bitofarambler
@bitofarambler@crazypeople.online
I like to travel, learn and tell stories
- Comment on Why exactly are nursing aids paid so poorly? 1 week ago:
Oh, you’re Thai?
Congrats on the influx of US patients, they need the help.
- Comment on Why exactly are nursing aids paid so poorly? 1 week ago:
If a random dentist and I compete in root canals, I’m banking on the dentist. Not my interest.
Travel experience, information and providing reliable sources about life abroad, though? You are the layperson here.
You may be a relative expert in a narrow field that disagrees with your backwards conclusions about high-quality international medical care, but getting upset doesn’t change any of the facts about better medical care abroad or the plummeting healthcare quality of the US.
- Comment on Why exactly are nursing aids paid so poorly? 1 week ago:
you don’t know what you don’t know
Exactly.
Your post hits on some of the many very common misconceptions.
I’m compelled to dispel misconceptions spread by people(even US dentists) who are promoting misinformation. Transparent fee lists, surgery success, audits, patient numbers, surveys are not “misconceptions”, they are facts by which medical quality may be measured.
Not all work can be evaluated…
All work can be evaluated, some evaluations will be indeterminate regardless of which country the evaluation is performed in. Yes, US dentists will have at least as difficult a time as German doctors definitively identifying the beginning of a dental bacterial infection. That is the nature of diagnosis and has no relative bearing on the quality of German dental infrastructure.
Patient satisfaction and surveys are complete worthless bullshit
Patient surveys are very good supplemental indicators of the professionalism and quality of an institution and their provided medical care.
…your subjective experience and tried to use that to say the work is objectively good.
These are facts, not your feelings. Transparent fee charts, equipment audits, contracts, insurance, warranties, international accreditation, consults, the increase in medical care abroad itself are relevant medical quality data, regardless of how upset those facts make you.
Ask any orthopedic surgeon what they think of foreign procedure mills…
I’ve consulted with dozens of dentists and doctors about many aspects of medical care, both in the US and abroad.
Ask anyone what they think of manipulative healthcare practices in any country…Guess what? They don’t like them. Ask the banned women dying in parking lots in the US, the bounty hunted pregnant women from Texas, US kidney stone sufferers permanently damaged because they are prohibited from entering the ER, US patients denied dentistry or other care because they cannot afford fabricated fee schedules dictated by healthcare monopolies that do not guarantee quality care.
The US healthcare system leans profit-driven, not patient-driven, and that is reflected in the low quality and accessibility of care in the US, regardless of the talent of some US medical professionals. They work in a broken, predatory system.
…one chance…fixing it is either impossible…
Yes, and this has no bearing on the quality of medical care internationally.
Yes, health care is risky everywhere ,and many countries provide the same or better healthcare than the US at a more affordable cost with easier access to care. Yes, health care can be difficult for doctors to perform everywhere, and many countries provide the same or better healthcare than the US at a more affordable cost with easier access to care.
You can fuck up a tooth in an instant. Destroyed. Cannot be fixed.
All the more reason to receive the highest quality medical care as soon as possible at a reasonable cost. The US cannot provide that type of care to most of its citizens. Wait times are harmful or fatal to many US patients. Other countries can provide the highest quality medical care without delay at a reasonable cast to both their citizens and disadvantaged foreigners like US patients. Other healthcare infrastructures functions better and can help more people at a lower cost.
- Comment on Why exactly are nursing aids paid so poorly? 1 week ago:
how can you know the work done was good? You can’t.
Fortunately, that’s incorrect and there are plenty of ways to check the efficacy of medical procedures.
You can get x-rays, MRIs and all sorts of after-care examinations done by trusted or a myriad of other doctors and dentists if you are unsure of the quality of care you received.
A very big indicator will be how you feel after the procedure, which is why I include patient surveys in all of my posts about medical care abroad. Very importantly, other than the higher-rated equipment, report accuracy and cost, patient satisfaction regarding medical care in Thailand is rated higher than in the US, for example.
