What I learned in Chinatown Clinic...or I've lost the will to blog and the only reason for this post is I'm high on scotch

Just finished another clinic. This one's not as depressing as the last one. Lemme tell you about the last one. So there's this lady that comes in complaining of severe headaches that she's had for years and years. Well there's nothing we can do because she would need MRI's and other procedures that cost $$$. She's not insured and she's not under any kind of emergency so she can't get insured. The best that we can do is give her a free women's health checkup...very important nonetheless. But the headaches she'll have to live with or get richers or die trying...is that a song?

If she were in the OC, she'd get MSI, but she's not and we're even more cash strapped here than the OC. Oh well, another one slipping through the cracks. Thats the first time I've seen someone not be able to get care first hand. In the OC, if you're poor and you know where to go, you would probably get better care than most people who are of a higher income class. At least that's what I saw.

Today, I saw a lady have pain from a subacromial bursitis. She'd had it for a year and gone to many doctors and never got it resolved. She was prescribed anti-inflammatories and other crap that never worked. It would hurt her to look left or right and it would hurt her to sleep and sit and it would hurt her to move her arm. She said her pain level was a 10 out of 10, although it might just be her playing the system. Our doc, who happened to be a rheumatologist examines her for a second and makes a diagnoses and injects lidocaine...a few minutes later this lady starts to feel better.

I also saw today someone with Bell's Palsy and possible TIA from hypertension and also severe headaches. He was supposed to get an MRI and therapy for the bell's palsy but he didnt have insurance, luckily this crisis was an emergency and we applied for emergency medical insurance that the state offers. Hopefully he'll have lowered his blood pressure which would also hopefully lessen the headaches by next week when he comes back. Oh and possible diabetic too.

I almost had to twist the arm of the lawyer lady to come and help one indo man fill out a form for his new medicaid insurance. But she was nice about it so everyone was happy.

I had glenmorangie 12 years old today, it was smoky and smooth. Very nice scotch. I have to find foods that go along with scotches, it just screams palate cleanser and I feel water is just too plain, although it works just fine. I also saw someone at the bar order cured salmon that was sliced very thinly and arranged in circles to make it look like a flower. I hear it was very delicious.

I had my St Louis University School of Medicine interview yesterday in St Louis...where else. It was very nice, school is very pretty with lots of greens and lots of pink blossoms. The city is very nice and very spread out. Overall a positive experience.

My dad is sick, his cold isn't getting better and now his mucous is yellow and green.

I have a paper to write now and then I'll go to bed, sorry for the lack of updates, I just don't feel like writing anything and don't really have anything to say. I'll post cell phone pictures of SLU soon...my camera battery died and the charger had conveniently forgotten to pack itself in my luggage and was therefore 900 miles away in Philly...yes I blame no one but the charger.

Shout out to my cuz, his bday is today, he's turning 16...two more years until he can drive!