In our society, someone is held responsible and in fact, must be held responsible. Especially when things aren't going as expected or heaven forbid a disaster occurs....."Who's responsible for this?" Find the scapegoat, quickly!

Should a doctor be held responsible for non-compliant patient's lab results? Let me explain this further. Insurance companies are preparing physicians for financial penalties if a patients chronic illnesses are not 'under control'. With diabetes for example, there are several quality indicators of a diabetic patients care. Is the physician monitoring their kidney function twice a year? Is the physician monitoring their lipid panels twice a year? Is the physician monitoring their HgbA1c twice a year? These are some of the quality indicators and they are all good medicine. Physicians should be monitoring and treating diabetic patients according to laid out quality indicators.

But here's the rub for me. I'm quite diligent about closely monitoring my diabetic patients, making referrals for diabetes education, adjusting medications to better control their blood sugars, etc. I'm also quite diligent about counseling my diabetic patients about changes in lifestyle that will help to control their diabetes and hopefully fore-go any 'down the road' complications from uncontrolled diabetes.

However, humans are humans and many patients just simply refuse to manage their diabetes by altering their lifestyles. They eat whatever they want, they don't exercise, and quite honestly, they aren't taking responsibility for THEIR disease. I tell them...I'm here to guide, advise, educate, and encourage you to live healthy with your disease and possibly show you ways that you can put your disease into remission....but ultimately, it's YOUR disease, not mine.

Ok, that's the scenario. Now I ask you this. Should a physician be financially penalized if a patients cholesterol or HgbA1c is not under control? I think not! I can prescribe medications all day long to control these things, but it's ultimately up to the patient to take the medications and alter their lifestyle. Why should the doctor be financially penalized for a patients non-compliance? It doesn't make sense to me. As if I can control every aspect of this patients life....please, I ain't God! (on most days)

Dammit Jim, I'm just a doctor! (borrowed from Star Trek Original series)

I think one of the greatest losses in a Superhero's life is when they break their 'perfect vision' superhero glasses. With these glasses, the Superhero has the ability to see a person however they want to see them, their own expectations of perfect. Now the kicker is that by looking through these 'perfect vision' superhero glasses, the Superhero no longer has the ability to see the reality of the person in question. The reality is blocked from view by the 'perfect vision' superhero glasses. Ok, so maybe it's not one of the greatest losses in a Superhero's life and in fact, probably turns out to be an asset for the Superhero. My 'perfect vision' superhero glasses are broken. I threw them in the dumpster...(singing...I can see clearly now the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way)

I still have my Superhero cape and leotards folded neatly on the shelves in my closet, right next to my 'superfast' Chuck Taylor's (black high tops) and my portly ballerina stuffed pig. I know, probably not where my portly ballerina should be displayed. (My tiara is on the shelf below)

I really dislike the way "Wonder Woman's" whole outfit made her tits look, although those pointed appendages could certainly put an eye out which may come in handy if you're battling say.....'THE PENGUIN" (we all know that penguins are evil and short).

I have Superhero powers of deduction. I can arrive to a correct and accurate conclusion by reasoning. These Superhero powers are quite helpful if you're battling say....'AN EVIL OLDER ASIAN WOMAN' (ok maybe not all older asian women are evil, but just in case some are, these Superhero powers are indeed helpful).

My next Superhero power involves being able to read a persons face and body and know 100% if that person is being truthful. I must confess, I did not learn this ability in 'Superhero Academy', it was actually taught while in my human behavior classes in medical school. We were trained to read peoples faces, what muscles were being used, study the muscles controlling the eyelids, notice specifically what they were doing with their hands, what direction they're looking in when they speak, etc etc. I'm quite masterful with this technique and it's very handy if you're battling say......'A LIAR' (and we all know that liars are evil).

I like to eat 'Superhero Spam' at times. Look, it has meat in it which means there is some protein in it which means that a Superhero can use that protein to build muscles which are essential if you're battling say....A RUNAWAY TRAIN OR A REALLY PISSED OFF SPOUSE (ok, runaway trains aren't evil, they've just lost track of the situation but really pissed off spouses are very evil).

I must confess that this one time at band camp...no, I mean at the hospital, I wore Superman's Logo on a t-shirt under my scrubs and as I was running down the hall to catch a baby.....I did raise the scrub shirt and show the nurses the Superman T-Shirt....and wore a big ole shit eatin grin the entire time. I know, hangs my head in shame....but wait (with the same shit eatin grin as before)....what's a little friendly prank between Superhero friends!

There you have it gang.....Confessions of a Superhero. Ok, ok, maybe I'm not REALLY a Superhero or maybe I just said that to make you think that I'm not one when in fact I really am one. The confessions are very real however...

Signing off now and gives the Supersecretsuperhero hand gesture to all the other Superheroes...

Change is good, yes? It's just life....but goddammit when did I become so boring? I have found myself, as of late, having more time to myself and honestly, enjoying the company. I've also become an avid bird watcher. My backyard has become the arena (fighting and fucking frenzy) for MANY birds including robins with their fledglings, doves, finches, grackles, sparrows, warblers, fly catchers, bluejays, and as of today 2 unidentified birds that visited briefly. Hopefully I'll see them again soon and be able to identify them. I know.....boring huh?

Speaking of frenzy, I've been on a reading frenzy for the past month. I started my frenzy with a book titled "Feng Shui For The Soul" by Denise Linn. It was interesting but very predictable. I found myself saying, "I've done that already", "I say that all the time", and finally I decided that I should have written that book because everything she said about spiritual balance in the home as she related it to Feng Shui and the Native American Medicine Wheel.....I had already thought through years ago. She stole my ideas and theories...

I then found a book called 'The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. It was thought provoking but a bit on the downer side which lately I haven't needed any help with the downer side of life.

I then switched to Ray Bradbury....ahhh yes, "Dandelion Wine". Quite interesting but left me wanting more. So I picked up "The Cat's Pajamas" which is a collection of his short stories. I really enjoyed these and in Bradbury style, some were quite strange.

Last but by no means least, I started a book today by David Sedaris titled "When You Are Engulfed In Flames". This guy is a genius with wit. I read the first few pages and I found myself laughing hysterically. Exactly what I need right now.

Sometimes a person just has to sit back, remove themselves from the chaos of life, sip slowly on the bitter juice of experience, light a cigarette....and say "What the fuck ever!"

The moon approaches full soon,
closer to solstice than thought.
Powerful? I'd say perhaps.
The rebirth of the Sun Lord.
There is a vortex of energy and light
that must be tapped
to sustain the weak wobbly one
through the days of bartering
and muscle work.

The young one says,
diagnose me, help me.
The old one says,
dig deep, look inside
and find your way.
Many before you have been lost,
Find the focus, look within it,
and it will find you.
She says, the gray one will give me a label.
The old one keeps an eye and ear close.

Witches are born,
and witches die,
although the magick never dies.
It is passed on.
The young one will learn.

I pass through the days
with daemon Sha****** on my left.
She flies ahead to seek
the path that will lead
the old one to her castle in the sky.
Indeed, it is a castle in the sky
where magick abounds.
The time is near for rocks to speak,
and hawks to fly,
and eagles to soar,
and owls to screech,
and phoenixs to be reborn,
and bears to drift away,
and tigers to be the victors.
The time is approaching.

Oh what a time it will be.
And it will be our time.
You and Me