Aack (and why we should support universal health care)...

In an effort to make good on one of my new year's resolutions, I dragged my husband upstairs for some quality time and in return I got a UTI. And I come to the realization that, yes, it is a UTI at about 2:30 on a Saturday in the middle of a continuous lunch rush at work and after my doctor has closed up shop for the day. And because I had to work a double shift and it was one of those days where the customers never stop coming in, I had to wait until 9:30 at night to get myself to urgent care before they closed at 10. Of course the Cipro I have to take gives me a yeast infection so between the fee to go to urgent care and the 3 meds I'm now taking, I racked up $100 in fees in a very short period of time. Plus there's always the possibility of having to go see my GP after all because I'm developing a rash on my arm that wasn't there prior to taking the antibiotic. Blarg. Did I mention that the Cipro caused a yeast infection? Yeah.

Despite my annoyance at all of this I recognize how lucky I am to have health insurance (even tho I'm really pissed at my provider at the moment) and to have a manager who was kind enough to let me go to urgent care even tho I hadn't finished my side work. Despite the fact that the company I work for provides insurance coverage, almost none of the employees participate--mostly b/c they can't afford the premiums. Many of them have been sick with colds, flu and various infections during the past 6 weeks and b/c they lack insurance coverage and don't have the money to go to urgent care they get so sick that they end up in the ER. Or they continue to come to work and cough and hack all over the place (hello people--we serve food here--stop coughing on everything). So, for all those people out there who don't think we need universal health care coverage just remember: when you go out to eat, your server is probably too poor to afford a doctor's office visit plus the cost of a prescription and he/she is the last person to touch your food before you eat it. There are many reasons to support universal health care and I'm just offering up one more. Seriously, the time is now.