America Has Changed – Thank You President Obama For Caring About Health Care!

Change has come to America. I want to personally say to Jane Hamsher and the rest of the “Firebaggers”……FUCK YOU!

A Lesson For All Of Us – Be Proactive When Dealing With Doctors

Guest Blogger Staci

My Mother and the Doctor Factory

This whole saga began about 16 months ago.  It started simple enough.  My mother felt like she was losing her peripheral vision in her right eye.  She described it as seeing a black spot that would move in and out of her field of vision.  Since that time, we’ve seen four eye doctors (two ophthalmologists), two internists, a neurologist, a rheumatologist and the doctor that looks at your intestines.

The first guy gave her drops to use, but said nothing was wrong.  He pretty much said it was all in her head.  He also threw in that she was 78 years old (at the time) and vision loss is normal as you age.  We dumped him and went to a second doctor that was recommended by a nurse friend.  This guy is the head of his department in the hospital where he works.  We wasted eight months with this guy before he suggested she see another doctor he was affiliated with because he couldn’t find a reason for the problem (which at this time was getting progressively worse).  Her “treatments”, as I could see were that he would dilate her pupils on each visit, and he prescribed a different eye drop from the first doctor.  The third doctor continued with the dilation of her pupils on each visit, which at this time was about once per month.  She would see doctor number two on one week and doctor number three on a successive week.  Each time, each doctor would dilate her pupils, but they could find no reason for the deteriorating vision.  Wouldn’t you think at this point they would have stopped dilating her pupils and proceeded on to other testing?  Finally, after 11 months of these treatments with no noticeable results, a MRI was ordered.  I’ll never forget.  It was Wednesday, April 28, 2010.  A tumor was found on her pituitary gland that was pressing on the optic nerve.  She was almost totally blind in her right eye at this point.  She was ordered into the hospital that day with surgery scheduled two days later.

It sounds like this story should end here, right?  The problem had been identified, and the solution should be clear.

There are two options for this type of surgery.  The surgeon can either go through your nose, or he can go through your skull from the back.  Considering my mother’s age, we opted for the first one.  The surgery was done on Friday and lasted over four hours.  Immediately after surgery, when they got her back to her room, she was in incredible pain in her left foot.  The neurosurgeon that had performed the surgery called in an internist.  He couldn’t figure it out, so he called in a rheumatologist.  The rheumatologist decided it was the effects of gout and prescribed Colchcine.  Now, my mother had never for a day in her life had gout and the pain didn’t present like gout, but that was his diagnosis. I really would have rather he said he didn’t know.  For the next two days, she was treated for gout but she was still screaming from the pain.  My mother is fairly stoic, so for her to be complaining was really telling for me.  She got no relief from the pain using this drug.  On the third day, Neurotin was prescribed.  This is a medication that was approved by the FDA as an anti-seizure drug, but it has a secondary use for nerve pain.  Finally, they had hit upon a drug that seemed to help.  The pain was manageable, but amazingly, the source was still being diagnosed as gout.  The gout medication didn’t work at all while in the hospital, but they still sent her home with a prescription for Colchcine .  Our first post-hospital visit was one week after discharge.  By that time, I had done tons of research into the symptoms my mother described to me, and it sounded a lot like neuropathy and nothing like gout.

continued after the fold, click “More”

Take That, Republicans!

Here is a part of President Obama’s speech yesterday in Portland, Maine. Republicans have to be reconsidering whether they want to run against the health care bill, if they have any brains left…..oh wait, nevermind.

Morning Propoganda With Mika!

Wow, another Morning Joe that had a clear “propoganda agenda”… to equalize the hatred and rhetoric coming from the Republican leaders, trying to say that both sides are doing it. It just blows me away that there are so many defenders of violent extremists. Pat Buchanan did his part to justify it by reminding us all of the riots after the Rodney King verdict, hmmmm, why would he refer to that, which wasn’t a political issue, but rather a social justice issue. Why would he pit this primarily racial issue against what is going on today? What could be his reason, hmmmm?

Mika tried desperately to equate the death threat on Eric Cantor with all the violence and violent rhetoric coming from the right. She actually attempted to say it is worse, because she hasn’t heard the same type of threats from the right. WHAAAA? Did she miss the whole Stupak phone message story last week? Did she miss the fact that the nut who threatened Cantor also threatened Obama, Pelosi and Reid? Or did she conveniently forget those minor details in an effort to pretend like they all do it. I haven’t seen anything about that nut that says he is on the left, he appears to just be a nut.

Bob Cesca posted about this morning show too, here is a bit from it…

I can show you dozens of incidents on the right for every one incident on the left (I’m being generous). Find me an A-list politician on the left who is referring to Republicans using firearms lingo, as Sarah Palin has. Find me groups of protesters on the left who are waving racist banners, or carrying signs threatening gun violence. Find me someone on the left who has violently lashed out.

