The Outspoken Mom Blog

New Health Care? OH! New Health Care!

Good Morning Everyone!

This blog is going to be short and sweet, my dad is coming over this morning to surprise the children before they go off to school so, I only have a few minutes.  By the way, have you ever noticed that you can type super fast when you are not in a hurry with very few mistakes but, add that 'hurry' factor in and you have two left hands?

So, yesterday was my 6 month appointment for my teeth cleaning with my dentist.  You know, we go twice a year to have our teeth cleaned and checked, once a year for x-rays and that is all your insurance covers.  Well, they also cover if you have a filling and a few other things and that is it. 

Yesterday, I was informed by my dentist as he was finishing up that 'they' (not quite sure who 'they' are but, I can guess...) recommend going to the dentist once a year instead of twice a year so my insurance as of January 1, 2010 will only cover 1 dentist visit/cleaning a year and x-rays once a year plus if you have a filling.  Then he said, "However, I highly recommend you continue to come in every 6 months, you will have to unfortunately pay for your other appointment but, I urge you to continue coming twice a year."  Of course I will go there still twice a year, I have learned over my 37 years of being alive that a cavity or any other mouth issue can come up pretty fast and you might be fine one dentist visit and the next you have a cavity.

So, I went up front to schedule my next appointment and found out it will cost me $143 out of my pocket for my next appointment.  OK, not bad but, considering that my insurance premiums didn't go down and my coverage did, ouch.  So instead of me paying $6 a year to visit my dentist (my co-pays are $3 each) I will now be paying $146 a year instead. 

Now, if I couldn't afford to pay that extra $143 a year, I would have to choose the 'new and improved' guidelines and risk my mouth health.  Now, of course, my insurance does cover cavities however, it does NOT cover root canals or any repair work needed or treatment for gum disease.  So, only going once a year raises those risk and of course, those costs to me!

This is my 2nd experience running into the 'new health care' recommendations put forth lately.  A few months ago I had my yearly physical and my doctor told me I needed a Mammogram.  What?  I am only 37 and no history of breast cancer or any cancer for that matter in my family.  He said he is 'highly recommending' (there is that phrase again!) all women between the ages of 35-40 go in for a mammogram so, I did.  It was crazy, they got me in immediately (well next day) and as I was getting my boobs squished, I asked the woman if this was because of health care reform.  She quickly told me that most doctors were trying to get their female patients between 35-40 in as fast as possible, before the new guidelines took effect which said women don't need a mammogram until age 50.

Wow, so there, without me even looking I have already seen 2 changes to my regular health care and one was before the new bill even passed and the other well, I guess that one happened before the new bill passed too since it was implemented Jan 1st.

I wish I could talk more about this but, I need to go!  Just wanted to give you all a little insight into what might be happening with our 'new and improved' health care.

Blessings to you!

-Liza

Our government that is killing us is now supposedly healing us?

Where to begin, where even to begin!

So tonight, I was watching that TV show with Jamie Oliver about his food revolution.  UGH!!!!  I was getting so stressed out and so upset during that show!  I could honestly feel my blood starting to boil and I could feel my heart racing and many times I had to change the channel because I couldn't handle what I was seeing on TV.

Many of you who read my blogs understand how I feel about food, the struggles our family has had with food and how frustrating it has been to watch children be fed crap, day after day in not only our own homes but, at schools, restaurants and wherever else we eat.  I have always struggled with restaurants not having healthy food options on children's menus, I struggle with fast food places and their options, I struggle with grocery stores and food companies that market this crap to our children!  To see it all flat out right in front of me in High Definition...it was honestly too much to take.

I sat there and watched as someone who isn't from our country tried and changed our schools and tried to change a towns minds and he was put up against our own government!  Our own government was telling him that his chicken, rice, and veggies wasn't following standards but, the reheated pizza the lunch ladies were serving was!  Turns out their guidelines said there must be 2 breads in their lunch and he didn't have a bread but, their crappy, unhealthy pizza constituted 2 bread servings..how you ask?  By the portion size...yep, they just gave them bigger pieces of crappy pizza to make sure they were following the guidelines set forth by the USDA, our own government!

