ANA Discussion Forum
AN Community => AN Community => Topic started by: yardtick on November 05, 2008, 09:57:03 pm
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To my American family on this forum, I'd like to congratulate all of you on such a wonderful out come on your election yesterday. Barack Obama speech last night was so heart felt, I too was in tears here in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. I was so tired but I had to stay awake and see him speak. I must also comment on John McCain speech, he was very gracious. Two amazing men, and history will be very kind to both of them.
My youngest son gave my family a tutorial on the electoral college last night while we were watching the results with the rest of the world. He took American history last year in grade 11 and this year he has political science. In Canada we just had a federal election a few weeks ago and with your election yesterday has given Gabriel so much to follow and he has really enjoyed the course.
It is remarkable so many of your citizens voted. Both Democrats and Republicans worked hard, got their messages out and you the people voted in record numbers. With all of the worlds eyes on America, you showed the entire world what a democracy is all about.
God Bless America, God Bless the people and God Bless President Elect Barack Obama.
Anne Marie
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On behalf of the citizens of the United States of America, I say thank you!
I agree that the speeches were admirable. Even in our close Oregon senate race, the two candidates behaved liked gentlemen.
If nothing else, there has been a change in tone, which is a change for the better.
Steve
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Thank you for your comments from me, too. I was so impressed with both men's speeches that night. It showed the best of our system and started the process of post-election healing. We now as a country have to set about dealing with our issues. I have endless faith in the people of our country. Our beloved neighbors in Canada have been so supportive I am sure that will ease the burden just knowing the support is there. 8)
Mary
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My hope is that the new administration can fix the broken healthcare system in this country and challenge the pharmacutical lobbyists to set realistic prices for our citizens. My last Topamax prescription was almost $700 because I'm in the Medicare Part D "donut hole." I decided not to order it and instead ordered some questionable
"generic Topamax" off the internet made in India for $135. I'm not quite sure of the quality and all I had to do was give them the name and phone # of my doc. Hmmmmm........
Been on it for a week and it ain't killed me yet.........but I've had a few headaches.
I would love to have a Medicare supplemental policy, but it's soooo expensive if you've gotten Medicare through disability--over $450 a month and doesn't include prescriptions--maybe that will change with this new administration.
Here's wishing the Obama family much luck and hope as we enter a new era!!!!!
Capt Deb
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Ouch Capt Deb,
I don't know what hurts more my head at the moment or the cost of your Topamax. That is a big PILL to swallow, no pun intended ;) One of the things that impressed me about Mr Obama, was his passion for change, especially medicare.
Anne Marie your Canadian Barack Obama supporter!
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Hi
I know it is rough. I explored going to India for AN treatment. I only wish our insurance was around $500. My hubby and I are $2200 a MONTH!!!! YIKES!!!!! :o That is with a $4000 deductible. We are not medicare yet and husband is off Cobra now and of course we have prexisting conditions and our medications are hardly covered costing extra hundreds a month. I am just sick over this!
Mary 8)
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This is a pic that my daughter took of Obama when she went to a rally at her college campus. She was about 15 feet away from him standing in a window sill. She said she felt like the paparazzi! LOL. She also said it was one of the coolest experiences she's ever had.
(http://www.cmbolson.com/Pic/Obama.jpg)
Cathy
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Great photo! My Uncle met him when he dropped in at the Presbyterian church unannounced to worship. He was a Republican but I think he was for Obama. It was cute - a 90 year old man so excited.
Mary
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oy... politikal talk on a brain tumor website... oy gevalt! :)
Hoping, as we move forward with the new administration, that things will get on a good path, that not only affects those here stateside, but also for those abroad that endure what can resonate from the USA.
Captn, saying "hang tough m'dear" is difficult when I know what you are enduring..... so maybe a huggle will help the cause for now.
Phyl
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Fill the bill with Phyl for President in 2016!
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FYLL THE BYLL WITH PHYLL, YEAH!!!
FYLL THE BYLL WITH PHYLL, YEAH!!!
FYLL THE BYLL WITH PHYLL, YEAH!!!
FYLL THE BYLL WITH PHYLL, YEAH!!!
Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/emoticon___pirate_by_anya1916.gif)
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Interestingly, I had phone calls this week with clients in South Africa, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. If the people I talked to are a fair representation, the world opinion on Obama as our President Elect is very, very positive. I feel that, along with the many domestic issues that need to be "fixed", our image in the international stage also needs a great deal of repair. Let us hope that Obama is able to bring some healing to some of our international relations. And reform to our healthcare system here at home!
Debbi
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On a brain tumor website?
