Real letter from Wyoming Sen., Mike Enzi; fake content

I had some comments to Sen. Enzi's reply to my letter admonishing him for supporting Republican efforts to  end health care coverage for millions of Americans. I had to use a crayon because that's what it deserves. Republicans have been working overtime to sabotage the Affordable Health Care Act since its inception., That is why it is in trouble. To say otherwise is a lie. 

Wyoming Democrats respond to Rep. Cynthia Lummis's comments about the Affordable Care Act

This was posted on the Wyoming Democratic Party web site today:

Yesterday during a hearing about the Affordable Care Act in the House Oversight Committee, Wyoming Representative Cynthia Lummis suggested that issues enrolling in the Affordable Care Act were partly to blame for her husband’s death.  

The following is a response from Pinedale's Ana Cuprill, Chairwoman of the Wyoming Democratic Party: 

“Wyoming's Code of the West reminds us to be “tough, but fair” and to “know where to draw the line.” Representative Lummis missed the mark on both accounts yesterday. Rep. Lummis voted more than 50 times with her Republican colleagues to repeal Obamacare. The real consequence of those votes is time and effort wasted by the administration defending the law instead of addressing “glitches” that would make the process of enrolling go more smoothly. I will agree with Rep. Lummis that there is no time to be glib about the problems with healthcare. Now is the time to find solutions that will have real impact on people's lives. While we are sorry for the tragic loss of Rep. Lummis’ husband, we are glad for the thousands of people in Wyoming and millions of Americans with access to quality, affordable care. We’re relieved for families who no longer face bankruptcy, can’t be dropped from coverage when they get sick and don’t face lifetime maximums when a sick child needs care. We’re still concerned for the thousands of people in Wyoming who make important health decisions based not on the best available care, but whether or not they can afford to have any care at all. We believe using her truly unfortunate situation to attack the Affordable Care Act was disingenuous and call on our Congresswoman to join us in finding ways to improve the Affordable Care Act."

Well said, Ana Cuprill. And amen.

Another great reason to vote -- the future of mental health care

Voting on Nov. 4 is important for so many reasons. For us Democrats, it's an opportunity to get our message out and to elect progressives to our Republican-dominated legislature which, frankly, often appears as if it's lost its ever-lovin' mind. Right now, Democrats hold 14 of the 90 seats in this august body. We need new voices, ones that represent women, ethnic minorities, the LGBT community and a younger demographic. We have Democrats running in all of those categories this time. We need them in the legislature. We also have great candidates for governor (Pete Gosar) and superintendent of public instruction (Mike Ceballos). Social-justice advocate Charlie Hardy is running for U.S. Senate. Vote!

There are other good reasons for voting. It gets you out of the office for an hour or two -- if your employer deigns to have this benefit. You see old friends working the polls -- if you're a certain age (mine!). You get that nifty "I Voted" sticker for your shirt or blouse.

Here's another. Mental health care depends on voting for the best candidates.Those candidates are usually Democrats. Don't expect Republicans or Libertarians to give two shits about the mentally ill. What about Dems? Well, our country's mental health system is terrible. Blame Obama! He gets a sliver of the blame, but he also gets credit for the Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity Act. Give some credit to George W. Bush for the latter. There are Republicans that have had mental health challenges and others who have mentally ill family members. But their ideology often gets in the way of logic and compassion. You need a structure to care for those who need it. That usually means gubment. Just saying "get over it" or "cowboy up" won't do it. Wishing it will go away doesn't cut it. It doesn't work for other threats, such as terrorists or Ebola or cat-five hurricanes. You need a sensible structure to deal with these threats.

Republicans have also worked overtime -- with their SCOTUS pals -- to disenfranchise voters. You can count the mentally ill in the category of marginalized citizens. Also include the poor, the undocumented, the elderly, those who speak English as a second language, etc.

And then there's the lack of Medicaid expansion, mostly in red states such as Wyoming.

Dania Douglas wrote this recent post for the NAMI blog. I decided to publish it intact on this blog. Call me lazy. Call me concerned. Just don't call me late for dinner.

Go Vote. Mental Health Care Depends On It

By Dania Douglas, NAMI State Advocacy Manager 

It’s that time of year when various colored signs start popping up on lawns and medians across the country. Going to the farmers markets or getting on and off public transportation most likely means you’re going to be handed a pamphlet of sort. In other words, it’s election season. Political advertisements fill the radio airwaves and newspapers are bursting with election-related articles. So what does any of it have to do with mental health? Each year elected officials make decisions related to health care, education, housing and employment that will directly impact the lives of people living with mental illness. Today’s candidates will become tomorrow’s elected officials, with the power to make important decisions. As voters concerned about mental health care, it is critical that we learn about issues, educate candidates about the importance of mental health, and use our votes to elect representatives that will help improve mental health care in this country.

