I’m doing a bunch of writing and calling my elected representatives this week. The urgent push for this is over the really terrible things we’re seeing coming out of the president-elect’s transition team and apparent executive staff and cabinet. In particular, naming Steve Bannon, a white supremacist, anti-semite, and misogynist, to the position of Chief Strategist (or any position in the Executive branch) tarnishes the office and, by extension, the Republic.

I’m trying not to forget that there are still other issues the government might alter, in one way or another. So while doing some research on one of my Senator’s legislative history, I noticed a page where he asks constituents to share their Obamacare story. So I did.

I am a software engineer. In 2007, I quit my corporate job and moved to Ohio. I have spent most of the time since doing independent, contract-based work for organizations both within Ohio and around the country, including local community non-profits. For most of that time, insurance coverage was too expensive for me to afford.

This led me to make decisions about my healthcare that were not necessarily in my best interest. Decisions like deferring treatment for medical needs, skipping preventative care almost entirely, and forgoing prescribed medications. I have always been blessed with relatively good health, so for me the consequences of this ended up being fairly minor, but I was always conscious of the risks that the high cost of healthcare and health insurance imposed upon me.

I was finally able to get health insurance only thanks to the changes introduced as part of the Affordable Care Act. While as of earlier this year I’m back on an employer-provided insurance program for the time being, I am grateful for the peace of mind that the ACA offered during that time, and am more comfortable that I’ll be able to pursue my professional goals in a way that best serves both me and my community thanks to the support it provides.

The ACA is undoubtedly imperfect, but I urge the Senator to support it and to work to improve it, not to undo the progress that it has made.

Portman, like the GOP he’s mostly beholden to, is against the ACA. I’m very clear that this is not the type of story he’s soliciting. But it’s a true story, and I don’t think it’s unique.