Thanks, SCOTUS!

I just have to share some feelings and thoughts on this day.  I drove to work on pins and needles waiting for the decision on Obamacare.  It means a lot to my family and to a lot of other families, too.  My son could never get insurance with his pre-existing condition.  No one will insure a cancer survivor.  One of the provisions that's so important to me is that people can't be denied because of pre-existing conditions.  I have little doubt that the insurance companies will do what they can to get around it, but it's a start.  All of it is a start.  I'm not a fan of the mandate, but until we get our single payer system, this is what we have.

By the time I got to work I was completely frazzled.  They were about to announce the decision and I was sure it would be bad news.  I was greeted with my usual enthusiastic co-worker.  I turned on Democracy Now to hear the updates.  Then it became clear I got what I wanted.  This almost never happens.  I was so happy.  I tried not to cry as the relief came over me.  Said co-worker started loudly spouting off some ignorant and incorrect nonsense about Obamacare and made it clear that this was the worst thing they ever did hear.  I was so enraged.  I said that because of it my son can get insurance.  I felt the blood rising to the top of my head and I choked back tears as I said it.

I am sick of feeling like a second-class citizen.  I'm sick of worrying about insurance.  I'm sick of the medical bills that never stop coming.  I'm angry that this is all ruining my credit.  I just want to take care of Simon and I feel like a failure.  I don't like the thoughts that pass through my head worrying more about paying his bills than his well-being.  I am fortunate that at this point he's doing so well I don't need to worry about his health nearly as much.  But there was a day when he was recovering from having his tumor removed where that wasn't the case.  I had to deal with the upheaval and fright of having a 12-month-old with cancer and on top of it I had to stress about how would we pay for it.

How can we call ourselves a civilized country?

I'm no fan of Obama and I think we still have a long way to go with health care, but this morning I was feeling like a victor and saw this and felt like he was telling me he's got my back.