The Coffee Party

Last Saturday I attended the first meeting of the local chapter of the Coffee Party. I signed the mailing list paper, so technically I am a newly minted member of the Coffee Party. So what does this mean to me? It means I want to find other Americans who are in my situation, who have been directly affected by the current Healthcare situation and economy. When we went around and introduced ourselves, everyone there seemed very involved. As in watching the news, following the webpages and headlines, collecting soundbites from Glenn Beck, Hannity and Limbaugh, passing them around and rolling eyes. Sure there was definitely an undercurrent of dissatisfaction at our current situation, but as far as I could tell I was the only one there representing a true and tangeable product of the system. I do not disparage any one for where they are, but I do wonder where are the others like me. Where are the people who have been wronged by the healthcare system? Where are the folks who can't find work because they are over qualified or under degreed? Where are they?

Another question that came to mind while I was there and which was raised by others present, is this: Since when is it considered subversive to engage in civil discussion? Why can't we ask questions and expect those questions to be answered in a civil and logical manner, rather than an emotional free for all that usually accompanies certain buzz words. Words like Universalized Healthcare, for example. What's the big deal? Why is it such a gasp-inducer to use this phrase? But it's SOCIALISM!! some would say. To paraphrase the woman at the meeting who harkened from Poland, "Unless someone has actually lived under socialism, they have no business calling anything by that name,"

To the best of my understanding, universal healthcare means nothing more or less than a tax supported system which everyone pays into and gets to take part in. How is that different from, say, the postal system or the highway system for that matter? If I am missing something, then by all means enlighten me. Please. I am angry, yes, but I am here for the conversation. I want to know what you think.

So lets do coffee.

http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/

The Tooth

Today my husband made an appointment to have a tooth extracted. He broke his tooth over two years ago, biting down on something while eating, and he has lived with an exposed nerve ever since. It happened on the last day of work.

Since then we have been waiting to find a job and subsequently coverage to have anything done about it. He has had jaw pain, headaches, and difficulty eating. Other than waiting for a job or waiting for enough money to pay out of pocket he has had no other options.

Of course the commentary is obvious.

If he had continuous care he would not have had to live with pain and discomfort for over two years. How could he have continuous care? Hm. If only there was some way that Americans could have health care that was not connected to their ability to pay, or their job status. What possible solution could we come up with that might ensure basic healthcare to all Americans? Wow. It's a pickle.

Where to Start.

Two years ago the company that my husband worked for went out of business. Prior to that I never thought much about the 'health care debate'. I just figured we would always be in a place to afford insurance, or at the very least be healthy enough not to need it. We switched our children to the state health care available but my husband and I did not qualify.

Since then we have just been coasting, so to speak. We live day to day knowing that any illness, calamity, or accident would take us off the map. We don't have any way to comprehend the financial ramifications might since we are both in school seeking degrees and have no savings to speak of.

The healthcare issue came flying to the forefront of our lives in July of '08 when my daughter was hospitalized with complications arising from E. Coli. (not to mention, the state of our nations food supply, but I'll save that for another blog). We had taken her to our regular pediatrician when she was running a fever and boycotting food. The short version is that we told them both on the phone, in person and each of the five times we took her in, that our whole family had been exposed to recalled beef (thank you, Nebraska Beef! Folks, don't buy beef from them). Each time, they took her temperature, listened to her with a stethascope and sent us on our merry way, assuring us that it was nothing more than a stomach bug. I kept wondering why they were not givng her a blood test to at least rule out the possibility of E.Coli. Finally, we saught a second opinion and took her to the E.R.

We told the E.R. doctors the same story. The first thing they did was draw blood to check her electrolytes. Turns out her kidneys were in failure. We later found out that her pancreas and liver were also shutting down. Another 24 hours and it would have been too late.

Upon reflection we realized that several months earlier, we had taken her in with similar symptoms. That time she received enough tests to take up three pages in her medical records, including blood tests, a urinalysis and a stool test. That time it did turn out to be merely a stomach bug. What was the difference? That time we still had insurance.

When this situation occured our whole view point shifted regarding our nations medical system. I questioned why my daughter recieved substandard care. I have developed several theories.

Theory #1: The clinic would receive a higher kickback if they did not perform a blood test.

Theory #2: The coverage did not cover blood tests or needle sticks. (This theory has since been dissproven as we looked into the coverage,)

Theory #3: The clinic genuinely thought my daughter had a stomach bug.

I also wondered why we were not even offered the option of paying out of pocket for any testing that might have been needed.

What this blog is setting out to do is really as of yet undefined. My hope is to clarify our situation, and most importantly put a face on the state of our health care system. I represent one of many. In starting this project I also hope to come accross other blogs, articles and sources which further humanizes the health care crisis.

So who else is out there, America?