Health care system: present and future

In present tense country officials, knowledgeable doctors, common people believe the system we call Health Care requires change.  The officials' concern is the burden of cost this system imposes on the national treasury.  The common peoples' concern is treatments are not effective.  And the knowledgeable doctors, well their role is somewhat questionable, at the moment they don't seem to play any significant role other than what it may seem to be "doing their job or not."

I am one of the common people.  I don't necessarily have an opinion on this or any topic unless I am interested.  I am interested in this topic now because a life event exposed me to the health care system.  A year ago if you asked me what I thought of the health care system, I would have admitted "oblivious is bliss".  Today, I no longer have the luxury to claim this.

Today, I have roughly 280 hours of self training from books, and material on the internet about human body and its content.  Today I know more about our organs purpose, their function and what they need to continue functioning properly --consequently keeping us healthy.  I also have come to find out about other elements that make our body.  It is also these elements that need to be present in balanced amount in order for our body to function properly --consequently keeping us healthy.

Before this nominal hours of training, I relied on my GP to administer the tests, read the results and provide me with the necessary feedback to keep the organs healthy and the elements balanced.

Today, I say that I learned the hard way that I must not rely on my GP to do what I stated above.  Most GPs, statement doesn't apply to all, administer the tests but fail to read the results and provide feedback.

There is tons of information available on the Internet and a lot of books.  Each of these resources empower us, the common people, with knowledge about our body in non-medical terms.  With a bit of common sense,  and time lots can be gained.  I boldly claim that the knowledge claimed this way could make the vision of "personalized medicine" a reality.

We all are built of the same organs, but the elements in each of us is different.  It is essential for each of us to know what elements we have and/or we lack.  Claim each blood or urine test result, don't take it for granted that all is fine because you didn't receive a call.  Understand your body content and customize a diet, and activity that is good for your body type.

At present the Health Care system is only a waste of our national treasury, and million of  dollars of "donations".  It is an illusion that continuing down this route is going to mean a good "Health Care" system in the future.  We are going to become sicker, given our current thinking.  Therefore we will rely on the Health Care system more to get better.  It is a vicious circle.  The GPs meanwhile, most, neither proactively nor re-actively diagnose and cure, they just administer tests.

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

You don't reach 100 without having seen a thing or two exciting things in the world.  For some it is the World Wars, for others is landing on the moon, for Allan it is being the center of discovery and building of the atomic bomb.  For the protagonist of "The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared" book by Jonas Jonasson, the list of exciting things is long enough to fill a book of 400 pages.

Allan Karlson a centenarian climbs out of the window of his room in a senior home on the day of his 100th birthday in his casual clothes and pee slippers, hours before his birthday party.  When he arrives at the bus station he has no idea where he is heading.  All he knows is that he doesn't want to stay in that city and at that home any longer.  When he is given the task to chaperon a black suitcase, of a man with long, greasy blond hair, a scraggly beard and a denim jacket with the words Never Again on the back, while the man visits the washroom, he acts on his instincts, and drags the suitcase with him to the bus leaving the station while the man with long, greasy blond hair, a scraggly beard and a denim jacket with the words Never Again on the back, is still in the washroom.  It is May 2nd 2005!

This is how the book starts.  As Allan's adventure in present unfolds.  He shares his life since he was a little boy.  Both of Allan's life, present and past, are filled with zest and adventure.  His expertise with explosives brings him a life of convenience, adventure, hardship, extensive travel on foot, meeting the many important political figures.  No matter how convenient or how hard the situation is, how important or common the person is, Allan's attitude towards it all remains the same, "Things are what they are, and whatever will be will be."

This book is a great read!