UW Clinical Trial - More on Visit 3 Tomorrow

I just wanted to let you all know I haven't dropped off the end of the earth. I'm doing well. A bit tired yesterday and today, but not the eye-droopy fatigue of last week and the week before. I was quite euphoric today - partly because I had more energy, partly because I won't have to travel north for a few weeks, partly because I only had one appointment today. I also saw lots of flowering rhodies (will try to transfer photos from my facebook page). The powers that be must've known I was in a good mood today because when I left my office to pick up Spagedward, I walked through the MU Quad - and was greeted by the songs and chirps of many birds. Lots of them. I didn't really try to figure out how many because it was raining and didn't want raindrops in my eyes. But the sound was very cool! I posted on facebook, "the birds are having a concert in the quad" and they were. One of my friends answered, "I think they were trying to tell you that they were happy that you were happy and wanted to make you happier." Of course! Makes perfect sense.

I even played volleyball tonight. I was tired by the third game, but at least I was out there. I didn't play hard, but it was nice to play regardless. Anyway, got to get to bed - more tomorrow!

More from the Offensive Person

Offensive Person added some more comments - basically blaming the victim (i.e., my family and my partner) for not making more for themselves and not taking advantage of all the vast opportunities that our country affords us. He also told me that I wasn't adding anything constructive to the debate. Then, he said, "Quite frankly i doubt youd make the professor role on Gilligans Island. if you truely are an educator, I weep for our childrens future."

My reply: I will not dignify your comments with any kind of remark. I do not need to defend myself to you.

I should also say that the "initially okay then becoming offensive" person clarified his statement about "Tootsie". He said, "Deanna, read my comment closer. I was telling Todd that I thought his calling you tootsie was disrespectful, thus the quotation marks. I'll not again assume a common interpretation of puncuation. I don't agree with anyone calling you or any other woman tootsie. You have achieved what you have achieved, congratulations. I mean no disrespect."

I thanked him for clarifying his statement.

Okay, I guess this has gotten enough play. I really don't need to spend any more energy answering these comments.

A Continuation of the Facebook Debate

So, after my last comment, here is more of the continued thread:

Offensive Person: The drug repository idea has been talked about for a couple years. Ive heard a few local politicians discussing it on the Lars Larson show, though Ive never heard how its supposed to be funded. From what Im seeing you seem to be lumping health care and health insurance together, and thats just not right, they are two seperate things. One of the big problems I see is that people are treating health insurance like buying a car. They know they want to get 25 mpg, pay under 25,000 and have an automatic transmission. They also know they have 4 children. They buy a Prius because it meets most of their needs, and is great 5 days a week, but on the weekend they cuss the car because they cant fit themselves and all 4 kids in it. Most people have no idea what of insurance they are buying, then complain when it doesnt meet their needs. The system isnt broken, but it does need some help. Stop the mandates, you dont need prostate exams, and I dont need sex change coverage.

[I tried to post a response but Facebook was acting up.]

Offensive Person: Tort reform, most doctors have to work 100 days just to pay for malpractice insurance, thats insane! Allow more competition, there are over 1300 health insurance compaines in the United States, California can only use 6. Yes its a monopoly set up by the us government, health insurance companies are exempt from anti trust laws, so I guess we need to get these jackasses out of office. Im sorry your liberal, I hope your insurance covers rehab for that, lol. Health insurance shouldnt be a right or left issue, but when someone says I have to pay for their health care or insurance Im going to get very vocal very quickly, especially when I COMPLETELY pay for mine and that of my son.

Person who was not initially offensive but now is: Wow H, you seem to attract long threads of vigorous debate ;) Though I agree with your position Todd, I think "Tootsie" was al little disrespectful. I find the debate to be convoluted, as you say T, between health care and health insurance. This is primarily, due to Obama shifting the focus and is purely political. I pay for my own health insurance as well. I pay $513 per month for a $3K deductable plan that has copay, dental, and drug coverage. I researched it and understand what I'm paying for. I could have bought a major medical policy for around $200 a month with a $1500 deductable that would cover any major medical expenses less deductable 100%. Both my wife and I have pre-existing conditions. So... for less than a car payment, I could be covered in the event of an illness that would render me insolvent. What appears to be happening to me is that the government is pushing for the higher priced coverage for everyone so that every runny nose is covered.

