Health treatment, and access to it.

[matriarch]

I have no idea how many toes I am going to tread on with this one, but those of you who have taken the trouble to get to know me, know that I would not deliberately antagonise you. As for the rest of you.........

A friend from Manhattan, sent me the following (and no, before I get irate responses, I am not asking you to sign up, merely read.)

Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill - Important legislation for all women

Please send this to everyone in your address book. If there was ever a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those times. If you are receiving this it's because I think you will take the 30 seconds to go and vote on this issue...and send it on to others you know who will do the same.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the "drive-through mastectomy" where women are forced to go home hours after surgery against the wishes of their doctor; still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on.

PLEASE!!!! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below and help women living with breast cancer get the care they need and deserve!!
There is no cost or monetary pledge involved. You need not give more than your name and zip code number.

http://www*****timetv.com/health/breast_mastectomy_pledge.html

--------------------

The reason this made such an impact on me? Apart frome being a woman (how many of ya noticed?), I personally know several women who have undergone mastectomies,and other surgery related to breast cancer, and the thought of them being forced to leave hospital while still anaesthetised, lafter such a traumatic event, leaves me horrified.

In the UK, I have to say, it just would not happen. My sister in law underwent surgery to remove her lymph glands, not even a mastectomy. Her minimum stay was 6 days, before they even considered allowing her to go home.

I have reached that magical age, where parts of my body start to give up, lay down and die, or just lay down. As standard, in the UK, any woman over 50 is automatically called to the local hospital for a mammogram, every 3 years. I ignored my first call, and have recently received a reminder.

Following the articles by the inventor of the infernal machine, and his comment that he now considers them a waste of money, I had not intended to bother.

This article, has brought home to me, how much I have taken for granted the enormous strides made in women's health care, particularly here in UK, and what a slap in the face it would be to those who have worked for those improvements, and to the women who have undergone the trauma of surgery, chemotherapy and radio therapy, if I did not attend.

I was given a severe scolding by a very close friend because of my attitude (her mammograms had revealed several lumps, removed in good time with no ill effects), and practically ordered to attend.

I will be doing so.

I guess my point, in all this rambling is to urge... not beg...all you people over in the good old US of A - men and women. Take note of the bill, make it happen.

For the sake of your mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, lovers, partners.

Mat

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

(hopefully this is taken the right way

Lifetime Television has been advocating for the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act since 1996, when 17,000 viewers signed an online petition for the cause. Unfortunately, the bill was never brought to a vote at that time. Connecticut Representative Rosa L. DeLauro reintroduced the legislation in 2001 with new hope that now might be the time. It was during this session of congress that the above chain letter gained a lot of public support via e-mail. Unfortunately, the resolution was referred to conference committee on March 29, 2001, where it died again.

On April 30, 2003, DeLauro re-introduced the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act as H.R. 1886. In the wake of that news, this chain and the lifetime petition gained renewed life.

The Lifetime online petition passes muster. It has privacy protections (to a point) and tells you exactly what will be done with the signatures. Unfortunately, it seems a little off-target. Sending signatures to Representative DeLauro seems redundant since she is already supporting the issue. The best course of action would be to contact your congressmen and congresswomen to encourage them to get behind the bill. You can get contact information for Senators and Representatives at the U.S. Congress Website. Be sure to mention H.R. 1886.

Likewise, a personal letter from you to your friends, expressing your concern for the bill, would likely go farther to spurring them to action than this chain letter. Though it means well, the e-mail above comes across as a bit insulting. It implies that if you don't sign and forward you aren't "a loving, caring, person who will take the 30 seconds to go and vote on this issue." Signing a petition is not the same as voting on an issue and be careful about giving your personal information to a third party to act on your behalf. Break this chain.

 

[sincerely_helene]

(hopefully this is taken the right way

Lifetime Television has been advocating for the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act since 1996, when 17,000 viewers signed an online petition for the cause. Unfortunately, the bill was never brought to a vote at that time. Connecticut Representative Rosa L. DeLauro reintroduced the legislation in 2001 with new hope that now might be the time. It was during this session of congress that the above chain letter gained a lot of public support via e-mail. Unfortunately, the resolution was referred to conference committee on March 29, 2001, where it died again.

On April 30, 2003, DeLauro re-introduced the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act as H.R. 1886. In the wake of that news, this chain and the lifetime petition gained renewed life.

The Lifetime online petition passes muster. It has privacy protections (to a point) and tells you exactly what will be done with the signatures. Unfortunately, it seems a little off-target. Sending signatures to Representative DeLauro seems redundant since she is already supporting the issue. The best course of action would be to contact your congressmen and congresswomen to encourage them to get behind the bill. You can get contact information for Senators and Representatives at the U.S. Congress Website. Be sure to mention H.R. 1886.

