I cried today

[TZ]

First time ever, tears of joy from a political event. Because I was sure the SCOTUS was about to screw me and other chronically ill people royally.

I have a rare bone marrow disorder that causes too many platelets to be made. Generally treatable but can cause stroke bleeding and heart attacks. And I'm 20-25 yrs younger than the avg patient. I'm doing really well on a med now- but a very expensive med- about $2, 400 a month fortunately I have pretty decent health insurance, I'm lucky. But the ACA means I don't have to live in terror that losing my job could kill me, as the insurance company can't pull the pre existing clause on me ( they tried to do it when I started my current job but I had leeway of about 5 days that saved me). Also lifetime limits on how much they cover are gone. Considering a bone marrow transplant is something I may need in the future that's also a huge relief !

Is the ACA perfect? No. But for people like me it's a life changer! And hearing liberals complain as much about what's not in it as much as conservatives complain about the whole thing really angers me. Try not to be rude to those of us who are extremely relieved and happy today. This is a big win for us...

[Inuca]

1. .

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. Geddy Lee salutes you!

And so does Billy Corgan!

http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=2474402

[TZ]

5. !

Tommy!! Good to see you!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. When asked for comment, Chuggo shrugged.

[mattclearing]

3. Congratulations.

At the end of the day, this is all that matters, that you and others will get needed care without becoming totally indebted or forced out of the system by economics.

[freshwest]

24. And that has happened. Thanks for saying so.

[HockeyMom]

4. You are the reason I would pay the penalty tax

for declining insurance that I have no intention of using. Same for children who were born with disabilities.

[TZ]

8. .

Thank you

[spanone]

7. k&r...

[GObamaGO]

9. One of my best friends is a long time cancer survivor

I am so relieved for him that he no longer has to fear losing group coverage from his employer.

[calimary]

40. The kid who drums in my son's band is a childhood cancer survivor.

He fully understands the value of being able to stay on his parents' insurance til he's 26. In his case, though, they have some provision that stretches that to 27. They appreciate this VERY much, as do we all!

Much love, TZ!!!

[RiffRandell]

10. I am so happy for you and others that benefit from the ACA.

Last edited Fri Jun 29, 2012, 06:35 PM - Edit history (1)

And I am disgusted from the so called "liberals" on this board saying it's a "loss." Disgusting.

[LynneSin]

11. I know so many people in your shoes

And they are all breathing a sigh of relief.

I get so annoyed when someone who is filthy rich wants to play with my health. Ann Romney has MS and she never has to worry about her health care because the Romney's are worth $220million. But what about the average Jane or Joe with MS? They will never have that luxury of knowing that any treatment is within reach for them because of their wealth. They have to pray their insurance will cover it IF they have health insurance.

Thank you for sharing your story with DU. I know there are many many more out there just like you and I bet some of them are regular posters at Free Republic.

[bigwillq]

12. I am very happy that ACA will help you.

Best wishes.

[Auggie]

13. K&R

[Gormy Cuss]

14. ACA is not even close to perfect BUT it's a huge improvement

and it's making positive changes for many, many people. I'm glad that SCOTUS left most of it intact.

[Raffi Ella]

15. It's a HUGE win.

I'm so happy for you and for all of us, the American People. I was stunned when I heard that it was upheld, couldn't believe it, I still can't. Hearing from people like you brings it home in a very real way.

Best wishes to you, thanks for sharing your story.

[Voice for Peace]

16. let your story be shared -- the more who see how this is a good thing

in real people's lives, the better for its success.

best wishes to you, it can't be easy.

[lunatica]

17. I work with a young woman who has a compromised immune system due to

traces of Agent Orange in her system since birth. Evidently her father picked up some Agent Orange and it must have gotten into his sperm or something. In any event it's the only way she could have been born with it.

As a result she gets sick all the time. She's so relieved about not being dropped for a pre-existing condition! I'm very happy for her. She doesn't even have to keep a job just for the insurance anymore. It must feel very liberating.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. A woman called up CSPAN3 this morning

to comment about the ruling and then she suddenly started sobbing on the phone on-air.

