As a Nurse of over 20+ years I have been very disheartened as the Health Care Battle has dragged on all these Months. I have diligently blogged the Battle, researching and covering Statistics,Data, Interviewing Americans with Nightmare Health Stories, and covering the Political Battles and Process. I covered all angles of it attempting to be objective and respectful of all parties involved. And as a longtime Blogger who has blogged many horrendous Situations ( Katrina to Bush's Crimes) I thought that I could blog it effectively. I also thought that in the Bush years the Blogs did a good job of covering the plight of our country. And as the Mainstream Media ignored Doctors and Nurses over and over, I thought that at some point the Blogs would step in and give Voice to the Medical Community. It did not happen.
The Big Blogs and the MSM should have been focusing on the Health Care Crisis in our Country, instead they were distracted and busy legitimizing the Tea Party Crap and calling it a "Movement", when they should have been focusing on >51 Million without Healthcare and 45,000 Dying each year without access to health care. I remain very grateful to all the fine folks I met on Twitter, Facebook and blogs who worked diligently on advocating for HC4ALL, by making calls and writing letters. I was truly inspired by all the amazing people I met who gave of their time and worked so hard. Most of the posts below are just a snippet of the 257 posts I wrote on WHY we need HCR,but they are our stories....
I attempted to show the correlation between Joblessnes, Homelessnes,Bankrupticies to Medical Debt, and why this Health Care Crisis effects us all....If You are a Nurse and want your point of View Heard and Shared please do email me.
Just to be clear I still support Health Care Reform and I still support Health Care For ALL and a Public Plan is still needed,but I will not be blogging on this issue anymore at this point.
I reached out to ALL the Bigger Blogs, sent links and tried to assist. Some offered me small Bystander Roles assisting in Research or taking part in phone Conferences. I am not part of the Political Nuts and Bolts Process and I don't read Insurance Forms for a living so most Big Blogs basically removed me from their Email Lists after a while, after all I was "Just a nurse".....
and I was not Politically "Progressive Enough" ( I was told by One Bigger Blog).But I continued to post links to Bigger Blogs, and Health Care Focused stories from C&L to Huffington Post, month after month. There are stories here from all over,MoveOn,ShannynMoore,California Blogs, to NOLA, to Vermont, to Anthony Weiner to Howard Dean. I tried hard to make sure that all aspects of the HCR battle were presented and presented fairly.
During this time I continued to link to others posts and giving them credit and gratitude for their research. I remain ever grateful to Keith Olbermann and Ed Schultz who have continued through thick and thin advocating for Health Care for all.During this past year alone of the Healthcare Battle I literally blogged hundreds of posts educating and advocating on our Healthcare Crisis.And in those hundreds of posts I rarely even mentioned that I myself am UnInsured,cancelled, I restrained from saying that...embarrassed mostly, and worried it would taint my Advocacy Efforts.
And I even spread over to Twitter, carrying on my mission to educate people about the Healthcare Crisis in this Country. About how many people were living and dying each year without proper healthcare. I tweeted the Damning Statistics on actual Death Rates, and UnInsured Rates,and UnderInsured as well.I tweeted many Humanitarian Tweets, but thousands were about the American Healthcare Crisis. I have spent the first months of this year reporting and blogging on World Disasters and Relief, as a Nurse I am looking at this area that might better need my expertise.
Very few Blogs blogged or reported the Free Health Care Clinics and the Patient Nightmare stories...some of these were picked up by Bigger Blogs and some were even picked up by MSNBC shows...again never a Hat tip or link or a thank you. Not once. ( so no small shock I have scaled back on blogging on HCR this year....But then even The Whitehouse has not emailed HCR emails at all in monthes....so I know I am not the only one that has stopped pounding the issue.)
And a year ago on my street I lost my second Neighbor that died without healthcare....alone in their home. And here I sit as silently wondering all this blogging alone ...silently....WHO has my blogging really helped...WHO ? It did not help my neighbors, especially the ones that died or sold everything , or lost their homes and cars to pay for their Cancer or other Medical Care.
As someone who has nursed hundreds since the days of President Reagan from ER to AIDS to PICU to PTSD,never ever refusing care to Anyone.This I know I have not blogged HCR this New Year of 2010 because at this point I feel like I am Yelling down very Empty Well...so this is my Final Post on HCR. We have a Healthcare Crisis in this country,Our Country, it is why 47,000 people are Dying without ANY Health Care per year. In the 8 minutes it took for you to read this, Someone Died with NO Healthcare at all.
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Links below to Signifigant Posts on Why We Need Healthcare Reform in America ,2009 there are Hundreds More You are welcome to scroll. I did not post all the Countdown, Ed Show updates, or the Bi-monthly updates on HCR or all the links to analysis of the Different Bills, or the CSPAN coverage or MOVEon Ads etc...
