I, unfortunately, live in the politically blighted state of Florida. The sunshine, saltwater, and beaches do not help the fact that the voters of this state elected a Governor that is willing to allow the less fortunate in this state to suffer and possibly perish because of political ideology that is not even in step with main stream American political sentiment (read: those people who cannot pull themselves out of poverty by their own bootstraps).
The Obama administration and Congress enacted a law in 2010 that changed the way in which healthcare will be provided in the near future. It establishes healthcare for nearly, if not all, of Americans. This great State and its leader have decided that they will ignore federal law. Not accept federal funding for healthcare initiatives and prepare for the full implementation of the law in 2014.
This effectively means that people with preexisting conditions such as cancer and COPD, conditions that require a great deal of care and money, will go virtually untreated. This effects low income and indigent people, not the wealthy members of our society. These individuals will now suffer through untreated cancers and diseases and ultimately die.
I was always under the impression that this country was founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? I wonder if this came with the unspoken caveat, "But only for those lucky few who could afford it."
I believe there is a God. I believe in the teachings of the Catholic church and I am under the impression that many other Americans have similar beliefs. Christ was a champion of those who could not help themselves. His ministry started with the poor and those who had no real voice in the communities of the day. He taught that the meek will inherit the kingdom of God and that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven. If the people who voted for Rick Scott and the Republican lead legislature that enables Scott to move forward with his ultraconservative, business friendly agenda, have similar beliefs in Christ and the teachings of the bible, then I wonder why they have forsaken their core beliefs?
It must be ok to let people suffer. It must be morally right to allow men, women and children to die of awful diseases. I have a different view of what is morally right and the principles upon which this country was founded. I may very well be wrong. I may be deluded into believing that all human beings deserve respect and care. But, I truly and sincerely hope that I am right. Protecting the wealth of individuals and business DOES NOT MEAN abrogating our responsibility to defend and protect those who cannot defend and protect themselves.
I wonder if Jesus would feel that Governor Scott was doing the right thing?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Dealing...
I have an amazing family. My girls are practically brand new and I can't get enough of them. My son is an amazing, curious, and sometimes frustrating five-year-old. My wife works and helps out around the house as much as possible; things are going along pretty good.
But, my father is dying and I don't know how to deal with this. It isn't a problem I can fix. I can't talk through it and I feel frustrated, angry and very, very sorry for myself. My father and I have had some issues over the years, most of which occurred when I was a teenager and a young adult. As I have gotten older he has been a great friend and a person I could count on to give me an objective opinion about the issues I brought to him. He has been there for me and my family when we needed him He is also an intensely private individual and I feel very uncomfortable talking with him about his end of life care.
He has what amounts to COPD. His lungs are very full of scar tissue and do not transfer oxygen to his corpuscles the way they should. He is also a very big man and has had weight problems all of his adult life. All of this causes him to be a very poor candidate for lung transplant surgery. He has no options left as far as a cure and his disease is progressive. He has lately been getting much worse, much faster than I believed he would. This has also taken him by surprise and I believe that he is still in a denial stage of grief.
I can't talk to him about this. I am hoping that my wife will be able to. Angela is an amazing communicator and has the ability to make a problem a teachable moment. She can analyze the root of the issue and use a level head to make her point. I believe that my father, may in fact, listen to her, where he would not listen to me, my sister or his wife.
I want his passing to be as pain free as possible, I want him to have his family around him and to understand that he is appreciated, cherished and loved. I hope that he will not spiral down into a depression that makes his last months or days a miserable battle to hang on in the face of the inevitable.
Americans don't deal very well with death. Our healthcare system keeps people alive that in many cases would never have had a chance. It brings back accident victims and cancer patients from the very brink of death. But, there are some times and some diseases that medicine can do nothing for. I am going to try to deal with this in an intelligent, caring, and rational manner. I have a faith that I can lean on and friends that I know will be there for me. It still feels to soon to be loosing him.
