Update on Duane, by Duane

From Duane Tron, March 15, 2008
Subject: Duane's Update!

I have been evaluated by the cardiologist. I am waiting to have the heart cath and they will decide what treatment will be needed at that time. I am doing well physically but experiencing a little ongoing discomfort. I only have a few restrictions. The main one is avoiding very strenuous and lengthy physical activity. I continue to follow a diet of healthy nutrition and smaller portions. I have been going to school each day apart from when I was in the hospital and visiting the doctor.

I don't appreciate some pencil pushing bureaucrat at a health insurance company making decisions about my medical welfare. This is ludicrous and once again points to a very broken health care system in this country. The very idea that someone who doesn't know a person, or our medical condition, and medical history, deciding who stays in the hospital is outrageous!

The bottom line! These companies don't care one bit about human life. They are uncaring, insensitive, callous, and greedy. It's all about how much profit they can make and often at the expense of the lives of our citizens. A retired executive friend of mine has told me many times, "large corporations do not have a 'conscience." Everything is measured in terms of how much profit they can make and how much gravy the top people can put on their plates. He retired because he said he was fed up with this mindset and trying to change them is almost impossible. He said he worked with people who no longer have a soul. "They sold it to the devil!"

In closing let me ask everyone a hypothetical question. Do you suppose if my name were George Bush, Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, Barbara Streisand, Barbara Boxer, LeBron James, Brett Favre, Nancy Pelosi or Rudy Giuliani a health insurance company would have ordered my dismissal from the hospital?? You can kind of get the idea now can't you?! I would have stayed for as long as the doctor deemed necessary wouldn't I? The answer to #1 is "No," the answer to #2 is "Yes," and the answer to #3 is "Yes!" Nothing like fair and equitable health care is there?

Please keep me in prayer for healing and I'll keep the health insurance companies and STRS in prayer for healing! After all they aren't well either, now, are they? You may pray for the healing of my heart and I will pray for the healing of their souls. When I look at it from this perspective I am all right and doing great regardless of my physical outcome. I don't know if they will be able to claim the same with their illness. After all I would rather lose my physical life and save my soul than to sell my soul to benefit my physical life.

Blessings,

Duane