Be Prepared

There are a few important steps you can take to make sure you’re ready for Election Day! Check to make sure you are registered to vote. Make sure you know where to go to cast your vote on Election Day as local polling places can change. Make sure your voter ID is up to date.

Get to Know the Candidates

Do your homework. Listen to what candidates are saying about mental health. Better yet, ask questions. If you feel that candidates are not addressing important issues contact their campaign. Ask them about the issues that are most important to you. If you don’t know where to start, check out our materials for sample questions. Be ready to educate the candidates, to dispel myths or stereotypes, and to explain why mental health issues are so important. If you have a chance tomeet with your candidate in person, take advantage of that opportunity. If not, email, call or write. Visit NAMI’s website for more important tips on talking with candidates.

Know Your Rights

Voting is a Constitutional right and the foundation of our democracy. People with mental illness should have full and equal access to polling places. Unfortunately, misinformation and misunderstanding about mental illness can lead to discrimination. However, there are numerousfederal laws that help safeguard your right to vote. Learning about these laws can help you make sure your rights are protected. Voters with mental illness also have the right to have assistance on voting day. If you need assistance with voting, federal law gives you the right to choose the person, such as a friend or family member, who will help you cast your ballot. In some states, people can be disqualified from voting if they have a guardian or have been declared incapacitated by a court of law. NAMI has created a guide to state laws that affect the voting rights of people with mental illness.

Election Day, Go Vote!

Nov. 4, 2014 is Election Day. Make sure you show up to the polls or find out how to cast an absentee ballot. Every vote counts. Your vote is your voice. Use it to tell candidates that mental health care matters!

Why are all of the dad-blamed Gov candidates from Cheyenne?

Article in yesterday's Casper Star-Trib lamented the fact that all three of the announced  Republican candidates for governor are from Laramie County: Incumbent Matt Mead, ticked-off sort-of Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill, and Tea Party fave Taylor Haynes.

I don't speak for my fellow Democrats when I say "We will keep Mead if you promise to take Hill and Haynes off of our hands." Most of them aren't too crazy about our current governor. He scuttled Medicaid Expansion and joined in on the failed multi-state lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act. But he is arts- and tech- and business-friendly, and seems to have a little more realistic view of the modern world than his fellow Repubs, especially those from the rural areas of the Cowboy State. At least two county Republican conventions (Platte and Hot Springs) recently censured the Gov over the Hill mess (SF 104) and the suspicion that he might be a RINO -- Republican in Name Only. Two other county Republican gatherings resorted to Tea Party mumbo-jumbo (Freedom! Constitution! Something!) but came up short of an outright censure. Interesting to note that our Dem county convention in March fielded a platform plank that would have called out Gov. Mead on the Hill fiasco. It was roundly defeated after a lively discussion. Most commenters thought that it was unwise to wade into this big Republican mess. Even though I seconded the motion, I ended up voting against it.

In today's CST article, Mead's office pointed out the Gov's rural roots in both Teton (richy-rich hangout) and Albany (liberal UW profs and enviros) counties. Haynes admitted that he was busy getting ready to a new ranch in Albany County. Hill couldn't be reached for comment, no doubt framing another spiteful missive to the Gov and his legal eagles who won't let her move back into her Superintendent offices in the Hathaway Building (the Constitution, ya'll!).

But interviewees in the article wondered why we can't have any gubernatorial candidates from some of our more rural counties. It's a good question. There's 98,000 square miles wherein candidates could dwell. Subtract Laramie County and you have left about 97,000. You could beat the sagebrush and find a few likely governors there. Or not. Still they wonder why their leaders come from The Big City and not from The Heartland.

I guess being a rural Wyoming Republican is a bit like being a Wyoming Democrat anywhere. Dems wonder why nobody ever listens to our progressive views. Here we are, sitting in our urban conclave, sipping lattes and plotting the downfall of Christendom, when a bunch of white guys stream into the Capitol Building from Meeteetse and Frannie and Ten Sleep and start ranting about herding gays into concentration camps and banning birth control and stopping the spread of Commie-inspired urban planning and banning the teaching of certain annoying scientific facts (global warming, evolution, earth orbiting the sun) and so on.

Why don't these people go back to their heavenly rural Nirvanas and leave us city people alone.

Sunday morning round-up: Barrasso fail, CIGNA shout-out, Colorado history flashback

Sunday morning round-up:

Apparently we're supposed to listen to Dr. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) when he speaks about the Affordable Care Act. He is a doctor, after all, and one whose pearls of wisdom on matters medical keep appearing on Casper TV stations. Last week, he accused President Obama of "cooking the books on Obamacare." He and his Repub fellow travelers don't believe that Obamacare exceeded its enrollment goals by the March 31 deadline. Not surprising, as Barrasso has bigger ambitions and his face is always looming in the background whenever Repub minority leader Mitch McConnell blathers on about something. The good news is that Wyoming Democratic Party Director Robin Van Ausdall issued a rebuttal to Barrasso's claims:

“Senator Barrasso should focus on the needs of his constituents instead of making up wild claims for which he has no evidence.”

