Robert Ingram Talk

(vice chairman-Pharmaceuticals of GlaxoSmithKline)

Individuals don’t come into their doctors offices as Republicans, Democrat, or Independents they come into their office as individuals.

Driving Healthcare costs: 45% of Americans have a chronic healthcare need. We live in a society that believes in fixing the problem once it is there and not curing or preventing the problems before they start. We need to change our way of looking at moving to a PREVENTION system then INTERVENTION. Not just putting a Band-Aid on the problem once it is there.

$1.6 trillion is spent each year on healthcare in the US today. 75% of that cost is treating chronic diseases. An estimated 50% of that is preventable.

Blog Level

A friend of mine put this on her blog and I thought it was interesting. The funny thing about it is that I did this before I went to North Carolina and my reading level was Middle School but all of a sudden I must have become a lot smarter!

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Tommy Thompson Talk

My family said that I need to share all of this wonderful information with everyone. It will take me a while to write all of my notes down. The first of the totally amazing talks was Tommy Thompson (former Secretary of Health and Human Services, and former Governor of Wisconsin). He spoke about the Healthcare problems in America today he not only talked about what the problems are but what we can do about them. I was impressed that he didn't just get up there and tell us what was wrong he also gave solutions.

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS: (recessions) $2.4 trillion each year spent on healthcare 75% of that on chronic healthcare needs
HEALTHCARE WORKERS SHORTAGE: reimbursement for healthcare workers across all specialties and not specific specialties
MEDICARE: the current system will be broke in 2013
WELLNESS = PREVENTION we need to prevent major healthcare needs with annual check up that are paid for to prevent larger problems down the road
MANAGE MEDICATIONS: teach proper medication dosages to avoid duplications or serious side effects
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:
· Electronic Medical Records: You can put a ATM card in any machine in the world and get money we need to be able to put a medical id card in at any doctors or hospitals and get all of our history. This will prevent any mistakes from you past history not being filled in fully. This will also prevent unnecessary tests that you may already have the answer too. This would save us millions of dollars a year in unnecessary tests or easily preventable mistakes.
· E-prescribing: 50% of all prescription mistakes are made because of poor handwriting. Sending prescriptions electronically to the patients preferred pharmacy saves mistakes on both ends. This also saves time on the patients end from having to turn in the prescription and wait.
· Paperless Medicaid and Medicare forms: this would save $1.5 billion a year
· Physicals needed to get into Medicare: not preventing individuals from getting in but to establish a record of current treatments and be able to give care for preventable diseases for the individual in the future.
· Lifting restrictions for uninsurable patients to make insurable (will help them be able to get the needed preventative care they need)
FDA: more individuals needed to prove drugs that are currently in the system or possible Phase 4 in trials that put the medication to market in FDA trial phase to try it out for a period of time to ensure more patient safety
FOREIGN POLICY: many 3rd world countries are lacking in medical care. We need to require our interns to do a 4-6 weeks residency in those countries. They will get a better appreciation for the healthcare system here and be better doctors for their experiences.
PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS: get involved in all the campaigns. Ask healthcare questions. In 11 presidential debates this year only one healthcare question was asked start asking our leaders questions.

It isn’t the critic that counts it is the individual in the arena.

Trip Update

I had an amazing trip to North Carolina.


I learned sooooo much and am really excited to share some of the things I learned at the conference. We were running all day and evenings while I was there. I came home and crashed for two days. I was soooo exhausted. The place we stayed was absolutely amazing. The conference was sooo good. I had to walk out at one point and take a breath of fresh air the information was just pooring from the room. Maybe it is because I haven't attended one of these kinds of meetings before that I felt so lucky to be there that I just was overwelmed by all of the info. It may have been the chance to meet such amazing people. I really don't know how to explain the intensity of the room. We had 75 leaders of mainly non-profit organizations from different diseases and disorder groups in one room. I felt a little intimidated by all the amazing people that were there. I know I have done a lot of work with the association but I didn't have to create organizations from nothing. We had a failed organization that we reworked but we had a base. Some of these amazing people had nothing but a good idea to help people with different diseases and so they did. I am so in awe.

