My life is at stake.

You haven’t seen me on social media much lately. This is because the first battle to keep the Affordable Care Act in place – 5 weeks ago – did me in. I haven’t been the same since. My mental health has dipped to depths I never knew existed. I can’t eat. I’ve lost 10 pounds (have you seen how thin I already was????).  I can’t focus on faces, voices, places, things. And I’m in such awful, awful pain. I thought I was broken before – it’s worse now.

I didn’t know it could get worse.

I’m scared for myself; not for what I might do, but for what my body continues to lose. I’m functioning on the surface, but then again, charades was something I always won. My life feels more foreign each day.

You would have thought I breathed a sigh of relief and celebrated when Speaker Ryan pulled the American Health Care Act in March, not having enough votes.

No. I did not exhale. Or celebrate.

I tried.

I couldn’t.

I am fighting for my life here, so…“winning” that first battle? It just felt like I had succeeding in not dying.  All I could do was wonder when the next healthcare replacement bill would be introduced. How long would I have to recover? Would I recover?

It felt more like I had just plugged a hole in an eroded dam with my finger and opened an umbrella. No life-jacket.

I am TIRED. I am TIRED. I am TIRED. I am TIRED.

Do you hear me? Do you hear us? CAN you hear us? Crying? Trying? Why-ing?

We’re TIRED. We can’t do this anymore. Please make it stop.

My life is worth more than Congress voting ‘yea’ on a “healthcare” bill that is fiscally irresponsible, unethical and immoral, dangerous, unaffordable, and thoroughly unresearched. You think I’m joking? Exaggerating? Don’t take my words lightly. My life is worth more than this.

Don’t let them do this to me and millions like me (yes, millions!!!!). Call your representatives and tell them to vote NO on the American Health Care Act. NOW. Tell your friends they have lives to save with a simple thirty-second phone call.

Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Good, comprehensive, sensible, fiscally sustainable, ethical, affordable healthcare is worth fighting for. The AHCA isn’t any of those things.