About Me

I am in my mid 50’s.  In my younger days, I used to be more liberal in my thinking but since then I have grown up.  Every citizen of this country has the right to equal treatment under the law.  Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and until they prove otherwise, respect.  Otherwise, being distantly polite is all they are going to get.

In my younger days, I was a job representative and oftentimes went up against my employers for the rights of my co-workers.  It was rewarding but also frustrating.  I usually won because I am thorough.  I also broadcasted my point of view far and wide.  I was not afraid to tangle with anyone or anything.  If I didn’t win completely, they always knew that they had been in a battle.  I remember defending my best friend’s husband during an ethic’s violation hearing.  I worked for the State of Indiana and my Executive Director was being questioned.  I caught her in a lie and it became apparent to the committee that she had lied.  Once we left the hearing, she was flanked by her staff attorneys and they were waiting for an elevator.  They were shooting me murderous looks so when the elevator came, I passed on that one.  I pick my fights carefully.  Later when a new governor was elected and Executive Director was on the chopping block, she called me into her office.  She wanted to know if I would put in a good word for her.  We somehow, after all of our differences were able to respect one another’s abilities.  Mine for her was better to know the devil you have rather than to have learn about a new devil by trial and fire.

I also remember being courted by big unions when our little employee union merged with another for more clout.  We, the board of directors, were in a meeting with some pretty rough and tumble union reps.  When I asked about cost to our members, this typical mafia stereotype union rep, got right in my face and said rather menacingly that when you buy a Cadillac you don’t worry about the cost of gas.  I, in return, stood up and got back in his face and told him that owning an Escort that I still worried about the cost of gas.  Later, one of our paid union reps said she would have never confronted that man.  I said that man needed to know that pushing people around just wouldn’t fly with me.  We did not merge with that union.

For a number of years I have let that side of me sleep but recently I have had reason to bring back that side.  I am passionately and fiercely loyal but had allowed the “take them on no matter what” side to more or less become dormant.  However, recently I have had a wakeup call that side of me needs to become energized.  I have opinions and when wrongs have been committed, they need to be addressed. I also see the need to speak up because that is the only way that other people will know that they are not alone in what they are feeling.

My great-aunt had a saying:  “What comes around, goes around.”  I really believe that to be true.  Here’s to hoping that the medical community will reap the seeds they sow.

Some areas that I am passionate about are:

healthcare    discrimination     animal rights                      senior rights    just doing the right thing    politics   and now religion

It is actually healthcare that has gotten me back to wanting to voice major concerns to bring about change.  My husband is probably the most kindest man ever created.  People tend to take advantage of him.  In the following blogs (which there will be many about this), I will tell a story about a horrific, nightmare medical encounter he and our family experienced.  I want others to understand what can happen if you are not aware of how horrible healthcare can be.  I would like to use the name of the actual place where the monstrosities occurred but I will change the names of the places and the names of the guilty parties involved.  It is truly a bone chilling story.

It is also scary because it involves discrimination of age, sexual preference, religion, and freedom of choice.  I didn’t think much about how aging people are treated in the healthcare industry.  It is true that as we age, we can expect to have more medical encounters.  Many healthcare workers are young and sometimes these young workers have no respect or compassion when dealing with us older folks.

Also, I just always assumed that LGBT people would be treated fairly in a healthcare setting.  However, sadly enough I learned that is not true especially if the hospital is a religious hospital.  My husband of more than 30 years, was labelled as gay.  I am, and have been my whole life, female but a transferring hospital put down on his paperwork that he had a husband.  Whether the resulting abuse he suffered at the hands of the religious hospital originated from that, in part, or they just are abusive because they can be, will probably never be fully answered.  But I feel it did play a part.

I have learned that the constitution granting equal rights to all really does not.   The medical community for too long has been able to basically do what and how they please without any questions.  It is time that we take back our rights and make medical care better and less abusive.  It is true that medical care is driven by greed and power.  At least, that is how I see it.  Being a male patient is especially dangerous in a medical world where most care is given by female staff who basically go unmonitored and not questioned.  It needs to change.

Please join me on my journey to help bring about change.  I know that the story I will be telling is unbelievable.  But it is real as we had to live through the abuse and will forever more have to deal with the memory of what happened.  I hope that telling this story will help others not to not become a victim in what was for us, a very vulnerable and scary time in our lives.  Unfortunately, the medical community knows this and will take full advantage if you aren’t aware of their tactics.