One year ago this week, I underwent a bilateral mastectomy. This surgery happened only 7 weeks after my first-ever routine mammogram, one the ACA mandated my insurance company cover, one that revealed I was one of the 250,000 men and women in the United States to get a breast cancer diagnosis in 2016. Before the ACA, this was not required and for far too many Americans, services like basic cancer screenings were an out-of-pocket expense. You don't have be a health care expert to understand that when people cannot afford basic screenings, they put off appointments or forego them all together. This of course means people don't find out they have cancer until later stages, which involve harsher, more costly treatments. You also don't have to be a health care expert to know that means more people do not survive a late stage diagnosis. People died due to lack of coverage or lack of access to basic services and it wasn't so long ago.
If I'm being honest, I am still in shock from the diagnosis and the aftermath. When I publicly announced on Daily Kos I had been diagnosed with cancer, I was simultaneously disheartened and emboldened by the comments. I was genuinely shocked at how many responders were cancer survivors themselves. To the community members who sent me notes, both publicly and privately, thank you. So many of you are survivors yourselves and you gave me hope. When I got through the worst of it, you gave me the courage to go out there and fight for future survivors, the ones who don't even yet know they'll soon be trying to make sense of biopsy reports. The ones who don't yet know the numbness that will wash over their body when they hear the doctor's voice saying "I wish I had better news, but...."
To say news of the Republican health care plan dying is a relief is an understatement. I'm positive I'm not alone in letting the tears of relief flow, even if it is only a temporary reprieve from the anxiety our health insurance and pre-existing conditions protections could be ripped away at any moment. This wasn't an accident, this wasn't because our elected representatives had a sudden epiphany and realized ripping elderly patients out of full-time nursing care was a bad thing. Or that saddling the families of children with cancer to a lifetime of debt and anxiety wasn't the best idea. This was because of the relentless dedication and pressure people across this country put on their elected representatives. This bill was stopped because of YOU. This was because you picked up the phone and called Congress. This was because of each and every single one of you who went to your elected representative's office. This bill was stopped because you put a mirror in front of their faces and reminded them they are also the face of cancer. Of diabetes. Of strokes. Of disabled children. Of elderly patients in need of end-of-life care.
Our work is not done yet. Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan and the GOP health care wrecking ball are re-grouping. They will soon be back in private conference room, if they aren't already, plotting and scheming to dismantle the basic protections our society gained under the Affordable Care Act. As we ready to fight the next battle, take heart and remember this victory. Remember the Republicans showed us what can happen when we work together and fight like hell. Together, we are one nation, indivisible. Thank them for showing us how to win again. Imagine what we can do if we take this energy and take back Congress in 2018.
There are 477 days until November 6, 2018. Let's make every single one of them count.