I am the Mama » Politics/Government

Setting the Record Straight

themama — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:55:23 +0000

You’ve probably seen it: that letter that is supposedly written by a doctor about the fact that there is no health care crisis, but rather a culture crisis. It’s been making the rounds on Facebook. (I wish I could link it up, but it’s mysteriously disappeared from the walls of everyone who shared it.) It’s shown up in my feed several times now and it irritates me. Why? Because that is only part of the story…there are absolutely people who abuse the system. People who buy expensive clothes and drive expensive cars and eat fast food every day and buy cigarettes and alcohol but expect us to pay for their illnesses.

But there are also people who are just struggling to buy food and pay their mortgage and keep their electricity and water on. Whose modest cars are barely running, who haven’t had new shoes in years, and can’t afford fast food, much less cigarettes and beer. People who endure incredibly painful medical problems without a doctor’s care because they know they can’t afford it, whose teeth are crumbling due to lack of dental care. who haven’t seen the eye doctor for new glasses in a long time, who live in fear of an accident or illness because it could bring down their whole precarious financial house of cards. Who are these people you ask? Well, me for one. And guess what? I don’t qualify for Medicaid unless I get pregnant again, which won’t be happening if I have any say in the matter.

I wish I could afford insurance. Three years ago, I never would have considered going without it…only irresponsible people do that, right? Right now, it would be irresponsible for me to have insurance. Because it would mean I wouldn’t have a place to live, or there would be no food for us to eat or electricity to keep the refrigerator and heat working. And this is even if I could get health insurance…my medical history is not stellar. Kidney stones, infertility, PCOS, c-sections…these are all things that could make insurance very expensive (the lowest estimate I could find was $400/month) or get me denied completely. Yes, even if the insurance didn’t cover pregnancy or infertility treatments, they could deny me because of those things. I am looking for a job that can provide me with group health insurance. If you know of one that I’m qualified for where the pay justifies the cost of gas, clothing, and childcare expenses, tell me about it. I’m applying to every job I can find that would meet these needs. The problem is, once I find it, there’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to afford the premiums for the group health insurance, which puts me right back where I started…uninsured and scared. Sometimes I wonder if things will ever get better for us. It’s hard to believe that less than 3 years ago I had no idea what it was like to go without food or worry about whether they were going to shut off our electric or where we would go if the mortgage company foreclosed. This is my new normal, and it’s pretty freaking terrible.

Our healthcare system is broken. There are absolutely people who abuse it…there always will be, no matter what the system is. It’s unfortunate, but let’s not abolish the system because of these few. Instead, report those who abuse it. Show mercy and kindness to the people who don’t. A little understanding goes a long way. I’m not broken yet, but reading things like that letter reminded me that people out there think that I’m somehow less deserving than others and that hurts me more than anything else has yet.

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I Remember

themama — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 01:16:14 +0000

Today marks nine years since the worst day of my life. Even through my dad’s all too short bout with cancer and his death, I never had a day that felt like the worst.day.ever. That happened about five months later, on September 11. Because not only did I spend the day glued to the TV watching the tragedy unfold, but all I could think about was the fact that if my daddy was still alive, this wouldn’t have happened. Irrational and slightly insane? Certainly…but it felt like the whole world was irrational and insane. Suddenly nothing made sense and I still don’t know that I’ll ever understand the hate those men had for all of these people they’d never met.

I remember the moments of unity that followed. Congress singing God Bless America on the steps of the Capitol, Republican and Democrat together, holding hands, holding each other up, hugging and presenting a unified front. How I wish that could have lasted. I feel like our country is irreparably divided right now and my heart hurts. I don’t wish for a tragedy like 9/11 (obviously) but I would like to see what could be accomplished if we all put aside our political differences and the ugliness for a few days.

I wish I had something profound to say about it all, but I just don’t. Really, there’s nothing I could say that hasn’t already been said by someone else. Just this: I remember. I pray that those who lost loved ones find peace somehow. I pray for the safety of our nation, our leaders, and our democracy every day. I pray that those on the lunatic fringe (whichever side they may be on) never manage to do anything like that again, here or anywhere. And I pray for love…that love will overcome hate, everywhere, every time, for everyone.

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Oh, to live in the wacky state of California…

themama — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:13:33 +0000

I have never in my life smoked a joint, had “special” brownies, or otherwise tried marijuana. Or any other illegal drug for that matter. I’ve been around people who were and had the opportunity but it didn’t appeal to me. I did drink (um, a LOT) in my college years before turning 21, so it’s not like I was perfectly legal and well-behaved at all times. (Because I was soooooooooooooo not.) It has just never been something I wanted to try. I got plenty of thrills from alcohol and figured that was all I needed.

Right now, I am in excruciating pain. From my back (which was better until I went sledding a few weeks ago), from a kidney stone…my left side is one big ball of pain. Most days I barely move from the couch and my day revolves around heating pads, cold packs, ibuprofen, and Aleve. On the days I manage to get out, I wear a Thermacare wrap and take more than the recommended dose of anti-inflammatories. It’s a really awful existence.

And I find myself reading articles about old people using medical marijuana for their aches and pains and fantasizing about how much pain relief I might get from a good bong hit or two. No, I’m not going to try it. It’s illegal and I have 3 kids who need me coherent and capable. But oh, what I wouldn’t give for a few good hours of pain relief…

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Being Part of the Solution

themama — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:10:34 +0000

One thing I despise is people who gripe and moan about something and never try to come up with a better plan. There is nothing wrong with complaining but I think it’s important to be a part of the solution if you’re going to do so. That’s not to say I haven’t indulged in more than my fair share of whining and inaction but I try to look for a way to make things better.

There have been a lot of decisions regarding the Lee County school system lately that have left me scratching my head. I haven’t been entirely comfortable with my son’s teacher, I dislike how things are being railroaded through the board, and I am furious about the prospect of my child going to school this Saturday due to missing school yesterday for bad weather. There are multiple days that could have been used to make up this day…there’s a whole list of them on his school calendar. We avoid planning things for those days because we know they might end up being school days. Yet I am expected to drop all of my plans for Saturday with a 4 day notice so that he can attend school. It is unacceptable.

Obviously I am just one person and these are just my perceptions. But I know others out there are unhappy, too. Last week Emily mentioned she felt a lot of frustration with the school board. I’m in the same boat, obviously. She is contemplating a run for school board and I support her 100%. When she first made that post I mentioned that was something I’d also like to do eventually, but it just wasn’t something I felt I was ready for at the moment. For some reason, today I feel differently. Sadly, I do not have the resources to do it…a campaign costs money that I don’t have and additional demands on my already non-existent time. I also think I lack the knowledge and information to really do a good job right now.

However, I am going to start learning. I’m going to try to go to school board meetings, advocate for the changes that need to be made, and get involved where I can. Because I want to be part of the solution, whether that’s now or 4 years from now. I’m not happy with the status quo and I’m going to do my best to try to change it!

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Election Day

themama — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:54:27 +0000

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