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@tommy901 Many thanks. Your words are kind and helpful. Why don’t you write a book exposing or explaining the current U.S. medical crisis? I would buy it.
When I compare what once existed in this country in our system of small town doctors, I am very sure I want that system, not this current one.
I own a beautiful oak chest of drawers that once belonged to my great-grandparents. He was a country doctor. In a drawer I found a letter from the maker of the oak chest, which was a gift to my great-grandparents from a patient who could not pay. The letter thanked my great-grandfather for the medical care and my great-grandmother for cooking for him while he was sick. That beautiful object reminds me of our past and how we could and should be again imo.
By way of contrast, this morning I received two AI messages on my phone from the ER I was in last evening. The messages obviously were intended to be sent last evening while I was in the waiting room at the ER. Those messages are so tragically dishonest and callous that I can only say I am disgusted beyond my capacity for disgust. I will quote some of it: « Our dedicated emergency team is assessing patients based on the severity of their conditions, prioritising life-threatening situations. » (Triage happened for me nearly 2 hours after I arrived at the ER. I was dazed, half passed out, in pain, covered in blood and bleeding on their furniture, with dangerously high blood pressure, no meds and no hydration allowed. I was dead last to be seen. Nobody else was visibly bleeding and half in half out of consciousness. I thought of myself as first in that group of waiting people. Of course, I could not know all the injuries and illnesses that were not immediately visible. I felt left to die and had no idea why I was last on their list, not first.
I asked for help 4 times. I was told that I needed to wait my turn. What does the morning-after messaging say? « …your well-being is our utmost concern. If you notice any changes or your condition worsens, please inform us immediately. Your health and comfort are our top priorities. »
The AI drivel goes on, but I will spare you. Two messages, one dated around 1890 and one dated today show some of the problem, but there is lots more. I await your book and, should it not arrive, I would settle for a book recommendation. Who exposes the current medical disaster really well?
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@tatiana987 Thank you for sharing that. Your story about your great-grandparents really struck me. It captures the heart of what so many people feel is missing today—medicine practiced with genuine human connection, not just protocols, algorithms, and automated messages. That chest of drawers sounds like more than furniture; it’s a reminder that care used to be a relationship, not a transaction.
What you went through in the ER is the opposite of that. No one—bleeding, dazed, hypertensive, and alone—should ever be told to “wait their turn” without explanation or basic care. I’m sorry you had an experience that felt dismissive and frightening. Those canned “your well-being is our top priority” messages can feel almost insulting when the reality you lived through was the opposite. You’re not wrong to feel disgusted.
As for writing a book… I appreciate the encouragement more than you know. If I ever do, it would be because of stories like yours—real, lived experiences that show how far the system has drifted from compassion.
In the meantime, there are a few authors who have put words to what’s happening in U.S. healthcare better than I ever could. A couple that might speak to you:
Elisabeth Rosenthal – An American Sickness: a deeply researched, very readable look at how U.S. healthcare lost its moral compass and why it feels so broken to patients and doctors alike.
Atul Gawande – Being Mortal and Complications: not about the “crisis” per se, but beautifully honest about the pressures doctors are under and what gets lost when the system forgets the human side of medicine.
Marty Makary – The Price We Pay: a clear, accessible look at how ordinary people get caught in a system designed around profit rather than care.
None of them romanticize the past, but all of them acknowledge the same thing you’re describing: people want a relationship-centered kind of medicine again—something humane, honest, and personal.
Your story is powerful. Thank you for telling it. If enough people do, maybe the system will eventually be forced to listen.
I actually don't think the system will change. I do appreciate the technology that is available to all of us today, but it's a terrible thing in my opinion that we are just a "number" in an emergency situation.
Also, I have written many articles about this...but never have published any.
I have similar stories I could also tell you about my grandparents etc. I grew up in the 50's. There were actual doctors that had their office in drug stores etc,,,, that knew you personally and would tend to you immediately. Those days are gone...But, I am blessed to still live in a small rural community where people can get immediate medical attention as needed without delay from the new doctors.
However, not sure many times if they (new doc's) have the correct knowledge to treat your condition... sad to say.
Some new doctor's depend on prescription drugs rather than the root cause. Then they give you a referral to a specialist that may not actually put you in the right direction.
Then we are back to the same thing.
I could tell you things about Eliquis vs anti-platelet treatment, but I can't do that on this forum. It's up to you to do your on investigation about this. I am not a doctor. I can say, that anticoagulants sometime aren't the best path, but again, you have to make a decision from a medical provider.
Wishing you the best.