Health Care is a No Brainer

I’m totally amazed at the number of Americans who don’t seem to give a damn  about the quality of health care in our country. I’m  left to assume  that many Americans are just plain non-empathetic assholes.  Maybe you’ve never experienced anything in  your life that impacted you negatively or your cadillac plan covers all probabilities.

If so, good for you. The majority of Americans would have a hard time surviving the  events that have occurred in my family. At age 3 my only niece was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer.  Neuroblastoma is mostly a pediatric cancer and if not diagnosed extremely early (infancy) a death sentence. My niece was stage 4 when diagnosed and underwent heartbreaking treatment and medical trials. At one time she was considered radioactive. She died at age 7 in 2006. Had it not been for the Ronald McDonald House and the Children’s Cancer Society my brother and his wife would have been left with life-changing medical bills.

And so it was serendipity that allowed my brother and his wife to “survive” the death of their child. It’s  ok, then right?

In February 2010 my brother suffered a massive stroke. He was left  paralyzed on his left side and spends most of his time in a wheelchair. His employer terminated his employment within 2 weeks of his hospitalization.  My brother was left with no health care until his wife was able to add him to her policy . She works part-time and was left with $75 a month after adding my brother to her health care.

 They were told that they didn’t quality for Medicaid because they had 2 cars ( a 1998 Camry and a 2000 Ford Truck, both paid for). My brother eventually qualified for Social Security disability but he can’t be on Medicare until two years have passed since he was deemed disabled.  Say what?

So they scrounge and are lucky that my father can supplement their limited income each month so they won’t lose they home (they have a 14-year-old son).

Less government or screw everyone that can’t afford adequate health care? Should be a no brainer but I’ve found that many of my fellow Americans consider government health care to be socialist or marxist in nature.  Either these people have no worries or  just don’t give a damn. Their minds are small and don’t allow them to think outside the status quo. Shame on them.

Do You Know Your Mother?

I’m so happy for all of you that will experience a Hallmark Mother’s Day! You can just see the Getty image of a happy family gathering to celebrate this man-made holiday: the young couple with the infant or toddler visits the grandparents and grandma makes everyone’s fave meal. Perfect!  Picture taken and preserved for prosperity.

Wish it was me. Yes I’m bitter. My mother died two years ago. Not that we ever had picture-perfect Mother’s Day celebrations. It wasn’t until my daughter was born 14 years ago that my mom and I decided the past had never occurred: the past between she and I. We concentrated on my daughter.  My mom was a much better gramma than she was a mother.

Still she was one of my best friends for the last 12 years of her life. We talked every day, exchanged recipes, gossiped, discussed current events, vented about life and loved my daughter.

I miss her. I miss the discussions we might have had: the reality of our past.

Mother’s Day

It’s kinda early this year. My mom died two years ago on April 28, 2009. So the month of April sucks for me. And here comes Mother’s Day. Were she alive we would be taking bagels and spicy cream cheese to visit; she would have fresh strawberries to dip in chocolate. But she’s not with us so I plant tulips for her and place solar butterflies in the flower pots (she loved butterflies).

My mom died when she did because she didn’t have a cancer screening for colon cancer: by the time she went to the doctor the cancer had spread to her liver. Too late. I didn’t know it though: the doctors performed unnecessary surgery. They robbed her family of proper goodbyes. Morbid  maybe to have this in the front of my mind. I can’t forgive the doctors yet.  My family misses her so much.

My mom would always bake lasagna for my husband’s  birthday, his favorite dish. I haven’t been able to make it for him yet, maybe this year. My mom and daughter were extremely close: she spent every other weekend at Gramma’s house.  My daughter cries in private.

How about your Mom?