There’s nothing particularly unique or shocking about me getting a hysterectomy. Women get them all the time, for many different reasons. But I believe the manner in which my surgery is taking place — given that I am one of millions of Americans without insurance — needs to be shared.
In January 2017, I went through the process of signing up for ObamaCare (ACA). After putting in my financial information, I reached the end, where there were two apparently conflicting statements:
1. You qualify for Medicaid.
2. The State (Kansas) you live in opted out of the Medicaid expansion offered by the ACA.
Under that was a listing of the free-market insurance plans I had “access” to. The average cost was $600 a month. Let that sink in. My income is so low I qualify for Medicaid, but since the Republicans in control of Kansas opted out of Medicaid expansion, they are offering me in return “access” to $600-a-month insurance plans. My response, in short, was: What. The. Ever. Loving. Fuck?
[quote position="left" is_quote="true"]Like most poor people, I can’t afford pride.[/quote]
When I started to show symptoms (and, no, I'm not getting into details) that something was wrong, I went on the internet and started looking for some sort of option for me. I found a Federal program called Early Detection Works for breast cancer and cervical cancer screening. I called the number, gave my financial information, and qualified. I was sent to a clinic here in Wichita called Grace Med. After my exam, the nurse recommended I get an ultrasound.
But there was a problem: Early Detection Works doesn’t cover the cost of an ultrasound. I suppose it should be called “Early Detection Lets You Know There Is A Problem Then Lets You Sit And Stew With That Information.” (Not as catchy of a title, I know.)
I didn’t know what to do, so I contacted the hospital where I was scheduled to receive the ultrasound and was simply honest. I got lucky and connected with an extremely helpful woman in their financial aid department, who took all my financial information. In a few days, she called me back to tell me the hospital would cover the costs under their low-income program.
The results of my ultrasound came back and showed abnormalities, so I was back on the internet searching for options. I found a local program in Wichita called Project Access/Central Plains Healthcare, a charity for people without insurance. (If you’d like to donate to it, you can do so here.) After filling out the forms and once again relaying my financial history – which was embarrassing, but like most poor people, I can’t afford pride — I was accepted and referred to an OB/GYN named Dr. Hershberger. It was a random selection. Participants don’t choose the assigned doctor. It’s just who happens to be the next volunteer on the list.
[quote position="full" is_quote="true"]Maybe it should be called ‘Early Detection Lets You Know There Is A Problem Then Lets You Sit And Stew With That Information.’[/quote]
Once again, I was extremely lucky. My physician, who works with the Heartland Women's Group of Wichita, Kansas, turned out to be amazing. He listens. He pays attention. He explains everything. And, more importantly, he was willing to perform a hysterectomy for me at no cost. All of the doctors, nurses, staff, and hospitals working with this organization volunteer their time and facilities at no charge. That’s incredible — and at the same time, horribly sad. (Or, to paraphrase Trump, “Sad!”)
These wonderful doctors and nurses have to work harder, longer hours and pick up the slack for a government that is failing miserably. Now the politicians want to take away even more health care benefits. If “TrumpDoesn’tCare,” as I like to call it, passes, we’ll be seeing more and more citizens relying on charity or simply dying from preventable illnesses. All because there are politicians who care more about the wishes of the rich than the lives of the poor. (Yes, I’m looking at you, Paul Ryan.) This time, it was me taking months to track down a charity in order to get necessary medical attention. Next time, it might be you or someone you love.
[quote position="right" is_quote="true"]Doctors and nurses have to work harder to pick up the slack for a government that is failing miserably.[/quote]
Pharmaceutical and insurance companies are earning billions off American citizens being sick. The politicians who accept campaign contributions from these industries are doing everything they can to ensure the wealthiest billionaires, including the Trump family, keep their wealth, while the poor working and middle classes get less and less. This should disgust everyone, and I’m not sure why it doesn’t.
The GOP has announced that it will be pushing the latest health care bill through the Senate soon. But Republicans aren’t pushing through a health care plan — depending on what happens with proposed tax cuts in the bill, they may actually be pushing through a “tax care” plan for the wealthiest select few at the top. The people who will ultimately suffer under this will be regular working class people, your loved ones, your family, friends, your neighbors.
After my surgery, I’ll recover, and I’ll be fine simply because I got lucky. But eventually luck runs out and action has to take place. Please do everything you can to fight this awful bill.
Ultrasound of human baby.Image via 
IVF animated process.Image via 
A couple speaks with a fertility professional.Image via 
Love, Mom.Photo from Heidi Johnson 
A teen boy having a hard time. 
Hands hold a digital representation of the brain.Image via 
Mother and daughter work a puzzle.Image via 
Man and woman connect under the sunshine.Image via 
The obituary paints a comic, if bleak, picture. 
A Facebook post about the obituary.
Why do some folks use social media but don't engage?
Psychologist says people who never comment on social media share these 5 positive traits
For over 20 years, social media has developed into a staple in many people’s day-to-day lives. Whether it’s to keep in communication with friends and family, following the thoughts of celebrities, or watching cat videos while sipping your morning coffee, there seem to be two types of social media users: commenters and lurkers.
