It’s that time of year. When everyone dresses up and goes out to scare the pants off of everyone in order to get a treat. Or a trick. How does one accomplish this? Well, some will go high-tech, yet throwback. Others will go retro.
First the throwback.
Let’s see. How does that work? The high tech throwback, I mean. Wait for it. Earlier this year, Nike announced that the Spartans would be one of nine teams chosen to sport their new “Pro Combat Uniform”. Kinda cool, I guess. The Spartans debuted theirs during the Michigan State vs Michigan game, Sat., Oct. 15, 2011.
As far as collegiate fashion sense goes, the uniforms are very throwback. Lots of bronze, dark green and black. No white. And when I say throwback I mean ancient Greece and Sparta, with a little classical defiance thrown in for good measure.
Beware, boring classical literature reference...
Sewn into the collars of the MSU football team is the Greek phrase “Molon Labe”. Google it and the phrase translates to “come and take them”, supposedly shouted out by King Leonidas of Sparta to the Persians when they demanded Sparta give up their weapons at the battle of Thermopylae.
I recommend renting the movie ‘300'. To say my wife Katy loved those uniforms is an understatement. She kept mumbling something about Gerard Butler parading around half-naked? I make no judgement regarding it’s validity.
Let’s not forget the strong carbon plate Nike has incorporated into the uniform which “symbolically mirrors the Spartan shield”. Ya want symbols? How ‘bout a big, fat white “S” smack in the middle of a green jersey.
For the tragically uninformed, let it be known I have no fashion sense whatsoever (sweats with a good tee or sweatshirt rules the day). I’m certainly no fashionista, but frankly, I like my Spartans decked out in plain ol’ Green and White. I’m just funny that way. (Can you say, “Old fart who doesn’t suffer change well?”) Repeat after me...
Now the retro. Anything you can do...
The fashion report aside, rival Michigan felt the necessity to parade themselves pre-game in their ususal uniforms on Saturday, only to leave and return to the field in a pseudo-retro 1970's all-white travel garb. Frankly, I can’t see too many reasons why I would want to return to the mid-seventies for much of anything, let-alone rehash such fashion faux pas as two-toned men’s platform shoes, feathered-back hair and earth-tones. (Me, not the Wolverines.) Throw in Nixon and it wasn’t our finest hour. Nor mine, fashionably speaking, that is.
All that being said, the Spartan uniforms will supposedly only be worn that one time against Michigan. Even better? Michigan’s loss Saturday was the fourth in a row to the Spartans, leaving Michigan’s graduating seniors with the dubious distinction of not beating the Spartans during their four-year tenure.
Bottom line.
This game wasn’t about new uniforms--or old ones. As Spartan fans and alumni we all know that Michigan doesn’t hold this particular rivalry in the same reverence we do. Ohio State gives them greater pause.
The Wolverines consider the Spartans as one regards a little brother. Someone who needs to be knocked down a peg or two. Why? For no other reason than it’s their job as the older sibling. Guess what? The Spartans are all grown up now. So is this rivalry.
“We are Sparta(ns)!” Deal with it!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Gay Marriage. Straight Marriage. Why Misery Loves Company!
The great State of New York recently passed legislation allowing gay and lesbian couples the same access to mutual misery that straight couples have possessed for quite some time.
That’s right! I am speaking of the opportunity to marry the person you knocked up, were betrothed to in the womb, or got drunk with and proposed to in Vegas (it really doesn’t stay in Vegas, you know that, right?) Or, as in my case, the person I fell head over heels in love with. My little sister set me up fearing I might actually follow through on a vague threat to join the priesthood.
And if that love of your life happens to have the same working parts in their nether regions that you do, all the merrier! Marry 'em. (This offer good only in the states of New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont and D.C. Offer void when contested by bigoted, wealthy Christian denominations with more money than compassion and an energized faithful consisting of homo-phobes and the unenlightened willing to do their dirty work).
But I digress.
Bottom line:
Here’s what the church and the so-called tolerant want of their token gays. Be abstinent. Be silent. And don’t be seen. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll tolerate your presence within the congregation. But most likely not. But we still love you, and don’t let the cathedral door hit you in the ass on your way out. Love ya!
Arguments that gay marriage will single-handedly bring down the institution of marriage and destroy the family are baseless and provocative–and not in a good way. Heterosexuals are doing just fine destroying the estate of marriage, and the family as a whole.
Abusive husbands and absent fathers didn’t materialize over the ages because Elton John is gay. Unfortunately, in many cases the aforementioned are protected by the state and the church. Believe what you want, but children don’t end up in foster care and group homes because a lesbian couple in Connecticut wants to marry.
Opponents to gay marriage argue the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans-gendered) community is somehow deviant and evil and will lead to the downfall of civilization as we know it, or the return of leisure suits as a fashion statement--whichever keeps you up at night. I get night-sweats just thinking of the latter. Armageddon is a myth, polyester ain’t.
