The Practical Paraplegic

by Sofiea Clerico

Robert Price, columnist for the Bakersfield Californian interviewed me in 2003 on the topic of wheelchairs. Recently, the column was updated and relisted on the web. The website I spoke of found an eager audience. After a year or two, the some crooks figured out a way to take advantage of what was offered. The site came down immediately. The site is still missed.  Bob Price writes a lively column.

The last time I needed a new wheelchair, a new and more professional provider was found … National Mobility and Seating of Bakersfield.   Three years later they did the repair. Medicaid paid both bills without delay or complaint. I hope this continues.

National Mobility and Seating doesn’t offer service other than on-site, always difficult for me. However, what they promise to do, they do  and  they do it right on schedule.   I am pleased.

Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.

“Retrospective review.Objective:Spinal cord injury is a known risk factor for bladder cancer. The risk of bladder cancer has been reported at 16-28 times higher than the general population. Earlier studies have identified indwelling catheters as risk factors. We examined the characteristics of bladder cancers in a spinal cord injury (SCI) population.” READ MORE

by Sofiea Clerico

Flores, a paraplegic, hits the nail on the head with his questions as the national healthcare debate rages on.

It is my dream to see every American citizen receove medical treatment without regard to his/her pocketbook. One-payer health insurance would come closest to this ideal. The public option would help us come closer, at least.

“The crash left Flores with a severe spinal cord injury, broken ribs, a punctured lung, and internal and external bleeding and bruises. The spinal cord injury left Flores in a paraplegic condition. Now, four surgeries and countless doctor visits later, Flores’ experiences have led him to become an outspoken critic of the flaws of the U.S. health care system.” Paraplegic Raises Valid Questions Regarding Health Care Reform

By Sofiea Clerico

If you take a step back and look at the situation the U.S.A. finds itself in — you find a country going over the cliff because of obscenely profitable health insurance corporations. At the present rate, U. S. families are looking at health insurance premiums double those it pays today in just 10 years! How do employers run their businesses if employees have no health insurance? If  many are sick, or are worried sick about loved ones with no insurance?

Disabled people suffer much, much higher unemployment rates than others. Thus, in another way we will suffer out-of-proportion if a sensible health care plan is not okayed soon.  Who knows how much easier it would be to find a job if health care was not an issue? If  our health care came from one-payer or public option?

Families fall victim to insurance rates, then employers, then the entire country.

When every wealthy, industrialized country in the Western world can afford to give each and every citizen health insurance — how is it the U. S. cannot?

Senator Max Baucus, (D) Montana put out his version of a health bill? today. From all reports it is a serious embarrassment to the country.

Read The Loneliness of Max Baucus (Salon on-line) where you find these words, “Many Democrats were even harsher. “We can do better,” said Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat who was cut out of the negotiations even though he’s on the Finance Committee. Russ Feingold, of Wisconsin, called it “healthcare reform in name only.” Another Finance Democrat, John Kerry, told me as he ducked into an elevator that “I just think there’s some issues with the substance.”

By Sofiea Clerico

Everyone in America has an opinion on proposed healthcare changes. Joe Wilson’s exceptional rudeness is not the way to further the debate. Today he was disciplined by the House of Representatives. The London Times takes note of the rebuke in these words:

The US House of Representatives today formally scolded a South Carolina Congressman who shouted that President Barack Obama is a liar during a speech to a joint session of congress last week.

In a 240-179 vote, the House passed a resolution of disapproval, a mild rebuke to Representative Joe Wilson. Wilson last week interrupted the president with a shout of “you lie” as Obama declared that illegal immigrants would not be covered under a health insurance reform programme proposed by the Democrats.   READ MORE HERE

P. S. I am hearing that  House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer gave a brilliant speech in support of sanctioning Rep. Joe Wilson (R) South Carolina.  Once again, I feel Hoyer is truly on the side of the people and is working hard for all who would benefit by the proposed health care changes.

By Sofiea Clerico

Despite Congressman Joe Wilson’s rude behavior, there is no way illegal immigrants can receive any benefit from the public option or other provision of any of the health care bills now working their ways through Congress. Wilson’s public and erroneous tantrum notwithstanding, no health care provision for illegals. Despite language which clearly spells this out, Democrats have added even more wording to make sure this is absolutely clear to all who read the bills.

Tne New York Times has this to say: READ MORE

and The NYT further states: READ MORE

by Sofiea Clerico

Congressman and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Fifth District of Maryland, held a stellar town hall meeting recently. (I watched the entire town hall on C-Span.) He listened politely and answered all questions, even while a few booed loudly. They particularly didn’t appear to like the word “Democrat.” Hoyer never gave an inch to the staged hostility of the drug company stooges. Many spoke in favor of the “public option.”

Watching Hoyer explain, patiently and in great detail the proposed bill put forth by the House of Representatives, I felt pride and hopefulness. He spoke with both eloquence and simplicity — yet never dodged the question, no matter how tough.

Throughout Hoyer remained cool and on-target. He made no mistakes in his speech and appeared unruffled even after the rudest crowd behavior.

My own Congressman, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R) could take lessons from Hoyer, whose poise and emphasis on facts, even under intense hostility expressed by a few in the audience, was without flaw. Hoyer talked about the essential “bones” of the bill and coolly expressed his opinion on its various components. He didn’t play to the crowd, nor did he ignore his detractors. It was a pitch-perfect performance.

The Baltimore Sun said of the town hall meeting, “In a recent interview, Hoyer emphasized that the House would not be voting on the 1,017-page measure that has become the object of intense criticism since its approval by several committees in late July. Instead, a separate proposal - containing elements of the legislation that has been working its way through the House, is likely to come up for a vote late this month.” READ MORE

The longer an individual is paralyzed, the more at-risk he or she is to osteoporosis, a condition which endangers our bones. Early treatment is the key.

Older women and men with prostate cancer were tested with a new, genetically engineered drug called denosumab, made by Amgen. It will be reviewed this next week by FDA advisers. READ MORE

The Republican National Committee is spreading a new falsehood to make people afraid of health care reform. Some say the lies and misinformation will get worse in September.

The Washington Post today said, “The suggestion that Republicans might be singled out and denied care is included in a “Future of American Health Care Survey” containing 13 questions, most of which are critical of the Democratic health-care effort. The technique, referred to as a “push poll,” is used by both political parties and is designed to spread negative information, not to sample public opinion.” READ MORE

The following is from: “Spinal Cord Injury and the Family: A New Guide” by Michelle J. Alpert, M. D. and Saul Wisnia.

“In the 1980s another procedure, the dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) ablation , was recommended for treating severe spinal cord injury pain, since it essentially destroyed the nerve cells that were thought to be the source of painful sensory information within the spinal cord. It, too, eventually fell out of favor when complications such as increased weakness and new sensory loss were noted.”

More on the subject at: Battling Pain -  The Drez Procedure