Survival and Emergency Preparedness

This week.

I went on line to view the CDC recommendations re a number of vaccines. Fortunately, Kaiser keeps a record of vaccine administration for each patient. I had advised Kaiser of my two shots for the Wuhan flu other than through Kaiser and they had been recorded. However, I had no knowledge as to whether Kaiser was geared to telling people it was time for any shot.

It seemed that I was due for combination shot with the lead vaccine for tetanus.

I relate the following because this is the reality I think most of us face in health care.
1. the nurse's clinic has been in existence for two years;
2. I dealt with the same "nurse" as last time.
3. The nurse had no idea why a person would have both arms tested for blood pressure and what constituted a significant difference and what it would show.
4. She had no idea whether Kaiser would automatically tell a person that a shot or booster was recommended.
5. She had no idea what tetanus was.

The point is not that you should get any vaccination. The point is that the responsibility for your health care and your information gathering remains on you.

Not Kaiser. A relative fired his primary attending physician last week. She missed a medical condition that was life threatening. Because the condition was missed, surgery is put off for another month.

You have to keep trying to get information so that YOU can make decisions.

Wife and I have started reviewing all our medical records since the BJC facilities make all results and doctor's notes available online. Reading through them has helped us go in better prepared for check ups and what questions we should be asking.

Kaiser now does the following:
1. it sends the notes and results of every visit and test, by email.
2. it keeps records of all shots.
3. it keeps both the messages from you and from the doctor on line.
4. it reminds the patient about ordering medicines and ships them by US mail.
5. it has free classes on line.

During the shut down, I took free zoom classes on line from Cedars-Sinai Hospital and UCLA Medical Center.

I also do a few things that I am sure are not done by most patients. Last week, I gave an excellent physician a feedback one year after he did a procedure. A few months earlier, I sent a thank you note to a physical therapist. And, having been taught by an MD years earlier, every nurse and doctor with whom I come in contact, I give a "hug card". "Hug card. Good for one free hug, never expires." I want my providers to remember me.

I also never go without a pen, a pad to take notes, my written questions, and a book.

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... unty+covid

This is a chart from the NY Times about infections in my county.
1. what you will notice is a slight uptick in infections. Very small number compared to last winter.
2. most of the infections are the East Indian variant.
3. close to 99% of the infections and the deaths (you google the county statistics separately) are among the unvaccinated. Most of those people made an affirmative decision to not get vaccinated.

Hyped news sells advertising spots in the media. I disclose that I am fully vaccinated and know that the vaccinations may fail. this is plain hype, like chickens running around with their heads chopped off (I used to raise chickens and they would run around). There is no rational reason for the County Health head to go back to forcing people to wear masks. Let the unvaccinated get sick and go to the hospital for questionable treatment.