To top that off, just as my blood is really starting to boil, the show gets interrupted and I find out from a gleeful Diane Sawyer that our own government...the VERY government that is telling us pizza is better for you than brown rice has voted to take over our health care system.  If ever I needed a push to be against something it was that....not only hearing my government is telling people what is healthy and what isn't and being SO very wrong but, also having a show about our health and food issues interrupted to find out our government will now be making our health decisions for us now too.

I am sure I am going to piss a lot of you off with this blog and so be it.  Listen, I am so anti-government right now it is sad to me.  I have never been so afraid, so ashamed, and so scared of my country's leaders before.  After seeing many sick things our government can do and is doing to people in the  business world, my husband included, and then seeing what they are doing to our children, how on earth can I trust them with my health too?

I flat out don't trust the government anymore, I don't trust them, I am afraid for my country but, most importantly, I am afraid for my children and what will happen to them.  I am watching a country I have believed in, trusted and loved become something I am growing to despise and flat out don't trust. 

First of all, let me tell you something about food, the way we eat, what we are feeding ourselves and our children, will kill all of us!  Our government is creating a food pyramid that doesn't work and can't possibly be full-filled in our society.  Our children don't know what vegetables are, they don't know how they grow or where they grow and we are feeding our children things that come from a box. 

Our produce sections are getting smaller and smaller because our grocery sections of pre-packaged, processed foods is getting larger and larger.  Nothing that comes from a box can possibly be healthy!  I don't care if you make $20,000 a year or $200,000 a year, you can still feed your children healthy food!  Our bodies are our temples we need to treat them as such!  We workout and diet and then go home and have frozen pizza for dinner! 

The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States!  We have diet sodas, diet candy bars, diet shakes, diet pills, diet, diet, diet, diet!  If we would just go back to eating the basic, WHOLE FOODS, we wouldn't need so many diets!  Examples?  OK, I just lost 20 pounds in less than 2 months by doing a simple thing..I ate 2 fruits or veggies (raw/uncooked) before every meal!  Then, my meal would consist of something like baked chicken, salad, frozen peas(obviously heated up), and a bowl of cut up fruit...NOT from a can!  I would have water with my meal, every meal.

I actually found myself never hungry, never craving sugar or other unhealthy foods, always satisfied with my meals and never the over-stuffed feeling I would have when I didn't eat raw fruits or veggies.  I was a good example to my children, especially my son who also eats a lot of raw fruits and veggies and lean meats.  I showed him joyfully that the food was good and healthy and made me feel good.  Soon, my son who often craved sweets and junk food stopped all together craving those things and stopped feeling like he was missing out on the 'good foods' his friends all got to eat.  Why?  Because he was feeling better, he was happier, he wasn't as agitated and he had more energy than before.  He was happy and it was noticeable not only to me his mom but, to him!

Ever hear the old saying, "You are what you eat"?  Well, what are we if we eat chicken nuggets, hot dogs, french fries, boxed macaroni and cheese, and pizza?  We are junk, we are unhealthy, we are created in a laboratory!  However, if we fill ourselves with fresh strawberries, bananas, lettuce, chicken, brown rice, carrots, lean meats, and green peppers what are we?  We are whole, we are healthy, we are filled with life created from the earth!

If you don't know what healthy foods are, think of this, if you can't grow it, you shouldn't eat it!  Try that for a few weeks and see how you feel!  I promise you, if you stop following our government and their misleading guidelines, you truly will feel a lot better and you will be healthier and you won't need to rely on the government , that is helping to make us sick in the first place, to take care of you when you get sick.

I could write on this for hours!

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

New guidelines

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

Ode to Patrick Swazye

Good Evening Everyone!

Oh I can't believe that fantastic dancer who filled my young heart with dreams of dancing professionally and finding a rough around the edges man who was also very light on his feet and could say all the right things has died. 

I guess I didn't realize I was a Patrick Swazye fan until I heard he died tonight.  But, he was in OH so many good movies, how could you not be a fan?!!  My little love affair with his movies definitely started with Dirty Dancing as that is my favorite movie of all time.  But, my 2nd favorite movie of all time is another Swayze movie, Roadhouse!  Oh and my dream of an older man began with the movie Roadhouse with Sam Elliott!  Whew was he one sexy man in that movie!

