Member-only story
The Invisible Disease that Begs for Healthcare Reform
Citizens Dependent Upon a System They Can’t Depend On
In middle working-class America, it is often said that our healthcare system works until you need it, and then, it doesn’t. We go about our daily lives, working hard in “decent” paying jobs to get by, having little to no time to affect positive change where it is needed because we are too busy trying to provide for ourselves and our families.
We work until we die, and, for those of us managing disease each and every day throughout our adult lives, perhaps with even more courage and persistence despite the swelling physical, emotional, and financial pains we bear.
We may bear these heavy burdens that are often disregarded from conversations they should be centralized in, feeling misplaced or disconnected in our social circles. As a person managing a chronic disease, I know this story very well. In fact, I live it every day of my life, with every finger prick, and every insulin injection. My fingers are calloused beyond repair. My thighs, upper arms, and buttocks are bruised, and my spirit and activity require much more personal motivation.
Still, I do not give up. Still, I am positive. Still, I am eager to affect change.
