I recently wrote a letter expressing gratitude for the wonderful treatment I received at Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport.
I was startled at the number of people who contacted me to agree.
Sadly, that sort of treatment for elderly patients may soon be gone.
When visiting near Seattle months ago I learned of a serious medical problem from three “holys.”
When I couldn”t don my right shoe, Jackie noticed that my leg looked like a beer keg with pink coloring heading toward my knee. The emergency room doctor looked at the bottom of my foot and said, “Holy mackerel, you have a hole in the bottom of your foot that I can see bones through.”
He cut off some pieces and reluctantly released me to go home to my own doctor when I promised to stop at emergency if anything changed.
The next day, Sunday, Jackie reported no changes except it had turned green.
Off to the emergency room where the doctor said, “Holy Toledo,” and several more pieces.
The next morning my doctor looked at my foot and said “Holy cow,” and shagged me off to a podiatrist.
I didn”t know a podiatrist from squat but it turns out they get extra years of medical training, because feet are extremely complex and difficult to treat.
Feet are full of tiny muscles and bones that take a terrible pounding and we seldom think of them.
I got a great podiatrist, Matthew McQuaid, who has been extremely patient with my difficult case.
On my first visit I was cracking jokes and he said, “I”d take this more seriously, you can lose your leg from this.”
I replied with my own holy: “Holy (expletive).” McQuaid runs an efficient office where he and assistants Becky and Capris move things along smartly.
My foot is in recovery.
I write this for two reasons. First, we old people hate looking at our body parts more than we must, but I suggest looking at your feet frequently to avoid my horror story.
Secondly, Obamacare has already stolen from Medicare.
Check out the Liverpool Care Pathway to see what”s in store for us oldsters.
Randy Ridgel
Kelseyville