There are many many people out there like you who are voiceless and can hopefully now have some little bit of comfort.

[Squinch]

19. OK, now you made ME cry! Stay well.

[Ms. Toad]

20. Ditto.

For my daughter and my spouse.

Our bills so far this year are $23,500. $11,000-$12,000 each for my daughter and spouse. My daughter's standard maintenance exams (screening for multiple cancers) are larger and have not yet been incurred. Her annual routine care costs in the range of $60,000/year - at age 21. Like you, she will likely need a transplant - of her liver. Perhaps more than one. In those years, her care will likely cost between 1/2 and 3/4 of a million dollars.

Fortunately, we have good insurance - but it means that until today I could not even consider switching jobs because it would leave my family access to health care. I am constantly concerned about losing my job (and access to health care for my spouse and child). In a cruel twist - I just learned that even though my employers cover my spouse on our plan, because my marriage is not recognized by law, she would be ineligible for the COBRA or HIPAA plan extensions if my job were terminated for any reason. When my daughter ages out of my plan, because she cannot work full time, she would be unlikely to be able to find a job which provided insurance or be able to afford it on her own. The cheapest insurance she was eligible for when I checked a few years ago was $18,000/year.

I have been living on the edge waiting for this decision. This changes everything.

Like you, it is not the perfect plan. But, for the first time ever, by 2014 my daughter and spouse's lives will not be tied to wealth, health, or the ability to maintain full time employment or education. At rock bottom that is what insurance provides - a means to pay for the costly care that literally is the difference between life and death.

[Chorophyll]

21. I cried today too.

Thankfully I have decent insurance and, knock wood, my family is healthy. I cried out of happiness and relief that there's still hope for this country and for everyone in it.

Best wishes to you, TZ. Be well, be happy!

[rurallib]

22. Me too - I have crap insurance

But I cried for all the people I know who were instantly relieved that they no longer have to live in - let's face it - right wing terror.

[freshwest]

25. And families broken up for lack of this, too. The current system destitutes many.

[freshwest]

23. Thanks for explaining why the perfect should not destroy the good. Best wishes.

[ThatsMyBarack]

26. Best of Luck TZ!

[flakey_foont]

27. Thank You for sharing this..

Cheers!

[2on2u]

28. You might like to know this....

http://www.docguide.com/intensive-nutritional-supplementation-after-stroke-improves-patient-outcomes-presented-ana

By Jacquelyn Beals

WASHINGTON, DC -- October 11, 2007 -- Stroke patients who receive intensive nutritional supplementation during in-patient rehabilitation achieve greater functional independence and are more likely to go home from hospital than patients on a routine nutritional supplement, according to research presented here at the American Neurological Association (ANA) 132nd Annual Meeting.

Acute stroke is frequently associated with poor nutrition. Causes include difficulty swallowing and/or feeding, depression, and pre-existing motor and cognitive deficits.

Meheroz H. Rabadi, MD, MRCPI, Co-Director, Stroke Service, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, United States, presented the results of a randomised, double-blind, prospective study of 102 malnourished stroke patients at one institution.

Patients enrolled in the study were successive admissions to the stroke service that met inclusion criteria and granted informed consent. Exclusion criteria were prior history of alcohol abuse, kidney and liver disease, and malabsorption, medical instability, terminal illness, or participation in other therapeutic trials.

[Zoeisright]

29. Exactly.

Some people can't see the forest for the trees.

[Scurrilous]

30. K & R

[w8liftinglady]

31. My patients cried today... and so did I

4 ventillator-dependent patients...that are weaning-and can't be dropped,I can't be dropped,after brain surgery.
I am so happy today- happy for them,happy for all of us.
Hugs.

[ailsagirl]

32. I'm so happy for all of us!!!

[Tobin S.]

33. I've probably only cried once in the last 5 years

But I came close to a second time earlier today when the decision came down. Gotta big lump in my throat.

I have a chronic health problem, too, TZ, and I could not get health insurance coverage back when I was self-employed. Talk about a drain on the ol' finances. I want to be self-employed again some day and the ACA will help me a great deal if I decide to do it again. So, it means a lot to me as well...personally.