I have friends and family within the gay community who are neither deviant or evil. Unless you include the family cat. And as for those people that truly fall into the category of deviant and/or evil? Please, don’t get me started.. That’s a whole ’nother column.
Love is love, people. Whether it’s between two consenting adults of the opposite sex, same sex, or me and a pizza with double cheese, it will not be stopped. That’s what love is. It knows no boundaries and answers only to those it has chosen.
Go ahead, quote me!
There are many who like to cut and paste passages of the Bible to make a point. I’m not a fan.
But we Christians are taught that God has given her* children many gifts and through her Son asks this in return: First, love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Second, love your neighbor as yourself.
If you can’t love your child, friend, or even a passer-by who is gay, then dude, you have some serious self-loathing issues.
You love your child right? Ok, maybe not all the time. But more so, than not. Anyway, would you love your child any less if they came to you and said they were gay or lesbian? You may not approve of their “choice” but isn’t that what unconditional love is?
No one should have to prove that being gay or lesbian isn’t an illness, or a choice. Although, even in today’s so-called enlightenment, many must choose to stay closeted for fear of their safety, loss of a families love (for if there is no love if there can be no acceptance), job loss, the list goes on.
Some argue that gays and lesbians ‘opt in’ to a lifestyle. It’s not a choice and it’s not a lifestyle. The choice is either live a lie, or lie to live. From my vantage point that kinda sucks. Not everyone is brave enough to live their lives openly gay.
Three cheers!
Thank you to Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Maddow, Neil Patrick Harris, Russell T. Davies (Dr. Who fans will know), Anderson Cooper, as well as many others, for putting themselves out there, in the forefront, giving a face to what it is to be gay. Guess what? Looks pretty much like everyone else. So deal with it!
As a people, a nation, we shouldn’t have to legislate equality. Nor should our government be legislating morality. Yet after 230-some years, here we are. All equal under the eyes of law? Many would disagree, and rightfully so. Writing it down and voting on it doesn’t necessarily make it so.
I cannot, and will not quote polls to make my point. Anyone can do that. There are polls all over the internet skewed to any argument, about anything, you want to make. I will not invoke the wrath of God, her so-called faithful have cornered that market.
When I discuss gay marriage, DADT (Don’t Ask Don’t Tell), gays raising children no one else will take (because they talk back and don’t and have that new baby smell) with friends and relatives most of us agree that we’re okay with gay marriage, and gays in the military, and deep-fried Twinkies. I acknowledge others don’t. That’s a shame. For them.
We the Peeps!
The state and federal governments and those parties in power who fail to listen to their constituents apparently didn’t get the memo. We the People can think, and make informed decisions, in the bedroom and outside of it, for ourselves, without regret. Let us.
*Her, him, it, whatever. I think God’s pretty cool with just getting a shout-out in this day and age. - js
That’s right! I am speaking of the opportunity to marry the person you knocked up, were betrothed to in the womb, or got drunk with and proposed to in Vegas (it really doesn’t stay in Vegas, you know that, right?) Or, as in my case, the person I fell head over heels in love with. My little sister set me up fearing I might actually follow through on a vague threat to join the priesthood.
And if that love of your life happens to have the same working parts in their nether regions that you do, all the merrier! Marry 'em. (This offer good only in the states of New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont and D.C. Offer void when contested by bigoted, wealthy Christian denominations with more money than compassion and an energized faithful consisting of homo-phobes and the unenlightened willing to do their dirty work).
But I digress.
Bottom line:
Here’s what the church and the so-called tolerant want of their token gays. Be abstinent. Be silent. And don’t be seen. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll tolerate your presence within the congregation. But most likely not. But we still love you, and don’t let the cathedral door hit you in the ass on your way out. Love ya!
Arguments that gay marriage will single-handedly bring down the institution of marriage and destroy the family are baseless and provocative–and not in a good way. Heterosexuals are doing just fine destroying the estate of marriage, and the family as a whole.
Abusive husbands and absent fathers didn’t materialize over the ages because Elton John is gay. Unfortunately, in many cases the aforementioned are protected by the state and the church. Believe what you want, but children don’t end up in foster care and group homes because a lesbian couple in Connecticut wants to marry.
Opponents to gay marriage argue the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans-gendered) community is somehow deviant and evil and will lead to the downfall of civilization as we know it, or the return of leisure suits as a fashion statement--whichever keeps you up at night. I get night-sweats just thinking of the latter. Armageddon is a myth, polyester ain’t.
I have friends and family within the gay community who are neither deviant or evil. Unless you include the family cat. And as for those people that truly fall into the category of deviant and/or evil? Please, don’t get me started.. That’s a whole ’nother column.
Love is love, people. Whether it’s between two consenting adults of the opposite sex, same sex, or me and a pizza with double cheese, it will not be stopped. That’s what love is. It knows no boundaries and answers only to those it has chosen.