My family missed me. I was roaming on my cell phone so I wasn't able to talk with them much. Erik did well while I was gone but I heard from everyone how much he missed me. It was really nice to know that I was missed.

Denver

I am headed for a National Patient Advocacy conference in North Carolina. I have been delayed in Denver. I have another $1.58 on my time at the airport computer and I thought I would just update.

Kimmie is doing better. She had a rough week last week although the new antiboitics are working well. She has informed me that I am breaking her heart by attending this conference and leaving her for the next three days.

Johnny is doing well. He really doesn't care much that I am leaving he just wants to go to Bethany's house. He says she has cooler games than we do and it really doesn't matter if I go just make sure that he can go to Bethany's house.

I hope everyone is doing well. I think I have come to the end of my minutes, the computer is now starting to beep and my plane should be here by now. I am excited for this trip and I look forward to posting more about it later!

Love Ya!

Easter

This Easter was wonderful! I don't have my photos yet to be able to post although I will add them soon.

Saturday we went to Erik's families party. Marijo always does a cute job with the easter egg hunt. The kids absolutely love it. My kids came home with soooo much candy. Kimmie had a hard morning that morning and had a lot of seizures that weren't like her typical seizures. She didn't feel really well through most of the party and fell asleep right after we got there. She woke up in time for the lunch and egg hunting. Jeanette was suprised at her wanting to go to sleep and the to bed that night. She was so tired from the seizures I was shocked that she was awake as much as she was. Johnny had a wonderful time and was so incredibly cute.

Sunday we got up and the easter bunny had been to our house. The kids were so excited. I don't know what the kids were the most excited about the baskets or the Mr. Potato heads that the "Easter Bunny" bought them. Johnny was ripping the package to the potato head dolls before he even really looked at his basket. Kimmie saw that she had a new princess game and just couldn't wait to play it. So nothing else mattered until she saw Johnny ripping into their potato heads without her.

In the evening we headed over to Grandma's house. She had made a wonderful dinner and a really fun easter egg hunt. She also had bought a new swimming suit for each of the kids while she was in Hawaii! Kimmie was rather tired from the day before but both kids had an amazing time. Johnny loved having the boys to play with. He went outside and played football for a long time, apparently he really was able to keep up with the bigger boys (or so he says).

New Epilepsy Law

Signed yesterday! I wish I could have been there to see this signed although our bill was signed by the governor. It takes effect in 60 days! I am so thrilled that this is all done! We requested a public signing of the bill but apparently we didn't ask fast enough. But I am just glad that it is signed!

Thanks for everyone's support in this.

You look like Grandpa

To all of those who know don't know me really well. My dad served in the military for 34 years.

This morning Kimmie had school picture day. Which I think is totally a horrible day to do school picture day. How can you do pictures on St. Patrick's Day? That being besides the point. I bought Kimmie the cutest camo shirt for school picture day. She can look cute and have green on. I thought that was the perfect compromise. Mainly because her one and only nice green thing she wore for the fall school picture day. So I couldn't have her wear it again. Short side of the story. I bought this really cute shirt. I went to put it on her this morning and the first thing that Johnny says to Kimmie is... "You look like Grandpa." What an amazing ego boost for a nine year old girl to look like Grandpa. Not that she doesn't love grandpa, but still.

I tied a white ribbon in her hair and curled it up pretty. I tried for her to look like a girl and not grandpa. Although no matter how this years spring photos turn out I will always look at them and remember Johnny's announcement, "You look like Grandpa."

4 Things- Just for Fun

I have recieved this about 5 or 6 times. So I thought I would finally fill it out.

