Doctor, Doctor

Some months ago (Time is irrelevant these days) I took Mark to his pulmonologist. Mark was not feeling very good and after being escorted into the exam room, he laid down on the examination table while we waited for the doctor. When the doctor walked in he took one look at Mark, then told me to take him to the ER. Which I did. After a couple of hours at the hospital in one of those ER rooms, I told Mark that I was going to go home and take the dogs out, feed them, and then come back. I then drove home and as I walked into the kitchen from the garage, my phone rang. 
"Come back to the hospital. They told me to go home." 
"What? You're feeling better?" 
"No. A doctor came in and looked at me, then told me to go home." 
I asked a few more questions, but nothing Mark told me satisfied why he was being released.

I'm not impressed with the quality of medical care here in Chicago. Thirty two years ago Chicago doctors and nurses saved my life. They cured me of cancer. Something has happened since then. I think it has to do with being older, beyond the age range that doctors think it is worth their while to do anything for you. Mark thinks that he is getting 'Black' care and that I get 'White' care. He may be right, but I also think health care in Chicago is also broken down into 'Young' care and 'Old' care. I fit into that old category. I went to the doctor about my aching back and after x-rays and MRI, was told that I'm old and shit happens. Nothing could be done. I went to a podiatrist for my foot. I had a neuroma that had been operated on about ten years ago, and the damn thing came back. A neuroma is some kind of nerve nodule in your foot that feels like you're always stepping on a stone. Anyway, the doctor didn't do anything for me other than sell me some expensive insoles. When I returned and pleaded with him to do something more than that, he suggested a shot of cortisone in my foot. I took him up on that. It didn't turn out well for either of us. Getting a needle, a long large needle, stuck deep into your foot is very painful. So painful that I had an involuntary, reflex reaction. My leg shot up and I kicked the doctor in the balls. I felt bad for the doctor, but then I changed my mind when that cortisone shot wore off a month later. When I returned to see him, he looked at my foot. Had me walk around for a little bit. Then he sold me more expensive insoles for my shoes. Now I know why people do heroin. Cheaper than a doctor and it probably works.