RE: Re: The Uninsured

[Guest guest]

THE UNINSURED

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4. Political Parties Remain Split on Expanding Coverage to Uninsured,

Los Angeles Times Reports

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=5973

[Guest guest]

Cheri...

I understand that you are very concerned about being unemployed...being

unemployed under any circumstance is frightening, but even more so when

one has HCV.

While you are still working and have insurance, ask your doctor to

increase any prescriptions you might be taking and get them refilled a

week or so before it has been a full month. Most of the time, insurance

will cover them even if it hasn't been a full month. My doctor wrote

prescriptions that doubled my dose (even though I still stayed on the

same dosage) and while my insurance was still in effect I would get them

filled as often as insurance covered them--about every three weeks. I

was able to accumulate enough synthroid to last me 3+ months

But you have to be realistic about some things *and* stop worry and

stressing yourself over this. Stress is bad for even healthy people...it

does all types of things to one's body....so it is even worse for us. I

think it is very important that you find a stress reliever that will

work for you. Exercise, yoga, Tai Chi, gardening, volunteering to help

those who have even less than you or with animal shelters....anything

that is relaxing and enjoyable for you...and get's your mind off what

you are going through.

When I go to my battered wimmins shelter and sit and talk with the

people who run them and hear the stories, it sure puts my problems in

perspective. There is a 6 year old boy there who is deaf in both ears.

He wasn't listening to his his dad so his dad decided to teach him a

lesson about listening and jammed screwdrivers into both of his

ears...ruptured both his eardrums and he is now permanently deaf. There

is a 3 year old girl who has been being sexually abused for 1-12 years

because her dad sold sex with her to drug dealers for fixes. How bad are

our problems in comparison? When I am really down and feeling sorry for

myself, I head to the shelter and let me tell you, when I leave, my

problems are the last thing on my mind...and I am much more grounded.

And prepare yourself for the emotional roller coaster that comes with

being unemployed. That was something I never expected and really caught

me off guard. I'd go along feeling positive and all of a sudden I was be

so down and desperate that I didn't see any reason to keep struggling.

But that would pass and I'd be just fine again. Everyone I've talked to

that is unemployed and has been for a while, talks about experiencing

the same thing.

And stop worrying about things like ultrasounds, etc. What does it

matter if you have those tests or not. As I recall, you said you had

cirrhosis...is that right? So okay, you eat liver-healthy, learn to

relieve stress, get enough sleep, etc.

Remember, doctors and hospitals are not necessarily in the business just

to heal...it is money money money. What good does an ultrsound do every

six months if there is nothing that can be done about the results. Well,

it doesn't do you any good, but it sure brings in income for the

doctors, radiologists and hospitals.

People have been dying from various causes in the US because of lack of

medical care since the Brits stole this land from the indigineous

people. You mentioned something about how could they ignore people with

Hep C with all the people dying of Hep C. Well, it isn't just Hep

C....it's AIDS, cancer, bleeding ulcers...you name it and if you don't

have health insurance in this country, you either find clinics for basic

care or you do without. Worrying does you no good at all...in fact it

does more harm than good.

You are not the only person facing unemployment and lack of medical

insurance in this group. Even long term disability doesn't provide

medical care although you do get basic, real basic, survival money. And

if you are unable to work because of health, you can fight to get

disability from social security. From what I hear it's a real fight to

get it, but you are entitled to it and ultmately most people suceed in

their battle with social security.

I've been unemployed since November. I've had no blood work done, no

tests of any type. I did just fine until I ran out of synthroid. And

even then, I learned to live with the effects of being hypothyroid for

several months...until I learned through this group what could happen

with long term untreated hypothyroidism. Scared me and I get off my butt

and started working on getting synthroid. My regular doctor wouldn't

provide me any samples unless I had blood work done. Well, that was out

of the question so I went to my liver guy who went to a thyroid doctor

at the hospital and got me a month's supply. I don't care what the blood

tests would say....I know my TSH is off the charts. Then Bruce suggested

a site: http://needymeds.com and I found the forms to send to my doctor

to fill out and submit to the pharmaceutical company to see if I

qualified for their medicine programs.

So stop worrying and causing yourself stress. Some on this list would

say that God doesn't dish out more than we can handle. Since I am pagan,

I look at things a little differently. I believe that each earthwalk's

purpose is for us to learn lessons we need to learn until we reach

ultimate spirituality. And when I think on this time of unemployment

I've endured, I have learned lessons....important lessong and some that

don't seem so important but might be very important in my spiritual

growth. I've certainly learned to do without things that are unnecessary

but pleasurable and have learned to find pleasure in simpler, less

material ways. I've learned a much greater appreciation of those who

have less than I have...although I've always done a lot of volunteer

work with battered wimmin and children, the elderly and the homeless,

I've learned a whole new appreciation of what these people go through.

Hang in there, Cheri. Everything always works out for the best. There

are lessons to learn on the way and some of them are quite difficult.

That is when you turn to your support network...be it this list, your

family, your friends or a therapist. And remember, that all those tests

you are worried about don't mean anything if there is nothing you can do

about the results...well nothing other than line the pockets of some

doctor or hospital.

Tatezi

runabout_104 wrote:

> ...I know there hs got to be help out there for the uninsured--just

> got to find it. I....I hv heard it is recommended we get an ultra

> sound every 6 months, but how

> are we suppose to do something like that with no insurance!! That's y

> I don't see how most of these statistics on the deaths of hep C can be

> anywhere accurate due to the ones who hv insurance vs the ones who

> don't. Thus, some people are dying because of they can't get medical

> care. ...cheri

>

>

--

" It is in the shelter of each other that the people live. " ~Irish

proverb~