‘I saw it on TV’
I’m on my way to Washington to speak at a candlelight vigil, and I stopped for gas in Virginia. I went in for a snack and on the radio was a comercial urging Virginians to tell their senators to vote against anything to do with health care reform.
I told the clerk how much that commercial ticked me off. Bought and paid for by the insurance industry, which has no conscience or morals.
“Well,” she said. “I don’t want some government employee telling me what treatments I can and can’t have.”
I told her the insurance companies already do that, and they do it for profit. At least a government employee isn’t going to get a bonus for denying you care.
“Well, people can get care in the emergency room,” she said. “Homeless illegal immigrants go into the emergency room and get thousands of dollars worth of care.”
I told her that’s not the norm.
“I saw it on TV,” she said.
I explained that as a reporter, I’ve covered a number of stories of people being turned away and then dying.
By now there was a man behind me.
“They don’t have to cure you,” he said. “They can give you medicine and send you out.”
“But people aren’t really denied care,” she insisted.
So told her about Mike, about “patient needs a colonoscopy but can’t afford it,” in his medical records, about holding his hand as he died, about how 45,000 people die every year in America because they can’t get care, about how a birth defect is a pre-existing condition. She couldn’t believe that was legal. People can be denied what they need to save their lives. It was shocking to her.
“I didn’t know,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
That’s the problem. People believe the crap they’re being fed. At least I educated one person today. I changed one mind.
That makes this a good day.
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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