Can we agree to disagree on some things?
Danny arranged for me to meet with Erica Franzi today. Erica is the head of the Asheville Tea Party. She is a libertarian, and I know she thinks my political opinions are way, way left.
But as my grandson played with her children, we found we had a lot in common. We’re both bleeding hearts; we just have different ways of thinking about politics.
Erica has a child with a serious chronic illness. He’s just a little younger than Trey and they had a grand time together playing with the family’s cats, guinea pig and parrots.
It was a good couple of hours. I like her as a person and I think she likes me. I really hope she will volunteer for our Patient Pals and Family Friends program because she understands what it’s like to have a child with a serious illness. She’s compassionate and kind and she would be a great person to help other parents through a scary time.
She asked if I would be interested in joinung the Tea Party for a faux Town Hall meeting with a cardboard cutout of our Congressman, whose Town Hall was held over the phone.
I think my mere appearance would be incendiary, but I will ask some of my friends if they would go and ask questions on behalf of people who are to the left of center.
We have to talk because we will find common ground if we do. Erica and I agreed that there’s a lot we can do here, and that we can apply for government grants for some of our programs and rely on local funding for others.
Effective programs can be replicated in other places.
But I still believe the federal government needs to be involved, and I believe the people who are lying about what’s in the health care bill ought to be called out by the media.
There are no death panels. And talking about a living will is not the same thing as encouraging suicide or euthenasia.
How do you want to face the end of your life? If there’s no hope of improvement, would you want to discontinue feeding? What about hydration?
Go to www.fivewishes.org and read more about end-of-life decisions. It’s really important, and now, thanks to the misinformation out there, it’s out of the health care bill. So you’re on your own, unless your doctor wants to counsel you on his or her own time.
Please do this so your family knows what your wishes are. Otherwise, you’ll get what somebody else wants.
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.
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