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2.25.10Keith Olbermann's Special Comment on HCR
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12.19.09 Vicki Kennedy's Letter about why HCR matters right now
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12.16.09 Where I stand as an RN on HCR
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December 15th HCR Update
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12.15 Mother Jones important post on HCR
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Ezra Klein's Post on HCR Dec.15th
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12.15.09 Anthony Weiner explains about HCR
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12.15.09 Low Cost Drug Needs
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12.14.09 Joey Liebermann and HCR
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Joe Liebermann on Sunday CBS show... 12.14.09
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12.14.09 Cancer Screening cut in 20 States...
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A personal Story, by Diana "We are dying for Healthcare "
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Healthcare Reform as of Dec.12th, and obstacles that continue
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About Hope....Its a Journey
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We must be a Children of a Lesser God... 12.09.09
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The Story of Jenny, a story that must be shared....12.07.09
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Keith Olbermann's Special Comment -One Hour 12.08.09
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Free Clinic in Arkansas 11.23.09
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Senate Health Care Bill examined (linked) 11.19.09
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November 14-17th there are 4posts on NOLA"s Free Clinic
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America has the most Ineffecient Healthcare System in the World....
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10.21.09 Insurance Company dropping people it calls "Dogs"
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Hawaii has much to teach us about How to Do Healthcare....October2009
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Geographical Mapping of the UnInsured across the Country (October23,2009)
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DHHS finally releases report on Insurance Descrimination October 2009
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BlueCross denying Coverage Exposed (Sept 2009)
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Jeff Sessions at the Medical Debt hearing....10.21.09
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2year old denied Coverage,Healthcare due to "size" October 2009
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New England Journal of Medicine : Most Physicians support a PUBLIC Plan for healthcare (Oct2009)
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Law Student begs for Cancer Care....(Oct 2009)
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Blue Cross Denying Coverage (9.09)
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Reuters article Explained : Re: WHO is insured and WHO isn't (Sept 2009)
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HARVARD STUDY FIND THAT 45,000 DIE PER YEAR WITHOUT ADEQUATE HEALTHCARE OR ACCESS TO CARE (aug/sept2009)
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17yrold denied care for Celiac Disease (Aug.2009)
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NYT Finally does story on Body Count of Those that are dying UnderInsured and UnInsured ...Sept2009
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Brave New Films on Cancer Patients losing their lives, and homes ....Aug/Sept 2009
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Sadly the MSM was so focused on legitimizing the MOB-when they should have focused on the HealthCare Crisis... Sept2009
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Poverty Numbers show how important HCR really is....
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Healthcare is a Right,NOT a privilege....
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The Story of the heckled woman in her wheelchair at a TownHall meeting....
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WHAT causes most bankruptcies ? Medical Debt....August 2009
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The Numbers Show WHY we need Reform and a Public Option 9.12.09
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450,000 Doctors can not be wrong as to what we need....August2009
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Teen with HIV denied HC and insurance....Aug2009
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WHO to call to Support PUBLIC OPTION Aug/Sept 2009
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Urban Institute puts Mortality Statistics in place related to lack of Care /Insurance
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One in Seven of Californians are struggling with Medical Debt. Aug.2009
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Amazing Singlepayer list put together by a Nurse...
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Statistics tell the Whole Story as to WHY we need Health Care Reform and Public Plan...(14posts on Stats in August)
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6th Leading Cause of Death is People without Insurance (August2009)
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Would Better Angels see that 50 Million need Health Care
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77% of Americans Want Public Option ,How do we get Media to Cover ( August 2009)
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We need Public Option ,My letter to the President and Congress and Senate... August 2009
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LA RAM Free Clinic Event, one of 3 Posts on LA 's Clinic August 2009
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I will put another post down below with some of the Other Signifigant Health Care Posts.....
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The Truth is that with the Horrendous Statistics of those without Healthcare and Dying without Health Care, HCR should have been passed as an Emergency Measure. 30 Million Pre-Existing Conditioned Americans have NO care, and No chance of access to Adequate or ANY healthcare today. 53Million Americans have NO Healthcare due to Employment Changes or Rescinded Care.47,000Americans die each year due to Lack of Care(Harvard). >70% of ALL Bankruptcies are due to Medical Debt. 17,000 More Americans join the UnInsured every day. Millions more ,even on COBRA are UnderInsured as the Insurance Companies Dictate Care.This Country is experiencing a Health Care Crisis, the HCR should have been passed as an Emergency Measure while UnInsured Americans are dying each day, one person dies every EIGHT minutes due to lack of Medical Care. PASS the Damn Bill Now before more Die.
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As a Nurse, a Mom , as an UnInsured American I did try to blog all the HealthCare Reform Battle, the Teabaggery ,CSPAN Battles, the GOP Obstructionism, the Democrat Spineless Moments, the Compassion Deficit and I still wonder would it have been different if Teddy was here ? Would we have HCR ? I don't know....I wish I did.... "The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die." Senator Teddy Kennedy
7 comments:
My heart goes out to you.
I have you blogrolled due to your stellar, one-of-a-kind reporting. I have also reported on the issues that you have for years and stand with you on the importance of what you have been attempting to do for everyone.
I also just lost a friend this week who like myself had had no health care for over a decade. He wasn't sick - noticeably - although he had untreated high blood pressure - just like I do.
