Sum lewk like wun more or les.

World is coming to an end, no time for flu this year.

Obamacare rants in three, two, one...

Another fabricated mass panic so a single Big Pharma co and a handful of politicians could increase their net worth exponentially... at the expense of morons.

/thanks FSM for his hearty constitution
//never gets flu shots
///rarely gets common cold, last time was 2005
//took a day off and drank a bottle of nyquil
/nasal passages were completely empty when I woke up, it was *sniff* beautiful

Did he try multiple hospitals?

What does being a "junkie" have to do with flu vaccine?

Or spell like one.

Nitpicking, but Tamiflu is not a farking vaccine...

Ignoring for a moment that this is coming from the Daily Fail, how the HELL do they not know how to treat the basic flu symptoms at home? The guy should have been tucked into bed drinking chicken soup every couple of hours, not out food shopping with his 'mum'. Rest and fluids, not shopping!

/Florence Nightingale wannabe

Well if he had been paying for his own medical care then they wouldn't have a reason to refuse treatment.

In the US you would be prioritized based on how much money you can spend whereas in a socialized system you're prioritized based on perceived value within the population.

How about shaving your head and putting on nicer clothes the second time you try? You shouldn't have to but this dumbass literally died rather then give up his mohawk.

ONLY POSERS DIE!!!!!

It's not socialized medicine's fault, I've had the same treatment in the US. I suffer from debilitating migraines that are so bad I vomit for days and am bedridden. When it gets really bad, I need IV meds and oxygen. If I have the notes from my doctor to take to the ER with me, I usually get treated ok, but twice, because I look young and have different coloured hair, I've been told I was "a drug addict" and that I was faking it "to get drugs." Once I was left in a room for hours and hours with no treatment. Another time, a doctor (who I guess could tell I was gay) told me, with no exam, that my health problems "were probably caused by STDS" because "you people are always infected with something." In that case, I was actually having a gallbladder attack, and it had to be removed two weeks later. Had I been older, I would have raised hell and possibly filed a lawsuit, but I was very sick and scared and never thought to report the doctor for his actions.

So, yes, people who look "funny" are discriminated against by doctors and nurses, with sometimes tragic results. Yes, yes, I know they probably do see people who fake it to get drugs, but I would much rather err on the side of caution, and accidentally treat a drug addict (who, after all, are still human beings) than leave somebody to suffer and die based on the wrong belief that they were "bad" in some way.

vodka: Well if he had been paying for his own medical care then they wouldn't have a reason to refuse treatment.

In the US you would be prioritized based on how much money you can spend whereas in a socialized system you're prioritized based on perceived value within the population.

QFT

I was unaware Tamiflu was the next junkie drug of choice.

Here I am! Anyone wanna step outside? I am feeling a little scrappy.

vodka: Well if he had been paying for his own medical care then they wouldn't have a reason to refuse treatment.

In the US you would be prioritized based on how much money you can spend whereas in a socialized system you're prioritized based on perceived value within the population.

In the US, he would have gotten a full ER workup, been diagnosed, and been given stabilizing treatment, regardless of how much money he had or didn't have. If he needed to be hospitalized, he would have been brought by ambulance to a county hospital. In the US, this kid would still be rockin'.

/fking sad

Missicat: "Mohican"?

I was wondering about that -- is that what they call it in the UK, or did they forget which tribe it's named after?

ladyfortuna: Ignoring for a moment that this is coming from the Daily Fail, how the HELL do they not know how to treat the basic flu symptoms at home? The guy should have been tucked into bed drinking chicken soup every couple of hours, not out food shopping with his 'mum'. Rest and fluids, not shopping!

/Florence Nightingale wannabe

Rest and fluids wouldn't have saved his life, nor would "chicken soup." Maybe the flu wasn't bad at first, and he only suffered from the fatigue before the pneumonia set in. Either way, they still shouldn't have refused to treat him, if that's really the case.

Walker: How's that socialized medicine working out for you?

/had to be said

Wonderfully. The NHS has always treated me well. How is a healthcare industry run by faceless corporations who profit from denying care working for you?

