Medical Professionals Rate Low in Customer Service

Another sore spot with me are lab results. Why is it that the medical profession insists our lab results read like that of a 20-year-old? Especially if you happen to be part of the baby boomer generation. My veins...my arteries are not 40 years younger. They are not supple anymore. Let's face it. They are hardening and it requires more effort to get things moving through them. That is one of the reasons why blood pressure climbs. It's a long way to travel to the brain and more pressure is required to get there. It is literally an "uphill" journey.

And what about cholesterol? After all, cholesterol is the "band-aid" required to patch up blood vessels that sustain nicks. This keeps the blood platelets from latching on and therefore causing a major "traffic jam" with the resultant build up that can lead to a blocked artery or vein resulting in a heart attack or stroke. If our cholesterol is supposed to be as low as the medical professionals have us believe, than there seems there wouldn't be enough "band-aids" to heal those nicks. It has been reported low cholesterol reading in the more mature years could be a sign of dementia or even Alzheimer's.

A trick of the trade is to divide your total cholesterol number by your HDL (the good cholesterol). I found out about this formula during one of my health screens. The comment was made, "You do have high cholesterol but we aren't worried because your HDL is high." Yes...it's high because I exercise and I watch that my simple carbohydrates are kept to a minimum. If the result is less than 5.0, you are not at risk of a heart attack. So...say your total cholesterol reading is 240 and your HDL is 60. After dividing the numbers, the result is 4.0. Now...your doctor will tell you that you will need to promptly start medications to lower that total cholesterol number. But you know good and well you are not at risk and you refuse the doctor's recommendation.

Another reading is blood sugar. Specifically fasting blood sugar. How reliable is that? Given the dawn phenomenon that usually happens in the middle of the night in which your blood sugars raise, preparing you for the start of the day, I would think the morning fasting is a bit skewed. And there are a lot of people who experience this. To top that off, one has to eat to stop those sugars from rising further. I firmly believe in the A1C readings done every three months. That seems to be more accurate in giving the reader the true picture of the way blood sugar is being used in the body.

Have I told you anything you already knew? I hope you, the reader, have at least begun to question any suggestions your doctor may give you regarding your health care. It is time we teach our family doctor that we are not a "paycheck" but people who rely on their expertise to help us reach an educated decision in our health care. We refuse to blindly accept their advice that makes us feel uncomfortable or there is no acceptable explanation forthcoming for this suggested treatment or that medicine to be taken, in our pursuit of a reasonable and healthy lifestyle.

Most of us have had to seek the advice of our family practitioner and when finished, wonder about the lack of customer service. That's right! Medical professionals need to brush up on their customer service skills when it comes to spacing appointments. How many of us wait, wait and then wait even more to see a doctor? Time is money and when we have to wait, we are wasting money. It is rare that you find a doctor who makes sure word gets back to their impatiently waiting patients that they are behind in appointments. Personally, I give the doctor a half hour and then reschedule my appointment, provided I am not too upset to do so. After all, we are the ones responsible for the lifestyle they have acquired and wish to maintain.

American Patients See Mexico As a Better Health Care Alternative

Plastic surgery in Mexico is getting a bit more organized. Due to the demand for lower plastic surgery cost and consumers still demanding savings for medical care, affordable plastic surgery in Mexico is again on the hype.

Two weeks ago, Grupo Angeles, the parent company of Mexico's largest private hospital group, Hospital Angeles, signed a contract with Health Travel Guides (HTG) to provide the technology infrastructure for managing its medical tourism operations. Another leading medical tourism agency, GoSculptura, now provides excellent but affordable plastic surgery packages in Mexico. GoSculptura now includes Mexico in its network of medical vacation destination and now has more than 500 satisfied patients and a 97% satisfaction rate. Other agencies such as Healthbase also chose the country to be part of its health care network and provide U.S. patients satisfactory plastic surgery in Mexico.

The overwhelming plastic surgery cost and the long wait to get medical treatment are two of the top reasons why American patients travel to other countries to receive medical and dental work. Whether a good new hip and a nice new face, you might have to dig deep into your wallet or wait several months before receiving the medical or dental care that you require. In 2006, more than 50,000 Americans go abroad to acquire affordable plastic surgery and dental work. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, year by year millions of patients from all places go to Mexico, Argentina, India, Dominican Republic, Brazil and Costa Rica. The reason - to evade the trauma of plastic surgery cost, to acquire affordable plastic surgery with less time to wait and experience inclusive vacation package and recuperation activities. These countries are top notch medical destination places where health care, medical facilities and surgeons are comparable and may exceed the quality of health care of the U.S.

As of now plastic surgery in Mexico is at the height of fame, thanks to medical tourism agencies. Mexico offers the same medical care quality as the U.S. but goes out with rock-bottom plastic surgery cost. Although the medical care in Mexico may not be as inexpensive as the ones in some Asian nations, the proximity to the U.S. is a big advantage to patients. Some U.S. companies are now sending employees to Mexico for their annual checkups. Some expert also find Mexico as a definite answer to treat the aging and under-insured Americans at a time when the retirement of baby boomers will further tax the U.S. health care system. An estimated 43 million Americans, about 15 percent of the population, are uninsured, according to a Census Bureau study.

The growth of medical tourism in Mexico and how the country will mature in terms of health care will determine the future of most American patients. According to Peter Maddox, Christus Health senior vice president for business, strategy and corporate development, "Our country will go broke unless we find a health care alternative". He sees Mexico as a wonderful alternative with incredible potential.

Paul D. Johnson is an analyst and one of the medical experts of GoSculptura, a medical tourism leader in the organization of packages for plastic surgery in Mexico. Patients will have the benefit to know information such as plastic surgery cost and inquiries on how to get affordable plastic surgery in Argentina by visiting the site - Gosculptura.com.