Nobody's #1

Let me start by announcing that I detest politics. I don't think there's any one side that has it right, and to try to force faith to fit into the box of one party is impossible. So, for what I'm about to say, know that I'm not picking a side.

This week has been an incredibly long one. Though, I say that with a bit of hesitation, as I recall the kind of weeks my wife and I were having just about two years ago, as she underwent chemotherapy for her cancer. Those weeks had no beginning or end. Time stood still, and there was no "weekend" in sight.

But this was a long week.

A little history:

Last Friday - Sarah had an infection near the cuticle on her right middle finger. She went to the Immediate Care Center, and they prescribed some medicine. Problem solved. (heh heh...)

Monday - I fractured my small finger on the right hand, and lacerated the skin and the nail. So I go to the same Immediate Care Center, get treated, X-rayed, and told to visit a hand surgeon to see what needs to be done regarding the damage. All on the evening of my mother-in-law's birthday party.

Tuesday - Went to see a hand doctor, who basically charged me a $50 co-pay (and who knows how much he charged insurance) to look at my finger, tell me it's fine and not broken, and put a band-aid on it. That evening, Sarah started getting feverish.

Wednesday - Sarah has a full-blown fever. 100+ for someone who runs in the 97s. I have a follow-up to have my finger re-bandaged, and am told that Radiology has reviewed my X-rays and confirms there IS a fracture. Their main concern is an open wound with a broken bone and the infection that can set in...especially with diabetics.

Thursday - Sarah's fever persists, and seems to be getting worse, despite the fact that she's showing no outward symptoms of illness (flu or the like.) She makes contact again with the Immediate Care Center, who says that she may be having an allergic reaction to the medicine they had prescribed on Friday. They tell her to stop taking it. Sarah also visits our family practice, where they do very little to help.

Friday - Sarah's fever continues, and now she's starting to have a rash. Revisits the Immediate Care Center, where they worry that part of the rash is actually a Staph infection. Her white blood cell count and her platelet counts are both low. (For anyone who has battled or dealt with cancer, you know the worries that come from reports of "abnormal blood work.") They send her to the Emergency Room....

STILL Friday - Sarah received IV fluids and test results show she's probably fine, and that she probably was having a reaction to the medication, and not a staph infection. After being in the ER for about 2.5 hours, they release her. As I write this, it's Friday evening, and she's resting, but still fighting a low-grade fever. And, she'll have to have more blood work on Saturday to see if things are any better. If levels stay where they were, she'll have to do a follow-up on Monday with the oncologist. All is probably fine regarding that aspect....but it always lingers in the shadows of the mind.

So you ask how in the world any of that has anything to do with politics, and my lack of interest in parties and policies?

In this:

I am thankful that I have medical insurance. Despite a few hundred dollars we've had to pay this week for co-pays, we were able to get quality care and treatment for our problems and have insurance pay for it.

Not everyone has insurance. Not everyone could have gone into an immediate care center or an emergency room for a fever, or a crushed finger. I recognize that I am blessed that I have that freedom and option. And, I wish everyone had such an option.

But, more importantly, this...

Two weeks ago, the poorest country in the western world was leveled by an earthquake. And, due to poverty, lack of structure, lack of supplies, and lack of organization to remedy these issues, people are dying from fractures and open wounds...from infections...from the inability to see a medical doctor for what should be an easy remedy.

Children are having their legs, arms, feet, hands amputated because they don't have the medical supplies needed to save them from infection.

They're amputating without anesthesia.

A generation of people died in the earthquake. And they have left behind a generation of amputees, and orphans.

The types of "small" inconveniences my wife and I experienced this week are nothing in comparison. We would never think that our minor injuries would possibly lead to our deaths. Yet, that's exactly what is happening in Haiti.

I'm not saying we should be passing the health reform bill. I'm not saying we shouldn't. I'm not saying that we're not doing enough in Haiti. And, I'm not saying that we are. I don't know that government plans are the answer, but I know that apathy isn't.

Where are the Samaritans? Who is my neighbor? If I'm to believe what is written in scripture, I'd say the my neighbor is the woman I'm friends with who has no job and can't afford a checkup. I'd say it's the 7-year-old child in Jacmel who could have his leg saved if the medical staff were able to buy or receive the right tools.

Is this "Good Sam" parable a story of a person who, despite cultural differences, helped out a man in need; teaching us that even our enemy is our neighbor? Or, is it a story that teaches us that we are to care for the beaten, the bruised, and for the ones who can't take care of or provide for their own medical treatment? Or is it both?

The Samaritan man cleaned the injured man up. Then he took him to a medical clinic and paid for his healthcare. He gave another man health benefits on his dime.

'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary...

It's been a long week. And I'm tired. We all are. But, I am also strengthened tonight by the love of friends and family. As each of these milestones unfolded this week, I've posted them to Facebook. Without hesitation, some of the folks I consider my closest and dearest spoke up...flooding in with words of hope, encouragement, prayers and "whispers" of petition to carry us through.

I hope you know who you are... I certainly do, and my heart runs over with emotion when I think of you.

Pretty crazy stuff happening this week in Haiti. It's unfathomable to hear that some Haitian officials are predicting the death toll to top 100,000, and maybe reach as many as 200,000.

I heard someone on the radio today that really pointed out the key to all of this. He said,

"The earthquake didn't kill these people. Poverty did."

And I tend to believe him. Haiti has, for a long time now, been the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. With a government that is in continuous upheaval, a land that has been stripped of its natural resources, and an infrastructure that is held together by mud and sticks, the situation was primed for such a devastating event.

The recovery is underway, but now some four days after this event, unrest is building. Starvation and dehydration are becoming the greater problems. Supplies are bottlenecked, and people are going from thankful for having survived to once again fighting for their lives.

My wife and I, just in the past few months, had been considering and praying about the possibility of adopting from Haiti. We had made contact with an agency in the country. The doors weren't open yet for us, but now, part of me wonders if "our children" are safe?

If you haven't given, but can, please don't wait. There are many good organizations you can donate to.

If you can't give, then pray for the people. Pray for the children. Pray for the rescue efforts still underway. Pray for those that need healing, those that need help, and those that need hope.

I certainly am.