It looks like if you live in Michigan and have an illness or disease other than COVID-19, you’ll be hard- pressed to get treatment. This stems from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order No. 2020-17 that started March 21st and places temporary restrictions on “non-essential” medical and dental procedures. 

The order says that a non-essential procedure is a medical or dental procedure that is not necessary to address a medical emergency or to preserve the health and safety of a patient, as determined by a licensed medical provider. 

If you’re seeing a doctor, what exactly isn’t something that preserves your health and safety? That’s exactly why you go to your doctor – to preserve your health. So everything is medically essential. 

How is this executive order affecting the citizens of Michigan? More than you imagine, that’s how. 

So we start with Governor Whitmer’s order which pretty much gives the doctors, dentists and hospitals carte blanche to stop treatments and cancel surgeries. 

And then add to that the fact that some doctors and dentists either aren’t reading the order or they are refusing to do the procedures that are still allowed. Some are shutting down their offices all together, especially the dental offices. Things aren’t consistent at all. 

I knew that this order was going to be a bad bad thing when I was told more than a month ago that one of my best friends had his brain surgery re-scheduled for May or June. And if the governor’s emergency declaration isn’t quashed by the Republican legislature, it probably won’t happen then either. Seriously? Brain surgery isn’t essential? 

Other friends told me about important medical procedures being cancelled too. It wasn’t sounding good. 

We also have people who are canceling their own appointments because they are too scared to go out in public or show up at a doctor’s office. Those who are doing telehealth doctor’s appointments run the risk of not getting the attention they really need. There are many things that a visit with your doctor on the computer can’t accomplish like taking your blood pressure. 

How many non-COVID-19-infected people are going to die because of all this? Is anyone keeping track of those numbers? There are infections, heart issues and many other things are going untreated right now. 

Recently, there was a post in the Facebook group “Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine” from one of the moderators asking members if they have experienced suffering because “elective” surgeries have been cancelled. She asked people to share their experiences about having a lack of access to healthcare so that she could compile a list for state leaders in order to make recommendations to help physicians re-open their offices. 

The response was long and heartbreaking. Here is just a “small” sampling of the responses received… 

Beckey Mead: My daughter has daily stomach issues and her GI scope was postponed ’til who knows. So she continues to suffer at the age of 13 and we have no idea when we will get answers. 

Martie Gerecke: My husband has a gum infection and along with his other health conditions is contributing to extremely high blood pressure for which he already takes meeds. Cannot find an open dentist and our doctor’s office is closed. 

Dana Ward: My husband’s uncle needs a heart procedure due to clogged artery and damaged valves and they are refusing to do surgery at this time. NOT elective! 

Gina Soroka: My husband has had his knee replacement surgery postponed indefinitely. He’s in a lot of pain and it is hard for him to get around. 

Greg Barrons: Friend has a cancerous tumor in the kidney that is growing. His surgery is delayed because of this crap. 

Melissa Dell: My autistic son needs an extraction or root canal. No one open. 

Amber Baker: I have ulcer, bleeding and pain but the GI can only do telemedicine. 

Teri Johnson: Knee surgery infection, can’t get seen… can’t get paid meds. 

Hannah Fabbri: My grandpa is barely walking around with a broken vertebrae. 

Linda Quarterman: I was supposed to have my feeding tube surgically moved because the one I have is leaking stomach acid and stomach contents. It hurts like hell and I’ve been in misery. I don’t have any pain meds for it. My surgery was cancelled for this. 

Kim Cervenec: My boyfriend can’t get back into the doctor after a suspicious colonoscopy, been in pain since the middle of March. 

Carleen Price: Husband. 100% disabled Marine Vietnam vet, cannot get scheduled for root canal on one or two teeth with abcess. On third round of antibiotic while waiting to be scheduled by VA. Infection still there. 

Michelle Peterson: I have a close friend who has cancer. She is now fighting with the cancer spreading and attended her first appointment in Detroit. She needs further testing and foliow-up appointments. Her appointments/diagnosis/treatment are now on hold due to her new doctor not taking appointments. 

Felicia Agy: My father needs a stent placed near his heart but has to wait until May. 

Sandy WIlliams: My fiancé has a bladder tumor. No surgery yet. Don’t know when either. 

Kathy Davis: Grandson, who is one, was supposed to see an ENT to address his back to back ear infections that his primary was concerned may cause permanent hearing damage if not addressed. 

Lynn Bell: My mom gets shots in her eyes for the high pressure and hasn’t been able to get her shot, plus she has a cataract that the surgery has been postponed…this has been postponed twice. She has vision in only one eye right now. 

Lana McRobert: My mother-in-law couldn’t have back surgery so she has been in pain 24/7. They just keep throwing more opiates at her. 

Andrea Thompson: A friend was supposed to have a hip replacement that was cancelled. Now she has to deal with the continued pain and very limited mobility which could turn into a major medical threat. Also she has a pacemaker and since they are out in the sticks, no wi-fi, meaning nobody is doing the check ups because they won’t let her come into MSU. 

Karna Piebenga: My husband has had some basal-cell carcinoma. He has a lesion on his foot. Called our dermatologist, they said they could not do any biopsies. 

Alyse Venticinque: My dad has stage C heart failure and they’ve cancelled all of his cardiac rehab appointments. I feel like this is extremely detrimental to his health. 

Mary Sanders-Realtor: Had a car accident March 11th, scooted out of the hospital with leg, arm and abdomen issues. Waiting for all clear to have issues addressed. 

Terri Szukhent: Husband needs a heart cath, which has been put off and five-year-old grandson needs reconstructive ear surgery (50% hearing loss) can’t be scheduled until August 28th. 

Cindi Lowe: I tore my right rotator cuff (I’m right handed) when all this started. Needless to say, everything was cancelled. I live alone and it’s been very difficult to shower, dress, and basic activities of daily living. When I overdo things by moving my arm wrong, I get a sharp jolt of pain and I fear I’m doing further damage. 

Melissa Keryn: My cousin has 50% blockages on both sides of her heart (one that is called the “widow maker”) and her surgery was cancelled and nothing rescheduled yet. 

Carol Blake: We have a friend who needs to have a quadruple cardiac bypass surgery. Cancelled last month. Unknown when it will be rescheduled. 

Amanda Swiss: I was supposed to have a thyroid nodule biopsied (family history of thyroid cancer). The nodules have been growing but now I have to wait and wonder if I could have cancer.