George, your Tele-Buddy sounds like it is going to be great.  Gee why
haven't they been doing something like this for yrs?

We have Kaiser Ins. through my husbands employment and they have all of our
medical records, lab, x-ray, rx on computer and no matter the specialist all
of you info is available.  Works great.  Besides that we can access our test
results on line, email our doctors, schedule appointments, and refill rx
from our computers at home.  They automatically schedule an appointment for
you for "routine yearly" lab tests and other screenings.  So far we haven't
had any complaints and they don't seem to have any problem with ordering the
expensive tests.

Sherry

Yes, George,

I do hope these things catch on.  My GP does not have e-mail.  I was lucky
to be sitting here by the phone when she called.  I leave my ringer off
because I get so many hang-up calls.

I hope you have your Tele-Buddy for a long time.  Hell, let the insurance
pay for you to keep it permanently!  What are they doing with our money
anyway?  Your Tele-Buddy reminds me of something else they are trying to
institute in my area...that is needed in any "melting pot" of nationalities:
It is a link to a doctor that speaks the patient's language.  There are real
docs working on the patient of course, but then they can hear and see (they
also have sign language for the deaf) a doctor who can translate the
information to the docs.

This area where I live is so very disability-friendly.  You see folks in
wheelchairs on the go down the street, waiting at bus stops and such.  the
weather is pretty good hear year round, so I guess that is really good for
disabled people.

That's terrible about your wife.  Criminal, if you ask me.  Insurance
companies have no right doing that.  I always get a generic, but some meds
are not generic, so they have no choice.  But I always get my meds.  It's a
pain to remember to call them in all the time; I take 16 different things
every day now, and I just got back with a load of Percocet!  Yum!

I go to a clinic where most of the poor folk in this area go...probably lots
of grape-pickers. But the docs are good, and my change to a smaller campus
was really smart.  This is a part of the clinic that is not as inundated,
and is more personally oriented.  For example, I have been very sick the
past 24 hours (some kind of throw-up bug, which seems also to have pulled my
lupus out of control, hence the Percocet), but I called up there this
morning, and I got seen this afternoon.  Sometimes public healthcare is
better than private!  It's a bit hard getting a specialist, but I have done
it.  I had to have orthotics for my feet, and I was seen and got the problem
taken care of pretty quickly.  Now I only have my choice of three pairs of
shoes to wear, but I am taking care of these feet. You aren't aware certain
parts of your body exist until they are giving you pain, eh?  Maybe we
lupers are more "in tune" that way...aware of all of our body!

Electronic charting:  I had that done when I was in the hospital.  I was
only there for 24 hours, but the admission was grueling, because of the
electronic charting. She had a laptop computer with the program, and sat on
my bed and just kept the questions coming It is a great help in the long
run, but this poor nurse had to enter all my medical information, and we
were up until past midnight. But if I go back, all the info will be at their
fingertips.

The best to you and your wife

Mary

The best way to live a long and healthy life, is to get a chronic disease
and learn to take care of it--William Osler