RLupin: It's not socialized medicine's fault, I've had the same treatment in the US. I suffer from debilitating migraines that are so bad I vomit for days and am bedridden. When it gets really bad, I need IV meds and oxygen. If I have the notes from my doctor to take to the ER with me, I usually get treated ok, but twice, because I look young and have different coloured hair, I've been told I was "a drug addict" and that I was faking it "to get drugs." Once I was left in a room for hours and hours with no treatment. Another time, a doctor (who I guess could tell I was gay) told me, with no exam, that my health problems "were probably caused by STDS" because "you people are always infected with something." In that case, I was actually having a gallbladder attack, and it had to be removed two weeks later. Had I been older, I would have raised hell and possibly filed a lawsuit, but I was very sick and scared and never thought to report the doctor for his actions.

So, yes, people who look "funny" are discriminated against by doctors and nurses, with sometimes tragic results. Yes, yes, I know they probably do see people who fake it to get drugs, but I would much rather err on the side of caution, and accidentally treat a drug addict (who, after all, are still human beings) than leave somebody to suffer and die based on the wrong belief that they were "bad" in some way.

Except when they "treat" the addict by giving them what they want and their addiction continues leading to their death, physicians can be held liable. Not to mention there simply is not a lot of sympathy for drug seekers who waste doctors' and nurses' time that would be better spent helping legitimate patients.

As an EMT I can't imagine this happening. If we get a call we transport the patient. Period. We don't have the legal option to refuse transport.

Now what happens to the patient after we drop him or her off at the emergency department is outside of our control, but you can be damned sure we wouldn't call the parents, ask if the kid took drugs, and then refuse transport.

RLupin: It's not socialized medicine's fault, I've had the same treatment in the US. I suffer from debilitating migraines that are so bad I vomit for days and am bedridden. When it gets really bad, I need IV meds and oxygen. If I have the notes from my doctor to take to the ER with me, I usually get treated ok, but twice, because I look young and have different coloured hair, I've been told I was "a drug addict" and that I was faking it "to get drugs." Once I was left in a room for hours and hours with no treatment. Another time, a doctor (who I guess could tell I was gay) told me, with no exam, that my health problems "were probably caused by STDS" because "you people are always infected with something." In that case, I was actually having a gallbladder attack, and it had to be removed two weeks later. Had I been older, I would have raised hell and possibly filed a lawsuit, but I was very sick and scared and never thought to report the doctor for his actions.

So, yes, people who look "funny" are discriminated against by doctors and nurses, with sometimes tragic results. Yes, yes, I know they probably do see people who fake it to get drugs, but I would much rather err on the side of caution, and accidentally treat a drug addict (who, after all, are still human beings) than leave somebody to suffer and die based on the wrong belief that they were "bad" in some way.

The whole drug bit is pretty normal when you are young. I literally came in with a chef's outfit covered in flour and clean cut down to the bone on my hand. The first thing the nurse asked me is if I had done it to get drugs. Luckily I don't have many of my normal social filters when I'm in pain so yelling at her made her leave the room and not come back.

A different nurse came to ask questions after my hand was stitched up.

/has always been a favorite of mine

OK, class, what did we learn today?

A: Don't dress like a freak and don't cut your hair like an idiot and people won't assume you're a fiend.

\No sympathy here
\\None
\\\Dress and act like a contributing member of society and you'll be treated like a contributing member of society

fatimcgee: OK, class, what did we learn today?

A: Don't dress like a freak and don't cut your hair like an idiot and people won't assume you're a fiend.

\No sympathy here
\\None
\\\Dress and act like a contributing member of society and you'll be treated like a contributing member of society

I learned to leave you to die on the side of the road if you are even in need of help.

Occam's Nailfile: vodka: Well if he had been paying for his own medical care then they wouldn't have a reason to refuse treatment.

In the US you would be prioritized based on how much money you can spend whereas in a socialized system you're prioritized based on perceived value within the population.

