Build better flyswatter; they will come

Discussion

October 23, 2009

By Karen Middleton The News Courier Fri Oct 23, 2009, 04:45 PM CDT

ATHENS — Last week I attended an international medical trade show in Atlanta with a friend of mine who invented a repositioning device for bedridden patients to help prevent bedsores.

I played the part of an incapacitated patient for my friend to demonstrate her device to vendors.

As a member of the demographic upon which the highest health care dollars will be spent over the next two decades—baby boomers—I was typecast for the role.

While not engaged in my acting duties I had a lot of time to wander around the huge auditorium in the Atlanta World Congress Center.

I learned there is a device or product for testing and treating every condition of the aged – fallen arches, varicose veins, incontinence, immobility, apnea, edema, problematic hygiene, hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pressure sores, missing limbs, missing breasts and Alzheimer’s nighttime wanderings.

It was an eye-opening experience to say the least.

One, I don’t intend to grow old.

Okay, so that’s out. Next, I pray I’m well insured.

We hear that health care in the U.S. is the best in the world. I believe it. And one of the reasons is healthy competition.

When manufacturers continually strive to offer a better flyswatter—in this case, medical equipment—the public benefits.

Competition in all segments of a free enterprise system, including medical care, is the only way to ensure the continued high standards that we’ve come to expect.

Text Only

Karen Middleton

Sept. 11, 2001, felt like beginning of the end of world
September 11, 2011
Scandal has people asking, ‘What’s in a name?’
June 13, 2011
Cher’s 65 and I’ve felt better myself
May 25, 2011 1 Photo
Cruel nature cannot extinguish human spirit
The black monsters that churned out of the skies two weeks ago today took homes, livelihoods, possessions and lives. But they could not destroy the human spirit of survivors.

May 18, 2011
Tragedy brings out best, worst in people
... with each new report of looting, we feel the squeamishness that comes with the realization that this is also a part of human nature.

May 18, 2011
These are my people harmed by tornado
When the all clear was sounded Wednesday ... I lit candles, changed the batteries in my mobile scanner and sat in the semi-darkness, listening throughout the night to the valiant efforts of our emergency responders. They worked together to assess damage and relieve suffering like a well-oiled machine.

May 1, 2011
Hey, sister, can I borrow a hat?
It would not do for the future Queen Catherine of the United Kingdom to “go commando.” Although, according to Cosmo, this is not a new practice. The mag says that some of history’s hottest sex goddesses, such as Cleopatra and Jean Harlow, reportedly went “au naturel” beneath their clothes.

April 29, 2011
Did childhood chest fixation begin with Barbie?
Let’s hope the publicity generated by the push-up bikinis for tots has helped raise some awareness among parents who would be otherwise tempted to rob their precious daughters of the fleeting days of innocent childhood and possibly make them targets for unhealthy, unwholesome elements.

April 29, 2011
When I find myself in times of trouble ...
I thought my life was going along pretty well until I saw a commercial on TV that claims the average mattress doubles its weight in eight years due to dead skin cells and dust mites. E-e-e-u-w!

April 10, 2011
There will never be another one like Liz
I practiced long hours in front of my dressing table mirror with eye makeup, trying to achieve her sultry look. I thought I was doing pretty well, although I knew I could never get my dark brown eyes to appear violet like Liz’s.

March 27, 2011
More Karen Middleton Headlines

Karen Middleton

Search Results

Discussion

Build better flyswatter; they will come

What is the most important issue state legislators will tackle this session?

Site Map

Contact Us