12/12/2024
I know my focus of is to educate and advocate for BC patients (and it really irritates me that I’m spreading information to save lives and improve the lives of patients and caregivers and I can’t type or say the word for “girls” or facebook mutes my discussions and shadow bans my posts—I’m irritated by this puritanical sensorship).
But, today I read this article. As a person that gets prescribed all sorts of things, has multiple procedures and surgeries on a regular basis, this can also, as you read in the comments, affect people that are not even birthing children. People like me that are out here just trying to survive and recover from chronic illnesses and create some sense of life.
I am glad I have competent doctors, a care team that understands me…
I remember when I went to a local hospital (instead of driving all the way to Madison, WI where my care is) when I was in excruciating pain one time (I am a chronic migraine patient and a chronic pain patient—a “spoonie warrior), I was accused of being a pill seeker—I about flew through the roof and will NEVER go to the ER closest to me ever again. It was humiliating. I was totally disgusted. The whole goal of everything I do is to NOT be on medications unless they are life-saving like Tamoxifen. I never, ever expected to be accused of “faking” my condition. It was tasteless and irresponsible, in my opinion.
We have some real issues in our “systems.” I have experienced many “discriminatory” practices by insurance, documented all of it, and I am ready to start putting everything together and trying to take my experiences—going from private insurance to state insurance—and further exposing the discrimination by state-funded agencies and the way doctors treat the poor.
I am currently dealing with a situation where I feel like I’m being “brushed-off” by some of my doctors. I have sought a second opinion. I am going to kick and scream even louder to get the care I feel I deserve—EQUAL care, not SEPARATE care because I am currently living in poverty.
This is not right. I am beyond words after reading this article. I am so tired of the school-to-prison funnel, I am so tired of the “elite” thinking they know what’s best for the poverty-stricken, and I’m so tired of the labeling, and I’m also tired of noticing how certain departments of my continued care teams do not give me equal treatment as my counterparts that do not have Medicaid—telling me “we don’t do this for people” when it’s no, you don’t do it for people on Medicaid. I know how I have to push and advocate hard for myself for preventive care.
I sit here as proof that I’ve been thrust into poverty through no fault of my own—I didn’t ask for a nearly five-year cancer battle.
I also have the experiences of prior to needing state assistance and the kind of care I received prior to reliance on social service programs.
All poor people are not drug addicts. All addicts are not living in poverty. In fact, if you look at the statistics, a higher percentage of drug-use occurs within the so-called more “affluent” social circles.
I see what this article points to as just another attack on the rights of women, and, if we want to talk conspiracies, state-subsidized funding of trafficking rings. Call me a conspiracy theorist, think what you want, but I have had experiences and have spoke to many kinds of people that are all—all different colors, religions, orientation, and those with private and public insurance.
It’s all right before our eyes—why aren’t you waking up, America? “Rage Against the Machine” keeps popping in my head—WE GOTTA TAKE THE POWER BACK.
Uff-da. Rant over. Hope I gave some of ya’ll something to think about. Do you value people and life or do you consider well-to-do Americans more worthy of top-notch medical care than those living in poverty?
Hospitals across the country reported mothers to authorities after they tested positive for medications used routinely in millions of births.
