I Have Questions

plantlady2012

plantlady2012 said:

Beila re: US Medical Care
Beila, I am SO happy to see your reply about the state of US Medical care! I think it is an absolute travesty that we have citizens who can't get medical care for lack of money! That is a moral injustice SO deep, I don't even have the words to express my outrage and indignation at it! We spend SO much more than ANY other nation on the planet for Military, we could probably cut it in half and still spend a lot more than any other nation. We let MAJOR employers get away with hiring thousands upon thousands of PART TIME workers, just to skirt having to give them any benefits, fattening their corporate profits, and shoving the cost of these exploited workers' medical care onto the tax payers. I am deeply disappointed that the current plan for national medical insurance is so costly to individuals, and even more disappointed that it has a punitive element.

And people at the bottom of the food chain, who work long, hard hours for low pay, are made to feel like failures for not having money for medical care. WHAT is wrong with this picture??

P.S. Beila
The reason the middle-class fears "socialized medicine" so much is that our middle class is having a hard time hanging on to its middle-class status. Costs are rising faster than their incomes, especially in medical care and education. They fear the burden this will place on them, financially, and with good reason. And with education costs going through the roof, the middle class is finding it almost impossible to help their children secure a middle-class future. We have a lot of social problems to solve!

plantlady2012

plantlady2012 said:

What Else To Try
Seriously, keep trying to get on disability. An attorney who specializes in disability benefits will probably be found in your phone book. If you cannot work full time due to illness, you need this program! If the first attorney you call wants money up front, and won't work with you on that, then call another attorney. And another, if necessary!

Documenting your condition in your medical records is very important. You need to talk to your doctor about how this is impacting your ability to work, and make sure he writes it down on your chart. Mention it EVERY time, at EVERY doctor or hospital visit, and make sure it gets written down in your chart EVERY time!

With health problems, and losing your grandmother recently, you might even be depressed, which might be contributing to your fatigue. Depression can be treated with medication. Talk to your doctor about depression, if you think this might apply to you.

I did not have any feelings of fatigue or being run down prior to being diagnosed with cancer. I was in poor condition, but that was nothing new to me, and I felt no new symptoms of any kind before my cancer diagnosis. It was found in a routine exam. You might very well NOT have cancer, but you clearly have SOME kind of medical problem. Don't give up, keep trying to find the medical care you need! A social worker at the hospital or a disability attorney might be able to help you.

What Else to Try Part 2
Oh, and don't foget to follow Beila's excellent advice on getting back to ER!

And while you are there, tell THEM how this is impacting your ability to work, and make sure they write it on your chart!

Darkened

plantlady2012 said:

What Else to Try Part 2
Oh, and don't foget to follow Beila's excellent advice on getting back to ER!

And while you are there, tell THEM how this is impacting your ability to work, and make sure they write it on your chart!

had thyroid run a couple yr
had thyroid run a couple yr ago but it was ok but in the blood work they are ordering I think they are running again along with rerunning a test for lupus because I was borderline positive and then negative. My SED rate and c-reactive is always high (over a few yrs) no one knows why. My white count is usually high but the dr said because my neutrophils arent high it means no infection... other things that are currently high hemacrit, abs neutrophil, abs lymohocyte and low monocytes. I had asked my dr about leukemia also because that is what killed my cousin and they said no to that and no to infection and no to the lesion just being a cyst because they said a cyst would show up clear.

I started having health problems about 4 yrs ago... started seeing a dr about 3 1/2 yrs ago and they tell you its one thing and then it isnt. 1st they said it was a heart problem and I was going to a heart failure clinic now they say my heart is fine eexcept my pulse is always over 100 and often goes over 180 and makes me feel like I am dying. No one knows why and they have given up on trying to find out why. I cant take the heart meds that lower my pulse a little because they also lowered my blood pressure which is normal so I just live with it. Then they thought it was lupus because I tested borderline positive then they said no and said I have fibro and now they are saying no to fibro and now the pains and tiredness which are new symptoms started and they say that is from the lesion and they dont know what the lesion is and its only causing my pain and nothing else and they dont know what is wrong with me. In the meantime I just keep getting sicker.

When you are dealing with county hospital clinics you have to wait months for an appointment to see any dr or get any test and then wait again to go back and every yr your card expires and you have to renew and then I am paying on a sliding scale for every visit. You spend all day at the hospital or clinic no matter what time your appointment is and then a dr comes in and spends about 5 mins with you and you dont get anywhere.

this last time with the disability was a court hearing and I had a lawyer so at this point I have to start all over like I have never filed and was told they really will only consider new records but since then I have only seen a dr once and the er once and you need to have a diagnosis to list on the forms and as of now I dont so would be an automatic denial so I am waiting.

jazzy1

beila said:

"socialistic"
I guess our system could be described as "socialistic"
Why does that scare you?

