My dear sweet garden lady, Sherry, lost her battle with breast cancer two weeks ago. I plan on meeting with her partner to gather some more information on Sherry to do a proper memorial. She was a smoker who did not give it up, but at the point she was at, there was no point in giving it up.
For those of you who have been through a cancer battle or a health battle, I admire your strength. Sherry lived in poverty....extreme poverty. Imagine if you will, for one second, knowing you are dying and not getting any pain medication because you do not have insurance and it is the end of the month and medicaid only appoved a 21 day supply. Sherry suffered so......my heart aches. She not only suffered from breast cancer than had spread, but from a health care system that is so vastly underfunded. She was not pain free until Hospice came in and helped.
My frustration is about breast cancer, illness, insurance and unimformed doctors, poverty and the fact that ANY of us can find ourselves in Sherry's shoes. Say you have insurance and that can't happen to you, well, think again.......it can. Say you have a good doctor who won't let you down, well think again. Say you live right, excercise, eat right and are spiritually balanced, well think again. Say you're a man and breast cancer can't happen to you, think again. CANCER doesn't give a rats ass about any of those things. Neither does AIDES or many other illnesses.
It is an interesting note to know that when women gathered many years ago and wanted to learn how to raise money and awareness about breast cancer, they really had trouble. So you know they did? They went to the gay community to find out how they raised money for AIDES and followed in those foot steps. SMART women!
The only thing that gives me comfort about Sherry is knowing that once HOSPICE stepped in, she was able to get some pain relief and that she was able to die at home in her partners arms.
For those of you that read the infamous Mrs L., she is also doing some posts. :http://journals.aol.com/jevanslink/AskMrsLinklater/entries/2148
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12 comments:
Good entry, Anne! I am sorry for the loss of your friend.
xoxo
Yep Cancer Sucks! and any other illness too there are 3-4 of my postal customers who have it or had it we need a cure for it! thankfully now, your friend is pain free and wearing a new garment in heaven God Bless!~kbear
I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. She walks among the angels now.
~~Kath~~
i have the feeling that women and children suffer most from our strange healthcare system. I look forward to your memorial about your friend. Mrs. L
I was just arguing with a (*#&#^) jerk about health care. So many people are under the mistaken impression that when someone is poor all they have to do is walk into a hospital and they will recieve 'free" care.
I really don't know what I would have done without Hospice. Both of my parents were in Hopsice at the same time. They are a God send.
I am thankful Sherry's battle is over and she is resting well with all those who were waiting for her.
Candace
I am sorry for your loss. Thank God/Goddess for Hospice. Yes, it is very scary for everyone, and those who don't think so have blinders on. It is terrifying out there without good health insurance. Margo
Very sad... I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.
It's true, the gay community did do some very awesome stuff when the AIDS epidemic first hit, because no one else would step up. It was out of sheer desparation. --Albert
Oh, Anne. Honey -- I had no idea you were going through this. It's so frustrating the we are the wealthiest country in the world and yet we can't take care of our own when they are suffering. I'm sending you a big hug and you can cry on the smelly t-shirt I've been wearing all weekend.
Russ (HONK)
oh Anne... I am so sorry. love, judi
I am extremely sorry to hear about Sherry. I live in England, we have a National health Service. Everything paid for. Think again! Citizens from every nation can get free health care here. Only one problem; there is not enough in the kitty for the English government to meet their own citizens needs. I am very sick myself, not cancer, but life threatenting. I also care for my hubby 24/7. What care do I get? NONE!! Have walked away from mutiple surgery recently, as there isn't enough back up or care for myself and hubby if I go ahead. Last surgery I had was major, but nothing compared to what I need now. Well, I got chucked out of the hospital, through lack of beds, with an internal abcess - and that was only for starters. Got home, unable even make myself a cup of tea, to find hubby had had no care while I was away. He was very ill. I had to go straight back into my caring role, with absolutely no help. Still don't know now how I did it. Healthcare should be every government's priority, especially for the poor. They suffer more ill health than the affluent society. Take care. My thoughts are with you.
Sylvia
http://journals.co.uk/sylviam4000/JottingsfromtheSticks/
You make so many good points that I don't know where to begin. It is criminal that we can live in the richest country in the world and have citizens go without medical care, medication to help when needed or regular doctor visits. Your right, "having" iinsurance is no guarantee. Just today a major auto company got its employees to take a cut in benefits to help out the bottom line! Hospice was a God-send when I brought my mother home from the hospital as well, even though she only lived for a short time. Her long-term hospital care was a disgrace. Every time I would visit I would find her lying in her own feces, always the nurses would say "but we just cleaned her up ten minute ago". Bah!
I'm sorry to hear of your friends passing. I have lost two friend to breast cancer and it seems so senseless, yet we are helpless to do anything but love and listen. Fondly, Paulette
Sometimes stories don't have happy endings on the surface, but if everytime this happens to someone, another takes the opportunity to share the story, it might push another person to do something about it. The cures will all start with one person. No one in this country should live in abject poverty, nor suffer needlessly because of a lack of appropriate health care.
Maybe today your friend's death will provide that extra incentive in someone who can make a difference. We can only hope.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Jimmy
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