Read the rest here.

My insurance company is CIGNA. On these pages I've occasionally made snide remarks about health insurers. So easy to be snarky and snide when sitting at a computer keyboard in the wilds of Wyoming. But insurers have changed since the bad old days when clerks sitting at keyboards in the wilds of Dallas and Cleveland were making life-and-death decisions based on arcane rules and the bottom line. Obamacare was responsible for some of the changes, as was the mental health parity act and other legislation. Our family has faced an avalanche of health care emergencies in the past two years. CIGNA has been incredibly accommodating all along the way. It has streamlined the approval process and provides frequent updates on billing issues. When I have questions, I usually can get a real person on the phone or online. Thanks, CIGNA. And thanks for sponsoring programs such as "Weekend Edition" on National Public Radio.

While shuffling through boxes in the basement, I came across a 1959 Denver Post publication This is Colorado: Gold Rush Centennial Edition. In 1859, a few prospectors found gold at the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek. Word went out across the land, and the next thing you know, Denver City is swarming with hipsters looking for great deals on LoDo lofts and crowding into brewpubs. I guess that came a little later. That's the thing -- as I read the 1959 publication, there wasn't a real sense of Denver's future. Photos and stories and display ads celebrated the state's history and landscape. Lots of mentions of the "Rocky Mountain Empire," not surprising when you consider that the Post's motto was "The Voice of the Rocky Mountain Empire." Much was written about big manufacturing companies: tire-maker Gates, luggage-maker Samsonite and missile-maker Martin-Marietta. The rise of the automobile got a lot of print, as did trains and street-car travel. But barely a mention of the Denver airport that's become monolithic DIA. I saw only one display ad that mentioned computers, and those were for big business and industry. Some neat photos were included of a fake frontier town that was built near the State Capitol to celebrate the centennial. Also on display was an Atlas rocket. Past and future. That ersatz past has fallen out of favor and Atlas rockets that used to lie primed and ready under fields near Greeley no longer exist. Wyoming has the missiles now -- so don't mess with us, Greenies!

The Post's editors were cheerleaders for Colorado. But they didn't have a clue about what Denver would become. And who could blame them? Personal computers were more than a decade away. The sixties and seventies hadn't happened yet, decades that saw an influx of young people looking for that "Rocky Mountain High" and "Rocky Mountain Way." Young whippersnappers keep pouring into Denver for those same reasons. Colorado's Front Range is not so much a manufacturing center as an entrepreneurial center, more focused on high-tech and apps and small biz start-ups than factories. Who knew?

Ain't history grand?

The book has a few pages devoted to Wyoming and one full-page ad for Cheyenne Frontier Days (63rd year!). The Wyoming article by Cheyenne native Norman Udevitz focused on a western character from his youth named Big Tom and how he represented traits of self-reliance and neighborliness. Udevitz later went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting at the Denver Post.

Sunday morning round-up: Medicaid expansion, Buffy rock & shark sighting

Blustery Sunday morning in WYO....

Lots of news this week on the Medicaid expansion front. Wyoming Association of Churches sponsored a big rally Thursday on the plaza between the Capitol and Herschler Building. Wind raged that day so the crowd took shelter within the flared wings of the strangely structured Herschler, named for a WYO Gov, as is the case with most of the state buildings. Rally organizers (and two of the speakers) were Rev. Rodger McDaniel of Cheyenne and Rev. Dee Lundberg of Casper. One counter protester showed up. A young man clad in a stocking cap and a Duck Dynasty T-shirt held a sign that read, "Support Gov. Mead." Have to give the guy some credit, not only for braving the cold in a T-shirt but for showing up. I heard someone at the rally say, "I've been that guy," meaning that Liberals in our state tend to always be outnumbered when it comes to protests. Think of the brave few who showed up for Iraq War protests back in 2003 or those folks in Laramie and Sheridan who showed up for weekly peace vigils for years. During the heyday of the Occupy movement, three hardy souls in Pinedale attended rallies and posted photos on Facebook.

I received a call last weekend requesting phone calls and e-mails to legislators urging them to support Medicaid Expansion. The barrage of e-mails and the rally had some effect -- two ME bills made it out of committee this week. Kudos to the Wyoming Assn. of Churches and local Democrats for all their hard work on behalf of the state's uninsured.

