Sunday, November 1, 2009
To care or not to care......
This past week was a bumpy one and it was health related. I have been following the political issues of health care closely because it's important to me.
I always do all the medical stuff in my life in August. Firstly, it helps me remember to do it and secondly, it's a slow month for me at work. Our busiest time begins in January with a bump in March when The One Show (www.oneshow.org) judges entries and another in May when it all culminates with One Show Festival Week in New York City.
This year I had two issues. My Dr. saw some extra beats with my stress test and wanted to do a nuclear stress test and my gyno wanted to do another test to rule out uterine cancer because she was diagnosed with it this year and it surprised her. I thought to myself, well damn if my doctor can get surprised with it, so can I.
All this is normal for most people. One goes to the Dr for checkups and if something is out of line, they check it out. But unfortunately I'm not most people. I have a phobia of all things medical. I have always been fearful that this phobia would kill me because I would be too afraid to make sure I got the medical care I needed to find out something was wrong in time to save my life.
I am so proud of myself that for the last few years, I have been seeing a doctor regularly but that has not always been the case. The last 10 years I was in Beaumont, Texas before I left for New York City I was without insurance. I remember the fear that something would happen before I was able to be insured. My friendship with Dr. Mark Wilson was helpful since he was a good friend and could take care of the small things but if anything big had been discovered, not only would it be completely out of my ability to pay for it, that discovery would establish a pre-existing condition that would prevent any future insurance from having to pay for it. The result was, I didn't get tested for anything. No mamo's, no pap tests nothing that could brand me later.
When I finally did become employed with a company that had health benefits, I had a growth the size of my fist on one of my ovaries. I dodged that bullet as it was just a dermoid cyst but that experience helped me understand that I had to do my part in managing my health care. I'm married again, so at least I have that little plus that as long as ONE of us is working, we can stay healthy.
Is this right? I can't help but compare my own experience to the current debate going on about our healthcare system. I'm married to a Brazilian and they have social medicine. I have French friends where the healthcare system continues to stay in the forefront of medical research. I think about the "public option" as so many oppose it and think to myself, "how can I oppose that after my own experiences came so close to disaster?"
I can't. I have to care about others..... it's who I am.
I always do all the medical stuff in my life in August. Firstly, it helps me remember to do it and secondly, it's a slow month for me at work. Our busiest time begins in January with a bump in March when The One Show (www.oneshow.org) judges entries and another in May when it all culminates with One Show Festival Week in New York City.
This year I had two issues. My Dr. saw some extra beats with my stress test and wanted to do a nuclear stress test and my gyno wanted to do another test to rule out uterine cancer because she was diagnosed with it this year and it surprised her. I thought to myself, well damn if my doctor can get surprised with it, so can I.
All this is normal for most people. One goes to the Dr for checkups and if something is out of line, they check it out. But unfortunately I'm not most people. I have a phobia of all things medical. I have always been fearful that this phobia would kill me because I would be too afraid to make sure I got the medical care I needed to find out something was wrong in time to save my life.
I am so proud of myself that for the last few years, I have been seeing a doctor regularly but that has not always been the case. The last 10 years I was in Beaumont, Texas before I left for New York City I was without insurance. I remember the fear that something would happen before I was able to be insured. My friendship with Dr. Mark Wilson was helpful since he was a good friend and could take care of the small things but if anything big had been discovered, not only would it be completely out of my ability to pay for it, that discovery would establish a pre-existing condition that would prevent any future insurance from having to pay for it. The result was, I didn't get tested for anything. No mamo's, no pap tests nothing that could brand me later.
When I finally did become employed with a company that had health benefits, I had a growth the size of my fist on one of my ovaries. I dodged that bullet as it was just a dermoid cyst but that experience helped me understand that I had to do my part in managing my health care. I'm married again, so at least I have that little plus that as long as ONE of us is working, we can stay healthy.
Is this right? I can't help but compare my own experience to the current debate going on about our healthcare system. I'm married to a Brazilian and they have social medicine. I have French friends where the healthcare system continues to stay in the forefront of medical research. I think about the "public option" as so many oppose it and think to myself, "how can I oppose that after my own experiences came so close to disaster?"
I can't. I have to care about others..... it's who I am.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Mine!
I love to see pictures of Dylan and Brady together. When I see them in addition to feeling abosutely in love with them both I feel a sense of grounding and also some kind of primal satisfaction in knowing that I have a family.
To some people I guess that's not that big a deal but to me, an only child whose parents have both passed away, it is indeed a very big deal. They are mine. My family that will go on no matter what happens to me.
I guess that's a little Edwardian but so be it.
Dylan, Brady, Mine....
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Our Movie is out already
Tonight we went to the IFC Center Theater in the West Village. The movie my company has been producing for the last 5 years was finally having it's theatrical release. So we were outside the theater getting viral video to put on our website.
I'm the best at getting people to come talk to us since I'm so SHY!
So look who I found????????? SPIKE LEE!!!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Time Goes on.... and on.... and on.. hopefully
Sometimes when I see both My grandsons, I can't help but smile, thinking about when I was young and an only child, I decided I wanted to make a family. Well, I did it. I have two beautiful children that I'm so very proud of and now two grandsons that will carry on and make their own families long after I'm gone.
It's such a strange feeling to watch my kids be parents. This is going to be a fun ride. Between Dylan and Brady, there are lots of adventures coming.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
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