Go ahead, quote me!
There are many who like to cut and paste passages of the Bible to make a point. I’m not a fan.
But we Christians are taught that God has given her* children many gifts and through her Son asks this in return: First, love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Second, love your neighbor as yourself.
If you can’t love your child, friend, or even a passer-by who is gay, then dude, you have some serious self-loathing issues.
You love your child right? Ok, maybe not all the time. But more so, than not. Anyway, would you love your child any less if they came to you and said they were gay or lesbian? You may not approve of their “choice” but isn’t that what unconditional love is?
No one should have to prove that being gay or lesbian isn’t an illness, or a choice. Although, even in today’s so-called enlightenment, many must choose to stay closeted for fear of their safety, loss of a families love (for if there is no love if there can be no acceptance), job loss, the list goes on.
Some argue that gays and lesbians ‘opt in’ to a lifestyle. It’s not a choice and it’s not a lifestyle. The choice is either live a lie, or lie to live. From my vantage point that kinda sucks. Not everyone is brave enough to live their lives openly gay.
Three cheers!
Thank you to Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Maddow, Neil Patrick Harris, Russell T. Davies (Dr. Who fans will know), Anderson Cooper, as well as many others, for putting themselves out there, in the forefront, giving a face to what it is to be gay. Guess what? Looks pretty much like everyone else. So deal with it!
As a people, a nation, we shouldn’t have to legislate equality. Nor should our government be legislating morality. Yet after 230-some years, here we are. All equal under the eyes of law? Many would disagree, and rightfully so. Writing it down and voting on it doesn’t necessarily make it so.
I cannot, and will not quote polls to make my point. Anyone can do that. There are polls all over the internet skewed to any argument, about anything, you want to make. I will not invoke the wrath of God, her so-called faithful have cornered that market.
When I discuss gay marriage, DADT (Don’t Ask Don’t Tell), gays raising children no one else will take (because they talk back and don’t and have that new baby smell) with friends and relatives most of us agree that we’re okay with gay marriage, and gays in the military, and deep-fried Twinkies. I acknowledge others don’t. That’s a shame. For them.
We the Peeps!
The state and federal governments and those parties in power who fail to listen to their constituents apparently didn’t get the memo. We the People can think, and make informed decisions, in the bedroom and outside of it, for ourselves, without regret. Let us.
*Her, him, it, whatever. I think God’s pretty cool with just getting a shout-out in this day and age. - js
Monday, May 30, 2011
Blah, blah, blah
The Reality of Reality Television
In the world of television, a season has just passed, and another approaches. That’s right, while one batch of reality shows has come to their inevitable conclusion, another group steps in to fill the void.
Reality tv comes in a cornucopia of malevolent flavors including searching for the perfect mate, hanging with the friends your mother hates, chronicling the cheating mate (husband, wife or significant other, it’s a varied menu) and hanging with the queens (drag queens, royal weddings, whatever). Nothing is off limits if it’s on cable.
The word ‘reality’ is defined by the Miriam Webster online dictionary as: the quality or state of being real: television programming that features videos of actual occurrences (as a police chase, stunt, or natural disaster) —often used attributively .
So, reality television. It’s swiftly become a part of the modern television lexicon. Be it network or cable, a large portion of what is being regularly programmed over the airwaves, or beamed down from the fringes of the atmosphere comes to us as reality tv. And like it or not, it is here to stay.
What’s the bottom line?
Is reality tv just a portrayal of life as it happens, such as those events mentioned in the Miriam Webster definition? Or a money-making stunt for both players and networks?
Does the video chronicling of a living macrocosm, in some instances populated by the insular lives of idiotic misfits and cretins; so lacking in modesty, common sense and decency; allow it to be formally accepted as life as we know it?
Or, is each episode a portrayal of a life so far removed from reality that to call it so is nothing more than a misnomer? To be viewed as some convoluted form of modern day comic opera? Which, to say the least, is an unfair comparison to the accepted parameters of what is known as comic opera.
In other words, does watching The Bachelor, and then discussing it around the office water cooler, give it an air of legitimacy usually reserved for natural disasters and the NFL draft?
NO. A thousand times, no.
That’s a lot of hyphens!
Just because a television show is “unscripted” and craftily edited, chronicling the day-to-day comings and goings of a group of fun-loving, ethno-centric, beer-guzzling, up-chucking, chain-smoking, name-calling, hair-pulling, foul-mouthed twenty-somethings, or housewives, (or whatever the “it” demographic happens to be at the time), doesn’t make it reality.
Or right.
So let’s stop referring to it as reality television and call it what it really is, entertainment. Nope. That’s not the right word either. It’s more than a word. I’ve got it! Call it a guilty pleasure. That’s a little closer to, well, reality. I guess.
My guilty pleasure? Last Cake Standing. So what does that say about me? Oh, hell. Forget I even brought it up!
