Why the Public Option Means Everything to Me

This is my story, and it's one of many that sound exactly the same.

I have chronic migraine headaches. I've had them since I was a child, but they became debilitating when I went to college and got worse and worse and worse. In college, Imitrex wasn't out yet, so I would walk to Student Health where they would pump me full of Demerol and Phenergan, put me on the shuttle, and drop me off in front of my dorm. It wasn't uncommon for someone to help me up to the third floor (no elevator). I would sleep for 24 hours, wake up the next day and go to yesterday's classes, not even knowing what day it was.

When Imitrex came on the scene, things got a little better, but it only works if you catch the migraine at the very beginning and unfortunately, I tended to sleep through my aura and wake up with a migraine that was past that point. Turned out to be a good thing, though, because regardless of what my neurologist prescribed me, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, United Healthcare and any other insurance plan I've ever had, thinks it's unsafe for me or anyone else to have more than 6 injectable doses or 9 tablets of Imitrex a month. Despite appeals from my neurologist, they think they know better. It's fun to play 'is this going to be a real migraine or should I not waste this dose?' You should try it sometime.

I can't work an 8-5 job because of my migraines and the now associated health problems. I can work, don't get me wrong, but I can't keep a schedule. You can't rely on me to be anywhere at anytime, especially in the summer. I've lost more jobs than I've ever had. Every time I lost one, I had to carry COBRA because if you let your insurance drop, then the next insurance you get will rider you for at least a year before they'll cover your pre-existing conditions.

Had there been a public health care option available to me when I lost my job, I could've have transferred to that. I could've not carried COBRA and all of it's horrific financial side effects. I would've been able to make a better choice for my life. I could've taken a less stressful job and not worried about trying to push myself to make enough money to stay in the game for medical insurance because that's all I was ever doing. For fifteen years, every occupational decision I made was made based on health insurance.

My self-esteem took a nose dive all the way to Hell, but not anymore. There isn't an insurance company, a politician, or a pharmaceutical company who's going to dictate one more day in my life. I'm done. If the people that we elect to run this country can't figure out something so unbelievably basic as health care, then shame on them.

Shame. On. Them.

Do I care if they taxes to pay for it? No. You took my tax dollars overseas and killed a bunch of people. You took my tax dollars and gave them to bunch of unbelievable idiots on Wall Street. I'd really appreciate if you'd use my tax dollars to do something decent for a change.

Do I quiver in fear of a 'government run health care program?'

Give me a break.

An insurance company has dictated the care I'm allowed to have my entire life. They don't give a #$%^ what any of my doctors think I need. Do you really think I'm the least bit worried about the government? Are you insane? Do you get what this is about? This is people's lives. Sick, suffering, and often extremely poor people. They aren't the least bit afraid of the government 'rationing health care.' They're afraid of politicians rationing health care. You're the ones causing the problem. Grow up.

Super sick people can't get to the polls to vote, you know? Did you ever think of that?

~Lori

Top image is Inside Trying to Get Out by Carapace.