I am a Canadian who resides in the USA. Having the election around me with not the right to vote- made me feel like a suffragette… as I tried to influence my American husband. Perhaps now it is time for me to finally fill out the naturalization forms.
Yes this discussion does fit here. Can we have this discussion here? “Yes we can� :D ;) ;) LOL
This whole AN experience is what enlightened me of how many people here do not have access to quality healthcare based on their socio economic situations. I am one who does have good insurance to pick and choose a doctor and find people of greater knowledge & experience- out of the state I reside in. One too may AN patients had to leave work because of symptoms related to their AN tumor. Once they left their work they lost their medical insurance coverage as an employee benefit. :-[
I go to ANA meetings and my heart pours out to those who can only choose the AN treatment options that only their insurance will afford them and not always is it the best option (and plan) for their AN tumor treatment :-\ … but only what they can afford. I know a person who sold their house and moved in with their aging parent as to afford the treatment she needed. Many are having the surgery when really they are still an excellent “watch & wait� candidate as they want to have their treatment before they retire and loose their employee benefits. Why? ??? They are worried they might not have health insurance coverage when the time proves that the tumor actually has to be removed (or not). It was not until I went through this AN journey and went to ANA meetings that I developed some true empathy and understanding for what these people go through. Some people are not getting facial help as their insurance feel this is “cosmetic�. Facial nerve trauma is so obviously related to the AN tumor yet some insurance companies do not get this. SO many patients are already fatigued from their AN tumor and yet they have to use their energy reserves to deal with self righteous insurance companies- only to get turned down. (Read our ANA insurance threads to see documented proof of this.) I am getting help from my excellent corporate insurance company however one too many are not this fortunate. I guess this is why I am trying to work with the medical practioners, here where I live, to make better care available to AN patients “in state�… Bringing in a neuro muscular training retraining speaker from another state… is just a start… but the truth is we DO need to change “the system� that is failing one too many of these AN patients (especially those with limited coverage or no insurance).
Some AN patient may not be as lucky as Michael Gates Gill who was actually “able bodied� enough to go find another job with a good benefit package. (Referring to The How Starbucks saved my Life book – soon to be a Tom Hanks starring movie -here.) For some … the sound of the espresso machine can be too much for AN patients with hyperacusis. Yet if these people could get proper treatment and occupational therapy this is what can get them back to health and it the workforce again… BUT if you have no insurance how do you afford help? Also people need to remember that this author is still on the W & W mode. Perhaps there will be a sequel story published.
The outcome of the election will hopefully, in the long run, allow people who are currently at an insurance disadvantage to seek “the best� caregivers and practioners to assist them through their AN journey.
We definitely need change here. There is not one policy or politician that is going to change this overnight. It is going to take a cooperative democratic process where people listen to each other. Most importantly having understanding and empathy for those who are disadvantaged who find themselves between a rock and a hard spot. We do not want to be in a position as my Canadian relatives are- in that you have to wait months to just get an MRI done. Nevertheless we also don’t want to be at the extreme that I am seeing with some patients here in the USA- no coverage. There needs to be balance.
I see the ANA as an advocacy group for patients. It is also an organization whose role is to educate. We all know that not only do patients need more education on AN treatment but so do some medical practioners as one too many of us waited years to get an accurate diagnoses. We can all do better at educating if we have adequate funding to provide instructional materials and forums … and it certainly helps if we have a “system� that works better… at a “federal leadership level� included.
One of the freedoms I SO respect here in the USA is the “freedom of speech�. I truly feel that this is probably why this is the most active AN tumor on-line discussion group in “the world�. This forum has provided me a wealth of information that my 30 minute visits to the doctor did not… because people here were able to express their ideas. I was able to follow leads and seek information.
Believe me the USA is not a place of apathy. “Freedom of speech� is a wonderful right! The key is to use it wisely and never take this for granted.
Can we discuss these issues here? Yes we can! This is one of the most helpful and civil forums I know of- many very respectful people here... to whom I am most grateful of.
God bless the USA…
DHM
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I never felt more passionate about an election before, I became a volunteer at Obama Headquarters in Concord, NH and had an awesome experience. I was able to shake his hand in a crowd of people and I will treasure that forever. I think the Americans got it right this time, I am proud of us.
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Hi My DazyHazyMazy :-* :-* :-* (and all)
Well, since it's the AN Community forum, my feeling is that it can stay AS LONG as there is no mud slinging (we had enough of that over the past 2 years during the presidential race). Many, like me, do not enjoy discussion our politikal views publically.
Those that want to participate here, please do, but NO MUD SLINGING!
For those that don't want to participate, well.... me thinks that you have the option not to read it.