Not initially offensive but now is: The sad facts are that every runny nose will not be covered. Boards of beaurocratic experts will decide what will be covered and how much will be paid to cover it. I wouldn't go so far as to call them death panels, but they are what they are. Based on my daily experience with government divied money, wait times for payment will be months. Payments will be denied for the smallest of gliches on billings. The cost of administration will drive costs up not down and tax payer money will be spent not only for health care but to employ vast numbers of people in positions to "oversee and administrate" the program. Layer upon layer upon layer of new government employees. I don't want my tax dollars, going to pay for another such program that we will not be able to shed ourselves of in the future, ever.

Deanna: L (not initially offensive, but now is), I was not being disrespectful. Calling a grown, professional woman "Tootsie" is disrespectful. The fact that you have now, too, is disrespectful. I just laid out the experiences of myself and my family as examples of how the system doesn't work. Todd made some very uninformed statements about both me and my family for which he had NO knowledge. I did not go spouting off about things for which I had no knowledge. I'm sorry that both of you have to pay for your healthcare coverage . . . but be thankful that you can at least (seemingly) afford to do so. My partner, after he lost his job in this economy (he worked for an HVAC warehousing company), discovered that his COBRA insurance would cost $800/month! His take-home pay was $1500/month and that's with 30 YEARS of experience working as a warehouseman. He also did not have any opportunities to further his education. His rent on his apartment? $650. How is he and his daughter supposed to eat on $50 a month?

Deanna: And, yes, I understand that I combined a discussion of health care with health insurance, however, both need to be fixed to some extent. Our health care system tries to fix the problem AFTER it happens rather than encouraging people to avoid the problem before it starts. Companies make more money, after all, trying to fix it than they do trying to prevent it. That's our HEALTH CARE. But health insurance, as I noted in my previous comment, is also out of reach for many folks. Say my partner gets major medical for $200/month - now that he's on unemployment (which he or his employer paid into for years), he gets $1400/month. Rent is $650; car payment is $300; insurance is $55 - total with insurance $1005. $400/month for food and miscellaneous expenses.

So, do ya think I was being disrespectful to the first person? I don't. That was a case of attacking the person - not the argument.

My Pissing Match on Facebook

Today, on Facebook, there was a call to put the following quote for your status if you agree:

"No one should die because they can't afford healthcare. And no one should go broke because they got sick. If you agree post this as your status for the rest of the day."

Someone I know wrote a post - I don't have permission to post it and since I do respect her, I won't. However, it started this chain of comments, and one person in particular, really pissed me off. I feel strongly enough to post that person's comments, but I won't name names. Here's the exchange, starting with my reply to the person who wrote the original post:

Deanna: Why not the taxpayers? I wouldn't mind my taxes being raised so that everyone has healthcare. Also I think some of the financial incentives should be taken away from those companies who are just there to make money - i.e., pharmaceuticual companies who spend more money on marketing their product (like Pfizer!!!) rather than focusing their efforts on making patient's lives easier. I've got a rant about this on my blog . . .

Next Person: Tax payers are already paying for the health care of the indigent and the elderly. I wouldn't mind making a correction to Medicare/Medicaid with a strong effort to eliminate fraud, but I think that we should start with just that. Fix what we have, improve and expand on what we have to curb waste and offer coverage to the people that don't have it, but need it. Work on ways to cut costs that make sense like tort reform (disliked by trial lawyers the democrats' best friends and their very own special interest). I'm all for trying something to see if it works on a small scale. Let's get Delaware or DC to try a plan and we can call it social engineering.

