State park trail entry point.

Journey Home

Tales from the pilgrimage.

health care

  • Living with the Coronavirus

    Estimates of how long the coronavirus pandemic will last vary from a couple of weeks to several months. The best guess is we’ll have a better idea once the number of contagious incidents reaches its peak. Two and a half months after the virus emerged in China the government is beginning to lift the draconian… Read more

  • Watering Hole

    By last Friday traffic in bars, coffee shops and restaurants had slowed considerably. It was hard to determine whether it was because of the coronavirus, spring break at the university, or something else. It made being a guest at the establishments a positive experience with little perceived danger of the virus being transmitted. Our county… Read more

  • Modernity of Social Distancing

    When it comes to “social distancing” Iowans know what to do. We tweak our normal behavior. Many of us are not socially close by nature so it’s not a big step. Epidemiologists are using the term “social distancing” to refer to a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people and hopefully slow community transmission… Read more

  • Influenza, Viruses and Sickness in the Land

    On Monday I went to the Urgent Care clinic for a persistent cold. After a thorough examination, and many questions about the trajectory of symptoms, doctor leaned against the counter in the small examination room and pronounced, “it’s viral.” It could persist for another two weeks, she said. I’ve run the course of Benzonate she… Read more

  • Letter to Iowa Senators on Graham Cassidy

    I do not support Graham Cassidy and hope you will ask your senate colleagues to gather more information about the impact of the bill on Iowa populations before scheduling a vote. More specifically, 1. CBO score: Delay holding a vote on the measure until the CBO scores the bill and the public has a chance… Read more

  • Retirement Milestone

    Today is my first day on Medicare. It’s no time for rejoicing. This category of mandatory spending by the federal government garners renewed attention with each new congress. With Republicans having majorities in the House of Representative and Senate, it will continue to be under attack from conservatives and wing nuts. There is little comfort… Read more

  • Late Fall Near the Lake

    The good news about finishing three full weeks at the home, farm and auto supply store is the company offers health insurance that meets the Internal Revenue Service “minimum value standard” for less money than coverage available through the government’s health insurance marketplace or elsewhere. The bad news is all of the pay from this… Read more

  • Filling the Tank

    I looked at a live image of the inside of my large intestine on the monitor. It originated from a camera in the tip of a a colonoscope being operated by the physician who performed my first colonoscopy 11 or 12 years ago. It is a humbling and fascinating experience. No polyps, so I’m good… Read more

  • Blogging the ACA

    When I had my first colonoscopy there was no President Obama, no Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, I hadn’t begun blogging, and I was on my employer’s health insurance plan. The company I worked for would have liked nothing better than to present a cash payment to employees in lieu of paying their 65… Read more

  • No Winter January

    We had a brief, light snowfall this month, and that’s it. With four days left in January, it seems unlikely winter as we know it will come. We have had the scenic vistas, frozen lakes and automobile crashes associated with Iowa winter, but the temperatures have been nowhere near cold enough to kill off pests… Read more