[Laurel]

I fully appreciate everyone's right to vote for whom they felt was best for the office of President. I am also afraid that to deny this is politically motivated is naive. Sadly, this was what many feared would be ushered in via an overwhelming majority in both houses of Congress. There is an indisputable rush to institute a system that the majority of Americans have grave reservations about. What is wrong with slowing down and debating the issue, thoughtfully and honestly? Whatever one's political bent, as women and cancer survivors we do need to be concerned, and vocal.

If this is not "Obamacare," as it has been dubbed in the media, than whose program exactly is it? I am not being abrasive here. I really want to know who is behind this rush to shackle us with a socialized healthcare system? Is it a better system? With the new guidelines for screenings I can only conclude it is not. Regardless, the danger in all of this is the loss of all that we have striven for these many years to raise awareness and survivability of breast cancer. To see these gains tossed to the four winds by extreme and radical agendas frightens and horrifies me.

The truth is we are all, as cancer patients, in a very vulnerable position. We are the ones with a pre-existing condition that is very expensive to manage. Clearly these newest recommendations demonstrate that we are expendable.

Additionally, most of us are women. Historically, women have received less health care, brushed aside as hysterics and not taken seriously. Because our symptoms did not mimic those that men present when having a M.I., women frequently died of their heart attacks. We had to fight and campaign to battle the scourge that is breast cancer. It sickens me to see us go back to the back alleys of health care on the number one cancer among females.

I believe the bells are tolling for thee (us)....