Next Reply (this got me angry): You wouldnt mind, but the rest of us do! Nobody dies because they cant afford heathcare. If they are that poor then they qualify for medicaid, paid for by the tax payers. Even illegal aliens have to be given healthcare. You really think the government will run this well and efficiently? Like the war in Afghanastan, the ponzi scheme known as social security, the post office, or any of the other bankrupt programs run by our government? News flash Tootsie, all companies are out to make money. Why the heck shouldnt they? Companies grow, make proft, provide jobs and offer wanted/needed products or services. To answer your question H, people should be responsible for themselves, this liberal nanny state weve created to enable the incompetent has got to go!

Deanna: You know - my folks worked for 40+ years and paid into the system - they are on Medicare plus an insurance supplemental and still cannot afford basic things like allergy medication or to have preventive tests completed because the tests are sooo expensive. They owe thousands of dollars in healthcare costs. Don't call me Tootsie - I am a professor, I worked in the healthcare industry for several years, and I have metastatic breast cancer and I probably know WAY more about the healthcare system than you ever will.

Deanna (because I was still angry about "Tootsie"): Tootsie was offfensive and completely uncalled for.

Deanna (apologizing to the original poster for doing all this on her wall): I'm sorry, H, that this all came after your comment. Please forgive me.

The Offensive Person: 40 years of saving and they cant afford Benadryl? So because they were financially irresponsible and didnt adequately plan for their future im supposed to pay for them? I think we all owe thousands in debt for various things but thats called taking responsibility for ourselves and paying for our own wants and needs. Im sorry you have cancer, but you throw that up as if it gives you victim status and strengthens your position, then on top of it you claim to know WAY more about healthcare than I do. I would have though a professor would have been intelligent enough to know you must attack the argument, not the person, and if your going to put you position out in public you must have a little thicker skin. offer facts or ideas to help, not complaints, that fixes nothing. We need tort reform and competition between insurance companies. That will force lower insurance premiums and make it affordable for all.

Reasonable Post by a Friend of the Original Poster: You mean like paying tax dollars for wars we have no business in, or weapons we should never be using among tons of other wasteful thing too numerous to list. I vote for fiscal responsibilty but people still need care and our countries needs are not being met by the current system. Maybe not more tax dollars but a better use of them would be ok by me.

Deanna: [Offensive Person], you have no idea about my family. They tried their best to support us - they were not financially irresponsible - they had no money for education and they just were not given the opportunity to get good jobs. They were barely above the poverty line the whole time I was growing up through no fault of their own. They were in debt BECAUSE OF ... HEALTH CARE AND DENTAL COSTS the whole time I was growing up. Yes, they had insurance but even then, they owed thousands because of the limits of the insurance. I'm not using my cancer status to play the victim card. I'm using my cancer status because I have had to learn how to work the ins and outs of our current health care system - in other words, I have firsthand experience trying to get the system to work for me so that I do not go into debt trying to stay alive so I can make sure that I am alive to see my son grow into adulthood. Mister, you have no idea.

Deanna (apologizing to original poster): Again, H, I apologize. But some things need to be addressed.

Deanna (needing to address another point made by Offensive Person): You also do not know what steps I have taken to try to fix the system - Oregon may become another state that has a drug repository system and if it does, it's because I contacted my state rep and suggested it to her. I talked to a pharmaceutical company last month about what they can do to help cancer patients. Again, you have no idea - you just assume I'm a certain way because I am liberal and I want patients' needs to come before a company's needs.

Unbelievable, huh?

Got the Drains Out - Discovered Facebook!

I saw Dr. H today and got the drains out - yay! I'm not released to drive for a couple of days . . . that's okay. I've been feeling tired, which means that my body is working hard to heal. So . . . just watching movies. I did get my taxes finished tonight, though. Glad that's over with.

My brother added me as a friend on Facebook, so I finally put up a profile . . . I ended up chatting with him for a few minutes and then, several people I went to school with (high school and undergrad) became my "friends". I've started corresponding with them - so that's fun!

Well, time to get some rest.