As Kristy Ray, kfreed, Jason, Donal and I prepare to visit Washington next week to attend Healthcare Now's single-payer rally and to lobby our delegations, it occurs to me: As compelling as our personal health care stories are, very likely your personal story is compelling, too. I want to share your stories with my congressional delegation.

My intention is to briefly convey a few sentences about each of your stories while meeting with my congressional delegation's legislative directors. I will leave them a folder full of printouts of the complete stories. And I will make copies for the other TPMers going to DC to deliver to their reps and senators.

So here's my request:

1. Please DO NOT comment on this thread except to share your personal health care story.

2. Ignore those who comment off-topic. Let me respond to brief, legitimate questions if they arise.

3. DO comment to share your health care story (or nightmare), particularly as it might pertain to the need for single-payer health care in America. Your writing style should be respectful and direct. Think of it as a short essay on your health care situation, outcome and how universal, single-payer health care would have served you better.

4. Keep your story to 500 words or so, if at all possible. Use bold face sparingly to highlight the central points you want to convey.

5. Since your screen name would have little influence with Congress, please email me with your screen name, real name and city/state. Send this email to ripperm AT att DOT net. I will match your essay to your real name and home town for purposes of making printouts to deliver to Congress. Your identity will be kept in strict confidence by those of us going to DC, except to share with our congressional delegations.

Thanks for everything. You folks are aces in my book.