What a day!
Me at the Health Care for America Now rally in front of the US Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. I think we were chanting "Shame on you!"
Rep. John Conyers called me a hero and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee called me an inspiration.
Tuesday was an amazing day. I met 14 remarkable people who have struggled with the broken health care system. Kelly and David Arellanes had to go through bankruptcy after she fell off a horse and hit her head and the insurance company covered next to nothing. Heather Mroz had her insurance policy cancelled just before the premature birth of her twins, leaving her hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Freddie Effinger had to beg for his life when he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma while he was in law school. He was luckier than Mike was, though — he got what he needed and survived. He’s an attorney in Birmingham now.
Here I am with Freddir Effinger and Heather Mroz at the protest.
We walked a couple blocks with a crowd of about 300 to the US Chamber of Commerce, where all 15 of us who were there with Health Care for America Now were introduced.
Kelly Arellanes and I both got shoved by a DC cop (J. Herold, Badge No. C80), who thought it was OK to assault us from behind. A couple people who saw it told me he took a couple steps back and ran at me. If two people hadn’t caught me, I’d have landed flat on my face. I’m filing a formal complaint. The hippie in me suspected there might be a power-happy cop there, and I was right.
We got coverage from the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/01/26/VI2010012603685.html)
After the rally, we went to the Raburn Office Building for a briefing on health care and Rep. John Conyers kept looking at the photo of Mike I carry with me on such occasions. I got to tell Mike’s story, and Rep. Conyers called me a hero.
I had supper with Susan Braig, who had breast cancer five years ago and her catastrophic coverage covered little more than the insurance company’s butt. She couldn’t afford the $500 for the anti-nausea medication, so she suffered. As an artist, the experience inspired her to create jewelry with expired medications. The jewelry is more than whimsical — it’s lovely.
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.
Post a comment