[Stuart G]

34. K and R nt.

[proud patriot]

35. me too

took almost 100 yrs , to be alive when it happened ,, great stuff

[SunSeeker]

36. K&R

[TBF]

37. I also have a chronic disease -

and maintaining very well but also with pricey meds. The two I take are each $50 per month (that's the co-pay - they cost much more without insurance), and we are thankful to have coverage that costs over $1K per month for a family of four. You better believe I'd rather have universal health care, but for people like us losing a job is an immediate problem. Without my meds I have so much inflammation that I can barely get out of bed and walk down the stairs in the morning, much less function in any meaningful way (I am in my 40s with arthritis). It is very cavalier, I feel, for folks to scoff at this as not pure enough. It is a good law that will help many now, and hopefully be expanded much wider in the future.

[Rowdyboy]

38. After reading so much idiotic negativity here today, finding your post was was a real pleasure.....

It was a big win for several of my neices and nephews too. Not perfect, not by a long shot-but a huge step forward from where we were.

[Firebrand Gary]

39. I wish yours was the only ACA post I read today.

Many peoples reaction sincerely bummed me out. That said, after reading this I am once again smiling.

[Deep13]

41. Goddamn right. nt

[Vinca]

42. Great post.

I'm in the PCIP - not for a condition as serious as yours - and I was resigned to going back to no medical care. When I heard it was upheld I nearly fainted. What a relief!

[JNelson6563]

43. I am so happy for all like you!

How many lives will have a much higher quality, not to mention longevity, because of this decision? Many with you among them.

Awesome.

Julie

[Progressive dog]

44. Great post-Thank you for it

This is another significant step toward realization of FDR's four freedoms.

[icarusxat]

45. your story made me cry too

tears of joy for you and for our nation. Moving in the proper direction for all.

[cbdo2007]

46. My dad hasn't been able to get coverage for 10 years due to preexisting conditions....

now he'll be able to get a plan just like a "normal" person could get. Sure, he's a Repube who hates Obama and is against the ACA, but he's family and I want to make sure he can get the care he needs, when he needs it. Also, if he goes really big into debt for medical expenses that could effect the whole family.

[Odin2005]

47. ***BEAR HUG***

[Kteachums]

48. I have cancer and I also cried!

Today I began to cry as CNN first broadcast that the mandate went down. They later changed as the entire decision was heard. I have tried to remain positive through out this entire thing. It has had it's effect on all of us who are ill. But, I knew that our President was a law student. I knew that he would have explored all options. Hopefully, we can go forward with health care. I am tired and the more we rehash the worse. Let's be positive and go forward. Get the good news out and don't let the Republican Party take us down that spending plain again. We need to throw back at them the amount they are spending in the election. I'm sick of them saying Obama is the big time spender when they think nothing of spending millions toward a campaign.

Cherish this Victory!!

[classof56]

49. Welcome to DU

Be well and best wishes!

[TZ]

55. Good luck to you in your fight

My condition is thought by some to be "pre-leukemia" so I identify strongly with cancer patients.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

56. Welcome to DU

Great to have you here. All the best with your treatment

[Grammy23]

50. I cried listening to the Prez explain what the bill does

I couldn't help it. Next week on July 5th I will reach the 22nd year since my diagnosis of breast cancer. Thankfully, the treatment I received (and was insured so I got everything I needed) was apparently adequate to eliminate my cancer burden at the time. I have remained cancer free, as far as can be medically determined. What many people do not realize is that breast cancer can recur many, many years later, so for that reason I continue to be monitored for signs of recurrence. My doctor has told me about women who had their breast cancer recur after 20-25 years. So I have always had to live with the idea that my cancer could be lurking somewhere, undetected because it was still small, but could get "triggered" to grow again much later on. Don't get me wrong....I am grateful for my years of survival. However, I know I must be vigilant and never assume it will never happen to me again.

