Dean's Story. Please read this - it's a matter of life and death.

Dean was my best friend and partner for 17 years even though our relationship had its ups and downs through the years. The following was written by Dean's brother who works for the department of energy in Washington as a lawyer. It is a must read, and I hope you all agree.



On February 21, 2010, my brother Dean died. Nothing will bring him back, but if you share his story with others, you might just save a life. Or two. Or a lot more.

Dean had a blood clot in his leg, which traveled to his lung, causing an obstruction of blood flow through his lungs, a pulmonary embolism. Short of breath, he called 911, but the ambulance did not make it to his home in time.

The tragedy is that this is not the first time he had a clot in his leg. And, in the last week of his life, Dean was suffering the same symptoms (pain and swelling in the affected leg) that he suffered the first time, when the clot was successfully treated. Of course, armed with Dean’s history, a health care professional could have treated Dean’s clot last week and saved his life. With some of the best, if not the best, health care professionals in the world, our country has the capacity to deliver excellent health care. The problem here is not with the doctors, or the nurses, etc.

The problem here is that Dean, understandably, was concerned about the costs he would incur if he ended up in a hospital for treatment of his blood clot. Oh, he had insurance, but he was afraid that if he went to a doctor’s office and reported his history of a previous blood clot, his insurance wouldn’t cover the treatment of (you guessed it) his pre-existing condition. So when he sought medical treatment, he reported his symptoms, but did not report his history, and was sent home with prescriptions for ibuprofen and a muscle relaxant. Two days later, he was dead.

In retrospect, Dean made a bad choice. What was he thinking? Perhaps he thought that if things got worse, a doctor could have diagnosed and treated his problem without needing to find out his history of a prior blood clot, and his insurance would have helped pay for his treatment. So, Dean played the odds, and lost. His life.

What is wrong with this picture?

A profit-driven market economic system that effectively rewards good behavior (hard work, thrift, etc.) and punishes the opposite makes a certain amount of sense. One could say that it provides a benefit to society. Even in the health care context, folks can legitimately debate whether paying for the treatment of diseases that are brought on by behavior we should want to discourage (e.g., overeating, smoking, drinking) can have the perverse effect of rewarding, or at least not sufficiently discouraging, such behavior.

But Dean did not cause his blood clot. And while market forces can be very efficient and socially useful, the free market is not God, nor is it some natural state of things that God intended. The free market is a tool, nothing more or less. Like any tool, not using it can sometimes lead to perverse results. And using it can also lead to perverse results (like people dying). Same with government. The government is not the Devil. It is a tool. In a democracy, it is simply one way for free people to pool their resources together to get something done. Using it can also lead to perverse results (like people dying). But that doesn’t make government, even “big” government, inherently bad. Sometimes, it is exactly what is needed (if you need an indisputable example, think World War II).

I’m not going to advocate a particular solution to what is a painfully obvious problem. But, people, for God’s sake, use your heads. If you hear someone talk about a “government takeover” of our health care system, instead of reflexively thinking, “oh, government bad, free market good,” use your heads and be willing to at least see shades of grey. Life is not so simple.

We have the tools at our disposal to fix, or at least significantly ameliorate, this problem. And, yes, one of those tools is government. No tool should be off the table. Whatever works.

Together, let’s get this done. Lives, quite literally, hang in the balance.

and I don't have a clue as to why it went to my journal. I've never used my journal that I can recall.

Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes posts default to the checked box that says 'add to my journal.'

Sincere sympathy for you on your loss and thank you so much for posting this.

I have a hard time not being angry, that I could not get health care until my condition got so bad that I went on disability. My illness is one that will never be cured, and the damage to my body is not reversible - but if I had received care early on, it would never have gotten to this and I would be leading a normal life. Well, normal for me.

But no matter what it's cost me, it pales beside this story. R.I.P. to your friend, and my deepest sympathy to you and to his family.

for your response. Aside from the clots he was a very healthy 50 year old. This was so avoidable, and, even though I pleaded with him to go the the ER he was afraid of bankruptcy until the end. When I get to the anger part of the grieving process a bomb is going to go off.

Sincere condolences to you and Dean's family. :grouphug: My dad died from a blood clot, too.

How many more Deans are out there? I know several people who could be.

Yes, let's get this done.

I lost my adult daughter last July. She didn't have to die, there were medications to help her. She left two children. Even those who overeat, become alcholics, etc should have care. This assumption only those who deserve it should be able to get care is immoral. The human condition is stressful and there is more than one vice to cope with the stress and hopelessnes. Don't be so judgemental.
My heart goes out to you, I've been there. So many people don't care until their ox is gored, even if it sounds cruel I hope more come into lack of care for whatever reason. I see it as the only way to make people understand their blind sidedness. Otherwise their only care is there own.

and I hope her two children are being taken care of properly and are not too traumatized. Peace.

Another tragedy that could have been prevented.

EVERYONE should have access to care, regardless of the choices they make. It's a right! In fact, if health care were administered the way it should be (with an emphasis on prevention and wellness), we may see better lifestyle choices.

couldn't afford it and died. He left a 19 year old wife eight months pregnant with a boy who would never know how truly wonderful his father was. I feel for this man. RIP, Dean. You are missed.

Thank you for posting this. I know you must feel terrible right now, but it's SO important that stories like Dean's get out. My partner has also been experiencing some seemingly minor health issues for several months-- and they probably are minor, in reality-- but she has not sought treatment because her employer won't insure her for another several weeks, and even then, the policy is pretty crappy with high co-pays and a killer deductable. Both are to protect the insurance company's profit's, not their subscribers' health. That is just wrong. Just plain WRONG.

:hug:, my friend.

Excellent post!

:thumbsup:

:kick: :hug: So sorry for your loss ... :(

to Alan Grayson @ grayson.house.gov

and to Michael Moore's site.

More people will see it that way.