I hate reading that you are finally throwing in the towel, but understand all too well how you must feel. You have generously given your time and intellect to a venture that is valuable to millions. The fact that it is not perceived as such by those who are untouched by its reach has no relevance to its import.
We can never replace your efforts; and the MSM and big blogs do not represent the people we speak for. I say "we" to let you know how closely I identify with your mission, strength of character and admire your integrity of purpose.
Thank you for all you have done to benefit those in our country who need health care. I know that millions of people support your efforts and thank you.
Courage!
S
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thank you Suzan...
I do read your work...
I just have been commenting less and less this year....thank you for your blogging efforts as well...
thank you for understanding and for caring....
today I wrote this comment over on an Organizing for America Wall::
This Writer eloquently spoke the Truth - 30 Million Pre-Existing Conditioned Americans have NO care, and No chance of access to Adequate or ANY healthcare today. 53Million Americans have NO Healthcare due to Employment Changes or Rescinded Care.47,000Americans die each year due to Lack of Care(Harvard). >70% of ALL Bankruptcies are due to Medical Debt. 17,000 More Americans join the UnInsured every day. Millions more ,even on COBRA are UnderInsured as the Insurance Companies Dictate Care.This Country is experiencing a Health Care Crisis, the HCR should have been passed as an Emergency Measure while UnInsured Americans are dying each day, one person dies every EIGHT minutes due to lack of Medical Care. PASS the Damn Bill Now before more Die.
I too am disheartened like you, but healthcare reform is just one of my issues I have battled. I think there is a huge population of people in the US who are disheartened. It has become clear to so many that the corporations have taken charge of the country and are manipulating the legislators and the White House, it has gone on for decades while we were fed propaganda. Many are so heartbroken they can't even care anymore. This is one segment of the war on the poor in this country and one of the methods used to create a bigger population of poor. I have been struggling wit what to say on my blog about it without sounding angry, but the truth is I am angry and that is probably what I should say. Thank you for bringing this subject up and getting me thinking about it.
Celia,
as you spoke to me in your comment-you were telling yourself what you need to hear. You need to blog your truth-your angst....I am sorry that you too are disheartened....
I have nothing that I can say that will change how you feel...but I can say that it matters and I hear you...
Hi E ~ I think it is the things most near & dear to our own hearts & survival that we are most passionate about.
I see the apathy as a many fold issue.
• People who have coverage feel less urgency.
• People who have never been without coverage have no clue.
• People who have never been denied coverage due to a pre existing condition, really don't understand.
I know a lot of people are just jaded about the government in general. They see politicians on the take for money-- this is allowed in broad daylight, and legal (although immoral, and in any private business would be considered unethical & a direct conflict of interest.
But I know that united, we have more leverage, and power over fair coverage. The for profit model, is up-side down, where their motive for profits, is in direct contradiction to the concept of providing the coverage they sell.
They make money by denying coverage, or raising premiums, co pays & out of pocket expenses.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record,
is the financial elephant in the room- war funding. I know you dislike the financial discussion element. I do understand that it should be about health care being a human right. But as they duke it out in congress, a big part of the discussion is how to fund it.
This is a part for me that wants to SCREAM cut the war budget.
We've already sunk over a trillion into the 2 wars. That could have bought a decent health care plan. In Afghanistan alone, we've spent over $258 billion. We will crest the 7th YEAR anniversary of the Iraq war this month.
$711 billion, down the drain.
What am I saying here?
This is a complicated issue.
It is sickening that members of congress are like pigs at the money trough of Wealthcare.
The more $$$$ they get, the more their votes are literally bought & sold.
It is both disgusting & shameful. How could anyone with a heart & mind, not listen to real life stories of those who lost their lives, or suffer horribly without access, and not feel obliged to work in earnest to forge a solution?
Those who get it, really do. They entirely understand that what we have now is broken, and that any one of us is one step away from a diagnosis or job loss that causes us to lose coverage or access.
So I thank you for covering it. I know you are passionate about it on many levels.
My first choice would have been the Public Option. But the $$ clouded the topic & that was not even allowed to be on the table.
We have to get our foot in the door, and start somewhere. And I have to insist the $ argument does not fly. Just pull the plug on military spending, sucking 60% of the total budget.
I don't know what to think.
The GOP walks in lockstep, and the DEMS can't unite.
What will it take?
Maybe they should put caskets on the front lawn of Congress for them to be reminded of what is at stake.
I know it is not going to happen, but in a perfect world, if members of congress wound up with whatever health plan they finalize, the outcome would be very different.
You have done an incredible job! It is clear and devastatingly sad to realize that this country is ruined beyond repair---so much so that a corrupted venal Congress and a thoroughly deluded populace can't tell the difference between what is real and what is true.
You are right. HRC should be all about the uninsured and the illnesses untreated and the unecessary deaths for wont of health care.
Instead we get a lot of push-back about who to exclude, what services should not be paid for, where to pull funds from. And no matter how many opposition ideas are incorporated, they will cast no pro votes.
E, I am so sorry that you feel let down by the media and blogging community. No blog can cure what's wrong with us as a country but you should know you have made a difference by always speaking from your heart.
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