Motivation Monday
Thanks to Jan Hasak for standing in the gap today with her inspirational contribution to Motivation Monday.
As a patient-advocate for the Lymphedema Advocacy Group, I grabbed the rare opportunity to go to Washington, DC on Nov. 2-4, 2011 to lobby for a bill that would help older Americans with lymphedema get better insurance coverage. Anyone who has had lymph nodes removed or radiated (most cancer patients) is at risk of developing this chronic condition in which a limb, the face or the trunk is swollen.
What an experience! In just three short days we trod the hallowed halls of the House of Representatives and the Senate marveling at the rich history as much as the architecture of the buildings. Twenty-four of us, grouped into seven teams, met with various legislative aides who had never heard the word lymphedema.
But every one of them knew someone who had had cancer.
On Thursday night of that week, a star-studded staff briefing drew in a large crowd of aides from both the House and Senate. Renowned doctors lectured on various aspects of the condition, while patient-advocates moved the audience to tears with their stories of hardship and loss. We trust that legislators will be compelled by these and other appeals to co-sponsor legislation to make compression garments affordable to seniors.
All the staffers with whom I met loved my fashion LympheDIVA onyx sleeve adorned with a bejeweled pink ribbon. One aide representing the San Francisco Bay Area commented that she didn’t even notice I was wearing an arm garment. I found that remark curious because the sleeve was as black as coal and my other arm as white as a sun-bleached sand dollar. It made me realize that most people concentrate on their own issues and don’t go looking for abnormalities in other people. We who sport more obvious disabilities become needlessly self-conscious.
I wish everyone with cancer or lymphedema could experience this grassroots effort to lobby a legislative body. It all started with a young mother in North Carolina who was denied insurance coverage for her four-year-old son’s compression garments to control leg swelling. Singlehandedly, she became the catalyst for a law enacted in North Carolina to require private insurance companies to cover compression garments. The natural follow-up was to seek the introduction of a similar bill for Medicare at the federal level. Now that the legislation is pending in the U.S., we owe ourselves a satisfactory resolution to this preventable problem. What a dynamic role model this mother is for those who want to reduce undue suffering in our world!
On this Motivation Monday, think about how you can make a difference in your sphere of influence. You will be surprised at the results. People do listen.
Author, “Mourning Has Broken: Reflections on Surviving Cancer” and “The Pebble Path: Returning Home from a Forest of Shadows”
Well done to you Jan – you are an inspiration. Keep up the great work you are doing.
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Jan’s story reminds me of the quote by Margaret Mead, which I know Marie is very fond of too:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
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I love that Margaret Mead quote too and believe very much in the truth of it.
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It truly is amazing, the power of one. I am reminded of another wonderful quote.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” -Mahatma Gandhi
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These are wonderful quotes to live by! Thanks for the encouraging comments.
XOXO,
Jan
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Well well done! I was shocked to read about that lady and her son. i dont live in the U.S so dont really understand the system. All your hard work gives us all inspirition.
Mona
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Bravo to you and the young mother. Your efforts remind us all about the power of our voices. We all embody not just the ability to survive and heal, but the strength that comes when we speak as one.
XOXOXO,
Brenda
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Well done, Jan! Great post.
“Think about how you can make a difference in your sphere of influence. You will be surprised at the results. People do listen.” So true! You never know the ripple you can create in the ocean of life with just a few choice words.
I had a chat a few days ago with a guy who volunteers at my local cancer center. The subject of pink came up. I mentioned how different it felt to me this October (being a cancer patient) vs. last October (*not* being a cancer patient). He seemed perplexed. I explained how commercial the pink scene has become (I likened it to Christmas), and how donating money directly to a charity is more beneficial than buying a pink toothbrush. Or purchasing a container of yogurt and then mailing the lid in to the company in order for them to make a donation (and now they’ve just sold a ton of pink yogurt too). A lightbulb went on in his head; he *got* it. He has volunteered at this center for 10 years and never once asked a woman what she thought of all this pink.
I guess my point is that it’s true: It doesn’t take much to make a difference. You just have to recognize an opportunity — and seize it. Just like that young mother in North Carolina did. And just like Jan did in Washington. And just like Marie does every day on this blog!
-Renn
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Thank you Jan, for making sure this underdog of cancer stuff gets the attention it deserves. I have had problems with it as well and live in fear of it recurring along with cancer.
You have made a difference for sure.
xo
Lauren
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Yes, that story is heartbreaking, but the mother is a trooper, if there ever was one. I was blessed to get to know her so well in Washington, DC. Thanks for all your comments.
XOXO,
Jan
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Love this posting Jan! Good for you for leading the path toward advocacy. The story of that young mother was touching and heartbreaking. Good for her for lighting the way!
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