A) Four places I go over and over
1. the computer
2. work
3. grocery shopping
4. EAU office

B) Four people who email me
1. Jeanette
2. Lara
3. Laura
4. Mom

C) Four of my favorite foods
1. Vanilla Ice Cream
2. White Chocolate Chip Cookies
3. Christmas bread wreaths
4. Hawaiian Pizza (with stuffed crust)

D) Four places I would rather be right now
1. Hawaii
2. Europe
3. Idaho
4. home

E) Four people I think will respond
1. I don't have any idea

F) Four movies I would watch over and over
1. American President
2. Cutting Edge
3. MASH
4. AnyVegitale movie my kids have

25 Reasons I Owe my Mother

Jeanette sent this to me and I laughed. I thought I would share it with everyone.

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .
'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.'
2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.'
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL .
'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!'
4. My mother taught me LOGIC. '
Because I said so, that's why.'
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC .
'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.'
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.'
7. My mother taught me IRONY
'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.'
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.'
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM .
'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!'
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.'
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.'
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!'
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE .
'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.'
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
'Stop acting like your father!'
15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.'
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
'Just wait until we get home.'
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING .
'You are going to get it when you get home!'
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.'
19. My mother taught me ESP.
'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?'
20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
'When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.'
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .
'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.'
22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
'You're just like your father'
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?'
24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.'
25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE
'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.

Erik

I was reading a friends blog and she had written all of these nice things about how wonderful her husband was. Then I started to feel guilty. Yes I know that you are so suprised at this idea. Me with guilt. Erik had a bad week a work last week and did some changing to his work schedule and pay and things without consulting with me. I spent all of last week really MAD. I don't know that I was even reasonable in any sense of the word. I really calmed down when he said...

"...this decision has brought me more peace than any other decision I have made in the last three months. I hope you can understand this."

I started to calm down. Things really weren't as bad as I was making them to be. Yes I am very inconvienced by his decision and it makes by life a lot harder but he is at peace. Okay maybe he can regain some of his health that he has lost in the last little while. The doctor said if he kept going at the rate he was he would die in the next 10-15 years. So maybe I needed to calm down. I am still not really happy about the changes to work but I would rather have my husband's health and him here than the 50 cents an hour he is loosing.

With that all being said. Erik has done some amazing things for me lately. I don't know if it is to make up for missing my Birthday or if he just wanted to remind me that he loves me. Heaven knows he will never forget my Birthday again.

Yesterday when I wanted to be up at the capital building early he took off work an hour and got the kids off to school. He even commented on how I looked and found my missing shoe as I was trying to get out the door. He didn't even whine about missing or changing his schedule he just made the changes and kissed me good luck.

He has brought me roses four times in the last two months. He even arranged them for me. One of those times I was stressed getting ready for crop and he put a single red rose on the seat of the van so I would find it when I ran out the door.

He took great care of me while I was sick.

He never said anything about all the crop stuff all over the house for a full month and remaining things still in our garage.

Last night to celebrate my work he took me for dinner. He even said he would go where ever I picked (which is not something he usually says). Although we had the kids with us so I picked a family friendly place.

He arranged a babysitter last Saturday and took me out. I know this sounds really stupid but after fighting all week we needed to get out just the two of us. We used some left over gift cards and just the two of us went out for 3 1/2 hours. The main point is it was his idea and he arranged the babysitting!

Just incase I haven't said it enough lately thank you for being you! I love you.

Day at the Senate

Thank you so very much for everyone's support and letters to the legislature. I am so grateful! Our bill passed yesterday! I am so very excited. We are the first state to pass anything like this bill. Quite a few states have tried but Tennessee is the only one that has gotten close. It was rather exciting. I went up there first thing in the morning and I was there all day. We have had at least one board member there all day every day for a month now. We met with almost all the senators and representatives! We are soooo grateful that this passed. This is amazing. I feel like a lot of the things the EAU has done is one such a small scale and for the first time we were able to make a difference to people throught the whole state! They finished the voting and a wave of relief went over me. I just couldn't believe that this is going to be a law!