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StephN · 02-12-2009, 01:17 PM

First of all, I want to say that every hospital in our metro region ALREADY HAS ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS.
My records are accessable by any one of several hospitals and my cancer center just by entering my medical number!

My husband's records and labs at a different medical center are accessable by US online. That is HOW we have usually communicated with his doctors and nurses for years. For example, we get an email when his lab draws are processed - usually the same day! WITH a comment from his doctor if a value is improved or a med needs adjusting!

Just when all this is working well, I hope they don't take "stimulus" money to try to "upgrade" these systems, only to have them NOT working for some unknown amount of time. Talk about unnecessary "make work!"

AliceM's quotes from the book by R. Bazell are THE REASON I give Dr. Slamon a big hug each time I see him at a cancer conference. I KNOW that his persistence and hard-headedness in doggedly persuing his research is not the norm with researchers. He had the luxury of some independence due to the Revlon-raised money.

People who work in labs usually have a goal they are working on - something to "prove" so that a next step can either go forward or not.

Our business in downtown Seattle is surrounded by biotech and information systems companies. We hear from the employees when they are feeling good about a new success as well as when their research is turned down by such as the FDA. There is a lot of big money going into studies of all kinds in our metro area. Many highly intelligent people are working in these fields, from the best universities and medical centers in the world!

My feeling is that we need private enterprise to have some leeway in making strides against diseases and developing new treatments. I would hate to see them over-regulated by people who have no idea what they are regulating!

02-12-2009, 01:17 PM	#5
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	First of all, I want to say that every hospital in our metro region ALREADY HAS ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS. My records are accessable by any one of several hospitals and my cancer center just by entering my medical number! My husband's records and labs at a different medical center are accessable by US online. That is HOW we have usually communicated with his doctors and nurses for years. For example, we get an email when his lab draws are processed - usually the same day! WITH a comment from his doctor if a value is improved or a med needs adjusting! Just when all this is working well, I hope they don't take "stimulus" money to try to "upgrade" these systems, only to have them NOT working for some unknown amount of time. Talk about unnecessary "make work!" AliceM's quotes from the book by R. Bazell are THE REASON I give Dr. Slamon a big hug each time I see him at a cancer conference. I KNOW that his persistence and hard-headedness in doggedly persuing his research is not the norm with researchers. He had the luxury of some independence due to the Revlon-raised money. People who work in labs usually have a goal they are working on - something to "prove" so that a next step can either go forward or not. Our business in downtown Seattle is surrounded by biotech and information systems companies. We hear from the employees when they are feeling good about a new success as well as when their research is turned down by such as the FDA. There is a lot of big money going into studies of all kinds in our metro area. Many highly intelligent people are working in these fields, from the best universities and medical centers in the world! My feeling is that we need private enterprise to have some leeway in making strides against diseases and developing new treatments. I would hate to see them over-regulated by people who have no idea what they are regulating! __________________ "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau Live in the moment. MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~ Found suspicious lump 9/2000 Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR - Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds 36 rads - very little burning 3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED! 2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18 All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?) 2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava 2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec. Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011 STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer 7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED 2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED. Same news for 2016 and all of 2017. Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.