Kicked Out of Hope, Mercy & Compassion Hospital due to non-Payment!

[JerseyJohn]

Heartfelt Thanks to everyone, especially Comrade, who wished me well and wrote e-mails and were behind me in so many ways.

I’ve tried to respond to all the messages and don’t believe there were any omissions, if there are you’ve got my sincere apologies as the message didn’t reach me somehow. Glitches happen, especially with my favorite nephew, Chris the Computer Wiz, unexpectedly reformatting my hard drive!

Today and tomorrow I’ll do my best to respond to everyone’s postings in the 2004 Thread and Comrade’s Get Well Thread, which really helped lift my spirits as I watched, helplessly, while Dr Doom and Dr Gloom drained the last few cents out of my medical coverage. It dropped to zero as I finished a gourmet breakfast, the second slice of toast being removed as it exceeded my health plan and I didn’t have $20 on hand to pay for it.

And so it was that Hope, Mercy and Compassion Hospital did the decent and humane thing, kicking my destitute ass out on the street to fend for itself!

Actually, it wasn’t much of a hospital stay. The worst hardship befell my innocent computer earlier in the week when it started cutting off unexpectedly and received worst aid. Marion thought I’d be in till February and asked our permanently visiting 14 year-old-nephew, a self-professed computer wiz, to fix the problem. He spends a lot of time in my office, where he’s got free run of our Windblows98 machine while I use the new XP for business and websites. Noticing how adroitly he hits the old keyboard Marion figured he knew a thing or two about computers, which he does, and asked him to help out.

Hmmmm…

Next evening Chris came to see me wearing a red-faced grin that succeeded where Dr Gloom and Dr Doom, with all their sophisticated tortures had failed miserably -- he filled me with terror! I knew it was going to be a disaster when he asked me six consecutive how I was feeling – “That’s cool, that’s cool…” -- before getting right to the point.

“I swear, there’s something really messed up with XP, like, all I was doing was putting the original settings in when, oops, the stupid thing formatted the hard drive!”

“Oh Christopher,” said I, “you are such a wonderful lad, and no doubt you meant well, how could I possibly become upset with you?” – or something similar.

So that was pretty much the Great Hospital Caper.

Except I need to add that Marion did all the posting and go-between work entirely on her own. I only asked her to see if anything interesting was going on at BF and Les’s site (Comrade’s wasn’t open yet). All the rest, posted the updates, asking people to e-mail me, printing the messages and typing my responses, were all things she did without being asked to do them. It’s good being married to a better person than oneself, even when it includes a screwy misadventure prone nephew who becomes more like your son.

My New Year’s Resolution, which will inevitably be broken, is to avoid the periodic head butting incidents I’ve so often had, usually with my oldest, and closest, friends.

It’s Great to be back but I need to add it will take a while to respond to the two Threads as I can’t spend much time sitting at the computer as my right leg needs to be propped up. I’m picturing some Rube Goldberg combination reclining chair-computer desk!

A lot of great things were said about my postings, but the truth is I’ve received much more from all of you than can ever be returned.

Much Thanks,

Jersey.

[kurt88]

Good to have you back here JJ, the place wasn't the same without you.

And Marion rules, you shouldn't keep here tied up behind that wall anymore. Better asks her if she's not interested in joining the SC community, the place could use a woman's touch.

[Wachtmeister]

Welcome back - Great to see that you and presumably your main computer are on the mend.

[xwormwood]

Let the good times roll on, thank God you are back again!

[Comrade Trapp]

Jersey kicked out of the hospital? After the kindness he showed to those doctors? I just can't believe it. Your lucky they didn't pull the plug on you, those poor souls.......

“Oh Christopher,” said I, “you are such a wonderful lad, and no doubt you meant well, how could I possibly become upset with you?” – or something similar.

Another innocent victim struck down by JerseyJohn's acts of "kindness"......

Oh well, glad to have you back.

Comrade Trapp

[JerseyJohn]

Kurt, Wachtmeister and xwormwood

Thank you, Gentlemen, it's great to be back.

I've been reloading files from CD R-Ws most of the morning, still trying to figure out a way of sitting here and having my leg propped up. I'd ask my nephew Chris to help me, but I'm afraid the last thing I'll ever hear is him saying, "Ooops!"

