One patient's thoughts for doctors, on Tuesday, April 29th, 2025

 Hello, dear Reader, and welcome (back, if applicable) to this obscure American blog.
I just got back from the emergency room for the second time this week and, yes, it's only Tuesday. 🙄 This series of hospital visits are due to asthma + C.O.P.D. this time; I'm afraid the first attending physician seems to have used a very medically-conservative approach (very, very minimal in the way of medications) and I had to return today. It's alright; none of us is perfect (so I don't vilify her for it) but the fact remains that I did have to go back for more emergency care today.

lol, I found out today that the hospital doesn't have any frequent-flyer options 😂

This time, the doctor (a different one, who's seen me several times) basically doubled the Prednisone and benzonatate already written and ordered a large Solu-Medrol injection as well; the young woman who gave the IM injection did so very skillfully and any/all 'pain' from the shot is now wholly gone. 😎 I'm afraid that my gruff demeanor when I first got there today shook her up; poor kid. 😟

Doctors/nurses/healthcare administrators/ insurers, this is for you:

I was able to have a brief conversation with the doctor today and just want to share some thoughts - from a patient's perspective - about the way patient management is approached these days.
Recalling other times in life when I've had medications such as Tussi Organidin, Lortab, or even just generic codeine, I am abundantly aware of how therapeutic those medications can be for those of us suffering from lung diseases. And, I'm well aware that the emergency room is legally disallowed from administering anything of the sort (opiates) due to the knee-jerk overreaction of banning them altogether, rather than seeking to find a healthy, therapeutic and balanced approach that would allow for the responsible dispensation of said medications with guidelines in place to prevent doctor and/or patient misuse/ abuse of these same things.

Even my doctor today heard my concerns and agreed with me in large part. Honestly, if (for example) cucumbers provided the breathing relief that I seek, I'd happily buy those from the local market and be happy as a little clam. Unfortunately, it's not that easy. And, we live ON the US/Mexico border; I'm well aware of the fact that all I have to do is cross, go buy the medicine, and come back; I prefer to submit to medical authority here and believe it the safest way to proceed, only making the rare exception to take this most recent Prednisone in half the allotted time (due to a literal *need* to breathe). 

My point is, is that we've got to stop these exaggerated, unnecessary swings from one extreme to the other (in this case, from "HEY, write Rx for Oxycontin like it's candy" to "never give anyone the medicine they need or you will be unable to practice medicine"). HONESTLY! Whatever happened to the sane, more centrist approach to these things? 

Anyway, I'm sick as hell so I'm going to go cuddle MY TURTLE and watch YouTube. Thanks for spending a few minutes here; have a good Tuesday.