The other side of our medical care

 

 

"Proton therapy may be pricy, but oh the promise it does have to save lives..."

I am going to say a few things about our medical care in Minnesota that some may not like. For that, I am sorry. No, I really am not, or else I would not be penning this article. Just for a bit, I am going to set medical costs aside. I am going to set ObamaCare aside. In fact, all medical insurance aside. I am just going to talk about medical care in Minnesota.

Today in the paper was an article about the proton accelerator that Mayo Clinic recently purchased. How it can be a revolution in the treatment of hard to treat cancers. How unlike a conventional X-Ray, the proton beam can be directed in a more precise fashion and stop when it hits the tumor! This really is incredible technology!

I said earlier I was not going to address medical costs, so I won't mention the $180M price tag on this thing. But the question does beg to be asked, at what price life? In other words, if this could save the life of a child with inoperable brain cancer, would we not all opt to use it? I sure would.

Between our surviving parents while they were alive as well as myself, I have been in a few medical facilities as of late. Our local hospital (Mercy) has recently gone through huge expansions for Mother/Baby care as well as well equipped Cardiac wing. When she was still with us, I had my Mother at Mercy hospital many times. The large cadre of Cardiologists at Mercy are nothing short of miracle workers. Like many older folks, my Mother had congestive heart failure. So did my wife's Father. Not too long ago, that was a death sentence. The Cardiologists at Mercy were able to stabilize my Mother's condition which allowed her to live to almost 97. My wife's Father made it to almost 91 with his congestive heart failure. 

My grandson has been in the Masonic Children's Hospital at the University of Minnesota. He needed a procedure to correct some pressure differences in his heart chambers. No big deal - they do three of these procedures a day at that hospital. Without that procedure, his quality of life would not have been the same, and maybe even shorter. However, after a half hour non-invasive procedure, it was done. He went home the next morning fit as a fiddle.

So as we talk about, bicker about and continue to litigate ObamaCare, medical research continues to go on in Minnesota. In fact it goes on in many other states as well. Quality care continues to be offered many of our local hospitals. University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinics, Abbott Northwestern, Allina Clinics and Hospital system, Park Nicollet clinics, Methodist Hospital, North Memorial Hospitals, and on and on.

I will say what many of us believe - we are blessed to live here. We are blessed to have the finest medical care in the world. I try very hard NEVER to take that fact for granted. How the insurance companies interact with our medical providers is where the next challenge lies. The best care in the world is no good if insurance companies act as blockers to receive it.

Have to wrap this up for now - dentist appointment first thing. Dental care is the subject for another day. That too, is wonderful in Minnesota.