New Beginnings

Landon had another dress-up for a husker game, a turtle outfit for halloween, and a successful sitting for a picture with his brother Kaiser, who looks quite uneasy in that picture.

A 4 month old, 17 pound baby from Grand Junction, Colorado has been denied coverage.

A link to the story here.

I'm sure the insurance company denying the claims is getting sued by now, because that is exactly what I would be doing, if my wife's insurance company would not cover our 17 pound, 3 1/2 month old baby.

The insurance company in the article apparently claims they do not cover babies greater than 95% percentile of weight AND, GET THIS, that his weight is a pre-existing condition "obesity".

Really.......

Landon is 9 1/2 weeks old, and is quite the grower. He is at 95% of weight at his last visit to get his shots. Not a fan of the shots, but he is a trooper.

Kaiser has been a great big bro and seems to follow Landon more than me; which is nice for a change.

I've been thinking about the news out of minneapolis this week that the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) has voted to let sexually active/practicing gays/lesbians be pastors in their churches. While it is not suddenly mandated that they have to be accepted by each church (each church has that decision); this obviously is a huge change in church policy.

I wonder if that means that the LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) will see an increase in numbers? They are more conservative and traditional than ELCA, but have recently begun efforts to expand their membership by having more contemporary services, especially in the larger cities.

I personally cannot see how a church can accept what God condems, and would like someone to tell me where in the bible it says that homosexuality and same-sex marriage is acceptable for God. I don't remember Martin Luther saying: that is okay in 2009 when man can make a choice and do what is seen as (maybe) publically acceptable. Modernizing, right?

Maybe this is like the trend seen in Europe, becoming more secular.

In Matthew 19: 4-5: “Jesus answered, ‘Have you not read that the One who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh”? Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ ”

But I have heard from a few of my friends that this verse claims acceptance and knowledge by Jesus of being born gay/lesbian: (Matthew 19: 10-12): “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

I don't claim to know this dialouge very well, but would wish someone would translate it for me.

That all said, I am glad I am a member of a LCMS church that teaches what the bible says, and doesn't do what is seen as current social normalcy.

These guys are genius. Who would have thunkit, that if you give heroin users the active ingredient from heroin, that they would do much better than with receiving oral methadone tablets.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Then again, I could be missing something.

Alot of my liberal/pro-Obamacare/socialized medicine friends, keep referring to this 47 million Americans that are uninsured.

What is the real number?

That is right, maybe 1/2 of that number are uninsured, and even more can buy insurance but CHOOSE not to.

Another thing, how many Americans are happy with their health care?

Surprising, isn't it?

Do we REALLY NEED to change everything ASAP?

Check out the gallup poll website for the real numbers.

From a friend......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqD-nMpsYAY

LEGOs and Health Care Wait Times

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5yxFtTwDcc

National Debt Time Clock

And the blog source.....

http://politicalmath.wordpress.com/

Even has sources.........check it out!

1) Relaxing on G&G Klassen's deck.

2) Hands getting all chubby!

3) BLUE STEEL!

4) 3 weeks old, today!

5) Definitely takes after his dad.


The past 3 weeks have been crazy with Landon arriving and Greg starting a new job in Lincoln. Kaiser has adjusted well and the family is doing great!

Loving the weather this summer!

So, we are trying to ban smoking, across the United States, but we do not want to try and get our own soldiers to quit?

Sounds like a double standard. Yes, nicotine keeps people awake, to fight, but so do drugs like modafinil.

Look at who was/is/could have been Goldman Sachs CEO at the time of the AIG bailout, the Lehmen brothers demise, etc. Amazing! Goldman Sachs is the most protected American entity.

Maybe I'll buy stock! :)

I even pulled that from a liberal magazine, a first for me.

Here is another take!

Please, inform me how the democrats are hiding the taxes that will inevitably fall to the middle class.

Here is an article discussing the plan to tax anyone (including many small businesses) making $350k and up.

Just a little taste of our future:

The Washington Post reports that Darvon and Darvocet will now carry black box warnings, which will help restrict their use. This is after the European Union's "FDA-equivalent" decided to stop the marketing and selling of these products altogether.

With the data on fatal overdoses, why won't the FDA just recommend stopping production?

I'll tell you why. Many doctors see Darvocet and Darvon as appeasement methods, giving patients some form of pain control or satisfying their need for a prescription for such. With the FDA declining to ban these drugs, I think it is more just giving in to the manufacturer, than looking at any data or usage of the drug.

Really, Darvocet is just Tylenol with sugar, and Darvon is the sugar by itself.

Are there any studies proving these drugs are useful in pain control?

Oral Surgeon: Here you go son, I'm giving you Darvocet for your pain from your bone impacted teeth I just removed.

Patient (me): Thanks. I really would have preferred something that works, like Norco or Percocet or Tylenol #3.

Oral Surgeon: Your pain shouldn't be that bad. Only 3 were impacted.

The rest of the week, the bottle of Darvocet remained in the drawer, and I took Ibuprofen around the clock as well as getting a prescription from another doctor for Vicodin due to the pain.

Really, I'd recommend staying away from Darvocet, and the potential for CNS issues as well as pain control problems, and go with Ibuprofen OTC if you can manage (for inflammatory pain). Unless of course you cannot take NSAIDS. (GI, Kidney, other concerns).

The newest acquisition to the family....welcome Landon!
7lb 15oz. 20 inches. Born 732pm, July 6, 2009.

He is quite the mellow fellow so far.

Steve McNair was found dead, of a gunshot wound, victim of a double homicide.

What is with the high-profile deaths this summer?