I think I see where you are coming from, it is the most frequent response to high-quality medical care abroad:
Dental tourism scares the hell out of me
This anxiety about the unknown often colors how people react to any situation outside their experience, but there are plenty of ways to ease yourself into receiving higher quality medical care abroad, like translators, medical insurance, or expat meetups so you can get used to an idea you are unfamiliar with.
With dental tourism you get no follow-up care
Incorrect. This applies to most medical care destinations outside of the US; follow-up care is essential abroad and is usually presented in a contract and verbally confirmed with you before any diagnosis even takes place, let alone a procedure.
With Thai dental care an example, my second crown was molded incorrectly, so my dentist sent it back downstairs(in Thailand, their fabs are located in the same building as your dentist) and told me to come back tomorrow for a more perfectly printed gold crown and no extra charge. I returned 18 hours later, they scanned my medical ID card, cemented my new gold crown which fit like a glove, and I was out in 15 minutes free of charge. after again receiving the highest quality of care from a doctor and hospital i trusted and appreciated.
You can purchase as many extra bells and whistles as you want with your chosen care package, but the basic warranty has been more than enough for me; my crowns have lasted more than a decade(knock on wood with me).
- Comment on Why exactly are nursing aids paid so poorly? 1 week ago:
That works, although the Thai medical field is so heavily regulated that scams are uncommon. They want our medical dollars to keep rolling in, and after so many great experiences I am all in.
If you don’t have a translator or have any concerns, go to an international clinic. Heavily regulated, highest-tier equipment/care, everyone is at least bilingual, transparent total fee charts available before anything takes place, they are totally worth the slight fee bump.
- Comment on Why exactly are nursing aids paid so poorly? 1 week ago:
I hear India is good for cardiac surgeries, although at this point I plan to continue going to Thailand for everything until something changes.
- Comment on Why exactly are nursing aids paid so poorly? 2 weeks ago:
that’s great!
thank you, I’m always interred in hearing firsthand accounts to pass on to all the Americans and travelers who ask me about healthcare in different countries.
- Comment on Why exactly are nursing aids paid so poorly? 2 weeks ago:
Dental work is my most common healthcare experience abroad. I cannot recommend Thailand enough, especially for dental work, nothing but 5 out of 5 dentistry for me so far.
3rd-party analyses and patient surveys rating Thailand higher than the US in health care these days are included in the health care abroad link I provided above.
- Comment on Why exactly are nursing aids paid so poorly? 2 weeks ago:
the US lost so many battles against corporate monopolies that now 4 companies own the majority of the US healthcare system qz.com/unitedhealth-cvs-health-insurance-market-s…
i suggest medical care abroad if you’d like similar or better healthcare at a much lower price.
- Comment on How do I get myself to actually do thing? 2 weeks ago:
try lists. i schedule tasks on my phone.
none of my tasks are big, 20 pushups a day means about 600 a month.
or one step in a larger task, going to a store to see if they have the right fabric for a mosquito net. whether they have it or not, if i go, that’s a task complete. I cross it off the list and now I’m in the process of completing the larger task of making my bug net.
“hey, Google. Remind me every day at 9 am to do 20 push-ups”
or for single tasks “hey Google, remind me in 5 seconds to check daiso for a hammock ridgeline.” I might not do it for four days, but the task is there reminding me that I have something I want to do.
And yesterday daiso hsd a perfect elastic cord, so I got to mark the task complete yesterday and now my hammock has a ridgeline.
- Comment on What are some good, casual mobile games. 1 month ago:
ios wearables are supported according to their roadmap
- Comment on What are some good, casual mobile games. 1 month ago:
Walkscape is a fun mobile analog to runescape where xp in a dozen skills is gained by real-world steps.
It’s still being built and expanded but its alpha stage is very playable and besides the skills has quests, challenges, items, apparel, pets and a lot of fun stuff going for it, all while being a casual, healthy game.
Looks like signups are open now.
- Comment on Let's say hypothetically I wanted to leave the US permanently; 2 months ago:
Hey there, I’ve been living abroad outside the US(my birth country) for about 15 years. If you guys don’t mind teaching English, you have a guaranteed job on or offline that’ll pay for a comfortable life. Rent/utilities/wifi/data/groceries can be had for about $500 in most countries, probably $800 for a couple, about $1000-$1400 in the housing-crisis countries.
