If I ever think things are bad here in the U.S.

[SDianneB]

I'll try and remember the people affected by the tsunami. This is difficult for me to wrap my mind around -- so many people killed, and still counting. So very tragic.

Now, think of what we would experience if something like this happened here in the U.S. Yes, there would be some chaos, but people would have access to the best health care possible, in droves, and would be transported wherever they needed to be. A good portion of those severely injured would survive because of our abilities in that regard.

The next time one of us decides to take off for parts unknown and we leave the sanctuary of the U.S., remember this. Remember that once we leave our borders, our medical care and health concerns move way down on the totem pole. In some of the areas hardest hit by the tsunami, on a good day, they have little or no access to the most basic health care that we take for granted.

Not only am I grateful to be alive, I'm grateful to have been born an American. It's something I take pride in daily.

I grieve for the people suffering now, and hope that all the dollars and supplies everyone is fussing about offer them some comfort and much needed assistance.

May God hold them close.

Di

[Frank Lamb]

Di,

Thank you for acknowledging just some of the many good things about our country that lots of men & women have paid a great price to offer us.

The freedom we enjoy really is acquired at a cost.But as often times as we tend to take for granted those freedoms it really is a pleasure to be able to have soooo many things available to us.

Every day some of our sons & daughters are paying the ultimate price,or recieving wounds and injuries that they will live with and suffer with their entire lifetimes so that we can exercise these rights and freedoms we have available & all too often take for granted.

[cindi o'h]

I haven't been watching the news at all for weeks. I get the read updates of the devastation in the written news from the computer.

It is horrifying.

Yes, Di. In every way, I am a blessed woman. The more I am reminded of others losses, the more I know what a gifted life I have had. And have.

And thank you, Frank, for your service in the military in the defense of our great country. So much to be grateful for.

Cindi o'h

[Remembering Dave]

Five months before Dave was diagnosed with lung cancer we got on a plane and flew for 18 hours to China. Before we left we purchased emergency health insurance which would have included transporting us back to the U.S. if one of us got sick/injured. We put alot of thought into that and believe me, we heard alot about it from others who have gone before us. I even packed some leftover needles and syringes from my infertility treatment because we have heard over and over how they reuse needles in China. Thank God we didn't need any of it, but Dave was so so sick as soon as we got back, and now we know WHY (SCLC). Suppose he got that sick while we were there? We would have needed all of our preplanned resources and more.

Trust me, if you've been to Asia at all you can just imagine what it's like over there dealing with this huge disaster. Hong Kong (home of our beloved Berisa) and Japan probably have state of the art healthcare systems, but mainland China certainly does not and I'm guessing most of the rest of Asia doesn't, either.

Trust me, we are so blessed here. Lucky. Our healthcare, while not perfect (but what is perfect?) is unbelievable compared to the rest of the world.

Karen c.

[Remembering Dave]

p.s. and we got a little peek at healthcare in China, too. We had to take the babies to a clinic for checkups before they got their visas to enter the U.S. now, this was a clinic in a fairly modern/western city (Guangzhou) and a main part of this clinic's business was doing adoption checkups on babies, so they probably were about as top notch as they could be, but I felt like I was in an isolated country clinic circa 1940's America.

Karen

[SandyS]

Prayers to all suffering the wrath of the Tsunami - and "amen" to being an American!

SandyS

[Don Wood]

I was just thinking that tsunami certainly puts things in perspective, even dealing with lung cancer. Don

[SDianneB]

Don, it does for sure.

Somberly yours,

Di