But, the list of great movies is long for Swayze!  He is the older brother in The Outsiders(my favorite book growing up) and in Red Dawn, wow powerful movie!  Hey, I was 12 when I saw it!  That was too close to home and oh did you all know Jennifer Grey was in that movie too and as in Dirty Dancing, he sort of takes her under his wing. 

Then comes the movie Youngblood!  That is a great hockey movie, I LOVED it, again I was about 13 or 14 when it came out but, it was my first movie where I saw 'boy butt' being Rob Lowe's!  That started my little love affair with Rob Lowe by the way :-)

I liked Ghost but, now as I am older, it really creeps me out that his wife kissed that weird psychic lady.  Ick.  I did love the romantic premise of it though and how he loved her so much he protected her, sigh.  But, then Patrick Swayze got SUPER sexy and was a real bad boy in the movie Point Break.  I loved that movie because Flea and Anthony Keidis were in the movie and Patrick got to kick some pretty (pretty ugly) boy butt in Keanu Reeves.

Then came probably one of the weirdest and funniest movies I have ever seen only because, I can't believe Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes dressed in drag and were actually good in drag!  To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar.  Oh gosh, it was such a crazy movie but, serious laughs watching guys who previously had been, excuse my language..sort of bad asses and now were dressed like women.

That is were my love affair of Patrick's movies ended but, what a great run it was!  I think The Outsiders came out in 1983 and To Wong Foo came out in mid-90's.  I think you can say I grew up watching Patrick Swayze dance, move, shoot people up, walk in heels, make his wife kiss weird people and protect the younger kids.

I think this means that I am officially getting old that so many people I grew up watching in movies and on TV are dying.  Ick.  I really don't feel that old but, apparently I am.  Where did all those years go and how fast will the rest come?

I sincerely hope the death of Patrick Swayze does not start another series of deaths by 3.  I don't know if my fragile, innocent memories of my pre-teen/teen years can handle it.

So, go out and rent 2, 3, 4 or more of Patrick's movies, grab yourself some Goobers, popcorn and are 2-liter bottle of pop and sit back, relax and let yourself be pulled into the rough and tumble world of the Greasers and the Socials, The day the Soviets invaded Colorado, a good story of a talented hockey player with an attitude.  Go back to when it wasn't ok to put Baby in a corner, when Wesley was a mean SOB and Dalton had to show him who's boss.  Watch a man talk to psychics and good looking surfer dudes with great tans!  Then finish your night off with some beefy hunks dressed in drag.

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

And Life Goes On

Good Morning Everyone!

So, this morning I wake with a heavy heart once again.  It has been a really tough past couple months with me and death.  I think it might be my age that I am at and being a mother and frankly death sucks.

As many of you know, our dog Griffey died March 23.  That started this death whatever it is for us in 2009.  Then, my husband and I just Sunday night watched the movie Marley and Me.  It was a great movie until the end.  Sorry if I spoil this for any of you but, Marley dies.  It sucks.  I didn't know exactly what the movie was all about so, I never would have rented it had I known it was about the family and their dog and the dog died! 

So yesterday morning I woke up just tired and sad with all of those emotions coming up again.  Then, yesterday just after lunch, I came up from the basement to put the baby to sleep for her nap and saw the fire truck just leaving my neighbors and 3 police cars there.

I waited but, no ambulance came.  NO, no, no!  I knew, I just knew.  I knew that one of my neighbors had died.  They live right next door to us, we share a fence, many conversations, they are the Grandparents next door for my children.  NO!

I call their son, he frantically tells me he is on his way and hangs up.  NO!  He gets to his parents house and I see him run, just run into his parents house.  NO!  I call my husband he tells me to go over there but, no, I feel like I should let them deal with it, I know that their son will come and tell me and he does.

I am standing in my garage with the children and I see their adult son Cory come out of the house and walk toward me.  I quickly run over to him and he tells me, 'died'.  That is all I hear, I say "Who died?"  Then, he says, "My dad, he's dead."  Oh NO!  No, no, no.  I instantly have to suck it up and fight back the tears and be strong for Cory.  NO!  Our neighbor Lee was awesome.  He was like a grandpa, always talking to our children, saying hi to them, talking to Steve and I.  Oh no.  He tells me his dad died in his sleep and it seems it was really peaceful. 

