Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Help Ben, Medical Costs, Asparagus.

Having spent the whole of April writing only one blog which I had forgotten, I kind of forgot this month that I needed to start writing doctorsagain. I had become somewhat lazy I guess although I was spending a lot of time visiting other blogs instead. Kind of came as a shock when I realised I had to start writing again. Yesterday I posted two blogs, one an appeal for help with medical bills for a young man who had a bad accident. If you haven’t read it, please do so, any help they can get would be appreciated I am sure. Several Indie authors are contributing their earnings for the month of May, others are buying their books.

I can’t believe his medical bills are already $1,000,000, that is a staggering amount and would frighten anybody. I mean who, apart from someone like Donald Trump, has that kind of money. The average Joe wouldn’t raise that sum if he sold his home and everything else he owned. That just makes me so glad I live in a country with socialised medicine – same in the UK. OK, we might have to wait for some non essential stuff, but we don’t end up with crippling bills. We bumped into a guy from Canada once who lived in North Carolina permanently and said it was so much better because of lower taxes even though medical wasn’t free. From our experience, the medical insurances were prohibitive too. Thanks, I’ll take higher taxes and socialised medicine. Matt and I have both had a load of expensive operations in the last 12 years and it hasn’t cost us one red cent.

Today we start our summer bowling at Towne Bowl. I dropped in to see the owners yesterday to make sure all was square. I just wish we had managed to get a few more people to bowl with us. However, guess the main thing is that we all get to bowl for the summer.

asparagus BenefitsI have been talking about the asparagus I am now enjoying, not only is it a delicious food, its also a healthy food with many benefits. Tim Barrie pointed out the grey flecks in some pickled asparagus I bought and said it was rutin which is an antioxidant. Rutin hasn’t been widely studied in humans but it is anticipated it will be very beneficial, according to Wikipedia. Out of a plethora of recipes, I couldn’t easily decide which one to use first, but the following is one of my favourites. These are so good. They can be considered vegetarian although not vegan.


Asparagus Phyllo Bundles
For one roll:Asparagus Phyllo Bundles
Phyllo - 1/2 sheet for 2 asparagus
2 stalks asparagus
Parmesan, grated

1. Brush phyllo with butter, sprinkle with Parmesan, place 2 asparagus in middle and roll. Place in baking dish, sprinkle more Parmesan and put in oven 375 F for 15 mins
.
Source: Paula Deen

Have a great day
Jo_thumb[2]

8 comments:

  1. I don't want higher taxes, but medical costs are out of control. I read last year a lot of that has to do with malpractice insurance, which is really expensive.

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    1. Maybe not Alex, but wouldn't it be nice to know that whatever happened you would not be sent to the poorhouse. This business with Ben, $1 million is crazy and would never happen to us, thank God. Yes, I imagine malpractice would put up costs terrifically too.

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  2. I so feel for Bens family. THe loss of Bens health is bad enough withoug being decimated by expenses. On a happier note...I cant wait until the asparagus is up! Maybe by mothers day!

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    1. I saw an item on World News Tonight (Diane Sawyer) showing how hospitals in the same town (in the US) can charge vastly different prices for the same operation, like $82 thou as opposed to $220 thou.

      I have been enjoying my asparagus all week. Will have to go get more on Friday I think. Gotta make soup for a start.

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  3. One million? Geez! That may happen here too, but there is also social security. The problem with it is that not everyone has it, that you may as well die from lack of medicine, lack of attention, lack of interest, but it all depends on your luck. Mine has not been good in those regards but there are people who speak wonders of social security. But yes, doctors' bills can reach stratospheric amounts, even for a dragon's treasure.

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    1. As I keep emphasizing, socialised medicine is wonderful, it would also benefit a dragon - it basically doesn't matter what you have wrong although if not immediately life threatening you might have to wait a bit for treatment. I wouldn't think even your hoard would last too long with a major illness. Since we came back to Canada, Matt has had 3 replacements and a spinal stenosis op plus several day surgeries, I had a hip replacement and femoral angioplasty twice none of which cost us a cent. I don't know how our taxes actually compare with the US or Mexico, but I know which system I would prefer to live with. I guess one doesn't think about it a lot until it happens to you. I know people who are living under a load of debt, all wrong to me.

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  4. I've read a bit about Ben. Sad situation. It's a shame medical (and insurance) costs are so high here in the USA. (Of course, if everyone would stop suing their doctors over hangnails and upset stomachs then the costs might come down--a lot.) I plan to pick up the book as my show of solidarity.

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    1. I bought Nightingale and am enjoying it.

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