The past few days have been really exhausting, thrilling, draining, and exhilerating, and I've finally found a little time and energy to write my overdue thanks to those who supported and encouraged our "Brain Tumor Bake Sale" last Friday in front of Sen. Kay Hagan's office in downtown Raleigh.
Thanks also to SaraR (Rain) and those who completely blew me away with this incredible quilt being made for me as well as exmearden, who is bravely facing cancer in the way only exmearden could. I thought I couldn't cry more, but I was wrong! Y'all are amazing!
Chun Yang wrote a terrific photo-filled diary on Saturday. I had to work a lot this weekend and couldn't be here for the diary event in person, but Chun Yang did a great job of capturing the day and the spirit of everyone who came, passed by, contributed, listened, talked, filmed, asked, signed up, noshed, honked, and nagged at Sen. Hagan's staff.
Here was the idea that came straight out of comments to a diary here on DailyKos: We offered free Moon Pies tagged with this note: "We're not asking for the moon, just quality, affordable health care that's accessible to everyone. Call your Congress member and make your voice heard. Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121."
It was that simple. And that fun. And that successful.
I love that this idea came from comments in a diary here at DailyKos, and we just ran with it. We used many Kossacks' comments in our signs and our talks with people and with Sen. Hagan's office staff. So a shout-out to henry porter and everyone else who had suggestions, ideas, and advice. Several Kossacks from the area came to the event (some even drove quite a distance to be there!). Even if you weren't there in person, you were there with us in spirit. Believe me.
The Raleigh News & Observer offered what I thought was a very dignified story linking my situation to the larger problem of under-insured and uninsured people in the U.S. What we learned from the responses to that story is that there are way too many North Carolinians and other people in the U.S. who are experiencing heartbreaking struggles to get and pay for medical treatment. I cannot tell you the number of phone calls and emails the N&O has referred to me or just let me know about in response to that story. I've talked with so many others who are in the same boat I am, or people whose boats are leaking a helluva lot worse than mine is.
This Sunday, Oct. 11, we're hosting a "Just a Spoonful of Sugar: Make Health-care Access Palatable for ALL!" phone bank at the Organizing for America office in downtown Raleigh to move forward on our health-care reform efforts.
Will you join us? If you can't be here in person, consider virtual phone banking. Sign up for the event and just let us know you'll be calling in from home.
Thanks to every person (and you know who you are!) who's kept me going through these past few weeks. It's been rough, I won't deny it, but being part of this community showed me how we handle rough around here: We cry for a bit and then we get straight to work.