I had just seen Lee Sunday night as I was walking home from getting candy at our grocery store.  I had quickly run to get some movie treats and was running back to watch the movie(that broke my heart and I now know was just the beginning).  I came up to our alley and saw Lee's car in the driveway with the window open.  I knew he was sitting in there smoking and I smiled and waved.  I saw this hand wave back to me slowly side to side and smiled more.  Then I ran into my house having no clue that would be the last time I would ever see or wave to my neighbor.  

 I know he lived a long life as he was 84 or 85.  Lee and his wife had just celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary last month.  He was still able to drive, walk, and take care of himself and his wife.  They had their same home for almost 50 years and he was 'healthy'.

I am starting to discover the crappy part of being a stay at home mom.  Losing our dog a month and a half ago hurt me way more than anyone else because I am home all the time.  I am really struggling with losing my neighbor yesterday as he and I always had great conversations over the fence about everything daily over the summer.  I am going to miss him so much!  Oh this just sucks.

The worst part is they will probably have to put his wife in a home soon.  She is good on her own but, not great as she has some health issues and she can't drive anymore.  NO!  I love these neighbors, I don't want to lose one of them but, I really don't want to lose both of them!  This is the very unfair part of death.  It really bothers me that life just goes on.  It sucks.

I still had to get up and feed the children, I still need to send them to school, I still need to tend to the house and I still have to do activities with them tonight....life goes on.  

I don't like that at all.  I don't like it that life just keeps going.  I know it is supposed to but, that is the crappy part of death for me, is that life just keeps going.  I discovered over the years that it isn't death that scares me it is the fact that life just keeps going and eventually, all the people that loved you are gone too.  The memories, the life, just seem to die with people sometimes.  

Now, I am a Christian and I believe in Jesus Christ and I believe in heaven.  I know I will be in heaven but, when life on this Earth our life with our loved ones ends too.  Which I am told and I am trying hard to imagine that once we are in heaven, we don't really miss people as we are so filled with love and delight that we are sublimely happy.  But, it hurts when you are still part of the fallen world.

To top yesterday off for me and I am hoping this is our 3rd in the death circle, I found out just a couple hours after our neighbor died that one of our beautiful HUGE 60+ year old Silver Maple's in the front yard is going to have to be cut down in the next few years.  Oh no.

We live in a neighborhood that pretty much was put up overnight for the GI's coming back from WWII.  We have miles and miles and rows and rows of little houses with huge trees lining the street and in the yards.  Our maple trees are so beautiful and are perfectly lined up evenly on either side of the sidewalk in the front of our house.  They are big and beautiful and so welcoming.  Well, one of our big branches on one of them split with the last wind we had and they said they can remove that branch but, because it is such a large branch and that one branch is over 1/3 of the tree, it will cause stress to the tree and cause it to die over the next 5-7 years.  NO!

So, yesterday was the day of death for me, the stay at home mom that was so deeply attached to a dog that seemed in the way a lot when he was alive and I didn't realize how much I would miss stepping over him.  Then, yesterday, I lose my neighbor which, if you can say you have a favorite, he was definitely it.  I will miss his shrugging of his shoulders everytime I apologize for my children leaving toys in his yard, or bikes in their driveway, or my dog peeing on their flowers.  He would just shrugg his shoulders and say something like, 'oh well' or 'oh, I had children too'.    Add the tree that the children and I sit under daily while we play in the front yard with our sidewalk chalk.  I usually sit under the bigger one and look at the one I just found out I won't have in a few years and now I know, life just goes on.

My husband thinks I am a nut case to put a tree in the same category as a dog and a neighbor anywhere near those two but, for me, death is death.  It all sucks for those left living.  For as long as we own this house, I will have memories of that silly dog Griffey, I will have to sit in my backyard and look at my neighbors house and know he isn't there anymore and in a few years, my big maple will disappear too.  My views will change, my sadness will fade, and eventually, I will look back with happiness and good memories but, right now, I am just plain old sad and life just goes on.

Blessings to you all!

-Liza