Health Care

I weighed in this morning at 200.2 pounds!  That's not too shabby, although I know our weight fluctuates daily anyway so I'm not going to get TOO excited...but to "lose" 1.8 pounds in 4 days?  Yeah, I'm feeling good.  And the exercise on the Wii has been a nice energy boost this week, even if being sick has counteracted that...so I feel pretty normal overall.  :)  Mostly, I'm excited to see *some* progress, because it motivates me more to keep it up! 

Next week's additional goal: take Obsidian for a half hour walk every day.  This is on top of the Wii and "no seconds" rule from last week.  :)

On a related note...

I'm not educated enough to really understand all the aspects of our health care system or ensuing debate, but occasionally I feel I have to rebut one side or the other of the argument.  As my mind has been focused on health this week, it seemed appropriate.  :)  This morning I read on several facebook friends' walls a note from a doctor to the President or Congress or someone equally important about how unfair it is to pay for the healthcare of those who abuse their bodies and abuse the systems in place...those who spend money on tattoos, fast food, smoking a pack a day, wearing high-end shoes and chatting on brand new cell phones and other "luxuries and vices" and still wind up on Medicaid.  He stated that we have a "culture crisis" rather than a "health care crisis" and that our nation's health care difficulties would disappear once we stopped rewarding irresponsibility and dependency.  It was a powerful letter, and it made a lot of sense.  I've seen, my family has seen, many who abuse the systems our government has in place and make it that much more difficult for those who really need those systems to obtain them.  I'm all for better education, higher accountability, and conditions or stipulations that have to be met before help is offered.

But what of those who genuinely are trying?  And where do they draw the line?  How much "luxury" is too much?  What of those who, like Paul and I, are just starting out and working at jobs whose health care packages are nonexistent or completely unaffordable?  Sure, we overspend at times, but even if we saved every cent that didn't go to bills we could not afford any health care plan out there that is worth having.  I'm excited to get pregnant so I can qualify for Medicaid.  Maybe then I can get my thyroid checked out?  I don't think completely-free-for-everyone healthcare is the solution to any crisis in our country, whatever you call it, but I have to stick up for the little guys that DO need free, QUALITY health care and programs that reward those who aren't drug-dependent, or reliant on smoking and tobacco, or permiscuous and having 2-3 kids as teens, to get us through the day.  To wish it away by education and discontinuing free services is, in my opinion, oversimplifying a very complex issue.  It's certainly a valuable insight and a moving opinion, but it is not the whole story.  I have no solution to offer myself, though, so maybe my argument doesn't matter much in the end.

Just something to chew on this weekend.  :)  Happy Friday!