|
My parents are very good friends with a surgeon who lives on their street. They've known "The Doc" (fake name to protect privacy) for years and he even operated on my Dad's hernia. My Mom told me that they don't discuss politics because The Doc and his wife are Republicans and they don't agree. Doc's wife couldn't believe my parents put up an Obama sign! (My Mom is a lifelong Dem and my Dad is an Independent - pretty cynical in his not-yet-so old age.) The Doc did tell my parents that he thought any gov't healthcare was a mistake and would hurt doctors like him and hurt quality of care.
A few months ago, pretty much out of nowhere - The Doc's kidneys failed. He was fortunate that one of his children was a match and he is now recovering from this scare and even talking about going back to work. My parents visit them often and have tried to be there for their friends.
The other day, The Doc and his wife came over for dinner and started talking about healthcare reform. My Mom was shocked - again, they don't talk politics. My Mom said that she thought they were against reform. The Doc said, "Well, something has to be done..."
Makes me wonder....Did dealing with the healthcare system, even with coverage and a doctor's income, wake The Doc up? Does he now realize that the interfence of insurance companies actually hampers care? Does he see that a tragedy such as his would have sent most Americans - even those WITH insurance, straight to the poor house?
Is it just me, or do Repubicans only truly understand issues when they're forced to face reality?
Please send good thoughts to The Doc. Let's hope more people like him wake up to the realities of our system without having to go thru all that!
|