I heard a show on NPR, On Point, that took on this subject yesterday. The Republican defender of violence they had on was trying desperately to equate the rhetoric during the Bush years as similar to what’s going on today. He could only come up with a couple of instances, one being hanging Bush in effigy. Now how he equates a radical at a protest with an outrageous prop to the leaders of the Republican Party stoking violence, using weapons language, tyranny, armageddon, the end of freedom, reload, arm yourselves, rise up….this certainly is quite different than a protester carrying a crazy prop. The other example this guy had was the left calling Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld war criminals. If they shoe fits, wear it. The major difference here would be liberals were calling for investigations, you know, using the legal system to punish wrong doing. I don’t remember those crazy liberals calling for arming themselves or calling for insurrection. We mobilized voters and took over the congress in 2006 and the presidency in 2008. Of course the Republican response to that is to delegitimize his presidency, block every bill, use every procedure to stop anything from happening.

I have to believe that this tactic that the Republicans and their defenders are using is going to turn off a lot of moderates. It may play with the base who have bought the right wing bullshit from the talkers, but I doubt that all those moderate folks agree with them on this issue. Let’s hope they aren’t buying, anyway.

Rachel Maddow’s Excellent Piece on Republican Violence!

Republican Violence In The Name of God!

The holier than thou Republicans are showing their true colors with their latest violent actions and rhetoric. Here is a clip from Countdown with Keith Olbermann, hosted by Larry O’Donnell.

What is wrong with this picture when people who supposedly value the “sanctity of life” hurl death threats and wish death upon people because of a vote to help mostly poor people get access to health care. Are these “good Christians” saying this shit? Religion in this country has become so bastardized, especially since they’ve infiltrated politics, that they actually seem to justify their violent actions and rhetoric with their religious beliefs. Gihad anyone? These are the real terrorists within our country. Let’s lock them up and waterboard them, give them a taste of their own medicine. Arghhhhhhhhh.

Nancy Pelosi – The Best Speaker in History!

Nancy Pelosi has shown that she is perhaps the best Speaker of the House this country has ever had. If you look at what she accomplished in the face of the most organized and well funded campaign to both kill the bill and mislead the American people with blatant lies, exaggerations and misrepresentations. She was taking arrows from both the right and the left, but she kept on going, kept on pushing and delivered the votes to pass the most comprehensive reform of health care in our history. Sure it isn’t what us liberals wanted, but it is a vast improvement over the status quo and it lays a foundation that can be improved over time.

I’ve been observing politics since 1972 when I was 10 years old, working for George McGovern passing out flyers and stuffing envelopes. I learned most of what I know about the process from my late, incredible mother who I plan to introduce to readers of this blog in the future. She was the greatest mother in the history of the world and a C-Span junkie after she semi-retired as a probate specialist in my step-fathers law firm. We used to watch the House of Representatives together and talk politics. I remember being very impressed with Nancy Pelosi back then, I joked to my mom that she was pretty hot too. :) My mother was too cool for words, I miss her terribly but know she’s with me everyday. She would be so proud of Nancy Pelosi both as a woman and an American.

The awesome Booman has a post up about Nancy and below is an excerpt, go read the whole thing, Booman never disappoints.

However, truth be told, the one person who deserved the vast bulk of the credit that health care reform of any kind was passed, and who gives us the best chance of future changes to improve those reforms will be implemented is our nation’s first female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

When nearly everyone else in the Senior Democratic leadership (i.e, the males for the most part, including Obama, Rahm, Reid, Hoyer, etc.) were wavering and back-tracking in the face of the relentless opposition by Republicans and right wing talk show hosts, the disinformation about reform spread by industry lobbyists and our gutless so-called liberal news media, the ham handed intimidation tactics of the “Tea Party” town hall protests and the opposition of faithless Blue Dog Democrats, it was “the woman” who held fast and kept pushing for reform.

I have to add that another thing that makes me know that Nancy Pelosi is very effective and powerful is the hatred that Republicans have for her. She must be doing something right. I particularly like the idea that because she is a woman, that makes those white, misogynistic, republican males crazy. Nancy never backs down to them and in fact, stands up to them and beats them down. Kudos to you, Nancy, you will go down in history as one of the great Speakers in our history.

The Sky is Falling – Oh No!

It’s a light blogging Tuesday for me, it’s my busy day in the real world. Watching the Republicans hyperventilating is pretty fun. They brainwashed themselves into thinking all sorts of untruths about the Health Care Reform bill, don’t believe yourself, you lie. I can certainly understand simple people who allow themselves to be brainwashed by Rush and Glenn and the gang, but normally thinking people who are educated, can read and even think a little bit are buying into this bullshit. Some of it is politics, of course, but it seems like some really believe what they are saying even in the face of evidence that is contrary. It is some sort of mental illness, really. I frequently find myself feeling sorry for these people, it must be rough not being able to hold two thoughts in your head or to be in denial when presented with the facts. The “dumbification” of America is proceeding nicely. More in future posts about the moronic Republican Party.

Republicans Grasping for Straws!

