Recently I had the privilege of spending a day in the hospital. I say “privilege” because a lot had to align for me to be there. First, as someone over 65, I use Medicare, paid for monthly out of the Social Security funds I receive (saved up over many years through my work places). Plus, my husband’s university union negotiated a Medicare supplement policy (we pay monthly) better than most. Furthermore, I had the means to see specialists in Springfield as needed and the choice to select this treatment.
Arriving very early, we were greeted by two nurses, one male, one female, who clearly explained each step of prep and post-surgery. The anesthesiologist stopped by and gave a clear, detailed account of his role, and what to expect. He was personable, reassuring and clearly extremely well trained. Then the surgeon stopped in to review the procedure, answer our questions and clarify details. When I finally reached the operating room I was astonished to see what seemed to be more than a dozen different people, all busy with their respective tasks, and almost all spoke to me, with kindly eye contact and clearly stated names behind their masks. They talked among themselves as needed, in a calm synchrony of competence and camaraderie. After days of somewhat anxious waiting, I felt surprising confidence.
Waking up was no fun; it took a while to feel clear-headed again. The same nurses carefully moved me through the recovery process, which included (finally!) some food. The surgeon had already personally found my vigilant husband in the waiting room and then visited us again to review a few details. He had told me in the spring as I considered my options that I was lucky — a whole new approach to this procedure had been approved in January after years of being used successfully in Europe. This innovative improvement took the procedure from 4-6 hours to less than 2 for me. The complications with the new technique are fewer, patients go home sooner, and the success rate is higher.
My amazing experience should not be a “privilege” — quality health care should be available to everyone, no exceptions. Instead, the Republican Congress passed the president’s budget that kicks 10-14 million people off Medicaid; increases Affordable Care premiums; increases hunger; balloons the deficit; and shifts money out of the pockets of low- and middle-income families to fund huge tax breaks for the wealthiest 10% of our country. Oh, and the deficit triggers stealthy back-door cuts to Social Security. Rural health facilities could close due to the loss of federal support. In addition, many regional towns are facing huge, unanticipated mid-year increases in basic health care costs.
We have a crazed Health and Human Services secretary with no medical background but a lot of scientifically disproven conspiracy theories about vaccines, old and new. Far from making our country healthier, these drastic beliefs and decisions to pull huge funding from development of new vaccines and treatments exposes us to untold danger during the inevitable rise of a new pandemic or resurgence of old diseases, once controlled by routine vaccination. The crazed rhetoric caused the terrible attack on the CDC (Center for Disease Control in Atlanta) — more than 180 shots fired at buildings while people were working, murdering a police officer.
Folks wanting to make American healthy have some good and sensible ideas: clean up our food supply; carefully test new technologies and treatments; reduce chemical burdens in water, land and air. But this administration’s actions completely contradict a healthy agenda — elimination of key pollution limits; full-on support of polluting oil, gas and coal; enabling unbridled corporate profiteering; plus reduction or elimination of all key climate protections. Taking away Americans’ choice to use safe vaccines while crippling efforts to devise new and better treatments is madness. Millions of people are threatened and many will die.
We need a prescription for America that includes universal health care, paid for fairly by all Americans, unburdened by corporate greed. We need well-managed science-based research and development. We need accurate data and clear communications. We need the whole team — from surgeons to wheel chair attendants, from select board members, teachers, moms and dads, to local businesses — to bring our country to robust health with a national immune system fortified against such a viral attack ever again. Each election, demonstration or call for resignation of RFK, Jr., is part of the treatment. The first dose of medicine required: exercise democracy now.
Judy Wagner lives in Northfield and extends her gratitude to the team at Pioneer Valley
Cardiology and Mercy Hospital in Springfield.