| With all the hoopla over the healthcare debate in | | | | Decatur Memorial Hospital, one of two in this city |
| this country I thought it about time I share my | | | | of just over 100,000 people. It was a Friday so |
| experience that was up close and personal. In the | | | | we expected a wait. We walked in as I hacked |
| summer of 2008 I was enjoying a little relaxation | | | | every five minutes. A nurse took me right in to |
| with friends at our cottage on the French River, | | | | emergency and was immediately joined by a |
| just south of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Now as I | | | | Doctor and another nurse. The Doctor said, "You |
| share this let me make it clear, we've been going | | | | have an esophageal blockage. We get four a |
| to Canada for five decades and personally I love | | | | week, tow real and two imagined". He then gave |
| the place and the people. The healthcare on the | | | | me a shot and said, "This will stop you from |
| other hand, not so much. | | | | hacking until we can get our Surgeon to you". |
| One evening one of the ladies visiting made her | | | | Wow! It worked and after about a 45 minute |
| 'to die for' roast beef dinner and I nearly did. On | | | | wait the Surgeon walked in, smiled as he was |
| the second bite mine got stuck in my throat and I | | | | making a motion as if he was reeling in a fish and |
| was in for a long, painful and at times, downright | | | | said, "I hear I get to go fishing?" We talked about |
| terrifying night. I began choking about 4PM and it | | | | my history and what had recently taken place in |
| was weird, it would come and go in five minute | | | | Canada. He asked me whether they had enlarged |
| cycles. I gutted it out for an hour thinking I could | | | | my esophagus while they were in there. I told him |
| dislodge the blockage myself. Then another | | | | if they did they didn't tell me. He explained how |
| episode made me think I might check out right | | | | easy it was to do since he'd already be in there |
| there in the north woods. My wife called 911. | | | | anyway. An hour later I was on my way with |
| The Regional Medical Center was over 80 miles | | | | before and after pictures of my esophagus and |
| away so it wasn't going to be a quick fix. Inside | | | | feeling great. The Surgeon told me it was good |
| the ambulance and on the way I had my worst | | | | for 18 months to 2 years. |
| episode of the day. I thought I was a goner, | | | | I know this is just one example of many but we |
| hacking into a little pale while the EMT sat quietly | | | | have to be careful what we wish for because we |
| looking at paperwork. The whole time the | | | | just might get it. That same summer a good |
| computer I was hooked to was saying over and | | | | friend of ours from Canada had been waiting for |
| over again 'check the patient - check the patient'. | | | | gall bladder surgery, she waited a year. Another |
| When my episode was over I said to the EMT, | | | | friend of ours up there in his 70's had cancer and |
| "Aren't you going to do something?" He was a | | | | couldn't eat. He waited upwards of two weeks |
| nice young fellow who promptly said, "No sir that's | | | | for surgery. |
| why we're taking you to someone who makes a | | | | With all the debate raging about our healthcare |
| lot more than us to fix you". It was then I | | | | crisis in America we need to take a chill pill. We |
| realized my wife could have driven me up with | | | | don't have a crisis of healthcare; we have a crisis |
| our own pale and saved what turned out to be a | | | | of the cost and coverage of healthcare. I don't |
| $650 taxi ride. | | | | think anyone disagrees that we should have |
| When we arrived at the Regional Medical Center in | | | | coverage for everyone in this country. But there |
| Sudbury, a city of over 100,000, they whisked | | | | is something badly wrong with a plan that is now |
| me into emergency where I would hack for the | | | | before Congress that 'saves' all this money and |
| next 9, yes that is 9 hours. They gave me a pan | | | | increases the cost of those on Medicaid now. |
| and told my wife to call if I got worse. Well, I | | | | That's just a red flag as to where these Bozo's in |
| can't make sounds on the computer but my wife | | | | DC are leading us. |
| says I sounded like a moose bellowing in mating | | | | I consulted in business for years, with large |
| season. And it hurt. After one episode about 3AM | | | | companies. The first thing you do is identify the |
| I once again thought I was going to check out for | | | | problem you're trying to solve. I don't believe |
| sure. My wife retrieved a nurse who brought with | | | | Congress is doing that. I believe they're playing to |
| him a young lady, an intern. | | | | the new President's agenda supported by a few |
