THREAD:
1) I have experienced first-hand how broken our #healthcare system is. That is one of the reasons why I am running for Congress. This is (part of) my story. More details are available at http://www.washburnforwisconsinsixth.com .

2) For 6 years, I complained of fatigue, bordering on exhaustion. The doctors refused to run any tests. I was told it was stress-related, and that I should learn to manage my stress, or get a different job (I'm an attorney).

3) In Dec 2016, I was diagnosed w/MGUS (a form of low-stage bone marrow #cancer which doesn't require treatment, just monitoring). All of my symptoms were then chalked up to that - they looked no further.

4) In March 2018, I had a 30-pound benign tumor removed from my left thigh. In April 2018, I noticed a painful swelling of my clitoris, but when I told one of the wound care nurses, it was blown off as "likely somehow related to the surgery, it'll pass."

5) It didn't pass. It got worse. By the time I got in to the OBGYN in June 2018, it was excruciating. She took one look at it, and recognized it as #cancer. She took a biopsy.

6) Three days later, I was in the oncologist's office, being told I had Stage 4 metastatic endometrial #adenocarcinoma - uterine cancer that had spread. Turned out, I had 3 tumors, on my uterus/clitoris/cervix.

7) I won’t apologize for making anyone uncomfortable by talking about tumors on my uterus/clitoris/cervix. I aim to make a change. Change IS uncomfortable. I had 7 mos of #chemotherapy, including 6 blood transfusions, loss of eyelashes, eyebrows, and my hair.

8) The chemo got rid of 1 tumor, and vastly reduced the other 2. Then I had surgery, then 7 more weeks of "security blanket" chemo to make sure it couldn’t come back. At this time, I am 100% cancer-free, but still recovering from the side effects of chemo.

9) Now, I didn’t get to #StageFour overnight, but that was my initial diagnosis when it was first recognized that I actually had cancer. For 6 yrs, my ONLY symptom was fatigue, but I knew something was wrong.

10) All of my doctors – all female, by the way – refused to run tests, for fear of being ranked lower by the insurance company. But I’m not upset with any one particular doctor; I’m upset with the system.

11) Too many people with serious diseases, like cancer, fall through the cracks, because the insurance companies don’t want to have to pay to test and treat them.

12) The cracks in the system are expanding, and we cannot let that continue. I wouldn’t have survived w/o the ACA, but the ACA was just a good first step; it didn’t go far enough. Too many people still lack coverage, and thus lack care. I'm lucky – I’m cured.

13) Too many c/n afford treatment, or simply c/n get a diagnosis in time. They don’t go to the doctor about “minor concerns,” like fatigue. When minor concerns turn out to be major problems, like #cancer or #diabetes, they end up in the ER, & they get financially wiped out.

14) Or, they declare bankruptcy, and ruin their credit, and the taxpayers end up footing the bill after the hospital writes off the loss. I’m glad that the government at least gives us the option of bankruptcy with medical bills, but frankly, sick people shouldn’t need it.

15) At the very least, basic preventive care should be covered for everyone. We are the only first-world country that doesn’t have even that. Why don’t we have universal healthcare?

16) Well, insurance companies and the medical lobby and “big pharma” all contribute to the problem. And politicians in their pocket tell us that “socialized medicine” is evil.

17) Well, I say that evil is letting people with minor problems get worse. I say that evil is causing people who develop major problems to go broke. I say that evil is letting people die. I want to be part of the solution, not the problem. So I won’t take their money.

18) My campaign won’t accept donations from the medical, pharmaceutical, or insurance lobbies. I will gladly take donations, advice, & suggestions from individual medical professionals who agree that the system is broken, & I have spoken with many who do.

19) I think the more people on the Hill who are impervious to the lobbying efforts of the pharmaceutical, insurance, and medical industries, because we've LIVED THE PROBLEMS, the better.

20) We can fix it, and we should fix it; in fact, we MUST fix it. Send me to Congress, and I will do my best to help fix it.

21) I was found 100% cancer-free on 9/3. On 12/3, I had the final follow-up to the oncologist who saved my life. Please, help me flip Wisconsin’s 6th Dist., so I can help to fix our broken healthcare system. Thanks! https://secure.actblue.com/donate/washburnforwis6th