To read the bills:
Medicaid expansions –- limited benefits -– 14LSO0139.C1 (Medicaid Fit)
Medicaid expansion –- insurance pool -– 14LSO0140.C1 (Arkansas model with modifications)

I continue to be amazed by the volume and quality of arts events springing up all over the state. My day job is spent broadcasting the good news about the arts via print and electronic resources. I'm especially impressed by some of the unique ways local organizers come up with the nurture the arts. Over the hill in Laramie, the indie newspaper News from Nowhere keeps tabs on cultural events and provides a forum for creative writing. It's sponsoring "It's Another Art and Music Thing" on Saturday, Jan. 18, at noon to whenever in the Gryphon Theatre and the gymnasium in the Laramie Civic Center, 710 E. Garfield St. One of the bands on tap is Laramie's Sunnydale High which performs songs based on the 1990s TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." My son and wife are both Buffy fans, although I never really got into it. But that there's a band which is devoted to the show says a lot about creativity and fun and all the cool local resources that we have in WYO. The Jan. 18 event showcases other area bands and local artists. The Laramie Burlesque Troupe will perform. You'll also run into poets and writers and other scribes and bloggers and ne'er-do-wells. Tickets are $5 in advance and $8 at the door, which is yet another art and music thing bargain. E-mail for info: events@newsfromnowhere.info

Starting Wednesday, I'll be blogging from Florida for a week. I would say that I'll be in my shorts and flip-flops blogging from Florida, but temps are only expected in the 50s and 60s. That's warm for us snowbirds, but not sure how much beach time I'll get. May seem funny for Wyomingites, but it gets cold in January in The Sunshine State. But there should be plenty to blog about. Read this headline in today's Daytona Beach News Journal: "Great White Shark lingers off Daytona Beach coastline."

We're gonna need a bigger boat.

Fill in the blank: "_________ should not be a debt sentence"

Sign seen at the Medicaid Expansion rally held Thursday in Cheyenne:

"Cancer should not be a debt sentence."

You could customize that in a number of ways:

"Heart disease should not be a debt sentence."

"Diabetes should not be a debt sentence."

And so on. Plug in the malady that may be afflicting your family. I have heart disease and my wife is a diabetic. We have insurance. Still, my health care costs topped $200,000 in 2013. I ended up paying several thousand dollars out of my own pocket. Heart disease may have been a debt sentence, or possibly even a death sentence if I wasn't able to afford a stent and an ICD and a two trips to the hospital and rehab and many medications, some of them pricey.

Some of the people testifying at Thursday's rally face debt sentences for hospital bills they can't afford. Fate decrees that the insured and the uninsured alike keel over from heart attacks, wreck their cars, contract horrible infections, slip on the ice and break a leg, get a Big C diagnosis, etc.

We got news on Friday that two Medicaid expansion bills made it out of the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee for consideration during the legislative session.

"I think it is the responsibility of this committee bring it forward for a full discussion," said committee chairwoman Rep. Elaine Harvey, R-Lovell. "I would hate to think that 12 people would decide for the whole state to not do any kind of Medicaid expansion at all." 

Sometimes it seems that there is just one person one person on that committee who wants to deny health coverage to everyone in the state. This from Saturday's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:

Co-chairman Sen. Charles Scott, urged the committee Friday to table the pending Medicaid expansion bills. He said the federal government's proposal to Medicaid brings out the worst in the American health-care system.

"It encourages excessive utilization of health-care services to the extent that they're not good for people," Scott said.

Wonder what Scott considers "excessive utilization?" Preventive care? Taking your kids to the doctor when they're sick? Riding in the ambulance to the emergency room when you could walk there on the two good legs the Lord gave you?

Sounds to me as if Sen. Scott is arguing for government oversight of what is "excessive utilization" and what isn't "excessive utilization." He wants to be the sole arbiter who decides if 17,000 uninsured Wyomingites get health insurance coverage under Medicaid expansion, a plan that will save the state $50 million, according to Wyoming Health Department Director Tom Forslund.

What is good for people and what is not -- and who decides?

Next thing you know, Sen. Scott will be advocating for death panels.

Maybe he already is.

Rally for the Uninsured Jan. 9 in Cheyenne

Isn't it swell to be in the same group of health-conscious states as Louisiana, Alabama, Idaho and Missouri?

From the Rally for the Uninsured Facebook page: 

Come and participate in a Rally of Support for Medicaid Expansion in Cheyenne, at the Herschler Building Plaza next to the Capitol Building on Thursday, January 9 at 11:45 am until 12:45 pm. Let the legislature know what you think!

Here's what Tom Forslund, Republican Gov. Matt Mead's appointee to direct the Wyoming Department of Health, says about Medicaid Expansion:

Wants the facts on the ACA? Go to the sources

Keep a few things in mind when trying to understand the Affordable Care Act.

Go to the correct sources for information. The main web site is http://healthcare.gov. That's where you find out the facts, ma'am (and sir). In Wyoming, look up Enroll Wyoming at http://enrollwyo.org. If you prefer talking on the phone, call 2-1-1. That's what smartphones are for.

