First and foremost...Zebras and horses

I am a newbie. As a matter of fact, this is my first post. I am no expert on any specific topic. Writing is not a particularly strong skill set of mine. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are not my forte. There will likely be errors in my posts, be forwarned. Nevertheless, I am here to share and connect within a community that is still confusing and foreign to me. I look forward to learning and participating here on steemit.

Likely topics for my initial future posts will lean heavily on observation through first and second hand experience with chronic illness, especially of the zebra variety, as well as research on a variety of health related topics and rare diseases. In case you are unfamiliar with what I am referring to when I say zebra I will briefly explain. Zebras in the medical world are patients with rare diseases. They are usually hard to diagnose and/or treat. There are a variety of reasons for this. I'm sure that will be a future post as there are many angles. This nickname comes from a common phrase among Medical professionals which seemingly has been drilled into the minds of students: "When you hear hooves, think horses not zebras". This phrase is so popular it was even included in an ER episode in the 90s. I believe it was episode 2 when Carter was a resident (if that is wrong please leave a correction in the comments). The jist, as I'm sure you can guess, is that the most common illnesses are mostly likely the cause of poor health. This is both logical and unfortunate. I will elaborate on that in the future, as well. Suffice it to say, rare diseases are complex and the rabbit hole is so deep it's difficult to see the bottom, so many drs dare not look into THAT abyss.

Over the years the healthcare industry in the United States has revealed many astonishing surprises, both good and bad. Not just within the zebra community but through all facets of technology and practice. I hope to touch on all of it as I begin the journey of contribution here on this unfamiliar platform.

There are observations worth sharing which hopefully will create healthy dialogue. The sharing of knowledge and experiences is vital to many people suffering from illnesses. Especially in a time where support is limited, resources are hard to obtain, research is daunting, and the future is uncertain. Currently the prospects of affordable healthcare in America are a source of great turmoil, zebra or otherwise. There are literally people dying for answers. Dying for opportunities to ease their suffering and that of their loved ones. Dying for reform from an inadequate and highly inflated system into one of an efficient and safe resource with a core principal of equal opportunity. There is hope despite the current political climate in America, even if you might be one who feels hope is fading. You are not alone. Let's excuvate this Rabbit hole together, one speck of earth at a time. If you or someone you know is a zebra, hold tight. Remember that zebras might have unique stripes that horses don't bare yet they ARE still in the equine family. Let's change the phrase to, "when you hear hooves, think horses AND zebras".

I decided to edit my original post after spending more time reading posts from other steemians to say it's going to be a challenge for me to not post about a zillion different topics. How do you deal with wanting to post content pertaining to several unrelated topics?

Thanks for reading. Would much appreciate your comments & votes. @phedizzle