These are some of the more "dorkier" pictures I could post of Kaiser playing today.
Trying out the new camera, and seeing what action shots we could get.

My wife recently put together a video of our GSD, Kaiser. Who has limitless energy to play tug, frisbee, or ball all day.

I don't know why it took me so long.

26 years to be exact.

Don't wait as long as I did.

From now on, all steaks I order will be medium rare. Do your $20+ purchase justice, and order medium rare. Temperature is what kills any bacteria, not length of time cooking. So put your fears away, and order your next steak medium rare and let the melting steak goodness marinate your mouth.

Firebirds peppercorn sirloin, in Omaha, best steak I have had since I was at the Paxton Chop House downtown. Yummmmmmmmmmmm.

No, I didnt type that wrong.

Apparently, New Jersey is lax on drunk drivers.

As a pharmacist in a hospital (inpatient) setting, medication reconciliation has become one of the most important ways a pharmacist can impact patient care. In larger cities and most level 1 trauma centers a pharmacist staffs in the emergency room. They, along with nurses, are responsible for attaining and verifying any medications the patient is currently taking. Usually this calls for verifying with a home prescription list if available and many times calling the pharmacy the patient fills at. This becomes difficult since many ER patients are not residents of your area, and most use multiple pharmacies. It is important to do this relatively quickly, as hospitalists and primary rounding teams want to order home medications as soon as possible. Getting the corrent medication, dose, and any antibiotic durations are important.

This led me to thinking today as I was driving to work, how much Michael Jackson's medication reconciliation for that poor pharmacist would have been:

Drug Route Dose Last Filled Pharmacy
Demerol IV ?? Never ???????????????
Propofol IV ?? ????? ???????????????
Vicodin PO 5mg/325mg 6/20/09 ???????????????

It would have been a nightmare to try and determine MJ's drugs/dosages/pharmacy. He more than likely got "samples" from personal doctors/friends, or filled at multiple pharmacies via other people getting the prescriptions for him, or under other names/aliases as to avoid public knowledge.

Another thing, recent reports said that investigators have found Propofol at his home, and a nurse discusses this topic.


Propofol is a short-acting IV sedative agent used for induction of general anesthesia for adults. It can be addictive and is NEVER USED at home. Only under the immediate care in a hospital. Every hospital seems to have encountered a nurse, pharmacist, or physician that have abused propofol as a recreational drug.

http://www.rxlist.com/diprivan-drug.htm

It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds.

Everyone has encountered these motorists, or been one of these at some point in their life. I frequently stay in the left lane speeding, or are quick to anger when stuck in traffic between a semi on the right and a 70-something senior citizen out for a sunday/tuesday/thursday drive. Many times these people are actually going the speed limit, but not the flow of traffic-limit as I like to call it.

Looks like Kansas is going to change all that. First time I have heard about a law that will penalize these left laners.

GREATEST MUSIC VIDEO EVER

Before we watch the news program tonight, the ABC News Health Care Forum, here are some things to consider:

Why can't the opposition have a say?

The current health care plans before our House and Senate would seem to do the following points:

**They start my mandating standard benefit packages with minimal deductibles for all Americans. Most of these package ideas would include anything and everything imaginable and would be available to all Americans. Most Americans currently do not utilize all of these benefits due to cost and need.

What will this do?
By requiring all benefit packages to include all of these coverages, such as hair transplants, hearing aids, rehab services, in-vitro fertilization, prescription drug benefits; this will make it hard for young and healthy Americans to purchase low-cost policies for emergent care that cost pennies on the dollar compared to the proposed idea.

**Next, the health plans on a national level would require something termed 'community rating'. The democrats have tried this terrible IDEA before. All Americans would be offered an equal rate on their health care; while not taking into account their differing health risks.

What will happen?
Young people would pay much more than the costs they would use. THIS IS WHY many young Americans are underinsured. It is a choice. The aged would get a large discount or subsidy of sorts, and the 20-somethings will pay an unfair and unneeded cost.

**Another fun thought, the plans would NOT LET Americans buy private insurance from states they do not reside in.

Thoughts on outcomes?
Since Obama is afraid of capitalist ideas, and free market competition, we will not have a US market. This would perpetuate large cost differences between states. Of course for Medicare, the plans would make the lowest level found anywhere in America the cost for all plans.

**To top it off, these plans claim to offer an option that allows them to compete with private offerings. This would make the cost of private plans only available for the richest of rich. Since the Medicare plans could get any subsidy the private plans offered, we would have no more private insurance, or at least a lack of competition.

And what else could this do?
So, with this public option idea, where employed Americans could seemingly receive Medicare, would let American's dump their employers' plans. So, companies could drop their private insurance and institute a payroll tax. Since we all have heard of how much health care costs employers, (Think GM), most companies would drop their private plans. Employers would then likely sign up for these subsidized insurance plans.
The private insurers seem to have some sort of penalty as well, with their profits from the young that don't utilize much insurance being taken and given to older Americans.

For more on this confusing "public option" strategy.

Just because the government will seemingly have all of the purchasing power, will health care costs fail? In the end isn't that what Obama thinks his health care plan will do?

If Americans start to try and take advantage of all of these suddenly subsidized, health care procedures that may not be needed, will costs suddenly fall?

With cheap services and huge lines for health care costs, will we look like this?

More people will see the doctor, that will be for sure, but not for the right reasons.


To me, this goes back to the saying:

"You can't spend your way out of recession, or borrow your way out of debt."

No, I do not know the answers, I'm simply trying to understand what may happen to my profession, my employer, and my family.