Ramblin' & Amblin' (2026-10-22): In early 2000s, I'm not early 2000s, I
Ramblin' & Amblin' Field Notes with Mike Hall (Staff Software Engineer) Recorded on the move: engineering observations, systems architecture, and software craftsmanship reflections.
The Interviewer
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
Okay, so in early 2000s, I'm not early 2000s, I keep saying
that. No, in mid, late 2000s, early 2010s, I get sick. Okay
, I get very sick. And I have to be hospitalized.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
And it's,
it's, it's a, it was a very uncomfortable situation. But there was this moment where when I first was in more
pain than I could walk, I couldn't, I could barely walk. I
was trying to pretend like this pain didn't exist. And it
really culminated for me, I took my daughter to get
breakfast, walk down the street to a local breakfast place.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
And, and I just sat and I was just basically trying to just
keep a straight face to not scare her because she was
little at the time. And I'm just trying to like power
through it somehow. And I have to basically, not quite crawl home, but I have
to brace myself against the building to walk home. I'm in
more pain than I've ever been in my life.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
And what it is,
is that ultimately I have,
I have a colon issue and it's, it's gross and not, it's, it
's, it's painful. Let's just leave it at that. Um, so I, I ultimately did get, you know, taken care of. Um
, and that's got its own story because, uh, uh, the doctor
who, uh, who cared for me, uh, one also was the first
person to really like,
not, I don't want to say first person, but he was not
really a person to recognize, uh, my extremely high anxiety
state.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
And that's, um, you know, um, I was, uh, struggling a bit
there. And, um, he, later on, I, I remember there was a, uh, a
picture of him on the cover of a newspaper. Um, and it was, uh, when, uh, the first, um, bands on, on
travel to, uh, Muslim nations, Islamic nations. I, I just, you know, if I get the phrasing wrong, like,
give me a little grace here, guys, is that, um, he was, he
was, there was a picture of him getting a, uh, a hassle,
hard time at, um, at, um, boarding.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
And, uh, I just remember that was, I was so mad that, uh,
this person who had saved my life, um, was getting, uh,
that hard time. Uh, and that comes after this, though, is that, um, what I
was, um, dealing with when I, when I tried to walk home
and I was in so much pain is, uh, I went to a clinic and
the clinic said, okay, doesn't appear to be this, doesn't
appear to be that. Um, only thing we can do is send you down for a scan. And I think it's a CAT scan, I don't remember, whatever, um
, it's where they get your midsection.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
And, um, I, uh, said, okay. And then the, uh, of course, yeah, doctor says, I need to
get a scan. I'm going to get a scan. And he says, here's the thing.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
I have to warn you. If we do the scan and we don't find, uh, anything
particular,
then you will have to pay for the cost of the scan out of
pocket. If we find something and there is an issue, then, um, the
insurance will cover it. Now, you know, this is, yeah, I like to say, uh, sit with
that for a moment.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
Let's sit with that for a moment. Is that I'm laying on, on this gurney in the most pain in
my life. I can't move. I feel sick in a way that's hard to really describe.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
Um, and I'm having to decide whether a $2,000 bill, that's
how much it would have been, about $2,000. Or, roll the dice. And I could be facing a $2,000 bill. Or, um, good news.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
I have a severe problem that needs to probably have surgery
. What a freaking... I thought about the, um, the bagger at Juul for some reason
. You know, and I'm thinking about what kind of impossible
question that is.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
Um, to put to somebody who, um, has got to make this choice
. And that they, for them, the $2,000 might be an impossible
sum, uh, burden to take on. But they, um, so they, so they don't. And, uh, then they go back to work.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
And then, based off of what I had, if I had done that, I
would have died, um, in agony. Um, or ended up in the hospital with a much worse, uh, pro
gnosis that would probably have, uh, long-term implications. Um, instead of getting the treatment. So instead of, of, of, of, of that, I have to decide if I'm
going to roll the, the dice.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
And, um, ultimately I did roll the dice. Because at the time, I, you know, feel like I could have
taken that hit. Um, and, and it would have been at least closing a door. Um, but, uh, I also am aware that I would be, if ultimately
it isn't just the $2,000.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
If I did the test and it turned out that, um, it didn't
find anything. I now have, and I now have $2,000. And, and I'm going to need to get more tests. So, not only am I, um, having to decide $2,000, but who
knows what's going to come after that.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
So, that's kind of, uh, the thing that, uh, locked in my,
uh, ultimate position on healthcare and how America, uh,
could be. But it isn't. And that's a choice. But, all we have are choices.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
So, anywho. And that's why I think the way I do is I think about the
person who, um, presented that choice. Um, what it's, what an impossible, um, choice it is, uh, to
have to ask somebody to do. When the doctor is saying, I recommend this.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
This is the only thing that would tell us anything going
forward. But you have to decide. It's also the same industry where we get advertisements on
our phones and on our, on our TVs telling us to tell our
doctors that we want this other medicine. So, which way is it, guys?
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
Which way is it? Do we tell them or do they tell us? Or is it really somebody else who decides? So, any who, all right, thanks, bye.