I’m not sure why I woke up this morning wondering if there are bipolar jokes, but I did. I’ve always been a fan of the “top 10 reasons” type of humor. Probably a spin off from enjoying Jeff Foxworthy.
Tucked away on a site that offered bipolar Christmas carols, I found the following:
Top Ten Reasons that you might have Bi-polar disorder
10. You think Robin Williams should Perk Up.
9. You just bought the Kenny G and Berry Manilow box set just
because.
8. You think going to bed on Monday and getting up on Friday is a
good rest.
7. What do you mean you’re tired — I had only 3 orgasms!
6. You can not remember the number 7.
5. You know the names of at least three antidepressants and fifteen
mood stabilizers.
4. Your cat’s name is Kay and your dog’s name is Jamison.
3. You bring your own research to the doctor’s.
2. You think a drive from Vancouver, BC to Miami is something to do
in four days.
And the Number One reason you may be Bipolar is:
1. Last night you understood the secrets to the universe and this
morning you are contemplating whether the jam goes on top of the
peanut butter or under it.
Here are the top three reasons you can qualify for reasonable life insurance rates if you have bipolar.
1. You’ve never been hospitalized for it.
2. You are compliant with your treatment.
3. Through treatment you are living a stable family and work life.
Bottom line. Uttering the word bipolar should not send your life insurance agent screaming into the dark. Work with an independent agent with a track record of getting the job done.
January 25th, 2008
It’s an election year and in case you haven’t heard what we’ve spent on the war on terror, or in Afghanistan, or in Iraq, just turn on the evening news and I assure you that you will catch a sound bite from someone talking about all that money. Billions. Lots of billions. Hundreds of billions. It’s huge……….
Unless you compare it to the annual cost of diabetes. $174 billion dollars a year in health care costs and lost productivity. The only health care issue that exacts a higher cost is cancer at over $200 billion a year.
I’ve talked until my blog header turned blue about the collateral health issues that spin off of diabetes. This report indicates that it isn’t the day to day care of diabetes that is racking up the huge bills, but rather the problems associated with uncontrolled diabetes such as heart disease and kidney disease. Lack of control, generally caused by a lack of education and/or a lack of compliance with treatment.
The same issues that life insurance underwriters look at so carefully are the things that are causing out of control medical costs for diabetes. Doctors have to become more proficient at diabetes education. Patients have to take the disease seriously. Patients have to become more educated on their own if their doctor falls short. If your doctor says “you have diabetes, take these pills”, find another doctor. Find a certified diabetes educator. There are plenty of diabetes education websites out there, and forums where you can get real life answers to the problems you face.
Bottom line. That $174 billion doesn’t even take into account the financial toll on families who lose members to the ravages of diabetes without sufficient life insurance.
January 25th, 2008