Enroll Wyoming has a batch of navigators spread around the state. Three of them were at the town hall meeting in Cheyenne on Monday night. Their director said that she and her crew had given more than 30 presentations last week in Laramie County alone. At this point, there is probably no question that they haven't heard.

A crowd of 40 or so people heard a panel of experts spell out the ACA details at the Monday meeting.

In Wyoming, we are bombarded with misinformation from Know-Nothings. If you want to know the facts, avoid any comment or communique from the Republican Party. Don't read Rep. Cynthia Lummis's e-mail missives about Obamacare. Senators Barrasso and Enzi are no help either. Neither are state legislators with an "R" after their names. They all are so blinded by hate for our president that their lies never cease.

And Medicaid expansion? According to Phyllis Sherard, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Population Health Officer, who was at the meeting, the Wyoming Hospital Association has spelled out the four main objections to Medicaid expansion and refuted each one. Go to http://wyohospitals.com. Here are some highlights of a recent press release from the WHA:

There are at least three key reasons that legislators should support the full expansion.   

First, the full expansion is good for Wyoming’s patients. One of the surest ways to improve overall health and control costs is for patients to receive the right care, from the right provider, at the right time. 

Providing coverage for more than 28,000 Wyoming citizens – often described as the working poor – will provide that access to care. We know that patients who receive preventive care, or who receive care earlier, tend not to be as sick when they do need care.

Second, the full expansion could save the state $47 million over six years, according to a study released by the Department of Health. These savings can only be achieved, however, if the Legislature supports the full expansion of the program. 

Finally, the full expansion will help ensure that Wyoming’s providers can continue to provide care for our vulnerable populations. In 2011, Wyoming hospitals provided about $200 million in uncompensated care – up from about $126 million in 2007.  At the same time, federal assistance for hospitals that treat large numbers of low-income and uninsured patients has been slashed. The impact of both the dramatic growth in uncompensated care and the reductions in this federal assistance would be significantly offset through the full Medicaid expansion.,

Who cares about hospitals? We do. Every community wants its own hospital so its citizens can be close to quality medical care. This isn't possible in Wyoming with its low population and great distances between centers of medical care. Casper currently is discussing the wisdom of adding a third hospital to its ranks. Cheyenne Medical Center recently added a cancer center and a state-of-the-art ER. Meanwhile, hospitals in Colorado and Montana and Utah beckon us with slick ads and promises of big-city medical care just a short drive over the border.

Medicaid expansion, it seems, is one way to ensure that our home-grown hospitals stay solvent and able to treat our rapidly aging population. I spent a fair amount of time and treasure this year at CRMC. As is the case with many in Cheyenne, I cast a dubious eye on our local hospital. I had a heart attack in late December and on January 2 had to be rushed to CRMC. I could have gone to Fort Collins or Denver but "minutes mean muscle" as those alliterative cardiologists say. The longer a heart patient goes without treatment, the more heart muscle can be lost. It's important that good care is close to home especially when it comes to the beating heart. I discovered that the Kardiac Kids at CRMC run a tight ship and make minutes count. There's a fine cardiac lab and a top-notch telemetry unit for recovery and a whole regimen of rehab.

I spent several hundred thousand dollars on my heart. I was lucky as I have insurance that I (and the State of Wyoming) has been paying into for 22 years. Some of those payments go toward paying some of $83 million over the past three years that CRMC has written off in uncompensated care. That shortfall has to come from somewhere. I've done my part and I'm not sorry. I could resent those "freeriders" that I paid for, but that wouldn't be very Christian of me, would it?

So get on with it, Wyoming Legislature, and expand Medicaid.

Reminder: Affordable Care Act town hall meeting tonight at library

From the Laramie County Democrats Facebook page:

Do you still have questions about the Affordable Care Act, the health insurance marketplace and exchanges, exchange policies, costs and included benefits, eligibility for tax subsidies or Medicaid, etc. or want to learn how to enroll? If so, please attend and let our expert panel take some of the mystery out of the Affordable Care Act for you. Enrollment for coverage to start January 1, 2014 ends on December 23, 2013 (open enrollment continues through March 2014).

This session will be held at the Laramie County Public Library in downtown Cheyenne from 6-9 p.m. tonight (Monday), Dec. 16. Free and open to the public.

Much more difficult to register for health care in red states

Justin Baragona writing on PoliticusUSA about Republicans sabotaging health care registrations in Red States (Wyoming, for instance):

The one huge point that needs to be hammered home again and again and again is that that millions and millions or Americans would already be signed up for insurance or be covered by Medicaid if Republicans would have just accepted the law instead of trying to sabotage it at every turn.  The fact that 1.2 million got coverage by the end of last month is miraculous when you consider the roadblocks that were laid in place. The sad fact is that if you currently live in a state that is mostly controlled by Democrats, it is quite easy to get covered. If you are in a state controlled by Republicans, it is much more difficult for you to get coverage for no other reason than the people governing your state, as well as the majority of citizens occupying it, just plain hate the President.

