There is a woman in the news this week who is causing lots of buzz. I am not talking about Jon's wife, Kate, or Susan Boyle. I am talking about President Obama's pick for the Supreme Court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor.
Both sides of the aisle are looking at her judicial record, and some are also focusing on her medical records. Judge Sotomayor has type 1 diabetes--and apparently some people have said that this could prevent her from performing her duties.
Nonsense.
John Nichols posted a great piece on The Nation's blog this week saying that Sotomayor's health status was a strength, not a weakness, because it provides a "teachable moment"--that with proper treatment and management, the disease will not prevent one from achieving great things in life. While poorly-managed diabetes can lead to serious long-term complications, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic renal failure, and retinal damage, which can lead to blindness, Sotomayor serves as an example of how a person can control her disease--and thrive.
She also highlights a major problem in our healthcare system.
In the US, nearly half of us have at least one chronic disease, accounting for $3 out of every $4 spent on healthcare. As we head toward the much needed reform of our healthcare system, we must ensure that we focus on the prevention and better management of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, asthma. If we attack the real driver of healthcare costs--the epidemic of chronic diseases--we'll improve our health, and have a positive impact on our healthcare spending.
Judge Sotomayor's health does not set her apart--it shows how normal she is.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia).
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