Putting quarters in a broken meter

We think Dan could have a sinus infection. Jim noticed that Dan has what looks like a shiner under one of his eyes and he keeps snorting and scratching at his forehead. Dan coughs a lot at night and at nap time. He's not sleeping well, either. Remember a week or so ago he had a fever and an inflamed throat? Well, apparently, it didn't just go away as the doctor suggested. It must have spread to his sinuses. Then, of course, I got to thinking ... the last time Dan got sick was right after his 15 month appointment. This illness came shortly after his 18 month appointment. And now that he's not nursing anymore, he's definitely more susceptible. Honestly, this kid hardly ever got sick when he was nursing.

So now I have to trek him back to the germy doctor's office, insist that there is something wrong and not leave there until they find it or at least agree to treat it. I hate doctor's offices. What kind of sense does it make to take a perfectly healthy kid into a place that's practically a germ convention?? Why don't doctor's make house calls? If a kid is healthy, I don't want to take them to a germ doctor's office. If a kid is sick, he should be at home resting instead of being dragged out in the cold or the heat or the rain or the snow to see a doctor who will likely just say, "Stay in bed and rest, get plenty of fluids" and then, maybe, prescribe an antibiotic. Something is seriously wrong with a profession that makes it as inconvenient as possible for the people it claims to be so concerned about.

Speaking of which, I just watched the Ricki Lake documentary "The Business of Being Born." It didn't tell me anything I didn't already know ... the birth industry is serving the interests of doctors and health and malpractice insurance companies at the expense of women and children. It rather reaffirmed my beliefs that our system of medical care is so broken in this country. I do highly recommend it though. It's got the American Medical Association's panties in a collective bunch. The AMA passed a resolution supporting the American College of OB/GYNs policy against home deliveries and in support of legislation "that helps ensure safe deliveries and healthy babies by acknowledging that the safest setting for labor, delivery, and the immediate post-partum period is in the hospital" or accredited birth center. Seems to me they're laying the groundwork for when health care is nationalized. How else would there ever be legislation regarding where a woman can give birth? Where's the "keep your laws of my body crowd" when you need them?