In the US, he would have gotten a full ER workup, been diagnosed, and been given stabilizing treatment, regardless of how much money he had or didn't have. If he needed to be hospitalized, he would have been brought by ambulance to a county hospital. In the US, this kid would still be rockin'.

/fking sad

Don't bet on it. I've watched, with my own eyes, a guy two days out of surgery lay on the floor of an ER vomiting and screaming while nurses just sat around chatting on cell phones and talking to their friends. And it wasn't some county hospital, either....it was a big, new, private one. Apparently, he'd had his gallbladder out a few days before and had developed complications, and had to call a taxi to come get him to take him back. Others in the waiting room begged the nurses to help him, but they said "he has to wait his turn" and "we're too busy." Finally, thank god, his friend arrived and screamed at them so much that they finally got off their asses and wheeled him back, but I don't know what ended up happening to him. I'm pretty sure that similar could happen to somebody who "just" had the flu, especially if they thought he looked funny.

RLupin: nor would "chicken soup."

Just wanted to say there are tons of scientific studies out there about the healing properties of good ole fashioned warm chicken soup, but this kid was too far gone.

snocone: Tamaflu is not at all effective for h1n1.
Does not prevent, does not help symtomatology.
just sayin

Actually, Tamiflu and Relenza both may help in uncomplicated cases of H1N1 but only if administered very early. They may not cure you right away but it may prevent complications from developing while your own immune system fights off the infection.

This shiat again? Do we really need to pass through this drama, again?.

RLupin: ladyfortuna:

Rest and fluids wouldn't have saved his life, nor would "chicken soup." Maybe the flu wasn't bad at first, and he only suffered from the fatigue before the pneumonia set in. Either way, they still shouldn't have refused to treat him, if that's really the case.

No, they shouldn't have, but if he was feeling badly enough to go to the hospital, what was he doing at the store? I've been horribly ill a bunch of times, but unless I am down to my last meds, I stay in bed. Unless they went to the store on the way home from the hospital rejection, I don't understand it. And the rest/fluids/chicken soup theory is a great way to keep from getting worse at least...

LordSpectre: RLupin: It's not socialized medicine's fault, I've had the same treatment in the US. I suffer from debilitating migraines that are so bad I vomit for days and am bedridden. When it gets really bad, I need IV meds and oxygen. If I have the notes from my doctor to take to the ER with me, I usually get treated ok, but twice, because I look young and have different coloured hair, I've been told I was "a drug addict" and that I was faking it "to get drugs." Once I was left in a room for hours and hours with no treatment. Another time, a doctor (who I guess could tell I was gay) told me, with no exam, that my health problems "were probably caused by STDS" because "you people are always infected with something." In that case, I was actually having a gallbladder attack, and it had to be removed two weeks later. Had I been older, I would have raised hell and possibly filed a lawsuit, but I was very sick and scared and never thought to report the doctor for his actions.

So, yes, people who look "funny" are discriminated against by doctors and nurses, with sometimes tragic results. Yes, yes, I know they probably do see people who fake it to get drugs, but I would much rather err on the side of caution, and accidentally treat a drug addict (who, after all, are still human beings) than leave somebody to suffer and die based on the wrong belief that they were "bad" in some way.

Except when they "treat" the addict by giving them what they want and their addiction continues leading to their death, physicians can be held liable. Not to mention there simply is not a lot of sympathy for drug seekers who waste doctors' and nurses' time that would be better spent helping legitimate patients.

Then why not give them a quick blood test to check? "I think they might be on drugs, because of how they're dressed" isn't a valid reason to refuse to treat critically ill people. The guy in this article wasn't wanting narcotics, he was needing medicine for the flu and pneumonia. They apparently refused this because of how he looked. How are drugs for pneumonia related to something an addict could abuse?

Nobody's saying to hand out pain pill prescriptions to take home, but when somebody comes in after an accident or with an illness and in obvious distress, to make them suffer or deny them care because you imagine they might take drugs somewhere else is criminal and inhumane.

Occam's Nailfile: vodka: Well if he had been paying for his own medical care then they wouldn't have a reason to refuse treatment.