In the world of television, a season has just passed, and another approaches. That’s right, while one batch of reality shows has come to their inevitable conclusion, another group steps in to fill the void.
Reality tv comes in a cornucopia of malevolent flavors including searching for the perfect mate, hanging with the friends your mother hates, chronicling the cheating mate (husband, wife or significant other, it’s a varied menu) and hanging with the queens (drag queens, royal weddings, whatever). Nothing is off limits if it’s on cable.
The word ‘reality’ is defined by the Miriam Webster online dictionary as: the quality or state of being real: television programming that features videos of actual occurrences (as a police chase, stunt, or natural disaster) —often used attributively
So, reality television. It’s swiftly become a part of the modern television lexicon. Be it network or cable, a large portion of what is being regularly programmed over the airwaves, or beamed down from the fringes of the atmosphere comes to us as reality tv. And like it or not, it is here to stay.
What’s the bottom line?
Is reality tv just a portrayal of life as it happens, such as those events mentioned in the Miriam Webster definition? Or a money-making stunt for both players and networks?
Does the video chronicling of a living macrocosm, in some instances populated by the insular lives of idiotic misfits and cretins; so lacking in modesty, common sense and decency; allow it to be formally accepted as life as we know it?
Or, is each episode a portrayal of a life so far removed from reality that to call it so is nothing more than a misnomer? To be viewed as some convoluted form of modern day comic opera? Which, to say the least, is an unfair comparison to the accepted parameters of what is known as comic opera.
In other words, does watching The Bachelor, and then discussing it around the office water cooler, give it an air of legitimacy usually reserved for natural disasters and the NFL draft?
NO. A thousand times, no.
That’s a lot of hyphens!
Just because a television show is “unscripted” and craftily edited, chronicling the day-to-day comings and goings of a group of fun-loving, ethno-centric, beer-guzzling, up-chucking, chain-smoking, name-calling, hair-pulling, foul-mouthed twenty-somethings, or housewives, (or whatever the “it” demographic happens to be at the time), doesn’t make it reality.
Or right.
So let’s stop referring to it as reality television and call it what it really is, entertainment. Nope. That’s not the right word either. It’s more than a word. I’ve got it! Call it a guilty pleasure. That’s a little closer to, well, reality. I guess.
My guilty pleasure? Last Cake Standing. So what does that say about me? Oh, hell. Forget I even brought it up!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Life is Like
LIFE IS LIKE…DEM THAR CLOSED DOORS
This bloggage (as I like to call my postings) is mainly about Joe and I so, if your sick of reading about us, you probably wanna stop now. -Katy
The following 'bloggage' is the sole responsibility of my wife. I had no input, accept a comma or two. And those were unsolicited. What can I say? For some reason she loves me. And I her. -Joe
There is old song, sung by Charlie Rich, “Behind Closed Doors”. A song about love, ok, maybe just sex, definitely sex, definitely. But is a song of true life long lasting love?
You may be wondering where the hell I’m going to go with this but it’s a follow up on Joe’s mental health blog.
Unfortunately life is very different behind the closed doors at the house on Herman Hill.
In 2008 I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar II. Believe me the last thing I wanted to add, to my already too long mental illnesses, was another one.
In my case, my Bi-Polar II has more lows than ‘highs’.
Some people experience very high highs and at times I wish I did. At least the house would be clean! My lows are added to my major depression which doesn’t make a great combination, believe me.
A lot of people may find it hard to believe I am depressed. I put on a good front, until I get behind our closed door.
I don’t know what I ever did to deserve Joe (but I’m not complaining), a lesser man would have packed his bags a long time ago. Perhaps the cost of filing for divorce costs too much but whatever the case, I know that what we have is special. And Joe is a very special person (I don’t mean short-bus special either).
When all my meds are working as they should be life is great in the Schutte house. Unfortunately I’m (actually we) are going through a time when the meds are not working to their fullest. Not by a long shot.
Even before my lay-off (January 1st) my depression wasn’t completely under control. But since then it has gotten much worse, much worse. Said lay-off is scheduled for 6 months, but with things the way they are these days who knows if my job will be available then.
That’s not what I’m worried about. I know that the Lord will take care of us and will bring something better. I love my job in Alberta and would love to go back July 1st. But as I said, who knows if it will be available.
As it stands now
I’ve isolated myself from all family and friends. My only scheduled outing is on Saturday to visit and clean at my Mom’s. Joe does his best trying to get me into the great outdoors, even if it’s just for a ride. So far this year he hasn’t had a good track record.
I’ve always been great at hiding how I really feel when in public. In fact the first time I a spent a week long ‘vacation’ in the luxurious Marquette General Stress and Depression Unit more than just a few people thought I was actually a nurse (they obviously wear normal clothes)! To say that I was a total mess in my head would be the understatement of the decade.
