OKBTF Brain Tumor Buzz

I don't think you fully understand either candidat...

2008-10-09T17:58:00.000-05:00

I don't think you fully understand either candidate's health plan. Your statements in your blog that "Barack Obama's plan for health care reform is the most comprehensive" and "Quite frankly I no longer want my health care to be in the hands of a bunch of suits sitting in a board room who are watering down benefits to increase share holder profit and do not care if my child is dying of cancer or not." indicate that. First, neither is "most comprehensive". They are strikingly similar. Both are going to cost taxpayers a lot of money, both aim to provide universal insurance coverage (which is different than universal health care, which we already have in this country, mandated by federal law). The major difference is that McCain wants competition within the industry to drive down the cost of premiums, much like Geico, SafeAuto, Progressive, etc. compete for your auto insurance. He will give each individual a direct tax credit to pay for whatever plan you choose to purchase for yourself rather than giving that tax break to your employer, so you are not dependent on your employer to pick whichever plan your employer thinks is best for him/her. Obama wants to create a new federal government administered insurance plan people can pay for to compete with private plans, like making Medicare or Medicaid available to everyone for a certain price. With either candidate, your health insurance is safe if you lose your job. With McCain, your health insurance and your job have nothing to do with each other, just like you do not lose your car insurance or your life insurance if you lose your job. With Obama, you will still get insurance though your employer, or you can choose to buy government insurance like Medicare or Medicaid if you can't get insurance through your employer or if you lose your job. Those are the only differences. So on your second comment about having your healthcare in the hands of suits: if you vote for McCain, your healthcare will be in your hands, to make choices you feel are best for you. If you vote for Obama, your healthcare will be in the hands of Senators and Congressmen like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, who last time I looked, were wearing suits while taking bribes from mortgage companies and financial institutions they were supposed to be regulating. We can't get the legislature to pass Stephanie's Law, and you want to give them control over your healthcare? Try arguing with government run health insurance whether something should be covered or not. I can't get Medicaid to pay for physical therapy after spine surgery, even though EVERY private insurance AND Medicare do. I don't think the government is going to be able to run an insurance company any better than they do anything else. There are lots of other reasons to vote for Obama or McCain, but healthcare goes to McCain right now unless you are happy with the way our government runs things. And that's not going to change until we get substantial campaign contribution reform at the national, state, and local level in all 3 branches of government. One president is not going to be able to change anything.

It's nice thought, however, lets leave all moral a...

2008-08-09T11:55:00.000-05:00

It's nice thought, however, lets leave all moral and ethic conditions and ask:"Is it possible?"
No. No society has enough resources to maintain top hi-tech health care for all members.
Oh yes, there is another possibility! Lets lower congress health care standards! (That is even more unreal :))
Lorne

I couldn’t read this without getting a tear in my ...

2008-07-17T11:55:00.000-05:00

I couldn’t read this without getting a tear in my eye. My brother John (who is 14 years younger than me) is good friends with Bobby’s son Todd. About five years ago Bobby and Kay co-hosted an engagement party for John and his wife and I got a chance to talk to him. He was a very nice guy and you would never guess he was a celebrity if you didn’t know. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

My mom has a glioblastoma and we have met a few ti...

2008-07-14T15:13:00.000-05:00

My mom has a glioblastoma and we have met a few times. My mom taught tori murcer when she was in 3rd grade at Quail Creek elementary and is very good friends with a very good friend of his and Kays. I just read the article you wrote about Bobby, it was very beautiful and a great testament to him. My mom was devestated by his death not only because she knew him although briefly and kept updated as much as possible on his condition but as another cancer patient following his progress. Since they had the same tumor she was looking at him I don't know mainly as a person who was going ahead of her in this battle. She would get put on a medication and she would say Bobby is taking the same thing and he's doing well. I'm getting this chemo and Bobby is on it and he's doing well. She was really upset to learn about his death, but wishes his family well. I don't know if you have sent this article to Kay or not but if you haven't I can print it and get it someone I know will get it to her and will greatly appreciate knowing the kind words you have said.
I spoke to my Mom's doctor a couple of weeks ago and he is giving my mom weeks to months. She hase gone 13 months now and with Bobbys passing 19 months into it I keep thinking is this the magiic number.

Yes, Bobby was a great man. I had a few conversat...

2008-07-14T13:45:00.000-05:00

Yes, Bobby was a great man. I had a few conversations with him when his high school coach was diagnosed with cancer and they were both trying to help me find some Yankee tickets! He didn't remember me, but I remembered him from when he came to Mercy to see his brother, also a victim of cancer. That was back in the 80's. I still remember him walking into his brother's room, wearing these bright (and I do mean BRIGHT) plaid golf pants. I went home and asked my husband, "have you ever heard of a guy named Bobby Murcer....??" Being a native New Yorker, he came unglued that I did not get his autograph! But, to me he wasn't the Yankee player I had grown up with, watching games in Yankee Stadium; he was the brother of one of my patients.

While, the tickets didn't happen and that was the last "season" prior to his diagnosis. After his diagnosis, my daughter got to meet him and talk to him during an auction for Oklahoma City University, where she was the GA for the Volleyball Team. The auction was for the athletics department that is held annually. Actually, it was my daughter who saw the news come across the news wire Saturday and called me immediately. She (along with her dad and brothers) are HUGE Yankee fans.

I just think God needed Bobby in Heaven doing the Play-by-Play for the All Star Game this week. It is in Yankee Stadium and this is the final season of the historic ballpark.

So, while the Yanks are wearing black arm bands, I believe Bobby has his brother by his side in a very special press box, pinstripes on their wings, waiting for the umpire to yell "play ball" and the first pitch to come across the plate. I'll bet Cade has been invited to sit in the press box with them!

You're on the right track with the blog. Keep it u...

2008-07-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

You're on the right track with the blog. Keep it up and try to create conversation among your target audiences.

Have you tracked down where your audience it talking?

Great cause by the way!

-samsims