Hear My Story: I Survived Cancer, Only to Be Denied Insurance

 Health care reform is a women's issue. Why? Because well-being and caregiving are so closely linked.

Like it or not, much of the burden of caregiving falls on the shoulders of women. We might have legal responsibility for an aged parent or a mentally or physically disabled sibling. We might be parents ourselves. Whether a single woman or partnered, we are there for our women friends and community members to support, encourage, comfort, celebrate, and rabble rouse together...keeping each other sane.

With Hear My Story, MOMocrats launches a series that highlights the personal stories of women who support health insurance reform because they know the existing system is broken. And they've fallen through the cracks--or come close--and survived to tell about it. It's direct, concrete experience, painful and difficult--filled with the kind of worries that make your nights sleepless and long. Maybe you can relate.

Here's the story of Jennic Law, a small business owner at KangaRooBoo.com who started a children's toy company specializing in non-toxic, educational toys and games.

I voted for President Obama. I am hopeful that he WILL provide those of us with “pre-existing conditions” an affordable way to obtain health care coverage. Yes, he will. His mother was discriminated against due to her own medical conditions – he would be one to understand even if no one else does.

    I am a cancer survivor. I am currently living in a health care nightmare and have been for almost 2 years. I have no health coverage. I am a married 32 years old small business owner with 2 children under 6 years old living in the midwest.

MOMocrats Meet Valerie Jarrett at BlogHer

At the BlogHer '09 conference, five MOMocrats writers were among a group of women bloggers who met with White House Adviser and Public Liason Valerie Jarrett to talk about health insurance reform. Representing MOMocrats.com were BlogHer Political Director and MOMocrats contributor Erin Kotecki Vest, MOMocrats Founding Editor Stefania Pomponi Butler, PunditMom creator, Huffington Post contributor, and MOMocrats writer Joanne Bamberger, MOMocrats writer Sheila Bernus Dowd, and MOMocrats writer Jaelithe Judy.

Also in attendance were:

• BlogHer Community Manager Denise Tanton and BlogHer co-founder Lisa Stone
• Jenny Prokopi, the founder of an online community for women living with chronic health conditions, ChronicBabe.com
• Kerri Morrone Sparling, author of Six Until Me, a blog about living with diabetes.
• Loolwa Khazoom, journalist and founder of the Dancing with Pain chronic pain management website.
• Kim McAllister, who writes about her life as a nurse at Emergiblog.
• Liz Henry, tech blogger, momblogger, disability rights advocate and BlogHer contributor.
• Kelly Wickham, a public school administrator, writer of the blog Mocha Momma, and BlogHer Content Editor.
• Daphra Holder, Manager of Mobilization Marketing for the charitable organization Donors Choose. 
• Katie, who has written about her experiences as a brain surgery patient at Overflowing Brain.
• Casey Mullins from Moosh in Indy, who has written about her struggles with depression, endometriosis and infertility.
• Loralee from Loralee's Looney Tunes, who has written about her experience being denied insurance coverage for a high risk pregnancy.

Here is the official BlogHer liveblog of the Valerie Jarrett meeting, written by Denise Tanton as the meeting happened.

The Legacy of McCain-Palin: Hate

The postmortem has begun as the GOP regroups and the new President-Elect gets to work. As we move forward, I can't help but remain upset at what the 'honorable' POW and his mavericky running mate wrought upon this country.

Hate.

And not the kind of hate we bloggers spew from time to time when venting, and not the kind of hate you may feel for higher taxes or broccoli.

No, these two 'honorable' mavericks ended their campaign by rallying the fringe portion of their party that lives on death, destruction, and imposing their way on the world at all cost. Force. War.

We learn today that the US Secret Service, the agency in charge of protecting our President-elect and his family, dealt with an increase in death threats against Barack Obama coinciding with Sarah Palin's 'attacks' on his patriotism.

The DNC: My Favorite Photos, Favorite Memories

Ten MOMocrats spent the last week at the DNC, attending events, meeting politicians and celebrities, writing, videoing, twittering, and watching.  We experienced the highest highs and some of the lowest lows.  We were conflicted when the duties of motherhood called, when a little one tumbled down the stairs, several others started school, and all of our kids missed our hugs and our presence and we missed them.  We had to check our emotions many times, and other times let them flow.

We were a part of history, bearing witness to the fruit of Dr. King's dream so long ago, when some of us were children, and others weren't even born yet.  Barack Obama may not have been our first choice, but we rallied around him, our party, and our nation.  He likes to say that his "is an impossible story" and so, too, is the story of the MOMocrats.

I can't say what my favorite moment was.  There are too many.  I can't describe it adequately in words; words fail me.  All I know is that I was surrounded by a group of women I adore more every second, and cannot imagine the experience without any one of them.  I wished that the other MOMocrats--Stefania, Jen, Joanne, Jenn, and Christine--who planned to come but couldn't make, had been there.  We carried their strength and humor with us, and tried hard to do them proud.

These are some of my favorite people and moments of the Convention. I wish you could have been there.

Illinois Secretary of Veteran's Affairs, Iraq War heroine, and triple amputee, Tammy Duckworth at the Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus.  The Caucus featured a panel moderated by Yul Kwon, Survivor Cook Islands Winner, and in true API fashion, singing.  It was wonderful to see so many APIs, from so many different cultures and circumstances, all in one place.  Growing up in Ohio, we were the only Asian family in our town for many years.  It was wonderful to see so many successful Asian-Americans together with a common goal.

Politics in Your Face!

Looking for some time to chat with the MOMocrats but can't wait until our next BlogTalk radio podcast?

No problem!

Several MOMocrats are participating in ooVoo's Political Week, as are a variety of other political bloggers you'll probably like!  There's even a cool video of PunditMom AND Queen of Spain together!

Given all the political news there is to talk about this week, don't miss out on this opportunity to chat with MOMocrats Joanne (PunditMom), Glennia (The Silent I) and Stefania (CityMama), as well as Erin (Queen of Spain)

Chek out ooVoo's site for dates and times -- the MOMocrats online video session is Monday, August 4 ay 9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific!

Go ahead -- you KNOW you want to!!

A Lesson On What IS News, and What is NOT

“But it’s NOT NEWS…”

I remember it so clearly.

I was nearly screaming it at the top of my lungs.

I fought with my news director from 4am to 5am begging her to change our lead story to no avail.

She was leading with “Tabloid Talk Heats Up Over Alleged Clinton Affair” and I was cringing as I had to read the words.

I couldn’t believe our 24-hour news station was leading with a sex scandal alleged in a tabloid. I was disgusted. Baffled. Humiliated.

It took about 24-48 hours before it was all anyone was talking about and the name Monica Lewinsky leapt from the likes of the Washington Post and the New York Times.

It didn’t matter if I thought it was news. It didn’t matter if a mother in Orlando had been murdered that morning or if police had once again swept homeless off the streets of downtown…all that mattered was it was “sexy” and “sexy sells.”