When the President explained the essential components of the Affordable Health Care Act, I began to cry out of sense of relief. To know that my history of cancer cannot be used to deny me coverage is a victory for everyone who has ever had the misfortune to be diagnosed with a serious disease or illness. The fact that the insurance company cannot "cap" how much they will pay for my care was another huge relief. Cancer treatment (and heart disease, MS, diabetes, lupus, the list goes on and on) can be very expensive. Without insurance you may get the treatment you need but your family could be bankrupt in the end. Or you may receive treatment but be limited in what you get. Insurance helps level the playing field so you have choices for treatment plans. And finally, knowing the insurance company can't get tired of paying for my care and then drop me, brought on a flood of tears for myself and all the other people out there who have battled for their lives or are in the midst of that battle right now.

Trust me---few of us ever "plan" to get sick or have a serious illness. That happens to other people, right? Nope, it happens to regular, ordinary people every day. I was 41 when I was diagnosed with cancer and it never entered my head that I'd be dealing with that for several years, plus the follow-up that would continue for the rest of my life. We should all assume that at some point we will need health insurance for something serious. I include dental insurance in that, too, since people can have dental problems with the potential to cause them life threatening illnesses. (Abscessed teeth, gum disease that leads to heart disease) We do not get to control when that serious health issue will occur in our lives, so you take a terrible risk if you gamble that youth is on your side.

Is the Affordable Care Act perfect? I would guess no, it's not. But do we need the essential elements contained in its thousands of pages? Oh, yes we do. The Republican politicians (who all have GOOD health insurance to take care of them and their families) will use every tactic in the book to scare Americans into believing that this act is an abomination, bad law, evil in its intent and the worst thing to happen to us since 9/11. Don't believe 'em. Let's marshall our energies and efforts into getting the core truths out to the people. Please, let's not let the Republicans carry the message about this issue because they will continue to distort and outright lie to the people. They have already regrouped since yesterday (they reframed their message within a few hours of hearing the SCOTUS ruling). They are going to hammer us with the message that the bill is a new tax on us and a bad thing for all of us.

Well, tax or not, we need reform, we need health insurance. The details of this bill can be modified to overcome its shortcomings. But please, let's not let the Repubs destroy our best chance at having health insurance for all of us.

[TZ]

52. Welcome to DU, and thank you for the wonderful post

I hope you continue to enjoy good health. Your post brought tears to my eyes.

[JustAnotherGen]

51. I'm with you

I have aggressive a.s. My spine is freezing and my rib cage WAS slowly closing in on my lungs. Enbrel has severely slowed the process down. $357 per self administered shot every 10 days - it's my life saver. The ACA makes sense to people like me too.

[TZ]

53. Enbrel is a wonderful drug

The first monoclonal antibody to really hit the drug market. I'm glad its helped you.

[TZ]

54. Thank you all for your kind replies

The last 4 years have been quite the ride for me. When Obama promised HCR, he earned my vote. When he managed to pass it, he earned my loyalty and respect (though I don't agree with everything he's done obvious)
Your kind words have made me feel good. Thank you.

[Politicub]

57. This is what it's all about

ACA is going to help so many people.

[FredStembottom]

58. Oh, me too, TZ.

My 20-something kids were off of my insurance for awhile until ACA came along. And they have been employed all along. But no one talks about how sooooo many employers were creating 2tier systems where new, younger employees just wouldn't be offered insurance anymore. I feared for their entire lives going forward!

[AllyCat]

59. A friend with a little one with a genetic disorder that is debilitating and eventually fatal

was crying too. She said now they cannot get screwed over getting care for their guy so he can have a decent quality life.

[tandot]

60. I am very happy to be your 200th recommendation

Now that it is the law of the land, they can start making improvements

[Tarheel_Dem]

61. TZ, I almost missed your post. But I am extremely happy for you and others with chronic....

conditions. My niece, who decided to go to grad school after taking a year off, will be covered by her parents' policy till she's 26, and hopefully has secured a stable position, and established a career.

Here's to you!

[Ilsa]

62. I am happy for you and

I slept better last night knowing persons in my family weren't going to get screwed for pre-existing conditions.

[Number23]

63. K&R Sorry I'm so late, have had little interest in this place lately.