Hi all
My name is John or JB I live in Australia and steemit was recommended to me by a good friend to help find a voice for my thoughts so I have joined together a couple of my blogs from another site on me turning 60 and men's health both of which are linked together
Well I turned 60
The trouble is i don't feel 60
It is strange how you get viewed as you get older.
I still have the same drive and ambition to be successful, the trouble is the banking system or even society to some extent does not view you in the same way as they do in your 20s 30s and 40s.
I have to admit I have found it very difficult to get my head around.
I have found myself in a dark place and it has been very difficult to pull myself back.
The good thing is that Cherrie (my wife)and I have always been able to talk about how we feel instead of bottling it up inside and making a bad situation worse than it already is.
Plus we have always had the ability to laugh even at our darkest moments.
The support of family makes a big difference and helps more than they could imagine.
I have always been positive. the old glass is half full kind of guy but this one has really tested my resolve.
I do however consider myself lucky I have always had an inner strength that helps me to pull through.
Not every one is blessed with that strength.
Keep an eye on the people around you and give them support if they need it
Don't be afraid to talk about how you are feeling it helps.
Still the glass appears to be half full again and if I can get my lateral thinking head on again I would be grateful but I am sure that will come back again, confidence JB.
I also found out that one of my best mates had to go for an MRI scan for Prostate Cancer.
That is great because at least he is looking after himself as the Government and medical experts keep banging on about ( which so they should).
What they don't tell you is the $600.00 that it is going to cost you with no Medicare rebate to off set the cost.
My mate fortunately can afford to pay the $600.00 but what about those that cant.
If the Government is SO SERIOUS about Men's health why isn't this service covered by Medicare.
My recollection of the stats (Haven't checked so could be wrong) is that as many if not more men die of prostate cancer than women of breast cancer. (feel free to correct me if I am wrong).
Being the dumb arse that I am I obviously don't have the intelligence to understand the Governments health policy and how it is benefiting the Australian people.
We arrived in Australia nearly 26 years ago when the Unions were at there strongest, Australia had a strong manufacturing base helped in part by the import tariffs that made sure that imports when they arrived in this country sold on a par with local manufactures.
Medicare well we could not believe how good it was, Doctors bulk billed and you could get a hospital bed, the hospitals were spotless, People earned a good wage , we still had Millionaires and multi Millionaires.
Yes we had to pay more for produce but at least most of it was made in Australia and not as it is now overseas.
The shops and businesses closed on Saturday (lunch time when we first arrived) which meant family's had Sunday to do things like go to the beach, Barbies and god forbid even family time.
Don't get me wrong it had its problems as do all things and even though I am a strong believer in the Union they did need to come under stricter control (although not to the extreme that Howard & Gillard have left us with).
Do you remember the first (and last) time you got caught out with no fuel on a Sunday and the panic of finding a garage that was open under the roster system?
Any way back to Health.
It seems to me that all sides of politics would have you believe that Medicare is here to stay.
Bullshit I say.
If that's the case why the big push on private health ,Oh I hear you say that is to take the pressure off of Medicare.
Bullshit once again.
Don't get me wrong if you want to have private health care for you and your family good for you and there is no way I would condemn anyone for doing there best for there love ones, however the public health service funding should not subsidize the private sector and when you consider that past and present Governments refuse to subsidize industry that is in financial strife regardless of consequences for the employees and family's also the community and the related health issues that inevitably follow on from business closures then whats the difference.
Private health care should be just that and not partially funded or subsidized by the public purse.
Put all that subsidized money back into Medicare and hey you have a good service once again.
And by the way the $150.000,000 for the Plebiscite put that in as well.
I know I am not a David Kosh or Ross Greenwood who can tell you all the benefits of a subsidized Private Health service and in the same breath condemn a bailout of a country town business that employees 3/4 of the town people let alone the cost to the tax payer in benefits.
As I said just a dumb arse who knows nothing.
I am a great believer in progress and technology but not just for the sake of it.
To me I cant see where we have a better system in fact I think we have in many respects gone backwards.
Remember the American system of health is no better than a third world country can expect.
Is that the way you really want to go? I don't
I know you wont all agree with what I have to say but if it makes you think then that's good.
Stay safe
JB