That's a Deal Breaker Newt!

Newt: you're making it impossible for me to vote Republican. No matter how disenchanted I am with Obama's fiscal policies, no matter how much I want balance of power among the executive and legislative branches, I read stories like Dana Milbank's piece on Newt Gingrich overtly embracing God to pander to and ultimately court the values voters, and my immediate thought is: Deal breaker!

Not only is Newt pushing his born-again belief system on us, but he now believes that the "secular left" is the enemy: "The underlying move toward a secular socialist worldview has been going on now at least since the early '90s. The great Reagan Revolution defeated communists overseas, but it didn't defeat the left here at home."

Man, I detest the two-party system. Why does fiscal conservatism have to be married to religiosity and proselytizing? Why does social liberalism have to be tied to asset redistribution? My ideal party cares about the planet and all life forms, allows citizens the right to make choices concerning their own health, but also understands that the American Dream means that if you study hard and work hard, your efforts will be rewarded.

I'd say, "Let's amend the constitution so that Bill Clinton can serve more terms," but that would also open the door for say... George W. Bush to come back to the White House as well, and we can't have that. That's a deal breaker.

It IS a Referendum on Obama

Sorry Ruth. You're wrong. Your editorial in today's Washington Post that claims that GOP wins in New Jersey and Virginia don't mean anything is missing one important factor: the 2008 election was unprecedented. In my lifetime I have never seen a country come together so strongly in support of a presidential candidate. (Or was it against a GOP vice-presidential candidate? Maybe both.)

Let's revisit this past year. Remember when leaders in the Republican party, such as Colin Powell, publicly announced their support of Obama and denounced the McCain/Palin ticket? Remember when thousands of people came together in Chicago on election night to witness our first African American president-elect's acceptance speech? Remember the millions of visitors who attended the inauguration, essentially shutting down DC?

This was no ordinary election year. Our love affair with Obama (or was it our hatred of Palin?) turned states like Virginia blue and helped the Democrats finally get control of Congress.

I've been extremely disappointed with Obama since he took office. His lack of decisiveness has allowed the extremes of both parties to take control of all national and international matters and has helped fuel the populist rage which started over Wall Street and now also includes health care.

I completely disagree with you, Ruth, and I hope you and other party loyalists wake up. Much of the country is angry with the direction our country is taking, and Virginians like me made our voices heard yesterday by not voting in another Democratic governor.

In this democracy, We the People are heard through the voting booth. Let's not forget that.

Finally! Health Care Reform Focused on CARE!

Well, now I've seen everything -- and on Huffington Post no less! In an article titled "Rescuing Health Reform: Why Doctors Should Practice Lifestyle Medicine, " the point I've been arguing for months is spelled out very clearly:

"While health insurance reform is important, it is insufficient. We must not only change who is covered but also what is covered to include personalized lifestyle medicine if we are to make current treatments more effective and less costly."

Read the article for yourself. I'm going to happily go about my day knowing that somewhere in our country there are at least a handful of other people who can see beyond this year's version of the Emperor's New Clothes. Insurance reform is great, but if you don't go to the root of the problem and fix the way medicine is practiced, you, me, and the millions of people added to the insurance pool are going to be waiting very long to see doctors and experiencing more and more errors. My docs already missed a tumor on my pancreas for about 8 years. What error might happen to you?

Where Is All This Cancer Coming From?

I don't know about you, but to me, it seems like cancer is everywhere. Off the top of my head I can think of 10 friends who have been diagnosed with some form of cancer in their 20s and 30s. Last night I found out about a friend who is undergoing brain surgery today, because she learned last week that she has a mass in her brain. I've read that we are rapidly approaching the point where one out of three of us will be diagnosed with cancer.

Some people say that better screening and diagnosis make it seem like cancer is more prevalent now than say 20 years ago. I'm sure that's part of it, but I have to think there are other factors at play. As a society we continue to develop more and more ways to do things more quickly and conveniently: microwaves, TV dinners, Tupperware, non-stick pans, cleaning chemicals, WiFi, cell phones, processed foods, preservatives, supplements ...

What price are we paying for all of our "conveniences?"

Picking a Fight with Voldemort

I finally understand why the past six weeks have been so difficult for me: in my mind I lost control over Voldemort. (Voldemort is the name my hubby and I call my cancer. We started with "That Which Cannot Be Named," but Voldemort is just pithier.)

This summer I found Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and I felt like the weight of the world was finally lifted off my shoulders. I trained to ride my bike in the 45-mile Philadelphia Livestrong Challenge, cooked non-processed, gorgeous produce from local farmer's markets (see photo above), and lived a stress-free existence. I had control. As far as I knew, I was making my body an incredibly difficult place for Voldemort to thrive.

Then I took on a full-time job. Suddenly, I was stressed 24/7, I had no time to shop, cook, or exercise, and I rapidly became very down. What I realized last night was that living in the healthy manner from the summer was my way of doing what I could to keep the disease from growing. I was in control. Then I wasn't.

I now have control over my time again and am back to my healthy lifestyle. My priorities have changed completely since I was diagnosed with cancer. I no longer want to or can afford to work like a dog in order to achieve something down the road -- I live for today. And more importantly, I live strong.

An Eye Opener on Health Care

I preach, preach, preach on the importance of us working to reform the operational side of health care and not just the cost/accessibility side, but nearly all I read and hear focuses on insurance. However, today's WaPo features an op-ed that focuses on the operational side, written by a surgical resident Amina Merchant, who brings to light the fact that our emergency rooms and hospitals are filling the void left by social services. Homeless people can game the system, for example, because they know that if they say they are "suicidal with a plan," the hospital has to house them overnight. Dr. Merchant explains that

At night, emergency rooms fill with healthy homeless patients in search of a warm bed and a good meal. Instead of seeking refuge in a shelter, where security and privacy are compromised, many homeless prefer a private room with a nurse to attend to them.

One argument that I hear against reform is that those without health insurance get care by just going to the emergency room. In many instances this is true. Unfortunately, it causes a major overcrowding problem for hospitals and takes funds and staff away from patients who truly need emergency care. This is just one example of the challenges facing our medical staff and facilities. I wonder if anyone but me actually gives thought to an article like this.

Back in the Workplace with a New Perspective

How does a person fighting cancer enter back into the workplace after a long hiatus? Not well if you're me. And here's why: I'm not that same workaholic, climb to success, live high on adrenalin chick that I was before. So here's my dilemma. I'm thrilled to have been given a full assistantship at a respected school of music while pursuing my master's degree, but my health, happiness, and relationships are too important to me to put in the hours needed to succeed both as an instructor and as a student.

Sadly in America we have a corporate culture of more, more, more that permeates most (if not all) job places, including higher education. And don't make the mistake that I used to make, which is to work well quickly, because it only means more work with higher expectations will be coming your way soon. But I digress...

I'm not sure how this will all play out. I'm told that I have to take at least 9 credits a semester while working 20 hours a week teaching. I cannot possibly take care of myself with those kinds of hours. If the school doesn't allow me to take less credit hours and I have to leave my assistantship, I think it's a lose/lose for my students and for me. I hope that the Powers That Be are willing to find a way to accommodate someone in my situation rather than stick to the work-'em-til-they-drop style of management that fills cubicles and closet-sized offices from sea to shining sea.

To be continued...

(BTW, the picture has nothing to do with my post. But it's Sponge Bob holding up a U, and I LOVE it! Ooooooooooooooh C-A-N-E-S Canes!)