Read the entire article at http://www.politicususa.com/2013/12/13/rachel-maddow-highlights-ap-story-showing-red-states-sabotaging-uninsured.html

Democratic response to Gov. Mead's decision on Medicaid expansion

From the Wyoming Democratic Party web site (Dec. 2):

Today, Pete Gosar, Chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party made the following statement regarding Governor Mead’s decision to not recommend Medicaid expansion in Wyoming.

 “Governor Mead made sure that the day after Thanksgiving was the blackest of all Fridays for Wyoming's entire health care system.  His refusal to support Medicaid expansion all but ensures that Wyoming's less fortunate and working poor will continue to be without access to Wyoming's healthcare system.”

Rest the rest here.

Affordable Care Act Town Hall Meeting set for December 16

Want to cut through the spin and misinformation and hot air about the Affordable Care Act?

 

On Monday, December 16, at the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne, the Democrats will be putting on an Affordable Care Act Town Hall Meeting.

 

For more information, contact Lori Brand at laramiedems@gmail.com.

 

Stay tuned to these pages for more details.

UPLIFT Wyoming has vision

UPLIFT's vision is

Hope, health and well-being for all Wyoming children and families. 

You must have 20/20 vision for a statement like that. An abundance of hope.

The statistics are bleak. Alabama-bleak. Wyoming leads the nation is teen suicides. Not a single child psychiatrist lives and works within its 97,000 square miles. In 2012, Wyoming's overall health ranking dropped from 21st to 23rd. More than 23 percent of the population smokes.

OK, so maybe we rank better than Alabama by most measures. But we have problems. Most residents have to drive hours to reach mental health care. Youth are regularly sent out of state for mental health and substance abuse treatment. I know. My kids did just that. Broke the bank and almost broke the will. Only late in the process did we discover the state's children's mental health waiver, which paid for much of our daughter's care, both in-state and out.

Time will tell whether the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) will make a difference with accessibility to quality mental health treatment. We do know that insurers no longer can disqualify you for pre-existing conditions. And caps have been removed on quantity of treatment sessions. And we can keep our daughter covered until she's 26 (our son has aged out). Most students with disabilities take longer to matriculate than others. It's not unusual for them to take six or seven years to graduate. It's not unusual for them to be a boomerang kid, landing in your basement after graduation, Daft Punk tunes wafting up through the heater vents.

I just returned from a two-day board and staff retreat for UPLIFT. I've been a board member since 1999 and am just about ready to retire. It's a volunteer position. Most of us on the board have had personal experiences with challenging children.Our son Kevin was diagnosed at 5 with ADHD and, later, struggled with drugs and alcohol. Our daughter faced mental health challenges, first diagnosed as bipolar and then with borderline personality disorder. As often happens, she did some self-medicating.

It is tough on children to have these challenges. It is also tough on parents.

UPLIFT comes to the rescue. When it can. The statewide organization has its own challenges. Its budget was cut by a third when the state decided to re-channel its funding. It lost three offices across the state and 11 staffers. This is why you have retreats that address strategic planning and tries to come up with some big ideas for the future.

Funding cuts and priority shifts have caused the 23-year-old organization to look at itself anew. Wish us luck. And donate at the web site. Better yet, make a pledge to donate a certain amount every month. Go here. You never know when you may need expertise at your I.E.P. meeting or tips on applying for the Medicaid waiver or just a kindly person to listen to your dilemma. 

Tell them Mike sent you.

Smoking remains high at 23.0 percent of the adult population, with 100,000 adults who smoke in Wyoming.

The infant mortality rate declined in the past year from 7.2 to 6.5 deaths per 1,000 live births.

- See more at: http://www.americashealthrankings.org/WY#sthash.h6kmkDfZ.dpuf

Smoking remains high at 23.0 percent of the adult population, with 100,000 adults who smoke in Wyoming. - See more at: http://www.americashealthrankings.org/WY#sthash.h6kmkDfZ.dpuf

Cardiac Chronicles: Bush's "Widowmaker" blockage worse than reported in August

The National Journal has a scoop today regarding Pres. George W. Bush's heart condition.

Apparently, Bush's heart crisis in August was much more serious than reported at the time.

If you remember, the ex-Prez went in for a physical in Dallas and his docs found some bad rhythms in an EKG during a stress test. A CT scan discovered a blockage of the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery, a.k.a. "The Widowmaker." Surgeons inserted a stent and, after a night in the hospital, sent Bush on his way. He's now back golfing and riding mountain bikes and clearing brush from his ranch. He does all of these vigorously, but not at the same brisk pace as before the surgery.

