As I said, I have had cancer four times in two years. Friday, April the 13th 2007, to Monday April the 13th, 2009.Actually fairly humorous to find out on such a day. It started with small lump in my mouth and grew, with everyone telling me it wasn't cancer including my ENT doctor, into lymphoma.
In the following two years I have had it four time in my head and brain, endured 20 horrible chemo's 10 hospital stays, seizures that left me unable to walk for months, and radiation, lots of pills and lots of very hard times.And it always came back. In six months there it was again, somewhere else and another round of chemo. Months ago the wanted to put a port in my head to deliver chemo there, no guarantees, maybe a few more months. I finally said no.
I was watching Bill Moyers show on health care this morning, three people without care and with various illnesses. What struck me most about the show, aside from their stories which should not have been necessary, was the four of the six people were obese. Only the Mexican family were not but they had three children and a pregnant wife.That told me much about the health care in this country, why it is so fucked up.
All the treatment and pills did not help me, we are a society that allows our people to get sick so we can be there to make money on treating the illnesses. I wonder how of those four people would not have had the problems they had without all the excess weight and poor diets. Obesity and stage two diabetes are rampant, and in themselves destroying our health care system.
What about some personal responsibility. What if 30% of America was not obese, what if we all gave up cigarettes and started exercising. Would this not be a healthier America?
The system is geared to fixing (not very well) what is broken, not making this world a better place. There will still be people like me who despite seemenly doing everythig right, still get cancer. But how many are lifestyle changes that could make a difference?
I have given up traditional treatment and am doing something alternative that is very simple. People tell me I haven't looked this good in two years. My hair is just now growing back, I still have vertigo, but I can see the changes, I will get better, I will lose my cancer.
Until we can change this world to a place where illness is not treated as an inevitable end game and work to keep people healthy we will never solve our health care crisis.
Finally, I have health insurance that has been great. I am on SS disability because after 30 years I could no longer work. But I'm lucky. We need health care for all Americans, everyone should have it, it's selfish and short sighted not to. We are only hurting ourselves.
And yes, I worked for Barack everyday for months, I believed then and I still do. Six months and we are writing him off, shame on any progressives who do, he will come through.
Thanks.