You're right, Kurt, after reading some of Marion's posts I think she'd be okay in this thing, in fact I'd have to tie her up for real out of self-defense!

One of the big posters in another forum, I think it's CM, Yk2 (yes, that's how she writes it is a woman. I read hundreds of her posts before I caught on to it.

Thanks again, and it's mutual, I missed you guys more than I can say.

[JerseyJohn]

Thank you Comrade, I'm also a bit surprised they didn't kill me, or gag me at the very least!

Agreed about my saintly qualities. During the first few days I was worried about ascending bodily into Heaven with there being a roof and all ...

[Les the Sarge 9-1]

Glad you are back JJ, not a lot have happened really , since ya left, same ole world really

[JerseyJohn]

I thank you Les and have to agree about the Forum in January, I've been skimming through the back threads and it appears to have been pretty slow.

There are a few things to comment on but I'm holding off till I can sit a little longer at the desk. Most of the really interesting things were already covered very well and there's no point adding to them except to bring the topic back up front.

[Some_God]

Thats why you dont go to New Jersey Hospitals stupid... *Plans to assassinate John Corzine*

[JerseyJohn]

Didn't one of the most prestigious NYC hospitals a few years back say it was sorry for removing the wrong kidney or something?

I've lived in New York, apparently like you, for most of my life. When it comes to a choice between New Jersey or New York in anything at all, I'd be very eager to find a THIRD alternative.

As I happen to live in the middle of New Jersey and it happened to be a reasonably serious emergency, going to a hospital five miles away seemed better than going to one in another state or another country.

Next time, under more leisurely circumstances, I'll be sure to insist on a hospital in Switzerland.

[ January 26, 2004, 12:22 PM: Message edited by: JerseyJohn ]

[Some_God]

Its interesting they kick you out now, just when that big snow storm is coming over here. All I could say is good luck and dont freeze your balls off.

[SeaWolf_48]

Dear John Letter

Jersey what happen? you were a tower of health the last time I was around. Probibly to much time babying the cry-babies around here. Their going to ruin your health buddy! Anyway get healthly my friend.

Your avid admireror

SeaWolf

[ January 26, 2004, 07:29 PM: Message edited by: SeaWolf_48 ]

[JerseyJohn]

And Your Avid Admirer,

Thank You My Friend, I'm afraid the ailment was entirely my own fault. I let a bruise turn into an infection and it coupled with an old circulation problem.

Much Appreciated, hope you post much more often, the place is definitely not the same when the Great SeaPersons aren't posting!

[ January 27, 2004, 02:34 AM: Message edited by: JerseyJohn ]

[japinard]

JerseyJohn - did they give you the "there's sicker peple than you, so you must be discharged"? or did they really make you leave because your healthcare had run out?

That's entirely frightening if so. I have CF, and if I was in the hospital and my healthcare ran out... I'd end up dying. I hate the healthcare system in this country.

[JerseyJohn]

Some_God

You're right, they probably did have diabolical intent. As Comrade says, it was probably out of self-defense; I've got to admit many of the remarks sent in the direction of Drs Gloom and Doom were less than, uh, charitable! Dr Doom had my wife constantly worried that I'd die even it was on the basis of a metorite falling on my head and Dr Gloom had the hots to take half my leg off -- warming up to those two was not easy, they're probably regulars at the General Forum!

Freeze my balls off? I'll have to check, I know those rascals removed something!

[jon_j_rambo]

Yeah, Healthcare discussions are very interesting: Drug companies, corporations, government, insurance companies, doctors, labs, etc.

When in comes to money, the politicians only talk about the areas they want to spend more on, not the area which need cut. I'd start by cutting that new Mar's Landing stuff & feed people.

[JerseyJohn]

"JerseyJohn - did they give you the "there's sicker peple than you, so you must be discharged"? or did they really make you leave because your healthcare had run out?

That's entirely frightening if so. I have CF, and if I was in the hospital and my healthcare ran out... I'd end up dying. I hate the healthcare system in this country."

Japinard

They most certainly did! After I left I. C. U. I had to agree with them, if it hadn't been for the I.V. set-up I no doubt could have gone home sooner. To make things worse there's a flu epidemic going around and also everytime I turned around I saw accident cases.