And getting featured in news stories:

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, an interventional cardiologist at George Washington University who has treated former Vice President Dick Cheney but was not involved in Bush's care, noted that a blockage of that magnitude wouldn't necessarily be fatal in all patients but is a very serious situation requiring prompt treatment.

Even with a 95 percent blockage, Reiner said, blood will still be flowing through the impaired artery, but the heart muscle must work harder, particularly during vigorous activity. The added strain when blood flow is diminished can lead to serious cardiac complications, including a heart attack.

"Every case is different," Reiner said. "It depends on several factors, including how quickly a blockage has developed. But it's a very important vessel. If you occlude that particular artery it can kill you."

And this:

A prominent internist who asked not to be identified added that Bush's blockage, if undiagnosed, would almost certainly have risked "a grave cardiac event."

Finally, this:

The 43rd president has exercised regularly for years and is generally believed to be in excellent health. 

Pres. Bush and I have something in common. As I related in a post in August, we both had occlusions in the same artery. I hate to brag, but mine was 100 percent and I lived to tell the tale. I too had a stent, but spent a week in the hospital recuperating from congestive heart failure caused by the blockage. I was floored to hear the LAD called "the Widowmaker" by my cardiologist. Both of us were in fine shape. I don't clear brush or ride my bike. But I do swim every other day at the local YMCA.

There are some differences. I went almost two weeks before my blockage was detected and treated. In the process, my heart muscles sustained what is probably irreparable damage. I'm not going to complain. If I had only known that stomach pain could mean "heart attack," I would have got myself to the hospital a lot sooner. I didn't have a crackerjack team of doctors available to the president at the renowned Cooper Center in Dallas. My regular doctor neglected to give me a stress test or an EKG. That would have helped. Instead, he treated me first for the stomach virus and then for pneumonia. I had lung congestion, but it was due to a malfuctioning heart and not a bacterial assault on my lung lining.

I also now am equipped with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), just in case I get hit with an arrhythmia or, God forbid, catastrophic heart failure. 

We are both lucky, Pres. Bush and I. We remain among the living. And we both have plenty of blogging material, although I rarely see Dubya tapping out communiques in the blogosphere.

One other thing: If you're not a former president and don't have comprehensive health insurance, sign up for the Affordable Care Act. Heart attacks are expensive. Mine was $200,000-plus, almost all covered by a health plan that I have been paying into for 22 years, with the state picking up the lion's share.

Make sure you get a stress test or an EKG. Either might save your life. 

What's up with those Dems?

Upcoming events on the local Democratic Party calendar:

Next meeting of the Laramie County Democrats Grassroots Coalition is Sept. 26, 6:30 p.m., in the Sunflower Room of the Laramie County Public Library. Guest speaker is Cheyenne Mayor Rick Kaysen.

Next meeting of the Laramie County Democrats is Monday, Oct. 21, at the IBEW Union Hall, Cheyenne. Go right now and "like" the Laramie County Dems Facebook page. 

Oct. 24: LCDGC sponsors a chili dinner fundraiser on Oct. 24 in the Old Community House in Lions Park in Cheyenne. Chili, hot dogs and fruit pies on the menu. Come by, eat and donate to the cause.

This isn't local, unless you're in Sublette County, but the Wyoming Democratic Party's annual Roosevelt/Kennedy Dinner will be held at the library in Pinedale on Oct. 26. Guest speaker is outspoken progressive Wyoming blogger Rev. Rodger McDaniel, author of “Dying for Joe McCarthy’s Sins -- The Suicide of Wyoming Senator Lester Hunt.”

Nov. 16: Casino Night in the Casablanca Room at The Suite Bistro in downtown Cheyenne. A fund-raiser, of course, but fun for all. More details forthcoming....

In late October or early November, a local planning committee of Dems will sponsor an Affordable Care Act Town Hall at the Laramie County Library. Lori Brand is organizing this and is looking for volunteers. Leave a comment if you're interested.

Republicans agree on one thing -- denying health care to our neighbors

Including thousands of our friends and neighbors in Wyoming. Read more about Pres. Obama's Friday press conference at  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/09/obama-obamacare_n_3733933.html

Cardiac Chronicles: Heart blockages happen

I spent much of my blogging time in the mid-2000s giving grief to Pres. George W. Bush. Samples may be read here and here.

And now he has a stent, as do I.

Docs in Houston caught Pres. Bush's arterial blockage before he had a heart attack. This is a good thing, as about a third of first-time heart attacks kill. Seven of ten heart attacks are by first-timers, with fewer than 200,000 repeaters.

The big three risk factors are high blood pressure, high cholesterol (LDL) levels and smoking. I was guilty of one of three -- high cholesterol levels. I have never had high blood pressure, except when watching Republican debates while off my meds. I quite smoking 29 years ago, when my wife Chris was informed that she was pregnant. After almost three decades, you'd think that the bad effects of smoking would have wended their way out of me. Every time I go to the doctors, I'm asked if I smoke. I always answer "Yes, but I quit 29 years ago."

