Thursday, September 20, 2012

Will it be pink again this year?




Walk A Mile In Her Shoes (click here) is a nation-wide campaign to raise awareness for breast-cancer where men walk a mile in woman's high heels.

It is a foregone fact that women with mastectomies experience a higher rate of divorce in the USA. It causes a lot of problems for women as they sometimes are dependent on their spouses for income and more importantly health care insurance. 

To be noted is that before the Affordable Care Act women could not get health care insurance after divorce and after any COBRA benefits expired due to a pre-existing condition. So, saving a woman's life before the Affordable Care Act was a bit of a difficult thing. 

First a woman had to be diagnosed with a mammogram which was not covered 100% in preventative care now a requirement by all health care insurance.

Then, once diagnosed, she needed to receive treatment. If facing a divorce due to the fact a mastectomy was required, along with possible excision of the lymph nodes and potentially some of the flesh and muscle of the chest wall; receiving that treatment was questionable at best. 

Then receiving post mastectomy reconstruction was even more difficult after surviving the treatment because that is viewed as superfluous to financial survival. 

So, the effort by men in "Walk a Mile In Her Shoes" is a remarkable and very noteworthy effort. Let it not be understated. 

Not to mention divorce doesn't leave much room for emotional support either.

President Obama's Affordable Care Act does a lot the nation can't begin to recognize. Individual lives are changed and saved due to this law. I can't thank him enough for the remarkable political bravery he showed in taking on this accomplishment. It was more than worth it.