Amanda Selich: The Affordable Care Act Has Given Me My Life
\nBack<\/p>\n
My story started in the weeks leading up to my 19th<\/sup> birthday. During During those two years my health had rapidly deteriorated, I couldn\u2019t go to school, I The Affordable Care Act gave me that privilege. It felt like a miracle. It was my I am 24 now and today I am happy to say that my endometriosis is almost Click here to read Amanda Selich’s story<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Amanda Selich: The Affordable Care Act Has Given Me My Life Back My story started in the weeks leading up to my 19th birthday. During that time I was undergoing several doctors\u2019 visits and tests to uncover the cause of … Continue reading
\nthat time I was undergoing several doctors\u2019 visits and tests to uncover the
\ncause of my sudden and extreme abdominal pain. It was a slow process but I was
\nassured that progress was being made towards reaching a diagnosis.
\nUnfortunately, for me time shortly ran out and after I turned 19 I was
\nimmediately kicked off my dad\u2019s insurance policy. My 19th<\/sup> birthday
\nwas here but what I thought would be a memorable and amazing day actually
\nmarked the beginning of a two year journey full of pain, despair, and
\nhopelessness. I was 19 had no insurance and was in desperate need of a doctor.
\nNot being able to afford hospital bills I was left to my own devices. I started
\nself-medicating, and now I was using the internet as my doctor. Taking any information
\nI could find and prescribing myself the herbs, vitamins, and over the counter
\npain relievers that I thought would work. It was a dangerous game of hit or
\nmiss and I took that risk without ever knowing what I was attempting to treat.<\/p>\n
\nwas missing work, and slowly I became a prisoner to my home and of my body. It wouldn\u2019t be until I was 22 that I would be able to step into a hospital again.<\/p>\n
\ndream come true. And this time it didn\u2019t take long for the doctors to come back
\nand tell me the heartbreaking news that I had endometriosis. After enduring my
\nfirst surgery my doctors again delivered upsetting news, they told me it\u2019s everywhere,
\nmy entire pelvic region was covered with adhesions and cysts they also made it
\nvery clear that the possibility of me ever having the chance to become a mother
\nwas extremely unlikely.\u00a0 It was my
\ndevastating reality that if only I was under doctor\u2019s care for those 2 years my
\nendometriosis would have never evolved to this extent.<\/p>\n
\ncompletely symptom free but as the days pass on my overwhelming desire to start
\na family grows stronger. Ironically my path to motherhood will depend almost
\nentirely on birth control. Currently this is the only treatment available to me
\nthat stops my disease progression and preserves my fertility simultaneously. It\u2019s
\na great relief that this August I will no longer have the stress on my
\nshoulders of trying to afford this medicine and still be able to pay for necessities
\nevery month. Thank you Leader Pelosi and everyone who made the Affordable Care Act
\npossible. It truly has given me my life back.<\/strong><\/p>\n