A discussion that blew out of proportion on Sunday night at my dad's house truly reaffirmed my hope for the future of health care in this country and how I am planning to contribute within the health care community. But it was reaffirmed in an unfortunate and round-about way. The yelling and barking and badgering that ensued when I voiced my pro opinion of health care reform made me see how much I have to give to those who need medical attention in the world. I can't stand by and watch without voicing my opinion based on the events I see every day.
My father, who hasn't seen the inside of a doctor's office in ages, tried to tell me what's best for health care and how the system works. And that he knows best because he owns his own business. Well, his business is HVAC, a field I'm pretty sure has nothing to do with saving lives or giving medical attention. So how can he know best? He began blaming health care reform for his insurance company raising the rates of the particular plan that he had and dropping the current plan to entice him to spend more for the same benefits. When I tried to explain that this is not a result of health care reform, he jumped down my throat and then his wife, my step-mother, joined in simply to tell me that I am too young to know what I am talking about and that I am really just too stupid to know anything about the topic. At first I was angry about the misconstrued ideas they kept spitting out about health care reform and the government in general. But then, as I began to realize that I do feel every person is entitled to their own opinion or belief on things, what really got to me was how they treated me. I am not stupid. And I'm not a little girl who's lived a sheltered life and has never seen or experienced the world. I work in a clinical lab setting, where I am exposed to all the trials and tribulations patients have while dealing with mounting medical bills and insurance costs. I have volunteered in the ER and surgery department of hospitals. I have coordinated research projects, dealing with a group of people who typically gets dropped by their insurance when they need it most. I have shadowed physicians and even had discussions with others during interviews for entering medical school. But oh yeah, I'm too young and stupid to know anything about the issues in health care, let alone have an opinion on the matter.
I do realize that this day in age one has to pick and choose the information to believe as so much is blown out of proportion during political discussions. However, I also realize that working in a particular field opens your eyes to what truly happens in the day to day events, giving one a better perspective of what needs to happen to make that field function at its best. Knowing this, I feel more at peace as I know in my heart what is right and wrong. And I know even more so now than ever before how blessed I am to have such a huge heart that wants to give, give, and give some more. Even to those who can't afford to pay me for the help I can offer them.
Thank you, God, for giving me that.
I have a lotta love to give.
Amen! You're going to make a great physician, care taker and healer because you care, and I think that is one of the things a patient needs and wants most from their doctor. Unfortunately, I doubt this will be your last heated discussion about health care in this country (or even this world), and I bet the next time it comes up you'll be very prepared ;)
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