Acintya Shenoy, Week #6: We're Shooting Ourselves in the Foot
Because I’ve been complaining about it to literally every single person I’ve come across, I’m going to complain about it in today's blog post, too.
I ended up spraining my foot while sparring at taekwondo—classic rookie mistake. Shame on me.
Throughout the next day, as I went back and forth between the doctor’s office and X-ray imaging centers and pharmacies, I felt rightful and justified in the incessant whining I tortured my parents’ ears with for hours.
At one point, my father probably (and reasonably) got pissed off at me and my pitiful lack of ability to shut my mouth, and let me in on a little secret:
“You know, the only reason why we’re going through appointments so fast is because you’re a minor. For me and your mom, when we have to do these things, we wait for weeks. That’s why America’s healthcare system is broken.”
That shut me up, alright.
Later, as I was waiting in the lobby of NorCal Imaging, I watched an employee approach an old woman—she was gripping onto the armchair handle with one hand and a cane with the other, and by the look on her face, I could tell that she’d been waiting for a very, very long time. And what did the employee tell her?
“Come back in three to fourteen business days, and we’ll get you your results.”
My father’s words started replaying in my head. Fourteen business days? Maybe this was a fact of life that everyone was aware of except for me apparently, but it still shook me to my core. Even as I continued back to the doctor’s office and then a pharmacy to buy crutches and then Chipotle, it was all I could think about.
It’s laughably ironic: the United States claims itself as the “greatest country in the world.” The “richest,” if you will. We are the home of the richest cities and the richest people—in fact, we’re the birthplace of modern capitalism. In 2025, we have spent a whopping $2.32 trillion on defense alone (USAspending). So far. But when it comes to the welfare of our citizens, and a basic human necessity, so essential it can’t even be called a right, our hands are suddenly tied.
Looking back, I’m grateful I was able to get the treatment I needed in just one day. I have many blessings: a supportive family, a comfortable tax bracket, a nice house, and access to healthcare. There are millions of people in the United States, the greatest, richest country in the world, the leader of the free world, who cannot say the same.
In the words of Thomas Paine:
“When it can be said by any country in the world, my poor are happy, neither ignorance nor distress is to be found among them…then may that country boast its constitution and government” (Goodreads).
The failures of the American healthcare system are a subject of contempt for millions of its citizens. (PNHP)
Acintya, this blog post was very well written and extremely insightful. I really loved your hook because it provided some levity before bringing up a very heavy subject. I found it very humorous to hear about you feeling “justified” while whining to your parents; I do this all the time as well. That tie to the healthcare system with your dad explaining to you that your situation, while annoying, is the best one can get came as a shocker to me too. I did not know that minors were treated quicker and were able to get appointments faster than everyone else. It is crazy to think that people are forced to sit in pain or with an injury for weeks on end before getting any help. It is really scary to think about how many of those situations have led to irreversible issues that could have been prevented if they had received treatment sooner. The line “our hands are suddenly tied” made me stop for a second before moving on. It is a great analogy because it is almost representative of healthcare workers wanting to help but being restrained by the government. The quote at the end really tied everything together and I loved learning more about our country’s healthcare system and your views on it.
ReplyDeleteHi Acintya, I love reading your posts! The way you flow from your story into the topic of the American healthcare system was so smooth. I enjoyed the mixture of both personal stories, such as the old lady needing to wait for fourteen business days for her results, and the statistics of where America’s money is going. I found it interesting how minors are the exception to the extremely long wait times when it comes to the healthcare system. Why do you think that is? Anyways, I’m glad you were able to make it through the long hours of tests and doctors visits and I hope your foot is feeling much better.
ReplyDeleteAcintya, my eyes were bulging out of my skull seeing that story you posted about your sprained ankle. I was devastated you’d be stepping out of field show and whatnot, as I always thought you were like, the best color guard captain out of them all; we basically depend on your expertise and hard-working contribution to the show especially in this latter half of the season. The classic rookie mistake you describe…ahh I definitely would have been whining about such a misstep as well. I wouldn’t be able to shut my trap either, for sure. Yet that brutally real line your father delivered to you was again, another eye-opening thing for me to read as well. I never realized how truly broken our healthcare system was.
ReplyDeleteI’ve always recognized the fact that America’s healthcare system is quite corrupt and lots of medical malpractice flies under the radar, and the fact that women’s birthgiving positions in hospitals isn’t actually ideal for the mother, and all sorts of other disappointing facts. But this story about that senior lady that you presented really nailed in another reality of this system for me—how most people can’t even access the crucial treatment they require. Besides dishing out wallet-obliterating costs, our healthcare cannot even provide timely care, which is a factor that the patient can’t even control. The insane barriers the average American faces in simply obtaining health CARE is just shocking. Anyone is prone to injuries, and this is all the more probable later in life. If I grow old, I may just be pushed into the coffin by this system myself. I too, am a fortunate child who has nice insurance and access to healthcare, and honestly, realizing this, I’m afraid to continue living in a country so neglectful of the lives of its worker ants.