Posted on 08/19/2009 8:05:53 PM PDT by PhatHead
So, President Obama is going to make “an emotional and moral appeal?” I’m sure it will include many anecdotes about the struggles of various people trying to get insurance, or pay their medical bills. Isn’t it long past time to stop using sad stories to sell abhorrent policies? Because you know what? If your aim is to eliminate all the sad stories, you will never be done “reforming.”
Just to keep in the spirit of things, I have a health care “sad story,” but it’s one I don’t think he can use.
A little over five years ago, my son was diagnosed with brain cancer. He underwent a ten hour, microscope-guided brain surgery. He received six weeks of total brain and spine radiation, followed by 10 months of very intensive chemotherapy. After all of that, his cancer returned. He underwent another surgery, more radiation, a form of chemotherapy that could only be described as savage, and a bone marrow transplant. That did not work either. So he began another, somewhat more experimental therapy that his body simply could not tolerate. We traveled to other cities and states, got him into another clinical trial, and even tried many other, unconventional therapies.
During his five year battle, my son received at least 50 MRI scans, countless physical exams, many gallons of blood transfusions, at least three extended stays in ICU, a couple of near-death experiences, at least seven minor surgeries, and daily handfuls of prescription drugs for many, many months.
Also during this time, I changed jobs twice, and insurance companies four times. We paid our full, annual “out-of-pocket maximum” at least six times in five years. Not everything was covered fully, and we had to pay for a lot of of things in cash, despite being fully insured. I also took several months of unpaid leave from work. The total cost of his care was many hundreds of thousands of dollars, with tens of thousands of that out-of-pocket.
And I would gladly pay it all, and more, again. I would gladly sell everything I own, declare bankruptcy, and spend the rest of my days in debtor’s prison if it meant curing my son’s terrible illness.
But that was never, as it turns out, one of our options. You see, although treatments have become more successful over the years, the sad truth is that there is still no cure for cancer. Despite the best doctors and the best care in the world; despite many treatments and tests our young president might well have deemed “unnecessary,” my son died earlier this year.
In retrospect, I suppose you could say that all of his treatments were “unnecessary.” After all, none of them worked.
Only we don’t live our lives in retrospect; we don’t decide what is necessary, or even what is best, based solely on some oddsmaker’s calculation of the chance of success. As Americans, we expect to make our own free choices on how to spend our money, and how to live our lives. And some choose the the sanctity of life over some ephemeral, materialistic notion of the “quality of life.”
My son chose to live his life fighting until the end, never giving up simply because the odds against him were too great, or the treatments too debilitating. Just because he lost his battle does not mean it wasn’t worth fighting - but that is exactly the sort of calculation that Obama seeks to mandate – not to preserve “dignity,” but solely to save money.
But you know, if it isn't worth paying for, it isn't worth doing, it won't be tested, and it will never become the cure.
I am pretty sure Mr. Obama will not use my sad story in one of his speeches. There is not much in my story to recommend his idea of “reform.” His reform wouldn’t have helped my son. His reform won’t cure cancer. But that is not why I reject his plan. I don’t expect the President of the United States to cure cancer (although I suspect many of his supporters believe that he could.)
I reject his plan, and the philosophy behind it, because it does not celebrate freedom, it does not encourage innovation, it does not honor the individual judgment of medical professionals or their patients, and, in the end, because of its singular dedication to saving material resources, it is profoundly anti-human.
You may say his plan would have “saved” me some of the money I paid out over the years, and I have no doubt that is true.
But that’s savings I can do without. There are worse things than being broke.
Give it another 10 months. The way Obama is destroying this country - the living may end up envying the dead.
You lost me there. Not sure what you mean.
Excellent!
Any parent worthy of the title will do exactly as you did— whatever is humanly possible to save a son or daughter with a great deal of prayer thrown in to summon the powers of God. Sometimes, miracles happen. Sometimes God calls them home anyway for reasons we mere humans cannot understand. But the important thing is that you and your son (and God) made the decision, not some faceless government bureaucrat. My sincere condolences and congratulations for a well-fought fight. How old was your son?
Like being a thief.
It is more moral to be a beggar than a thief.
I know what you mean. You would give all you own for just another hug from your baby.
I’m so sorry.
Thank you for the kind words. He was 11 when first diagnosed; 16 when he died.
I already do.
You are obviously a person of integrity and someone who has a full grasp of what liberty, choices and freedom are all about.
I am so sorry about your son; most of us cannot imagine what you’ve been through. Thank you for your moving story.
Og God - I apologize for my flip answer or little joke about Obama. I did not read the whole message by that man or woman and their loss with their child. I had just read the title and was not aware it was about a parent’s loss.
Thank you Phathead, for putting this all into perspective. You are, as always, in our thoughts and daily prayers.
Take care,
Tatt
Frantzie: NO offense taken, believe me! I laughed at your response, and my son would have, too.
Thanks. Sorry. I was thinking of the cold war films about nuclear war where people would say the living would envy the dead. We sometimes make jokes about that when the liberal news blows minor hurricane threats out of proportion.
Thank you for you post. Incredibly moving and sad. My prayers are with you.
Then, to your point; you present us with a very powerful story of liberty and its blessings in the most difficult of life's situations.
You had the liberty to deal with this intense and heart rending struggle the way you chose to deal with it. You were not told you could not take it any further nor were you told you must take it in a direction you did not want to go. You, your wife and your son were free to choose your own course of action within your abilities and to the greatest extent that the art and science of medicine could provide.
That liberty is exactly what is at stake in this proposed "Health Care Reform." Both the patient's liberty to choose what they want and the health care provider's liberty to choose what they would like to provide. Without these liberties we are all nothing more than property of the state with no more choice than livestock have in their care. It is the ability to choose that makes us human beings and the liberty to choose that brings dignity, honor and love to our lives.
Our government was founded to do nothing more than secure that liberty. Let's not let it take that liberty from us now.
I am afflicted with Leukemia, but it is the “best type you can have” according to my Doctor.
When I am at my Chemo sessions, seeing people young and old who have afflictions much worse than mine, I am always amazed that to a man or woman, nobody complains.
We talk, we laugh and we share stories. The line to the Newbies is, what are you in for?
Life is never easy or fair, but I know of no other place on the Earth I would rather be when dealing with my affliction.
When these “Compassionate Socialists” whine on and on about how terrible life in America is and how it needs to be “reformed”, my patience is tested beyond comprehension.
My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.
Amen.
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