We got a preview on Morning Joke today about how the Republicans and Lawrence O’Donnell (who is bitter that he couldn’t get HCR passed during the Clinton years) think they can still kill the bill. It is based on the rule regarding reconciliation where it can’t have an impact on Social Security. Well, apparently the boneheads think that because people’s health care insurance premiums will go down, they may actually get a raise in their incomes and therefore will pay more FICA taxes. That is one flimsy connection between the bill and Social Security. Heaven forbid people’s incomes would go up, I’m sure they would rather their incomes stay flat just so they don’t have to pay more FICA. :)  Now I guess the tea partiers may go for that reasoning, but I tend to doubt that the parliamentarian in the Senate will. And even if he does go for it, Vice President Biden has the final say on the matter. Lawrence likes to throw out, but it has never happened in the history of the Senate……there’s no time like the present, right. This health care battle has revealed all sorts of “it never has happened” and I really doubt that the administration is going to let a minor detail or a senate rule derail this bill now. Onward!

The Death of the Tea Party, A Day of Celebration!

Lee Papa, The Rude Pundit often says it better than anyone and he nails it on the head again with this piece about the future of the Tea Party. Here is my favorite part of his excellent post.

Here’s what’s going to happen after the vote on the reconciliation bill in the House on Sunday: Almost every Tea Partier who was out there protesting will go the fuck away. They will devote whatever energy they have left to posting comments on blogs and Facebook pages. Their leaders, desperate to still be relevant and still draw a paycheck, will try to come up with some other phantom issue to whip up enthusiasm. But once it passes, no one will give a shit except the people it helps. The Civil War won’t be re-fought. The Constitution won’t be shredded. One or two states might try to force their misinterpretation of the 10th Amendment. Soon, Beck and Hannity and Michele Bachmann and Steve King will discover another Republic-ending crisis, probably immigration reform, and we’ll start the magical cycle all over again.

Meanwhile, those poor, ignorant bitches and bastards in the photo up there will shuffle home, curse the process, and, like good corporate tools, continue to suck down fast food and sodas and buy shit they don’t need because it’s cheaply made in China and sold at Wal-Mart and proudly drive gas-devouring vehicles and keep their children stupid and tell themselves that they aren’t the problem, no, they are the solution, wondering how to fill the desperate couple of hours between the end of Limbaugh’s radio show and the start of Beck’s TV rants, despising those who are attempting to do something for them and their neighbors, wondering where their country went, when, after all, this is where it’s gone.

Is immigration the next issue to get the racist, hateful, unpatriotic tea partiers riled up? Seems like a good fit for their agenda.

America’s Party

Congratulations and thanks to President Obama, Nancy, Steny, Jim, John and the rest of the gang!

WE DID IT! Health Care Reform has passed!

It was a long, strange fight but tonight the House of Representatives took the first step towards America joining the rest of the world community in taking care of the health of our citizens. We have a long way to go to do it better, but this is a great first step. Cheers to the Democratic Party!!!!

To All The Rebels In The House – Rickie Lee Jones

Wooooohooooooooo, health care reform is here. Rickie Lee Jones is one of my all time favorites, I’ve never heard anything come out of her mouth that I didn’t like. I hope you enjoy this, it has a guest appearance by Brian Setzer.

Breaking News, We Have The Votes!

From CNN and NBC, we now have the votes to pass the bill, wooooooo hoooooooo. What a proud day for America and I hope a lot of Republican heads explode because of it.  Jane Hamsher, Firedoglake and all the other haters……..BITE ME!

Peggy Noonan Gets Challenged and Her Head Explodes!

I saw this live the other morning and my love for Anthony Weiner grew even more, he is so good at ripping Republican talking points and batting down the bullshit.  I’ve watched it several times, I love it so much. And I’m glad Howard Dean came to his senses and is now helping to promote the bill, even though it isn’t perfect, he understands the politics of it…..if if fails, the democrats lose any mandate that might be left and more than likely lose control of one or both of the houses of congress in November. ANY TRUE LIBERAL OR PROGRESSIVE MUST SUPPORT THIS BILL IF THEY CARE AT ALL ABOUT THE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA! Roll tape……(there is some commentary from whoever posted this, it’s good though).

In the longer version, it’s pretty funny that Peggy Noonan and Scarborough whine about Anthony yelling or raising his voice. Joe S. never does that, no, he never talks over people in a loud voice, he never cuts anyone off or changes topic when he’s losing…….

Bob Cesca posts about this exchange too, go see it here. Joe Scarborough is the most hypocritical person on television, he’s also very slippery in how he pretends to be moderate, concedes a few points to make himself look reasonable and then spews his propoganda. I can’t remember who it was the other morning, it might have been Anthony Weiner, but he brought him on and introduced him and then turned to his right (both literally and figuratively) and asked someone else a question about Obama’s ratings in the polls, the old change the subject routine.

Morning Joe is the worst kind of propoganda on television, it’s a platform for Joe and his Republican buddies and so called moderate buddies like Harold Ford Jr., Mort Zuckerman, Mike Barnicle, and those Politico guys who seem to show up every morning with the Obama smear of the day….the list can go on. But what is so bad about it is the amount of time that is given to just repeating the same meme over and over and over again and that type of technique basically brainwashes any viewers who aren’t tuned into the reality of the topic or just kind of listening with it in the background. Dangerous stuff in a democracy.