But behind the closed door of my ‘suite’ (I’m sure you get the sarcasm by now) my depression had me in a very tight choke-hold. Thankfully I received great care, especially from my Doctor who fixed me up with the right combination of medications to put me back on the right track.
If you see me in public (which, as I said earlier doesn’t happen much now) I still have a smile on my face and look like I don’t have a care in the world.
But behind those closed doors Joe sees how I’m really feeling and believe me it ain’t pretty!
Isolating myself is just one, in the long list, of severe depression symptoms.
Joe gets the brunt of it. I wish he didn’t but it’s not like I can control it. I could blame it on the medication not working, or it not being the proper combination. Either way, life at the moment is what it is, and it doesn’t really matter what I blame it on.
Joe is, and has always been, steadfast by my side 150% actually. No matter if I’m at my lowest or feeling great. I am truly blessed. And I’m not sucking up to him because I want something, either (but I should get a few extra brownie points).
When I say my prayers, the very first thing I do is thank the good Lord for bringing (and keeping) Joe in my life. He is the biggest blessing I have. Even if I won the lotto. Even if I won the biggest payout ever. Ah, maybe that’s what he’s waiting for, after all he would get 50% of it. I like to think that isn’t the case we’ll have to wait and see, guess.
Told ya so!
See, I told you this was going to be more about us than you probably wanna read!
I guess in short (some 944 words later) the bottom line is: I know that he will always be the branch I’m holding onto. Remember the cat hanging on just by it’s paws. You know, the ‘Hang In There’ poster. He’s always been my branch when I need him to be. Even if I’m just hanging on by a claw or two. Between him, and Jesus carrying me when I can’t walk on my own, I’m not only blessed beyond words but an extremely lucky woman. I hope you are too. (Feel free to change woman to man when reading this, if that is more appropriate).
Katy Manning Schutte
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Blah, blah, blah
Bipolar II - Outed by Catherine Zeta-Jones
First, let me say I am not ungrateful. Nor do I hold any animosity toward Oscar-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. As a matter of fact, I applaud her for allowing her battle with Bipolar II to be made public.
Shortly after Ms. Zeta-Jones announced her battle, ex-Disney child star Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) recalled her three month stay in a residential treatment center, where, during treatment, she discovered some of her past actions could be directly related to being bipolar. She has spoken openly about it in an upcoming People magazine interview.
So, what is that annoys me? Simple. That it takes Catherine Zeta-Jones and Demi Lovato to suffer from the disease, in order for it to be discussed openly. Hopefully bringing about education and understanding of the disease for those that don’t understand it. As well as for those who are living with it.
I have said this before and I will say it again, “Mental illness is the bastard child of healthcare”.
But she’s not famous.
My wife is one of those unsung sufferers of mental illness. The psychiatrist, who treated her after her first visit to the Marquette General Behavioral Health Adult Psychiatric Unit in 1998, discussed with us that Katy suffered from a condition being bandied about at the time as 'Bipolar II'.
She explained that the concept of the long-held standard of the bipolar diagnosis was sort of heavy-handed. That there was a growing school of psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists who believed there were certain degrees of bipolar disease.
For those in the business of treating mental illness, Bipolar II represented a tier of the disease which presented itself with the ups and downs of the manic/depressive pattern, but showing more regular and shorter highs and lows than the normally accepted Bipolar disease demonstrated. It is important to remember I am not a doctor (but I play one in the bedroom) and am relaying to you the explanation of the disease as I remember it.
In denial.
Sure, everyone knows it’s out there. Mental illness, oooooohhhh scary. But no one really wants to own up to it. The people needing the most help are the ones who can’t, don’t or won’t get it. Those patients needing the new medications (broadcast ad nauseum everywhere), therapy and hospitalization are those who can’t afford it, don’t know about it or their insurance covers just enough to make it an economic hardship.
And lets be truthful, the almighty dollar, or lack thereof, is a driving force when individuals and families are making decisions on getting care, finding therapists and filling much-needed prescriptions. The decision made oft times is, simply put, going without.
Anecdotal, but true.
Why do I know this? A better question would be, “How do I know this”. Because I’ve been there. On the front line. Supporting my wife. Who, for 20-plus years, has been battling against a foe that knows no boundaries. It’s important to remember, mental illness crosses over all the lines. Class. Economic. Age. Race. Gender.
Most importantly, mental illness doesn’t care if you have good insurance or not.
With the flood of commercials hitting the airwaves and pages of newspapers and magazines touting new medications to combat mental illness, the lion’s share of the those needing such medications and treatment never get them. Without access to good insurance, especially with a low co-pay prescription rider, it’s hard to scrape together the 250 to 400 dollars necessary for the newest anti-depressants hitting the market.
Remember, these drugs, unlike antibiotics, may be necessary for months, even years to be effective in the treatment of mental illness. Even the generic drugs can be out of reach for many sufferers, particularly if many are prescribed at the same time.
