It snows in MD.
I'm not sure most folks know much of *anything*!
A friend wasn't feeling well and drove herself to the hospital last week. She was found by a cop, in her car, on the side of the road -- having suffered a major stroke.
I'm sure her kids are happy they won't have to pay that AMBULANCE bill out of her estate...
We found out that ambulance service was covered by an insurance policy we paid for by paying a little extra on our electric bill every month for the last umpteen years. We'd forgotten we had that coverage, and when I ended up being taken by ambulance twice to the hospital last year we were told don't worry about the bill - we're covered.
My point was: she worried about "a few dollars" (regardless of how MANY dollars it may have been -- surely not much given what it costs to walk into the ER, where she was headed!) and it cost her her life.
Not very sound reasoning.
refined carbohydrates -> metabolic syndrome -> stroke
An ambulance won't prevent any of that.
State Farm, Travelers, GEICO...and five Hail Marys...
An ambulance ensures someone with an eye for symptoms is on hand *before* and *during* the episode. Also ensures the impaired driver doesn't take the life of an innocent in the process.
Who knows how long she sat, dying, on the side of the road with no one to notice nor do anything to assist.
What amazes me is how people are making judgements but don't know many facts. We have no way to tell just how she felt. It may not have been serious when she left and had no idea what the end result would be.
I've twice seen cases where a person did not feel well but did not think it serious. One turned out to be congestive heart failure, the other was a burst intestine that was surgery a couple of hours later.
I've seen the opposite too. Person taken by ambulnace and it turns out to be a minor problem.
Woman in question had a habit of avoiding ambulance rides. I don't know if it was the cost or the embarassment (having neighbors seeing you carted off) or just not wanting to have "strangers" in her house (another embarassment?).
She'd floated the idea numerous times in the past of asking *us* to drive her to the hospital in these situations. We made it abundantly clear: if you need a ride for a doctor's appointment, etc. feel free to ask. If it's an EMERGENCY, then don't put US in the position of having to assume responsibility for your welfare! The ambulance/paramedics can get to your house in far less time than *we* can (she's 3 or 4 miles FARTHER outside of town than we are -- and we're a good 15 minutes drive time from the nearest hospital, esp as we'd have to obey traffic regulations, etc.)
When you're pushing 80 and have a history of health issues, you don't gamble. "Penny wise, pound foolish"
I've visited the ER three times in ~25 years:
- "splattered" a fingertip one afternoon (a few stitches and a 5 hour wait)
- drove fingernail onto a "spike" (remove foreign body, cleanse and 5 hrs)
- *extreme* ache in lower extremities
In the first case, I could see the extent of the injury and had someone on hand to drive me. First Aid training had me prepared to control the bleeding, etc.
In the second case, I was on the hospital grounds when it occured and just needed a "lift" to travel the two blocks to the ER entrance.
In the last case, I considered my previous two experiences (having been "#1" in the triage priority list in each case -- and still having had to spend 5 hours in each case!) and opted to just go back home. Given that there were no *visible* signs of injury that could be easily identified/treated, I figured I'd probably spend MORE THAN 5 hours to see someone (as it wasn't likely that I'd be "top of the priority list") and would probably get sent home, none the wiser. *Or*, given an expensive BED to spend the weekend waiting for .
In hindsight, the first incident was handled appropriately. No need for an ambulance. Yet, avoiding the ER would have been a mistake (no way to stuff all those "inside" back into the skin! :> )
The second incident I could have avoided the ER -- had I not been on the grounds, already. Recounting it to my MD/PCP prompted him to push for a DPT booster (advisable given the amount of work I do outdoors, etc.)
The third incident I shouldn't have bothered *going* to the hospital in the first place as I could have come to the same conclusions had I done all of the "thinking" at home before getting into the car (so, I wasted 40 minutes: 15+15 driving and 10 minutes thinking about it).
Ah, the rest of the story. Ambulance would have been appropriate for her.
If you're considering a trip to the ER, ambulance is most likely the appropriate means of conveyance! She saved herself a few dollars, and some embarassment (?) -- and, thankfully, didn't leave her kids with a liability lawsuit (if she'd hit anyone while driving or otherwise damaged property).
Off hand, I'm thinking that this is about 350 lb of snow. I've been wondering about my deck in the same situation and it would amount to several people which the deck could easily handle. If he can safely walk around on the roof, it should be safe but if not he should probably push off what he can.
You might check my calculations which I just did in my head considering an inch of water is equivalent to a foot of snow.
Ice dam. The weight of the snow is distributed over the entire surface area covered with snow and if the roof is pitched and structurally sound. it should bear the load OK. Remember that sometime rather heavy workman may walk around on a roof without damaging it.
What???! Did you slip a decimal, or so??
An inch of rain is about 10 inches of snow. So, he's got about 2 inches of water sitting on his roof -- or, 1/6 cubic foot per square foot.
A cubic foot of water is "about" 8 gallons. A gallon is "about" 8 pounds (pint ~= pound). So, cubic foot is "about" 64 pounds. He's got 1/6 of that -- about 10 pounds per square foot.
But, that's with *0* pitch.
Given that he's got a 5/12 slope (5" rise over 12" run), that's ~22 degrees. So, there's only ~9 pounds of DOWNWARD force on the roof (the rest is converted to a LATERAL force pushing outward against the supporting wall).
Then why bother with the ER instead of "urgent care" or her PCP?
It's just bad reasoning.
Neighbor's wife on some heavy duty meds: "Do not drive while you are on this Rx!"
Ah, but wifey doesn't like waiting around for the FREE "handy car" service that the city offers. So, she's out on the road every chance she gets (instead of planning her travels so she can take advantage of said service -- usually very punctual *if* you SCHEDULE a pickup; but, can't just say "come get me, NOW!")
Husband thinks nothing of this -- good Conservative: Rules are for the OTHER guys!
I casually commented: "What will you do if she gets in a wreck and the MD testifies that he told her not to drive? What will you do if she TAKES A LIFE in the process? Just shrug? What will you do if they take your *house* in the lawsuit that follows?"
As I said, upthread: people have poor reasoning/decision making skills.
This suggests Medicare would have covered the trip?
Here, we are more concerned with where they *take* us. Certain institutions are run by religious orders (won't honor DNR's, etc.). Others aren't particularly known for good care. Etc.
Moral: get sick at home, avoid getting in traffic accidents (esp if close to one of the "undesirable" providers!)
Many folks are airlifted for care, here -- too many remote areas where land carriers would take too long for each leg of the trip. Gotta wonder what one of *those* rides costs?!
Thanks. Did not realize that 5/12 meant slope and that it was not a flat roof. Have read various densities for snow and his could be heavier. Our snow was fortunately light and easy for my snow thrower. My calc. would be ~6 lb/ft2 so we are not far off. Sometimes my head does slip a decimal or more ;)
(pending) Rain complicates the math as it alters the "density" of the snow (for want of a better word). In New England, we often had very "wet" snows -- 6 inches would be too heavy to lift a shovelful (cuz the lower
3 inches would be "slush")
Brain fart. :>
Or, the explanation my friend offers most often: "keyboard error"! ;-)
Speaking of ambulance costs, last year my 12 mile ambulance ride was billed at $7,500. Of course, they ended up settling for about 10% from Medicare. I pity the poor guy with no insurance who is responsible for the full amount. A screwy system.
She may not have thought she needed an ambulance.
Supposes to be most powerful, modern U.S. some people are not covered for that? Even Czechoslovakia has every one covered.
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