Sometimes I Feel Like a Piece of Bologna

Mom Medical Update

Photo: picapp.com

Well, I’m at Mom’s again. We had three medical appointments yesterday and another skin cancer surgery today. This one is on her cheek. We’re weary and she’s in a lot of pain tonight. I haven’t felt like doing much else while here. I’d love to help her begin eliminating some of the junk and clutter (although she doesn’t have as much as many elderly), but for some reason I lose energy when I’m here. After rushing from medical appointment to medical appointment, I run out of steam.

Meanwhile, back home, hubby has not been feeling well. He stayed home to see his doctor and had a CT scan today. No results yet, but we are praying that it’s nothing serious. It was a tough call to decide whether to come here or stay home with him. I figured he was somewhat more able to manage getting himself to his appointments than Mom was to hers. But I feel smooshed again.

I’m grateful for the good medical coverage we all have, and am aware that under most nationalized health programs, Mom would not have been given surgery for squamous and basal cell carcinoma. Not at her age. And if she had been able to get approval, it wouldn’t have been as quickly. And hubby was able to get a CT scan within 24 hours. Contrast this with a story out of Canada that I read just today regarding a 30-year old man trying to get treatment for a malignant melanoma. After fighting for two months to get approval, he’s being sent to a facility four hours away (in the US, by the way) when a facility just over the border could provide the same care. Folks, enjoy our excellent care while you can.

Labels: aging parents, medical care, national health care, sandwich generation