Numbers Don't Lie

Since 2008, I have spent 123 days either in the hospital or traveling to the hospital for an appointment. During these appointments I have had 26 exams. This includes colonoscopies, xrays, catscans, etc. And perhaps even more interesting is that I have been prescribed 22 different types of medications in an effort to treat my disease. This only counts the past two years.

I got these numbers recently through a partnership my insurance company has with webmd. They are trying to influence members to keep track of their health through this online database. I guess it's a way of taking personal responsibility of your health, partially through your own contributions to the database but also the information given to your insurance company by your doctors.

I don't necessarily think it is a good idea because all it does it provide basic information. For instance, it will tell me the date I was treated, which doctor, and which test was done. But there's no option to actually review the details of the test results. Perhaps this is something they are working on or perhaps the intent is to spark a patients interest in maintaining their own personal health record by providing the database as an organizational tool. Either way, it was kind of shocking to read.

To think that I spent 123 days dealing with the bull that comes along with hospital visits and invested time and money to get to these appointments is staggering. To think I endured 26 diagnostic tests to a manage a disease that couldn't be managed is frustrating. To think that not one of those 22 medicines could provide long-term relief is unbelievable.

In the future I look forward to being medicine-free and disease-free.

Free. I like the sound of it.