When Organizing for America announced they would be sharing the health care stories of everyday Americans, I decided to add my voice to the mix. I'm self-employed and uninsured, because my epilepsy is a "pre-existing condition."
That's funny; it hasn't always existed, "pre-" or otherwise...
Two days after my 39th birthday, I was sitting in a chair on my lawn, talking to a friend and business colleague on the phone. As we spoke, I remember my field of vision shrinking and I had the sensation of rapid tunnel-vision. At the same time, I felt other-worldly; not dizzy, really, but almost out-of-body--with a strong, unrecognizable aroma and distorted sounds. The next thing I remember, I was strapped down in an ambulance, being asked if I knew who I was.
I was soon to be officially "epileptic," because I soon had my second seizure. I wasn't always epileptic. I had experienced normal stuff--colds, sore throats, I think I had the mumps, and I got mono (hopefully from kissing too many girls when I was in high school.) But seizures? Not until that May day, two days after I had turned 39 years old.
The next three and a half years were tougher than I liked to admit at the time. I had severe seizures about every three months. They left me in excruciating pain, with horrible headaches, aching muscles and often injured from falls. They were followed by periods of melancholy (I hesitate to use the term "depression," because I always seemed to snap back quickly.) Of course, I couldn't drive, and I was put on Dilantin. I jokingly refer to my time on that drug as my "lost years."
Sometime during this period, I was crossing PCH to catch the bus for work. I blacked out, but managed to crawl to the curb as oncoming traffic screeched to a halt. Ironically, an EMT crew was in a dry-cleaning place with huge windows, picking up their uniforms. They saw me crawling to the curb and loaded me in their ambulance for another strapped-down trip to the ER.
I began working for a company that would have been a 20-30 minute drive, but since my license was suspended, it took me an hour and a half to get to work--on a good day. I was accepted into their group plan, so my meds and doctor's visits were affordable. I transferred to San Francisco with the company, the seizures continued, and one night I collapsed face-first in a gutter in front of a city bus. I'm glad he stopped, but I received a gash over my eye that took a bunch of ER stitches to close.
Fast-forward through the next few years. I was in a group plan, I was managing my seizures and I went years without incident. Then I was laid off, but carried an expensive COBRA policy for protection. I also lived in Russia for a summer, but was covered there under an expat policy. Upon my return to the states, I continued with the COBRA coverage until it expired.
I am currently uninsured, and had an incident over the holidays that I should have seen my doctor about, but didn't. My meds are a couple of hundred dollars a month and I'm out of luck if I need either a routine check-up or--now that I'm a 50-year old man--those unpleasant tests that 50 year-old men need. I am disgusted by the fact that I can not get coverage as a self-employed person because of my "pre-existing condition." Blue Cross--who has insured me in group plans for over 25 years--refuses me as an individual. And people are worried that "the government" is going to ration care? My "care" is already rationed--and my share is zero.
I support universal, single payer health reform NOW. I run a blog--JackRabbit Café--and I post health care reform items regularly. I will be highly disappointed and supremely dissatisfied if Democrats do not take this 60 seat majority and do what is right; reform health care NOW, with a universal, single payer model that will provide Americans with our right to affordable health care. President Obama agrees it's a right, too.
Right?