FYI... I've already rec'd emails behind the scenes noting this thread and have faith in you all, that choose to discuss this here, will do so respectfully, or it goes *poof*.
As for me in 2016, I better be retired on some tropical island with the bloke putting sun lotion on my back.
Watching this thread. Honestly, it shouldn't be here due to the goal of this website but... will keep it... unless some other mod makes it go away... there's 4 of us on this Mod Ticket, ya know? :)
Phyl, the ByLL Fyller for 2016
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Very well said, Daisy Head!
I was one of those people who had to fight to get on disability for 5 years in order to afford to go to a pain clinic--they refused to take my insurance and I had a very high deductibe. My husband is a very underpaid semi-retired teacher and I've been unable to work much for the past 5 years. Now that I can afford to go to the pain clinic with my Medicare I'm able to work a little more, but God forbid I should declare any of the income or I'll lose the Medicare and them I'll be back in the same boat. What a Catch-22!!!
Pyhll--I believe the only mud to be slung here will be at the current system!!!
Capt Deb
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Since the election is over, and the results are already in, there is no point in mud slinging now, so hopefully we are okay on that score. ::)
The tasks ahead are formidable, and I'm not sure that better medical insurance will be at top of the list very soon. But hopefully things start getting put back together in some way that makes sense and adds up. I agree with "yes we can;" I am hopeful that it turns into "yes we will."
Steve
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This thread was started by me.....Anne Marie. First note, that I am a proud Canadian congratulating my family and friends in the US. Second note, if we can have a book club and a recipe club I do not understand why we cannot discuss the New President Elect. My words were and are nothing but praise for the democratic process. Everyone around the world has been following the election, as well as the economic collapse of the US banking system, the raise and fall of oil and the US dollar. What ever happens in the US is felt by the entire world.
I have to agree with Capt Deb. Daisy Head well said!! I am a very passionate and compassionate person. It breaks my heart that there are so many of us who are on this forum. I cannot complain about the health care I have received here in Canada. My only complaint is the lack of knowledge and the misdiagnoses. Many of you Americans and Canadians can attest to that. It breaks my heart Capt Deb has to pay so much for her meds. In our part of the world it is mind boggling that so many have so much but so many more have so little. No one should have to sell there home to pay for health care or meds.
Mr Obama ran on "Yes we Can" I believe he will change health care for the better. I believe in God Bless America, I believe in this forum so therefore "Yes we Can!!"
Anne Marie a proud Canadian who believes in "Yes we Can"
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Ann Marie/DHM:
As someone who was once a moderator on an internet political forum, I know from experience how quickly, even with the very best intentions to remain civil, a thread can go from polite discussion to acrimonious name-calling. The problem lies in the fact that when you hold a political point of view, as most adults do, you (naturally) believe it is the 'correct' point of view. So, when anyone disagrees, you think they're wrong. Because no one wants to be told they're wrong, hostility often breaks out - and it isn't pretty. We don't want that to happen here. It isn't a matter of freedom of speech, that is a given, it's a matter of appropriateness to the venue. Book club and recipe threads are relatively harmless subjects but anything linked to politics, such as health care insurance and politician's promises, is a minefield.
I wish president-elect Obama well and hope he can successfully address the health care insurance issue. I know we certainly can't solve it here. This is a support site for AN patients and their families. There are many internet sites where we can post our political views, state our ideas and complaints about the U.S. health care system and generally have our say on contentious issues. I trust that our members will keep this forum a place of help and respite for those dealing with an acoustic neuroma, not a place where arguments and bickering occur (to no avail).
Anne Marie, I appreciate your sentiments regarding the election and your obvious concern regarding the cost of health care and some medications. and I, too, pray that God will continue to bless our county.
Jim
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Hi,
Did I miss something? I didn't notice.
If my comment on my huge medical insurance bills each month was seen as political, it wasn't. The comment had a whole lot to do with MY AN. Neither party has been able to address this healthcare and because of my AN I am having real issues with this. If I made it sound acrimonious - I do apologize. I love the participants of this site and sometimes subjects do seem to overlap that could fit on another site, also. I just thought others may be having similar problems. Maybe even answers. I surely don't know the answer and I won't try here. This is my last post on this thread, I promise, ;) I don't want to send the wrong message. Because you guys are the best!!!!!!!!
Either party that won, I would wish them well. Both are good people. I wish everyone well.
