Amazin wrote:There are a bunch of topics on being middle age....feeling old...bad health etc. There is no doubt that genetics plays a big role in ones health. Some of us are simply dealt bad cards and others good cards. (Blame our parents!). But there are a ton of people who have brought bad health upon themselves from smoking, excessive drinking, overeating etc. They then ask...why me? A good friend of mine who has always been extremely health conscious has suddenly come down with severe kidney problems and cancer. He has every right to ask why me? Another friend who smoked, drank too much and never took care of himself has also come down with cancer and heart problems. I have great sympathy for both but it's hard for me to feel the same compassion when one never cared about taking care of himself and the other did. Am I wrong to not feel the same?

Anonymous wrote:I firmly believe that if you know better, you do better. I took it upon myself to learn about diet and nutrition from a young age, and as a result eat better than my parents. I also chose not to smoke, or drink and use drugs. That doesn't mean I think I'm better than anyone else, I was just able to choose differently. It's quite a luxury, actually!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I firmly believe that if you know better, you do better. I took it upon myself to learn about diet and nutrition from a young age, and as a result eat better than my parents. I also chose not to smoke, or drink and use drugs. That doesn't mean I think I'm better than anyone else, I was just able to choose differently. It's quite a luxury, actually!

My aunt spent a good 20 years trying to avoid her health history. Taking part in studies (so she had access to new research and whatever else) never drank much or smoked. Exercised, ate right etc.

She now has a stent in her heart and is diabetic, and has had two cancer scares so far.

Anonymous wrote:I work in a hospital. This last week the ICU was filled with critical patients who were there either because of lifestyle choices or because their choices exacerbated their condition. (alcoholic withdrawal, OD, DKA, endocarditis, COPD, AIDS, etc). Furthermore, all were Medicaid or Obamacare subsidized, every single one. At a tune of $300,000 plus per patient. Some of them on their third or fourth hospitalization for the same self inflicted crap. You can't fool healthcare workers with excuses when your a1c is 17% and you swear you've been following doctors orders. Or your blood alcohol is 0.25 and you swear you haven't been drinking. People say a lot of stuff. Now, there are poor unfortunate souls who were dealt a bad hand through no fault of their own and everyone probably knows one or two like the ones mentioned above. You know what? That's not what is filling the ER and ICU in the real world of paying for everyone's healthcare. it's really making the hospitals a lot of money. Healthcare should not have a profit motive. And bad choices shouldn't be rescued for the THIRD or FOURTH time.

Anonymous wrote:I work in a hospital. This last week the ICU was filled with critical patients who were there either because of lifestyle choices or because their choices exacerbated their condition. (alcoholic withdrawal, OD, DKA, endocarditis, COPD, AIDS, etc). Furthermore, all were Medicaid or Obamacare subsidized, every single one. At a tune of $300,000 plus per patient. Some of them on their third or fourth hospitalization for the same self inflicted crap. You can't fool healthcare workers with excuses when your a1c is 17% and you swear you've been following doctors orders. Or your blood alcohol is 0.25 and you swear you haven't been drinking. People say a lot of stuff. Now, there are poor unfortunate souls who were dealt a bad hand through no fault of their own and everyone probably knows one or two like the ones mentioned above. You know what? That's not what is filling the ER and ICU in the real world of paying for everyone's healthcare. it's really making the hospitals a lot of money. Healthcare should not have a profit motive. And bad choices shouldn't be rescued for the THIRD or FOURTH time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in a hospital. This last week the ICU was filled with critical patients who were there either because of lifestyle choices or because their choices exacerbated their condition. (alcoholic withdrawal, OD, DKA, endocarditis, COPD, AIDS, etc). Furthermore, all were Medicaid or Obamacare subsidized, every single one. At a tune of $300,000 plus per patient. Some of them on their third or fourth hospitalization for the same self inflicted crap. You can't fool healthcare workers with excuses when your a1c is 17% and you swear you've been following doctors orders. Or your blood alcohol is 0.25 and you swear you haven't been drinking. People say a lot of stuff. Now, there are poor unfortunate souls who were dealt a bad hand through no fault of their own and everyone probably knows one or two like the ones mentioned above. You know what? That's not what is filling the ER and ICU in the real world of paying for everyone's healthcare. it's really making the hospitals a lot of money. Healthcare should not have a profit motive. And bad choices shouldn't be rescued for the THIRD or FOURTH time.

+1. Most people I see in the ER cause their own darn problems.