No one should suffer from mental illness, diabetes, cancer or any number of diseases, without support. No one should be left behind when they can’t afford their care. But it happens. Every day. But I digress.
Mental health needs a check-up.
Where we stand today.
Sufferers today need access to more psychiatrists. Psychiatrists who aren’t seeing a client list of several hundred patients. Doctors whose limited quality time is spent prescribing medications without the benefit of a lengthy, honest discussion with their patients about the progression of their illness.
In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where my wife and I live, there are but a handful of psychiatrists available to a population of approximately 300,000, spread across an area of 16,500 square miles. Most of these doctor’s are centrally located in Marquette, MI which is 72 miles east of where we live.
These mental illness practitioners must rely on the notes of therapists and psychologists who forward their observations in the hope the doctor will actually have time to pore over them before meeting the patient and prescribing said medications.
This needs to change. How? I don’t know. If we can’t fix health care as it stands today, it will be a moot point. But maybe now, with the openness of high profile personalities Catherine Zeta-Jones and Demi Lovato, a dialog of sorts will begin. But, it needs to be discussed honestly, fairly and compassionately.
As Whoopi Goldberg’s alter ego Fontaine would say, “I’ll buy your bull-shit. How much?”
First, let me say I am not ungrateful. Nor do I hold any animosity toward Oscar-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. As a matter of fact, I applaud her for allowing her battle with Bipolar II to be made public.
Shortly after Ms. Zeta-Jones announced her battle, ex-Disney child star Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) recalled her three month stay in a residential treatment center, where, during treatment, she discovered some of her past actions could be directly related to being bipolar. She has spoken openly about it in an upcoming People magazine interview.
So, what is that annoys me? Simple. That it takes Catherine Zeta-Jones and Demi Lovato to suffer from the disease, in order for it to be discussed openly. Hopefully bringing about education and understanding of the disease for those that don’t understand it. As well as for those who are living with it.
I have said this before and I will say it again, “Mental illness is the bastard child of healthcare”.
But she’s not famous.
My wife is one of those unsung sufferers of mental illness. The psychiatrist, who treated her after her first visit to the Marquette General Behavioral Health Adult Psychiatric Unit in 1998, discussed with us that Katy suffered from a condition being bandied about at the time as 'Bipolar II'.
She explained that the concept of the long-held standard of the bipolar diagnosis was sort of heavy-handed. That there was a growing school of psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists who believed there were certain degrees of bipolar disease.
For those in the business of treating mental illness, Bipolar II represented a tier of the disease which presented itself with the ups and downs of the manic/depressive pattern, but showing more regular and shorter highs and lows than the normally accepted Bipolar disease demonstrated. It is important to remember I am not a doctor (but I play one in the bedroom) and am relaying to you the explanation of the disease as I remember it.
In denial.
Sure, everyone knows it’s out there. Mental illness, oooooohhhh scary. But no one really wants to own up to it. The people needing the most help are the ones who can’t, don’t or won’t get it. Those patients needing the new medications (broadcast ad nauseum everywhere), therapy and hospitalization are those who can’t afford it, don’t know about it or their insurance covers just enough to make it an economic hardship.
And lets be truthful, the almighty dollar, or lack thereof, is a driving force when individuals and families are making decisions on getting care, finding therapists and filling much-needed prescriptions. The decision made oft times is, simply put, going without.
Anecdotal, but true.
Why do I know this? A better question would be, “How do I know this”. Because I’ve been there. On the front line. Supporting my wife. Who, for 20-plus years, has been battling against a foe that knows no boundaries. It’s important to remember, mental illness crosses over all the lines. Class. Economic. Age. Race. Gender.
Most importantly, mental illness doesn’t care if you have good insurance or not.
With the flood of commercials hitting the airwaves and pages of newspapers and magazines touting new medications to combat mental illness, the lion’s share of the those needing such medications and treatment never get them. Without access to good insurance, especially with a low co-pay prescription rider, it’s hard to scrape together the 250 to 400 dollars necessary for the newest anti-depressants hitting the market.
Remember, these drugs, unlike antibiotics, may be necessary for months, even years to be effective in the treatment of mental illness. Even the generic drugs can be out of reach for many sufferers, particularly if many are prescribed at the same time.
No one should suffer from mental illness, diabetes, cancer or any number of diseases, without support. No one should be left behind when they can’t afford their care. But it happens. Every day. But I digress.
Mental health needs a check-up.
Where we stand today.
Sufferers today need access to more psychiatrists. Psychiatrists who aren’t seeing a client list of several hundred patients. Doctors whose limited quality time is spent prescribing medications without the benefit of a lengthy, honest discussion with their patients about the progression of their illness.
In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where my wife and I live, there are but a handful of psychiatrists available to a population of approximately 300,000, spread across an area of 16,500 square miles. Most of these doctor’s are centrally located in Marquette, MI which is 72 miles east of where we live.
