Public Health Care

To the best of my recollection, it was 1971. We were a newlywed couple stationed at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. I was there for training. My new bride was experiencing severely painful abdominal cramps. I sent her to the post infirmary to get checked out. They told her to take off all her clothes, put on this flimsy paper gown, and go to the public waiting area. Upon her arrival at the waiting room, she discovered a room crammed full of people, all attired in flimsy paper gowns. This is what happens when there are not enough doctors and the medical care is free. She, being somewhat timid, said "No, thank you," and went home to suffer alone.

The painful attacks continued on a monthly basis. We moved on for duty at Ft. Hood, Texas. I sent her to the post hospital. Again, too many patients and not enough doctors. There was a screening process in which a very young (Shall we say inexperienced?)Private First Class or Specialist Fourth Class would take your temperature and blood pressure. If he deemed you were sick enough to see someone else, you could move up the ladder. In my wife's case, he determined that it was simply "her time of the month" and sent her home with some aspirin. I forget exactly how many times this happened. I do remember the last time was like 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning with her almost delirious with pain, with the same result, never getting to see a doctor.

It was at this point that I told her to go see a civilian doctor. He discovered that she would need immediate major surgery. We are living happily ever after, but this experience with public health care still scares us to this day. What would have happened in her case if we did not have other options to turn to? What if we could not have afforded anything except the public health option? While not exactly grammatically correct, there is an old saying: Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.