Imagine

IMAGINE
Imagine that you are a mother, and you can’t get medical care for your child. All you can do is watch while they suffer.

Imagine you have a chronic illness. No one will listen to you and no one takes you seriously.

Imagine you can’t go to the doctor because you don’t have health insurance. Doesn’t matter how sick you are, no doctor will see you.

Imagine you are going hungry and are denied food stamps when you apply for them. So you go hungry some more.

Imagine you have lost your job. You are so ashamed. You go and apply for welfare, and are accused of being a criminal.

Imagine you are watching your mother slowly die. Instead of prescribing the pain-killers she needs, the doctors accuse her of being a drug addict.

Imagine having to hire an attorney when you are disabled just to be able to receive benefits that aren’t even enough to live off of.

Imagine a budget where your income is less than the cost of housing plus utilities. You are told that your money problems are due to your shortcomings of overspending and not budgeting.

Imagine lying in bed, sick, vomiting, and unable to get up. Friends and family call to tell you that if you just quit being lazy you would have no problems working.

Imagine being in a nursing home, and lying in your own wastes because nobody cares enough to clean you up.

I-M-A-G-I-N-E, It isn’t hard if you try.

Imagine a medical system where everyone who is sick or injured can get care.

Imagine doctors listening to their patients, and having the time needed to truly care for each one.

Imagine a medical system where those with chronic illnesses are no longer marginalized, ostracized and ignored.

Imagine a system that doesn't pit doctor against patient.

Imagine being hungry and receiving food stamps on the first try.

Imagine compassionate social services, where people walk away feeling good about themselves.

Imagine being disabled and receiving your disability payments without hiring an attorney.

Imagine people who are in pain, receiving the pain relievers they need, without the stigma of drug abuse.

Imagine that it doesn't matter WHAT your illness is. You receive care just because you're sick.

Imagine a budget that covers all your basic needs - food, clothing, housing, utilities, transportation, medical expenses and modest entertainment.

Imagine a society that doesn't judge people for being poor, sick, disabled or elderly.

Imagine being in a nursing home, and receiving loving care by people who care. Or, imagine your family receiving the support they need to take care of you at home during your final days.

Imagine not having to fight for every bit of medical care, social services and disability concession you receive.

I may be a dreamer, but other people are dreaming, too, Imagining all the people, caring for one another.

I-M-A-G-I-N-E, It isn't hard, if you try.

By mandyblue
Posted June 6, 2009 at 2:29 am
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For Sick of Being Sick,

I loved reading this, and yes I can IMAGINE. I believe that there could be a lot of us here that can Imagine. If we would just try and do something about it. It is going to take the will of all those who are tired of these situations and realities, and actually do something together to make it change. I am ready. All my best.

Mandy

By camae
Posted June 6, 2009 at 6:10 am
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You wrote this all so perfectly. I know it because I live it with my son who has been chronically ill and in pain for almost 3 yrs now and everything is a struggle and a fight. I think I'm going to paste this and send it to the clinic I take him too, Thank you

By SickOfBeingSick
Posted June 8, 2009 at 2:43 am
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Thanks for the support, everyone. I'm glad to hear that what I wrote struck a chord.

I would like to see change in health care and social services from an overall, global, wholistic point of view rather than a specific illness, issue, etc. I want EVERYONE who is sick to be able to get the care and necessities of life that they need. This can be achieved if everyone bands together and fights for adequate health care and social services in this country. We have the resources, why shouldn't it be a priority to take care of the sick, poor, disabled and elderly?

As long as the main goal of Health and Human Services is to screen out those attempting to get services they don't deserve, rather than helping those that are in need, no one will get adequate social services.

As long as the main goal of the FDA is to prevent drug abuse, no one will get adequate pain relief or other controlled substances such as Ritalin (something I desperately need for my brain damage but haven't been able to get in over a year).

As long as the main goal of our medical system is to make money rather than care for people, no one will get adequate medical care.

Cathy

By Nan
Posted June 8, 2009 at 12:54 pm
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Lovely dream, isn't it? Unfortunately, medical care is considered a commodity to be bought and sold in the USA. It is not considered a right.

I do wish it was, though. I watched a neighbor watch her young daughter die slowly, years ago, because she was poor. She lived within 10 miles of some of the best medical minds in the world and got no treatment because she could not pay for it.

My own daughter has something bizarre going on, nobody can seem to find out what. Because we're in the "HMO" track, we can only see who they allow - and they don't have the firepower. SO, the best medical minds in the world are within 10 miles of us and we cannot get access to them.

My daughter will roll off my insurance in six months because she's aging out. There are no public medical programs for her in this state. She's about to join the ranks of the poor who cannot pay for treatment.

I've already seen this movie. And the ending - hopefully ours will be different, but the story's the same. And it's all for the almighty dollar. What a collective sin.

By SickOfBeingSick
Posted June 8, 2009 at 7:34 pm
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Nan,

I'm so sorry for you, your daughter, your neighbor and her daughter who died.

I can't sit back and watch this kind of thing anymore. It has become a moral dilemma for me. I feel as though I am an accomplice to crimes against humanity by living in this country and not preventing this kind of thing from happening.

I either have to get out of this country - fat chance with no money and as sick as I am - or I have to fight it.

Cathy

By JAC7
Posted June 9, 2009 at 2:48 pm
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Wow-very well said. I truly would love to make a diference in our 'healthcare system' What can we do?
How do we band enough people together to really make a difference?

By SickOfBeingSick
Posted June 10, 2009 at 1:17 am
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GRASSROOTS-STRONG

Grass
Roots of
American
Society,
Stripping the
Roots
Of
Oppression,
Together
Succeeding -

STRONG !!!

My plan is to organize groups in cities and towns across the US, with like-minded people who believe it is cruel to deny food, health care and basic social services to the underprivileged members of a society which has the resources to provide that food and care.

I am putting together a web site for this organization (I am a web designer). It will have a bulletin board and an e-mail list and a place for people to tell their stories.

I would like our first activity to be holding a demonstration at local county hospitals across the US on the same day at the same time. I will need people to lead the local groups, to help moderate bulletin boards and to help in sending out regular e-mails to keep people informed and interested since this will take a while to organize. I will need help putting together some materials on how to hold a successful, organized, peaceful demonstration and how to make the most of media attention. I will also need help with putting together a registered non-profit organization. Now is the time with critical healthcare legislation before congress.

Eventually, I want to have 2 segments to my organization. One for peer-to-peer help and support in getting the healthcare and social services people need. The kind of information you don't get from social workers or government agencies. Like the low-down on all the questionable tactics and exclusion criteria government agencies use to keep people from receiving the help they need. All inclusive lists and "How to's", at the Federal, State and local levels about where to go to get help and what to expect from those agencies, updated regularly (maybe "Wikipedia" style?). Also, fund-raising and distributing help to people who fall through the cracks and for services that fall through the cracks.

For example, many of even our largest cities in the US have no, or inadequate public transportation. People in these areas need reliable transportation and yet if their car breaks down or they need to buy a new tire, there is NO social service agency out there that will even consider helping them. I know several people who lost their jobs because of situations like this.

The other segment will be political. Holding protests, mounting petition drives, increasing public awareness to the plight of those without a voice in this country, etc. I would like to have a hotline response team so that when an individual is verbally abused, or unfairly denied benefits, or treated badly by a doctor or medical facility, and the situation has been verified by our workers, the local organization will picket and demonstrate in their name, or send a representative out to help them, whatever is appropriate.

Let's put an end to one of the worst chronic illnesses in the history of the US and stop the spread of the current epidemic of FTTC - "Falling Through The Cracks".

Cathy

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