Likewise, a personal letter from you to your friends, expressing your concern for the bill, would likely go farther to spurring them to action than this chain letter. Though it means well, the e-mail above comes across as a bit insulting. It implies that if you don't sign and forward you aren't "a loving, caring, person who will take the 30 seconds to go and vote on this issue." Signing a petition is not the same as voting on an issue and be careful about giving your personal information to a third party to act on your behalf. Break this chain.

That's not bed, Mister!

 

[oggbashan]

Petitions are not as effective as...

...almost any other means of supporting a cause.

If you contact your elected representative personally, either by letter, telephone or face to face, you will have far more impact than signing a petition (especially an on-line petition).

Locally, my council treats a petition as the same as one individual's letter. Six letters get more attention than 500 signatures on 5 petitions.

Face to face lobbying gets more attention than the letters.

A letter in the local press gets the most attention - if it sounds sane and sensible.

Og

 

[matriarch]

(hopefully this is taken the right way

Lifetime Television has been advocating for the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act since 1996, when 17,000 viewers signed an online petition for the cause. Unfortunately, the bill was never brought to a vote at that time. Connecticut Representative Rosa L. DeLauro reintroduced the legislation in 2001 with new hope that now might be the time. It was during this session of congress that the above chain letter gained a lot of public support via e-mail. Unfortunately, the resolution was referred to conference committee on March 29, 2001, where it died again.

On April 30, 2003, DeLauro re-introduced the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act as H.R. 1886. In the wake of that news, this chain and the lifetime petition gained renewed life.

The Lifetime online petition passes muster. It has privacy protections (to a point) and tells you exactly what will be done with the signatures. Unfortunately, it seems a little off-target. Sending signatures to Representative DeLauro seems redundant since she is already supporting the issue. The best course of action would be to contact your congressmen and congresswomen to encourage them to get behind the bill. You can get contact information for Senators and Representatives at the U.S. Congress Website. Be sure to mention H.R. 1886.

Likewise, a personal letter from you to your friends, expressing your concern for the bill, would likely go farther to spurring them to action than this chain letter. Though it means well, the e-mail above comes across as a bit insulting. It implies that if you don't sign and forward you aren't "a loving, caring, person who will take the 30 seconds to go and vote on this issue." Signing a petition is not the same as voting on an issue and be careful about giving your personal information to a third party to act on your behalf. Break this chain.

As always, see what you want to see, Joe. Another chance to spout off. I should have saved my breath.

If you re-read my post, at the very beginning, I said:

........(and no, before I get irate responses, I am not asking you to sign up, merely read.)

I do not support chain letters, never have. I never continue them.

I asked you to simply read, and then " ...Take note of the bill, make it happen.

For the sake of your mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, lovers, partners.

I was trying to bring to the attention of you all a state of affairs that, to my mind, seems almost inhuman in its treatment of any patient.

I will not enter into a discussion with you. I am butting out.

My apologies if anyone assumed I was advocating continuing a chain. I was not. My only excuse is it was early when I posted it, I was half awake, trying to get ready for work.

Henceforth, I will refrain from serious threads, and stick to the 'fun' ones.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Originally posted by matriarch
My apologies if anyone assumed I was advocating continuing a chain. I was not. My only excuse is it was early when I posted it, I was half awake, trying to get ready for work.

Henceforth, I will refrain from serious threads, and stick to the 'fun' ones.

Apology accepted.

I entirely advocate the issue, myself, its why I posted what I did and why I (and others) are advocating for contacting congressmen and politicians directly instead of signing the petition (which, even if you didn't support, the article itself supported) for very rational and careful reasons.

But, I'm sure my post mentioned those things. I recommend not having a knee-jerk reaction to me. I'm neither stirring up trouble nor arguing with anyone, here.

 

[thenry]

Why does no one ever seriously consider it might be better to go home immediately following surgery? Why is it everyone can complain about rampant medical error and still believe the hospital is the best place to be. If you're feeling confused, wouldn't you rather be in a familiar place, sleeping in your own bed?

Besides the fact that the older you are the more likely you will be to catch something in the hospital, the effects of a better environment and caring company are vastly underrated.

 

[CharleyH]

Well, you were rather explicit Mat. I certainly understood, and can't say that I felt in any way insulted by either the prose of the letter itself, nor this thread, though I didn't pay much attention to the wording of the original.

My Mother had breast cancer, which metastasized into the bones. Breast cancer research, though generating much money, has still, as with many medical conditions which affects women, fallen behind researches of other diseases, predominantly those affecting men. For a seperate discussion, as is my belief in the desperate need for both home and palliative care.

After both her mastectomy and full hysterectomy, she 'opted' to leave the hospital early. Some women do not feel that way, as certainly the ride home after the hysterectomy was rather painful even with drugs, and this does not even cover the emotional and psychological after effects, particularly upon having a breast removed, or in the case of some men, their scrotum.

I have always been opposed to the full privatization of health care, since it serves no one but a handful of individuals, and as far as my experience in health care goes, I can see why Hilary Clinton has tried and tried again to improve the health-care system in the U.S.

