Women's Health Still Hostage to Healthcare Reform, but...

They checked their Blackberries last night, my daughter and spouse.  They'd gone out for a walk as we stayed with the kids.

"Nothing yet," was the 10 p.m. (PST) verdict.  No, our foot-dragging, drama-loving Congress would make us stay up late to find out would they/wouldn't they.

Earlier, when the House Republicans used women's bodies to stall the healthcare bill, I was angry--once again.  More frequent Elderbloggers Darlene and Ronni posted timely rants.  Amanda Maracotte* at RH Reality Check posted a stronger response  in line with my own feelings on the relationship of Stupak amendment to men's wish to control women and their bodies as result of their "deepset fear of women's agency."

My family tried to calm me with reminders that reform was so crucial, that the abortion restrictions would never last, that we needed to support this shaky bill.  Made an effort to let go of disappointment but had less heart in sending more emails, small donations to the "good guys" in Congress.

While we waited, surprising new guidelines were issued by the U.S. Prevenive Services Task Force on mammogram testing.  As an old lady who has had two "false positives," one at 52, the other at 64 which led to a biopsy, I take this very personally.  Who of us does not? 

[Aside:  Is  Politics Daily, not a feminist blog, the only one to picture the mammo machine?  Did any of the mainstream media stories show that dreadful invention, now marginally improved since my first one in the 1970s?  I have a couple of paper  "gowns" saved from these visits--blue, pink.  These combined with the eerie sounds of the X-ray machine have always seemed ready-made for a dance performance or a scene in a play I'd write.]

This morning I had a little relief with the post at Our Bodies Ourselves, New Mammogram Guidelines Are Causing Confusion, But Here's Why They Make Sense. It is a long, thoughtful post that acknowledges the complexity of  technology that gives us information but has the potential for harm.  The comments with reactions from women, researchers, doctors are worth reading too.

 Occurred to me that we need a younger women's consciousness to focus on useful health education in middle and high schools.  All the controversy around "sex ed" may have left us with nothing!  Bring back those plaster human bodies we cringed at in my freshman college gym class, the ones that come apart to reveal our insides. Young people need to learn more about how it all works--and more about ways to evaluate health info that comes toward us.

*Maracotte has another post, "Less boob squishing seems like a value add to me" on her own Pandagon blog.

Comments

[Hattie]

My daughter was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer at age 25 and had a lumpectomy and radiation. She found the lump herself.
I just had a mammography and it was negative.
I can't really see what good a mammography can do for pre-menopausal women, since their breast tissue is so dense. I also wonder about the small cancers so common in older women, whether they need aggressive treatment.
What I think is disgraceful is the way the medical profession pushed HRT for so long. Women would still be taking it, all unknowing, if it hadn't been for that study.

[kay Dennison]

I am grateful for my annual mammogram. My mother's breast cancer was caught early and she beat it!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

[Anne Gibert]

Thanks for a thoughtful post on both the health care bill(s) and the debate about new guide lines for mammograms and pap smears. There are rational arguments on all sides of these issues. Except, of course, for the old men in the house and senate who still want to legislate about what women should do with their bodies.

[joared]

One of my primary concerns for whatever happens in health care, including should the current state continue, is that what I call a "cookbook" or "one size fits all" approach will NOT prevail. The statistics on tests, medications must not be absolutes that apply to all. There must be a method allowing for exceptional instances. I definitely want to consider statistics in any medical care I receive, but they are a factor of varying weight depending on the medical issue, or anything else for that matter. Just as with most medications there are generally a certain percentage of people for whom "what works for everybody else" may not be appropriate for them. There must be a timely avenue for such people to obtain that "different" care, or to not take a certain test at all, or instead have another one.

[Hattie]

I can't believe the latest amendment to cut back on home care for the elderly. This is bad news. I know doctors have been milking Medicare, but home nursing care is one of the best uses of Medicare funds and should not be cut.

[naomi]

Hattie: Yes, we are hostage to some many influences. A healthcare system that shifted focus to both prevention and more patient education make a big difference.

Kay: Wonderful that your mother, like Hattie's daughter, had such a positive outcome.

Anne: Exactly! We still need to push harder for intelligent women representing us in Congress. I'm not gender-neutral on this one!

Joared: You spell out what has been lurking in my thoughts for some time now. I'd like to read/hear more of your kind of thoughtful analysis of what-might-be.