| The Intern told me to take a sip of water. It was | | | | nut cases already in place, namely Reid and Pelosi. |
| about 7 hours into the process and I had tried | | | | The real healthcare crisis is centered on three |
| that before. It sent me into a coughing, hacking | | | | things: |
| tailspin. She insisted, annoyed at her inability to | | | | 1. Cost not Quality: |
| listen I chugged the water she held as she stood | | | | Our outrageous costs are getting worse. Why, |
| silently for the next five minutes, looking quite | | | | because of all the lawyers and greedy drug |
| embarrassed as I hacked my guts out. | | | | companies, period. Do you think we can change |
| She apologized and then decided to put a scope | | | | that? No! Because Congress is made up of 98% |
| down my nose to insure I didn't have a wind pipe | | | | lawyers and they take big money from the drug |
| blockage. Now I know little about these kinds of | | | | company lobby. |
| things but I knew I didn't have a wind pipe | | | | 2. Coverage: |
| blockage or I'd already be dead. She insisted so I | | | | The problem in America is not the poor, they |
| relented between episodes as she stuck the | | | | have coverage now. I know people in that |
| instrument in my nose, down my throat and then | | | | category and they just go to the emergency |
| said, "Oops". It seems the batteries were dead! | | | | room and everything is covered. The problem |
| She quickly left and came back with a couple | | | | with coverage is the middle and they have no |
| double A's and proceeded again. To only her | | | | voice America anymore. |
| surprise, I didn't have a wind pipe blockage; it was | | | | 3. Inequality: |
| apparently an esophageal blockage. | | | | I'm not talking racial inequality but the inequality of |
| A couple hours later a Surgeon came to get me, | | | | our leaders and their privileges versus ours as a |
| yes he wheeled me to the operating room | | | | people. I believe that every single law they vote |
| himself. He said if he had to wait on an orderly | | | | for us, from healthcare to pensions must apply to |
| he'd be there another two hours. Once inside I | | | | them. And their raises... put it on the ballot for all |
| started having an episode on the operating table. | | | | of America to vote. And while you're at it place |
| The Anesthesiologist insisted I lie down. I told her | | | | term limits of two terms for every elected |
| I needed a bucket to cough into and she said, | | | | position. |
| quite irritated at my lack of cooperation, "This is | | | | We're rushing into this thing way too fast. It |
| an operating room and we don't have buckets!" I | | | | should be a priority but at what expense. If you |
| barfed into a towel and turned to the Surgeon | | | | keep doing the same thing you'll certainly get the |
| and said, "You got five minutes." | | | | same result. Why will this quick hit initiative be any |
| That's pretty much the end of the Canadian | | | | more successful than Social Security which |
| story. The Surgeon told my wife he'd 'pushed' the | | | | Congress has robbed and is bankrupt? Will it be |
| food through and indeed it was an esophageal | | | | any better than Medicaid and Medicare now in |
| blockage, meaning it was below the wind pipe. | | | | place? If you think so, why would it? And we |
| They sent me on my way and other than sore | | | | know this type of program can be done well. I |
| ribs I seemed none the worse for the wear of | | | | have a friend in England who swears by their |
| the 13 hour ordeal. I was thinking the whole time | | | | coverage and has given me example after |
| 'where is Michael Moore when I need him?' | | | | example of how even I as an American would go |
| Fast forward six weeks and I'm in Decatur, Illinois | | | | to England, have the problem I had in Canada and |
| having lunch with a friend of mine. At this point I'd | | | | not pay a dime. Now that is something to think |
| become a vegetarian like my youngest daughter | | | | about - how did they do that? |
| just on the chance this might happen to me again. | | | | I'm no longer against healthcare reform but I'm |
| But as time moved on I'm in the Mexican | | | | solidly for solving the correct problem. And I don't |
| restaurant for lunch the chicken taco's I love got | | | | think we're about to do that. Einstein said, "You |
| the best of me. I thought 'what the heck' and | | | | can't solve a problem with the same level of |
| made one, took one bite and was hacking within | | | | thinking that got you into it." I think we need new |
| seconds, I'd done it again. | | | | thinking, not just change. I decided we really |
| The only advantage this time was to know the | | | | should Go Green in 2010 and recycle Congress! |
| fix I was in. My wife and I took a quick trip to | | | | |