Take care,
Mary 8)
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This news story made the headlines here in the Pacific Northwest- tonight. It is not an acoustic neuroma but his story is one that is familiar to us.
http://www.katu.com/news/local/34078799.html
This link explains what sort of Neurofibromatosis he has.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/neurofibromatosis/neurofibromatosis.htm
The idea that insurance would not cover available medical treatment is a very sad one… It took one very caring Safeway shopper who rallied to get this man funding, help and support from the community… and a surgical team willing to waive the bill...
May the future be very different for others who follow in his path and may they get the health care they need. May the elect and the people who vote understand how unfair it is that so many people fall through the cracks and are left between a rock and a hard spot?
I anticipate with hope- change… Change in attitudes, ideas, and in healthcare.
I will pray for a speedy recover of James O'Neal. May he, and others who have had a life of being disadvantaged, see changes in their future and in attitudes of “we the people�...
DHM
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I have faith that our fellow ANers will use this post appropriately. My hubby and I cancel out each other's vote so to say. It is not an issue!
Got an email from my aunt in Australia. She said everyone down under cheered when Obama won. Just passing on some world news. PEACE!!!
Nancy ;D
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AnneMarie :-*
No worries and completely understand the goal in starting this thread! :) Truly. As Jim notes, passions can run high. I know, in my conversations with the Captn, her frustrations in trying to obtain assistance with her medications with the alloted amounts run out is truly unnerving to what we endure here. Our US Heathcare system does leave things to be desired, as with any country's healthcare systems (ie: I've experienced the healthcare system in the UK while I was there and had to be rushed to the emergency room/A&E).
My hope is that the healthcare agenda will rank amongst items at the top of the list when the new administration takes affect (as will the current economic crisis and war overseas). If memory serves me right, Sen. Ted Kennedy will also continue leading the charge on that as well. As with any election, regardless of location, one hopes that the ails of the land will be addressed and cured.
Just my thoughts... no biggie.
Thanks all!
Phyl
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Oh Anne Marie, you made me have tears!
Sue in Vancouver
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No matter who you voted for, you can't help but be impressed with the people of the US. My newly naturalized Canadian friend and my son cast their first vote ever in a US election. I for one am happy but I know the road ahead for President-elect Obama won't be an easy one. We can all relate to that. :) May God keep him and his family safe.
Marci
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Also, Anne Marie, maybe your son can explain the Electoral College to me! ;)
My only wish is that somehow somebody could change the rules so that campaigning for public office can only begin 1 year before the elections. Good Grief Grace, it seems like they have been campaigning for about 5 years! All that yammerin' was affecting my Acoustic Neuorma! Even mostly half deaf it was a bothersome thing, all those ads.Ya couldn't even turn a deaf ear, so to speak. And the more speeches they did, the louder my tinnitus got! There, see, I incorporated my AN to the political talk! ;) ;) ;D ;D ;D
Anyway, God Bless America, God Bless Canada, our very good friends to the North, God Bless all of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, Antarctica, Central America, Mexico and all the points in between and any other major landmass that I might have missed. God Bless all the people everywhere dealing with AN's, and all the other major and minor diseases that afflict themselves onto humanity. God Bless all the people struggling around the world in bitter poverty or under the thumb of a harsh political entity. :'(
It's a new chapter for America, and God willing and the Creek don't rise, this is going to be AWESOME!
Sue in Vancouver USA
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You Betcha! ;)
Capt Deb
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The news story I shared above about the patient with a facial tumor in the Pacific Northwest has an update
Here is a more recent news story
http://www.komonews.com/news/35044849.html
And here is the patient’s blog spot for any who cares to follow
http://friendsofjamesoneal.blogspot.com/
Today was a big day as the 44th president was sworn in. Many are counting on Edward Kennedy to lead a new direction for people, such as the man above who have no healthcare (not to mention the many who do have healthcare but insurance companies think this facial tumor stuff is cosmetic surgery.) I will continue to pray for Edward Kennedy as today he suffered a seizure at the president’s inauguration luncheon. Here is a news video from the associated press (scroll down to the video on google news here "Sen. Kennedy OK After Seizure AssociatedPress")
http://tinyurl.com/TedKennedy
Senator Kennedy, as many of us An’ers know, is still recovering from the removal of a malignant brain tumor and we all know too well how exhausting brain surgery can be. He is only 7 months post op… not to mention his age and a big high profile luncheon “to do� on top of all things. Gee I do not think I could have gone out partying 7 months post op and I am half his age…
Both James O'Neal of Kirkland and Senator Kennedy are in my prayers today as they are part of our “recover from the TUMA club�.
Yes the "New President elect" topic does have much to do with TUMA's... I want to remain optimistic that things can change and the underinsured can get as good of medical care as those who are well insured- in our ANA inclusive group too.
DHM
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Well said