Friday, January 07, 2005
Bluestone Rocks
It's been a lousy couple of weeks. I've been trying to get a doctor -- any doctor -- to come to my brother's house to evaluate him and provide a prescription for some kind of pain medicine without success. It is so difficult to fathom that people who could help won't -- for fear that they will be another victim of the "war on drugs." What's worse, is that in some cases, I don't even think it's that. I think it's just an unwillingness to make any exceptions in how they do business. A reluctance to inconvenience themselves to help someone who is suffering. I don't know why certain people decide to go into medicine. I suspect it must be for the ego trip in some cases and not from the desire to help the sick.
The many phone calls and e-mails have led me nowhere and left me feeling pretty sick myself.
On a whim, I decided to post a message to the "Bluestone Rocks" Yahoo! group that Dave Hunt established for former employees of Bluestone Software. I didn't give it any thought beforehand, I just sent a message briefly stating the situation and asking for suggestions, leads on good docs, etc. To be honest, I wasn't expecting all that much. Not because people didn't want to help, but because the situation is a sticky one and there aren't many options.
The response was incredible. People had great ideas and even did some research on their own into agencies and hospitals that might be helpful. Some people told me of their own health problems and passed along their success stories and doctor contact info. Others had no suggestions but offered to pray and gave me emotional support. And many more contacted family members who are in the medical profession and passed along their advice. I even received the contact information of a neurologist in Jefferson Hospital who is willing to speak with me -- the cousin of a former colleague.
The compassion that was extended to me and my brother from these "Bluestonians" was amazing. It's too soon to know if any leads or ideas that were presented will pan out. But it's already done a lot to put the wind back in my sails.
People are fundamentally good. Sometimes I can forget that fact. Today some very good people helped me to remember.
The many phone calls and e-mails have led me nowhere and left me feeling pretty sick myself.
On a whim, I decided to post a message to the "Bluestone Rocks" Yahoo! group that Dave Hunt established for former employees of Bluestone Software. I didn't give it any thought beforehand, I just sent a message briefly stating the situation and asking for suggestions, leads on good docs, etc. To be honest, I wasn't expecting all that much. Not because people didn't want to help, but because the situation is a sticky one and there aren't many options.
The response was incredible. People had great ideas and even did some research on their own into agencies and hospitals that might be helpful. Some people told me of their own health problems and passed along their success stories and doctor contact info. Others had no suggestions but offered to pray and gave me emotional support. And many more contacted family members who are in the medical profession and passed along their advice. I even received the contact information of a neurologist in Jefferson Hospital who is willing to speak with me -- the cousin of a former colleague.
The compassion that was extended to me and my brother from these "Bluestonians" was amazing. It's too soon to know if any leads or ideas that were presented will pan out. But it's already done a lot to put the wind back in my sails.
People are fundamentally good. Sometimes I can forget that fact. Today some very good people helped me to remember.
