Thursday, December 20, 2007

flu-like symptoms

At noon today they told the distressing news that Rudy Giuliani was hospitalized overnight with "flu-like symptoms". Now, this blows my mind. Since when did flu-like symptoms become a hospitalize-able situation? Here's the criteria for that- if you are rich and/or famous, you are entitled to a night in the hospital for things like being nauseous, or if you are suffering from "exhaustion". I wonder how many single, working mothers are suffering from exhaustion right now? If we opened the doors of our hospitals to everyone who had the flu, of course they'd be over-run immediately. So we reserve these beds for those who get news coverage for whatever minor "illness" they have. What really irks me about this is, this in particular is a man to whom the country might soon look to when it comes to health care decisions that will effect every citizen. Does he even remember a time when having "flu-like symptoms" meant calling in sick, curling up on the couch, and throwing up in a bucket? I doubt it. And I can't help but wonder how his personal experience of health care might effect his vision of health care for the country.
I'm just sayin'.

2 comments:

HerMajesty00 said...

The million dollar question... Will a single media type person, covering the campaign, even pose the question Margo asks?
What does it say about our health care system and hope for the masses when a man is hospitalized for feeling sick who does NOT have to cook clean shop childcare or worry that his one day off from work means his paycheck will be short next week during Christmas vacation.
Please some one address....Margo cannot be the only person left with common sense.

Anonymous said...

You should consider sending this entry to Time or Newsweek for publication. You make some "sickeningly" good points!