Life Expectancy after Spinal Cord Injury

[paolocipolla]

Originally Posted by Christopher Paddon

The phrase "I can't wait to grow old in a chair" struck me as ridiculous. What about the present? If life is so great now don't wish it away for a future imagined utopia.

I live life as best I can and enjoy myself a lot of the time but I can categorically state that the paraplegia part of my life sucks and I never try to glorify this condition.

Bring on a cure so that I can enjoy myself even better, be healthier and live life like my friends from my schooldays who have never had to give up sex, walking, normal bladder and bowel and put up with patronizing strangers asking if I need help etc etc etc

Be patient with t8burst, from his behavior here on CC it seems he is maladjusted to the chair..

[paolocipolla]

Originally Posted by Wise Young

Sherocks, I think the only answer is universal health care. When I look at countries with universal health care, i.e. Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Norway, the people not only get better care but clinical trials are much easier to do. Wise.

I think the only answer is a cure ASAP.

Wise don't give up!

[Charlottes Web]

Originally Posted by Wise Young

SC&AB,

I have many friends and former students in Japan, and grew up there between the ages of 8 and 18. So, Japan is a very special place for me. What I have always appreciated about Japan is the motivation of the doctors and nursing staff. They are motivated by professionalism and care for the patients. Money is not part of the equation. They are more like what doctors use to be like in the United States 30 years ago.

Today, many American doctors (particularly the successful ones) are little private corporations who have to figure out how much money they are taking in and how much they have to pay their staff to break even and take home some. Because doctors are now directly involved in collecting insurance payments for their services, this affects their thinking and intrudes into medical decisions.

Long term care is a very serious problem for people in the United States. One of the reasons why the Care Forum on this site is so popular is because people can come here and get advice that they can and should be getting from their doctors. I am always aghast by the time it takes for people to get an appointment even for an examination and people end up going to the emergency room for care.

I don't know the medical care system in Japan as well as I do the China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan systems because I have been so busy that I haven't had much of a chance to come to Japan in the past decade. I have also never been involved in a clinical trial in Japan. This might change. Several colleagues in Japan have expressed interest in the clinical trials that we are doing in China.

In my opinion, many doctors in the United States will not mind working hard for a reasonable salary. When I was in medical school in the 1970's, nobody worried about how much things costed. The doctor was always the patient's advocate, to ensure that the patient got the best care and cure.

Now, some doctors have to play the additional role of a gatekeeper, which poses a conflict of interest for the doctor. Doctors also must consider how much (or how little) money they are getting for therapies that they are deciding the patients should get, another major conflict of interest.

By the way, although we think of "care" as different from "cure", we should remember that when "cure" is approved, it becomes part of care. Cure, if it works, will become care. If care delivery is bad, cure delivery will also be bad.

Wise.

So true, Wise!

After a cervical sprain, in 84, I saw my Neurosurgeon every visit. My CT Myelogram was done inpatient. Currently, I'm being follow by the same NS every 6 months, for my SCI, but see his Nurse Practitioner every visit. This is also the case with my other Specialists. It's frustrating since the NP's are not as knowledgeable as my NS with regard to "my" injury and can seldom answer my questions.

I hope I live to see a change for the better!

T

Originally Posted by StemCells&AtomBombs

Yes. This is true. I have never found the doctors and nurses to be motivated by anything other than care for me. Not one doctor has denied me anything based on cost (difference of opinion yes, and no one has ever told me that I can't have a test done because of cost.

SC&AB... Thank you for your post regarding health care in Japan. I have heard the same from my Nephew's wife, a native of Japan. It must be comforting to receive this type of care. I for one, am happy to know you're getting good care! I think you would have been bankrupt in the USA. Sad, but true!

Do you mind, and if it is appropriate per this thread, if I ask, how is your Pain Management in Japan?

Since my injury, I have found my Doctors are more focused on the government red tape of Rx'ing my PM's than my well being. It's quite shocking added to the horror stories I've read here regarding PM. I am yet to figure out how our gov. is getting away with this.

T