Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Obamacare Killing American exceptionalism

In March of 2008 I had a blood test with my wife's prompting. I had a high PSA value. My doctor was concerned enough to get a second test and send me in for a biopsy. Needless to say at 47, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I am the fourth in four generations to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. For a moment I would like to discuss how my world/treatment differed from that of my ancestors. First, I was diagnosed really early. My uncle was diagnosed in his late 60's. My grandfather in his 80's and I am unsure of when for my great-grandfather. Second, I had many treatment options available (surgery, radiation and cryo). My grandfather had fewer though he was very wealthy and could have paid for the best of anything. My uncle was treated and cured (within the last 10 years). My grandfather was treated, but his cancer spread and he died of bone cancer. My great grandfather died of prostate cancer. Instead of facing a life ending illness I was given choices that didn’t exist even 15 years ago. My biggest concern was maintaining my quality of life not planning my early demise.
The President and congressional leaders think they need to "save" us from our terrible health care system and force us to go into a single payer system. Let me be very clear, the options I had in seeking treatment would not have existed if Government Health care had been passed in the 90's as Hillary wanted. The tool that saved my life, the Da Vinci Robot system wasn't even invented and approved till 2000. The company that invented it has sold thousands of these amazing machines that save lives daily. It wasn’t invented in Europe, Russia, Canada or Cuba. It was invented in California. A company was created and funded by our free market society. They had an idea, saw a huge market and proceeded to develop a machine that improves the lives of thousands. Would that development have been done if the Government ran everything? NO! My surgeon was trained at the best schools and works up at Stanford, would he have chosen medicine if government health care passed? I asked, he said no. Would I have been able to obtain treatment within 2 months of my diagnosis? Canada only has one MRI machine, I think not. So here our your options, since I was already cured:
1. accept all the lies and propaganda currently being spread by those that want to rule your life.
2. reject their lies and support our system that though imperfect will not be served well with all the new government intervention and bureaucracy proposed by Obama and his cadre.
Today, this month, they talk about fixing our health care system. I am just one case of millions of Americans who are saved each year by a system that could be improved but definitely not by more government. Help me turn them back.

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