Living in Brooklyn, you are used to having people go through your garbage on recycling days. It's a scavenger world here, and people come by with shopping carts, mostly filled beyond the top, with bags tied to the sides filled with more cans and bottles. It's an incredible balancing act, and I'm sure by the end of the trek to the recycling centers, not anyone who wasn't desperate for money would EVER think this was worthwhile. Still, when you're hungry, or cold, I imagine anything will help. Over the last several months, there's been one woman making the rounds. She's older, frailer, and forgive me for generalizing.. but she just doesn't look the type that you'd expect. Cleaner, I guess. It was sort of surprising seeing her going through my garbage. (More below the fold.)
The first time I saw her, I realized I had more bottles inside and asked her to hold on, while I rounded them up. She was SO grateful, and said, "Thank you for looking out for grandma!" Now she's grandma. I mean, how can I refuse a family member, especially one so pleasant and thankful. So it got to be a routine, that I held onto my bottles in hopes of seeing her the following week, until it got to be too many. Usually, I'd see her early Thursday evening, and give her what bottles I had.
In the daytime, I work as an orthotist, (Braces for body parts) here in Brooklyn. I work for a private company but spend all my time in one hospital. Recently an older couple came to me, with a prescription for a back brace for the gentleman. He has cancer, that has spread to his spine, causing compression fractures to several vertebrae.(not a good prognosis) and all he needs is something to get him through.. relieve the pain.. stop his brittle bones from fracturing any further. And of course, I'm on the phone, talking to someone at my main office who has to get a ton of information, and prescriptions and letters of medical necessities, and you wouldn't believe how much crap.. just to take care of someone who's very very ill. And don't you know?? They won't approve it today. Never.. so I take all these measurements, and set the wheels in motion, and two days afterwards, take off for a much needed week long vacation. I'm sure that the person who relieves me will have fit it by the time I got back, and had put it out of my mind. Please don't think me callous.
This afternoon, the female half of the couple came in, and she was inquiring about the back brace. Oh, no. It wasn't fit yet. I feel terrible, and call the main office to inquire and of course there was an error in the insurance processing but I got it straightened out, and the brace is coming in two days. The woman says, "Oh, my husband is in chemo now, but he'll be so glad to know. Thank you for looking out for Grandma.".....
GRANDMA!!! and the way she said it made me realize that this is the same woman who picks up my bottles every week. I'm bad with faces, and sometimes without the association of place that goes along with faces can not recognize people I've known a long time. But when she said that..."Thanks for looking out for Grandma." I knew right away, and I hugged her.
Oh.. she has a ten percent deductible on her insurance. The brace is $690.00 and her portion will be $69.00.
Not bad, right? I mean, at 5 to 10 cents a bottle.. figure.. well, maybe two trips if she were able to use a regular shopping cart, but she can't. She's too small.. so she uses a laundry cart. So figure four or five trips to different blocks back to the recycling center and back out again.. and she's got the $69. Believe me people, there's no way I'm going to ask for that money. I won't even mention it and I don't want anyone here thinking I'm appointing myself to sainthood. I just CAN'T ask for the money, knowing what she has to do to get it. I'm sure she would be the first to insist on paying. I can tell she's that kind of person. I may not be the most well off person in the world, but $69. is a small price to pay to not feel like a part of this horrible machine we call health care in America.
I would love to summarize this story in some concise fashion, but I can't. It just feels all fucked up, and heartless, and I can't stand this debate anymore about health care reform. People are sick and people are dying, and we're ALL paying the price. You blue dogs, and republicans, pay the cost of forfeiting any shred of humanity and decency you might have had. We who are in the middle of this mess lose a little more hope every day, that there's ever going to be any real change. And to those of you who are sick or caring for the sick.. my heart goes out to you. I can't apologize enough for this system.. this country, the way it is now. I wish I could do more.