In the US you would be prioritized based on how much money you can spend whereas in a socialized system you're prioritized based on perceived value within the population.

In the US, he would have gotten a full ER workup, been diagnosed, and been given stabilizing treatment, regardless of how much money he had or didn't have. If he needed to be hospitalized, he would have been brought by ambulance to a county hospital. In the US, this kid would still be rockin'.

/fking sad

And he'd also be paying off hospital bills for the rest of his life. Or filing bankruptcy.

Yeah, being alive is still better, but still. The system is broken, and I'm still not quite sure how it should be fixed.

This dead bloke, and a number of folks remind me of a friends ex. He opted out from having mainstream looks and often complained about how he was shunned and suffered maltreatment. He was yet another person who always had a hurricane swirling around him, but it was never his "fault". Lots of folks like that, even in this thread.

People who don't want to conform often complain that they're not treated like everyone else.

Strange, eh?

RLupin: Then why not give them a quick blood test to check?

$$$

Never been a better place to post this (new window).

fatimcgee: OK, class, what did we learn today?

A: Don't dress like a freak and don't cut your hair like an idiot and people won't assume you're a fiend.

\No sympathy here
\\None
\\\Dress and act like a contributing member of society and you'll be treated like a contributing member of society

I honestly hope that you don't see tomorrow.

hailin: RLupin: nor would "chicken soup."

Just wanted to say there are tons of scientific studies out there about the healing properties of good ole fashioned warm chicken soup, but this kid was too far gone.

Anything hot can reduce some of the inflammation, I believe, but it wouldn't have helped. He needed oxygen and probably steroids, not home remedies.

Arkanaut: Missicat: "Mohican"?

I was wondering about that -- is that what they call it in the UK, or did they forget which tribe it's named after?



When the Grey Hair is dead, Magua will eat his heart. Before he dies, Magua will put his children under the knife, so the Grey Hair will know his seed is wiped out forever.

RLupin: Anything hot can reduce some of the inflammation, I believe, but it wouldn't have helped. He needed oxygen and probably steroids, not home remedies.

100% agree. Who knows if he would have rested properly in the beginning though. I had swine flu. I drank lots of fluids and slept 18 hours a day, but three days later the fever was gone and I was back at a work a day after that.

urban.derelict: Another fabricated mass panic so a single Big Pharma co and a handful of politicians could increase their net worth exponentially... at the expense of morons.

/thanks FSM for his hearty constitution
//never gets flu shots
///rarely gets common cold, last time was 2005
//took a day off and drank a bottle of nyquil
/nasal passages were completely empty when I woke up, it was *sniff* beautiful

Good for you. In 26 minutes, I am going to the ICU to see a patient who is actually, literally, dying of the nivel H1N1 ("swine") flu. Confirmed by molecular methods. May really not make it.

Unvaccinated, of course.

snocone: Tamaflu is not at all effective for h1n1.
Does not prevent, does not help symtomatology.
just sayin

If you say so, although the journals I read say otherwise.

It's odd how many people are using this thread to bash socialized medicine. I live in the US, and actually have loads of insurance that will pay for just about everything, and I've still been treated terribly by medical professionals (see above.) People forget sometimes that doctors and nurses can be horrible people, too. Maybe they hate gay people, or don't like certain races, or follow that idiotic "Well, if you don't wanna die in agony, don't dress in a way I don't like!" bullshiat philosophy being spouted on here. What happened to think guy could have happened anywhere. It wasn't about money, it was about people making judgments about him based solely on how he looked, which as it turns out wrong and led to his death.

fatimcgee: OK, class, what did we learn today?

A: Don't dress like a freak and don't cut your hair like an idiot and people won't assume you're a fiend.

\No sympathy here
\\None
\\\Dress and act like a contributing member of society and you'll be treated like a contributing member of society

7/10. Too much spittle.

Dr diagnosed my flu early last year and gave me Tamiflu. It took care of the flu, but the Tam sent me for a loop. For over a week I was definetly not myself. Weird shiat.