It's January 27, 2025 and I haven't yet written a synopsis of my life in 2024 for wide distribution. When (or if) I do it will be full of good news. To sum it up in 3 words, life is good. I continue to enjoy (almost) perfect health. But if you keep a car long enough, you will eventually have to replace all the moving parts. That also applies our bodies.
At my last routine exam, my primary care physician, Dr. Helen May* referred me to an orthopedist because I complained of pain in my knees.
*footnote: Dr. May joins former major leaguers Pete Rose and Rick Waits in that small group of people whose names are complete sentences. Len, I just recalled that when you played string bass in the MIT Symphony Orchestra, they had a flutist who came over from Wellesley to play there whose name (no kidding) was April Showers. Overlooking for the moment, the cruel sense of humor displayed by her parents, I submit April, who, if still alive, is in her late 70's, as another person whose name is a complete sentence. To push the malicious fun of April's parents a step further, just imagine that April married a Mr. Daily and that they imposed a hyphenated last name on their children. Oh my. But I digress.
So, in 2023, Dr. May referred me to a doctor who is an immigrant from [Jeopardy question] THE COUNTRY WITH THE WORLD'S LARGEST POPULATION.
SCROLL DOWN
Did you say What is India? Good for you.
So Dr. Sanjiv Bansal, sent me to a big Medical Imaging place for an MRI. He then sent me to his own x-ray technician in the basement of his office. (A building on Williamsburg Road in the Bronx that was formerly a funeral home.) He then told me I would probably need knee replacements. He also said that he used to do them, but found he was better off spending all his time seeing patients in his office and referring them to other surgeons when necessary. Finally he said he would try to fix my knees by non-surgical means and from then until today, I must have made and kept at least a dozen appointments.
That was enough for me to have abundant flirting time with his receptionists. They really enjoyed my shtick. The receptionist Maggie is what I call an age-appropriate woman for me to jerk around for fun. I said "Maggie, after my knees are repaired, will you be my partner for the Mambo Contest at Orchard Beach next summer?" Maggie smiled with delight and I thought she took my question seriously and was about to say "yes". Instead, she told me that in two weeks she's returning to Guatemala and is saying goodbye for good to the USA. All things considered, I don't blame her.
Each time I saw Dr. Bansal, he stuck hypodermic needles into my knees and withdrew syringes full of fluid which he squirted into his waste basket. Sometimes, he injected cortisone or some other med into my knees. When I went for my appointment with Dr. Bansal today, he threw up the white flag and wrote me a referral to an orthopedic surgeon at Montefiore Hospital named Carlos Alvarez . Bansal told me that Dr. Alvarez does at least 5 knee replacements a week.
Later today, I called Dr. Alvarez's number and spoke to Millie, whom I look forward to meeting. I made an appointment for a preliminary examination and consultation with Dr. A on Valentines Day. (I'm tempted. But I'll refrain from bringing Millie a box of chocolates. That may be pushing my shtick a little over the top.) After the consultation, I presume, I'll get an appointment for Dr. Alvarez to perform what squeamish people like to call the "procedure". It will be done only on my left knee. My right knee is, for now, not hurting.
Be patient, dear readers. I want to conclude this already overlong blog post with a commentary on the US Health Care System. Read on at your own risk.
As Senator Sanders often tells us, the US Health Care system is by far the world's highest in per capita cost. Yet we do not get anything close to the world's best health outcomes. The World Health Organization ranks the overall health of the US population 35th in the world. Some of the 34 countries ahead of us, such as France, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Canada) won't surprise you, but many others, (eg Cuba, Albania, Tunisia, Costa Rica) that are poorer countries with much lower health care spending than the US, have healthier populations.
Consider my case as an example. I saw Dr. May once, Dr. Bansal 12 times, and I will see Dr. Alvarez two or three times followed by some post surgery physical therapy. For each encounter I make a $15 copayment on arrival. Then, Medicare and Aetna from whom I have supplemental coverage pay more than 10 times my copayment for each service date. Was it all necessary? Of course not. Bansal knew from the start I needed the knee replacement. But if he referred me after one visit, how would he cover the overhead costs of his office in a three story building with 10 or more staff people to pay salaries to? He has to pad his insurance claims. All doctors in private practice do. It's built in institutional waste and it is not serving us well.
The solution is obvious. To provide an entire population with their basic necessities, they all must be removed from the for-profit sector of the economy. Our taxes provide us with police and fire protection, a huge military, a sanitation department to collect our garbage, a water supply system that magically disposes of every poop we flush down. And don't forget free public education from kingertgarten through 12th grade. We have free public parks and libraries. That and more is paid for by our taxes. Some people complain about taxes and sure, a lot of tax money is wasted. But we mustn't forget the essentials that we get from tax-financed services.
Digression alert . You may skip the following paragraph.
Homeowners do get a water bill. The bills seem too low to me. Considering the absolute necessity of water, we should pay much more for it. The bill should be high enough to make people consider letting urine accumulate under a closed toilet seat and only flushing after a poop. And the water bill should be high enough to discourage people who take half hour long hot showers. Imagine how much water those two changes in behavior would save. As it is, people shower for as long and flush toilets as often as they like and never give a moment's thought to water conservation.
The basic human necessities that are still in the for-profit sector of the economy are health care, housing, and food. As a result we either see (or avert our gaze from) people who are sick, homeless, and malnourished. As a nation we can easily collect enough tax money from rich people to guarantee all of the necessities to everyone and compensate doctors with appropriate salaries and benefits from the taxes on wealthy people.
Pope Francis once said that being a billionaire is inherently immoral. I agree. Imagine a 100% wealth tax on all assets over a billion dollars. I think every billionaire could learn to manage to live fairly well after being left with only $999,000,000 to live on. Oh my. I sound like Bernie Sanders.
That's enough for tonight. If you're still with me, thanks for your patience, dear reader.
Geriatric-Joe
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