When I started working for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois years ago and made the first of many trips to the Chicago office, I believe some of my Chicago co-workers were surprised to learn that we actually wear shoes in our part of the state.

There are many opportunities to pursue the finer aspects of life in Southern Illinois. One of these will be held in Jackson, Union, and Williamson Counties for four hours in the afternoon of Sunday, June 6. This is the first Coops du Jour, an outing which may become an annual event. During the Coops du Jour, participants are invited to tour twelve unique Southern Illinois chicken coops. According to one of the sponsors, “It’s kind of along the lines of a Christmas home tour, but it’s with chicken coops.” The tour will feature different styles of coops, some historic, some modern, and some built in unique and creative ways. Tour maps are available, and attendees may visit the coops at their leisure. The Coops du Jour is free, but there is a $10.00 charge for the chicken dinner that evening.

Henri and I may add this event to our Sunday social schedule. If we enjoy it, we can get some chickens, build a coop, and possibly be part of the 2011 Coops du Jour. Check the Coops du Jour website, http://www.coopsdujour.com/, for more details. This promises to be a unique and enlightening cultural adventure.

You Asked – Ginger Answered!

Welcome! Gram Ginger, like the phoenix, is back. Anyone familiar with the expression, “rising like a phoenix from the ashes,” will understand the symbolic metaphor. In mythology, the phoenix is a colorful bird considered to be a fire spirit. It has vibrant plumage with a tail usually in gold and scarlet. The phoenix is unique. There is only one, and it has a life span of 500+ years. Near the end of its life, the bird builds a nest of twigs and ignites it. Both bird and nest are reduced to ashes from which a new, young phoenix arises. The new phoenix will live as long as its predecessor, thus continuing the infinite life cycle.

We do not live in a mythological world, but the tale of the phoenix is an appropriate personification of Ginger’s return. Unlike the phoenix, I will most assuredly not live 500 years, and I certainly am not a pyromaniac who plans to set myself afire. Like the phoenix, I am now experiencing a renascence after a short absence. I will update the blog as often as possible and will incorporate the activities of Henri and Ginger over the past couple months with assorted thoughts of current interest. Thank you to my faithful readers who have missed my musings and patiently awaited Ginger’s revival.

Missing Letters – S, W, X – and Number 2

My original plan was to resume the blog on April 1, but I’m typing this a day early while I still have accessibility to all letters and numbers on the keyboard. I have to postpone the blog return for various reasons. 1) I’m still working about 15 hours per week training and helping the new office manager, Sally. Ironically, I’m working more now than before I resigned, but I no longer have to be there at 7:00 a.m. 2) I’m still watching hospice videos and have completed 40 of the 50 in the Hospice Education Network program and passed each test. I’m not sure what I will be asked to do as a hospice volunteer, but I’ll probably find out in the next month or so. 3) Another activity that is interfering with the blog is the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The DAWGS were not included this year (for obvious reasons), but I enjoy watching all the college teams. I’m not losing any money because Henri won’t bet on these games. 4) The final reason for the postponement is my appointment to have a ganglion cyst removed tomorrow, Thursday, April 1. I noticed the cyst several months ago. It is located near the middle knuckle on the ring finger of my left hand. It’s not painful, but I’m not sure how this finger will feel after the procedure. If there is any pain, whatever I type will temporarily not include the letters “s,” “w,” “x,” or the number “2.” I’m sorry to disappoint my readers with another delay, but I appreciate your patience. Hopefully, Gram Ginger will get it together soon and be blogging on a regular basis. Stay tuned.