This past year I turned the big 4-0. Forty years…my gosh, it goes by fast. But if you think about it, for a handful of years it’s all about developing, playing, and watching TV. Then, you go to school. 

Have you ever found yourself in a group of new friends and pushed yourself a little (or a lot) because you didn’t want to bring up your diagnosis?  Have you ever felt anxious about going to your cardiology appointment and thought “I could put this off for another few months?” You are not alone. 

In June 2017, a midterm election had just occurred with the issue of pre-existing conditions and healthcare as one of the hot-button issues. Pre-existing conditions, in this context, are defined as a medical condition that a person already had before their healthcare benefits went into effect. In general, the Affordable Care Act, implemented in 2014, included that pre-existing conditions must be protected by insurance and insurance companies cannot charge a person more for having a pre-existing condition. The current debate concerns the extent to which the expenses resulting from these conditions should be covered under insurance.

The ball has dropped, and we rang in the New Year. Ready or not, 2019 is here.

Keith has never been terribly outgoing. He’s taller than other kids and wears thick glasses. He does not like the glasses. They’ve always bothered him, but now, as he gets a little older and he gets more questions about them from kids his age, he really wishes he could just wear contacts.