I watch the nurse type in "Ex-smoker."

I wonder: "Why are you an ex-smoker whether you quit smoking 29 years ago or 29 weeks ago or 29 days ago?"

Those first 29 days are the hardest. Followed by the next 29 days. And then the next. And so on. It's easier once you get to years.

So I send healing thoughts and prayers to Pres. Bush. He plagued my waking and sleeping hours for eight years. But mortality comes to us all. We share that.

Hanna hit with satirical blast

It could have been Any Town, U.S.A., but it was Hanna, Wyo.

A satirical post on National Report carried news that the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") was requiring government-assisted citizens in Hanna to be implanted with an ID chip.

Tea Partiers went wild. "We warned you!" Satire-lovers had a good laugh. And nobody will get sued -- probably.

Sandra Davidson, a communications law professor at the University of Missouri School Of Journalism, said it’s doubtful any legal action will come of the story, even if some take it seriously.

“If it can’t be taken as literally true, it can’t be defamatory,” she said. “In this country, we have a broad First Amendment right to satire,” Davidson said.

Read more about it at the Billings Gazette. 

The Cardiac Chronicles: No moon walks after "Happy Juice"

They shot me up with some of that Michael Jackson happy juice. You know, propofol, the anaesthetic that Michael allegedly took for 60 nights straight for insomnia until it, combined with some other stuff prescribed by his doc, killed him. The drug's nickname is "Milk of Amnesia" for its milky color and its major side effect.

Earlier, I was on some other happy juice for my ICD surgery. But I was awake. It's odd to be lucid while a coterie of docs and nurses and technicians hover over you. It's a bit like a bad dream, although the happy juice makes it not so bad.

As announced earlier on these pages, I had surgery on Monday, part of my continuing recovery from a Christmas 2012 heart attack. The docs implanted an ICD, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. This is part defibrillator, part pacemaker. It will correct arrhythmias and shock me back to reality should I be threatened with sudden cardiac death. Patients such as me who have heart muscle damage that leads to a reduced ejection fraction have a 5-8 percent chance of experiencing sudden cardiac death. I don't like those odds. They are much higher than the chance of getting hit by lightning during a lifetime (1/6250) or the odds of injury from mowing the lawn (3,623 to 1). It's even worse that getting killed in a car wreck (77-1).

Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) Sucks. I'm having T-shirts made.

So I agreed to have the procedure.

One complaint, though. Last time I had a CRMC Cath Lab procedure, Led Zep was on the stereo. This time, I had to settle for Journey. Not sure if this was a tribute to Journey's upcoming concert (with Styx) on July 19 as part of Cheyenne Frontier Days. I took it as a bad sign.

But all was copacetic. Betsy was my nurse-guide. She stuck to me like the glue the docs used to seal my incision. She explained the proceedings to me. First came the preparations and then my chest was swabbed with orange goop and then, when that was dry, they draped me with sterile drapes. Finally, a tent was constructed over me. I was a bit claustrophobic until Betsy rolled back the tent walls and I could see her smiling face again. I couldn't actually see her face as she wore a mask. The nurses plopped something heavy dangerously close to my crotch.

"Ooomph," I said.

"Don't move," they said. "You'll contaminate the sterile field."

A disembodied voice informed me that I was getting some happy juice through my IV. After that, I only remember a few things, as happy juice is an amnesiac. Someone was kneading my chest like a baker kneading dough. It started to hurt but I'm not sure if I asked why they were baking bread and not not installing my gadget. When that was over, a big head appeared over me. Someone said "anesthesiologist" and "happy juice." Next thing I knew, I was rolling back to my room. I found out later that that last hit of juice was the propofol, which only put me out for five minutes or so while they tested my new gadget. Nurse-guide Betsy reported to my wife Chris that I was not happy with being test-shocked. My legs went flying up, she said, and I had a stern look on my face.

Wouldn't you?

After surgery, I slept for awhile and woke up feeling giddy. Happy juice can produce euphoria, which may have been Michael Jackson's desired side-effect. I had lot of visitors who said I looked good. I felt good.

The next day, the walls came crashing down. I slept 12 hours and didn't feel so chipper when I awoke Wednesday morning. Hangover Part I.

Oh, about that bread-kneading thing. Nurse Rita explained later that the surgeon had to insert his/her fingers through the incision and "knead" a pocket for the ICD.

So I wasn't imagining things.

I found a couple of videos of the procedure in YouTube. First one comes from Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, Florida. I was an orderly at this hospital as I worked my way through community college in the 1970s. My mom also died there in 1986, but that's another story. Go here.

A more recent operation comes from December 2011 out of Holland (that's a guess, as I didn't recognize the language). English speakers may have a hard time with the audio, but the video is very detailed. Go here.