IT IS FANTASTIC

It is socialistic, because our income tax pays for it and EVERYONE IS COVERED, RICH OR POOR, SICK OR WELL, YOUNG OR OLD.
No such thing as "pre existing' issues, if you are a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident, you are covered, PERIOD.

I have been a doctor in the USA for 20 years and in Canada for 15, and it is absolutely appalling what goes on in the USA.
In Canada there are no premiums etc.....The system is administered provincially....you get a "medicare card" (no similarity to the word "medicare" in the US) You present it at the hospital, your MD office, Radiology Dept, blood lab, etc etc and that is it!!!
You dont pay a thing.....it is payed for by the Provincial Government via funds from collective income tax

Here the rich dont get away with quite as much income tax evasion as they do in the USA, so the funds are there.


Now that I unfortunately am a patient, and back in Canada (for the past 12 years), thank God I dont have to worry about medical coverage

There is a huge amount propaganda against the Canadian Health Care System perpetrated by special interests in the US, particularly the Insurance Companies.

What is it that you fear from the word "socialized" medicine?

Beila

Socialistic
Possibly you could call our future health care system -- Obamacare or Universal health care. Basically, it's a full-blown dream of free, universal healthcare funded thru the US tax system. I'm not totally in agreement with our government making decision about who is to receive care and who is not.

Who will pay for this system? Our taxes going up is the answer I'm reading.

Two sides to every story and I'm in the middle on it all, as really interesting to see how this universal health care is working in other countries. Have a friend from Russia who has lived in US for over 25 years, and has family still in Russia. Russia offers universal health care and she told me, when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in US, 14 years ago, and if she was still living in Russia, she would have been on a waiting list for treatments. But...since in US she was seen by a specialist right away and started treatments soon after. To think one should have to be at the mercy of the government to decide who does/doesn't get care right away, truly scares me.

So much up in the air on the US system, but great to read the perspective of a practicing doctor who has worked in US and Canada.

Thanks Beila for your input....
Jan

beila

jazzy1 said:

Socialistic
Possibly you could call our future health care system -- Obamacare or Universal health care. Basically, it's a full-blown dream of free, universal healthcare funded thru the US tax system. I'm not totally in agreement with our government making decision about who is to receive care and who is not.

Who will pay for this system? Our taxes going up is the answer I'm reading.

Two sides to every story and I'm in the middle on it all, as really interesting to see how this universal health care is working in other countries. Have a friend from Russia who has lived in US for over 25 years, and has family still in Russia. Russia offers universal health care and she told me, when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in US, 14 years ago, and if she was still living in Russia, she would have been on a waiting list for treatments. But...since in US she was seen by a specialist right away and started treatments soon after. To think one should have to be at the mercy of the government to decide who does/doesn't get care right away, truly scares me.

So much up in the air on the US system, but great to read the perspective of a practicing doctor who has worked in US and Canada.

Thanks Beila for your input....
Jan

Canada vs Russia?????
Canada is as far from Russia in every way shape and form as the US is!!!!!!!!

Contrary to the US insurance companies propaganda, there is NO WAIT for treatment of serious illness in Canada.....unlike those with no insurance in the US, as evidenced by our collegue on this board.

There is a wait for conditions that are inconvenient, such as knee replacement for arthritis in the knee

The government in Canada does not decide anything re who and when, unlike the insurance companies in the USA
The government pays....that's it
The wait for eg knee surgery is due to other factors of supply and demand....no system is perfect, but Canada is fantastic, compared to the appalling conditions in the USA ....it is mostly the lower middle class and working poor who are unable to obtain health care in the US...I know 1st hand as I treated them for 15 years in the ER of County Hospitals....the only place they will not get turned away, and they pay what they can (sliding scale)
Of course treating non emergent cases in the Emergency Dept hugely raises the costs of health care in the US


THE USA IS THE ONLY NON 3RD WORLD COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WITHOUT UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE FOR ITS PEOPLE.....and it is mostly due to the big money and power of special interest groups, specifically Insurance companies and the propaganda people believe



Beila

beila

Darkened said:

had thyroid run a couple yr
had thyroid run a couple yr ago but it was ok but in the blood work they are ordering I think they are running again along with rerunning a test for lupus because I was borderline positive and then negative. My SED rate and c-reactive is always high (over a few yrs) no one knows why. My white count is usually high but the dr said because my neutrophils arent high it means no infection... other things that are currently high hemacrit, abs neutrophil, abs lymohocyte and low monocytes. I had asked my dr about leukemia also because that is what killed my cousin and they said no to that and no to infection and no to the lesion just being a cyst because they said a cyst would show up clear.

