Ed at the King's & Queen's Restaurant & Hotel in Stoysville, Pennsylvania

Ed at the King's & Queen's Restaurant & Hotel in Stoysville, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

“I haven’t had health insurance since ‘92," Ed told me, when I asked him if he had any healthcare stories. “That’s when Bethlehem Steel closed down—so, no insurance, for me.”

I nodded. “I can understand. I don’t have insurance either.”

I don’t think Ed really heard me as he continued, “I’m glad I’m healthy because if not, I’d be dead.”

Ed plays quite a bit of soccer (he’s wearing his soccer t-shirt now) and he told me of an injury he had a few years back. He got hit pretty hard at a soccer game at the “Y.” “Got myself a gash on my head and some sort of shoulder injury.” And so he went to the emergency room. When he told them he lacked insurance, Ed told me that the doctor basically said, “Stitch him up and send him home.” Ed had an angry look on his face. “I got 27 stitches but they did nothing about my shoulder.” I suppose I could understand his displeasure as with all that he got a bill for $2,300. “I still haven’t paid it, and I never will be able to,” he said.

Despite these distressing stories, Ed was not really as sour as his tale would make him to be. We talked about quite a few other topics and he wished me well on my journey, closing in now, on Washington, DC.