There is much I could say, but would rather just make a passing comment.

I like serious threads, just don't always comment. If only for bringing something to the attention of other individuals, whether they agree or not, I believe anything is worth posting, even if that something is posted by ABS.

 

[CharleyH]

Why does no one ever seriously consider it might be better to go home immediately following surgery? Why is it everyone can complain about rampant medical error and still believe the hospital is the best place to be. If you're feeling confused, wouldn't you rather be in a familiar place, sleeping in your own bed?

Besides the fact that the older you are the more likely you will be to catch something in the hospital, the effects of a better environment and caring company are vastly underrated.

Because, as I have come to learn, people get afraid and when they are afraid, the hospital feels like the safest place to be.

Nonetheless, I strongly believe in homecare.

 

[Just-Legal]

Why does no one ever seriously consider it might be better to go home immediately following surgery? Why is it everyone can complain about rampant medical error and still believe the hospital is the best place to be. If you're feeling confused, wouldn't you rather be in a familiar place, sleeping in your own bed?

Besides the fact that the older you are the more likely you will be to catch something in the hospital, the effects of a better environment and caring company are vastly underrated.

Believe it or not, its more likely to get infected if you go home.

Did you know everyone carries MRSA? EVERYONE. Not just people in hospital.

*drags self off from going on a tear*

 

[TheEarl]

Because, as I have come to learn, people get afraid and when they are afraid, the hospital feels like the safest place to be.

Nonetheless, I strongly believe in homecare.

Sorry for the sidenote, but: If I had an operation and it was physically safe for me to leave hospital, then I would. Can't stand the places.

However, IMHO, no-one apart from obvious malingerers should be forced to leave a hospital.

The Earl

 

[CharleyH]

Sorry for the sidenote, but: If I had an operation and it was physically safe for me to leave hospital, then I would. Can't stand the places.

However, IMHO, no-one apart from obvious malingerers should be forced to leave a hospital.

The Earl

I always enjoy your sidenotes and longer narratives as well.

Yes, I am not sure that a lot of people like to stay in a hospital. It is a most impersonal place to stay, and the food sucks in a royal way! (what's up with that?)

My Mother was at one time both a pediatric and gerentology nurse, and so did not want to be in a hospital. (not that the staff isn't completely amazing) However, even knowing she was dying, there were moments of fear, and when she desired to go to the hospital, even if to alleviate her fears of death, we took her there.

She was lucky to die at home. We were lucky to be able to afford it. It is a travesty and an indignity that people with long term illnesses should not be able to die in the comfort of their homes for any reason.

Seems my passing comment is growing, Earl! lol

 

[ABSTRUSE]

The one thing I've always been good about is getting a mammogram. I usually end up having to get an ultrasound also as a second measure, They usually find something they want to double check, fine by me.

Despite the discomfort and lack of dignity, the test is well worth it and the place I go to has a fabulous staff.

I found my first lump when I was 19, scared the hell out of me, so I make sure I keep up with preventative care.

 

[matriarch]

The one thing I've always been good about is getting a mammogram. I usually end up having to get an ultrasound also as a second measure, They usually find something they want to double check, fine by me.

Despite the discomfort and lack of dignity, the test is well worth it and the place I go to has a fabulous staff.

I found my first lump when I was 19, scared the hell out of me, so I make sure I keep up with preventative care.

Thanks Abs.

Your words have now shamed me into going. Stop being such a wuzz Mat, and get your ass (wait, no, wrong bit), to the hospital.

 

[Lord DragonsWing]

As a home health nurse I'll say this for the healthcare and home health industry.
Lifetime has done excellent work to help with breast cancer. Ladies, this is a large killer within the populations. Please, have mammograms frequently and as your doctor orders. Cancer is the largest killer. Breast cancer is the largest among women. Follow that with colon cancer, uterine cancer and AIDS.
As for the increased infections among home health patients that is due to the patients and not among the staff that frequents them. Many patients who go home and accept home health are not home when the nurse is scheduled to visit. I've gone into homes where roaches are running across the floor and have taken over the household. Yet, I've also taken care of patients who would of died months ago in a hospital or nursing home setting.
The idea of home health is to give one on one care and to lower cost for insurance. You do not have the cost of hundreds of dollars a day for a room, you do not pay for each dressing change or urinal. It also shows a better recovery rate. Patients who recover at home do much better than those in an institutional setting. They are in a familiar environment. They have a support network of their family around them. As their recovery progresses, they feel more comfortable. For those more terminal and with a disease process such as Altzheimers, they're in a familiar environment and live out their lives in comfort with their family.
This country needs to change it's insurance rules for more patients. The cost continues to increase and the preventive medicine is avoided.
Breast cancer, colon cancer, uterine cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer continue to kill more everyday. But the politically correct option is to fund AIDS. Breast cancer kills many more than AIDS could dream of. Yet, due to the lobbyist, AIDS receives much more funding and attention than the leading the medical killers of our age.

Just my opinion,