What a Week!!!!!! Health Care and Town Halls

Well, it's been about a week now since I last blogged. And, it's been one hell of a week! I survived that 2 year anniversary....for me action is healing. I've been very busy. Last week was four days out at the county fair, and this week has just been a whirlwind!

Deadline day was spent attempting to meet with using a dial up connection as my DSL modem took a nose dive on me - Now that was TORTURE! Plus it happened on a week when I had an actual news story....something that had teeth behind it - one where I needed to research and talk on the phone all at the same time......Yes, it was comical.

It was a front page story on two doctors here at our only hospital in the county, and how they had been disciplined for improperly performing a bone marrow biopsy on an elderly man....taking the sample from the sternum...making numerous unsuccessful attempts and each time digging a bit deeper until finally piercing through and hitting an artery which then of course caused his death....

A very technical article...cold with a lot of medical terminology - along with quotes from the ruling from the medical examining board - I felt sad writing it. The patient was referred to as "Mr. A" - no identity - no respect for the life that was lived and loss.

I couldn't stand it! So through some additional research I managed to track down a family member, who was very appreciative for that call - "I thought since it was local, our hospital, our media wouldn't cover it," is what he told me. I knew what he meant - they - the hospital - represented POWER and CONTROL to him.

I told him about my article and how I felt bad about writing it, especially since it wouldn't give respect to the father he lost. I wanted to tell our readers about the man who was "Mr. A" and explain the impact it had on the family. Which turned out to be a family still, after a few years, trying to absorb that he is gone.....along with the domino effect it had on them, including his wife of over 50 years who relied on his care because she, herself, was medically fragile.

A depressing deadline day to say the least.

The one thing that stood out for me....after all the rulings, including an out of court settlement to the estate and the wife who was left to deal with the loss - no one........not one party....according to the son.....ever said, "I'm sorry."

A human experience without humanity -tragic.

Well, needless to say, I think I've pissed off our local medical community with the front page article. I've warned all my friends that if I should ever need emergency care, to get their butts over to the hospital and make sure I'm safe -

Now -yesterday was another day spent around the issue of health care. I went to a "town hall" meeting with Congressman Ron Kind in Tomah, WI. Over 800 people filled the auditorium at the Tomah High School.

It got heated - cheers and jeers.

My friend and I sat there and listened to all the comments....a lot of rhetoric, but the worse for me was listening to the comments that were made under the breath of people sitting around me. Those true thoughts people have but need to whisper - racist - hateful remarks. It made my stomach churn.

My friend is an accomplished woman. A recording artist, and now an author on the verge of her first book signing tour. Quite a remarkable woman, and the story behind how she ended up in Juneau County, Wisconsin is just as unique as her. Her name is J.P. Olson.

I was embarrassed at how ignorant and hateful our society still can be. I was angered by some of the comments I heard when the name "Obama" was mentioned - twice I heard the "N" word by someone sitting next to me - and on the other side of me was my friend, an African American woman - One of maybe 3 African Americans sitting in the sea of white in that auditorium in Tomah, Wisconsin.

I hoped that J.P. didn't hear that word - that somehow I buffered it coming from the asshole sitting on the other side of me.

Have we really come far? Have we grown past the hate? Or do we just pretend?

Anyway, one man did get escorted out. It was rather comical.

He spoke out ...yelled out...after an hour of listening to rhetoric....

He screamed out that if people didn't want anything "socialized" then they shouldn't accept "socialized police....fire fighters....water....garbage pick up"




I have more video of the meeting....I just haven't uploaded it all yet to You Tube, but once I do I will post it to give an idea of what the meeting was like...

Well.....time to get going and do all the final preparation for the energy fair tomorrow.....

Next week I am SLEEPING!

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