The more I read about the Health Care Reform bill, the more I like it. It's not everything it oughta be but in this political climate, and with the Dem's 60 vote majority including folks like Lieberman and Ben Nelson, it ain't too shabby. There's a chart over at the bottom of this page that summarizes some of the good things to come out of it, particularly as compared to doing nothing, which appears to have been the alternative. I'd also refer you to this piece by Ezra Klein which answers some of the more strident (and not completely unfounded) complaints from the Left. I do think a lot of the critics of the plan are simply caught up in the act of believing their own lies or misunderstandings.
I'm also hopeful that the reform won't stop with this bill. One matter that always rankled me was that Obama had, once upon a time, pledged to reopen the pharmaceutical marketplace to foreign reimports. That's where you and I get to buy medications for the same, lower price that Canadians pay for products manufactured in the same labs to the same specifications. That pledge was forgotten when it came time to get the major pharmaceutical companies on board for the current reform...and perhaps that was necessary. But the White House is making noises like they're going to revisit the issue and that's nice to hear.
Beyonce is now selling Crystal Geyser bottled water. That's great but it doesn't make me any more eager to buy the stuff. That's because I couldn't be more eager. I already purchase Crystal Geyser by the caseload. When home, I drink nothing else...and I mean nothing else. No tea, no juice, no soda, no coffee, no liquid of any kind but Crystal Geyser bottled water. And when I'm not home, I try for Crystal Geyser but settle for whatever kind of H2O I can get.
I had Gastric Bypass Surgery in May of '06...and those of you who've tracked my medical history on this blog know that I was briefly hospitalized in February of that year. Before then, I was darn near addicted to beverages full of sugar and carbonation. During the day, I'd consume 3-5 Pepsi-Colas and then, at 6 PM, I'd switch over to the clear stuff (7-Up or Canada Dry ginger ale) so that I wouldn't still be highly-caffeinated by bedtime. I tried to quit but got headaches and other nagging symptoms...and since I always have a deadline, I'd rationalize: "I'd better go drink a Pepsi so I can get this script done today. I can start quitting some time when I don't have a script due." That's a real handy way out if you always have a script due and don't really want to quit.
Early in 2006, I decided tentatively (meaning I might still back out) to have the surgery. One argument against it was that, they say, one needs to give up carbonated drinks after G.B.S. and I wasn't sure I could do that. Then in February, I had to spend four days in a hospital bed and while there, I had nothing with carbonation, sugar or caffeine. I also had no withdrawal symptoms. So I decided to see how long I could go without a cola...and I haven't had a sip since. Nor have I missed it. Sometimes, it's easier to break an addiction than you think.
I never liked coffee, tea or anything artificially-sweetened so my beverages of choice became fruit juices...but in a slow curve following the operation, I began losing my taste for anything with high sugar content in it. They warn you that after a gastric bypass, your body may not process sugar all that well but they don't say you'll stop liking the stuff, Well, I did. I started watering down lemonade or orange juice and eventually gave them up completely. For six months or so, I drank only water or tomato juice...and not long ago, I gave up the tomato juice. Of course, I'd already given up cake, candy, pie, ice cream, cookies and anything else with more than about 2 grams of sugar per serving.
Friends ask, "Don't you miss sweets?" And the way I've started answering is like this. Imagine there's a restaurant that you used to love and every time you went there, you left full and delighted. Now, imagine that restaurant is still there but it's changed owners and chefs and it has all different menu items and recipes and now there's nothing special about it and you can no longer get the same wonderful feeling there. Well, I miss sweets the way you miss that restaurant. You recall the happy sensation but you know things have changed and that eating there again is not going to give it to you. So you accept it and move on.
And I've accepted that I really can't drink anything except water, and discovered it's not as big a disadvantage as I once might have thought. I found a brand I really like — Crystal Geyser — and I buy cases of it. Many cases of it. I probably have about fifty gallons in various sized-bottles in my garage at this moment and when I see it on-sale in a store, I think, "Hmm...maybe I should pick up a few more crates." So, Crystal Geyser People...you didn't need to spring for Beyonce to do your ads. Not to get my business, at least. I'd be buying your product if your spokeswoman was Richard Belzer in drag. I just wouldn't post his photo on my blog.
How much will the new Health Care arrangement actually cost your typical American family? Well, here's an article that tries to explain that and if you don't have time to read it, here's a chart with a lot of information. Let me know if you come across any assertions of other numbers.
60 Democrats voted a few hours ago for cloture on the Health Care Reform bill. That should signal its imminent passage but I dunno. I just have this feeling that the Republican leadership will come up with some arcane rule or Constitutional issue or something to delay passage on Harry Reid's timetable. Not that they'll be able to block the bill or that they think they can stop it...but I sure get the feeling they think their constituency will reward them for stalling it a bit, making Democrats squirm and sweat a little more. Going to be an interesting week.
December 22, 2009