These mental illness practitioners must rely on the notes of therapists and psychologists who forward their observations in the hope the doctor will actually have time to pore over them before meeting the patient and prescribing said medications.
This needs to change. How? I don’t know. If we can’t fix health care as it stands today, it will be a moot point. But maybe now, with the openness of high profile personalities Catherine Zeta-Jones and Demi Lovato, a dialog of sorts will begin. But, it needs to be discussed honestly, fairly and compassionately.
As Whoopi Goldberg’s alter ego Fontaine would say, “I’ll buy your bull-shit. How much?”
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Blah, blah, blah
WE'RE BACK!
Okay, Katy's back today with a new "Life is Like" column. It's the kind of message that makes one look back upon the hurts in life and wonder, "If it's healing, why do I feel this way?" It's very thought provoking.
Myself, well, that's another story. And I am working on it, and many others. I have spent too much time being introspective and not enough looking forward. It's a work in progress...my life, and my writing. Oh, and don't forget the recipes! Mmmmmm,,,
Everyone has had some kind of scab at least once in their life.
I should take my own advice and take some time to really really look deep down and think and pray about why I don’t rip that scab off. But then there is life. We get so caught up in day to day that some things get put on the back burner of life. Is this the case for you?
Okay, Katy's back today with a new "Life is Like" column. It's the kind of message that makes one look back upon the hurts in life and wonder, "If it's healing, why do I feel this way?" It's very thought provoking.
Myself, well, that's another story. And I am working on it, and many others. I have spent too much time being introspective and not enough looking forward. It's a work in progress...my life, and my writing. Oh, and don't forget the recipes! Mmmmmm,,,
LIFE IS LIKE A SCAB
Everyone has had some kind of scab at least once in their life.
Perhaps it was falling off their bike, getting scratched by their loving cat, you get the picture.
Maybe you put a bandage over it and possibly some antibacterial ointment to help it heal. Or took your chances and let it heal by itself.
Sometimes scabs happen with an ingrown hair or splinter that is so small that you didn’t even realize it was there. It festers and you just don’t understand why.
In those, and other cases, it doesn’t go away. Sometimes you do have to take the scab off to find out what is causing it. What really lies beneath causing the ugliness?
What is it in your life that you need to rip off the scab to get to the bottom so you can heal? It’s different from person to person, although I’m sure that many have more scabs in common with others than they would have ever guessed.
Mine are many. Here are just a few: mental illness, drinking, addictions, selfishness, resentment, unforgiveness…I guess that was more than just a few. Did you see any of those in yourself? Please don’t tell me I’m the only one in the world holding onto at least one of those!
As I am writing this many of those still have the scab on them. Still waiting to be uncovered so the root of the problem can be dealt with. Waiting for me to rip it off, easier said than done. Maybe I’m not ready to deal with what lies underneath. Or maybe I just don’t want to.
God has spoken to me by a feeling I have deep inside, He tells me to trust in Him. Release my fears, anger and whatever else is holding me back from totally trusting in Him. Release my “control” and let Him be in the driver’s seat (and not be the backseat driver).
My husband would be more than happy to tell you that even if I’m sitting beside him as he drives, I’m still a backseat driver.
I probably should have added control issues to the above list, but you have already figured that out by now.
I should take my own advice and take some time to really really look deep down and think and pray about why I don’t rip that scab off. But then there is life. We get so caught up in day to day that some things get put on the back burner of life. Is this the case for you?
Here again, it’s easier said than done taking the time to do it, but they don’t have to be done all at one time. Nor do they have to be done in a certain amount of time. Maybe you have given up, you’ve tried before and there isn’t only a scab but also scars underneath.
Think of it as a process. Work on one scar at a time. Take your time, there are no time limits. Listen to what God has put in your heart. That still strong ‘voice’. He’ll help you through it.
Once the scab is gone take the time to put that “antibiotic” and “bandage” on it. You’ll be raw, mentally and perhaps physically as well. Take the time to let it heal properly before trying to go onto the next one.
Listen to your heart. Don’t forget, He’ll be there to hold your hand, and carry you when you can’t walk.
Katy Manning Schutte
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Blah, Blah, Blah
Tragedy in Arizona
It has taken me three-plus days to digest and understand what has happened in the state of Arizona. And if you don’t know what I am talking about, or haven’t paid close attention to the national news, I envy you.
The loss of life, of any life, to a hail of bullets delivered by a madman plain and simple is indescribable. The shooting of a lawmaker, a judge, a bystander, a child can in no way be justified.
And yet here we are. The death of the innocent painted in blood with the broad brush of intolerance and insanity.
For the past few days pundits and news anchors, bloggers and columnists, as well as everyone else have been struggling to come to terms with this newest bloodshed foisted upon the national landscape. A congresswoman is gunned down in broad daylight and those who work with her or attend the doomed gathering become victims and heroes.
Neither an enviable position to be in.
