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ambitious_wenchI've been incredibly lucky in my life. Yes, I've had a life-threatening illness, and yes, it was covered by a sort of universal healthcare, right here in America. I had type III cervical dysplasia. I carry Human Papiloma Virus, which can lead to cervical cancer. Type three is is one step away from full blown cancer. I was in the US Navy at the time. Colposcopy, conal biopsy, a stay in the hospital, all of it was covered. I didn't pay a dime.
I've had a baby, a healthy child, and although it was a long labor (25 hours), no complications, and three days in the hospital. My sister-in-law came up to stay with us for a week to help out at her own expense. She was pregnant with her second child at the time.
All at no cost to me.
I chose not to have any more children, and opted to have a tubal ligation. No cost to me.
My life could have been shorter, my son might have died of asthma, I might have been forced to bear more children, if it hadn't been for the universal healthcare provided by the US Navy.
Universal healthcare? One argument I've heard over and over is that it takes a long time to get treatment; I had to wait 5 months for my colposcopy. Yes, I worried about my likelyhood of surviving. But at least I didn't have to worry about how I would pay for it. Once it was determined that yes, this is a serious condition, it took less than a month to have the conal biopsy. The margins were clear, meaning that the procedure which was designed as a diagnostic procedure was itself the therapy. I've been free of lesions since on every PAP smear. However, now that I am without insurance, it's been several years since I've had one, and who knows, it may have come back. I can't afford a pap smear to find out.
Another argument I hear is that folks don't want to pay for healthcare for people who live dangerous lives--crack addicts, smokers, heavy eaters and drinkers.
I'd pay for programs to help addicts. I have a friend right now who is trying desperately to lose weight on his own. He has to use a bipap machine to breathe at night. Would I tell him it's his own damn fault for eating so much in the first place? Hell no. I want to support him in his efforts to get well, slim down, live a long (if contentious life). I also expect him not to tell me it's my own damn fault I have HPV because I was such a wanton slut in my youth. Remember, I didn't give myself HPV, a male sexual partner did. It doesn't have to appear on a guy's dick for it to be transmittable. It's estimated that up to 50% of the adult population carries HPV.
I'd pay for universal healthcare in America. Currently I am paying for a war I do not support. I'm paying for the education of children I didn't give birth to. I'm paying for libraries that I will never use. With the exception of the war, I am proud to support all of them. An educated populace is a vital requirement for democracy. Healthy co-workers means less stress for me--worrying about them getting better, worrying if I will have to take up their slack when they come to work sick. Stress is contagious. We tend to spread it around. The mother who is beside herself over her child's health isn't going to perform as well as one who can take her child to a doctor and get treatment. She's going to have trouble focusing, is going to be short-tempered. And that is going to spread like cancer in the workplace.
I have another friend who is battling cancer in her brain, in her lungs. I worry about this brilliant lady who is brave and strong and intelligent and charming and utterly devoted to her nephews. She battled breast cancer, won, and now has to face more treatment. I haven't had the courage to ask her about how she is doing financially. I suspect not good.
I would gladly pay to help her with her medical expenses. But I can't. The war in Iraq is costing the US in the billions, if not trillions of dollars.
Why are we spending so much money to kill our own soldiers and attack a country that was no threat to us? Why aren't we spending it on healthcare?
Yes, I saw SiCKO today. If Michael Moore hates America for saying what he said in that movie, well then, I suppose I hate America too. And you KNOW how I feel about being called an America-hater. Pointing out that the floor joists are rotten and that there is raw sewage in the basement isn't an attack on this old house. It's a wake up call to do something about a real problem. Remember, I spent 9 years in service to this country. Don't you DARE tell me I hate America.
I've had a baby, a healthy child, and although it was a long labor (25 hours), no complications, and three days in the hospital. My sister-in-law came up to stay with us for a week to help out at her own expense. She was pregnant with her second child at the time.
All at no cost to me.
I chose not to have any more children, and opted to have a tubal ligation. No cost to me.
My life could have been shorter, my son might have died of asthma, I might have been forced to bear more children, if it hadn't been for the universal healthcare provided by the US Navy.
Universal healthcare? One argument I've heard over and over is that it takes a long time to get treatment; I had to wait 5 months for my colposcopy. Yes, I worried about my likelyhood of surviving. But at least I didn't have to worry about how I would pay for it. Once it was determined that yes, this is a serious condition, it took less than a month to have the conal biopsy. The margins were clear, meaning that the procedure which was designed as a diagnostic procedure was itself the therapy. I've been free of lesions since on every PAP smear. However, now that I am without insurance, it's been several years since I've had one, and who knows, it may have come back. I can't afford a pap smear to find out.
Another argument I hear is that folks don't want to pay for healthcare for people who live dangerous lives--crack addicts, smokers, heavy eaters and drinkers.
I'd pay for programs to help addicts. I have a friend right now who is trying desperately to lose weight on his own. He has to use a bipap machine to breathe at night. Would I tell him it's his own damn fault for eating so much in the first place? Hell no. I want to support him in his efforts to get well, slim down, live a long (if contentious life). I also expect him not to tell me it's my own damn fault I have HPV because I was such a wanton slut in my youth. Remember, I didn't give myself HPV, a male sexual partner did. It doesn't have to appear on a guy's dick for it to be transmittable. It's estimated that up to 50% of the adult population carries HPV.
I'd pay for universal healthcare in America. Currently I am paying for a war I do not support. I'm paying for the education of children I didn't give birth to. I'm paying for libraries that I will never use. With the exception of the war, I am proud to support all of them. An educated populace is a vital requirement for democracy. Healthy co-workers means less stress for me--worrying about them getting better, worrying if I will have to take up their slack when they come to work sick. Stress is contagious. We tend to spread it around. The mother who is beside herself over her child's health isn't going to perform as well as one who can take her child to a doctor and get treatment. She's going to have trouble focusing, is going to be short-tempered. And that is going to spread like cancer in the workplace.
I have another friend who is battling cancer in her brain, in her lungs. I worry about this brilliant lady who is brave and strong and intelligent and charming and utterly devoted to her nephews. She battled breast cancer, won, and now has to face more treatment. I haven't had the courage to ask her about how she is doing financially. I suspect not good.
I would gladly pay to help her with her medical expenses. But I can't. The war in Iraq is costing the US in the billions, if not trillions of dollars.
Why are we spending so much money to kill our own soldiers and attack a country that was no threat to us? Why aren't we spending it on healthcare?
Yes, I saw SiCKO today. If Michael Moore hates America for saying what he said in that movie, well then, I suppose I hate America too. And you KNOW how I feel about being called an America-hater. Pointing out that the floor joists are rotten and that there is raw sewage in the basement isn't an attack on this old house. It's a wake up call to do something about a real problem. Remember, I spent 9 years in service to this country. Don't you DARE tell me I hate America.