The term “lurker” sounds equally mysterious and insidious, with some social media users writing them off as non-participants at best or voyeurs at worst. However, mindfulness expert Lachlan Brown believes these non-commenters have some very psychologically positive and healthy traits. Let’s take a look at how each one of these traits could be beneficial and see how fruitful lurking might be even though it can drive content creators crazy.
1. Cautious about vulnerability
Consciously or not, making a post online or commenting on one puts you and your words out there. It’s a statement that everyone can see, even if it’s as simple as clicking “like.” Doing so opens yourself up to judgment, with all the good, bad, and potential misinterpretation that comes with it. Non-commenters would rather not open themselves up to that.
These silent users are connected to a concept of self-protection by simply not engaging. By just scrolling past posts or just reading/watching them without commentary, they’re preventing themselves from any downsides of sharing an opinion such as rejection, misunderstanding, or embarrassment. They also have more control on how much of themselves they’re willing to reveal to the general public, and tend to be more open face-to-face or during one-on-one/one-on-few private chats or DMs. This can be seen as a healthy boundary and prevents unnecessary exposure.
Considering many comment sections, especially involving political topics, are meant to stir negative emotional responses to increase engagement, being extra mindful about where, when, and what you comment might not be a bad idea. They might not even take the engagement bait at all. Or if they see a friend of theirs post something vulnerable, they feel more motivated to engage with them personally one-on-one rather than use social media to publicly check in on them.
2. Analytical and reflective mindset
How many times have you gone onto Reddit, YouTube, or any other site and just skimmed past comments that are just different versions of “yes, and,” “no, but,” or “yes, but”? Or the ever insightful, formerly popular comment “First!” in a thread? These silent browsers lean against adding to such noise unless they have some valid and thoughtful contribution (if they bother to comment period).
These non-posters are likely wired on reflective thinking rather than their initial intuition. Not to say that all those who comment aren’t thoughtful, but many tend to react quickly and comment based on their initial feelings rather than absorbing the information, thinking it over, researching or testing their belief, and then posting it. For "lurkers," it could by their very nature to just do all of that and not post it at all, or share their thoughts and findings privately with a friend. All in all, it’s a preference of substance over speed.
3. High sense of self-awareness
Carried over from the first two listed traits, these silent social media users incorporate their concern over their vulnerability and their reflective mindset into digital self-awareness. They know what triggers responses out of them and what causes them to engage in impulsive behavior. It could be that they have engaged with a troll in the past and felt foolish. Or that they just felt sad after a post or got into an unnecessary argument that impacted them offline. By knowing themselves and seeing what’s being discussed, they choose to weigh their words carefully or just not participate at all. It’s a form of self-preservation through restraint.
4. Prefer to observe rather than perform
Some folks treat social media as information, entertainment, or a mix of both, and commenting can feel like they’re yelling at the TV, clapping alone in a movie theater when the credits roll, or yelling “That’s not true!” to a news anchor that will never hear them. But contrary to that, social media is a place where those yells, claps, and accusations can be seen and get a response. By its design, social media is considered by experts and the media as performative, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. Taking all of the previously mentioned traits into account, one can see why they would prefer to “observe the play” rather than get up on the stage of Facebook or X.
On top of that, these non-commenters could be using social media differently than those who choose to fully engage with it. Using this type of navigation, there may be nothing for them to comment about. Some commenters are even vying for this for their mental health. There are articles about how to better curate your social media feeds and manipulate algorithms to create a better social media experience to avoid unnecessary conflict or mentally tiring debate.
If you go on a blocking spree on all of your accounts and just follow the posters that boost you, it could turn your social media into a nice part of your routine as you mainly engage with others face-to-face or privately. In terms of commenting, if your curated Instagram is just following cute dogs and all you have to offer for a comment is “cute dog,” you might just enjoy the picture and then move on with your day rather than join in the noise. These non-commenters aren’t in the show and they’re fine with it.
5. Less motivated by social validation
The last trait that Brown showcases is that social media users who browse without posting tend to be independent from external validation, at least online. Social media is built to grow through feedback loops such as awarding likes, shares, and reposts of your content along with notifications letting you know that a new person follows you or wants to connect. This can lead many people to connect their activity on social media with their sense of self worth, especially with adolescents who are still figuring out their place in the world and have still-developing brains.
Engaging in social media via likes, shares, comments, and posts rewards our brains by having them release dopamine, which makes us feel good and can easily become addictive. For whatever reason, non-commenters don’t rely on social media as a means to gauge their social capital or self worth. This doesn’t make them better than those who do. While some non-commenters could have healthier ways to boost their self worth or release dopamine into their systems, many get that validation from equally unhealthy sources offline. That said, many non-commenters’ silence could be a display of independence and self confidence.
Whether you frequently comment online or don’t, it’s good to understand why you do or don’t. Analyzing your habits can help you determine whether your online engagement is healthy, or needs to be tweaked. With that information, you can then create a healthy social media experience that works for you.