Good Afternoon Everyone!
I am in such a great mood today I can hardly stand it! I got a 3 hour break from the baby today and was able to get the convertible out of the garage! It is so nice and sunny out there with no wind that I even got warm and had to take my jacket off!!!! LOVE the convertible, love, love, love. Yes, there is nothing better than feeling the wind in your hair and the sun on your face while driving around the city. Fall is truly becoming my new favorite season. Who knew having a convertible would actually be MORE enjoyable in the fall than the summer!
So, yes sorry to those who do not have a convertible, I am totally rubbing it in and I am apologizing only for that but, not for how terrific I feel now. I have been in such a slump lately and that was the perfect medicine for my weary mind, body and soul. I also think the 3 hours away from the baby during the day was a much needed break too. I want a nanny!!!! Oh just once or twice a week for 2-3 hours would be delightful.
Ok, now here comes my bummer part of my blog. I am not going to let it get me down but, I am so upset by it all and I not only fear for myself but, I also fear terribly for my 3 daughters and their friends. What has got me so upset? Our new health care guidelines that are coming out of the woodwork. It is terrifying and if you don't think there is any correlation between these new guidelines and our new health care bill trying to get passed right now you are naive.
I haven't had a family member or a friend with breast cancer and it really hasn't touched my life directly. However, it has touched me indirectly. My best friends mom died from it when we were in 10th grade and every Mother's Day I used to walk in the Susan G. Koman breast cancer walk with my family. It was something I wanted to do for those women and it was a fun easy thing for my family to do with me for my gift on Mother's Day. The only reason we quit doing it was because it used to be at the mall right behind my house and we could walk from our house to the event. Now the event has moved to another mall and with 4 little people, it just isn't convenient anymore. But, it was our favorite thing to do for 5 years on Mother's Day.
I worry about this new announcement that women don't need mammograms until age 50. Even though the American Cancer Society doesn't believe that and it has been proven to save many women's lives. What I don't understand is, isn't it cheaper to catch the cancer early than to pay for all those long radiation/chemotherapy sessions just to have someone die anyway in some cases? Isn't preventive care cheaper?
Then, when I really got enraged was today when they announced that women in their 20's don't need to have a pap smear every year, they can skip a year because cervical cancer is really a slow growing cancer. Um, HELLO?!!! If I have cervical cancer, I want it found sooner than later! Especially when I was in my 20's and I still wasn't married and wanted children some day!!! Many times if you get cervical cancer and you don't catch it early enough, not only are you risking your life but, you are risking your reproductive life too!
It CAN be a slow growing cancer but, it also can grow rapidly especially in younger women that aren't in monogamous relationships. Also, for women in their 20's that more than likely aren't married and having more than one partner in their 20's (which is 10 years people) they are putting themselves and their bodies in peril if they aren't getting regular pap smears. I predict if people start following those recommendations, not only will cervical cancer rates go up but, so will infertility rates, STD rates (which are already increasing!) and unfortunately abortion rates too. Because you need to have a yearly pap smear when you are on birth control right now, however, if that changes too, many young women will not see their doctor for up to 2 years. Will they still be allowed to be on birth control for 2 years without being monitored?
I guess the good news is, the government is cutting back on preventative care(to 'save' money) but, here is the good news people, we will cover abortions so, hey who cares if the woman gets cervical cancer or breast cancer as long as she doesn't have to pay for the abortion all is good. What is wrong with this picture?!!
Listen, I am all for women's choice, I am all for the right to choose but, you are taking away the right to choose when you take away the woman in her 20's (usually the highest amount of abortions) from a doctor yearly and really maybe her ONLY person she can freely talk with about birth control, STD's, pregnancy and prevention of it, and more. Planned Parenthood truly will become just an abortion center then. You will take away any chance they have and any other clinic has of preventing the pregnancy or cervical cancer in the first place! OH wait, we have that really neat cervical cancer vaccine....that's right, go for it girls! Have all the free sex you want! The government will pay for your vaccine to keep you 'safe' from cancer and well if you happen to get pregnant, don't worry about it because your government will then help you out and pay for your abortion too.
We aren't going to teach you anything about taking care of yourself but, hey, you don't need to take care of yourself, the government will take care of you. hahahahahaha...BS!!!
Now back to mammograms. I am 37 right now. I have only 2 1/2 years until I should be starting to get my mammograms but, now the new government guidelines are telling me to wait another 12 1/2 years. I have 4 children I am a stay at home mother, my oldest is 8 and my youngest is almost 18 months. It is MY job to be here for my children. It is MY job to take care of them, it is MY job to keep myself healthy any way possible. It is MY job to exercise, eat right and watch my weight (of which I am currently NOT doing my job well.) and it is MY job to raise my children until they are old enough to take care of themselves. It is MY job to be here for them and to nurture them. I CAN NOT do my job if I get breast cancer in the next 12 1/2 years while I am waiting to be old enough to have a mammogram. I CAN NOT do my job if I get cervical cancer in the 2 years between my pap smears. The government is taking away my ability to do MY job by taking away MY choices and my health care.
If you don't think you will see more of this happening people I am sorry to say you are in denial and frankly delusional. This is just the beginning and it will fundamentally change our country for the worse. I truly believe that.
For those of you that are for the new government health care a few questions: Did you know you will be paying for it for 4 years in higher taxes before you even see one health plan? Hopefully you, your wife, your mother, your daughter won't get cervical or breast cancer in that time.
Did you know that really all of us HAVE health care right now? We all have access to health care right now and after the government care we won't ALL have access? Yes people, everyone currently can go see any doctor or visit any hospital and BY LAW you can not be turned away just because you don't have insurance but, after the government plan goes into place you CAN be turned away because you have the government policy?
Did you know that really if you just open up the borders of health care companies we all could have cheaper, better, more effective and more options of health care? Why? Because if the companies actually could cross borders of states and you could truly shop around for a health care plan that not only has the options you want but, also the price you can afford that companies would be forced to charge less for their insurance. Plus, it would force them to offer more options and to allow more people to be covered by their plans. Yes, if we just allowed health care companies to offer health care in every state we would have all the options we wanted and they would be forced to compete for their customers much like Target, Wal Mart and KMart do right now for their customers.
For all of you who voted for change well, congratulations, you certainly are getting it. Are you just sure this is the kind of 'change' you really wanted. I have to say, I saw the best bumper sticker today at my daughter's school and I want one on my truck. It said, "For you that voted for change, I want mine back." Now THAT is funny! Sad but, funny.
If you look back through out history, everything the government has touched does not turn to gold, it usually turns green. We are currently more concerned about making everything fair for everyone while destroying everything our country stands for and we are worried more about giving terrorists civil rights and we are more concerned about the rest of the world while we have abandoned our troops in Afghanistan and now, we are taking even more of our beloved freedoms away with government health care.
I didn't know until recently were I stood on this health care initiative. I was leaning against it but, at the same time since even our family finds it hard to find good and affordable health care I thought, hmmm might be a good idea. But, as they are changing things before anything happens and people, this really is only the beginning and it scares me terribly.
I can't imagine where this is heading and I am afraid to know.
Here are some links to more information about stats with breast cancer and cervical cancer. Fight for yourselves ladies, fight for your daughters, your mothers, your friends! Fight! Stand up and fight! Women have changed the world through out history, it is time to change it again and change it quickly before our government changes it for us.
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/statistics/
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/STT/STT_0.asp
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/cervical
I love my country, I love my freedom but, I love myself and my family more. I will die to protect my children, I just hope I don't have to.
Blessings to you all,
-Liza