I started having health problems about 4 yrs ago... started seeing a dr about 3 1/2 yrs ago and they tell you its one thing and then it isnt. 1st they said it was a heart problem and I was going to a heart failure clinic now they say my heart is fine eexcept my pulse is always over 100 and often goes over 180 and makes me feel like I am dying. No one knows why and they have given up on trying to find out why. I cant take the heart meds that lower my pulse a little because they also lowered my blood pressure which is normal so I just live with it. Then they thought it was lupus because I tested borderline positive then they said no and said I have fibro and now they are saying no to fibro and now the pains and tiredness which are new symptoms started and they say that is from the lesion and they dont know what the lesion is and its only causing my pain and nothing else and they dont know what is wrong with me. In the meantime I just keep getting sicker.

When you are dealing with county hospital clinics you have to wait months for an appointment to see any dr or get any test and then wait again to go back and every yr your card expires and you have to renew and then I am paying on a sliding scale for every visit. You spend all day at the hospital or clinic no matter what time your appointment is and then a dr comes in and spends about 5 mins with you and you dont get anywhere.

this last time with the disability was a court hearing and I had a lawyer so at this point I have to start all over like I have never filed and was told they really will only consider new records but since then I have only seen a dr once and the er once and you need to have a diagnosis to list on the forms and as of now I dont so would be an automatic denial so I am waiting.

OY!!!
JUST KEEP GOING BACK TO THE ER

At least say your lower abdominal pain is worse and then they can do the transvaginal ultrasound in the ER and at least get that out of the way....to image that lesion in your uterus.

....plus the Social Service consult
and
As one of the other ladies has stressed, make sure the MD writes on the chart that your medical condition makes you extremely weak and fatigued and unable to work,( even though there is not yet a definitive diagnosis)

and as last resort, if you really feel to ill to function, tell the MD you cannot go home and need to be admitted to hospital...worth a try...and everything will get diagnosed FAST under hospital admission


Beila

NorahS

beila said:

OY!!!
JUST KEEP GOING BACK TO THE ER

At least say your lower abdominal pain is worse and then they can do the transvaginal ultrasound in the ER and at least get that out of the way....to image that lesion in your uterus.

....plus the Social Service consult
and
As one of the other ladies has stressed, make sure the MD writes on the chart that your medical condition makes you extremely weak and fatigued and unable to work,( even though there is not yet a definitive diagnosis)

and as last resort, if you really feel to ill to function, tell the MD you cannot go home and need to be admitted to hospital...worth a try...and everything will get diagnosed FAST under hospital admission


Beila

First off, I'm new
First off, I'm new here....but have been lurking for a few months. I will make a more comprehensive introductory post when time permits in the coming weeks.

Most importantly, Darkened - I'm so sorry to read of your troubles getting a diagnosis and medical care. It must be very discouraging, but I hope you will make a list of action items that have been recommended in this thread and then pick one to start in on next week. (Sometimes breaking a daunting task into smaller parts (babysteps) makes it easier.)

If you are able to, please think about coming back to this thread regularly (at least weekly?) and sharing each small success that you've had getting the diagnosis and medical care that you need. We care here. Never doubt that.

Finally, what Beila has posted about health care in Canada is correct. I live on the west coast of Canada and worked for a number of years in health care administration. If you are interested in an overview of Canada health care, Wikipedia's article on "Health Care in Canada" is a good place to start.

jazzy1

beila said:

Canada vs Russia?????
Canada is as far from Russia in every way shape and form as the US is!!!!!!!!

Contrary to the US insurance companies propaganda, there is NO WAIT for treatment of serious illness in Canada.....unlike those with no insurance in the US, as evidenced by our collegue on this board.

There is a wait for conditions that are inconvenient, such as knee replacement for arthritis in the knee

The government in Canada does not decide anything re who and when, unlike the insurance companies in the USA
The government pays....that's it
The wait for eg knee surgery is due to other factors of supply and demand....no system is perfect, but Canada is fantastic, compared to the appalling conditions in the USA ....it is mostly the lower middle class and working poor who are unable to obtain health care in the US...I know 1st hand as I treated them for 15 years in the ER of County Hospitals....the only place they will not get turned away, and they pay what they can (sliding scale)
Of course treating non emergent cases in the Emergency Dept hugely raises the costs of health care in the US


THE USA IS THE ONLY NON 3RD WORLD COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WITHOUT UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE FOR ITS PEOPLE.....and it is mostly due to the big money and power of special interest groups, specifically Insurance companies and the propaganda people believe



Beila

Beila
Thanks for your input! Nice to read your take of other countries health care. Do agree, the US has a ways to go to keep up with a country such as Canada.

My healthcare costs have gone up so much (as many others), plus my deductible is huge, so all I feel is more money out of my pocket for health care premiums and medical bills. Hoping for some relief, as trying to be optimistic our gov't gets moving in the right direction soon.


Ciao!
Jan