Wingart

You said:
Not wishing to grouch but could you guys in the USA try to remember that there are members here that are from across the world and that we do not all get the same level of service as you. In the UK we don't have remote monitoring, under the NHS we don't get to choose our doctors & surgeons, we don't get to talk to our doctors on a regular basis, if at all (In 2 1/2 years I have had one 10 minute appointment with my cardiologist) and more often than not only get to see a technician one a year. I am sure that the levels of service across the world vary drastically and I would ask that this is taken into account when giving answers.
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Ok, I've been chewing on this all day because I did not want to answer in haste. So what, exactly, would you have us do?? I'm not a doctor, so often the appropriate answer is "ask your doctor", anything else is giving medical advice without a license. If a doctor isn't doing his job, the appropriate advice is "find another doctor". I'm sorry if that's harder for some than others, but that doesn't mean it's not the best advice.

Every coin has two sides. We in the US have access to what I would consider the greatest health care in the world but it's not affordable or available to everyone. Yours is free. I just got a giant bill from the hospital for my last replacement, bye bye summer vacation plans. I chose my doctor and my hospital and was very happy with the service I got, but now I have to pay the bill. *shrug* If I lived elsewhere it might have been free but I might not have liked my dr or been as happy with the results of my surgery. Who's to say which is best?

No country has perfect health care and it's impossible to take into account everyone's options when answering a question. If something doesn't apply to you, don't get offended or annoyed, just skip it and move to the next post.

6 Comments

and again I say...

by sam78 - 2010-03-13 02:03:04

I personally do not go and look up each and every demographic of every person that posts .. where they live, what sort of pacemaker they have.. nor do I know who has what insurance and what is available to them because of it. Remember that this is a board comprised of PATIENTS with pacemakers. WE are NOT doctors (well we arent acting as them at least). We are going to give your OUR knowledge and experience. I apologize if my advice (as a US citizen) does not apply to you, but if it does not, then just post it... ie thanks for the advice but I cant remote monitor.. or I can run to my cardiologist. so is there anything else you could recommend. Then we (or I) would know and try to help you in other ways.. Or just ignore the advice that doesnt work for you.. But please dont fault us for giving advice based on our experience and knowledge, even if that relates to how our health care is handled for us in the USA,

Thanks Tracey!

by heartu - 2010-03-13 11:03:29

I love your reply to Wingart.This was my reply to Wingart in the other thread. So just in case it wasn't seen I am posting it here again.


Wingart!

You are correct that we in the USA may not be familiar with the level of service you may be receiving from your pacemaker manufacturer overseas. We were merely trying to help CSEP find a solution to a question she had.

For lack of a definitive answer, TraceyE and I merely suggested the OP contact the manufacturer. I was certainly able to access Medtronics UK and their contact info in which you can send a question directly to them or call the office closest to your location and have them tell you whether they can issue you a plastic id card or not. If you don't ask the question you don't get an answer. If there is no site for Medtronics Phillipines, then she can contact the US offices via their online contact email to find which office could assist her.

If your hospital or doctor did not register your device(again I plead ignorance in how things work outside of the US), You do have, I assume. the serial number of your device on your handwritten card. This is your identification and you can go from there

By the way, I did not get to choose my surgeon as I ended up in the emergency room with 3rd degree heartblock and one was assigned to me. I do have the option of staying or not staying with this physician, however, but that is not even true of all of us in the US. We too are restricted via our health insurance(if we are lucky to have it or afford it) which doctors we can see or how often.

We are merely here trying to help those, like myself, who sometimes do know where to turn for advice or support. And that is all it is, advice and support, and perhaps at times a friendship.


to traceyE,sam78,heartu and wingart

by Cheldhaye Chill Day - 2010-03-14 04:03:58

hi guys...u know i was really logging in, in this site recently despite the fact that i've been a member of this club for a while because i have questions that nobody can relate me here since they are not like me "pace maker operated" and so i am hoping to gain guidance from people who have similar experienced and probably knows a lot than me with regards to our health situation problem. FIRST WHEN I WAS INFORMED BY EMAIL THAT MY QUERIES are been answered in the site I AM SO HAPPY THAT FINALLY I WILL BE ENLIGHTENED...but as i go along reading those comments and advices i see things in a different way...i feel some misunderstanding probably because or misinterpretations and also because we are coming from different places with different cultures, practices and habits which eventually become a part of our day to day routine...i am talking about how we are treated in hospitals and how we enjoy our health cares and health insurances.. basically n it's a fact that PEOPLE ARE TREATED WELL IF WE PAY BIG BULK OF BILLS AFTER.. but my point of coming back here again is that U MADE ME ALL FEEL GUILTY:( really i do because without my queries...you guys might not be PERSONALIZING THE ISSUE WHICH I KNOW SOMEHOW TOUCHES EACH OF UR EGO'S that s why you are all able to say what is been said...I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS AND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF U PEOPLE...and what is important to me now is for you to be friends and DISCUSS TOPICS LOGICALLY AND REFRAIN FROM BEING IMPULSIVE because if we remain do d same thing we wont be helping others who needs assistance, guide, advice like I RECEIVED FROM U PEOPLE....so i suggest forget it and lets be focused on one aim and that is to help....i luv to hear from wingart asking apologies and i hope u too will accept it....let bygones be bygones and we all be friends here...like family:):) BY THAT U WILL MAKE ME FEEL LITTLE BETTER...AND NOT GUILTY ANYMORE...kisses to all of u:):) and by d way all advices are well noted:)

CSEP

by sam78 - 2010-03-14 07:03:06

Hun please do not feel guilty.. You did absolutely nothing wrong. Again I apologize as I did on your other post, that you question turned into this. I hope you got the information or at least some leads as to how you might be able to get some help.

As for the rest... this topic is laid to rest.. time to move on. Time to go back to questions and answers and how to help people. Life is too short to let this bother me anymore. Water under the bridge.

and why is my spam filter word EXWED.. that is harsh LOL (coming from divorced person)

hi

by Tracey_E - 2010-03-14 09:03:41

CSEP, you didn't start anything! This is something that was brewing and it just happened to come to a head under your question. It had nothing to do with you or your post, which is why I moved it to a new post.

Wingart, still friends. :o) I was never mad, just confused as to what you want from us. One of the downsides of the internet is it's so easy to misconstrue intent. You've never met me in person but if you did you'd know that very little gets me down or makes me mad, life is to short to go through it anything but happy and most everything I say/type is intended with a smile.


i feel happy

by Cheldhaye Chill Day - 2010-03-18 09:03:54

to all of u thank u so much........i really found a new friend and a family n this site. i rarely come here after i sign up to be a member. just lately i did come bcoz of the queries and then encounter such conflicting issues.well, am not so sensitive in any debates or arguments since i work in media and its pretty normal to see arguments and conflicting ideas, opinions and even attitudes. but as i read the posting i really fell such..i dunno it just happen to me w/o even thinking logical thoughts what is being felt s not by d thoughts d mind grasp but by d feelings my heart felt. anyway, as u said treat it as water under the bridge...let bygones b bygones then:) and am so happy to be a part of this family:) keeping in touch with u soon:) since i wont b coming more often again since election here in the Phil and we r busy with our media works again...24/7 on call:( kissessssssssssssssssssss see all of u soon!!!

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