Keeping Connected

I live in one of the few counties in California that has a medical program for the uninsured. One of the benefits I receive is physical therapy for my chronic back condition, a condition that prevents me from working, as well as causes me considerable pain.

An added benefit of being able to see my doctor for a checkup, which I previously neglected as I was unable to afford the office call, is that I now have a more holistic view of my health, and can manage my disability more effectively. It sounds common sense, but what do people do where no help is available?

Leaving the Marin General Hospital outpatient physical therapy unit the other day, I thought about how good it feels to be doing normal things, like going to the doctor or therapist for treatment, and recalled how excluded I felt before these services were provided. As more people become unemployed and dislocated, social inclusion programs, like county medical services, help keep them connected. Without them, we are no longer a society.