Can we blame someone’s mental state on someone else's political views? As much as I would like to, I can not. Because rational people don’t finish an argument in gun play. They just don’t. As a nation we should rise above such action. Retaliate with words, whether in patience or anger, but it end it there.
Unfortunately, not everyone is rational. But don’t make the mistake of lumping the mentally ill with those who are, in essence, deranged. It’s not fair to the mentally ill.
The political scene is quite toxic right now. A war of words is engaged between factors from the left, center and the right. There is quite a bit of posturing over the already passed health care bill and animosity toward the president from all sides. Discourse is becoming very heated.
Words have power. Add firearms to the mix and suddenly words become deadly. In a country of over 300 million people and a cherished Bill of Rights, statistically it’s going to happen.
But who is to blame? The right? The left? One deranged person with a gun who can’t tell the difference between (mostly) civil discourse and blatant intolerance? We may never know the whole truth. Nor can we pick and choose half-truths a la carte to satisfy a rush to judgement.
Still, in honor of those injured or killed, in thanks to the brave and heroic, maybe, just maybe, we could dial down the flaming rhetoric. If just for a short while. Even if it wasn’t the cause, there can be effect. Perhaps choosing better symbols to prove, or make, a point for example. At least pretend to listen, even consider, an opposing view before outright belittling it.
The political horizon is fraught with pitfalls. The environment is beyond toxic and it needs to be cleaned up. That toxicity in itself may not kill, but it certainly can poison an already sick mind. Maybe push him or her over the edge into violent insanity. Maybe not.
We can’t know what will trigger the next horrific incident. And there will be one. There always is. What will be the motivating factor? An idea, a thought, a word spit out in anger and hate? Prejudice? Just plain crazy in an all too crazy world?
What is annoying to most may be that which sets off an already deranged or deluded mind into doing the unthinkable. As a nation we can slow that process down, but we will probably never stop it.
But in the name of Abraham Lincoln, Harvey Milk, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and now Gabrielle Giffords, Judge John Roll, Christina Taylor Green, Gabe Zimmerman, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwin Stoddard, and Dorothy Morris, we can, and should, try.
It has taken me three-plus days to digest and understand what has happened in the state of Arizona. And if you don’t know what I am talking about, or haven’t paid close attention to the national news, I envy you.
The loss of life, of any life, to a hail of bullets delivered by a madman plain and simple is indescribable. The shooting of a lawmaker, a judge, a bystander, a child can in no way be justified.
And yet here we are. The death of the innocent painted in blood with the broad brush of intolerance and insanity.
For the past few days pundits and news anchors, bloggers and columnists, as well as everyone else have been struggling to come to terms with this newest bloodshed foisted upon the national landscape. A congresswoman is gunned down in broad daylight and those who work with her or attend the doomed gathering become victims and heroes.
Neither an enviable position to be in.
Can we blame someone’s mental state on someone else's political views? As much as I would like to, I can not. Because rational people don’t finish an argument in gun play. They just don’t. As a nation we should rise above such action. Retaliate with words, whether in patience or anger, but it end it there.
Unfortunately, not everyone is rational. But don’t make the mistake of lumping the mentally ill with those who are, in essence, deranged. It’s not fair to the mentally ill.
The political scene is quite toxic right now. A war of words is engaged between factors from the left, center and the right. There is quite a bit of posturing over the already passed health care bill and animosity toward the president from all sides. Discourse is becoming very heated.
Words have power. Add firearms to the mix and suddenly words become deadly. In a country of over 300 million people and a cherished Bill of Rights, statistically it’s going to happen.
But who is to blame? The right? The left? One deranged person with a gun who can’t tell the difference between (mostly) civil discourse and blatant intolerance? We may never know the whole truth. Nor can we pick and choose half-truths a la carte to satisfy a rush to judgement.
Still, in honor of those injured or killed, in thanks to the brave and heroic, maybe, just maybe, we could dial down the flaming rhetoric. If just for a short while. Even if it wasn’t the cause, there can be effect. Perhaps choosing better symbols to prove, or make, a point for example. At least pretend to listen, even consider, an opposing view before outright belittling it.
The political horizon is fraught with pitfalls. The environment is beyond toxic and it needs to be cleaned up. That toxicity in itself may not kill, but it certainly can poison an already sick mind. Maybe push him or her over the edge into violent insanity. Maybe not.
We can’t know what will trigger the next horrific incident. And there will be one. There always is. What will be the motivating factor? An idea, a thought, a word spit out in anger and hate? Prejudice? Just plain crazy in an all too crazy world?
What is annoying to most may be that which sets off an already deranged or deluded mind into doing the unthinkable. As a nation we can slow that process down, but we will probably never stop it.
But in the name of Abraham Lincoln, Harvey Milk, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and now Gabrielle Giffords, Judge John Roll, Christina Taylor Green, Gabe Zimmerman, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwin Stoddard, and Dorothy Morris, we can, and should, try.
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