Depending on your comfort level with traveling, it might be easy to start in Central or South America since it’s close, tickets are cheap and the language won’t throw you as much. As US citizens you have visa free or VOA in 180ish countries, so you can fly there as soon as you get the ticket.
South East Asia is also wonderful, and many people live there traveling from one country to the next every 3-6 months. A few countries have cheap digital nomad visas, but I find it much easier to move at the end of my visa time or do a visa run, where you leave the country briefly and then return, like taking a ferry from Thailand to Myanmar and back. Or visiting Cambodia for a week and then flying back.
You have many, many, options as a traveler, you don’t really have to worry about learning a new language although you’ll get along and probably feel more comfortable in new countries if you learn the basics.
Go check out the Travel community, the sidebar FAQs, many of the community posts go into a lot more detail and if you have any questions, reach out to me. I’m still living abroad right now and am happy to answer all your questions.
- Comment on Why does Finland have a lower recidivism rate than the US? 2 months ago:
Many people turn and turn back to crime because they feel like they don’t have a choice.
Countries with lower recidivism focus on providing the support former criminals need to rejoin and contribute to society.
The focus of most US incarceration systems is to exploit criminals for their labor while receiving taxpayer money for housing those criminals.
Additionally, most states in the U.S. charge prison inmates for their incarceration. This policy is almost never referenced in TV or movies, but 42 states and DC have “pay for stay” incarceration legal frameworks, so a prisoner can get out of in jail or prison in the US and be in more debt than when they went in, because every day they’ve been charged for meals and rent and medical care.
It’s also extremely difficult to get a job as a convict in the US, so without any legal way to support themselves, no social support system and no viable social framework by which to rejoin a society, many US criminals feel forced to fall back into criminal activity just to pay for rent, food, and their children.
- Comment on New here: how do I see posts from other lemmys? 2 months ago:
you can join the communities you’re interested in and then your “subscribed” feed will include all the posts from just those communities.
- Comment on Crossing China with no map (part 1) 2 months ago:
Thank you. I’ve never heard of these guys, but will be posting them in the travel community now.
I’m watching the first episode in Japan, it’s a lot of fun.
- Comment on A Third of Americans Have Cut Spending or Borrowed Money for Health Care 3 months ago:
Healthcare abroad is a great option for anyone who can’t afford their medical bills.
- Comment on Can I get some support rn please 3 months ago:
If you’ve gone several days without eating or drinking, it sounds like you needed to spend that money.
I’m happy you did spend that money and ate and drank; it sounds like the right decision.
- Comment on Can I get some support rn please 3 months ago:
Sorry, my internet apparently died at the least opportune moment and I just saw my last reply didn’t go through. I think I said roughly:
OMAD works for my body: saves time, guts don’t go nuts. I do OMAD because it makes things easier for me: it’s healthy for me and my life circumstances.
Eating doesn’t sound wrong if you’re putting your family in jeopardy by fasting, sounds like the right way to go.
Truth can be damaging, your truth and self-harm don’t have to be exclusive.
I’m glad you brought this up somewhere to talk about. Talking about it more could help; perspective and expression is often helpful.
- Comment on Can I get some support rn please 3 months ago:
Oh, I see. I’ve been doing OMAD for 8 years or so and also like fasting for longer periods occasionally, but your relationship with fasting does not sound healthy to me because you’re ending up somewhere you don’t want to be.
Dry fasting can be dangerous and you are not a freak for breaking a fast; we call it breakfast for a reason and I’m not being glib.
Your reasons for fasting sound externally empathetic at the expense of your own health, but a better balance for yourself could help.
It’s okay to eat and it’s okay to buy things you don’t need sometimes.
We’re all learning, I don’t see any reason for you to be upset with yourself, it doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong, but it’s perfectly okay to be upset. You don’t sound like a disappointment or a stinker!
- Comment on Can I get some support rn please 3 months ago:
Hey, rant out.
