Annually45,000 Americans die from lack of health care. That’s a Harvard statistic. At this writing, CNN is disputing the spending of federal funds on Afghanistan and citing the need for Americans to have health care. As if the tax dollars spent on one, limit the spending on others. We all know, when in doubt, the country will just print more money or find the cash to pork barrel in whatever politicians deem fit. What’s a few trillion spent here and there after all?
I guess, according to the protagonist on the show, you and I could argue those 45K uninsured fatalities for hours. I’ve never been one to get involved with politics and I’m not going to on this forum.
I am however, going to state what it’s like to have no insurance and need diagnostic tests. I’ve steered clear of the details of my health issues lately. I don’t like feeling as if I’m on display and I’m not a sympathy seeker either. But possibly, this can illustrate a point to those who waffle or who get stuck on topics like funding, budgets, statistics or political arguments. This issue is about humans not policies. Spend some time thinking about the cost in human factors if even one of those 45K were your mother, spouse, sister, friend or child. You’d stop your tea parties and your protests, folks and would likely be holding a sign begging the government to cough up some cash to treat your loved one…
Here’s my latest health gig in brief:
I’ve been having a series of increasing medical problems- the short list are:
- Confusion
- Inability to control my fingers, feet, limbs etc to the dexterity I should. (typing is hard, as though I know what my fingers should do, but their movements are clumsy).
- Mental fogginess
- Listing to one side- not dizziness, but rather feeling like I’m tipped
- Headaches
- Uncontrollable shaking after these events
- Spontaneous bleeding from my gums/nose
- Increasing white floating spots in my left corner of my eye
- Short term memory loss
- Alternating insomnia and sleepiness
A week ago, we thought we had this pegged, with some early tests as a blood issue. Then Thanksgiving day, I had what looked like a mini stroke, or seizure or other nasty choice in public. I was at the store in the morning on the holiday with my 17 year old. As I’d not been feeling well for several weeks, my grocery shopping was limited. My daughter and I went to pick up items so I could cook for the gang of my kids the day after Thanksgiving. While there I had a scary event. Honestly, had she not been with me, I couldn’t have found my way out of the store. I got so confused and had an episode of nearly all the above symptoms- plus a new weird item- I was speaking in numbers NOT words. Last I checked, that’s rather terrifying to know what your brain is supposed to do and not be able to make your mouth do it…. And when I got in the car, I discovered I had been drooling out of the right corner of my mouth… Most normal people would be right in the car, on the way to the ER or even call an ambulance (this costs a minimum of $100). However, knowing that an ER visit would incur another several thousand dollar expense, I waited it out even though my family threatened me heavily…. And waited and waited…. Till the doc who is kind to me fiscally was back in the office yesterday…
I’ve played every scenario in my head for weeks now… Where most people would have scurried off to a physician, those of us without insurance wait it out.
Here’s why- something like this, to rule out the ugly possibilities- will take diagnostic testing. Testing that costs thousands upon thousands of dollars. This is why you hope the numbness in your brain is temporary, a fluke based on diet. So you try a few weeks of eating better, drinking less coffee, sleeping differently. Then you cling to the minutes of feeling improved, that you’ve discovered your own cure. When symptoms reappear or worsen, you research and you try other means of trial and error.
Then when horrible symptoms happen, you still do the same- only hoping you’ll find a doc who can offer some enlightenment without costing you and arm and a leg… today I ‘m headed to the hospital for a few thousand dollar test- it’ll be over in less than an hour, but it’ll take me a year or two to pay for… An MRI of my brain/brain stem. If that shows nothing, we might end up back at square one… and I’ll have to weigh, with my doc the pro’s and con’s of spending versus the likelihood of having whatever disorder proposed and the cost….
Is this really America? Land of the free? It doesn’t feel free to me today, when I am trading health today for years of my life paying…years that will cost my kids in money I could give them for college or to pay for a wedding for them. However, it should be pointed out that I’d like to also be around to see them marry or graduate from college so going today and for other tests later will most likely be necessary…
Ick.