Archive for August, 2009
National rally on Sept. 13
Check out the details at http://americansunitedhcr.wordpress.com/. The woman behind the rally has insurance, but she can’t bear the thought that good people are dying because they don’t have access to care. Julie Paulson remembers before she was receiving disability, when she had to ask doctors to give her the diabetes medications and supplies she needs to survive. [...]
Rally in Asheville
We had 300 people at the rally today. They came from all over Western North Carolina. It was a great day. The signs were clever, the crowd friendly. No one called anyone names, no one shouted over anyone, and we heard some compelling stories. One man had a friend who was hit by lightning [...]
Big day tomorrow
I’ve been working feverishly all week to put together this health care rally and tomorrow’s the day. I hope we get a huge crowd to let our leaders know we really want health care now. I’m as ready as I can be. Now we’ll just have to see how many people come out. I had [...]
Stories, the congressman and the approaching rally
Our story circle tonight was small, but it was a start. We want to do this again next month and hear more stories from more people. I believe this is the best place for us to start learning what we can do in the community to make people’s health care experience better. I listened to [...]
Rushing around and remembering Ted
I’ve had calls all day long from people who want to be at the rally, including one from the local NAACP, which is exciting to me. The more the merrier. But I said on two radio interviews today that there will be no name-calling and no trying to drown out other people. Mike asked me [...]
Spreading the word
I have a busy week ahead, spreading the word about the health care rally next Saturday (10 a.m.-noon, Pritchard Park, downtown Asheville). There seems to be a lot more interest than when we held a rally here last October. I think people know they have to be heard, and if we who want meaningful reform [...]
Busier than ever
I was on the Ed Shultz Radio Show again today. I called in yesterday, but he called me today. I’m so excited to get Mike’s story out there. We need to put some human faces on this issue so people will see the immorality of our current system. I got a call this morning from [...]
‘We won’t settle …’
The Rev. Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners, was host to President Obama today on a conference call that included tens of thousands of Americans. I tried to get on but couldn’t because it was at capacity. Later, Wallis was on The Ed Show on MSNBC to talk about health care as a moral issue. He [...]
‘He Leadeth Me’
The old hymn keeps coming to mind, even as Rep. Michelle Bachman says she will run for president if God tells her to. It was one of my favorites as a child, and it fostered the belief that God will take you where you need to go if you leave yourself open to being led. [...]
A little common sense talk
Columnist Paul Krugman of the New York Times had a great column today, clarifying the options for getting health care to all or most Americans. Any one of the three works for me. He also called out the lies and name-calling. You can read the entire column here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/opinion/17krugman.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimesopinion
Have a beer in May
Stop into Altamont Brewing, 1042 Haywood Road, West Asheville, any time in May and ask for their "charity" beer of the day. Buy one and Life o' Mike gets $1. In fact, we get a buck for each one sold. So go in every day and have one to support Life o' Mike.
Thanks, Altamont!
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
Start From Seed
Life o' Mike has a new program- Start from Seed (SFS).
SFS is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.