Struggling for a healthy life

And we are...after five long years we're hoping that we've finally hit on the right professional, the right doctor, the one who figures out what's up with us and gets us on the right path. Since we've lived in our current home, we've had three doctors. We've interviewed several each time we've made a switch, done our best to ask questions, check things out. We've made our choices and still managed to be disappointed each time. Not enough attention to what we were saying, not enough follow through. I get upset if , when I need a med refilled, I get a call from the drs office asking if I know why I take the med in question. We do not like "machines"...those larger and larger offices of six, or eight, or ten doctors, with procedure services on the next floor, who own the building.
Too often we have found that someone is not listening, and it's not us. Too many unanswered questions, too easily a med is given for symptoms, but the underlying cause is unknown. NO MORE!! We have finally found a practice that gets it, that melds western and eastern medicine. That can tell us why a test is needed, what they think they'll find, and the path to righting our listing ships.
Health care is a struggle in many ways, insurances costs, out of pocket costs, test that in the end show nothing...which is positive and negative at the same time. Putting together all those puzzle pieces and making sense of the assortment of symptoms...and taking it one step further...finding the root cause of our distress. I want intelligent doctors that are engaged. I want insurance that doesn't presume to know as much about medicine as my doctor. I want a system that works, people that are bright and accountable. So, we're slowly finding that. I can hunt for better doctors...it's a pain in the ass, but I can...and if need be, I will. So, I have yet to find intelligent insurance...that helps me, not penalize me, not try to tell me what meds I should need, or what treatments help 85% of all patients. I want care in all senses that works for me...not that someone else says should work, but that I SAY WORKS. We can find the medical professionals we need...we need help getting the insurance to go with that...

Seasons and Sports

The calendar hasn't verified it yet, but it's fall. Baseball is all about the playoffs. Pro football is almost out of preseason...and college football is underway. I saw an exercise in poor judgement last night, by players on opposing teams. One, on the winning team, taunted and tapped the shoulder of a player on the losing team. The loser punched the guy square in the jaw. His season ended then. The player who started it will be "disciplined", but not suspended. They should both have been suspended for several games...the guy who threw the punch for more...but they both should have been suspended. Not how the game should be played or represented. Sad for both teams.

On the other hand, right now my baseball team looks headed for the playoffs. They are doing well and I'm not saying any more, lest I jinx them.

The same is true of my college team. They won tonight and showed good defense and the new offense guys did well. I've been out of college for a long time, but I am thrilled when they are on tv up here as I rarely see them play. But, tonight I did and I'm proud of their effort.

Oh, and the leaves are starting that change of seasons too. Not just sports...trees are losing leaves, leaves are changing color. The smell of fall is in the air and cold, rainy nights are not too far away now. Fall, it's the best time of the year...

Fuzzy Logic

I must admit to some confusion. I'm not sure what a "true American" is. If you are not a true American, does that mean you are an immigrant, a "naturalized" citizen, an illegal? Does it mean you belong to a specific party, live only in certain states, adhere to a certain set of principles? Do you wear a flag pin to show you are a true American, only wear red, white, and blue, carry a gun in public?
So, I'm confused. I think "true" is not a good word here. You are an American, or you aren't. You may have been born here, or became a citizen. You live here. You like Chinese food, or you don't. Baseball is the American Pastime...or maybe it's football. You believe that the 2nd Amendment gives you the right to carry a gun (concealed or not)...or you believe that the Amendment refers to a "standing militia". You are religious, or you aren't. You are white, or black, or anything in between. You are gay or straight. You live in one of 50 states, or the state of confusion, or the state of despair, or the state of euphoria.
You are a native, ancestors here to greet the Europeans, and you live among the rest of the populace, or on the reservation that "true" Americans put you on. You have accumulated wealth, you live in poverty. You are for big business, you are for the "little guy". You are idealistic, pragmatic, young, old.
"True" Americans? We don't all think the same, worship the same. We are not all "created equal"...even though the Constitution would have us believe so. We are a melting pot...but we want everyone to think and do as we do. We are open-minded, but we are also close-minded. We are fair, we cheat. We are saints and we are sinners. We embrace everyone...except those we don't. We are truthful, we lie when it suits us.
We are all these things, and we are all Americans. So I think to say that some of us aren't, because we fail to be and do as other "true" Americans do, is... well, pathetic. We should never be lemmings...all marching to the same tune. It is the varying voices that bring perspective, ideas, approaches...all things we may not have thought of. We are better when we value everyone, and when we help those who need it. We are better when we recognize that all of life is shades of gray, and very little is truly black or white. Our politics, religion, scientific beliefs may vary widely...but none of those things make us less American, less patriotic. We succeed or fail together. The founding fathers understood this; do we?