Today as I sat in class listening to my professors lecture I was all too painfully aware that I was still in the have not’s category of life as I seam to be destined to stay on state funded health insurance. A staggering 43 million American’s do not have adequate health insurance or go uninsured every year. More likely than not you are forced to put buying medicine for an allergy related problem because you have to have enough money to get you to the end of the week so that you may have gas in your car, or food and clothing for your kids.

In my case I have one medicine that my state medical insurance doesn’t cover so I am forced to find another way to pay for it. Fortunately I am disabled enough for the vocational rehab department here to qualify for their program therefore allowing me to get that much needed medication. However, I am not disabled enough for the federal government to give me my benefits. It has become such a fine line that those of us who are truly in need have to walk that we continually have to tread ever so lightly or risk losing what precious benefits we have managed to get. Conversely there are still those out there that fraud the system and never get caught for a very long time. Only thing is that they do get caught over time and then that makes it so much harder for the Joe Smith to get on a program that he needs badly.

Then to obesity related health problems are creating issues as well. Each year we are spending more for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and CVD- just to name a few- related health problems that treatment becomes the only focus of going to doctor’s and specialists. In that respect we want professionals to fix what we have screwed up with years of bad health habits.

I have mentioned my grandmother’s ordeal in a previous article and I can tell you that I have become proactive in my own health and I question everything when I go in for my yearly exam. I am on that phone or waiting by that mail box to make sure I don’t miss getting my test results back. My reproductive health has never been 100% but because I have been active in my own health care I am healthier in that respect today than I have been in a very long time.

Going back and briefly touching on the have’s and have not’s and ones ability to pay for medicine, I look at it this way yeah you have to feed your family, but there is plenty of nutritious foods out there that are low in cost and still easy to prepare. It is possible to eat healthy on a budget. Another thing I look at is would I rather spend money on a fiber filled loaf of bread that is good for me or would I go get a less healthier item to save a buck now then end up biting my nose off to spite my face two years down the road when a doctor tells me I have to start taking a fiber supplement because I am not getting enough fiber and my colon is having issues. The next time I go shopping I am going to give you an idea of what I buy on a low income budget and still keep it healthy. Yes I do spend a bit more for some items, however it is worth it in the end because even though according to the BMI calculator I am overweight, I don’t look overweight because I am eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise now that I am back on campus.