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Thursday, January 3. 2008
Slipping Through the Cracks
As I sit here recuperating from a viciously beating heart and an equally vicious case of the common cold, it’s hard to think of anything but my own selfish needs. On my way home today, pondering the seriousness of my condition, I couldn’t help noticing others who appeared to be in far worse shape than I; economically, physically and psychologically.
Friday, January 4, is my birthday. A month ago the question was, will I live to see it? I wonder that today, but now it seems more likely. Having a bad heart doesn’t count for much consideration anymore. With the last visit to my health care provider, it was revealed I have an enlarged heart. Wasn’t told if it is pathological (related to an underlying disease, which I have) or physiological (related to something like increased exercise, which I have done since April 2005). In either case, it isn’t good. It can cause blood clots that can block blood flow in the heart, or break free and cause problems in the lungs or other organs, not to mention the arteries.
This is especially of interest because I’ve been denied services and treatment, both by a private health insurer and the V.A. medical system. Both seem to think I’m fine. In fact, the private health insurer didn’t even tell me of my second heart attack and didn’t even mention the enlarged heart. Only found out this information after a visit to my V.A. health provider and she didn’t even think it was worth referring to a cardiologist.
So, after sitting here winded after a short walk to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water, I gotta wonder: why does anyone think our health care system is so good? Maybe the deal is, the ubiquitous “they” want us nobodies to die so they don’t have to worry about us. Maybe that’s being too cynical.
It’s easy to understand why the health insurance company denied treatment and the doctors didn’t mention the heart attack and enlarged heart, they were just protecting their bottom line. But the V.A.; that’s the hard question. For 30-plus years I’ve been getting treatment and now it’s not worth referring to a specialist? I’m not a priority.
This is what it means to slip through the cracks. Maybe moving to Canada or France is the answer. Or England, where health care isn’t considered a privilege, but a right.
Yeah, I’m a little depressed tonight. I hate being sick or being sickly. Parked in an empty spot in the kitchen is my beloved Trek. Don’t ride it much on trails anymore, but I love riding it. Maybe one day I can ride it like it was meant to be abused.
For now, I’ll just lay back and rest for a bit and ponder the significance of someone like Dennis Kucinich being president. Would that improve the quality of my health care? Hard to say. But none of the other candidates have proposed anything that remotely sounds like an improvement. Well, maybe John Edwards. Even Hillary Clinton gets kudos from the health insurance industry these days, so how reliable is her health care plan?
Slipping through the cracks. Do you know anyone, someone close to you, who is surviving despite the lack of adequate health care? My dear sister Mary Lou suffers without adequate health care. Think of that if and when you go to the polls for the primaries. It isn’t about a “war on Christmas,” abortion or civil liberties for homosexuals. If those are your priorities, wake up!
For me, there’s always the promise of a better tomorrow.
•••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• ••••
Tomorrow is here (Thursday) and we are in for the worst storm in years today.
Yippee. And I’m just getting over a cold.
Friday, January 4, is my birthday. A month ago the question was, will I live to see it? I wonder that today, but now it seems more likely. Having a bad heart doesn’t count for much consideration anymore. With the last visit to my health care provider, it was revealed I have an enlarged heart. Wasn’t told if it is pathological (related to an underlying disease, which I have) or physiological (related to something like increased exercise, which I have done since April 2005). In either case, it isn’t good. It can cause blood clots that can block blood flow in the heart, or break free and cause problems in the lungs or other organs, not to mention the arteries. This is especially of interest because I’ve been denied services and treatment, both by a private health insurer and the V.A. medical system. Both seem to think I’m fine. In fact, the private health insurer didn’t even tell me of my second heart attack and didn’t even mention the enlarged heart. Only found out this information after a visit to my V.A. health provider and she didn’t even think it was worth referring to a cardiologist.
So, after sitting here winded after a short walk to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water, I gotta wonder: why does anyone think our health care system is so good? Maybe the deal is, the ubiquitous “they” want us nobodies to die so they don’t have to worry about us. Maybe that’s being too cynical.
It’s easy to understand why the health insurance company denied treatment and the doctors didn’t mention the heart attack and enlarged heart, they were just protecting their bottom line. But the V.A.; that’s the hard question. For 30-plus years I’ve been getting treatment and now it’s not worth referring to a specialist? I’m not a priority.
This is what it means to slip through the cracks. Maybe moving to Canada or France is the answer. Or England, where health care isn’t considered a privilege, but a right.
Yeah, I’m a little depressed tonight. I hate being sick or being sickly. Parked in an empty spot in the kitchen is my beloved Trek. Don’t ride it much on trails anymore, but I love riding it. Maybe one day I can ride it like it was meant to be abused.
For now, I’ll just lay back and rest for a bit and ponder the significance of someone like Dennis Kucinich being president. Would that improve the quality of my health care? Hard to say. But none of the other candidates have proposed anything that remotely sounds like an improvement. Well, maybe John Edwards. Even Hillary Clinton gets kudos from the health insurance industry these days, so how reliable is her health care plan?
Slipping through the cracks. Do you know anyone, someone close to you, who is surviving despite the lack of adequate health care? My dear sister Mary Lou suffers without adequate health care. Think of that if and when you go to the polls for the primaries. It isn’t about a “war on Christmas,” abortion or civil liberties for homosexuals. If those are your priorities, wake up!
For me, there’s always the promise of a better tomorrow.
•••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• ••••
Tomorrow is here (Thursday) and we are in for the worst storm in years today.
Yippee. And I’m just getting over a cold.
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