No insurance and trying to get answer

robertaw1962

Hello, I am new here. I have read through some of the posts in this section. I haven't found the answer I was hoping to find. I live in Missouri, which has no recognized Native tribes, so there is no Indian Health Service here in the state. For about a year now I have lost so much momentum and just gotten to where I feel like I am continually wore out. It has gotten to the point that I had to give up my second part time job. I would come home after working it and have to go right to sleep. Then on April 29th of this year (2014) I woke up with bad vertigo. All in all it lasted a whole month. I also had pins and needles all over my body, sometimes just in arms or legs or trunk and sometimes all over(I am sure it's unrelated to this other medical issue I have though). On May 2nd my shoulder had an ache and I happen to notice I have a swollen spot in my left arm pit. I didn't pay it much attention at first. But every day after I noticed shoulder hurting it continued to hurt and sometimes have the pins/needles in it. I started checking everyday and the swelling has not gone down since. My daughter in law found a clinic in bigger town about 35 miles north of here that would work with me on payments. I went in to see the doctor there. She told me the vertigo/pins and needles was something neurological and she was going to refer me to a neurologist. She did send me to a local lab and had a bunch of blood work done along with a urine sample taken. She also set me up with my local health department to get a yearly woman's exam. I guess I should mention I work only very part time and have no insurance. She went ahead and prescribed me SMZ/TMP 800-160mg. I was on that for 2 weeks. I then was on 500mg of Penicillin for another 2 weeks. During this time not only did the swollen spot in armpit not go down, but I noticed a swelling just below the left collar bone. The pain in shoulder has gotten somewhat worse and I have a weird feeling in left breast. Not so much pain, not sure how to describe it, almost like pressure?? 

The health department did the in clinic exam and went ahead and sent me to the hospital to have a mammogram done July 16th. The report that was sent to me states scattered areas of fibroglandular tissue, and that no evidence to suggest malignancy is seen.  I called back to doctors and she told me my blood work had come back. My calcium was high, Platelet count was high, TSH levels were low, cholesterol was high and had a very minute amount of occult blood in urine. I had a cancer scare back in 2006 with growths on my thyroid, but they ended up being non cancerous. She told me she was refering me to the same ENT to recheck thyroid. She did prescribe me clindamycin 300 mg to be taken 10 days. However, she was hesitant and said something about since I'd just been on 3-4 weeks of antibiotics already I could get cdif. I filled script but when I researched what she was talking about I decided to not take the new antibiotic. She said my mamogram showed no evidence of breast cancer, so I shouldn't be worried.

Has anyone here had the swollen glands in arm pit for months- even though have taken antibiotics? And has anyone noticed swelling just below the collar bone also? From what I've been able to see online, it appears lymph nodes are above collar bone??? 

I have also noted a slight swelling under the left upper arm. I am sorry this took so long to get out I am just at my wits end as how to proceed. There is cancer heavy in boths sides of my family. Both parents died from cancer (mom - thyroid which spread, dad-mesothelioma) my older brother - lung cancer and 2 of my dads sisters died from cancer. I know one had so many different kinds of cancer, her family donated her body to a teaching hospital in Chicago. 

Rague

Check with IHS

I'm not familiar with exactly what all the requirements are for useing IHS other than must be enrolled with a Nation.    Have you called the national number to see if you could be seen at an IHS facility in a neighboring State or possibly getting a referral/voucher to a non IHS facility?

We have several large Rez in this general area that do have some health care on them but there is also an IHS hospital here in town which is not on any of the Rez.  I know some who come there from another state.  I know of a child they reffered out as did not have the needed care available there.

Winyan - The Power Within

Susan

New Flower

Rague said:

Check with IHS

I'm not familiar with exactly what all the requirements are for useing IHS other than must be enrolled with a Nation.    Have you called the national number to see if you could be seen at an IHS facility in a neighboring State or possibly getting a referral/voucher to a non IHS facility?

We have several large Rez in this general area that do have some health care on them but there is also an IHS hospital here in town which is not on any of the Rez.  I know some who come there from another state.  I know of a child they reffered out as did not have the needed care available there.

Winyan - The Power Within

Susan

Hi and welcome

I am not sure  about insurance option.Are you eligible for subsidies under obamacare? I think you need to do Mamogramm as soon as possible. I know some states offer  free mamograms. Please go back to the Women's clinic, the one which put you on antibiotics and request a dignostic mamogram. I had a swollen lymph node under my armpit. the first thing my doctor did was to send me for mamogram and ultrasound. Unfortunately for me it was cancer.

Good luck and keep us posted

RozHopkins

The other ladies have given

The other ladies have given advice on hopeful payment/insurance help.  When able, you need thorough investigation.  An MRI should pick up everything that could be going on, if anything, rather than a mammogram.  More money but more thorough.  My yearly mamos picked up nothing.  Would you keep us informed please.  I am English and hate the insurance system here, I will be thinking of you.

VickiSam

RozHopkins said:

The other ladies have given

The other ladies have given advice on hopeful payment/insurance help.  When able, you need thorough investigation.  An MRI should pick up everything that could be going on, if anything, rather than a mammogram.  More money but more thorough.  My yearly mamos picked up nothing.  Would you keep us informed please.  I am English and hate the insurance system here, I will be thinking of you.

Any updates?

please check in when time permits.

 

Vicki Sam

disneyfan2008

popping back in to see if any

popping back in to see if any updates!

Denise

jessiesmom1

Underarm lymph nodes

I am certainly sorry that you are having such a rough go of it. I really cannot make any suggestions about the insurance issue but I would like to discuss swollen underarm lymph nodes. 

I was diagnosed with breast cancer even though a mammogram showed no malignancies in my breast. I had swelling in the lymph nodes in my right arm pit. The radiologist said the field of vision of the mammography machine was not big enough to include the axillary lymph nodes. He did an ultrasound which was, of course, suspicious for malignancy. Further diagnostic testing included an excision biopsy, breast MRI and a complete axillary dissection. No tumors/lumps were  ever found in my breast. It is not an everyday presentation of breast cancer but it is also not an unheard of presentation. It is often mistaken for a bacterial infection of the lymph nodes. If antibiotics have not cured the swelling then it is high time that you have additional diagnostics done. This is especially important since you have a strong family history of cancer.

Please let us know how you are doing. I wish you the best.

IRENE

Pixie Dust

jessiesmom1 said:

Underarm lymph nodes

I am certainly sorry that you are having such a rough go of it. I really cannot make any suggestions about the insurance issue but I would like to discuss swollen underarm lymph nodes. 

I was diagnosed with breast cancer even though a mammogram showed no malignancies in my breast. I had swelling in the lymph nodes in my right arm pit. The radiologist said the field of vision of the mammography machine was not big enough to include the axillary lymph nodes. He did an ultrasound which was, of course, suspicious for malignancy. Further diagnostic testing included an excision biopsy, breast MRI and a complete axillary dissection. No tumors/lumps were  ever found in my breast. It is not an everyday presentation of breast cancer but it is also not an unheard of presentation. It is often mistaken for a bacterial infection of the lymph nodes. If antibiotics have not cured the swelling then it is high time that you have additional diagnostics done. This is especially important since you have a strong family history of cancer.

Please let us know how you are doing. I wish you the best.

IRENE

No Insurance

Irene, I cannot help in giving you any information about insurance. If you go to chat room late at nite, their are men on there that knows alot about info. about someone needing insurance, I think they can help you. Usually around 9pm everyone gathers there. Wish you luck, you need insurance bad so you can get some help. Hugs Pixie Dust

Rague

This OP has not been back to

This OP has not been back to the site in over a week.