The world is dumb and crazy.
Why do you feel that way?
- Comment on Very good animation 4 months ago:
I like it a lot, good find
- Comment on Am I financially enabling child labor in 3rd world countries by buying second hand fast fashion? 4 months ago:
Secondhand is a very good way to not participate in that system.
They’ve decided to produce orphan-grinding machines regardless of the sales/proceeds.
Your responsible secondhand purchase has nothing to do with someone else purchasing a new product.
- Comment on Am I financially enabling child labor in 3rd world countries by buying second hand fast fashion? 4 months ago:
tldr; no, you aren’t.
I learned about this a couple years ago.
My friend is a factory liaison who connects all of those factories(not 3rd world, that’s a defunct, demeaning political term) with markets around the world: Walmart, apple, Microsoft, Safeway, and has explained to me the volume and production method of every company of any size in any industry are all operating the same way fast fashion does.
If you buy anything these days, from nearly any company, you’re technically financially enabling some sort of unsavory labor, but there are several things to keep in mind, primarily that your individual choices do not cause and will not affect the systems of production in place.
Fast fashion in particular is going to produce produce produce, it doesn’t matter how much people buy, they will keep producing absurd amounts of clothing because the markets don’t know how truly cheap fast fashion is to produce and so the profit margin is and has been worth massive overproduction for years. The majority of fast fashion products can instantly be thrown away and become mountains of trash and those factories will still be turning a profit.
If you are buying second hand, you are less responsible for that production, and that’s really all you can do. Nobody except greed was really responsible for overproduction in the first place.
You literally wouldn’t believe the capacity, production, and near zero cost these factories produce all items in.
Fast fashion is not unique. If you buy an air fryer, or a smartphone, or dishes, blankets, literally anything, it’s the exact same type of factory.
You probably don’t have the option to buy handmade dishes, blankets, and you definitely don’t have the option to buy handcrafted electronics, and that is not your fault, that is the system that mercantilism leading into industrial capitalism facilitated.
Buying secondhand is the best you can do to not participate in an unhealthy economic system, and in practice those factories are operating on such wide margins that they will produce regardless.
- Comment on How do you fight doomerism/pessimism in these trying times? 4 months ago:
Seeing the big ol’ world, and helping other people travel.
- Comment on as a young person, what must one look for when it comes to finding a new country to live in? 5 months ago:
Hey there, feel free to post in Travel or message me, I’ve been traveling for 15 years in 30 countries.
When someone is finding a new country, they should follow their interests and where is the most suitable for their needs. Do they love sushi and anime? Go live in Japan. Severe health condition? Thailand.
Most countries have whatever you need: supermarkets, hospitals, transportation, universities. Go to the one that is the most interesting to you and all of your experiences there will be that much more rewarding.
Moving to countries with housing crises like the Netherlands is more expensive than most countries, but still doable if you know that’s where you want to be as a rabid cyclist or island hippie.
- Comment on at what point in life it's too late to go back to school? 5 months ago:
I graduated as a kid with 2 retirees in my psych classes who told me getting their degree was one of the most important, rewarding things they had ever done.
Also, nowadays you can travel abroad in dozens of countries, take English-languages courses and get accredited degrees in every field for very affordable tuition fees, as in 90% cheaper.
While you’re attending those schools, your cost of living will be dramatically lowered as well.
If anyone wants details, talk to here or in Travel.
- Comment on How are the users per day/week/month/etc. stats on a community's sidebar calculated? 6 months ago:
I’m not sure, but it seems like voting, because this month i had two surprise hits in Travel that got ~200 votes each and now Travel tallies almost 800 daily users, much higher than before.
Since we’re well past the first if the month, i was thinking it’s a running tally of the last 30 days of community engagement(vote) in a community.
- Comment on Can someone please identify this plant ?? 6 months ago:
These guys are peetty good at plant IDs
- Comment on Do crew have cabins below decks on short-distance ferries? 7 months ago:
A lot of Thai crew have hammocks on their boats they sleep in.
Most of them left their boats to go home at sunset, but I saw people sleeping in boat hammocks many times overnight.
