In 1991, at the age of 34, I had a spinal fusion of the L5-S1. The procedure turned into what is called “failed back surgery” or “chronic pain”. Our journey through the health care system starts here. At the time of diagnosis, I hardly ever needed the healthcare system with the exception of yearly physical & occasional respirtory infection. After the surgery, I unfortunately started down a path to find out why I lived in constant pain “surely something must be wrong”. It turned out that my physician declared my fusion “successful”, but couldn’t explain the continued pain. Our out-of-pocket costs were approximately $200. a yr. based on co-pays minus medication costs. The yr. 2001, our costs really jumped up. $6,000. per yr & up were normal; the last 4 yrs. a total of $12,000. plus each yr. I see a Pain Dr. once a month for medication management & ocassional cortizone injection, epidural injection or other minimally invasive procedures to deal with pain & inflammation. The GOOD NEWS………we haven’t lost our house yet. The BAD NEWS……..many others have due to rising out-of-pocket heathcare costs. My husband’s Co. has had to adjust their Healthcare Policy buying because they have been experiencing a 13 – 20% or more increases just to keep employees insured. My out-of-pocket cost for medications is $6,000. per yr. I still only see my Family Dr. for a yr. physical. Does anybody out there think we can keep going on this way? Frankly, I don’t care what they call it “social medicine” which it is not or ??, but the AMERICAN PEOPLE CANNOT GO ON THIS WAY. Anyone who reads this posting please don’t kid yourself……….you are one major illness away from loosing everything if we don’t do something very soon. The problem is no longer millions of people without insurance…….the added problem is the out-of-pocket rise in costs for people who do have insurance. I never, ever planned on applying for SS Disability, but after 2003 had no choice. My Dr. said my condition could not be stabilized because of another rare problem that arose from that “Failed Back Surgery”. Up until that time, I believed when we found the real cause of my spinal pain, I could get it repaired and go back to work. I always loved my work. The hardest thing for me is not working. Unfortunately the way SS Disability is set up, I would loose my medicare (desperately need to help costs) if I could go back to work. In the time from my Dr.’s statement, there has been a remarkable procedure called RFA which has given me hope for a future; it works for me. This voting season…….I’m sorry but I have to VOTE for the guy who promises to do something with this mess. Unfortunately the guys in Washington (who have been there a while), unless they know of someone personally who isn’t the CEO of a Major Corp. who has gotten sick, they don’t have a real clue to what is going on in the heartland. It’s sad…but when I see J. McCains ad’s, he really doesn’t get it. I believe that our Foreign Policy is important, but in the meantime, there won’t be anyone to fight for until they realize we are drowning out here. I saw the Mortgage meltdown coming back in 2000 when they decided to give out NO DOC. LOANS, 125% loans and anyone who could “walk” into the Bank loans. Somebody got rich, some people got hurt, some people got hurt because they were stupid. This problem is way bigger than 1 in approx. 464 homes in foreclosure & getting worse. People, please wake-up your Washington People or else you’ll find yourself in our mess one day. Everybody in someone’s family gets sick one day………the odds are with you on this one. We have exhausted our savings, my inheritance and we are now selling our investments……….the things we did for our retirement when we were age 22. We did everything right & yet we’re ready to loose it.