Without Obamacare we could have been saying goodbye


I woke up one morning thinking of her and cried. I knew something was wrong. Still too stubborn to call her, I called my auntie and learned that my mother was scheduled for a biopsy because of a sizable lump in her breast. Soul connected.

I ran home to my mama. I booked a one-way flight to New Orleans, told my job that I wouldn’t be back until I knew she was ok and that they could do whatever they needed to in response. Thankfully, my board picked up the slack until I could return.

By the time my mama was diagnosed with breast cancer, I could see the lump in her breast without touching it. Like a lot of poor people, she waited until she was in significant pain before seeing a doctor. She’d never had stable health insurance before Obamacare so she always worried too much about cost.

Thanks to Obamacare she was able to stop worrying about the cost of her healthcare and focus on healing her body.

And she and I connected like never before. I stood by her side through numerous appointments. I used all the middle class lessons I’d learned since leaving home and advocated on her behalf for better care, shorter waits, more detailed information. I stood next to her every moment I could, and when doctors insisted that I needed t

 

Source: Without Obamacare we could have been saying goodbye:Daily Kos