New Jersey has a lot of lousy drivers and I guess they were all hitting each other -- the dopey bastards have what I call the Jersey Left, where you go directly into the right hand lane without even giving it a thought! I've made perfectly legal rights, come within inches of being hit by idiots making a left into what should be the lane next to mine and they're having road rage! New Jersey drivers scare the hell out of me.

My healthcare didn't really go out, it just seemed that way with their rushing me off as I finished breakfast. If it had, though, I'm not absolutely sure they wouldn't have.

I also hate the system in this country, if I expound on my views the F. B. I. will come visit me and put me in a room without the Internet, so I can't elaborate on them, but it seems to me that the Federal Government doesn't list it's citizens as a high priority.

I'm glad this isn't the General Forum, within five minutes there'd be ten radical leftists and ten radical rightists ripping me to shreds along with tiny_tanker and his charming footer, "The one no one missed, JerseyJohn!" -- it has nothing to do with the hospital, he started that a couple of months ago from a Thread we had where I was missing in the Himalayas; I never thought the screwy -- ah hem, my New Year's Resolution -- I meant to say, the charming young fellow -- would use it for his footer!

Getting back to the subject, and I appreciate it's seriousness, I hope they wouldn't, but I honestly don't know. The laws and systems have become very calous.

Even the doctors have become calous, at least in my own biased opinion. When I was a kid in the fifties they all seemed like humanitarians first and the money was of secondary importance. Maybe the Government backed them up a little more, better tax writeoffs or something, but I doubt it. The doctors I see today seem to do things on a near assembly line basis and there isn't much room for individual understanding.

I don't know much about CF, except now as a personal concern in case that's really my mysterious malady, but I hope yours is as non-threatening as it can be. The human body is in desperate need of revision, too many things waiting to go wrong all the time.

Be Well My Friend.

[ January 27, 2004, 02:33 AM: Message edited by: JerseyJohn ]

[JerseyJohn]

General Rambo

Yes, agreed on the system but I think if the politicians went through and cut out all the waste and corruption there'd be more than enough to pay for everything.

I don't know how important these particular landings are, but I do know for a fact that we're woefully unprepared if some celestial body comes heading in our direction.

That's something I'd like to see change in a hurry. Blowing asteroids up would be unimaginative and wasteful, it would be better to fix the near earch crossing ones in an earth orbit and have an automated gizmo mining them. We want space stations and there's no need to build them here and send them up in rockets, all the materials for constructing them are already sitting between the planets and in almost infinite abundandance!

And there might even be a little left over to bring down and divvy up among the medical profession so the destitute aren't left to die.

[ January 27, 2004, 01:48 AM: Message edited by: JerseyJohn ]

[japinard]

JerseyJohn - I know what you mean. The amount of doctors in the boob job, chia pet hair growth, and other unneeded plastic surgery areas is sickening. Good doctors and surgeons are terribly overworked.

Ohhh, this is why I don't watch the news anymore. Too depressing.

[JerseyJohn]

Japinard

You too! I like to catch things like 60 Minutes and Dateline or PBS, none of which I take very seriously but they're more watchable. The regular network news is too much for me. Yeah, it's always centered around a killing or a malpractice suit or some other nonsense and I don't like the way they tend to depict kids as a separate species. Usually I grab stories from the net or read about them in Time, Newsweek or USNews & World Report, which are inflicted upon me through long forgotten subscriptions.

You're right, too few doctors seem to be healers and too many are either businessmen or beauticians. If the AMA is so determined to make it a farce I'd prefer to see the formal standards lowered and three or four times as many young people bought into the profession. I think a kid with an honest desire to heal would make a better physician than an academic wiz whose planning a lucrative future.

Which is another problem, there are too damn few doctors and nurses in the U. S. A.. It's become a sort of cult which seems wrong to me. Isn't odd how, when we've got a war going on kids right out of high school are given a Red Cross arm band and, with absolute minimum training are sent out on the field to apply bandaids to men with their limbs torn apart. But the overwhelming majarity of those same kids would be turned down for medical school. Is something wrong here or what?

Never mind the F. B. I., the A. M. A. is going to come for both of us! Maybe they'll put us in neighboring cells and we can carve a chess set out of rat droppings.