I became eligible for Medicare in July, 2015 and enrolled shortly after. It turned out to be one of the best days of my life!

Prior to that time, I had been buying insurance on the “free market”–nothing free about it, if you ask me! I’ll give you my feelings about free market insurance after a little historical context.

I’d been self-employed most of my life. In college–during the Ice Age–at the University of Washington, in Seattle, WA, all students were covered and could use the Health Facilities for free. I went a few times for minor illnesses.

After college, I joined Group Health Cooperative in Seattle. It cost a little over $20 a month–back in the ’70s. For that we got all medical and drug expenses for FREE. Let me make sure you understand: There were NO co-pays or deductibles. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Well, over the years, that idyllic version of American health care disappeared. By the time I was in my 50’s, health insurance has soared to $500-$600 + a month (just for me) and the deductibles were insane. I wanted to get a colonoscopy in my 50s, as was recommended by my MD. I called my insurance company to find my co-pay and found it was $1,000! Needless to say, that colonoscopy didn’t happened until I was covered by Medicare.

When President Johnson signed the original bill into legislation, Medicare was free to all seniors. Now it costs a little over $100 per month per person. (Not complaining!). Back then all your medical and hospital costs were covered. Now you get about 80% coverage. But you can buy supplemental insurance, which I opted to do. For an additional $214 a month, ALL my medical bills are paid. There is no “in network” restriction. I can go anywhere I want and get it covered, within the medical community. Often alternative health providers are covered as well by limiting what they can charge (my chiropractor can only charge $32 per visit, for example).

Prescription medications are covered by yet another insurer. Again, it’s a reasonable amount–$25 a month–and well worth it.

I pay about $350 a month for no deductibles, 100% coverage and most prescription drugs are under $10 a month.

There is another obvious aspect to this: The above is for the highest risk population in the country–seniors. If this amazing coverage can happen for us, it begs the question, why can’t it for all Americans?

Certain politicians decry “Medicare for All” as putting the government between you and your doctor. That’s a lie. Right now, insurance companies are between you and your doctor. I have NEVER received a call from a government worker saying they wouldn’t pay for any procedure. It just doesn’t happen.

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February, 2017, paying for the surgeries and treatments never crossed my mind. A close friend of mine experienced the same diagnosis with “Free Market” insurance and it took her over 4 years to pay off her medical expenses.

The next time you vote, ask your candidates about Medicare for All and if they agree that health care is a right and not a privilege, give them your vote! It’s really a vote for YOU.

God Bless You, LBJ!

I am the healthiest person I know-especially among my family!

I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs (any longer!) eat organic when possible, work out (fairly) consistently, meditate and live a mostly stress-free life.

I couldn’t help myself. Even though I’d told myself I wouldn’t, I found myself asking silently, “Why me?”

I was sitting in a beautiful conference room in the Breast Clinic at the Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. Everything in the Breast Clinic was lovely: The lighting and furnishings, even the bathroom. Everything except the reason we were all patients there.

I was attending a planning meeting with my surgeon, Janie Grumley, my nurse coordinator (and God send!), Natalie, a surgical resident and my sister, Gretchen. I thought, “One reason I haven’t had a real job for the last 30+ years is that I HATE meetings.” But I digress.

I had been given a binder packed full of tabs, notes and my medical records. I couldn’t help but remember my old friend, Dave DeVarona, telling me so many years ago, “If you don’t have a real business, you’d better have a great notebook.” This is a great notebook.

Funny how the mind wanders during stressful meetings. It’s like my brain knows when it’s had enough and needs to check out-to funnier thoughts.

But I digress-again.

I am being shown a diagram of breast anatomy and how breast cancer progresses. I have DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ. It’s inside the duct wall and, at this point, it ain’t goin’ anywhere. Good news. It’s microscopic, and, as the science and technology stands right now, needs to be removed before it “learns” how to spread

As Dr. Grumley explains it, our cells regenerate by dividing billions of times in a lifetime. Sometimes they just have the wrong code and that divides as well, and keeps dividing, leading to cancer. (That helps answer, “Why me?” Just because).

I think of my dog, Heidi. She’s a dachshund and loves to burrow. For years she would sleep under the covers at my feet at night. I loved that. Then, one night I farted and she walked out from under the covers, glared at me and never went back. One little mistake changed her behavior for good. Same with cancer.

As I’m watching Dr. Grumley draw on the pictures of breasts in my notebook, my mind wanders to Michael Keaton’s movie, “Multiplicity.” In it, he discovers how to clone himself to make his life easier. He has 2 clones and life is going well. Then one of his clones decides to clone himself and the result is a mess! His 3rd clone is a goof ball that keeps screwing up his life. Right now my cancer cells are Michael Keaton’s #3 clone. We need to remove those cells before they learn how to live in “normal society”-the rest of my body.

I love my brain.