But, my father is dying and I don't know how to deal with this. It isn't a problem I can fix. I can't talk through it and I feel frustrated, angry and very, very sorry for myself. My father and I have had some issues over the years, most of which occurred when I was a teenager and a young adult. As I have gotten older he has been a great friend and a person I could count on to give me an objective opinion about the issues I brought to him. He has been there for me and my family when we needed him He is also an intensely private individual and I feel very uncomfortable talking with him about his end of life care.
He has what amounts to COPD. His lungs are very full of scar tissue and do not transfer oxygen to his corpuscles the way they should. He is also a very big man and has had weight problems all of his adult life. All of this causes him to be a very poor candidate for lung transplant surgery. He has no options left as far as a cure and his disease is progressive. He has lately been getting much worse, much faster than I believed he would. This has also taken him by surprise and I believe that he is still in a denial stage of grief.
I can't talk to him about this. I am hoping that my wife will be able to. Angela is an amazing communicator and has the ability to make a problem a teachable moment. She can analyze the root of the issue and use a level head to make her point. I believe that my father, may in fact, listen to her, where he would not listen to me, my sister or his wife.
I want his passing to be as pain free as possible, I want him to have his family around him and to understand that he is appreciated, cherished and loved. I hope that he will not spiral down into a depression that makes his last months or days a miserable battle to hang on in the face of the inevitable.
Americans don't deal very well with death. Our healthcare system keeps people alive that in many cases would never have had a chance. It brings back accident victims and cancer patients from the very brink of death. But, there are some times and some diseases that medicine can do nothing for. I am going to try to deal with this in an intelligent, caring, and rational manner. I have a faith that I can lean on and friends that I know will be there for me. It still feels to soon to be loosing him.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
I need to really get into the habit of posting more often. Well, the girls are almost a year-old now and they have really matured and grown. I love being at home with all of the kids, even as Nick gets ready to head out into the world of public school (he starts kindergarten in the fall).
The girls continue to amaze as the grow and mature. Twins are magical and wonderful to watch. These two infants interact in so many ways that single children their age have trouble with. They are already sharing and playing together. They still have their moments of egocentricity but more often than not they sit together and move together and just have a blast checking out their toy boxes.
The new thing now is pulling everything out and standing up behind their play table then pushing it around the room. We initially had some concerns about their fine motor and gross motor development. The girls were delayed crawlers; they had developed a very nice low crawl or soldiers crawl, but they have now decided that they can move so much faster on hands and knees. They are pulling up on everything and are cruising along the couch and other furniture.
Well so much for the update on the girls growth. I still cannot find a job to save my life ( a job that pays enough for me to afford day care for two one-year-olds) and we might now have to move out of this house we have been in for 5 years due to such a substantial loss of value over the last few years. We bought at $89,000 and the last thing we were told was that this house would sell for about $51,000. Our mortgage company will not deal with us until we are at least 60 days past due. We would like to see if a write down is possible or if we can even do a short-sale. Things are really up in the air for us right now and that is a very uncomfortable place to be.
The girls continue to amaze as the grow and mature. Twins are magical and wonderful to watch. These two infants interact in so many ways that single children their age have trouble with. They are already sharing and playing together. They still have their moments of egocentricity but more often than not they sit together and move together and just have a blast checking out their toy boxes.
The new thing now is pulling everything out and standing up behind their play table then pushing it around the room. We initially had some concerns about their fine motor and gross motor development. The girls were delayed crawlers; they had developed a very nice low crawl or soldiers crawl, but they have now decided that they can move so much faster on hands and knees. They are pulling up on everything and are cruising along the couch and other furniture.
Well so much for the update on the girls growth. I still cannot find a job to save my life ( a job that pays enough for me to afford day care for two one-year-olds) and we might now have to move out of this house we have been in for 5 years due to such a substantial loss of value over the last few years. We bought at $89,000 and the last thing we were told was that this house would sell for about $51,000. Our mortgage company will not deal with us until we are at least 60 days past due. We would like to see if a write down is possible or if we can even do a short-sale. Things are really up in the air for us right now and that is a very uncomfortable place to be.
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