Another Health Care 180 degree flip - no rant this time.....

[gimmethesimplelife]

Today I was released after spending three nights in the hospital with gallstone problems. I had a procedure done to have gallstones taken out of my bile ducts and was told that there were many there, some had been there for a long time, and that they were the size of marbles. Creepy. I was to have had my gallbladder out the next day, but there were some abnormalities found with my pancreas so surgery was postponed. I had a CAT scan done that did not show any growths or tumors around the pancreas but one of my tumor markers is still very high so before my gallbladder is taken out I am to have some endoscopic thing done to see what is up with my pancreas. Based on the findings there, I may be losing some of my pancreas too along with the gallbladder. We shall see.

Monday morning, when I admitted myself into ER, I was so sick I just did not have it in me to catch a bus and to deal with Mexicali. We shall see how this works out as to billing. While I was gone I received a letter from DES that my application for Expanded Medicaid was denied due to failure to verify income - I don't even know what to make of that, I really don't. Today when I called the HMO. I was still a member. I have a feeling this may end out being an endurance contest of myself vs. the system - I sure hope not but I can see it headed that way. At any rate, at least I am getting the care I need and I'd say the quality was pretty high.

My mother has also promised me money for an attorney should it get to that, so we shall see. It's hard to focus on getting better when one is so afraid to even check the mail but I'm doing what I can. Rob

[rodeosweetheart]

Oh, Rob, I am sorry to hear you have been so sick and in the hospital! Can the hospital social worker work with you to try to straighten things out with the DES? Sometimes they can do things other people can't.
Glad to hear about the lawyer if need be, and glad you are getting good treatment and some answers as to why so sick!
Sending mega healing vibes your way!

[CathyA]

Oh Rob, I'm so sorry to hear about your illness. Just take good care of yourself now and try not to worry about finances. Everything will work out.
Sending healing thoughts your way! ((((hugs))))

[Float On]

Rob, so sorry you've been sick. Those gallbladders can really cause a lot of pain. Get an appointment with that social worker from the hospital, I imagine you are still having cross-overs from the 3 started applications. That income verification denial sounds like it's still part of that mess-up.

[oldhat]

I can honestly say I know what you're going through. In 1988, at age 33, I started suffering from mysterious stomach pains. I had a few episodes in which the pain nearly doubled me over.

I went to the doctor and was told the likely explanation was stress. Over the next year and half, I continued to have symptoms off and on, with occasional severe attacks of pain. I had multiple medical tests, but none showed anything obviously wrong.

Finally, I woke one night in such severe pain that my roommate insisted on taking me to the ER. It was the ER physician who finally figured out it was gallstones. He said it was highly unusual in someone so young, which is why the other doctors hadn't diagnosed it. I also had developed an infection of the pancreas, and the surgeon had to wait over a week until it cleared up before they could remove the gall bladder. Laproscopic surgery was in its infancy then, and they removed it the old-fashioned way, through a large incision in the abdomen.

The good news is that I completely recovered and was pain-free for the first time in a year and a half. It was like being reborn. I've had no problems since. I wish you the same outcome.

[awakenedsoul]

Sorry to hear you have been ill, Rob. Glad that the quality of care is good. I hope you have the same experience as oldhat. I agree with the above post about stress and illness. It really affects the chemistry of the body. Keep us posted...

[new2oregon]

Rob get well soon. Hope everything works itself out after you get better.

[JaneV2.0]

It looks like you're going to get your gall bladder problems and your insurance glitches straightened out in one fell swoop. Good luck with both.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Thanks for the good wishes everyone. I have an update - as to DES, I faxed them a request for what is known as a Fair Hearing in regards to my denial. It is way past time that I have my chance to explain my side of this story and then see what they need out of me/have to say. I understand that benefits remain active while waiting for a hearing. I also did get a call from Banner Health that found me a surgeon and a GI doctor to do the pancreas photography that are in network so that's done. I also called both my HMO and the hospital and both told me that while in the hospital, as a Medicaid patient I don't have to worry about bills being sent to me as doctors have to charge Medicaid and then write off the rest - (quite likely a reason so many doctors don't like Medicaid and I can't blame them for feeling this way).

So it looks like I am moving forward as I can. Thanks again for the good wishes. Today I am up and ran some errands around town and made some arrangements in regard to school projects and tests and I am holding down applesauce and pudding. Better than on Monday I am today, trust me - it's been years since I have been quite that sick. Rob

[Lainey]

Thanks for the update, Rob. Sounds like at least a little of the stress of managing the bureaucracy while also being sick has been taken care of.
If it means that your insurance is finalized then that will be the silver lining. Take it easy.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Here's another update. At home taking it very easy and gallbladder seems to have mellowed out some, now I'm having pain on and off again from my pancreatitis but it is not overwhelming and I'm grateful for that.

More frustrations I am running into is that the upcoming appointments I have with specialists in town here that were made for me by a scheduling director and I was told that they were in network? Doesn't appear at the moment that they are in network - though I will call the HMO tomorrow and double check, at the moment I am only going by their website directory of providers. So we'll see. Should I need to cancel all further appointments due to no doctors being in network - you guessed it - Mexicali. It's really not that big a deal, really. I'd just have to start all over again with the health care system but the Mexican one doesn't intimidate me so no big deal.

Starting to realize though that there are going to have to be far reaching permanent dietary changes that will have to be made. In a way that even enthuses me as the standard American Diet has not worked for me for years, really - that eat on the run and there's no time to eat right so keep your mouth shut as your health doesn't matter anyway kind of diet. Yuck. Gotta do better than that. I didn't mention in my posts above I think that I was told I have pancreatitis and I have been doing some research on it and it's going to be a challenge.....but OTOH I'm worth eating better. So I'll just have to adapt. Rob

[awakenedsoul]

You can heal so much with diet, Rob. I am amazed at how good I feel when I eat lots of brown rice and vegetables. There's a great book that was popular in the 60's called Food Is Your Best Medicine. Dr. Bieler wrote it. He cured my friend's dad of cancer. He used diet to propel the body into self healing.

Stress is huge, too. Conflict, worry, and fear really affect the body chemistry.

[gimmethesimplelife]

You can heal so much with diet, Rob. I am amazed at how good I feel when I eat lots of brown rice and vegetables. There's a great book that was popular in the 60's called Food Is Your Best Medicine. Dr. Bieler wrote it. He cured my friend's dad of cancer. He used diet to propel the body into self healing.

Stress is huge, too. Conflict, worry, and fear really affect the body chemistry.I agree with this last 100%. One of the management skills for those with pancreatic problems is to get stress under control, to the point of learning to just walk away from situations that set you off. That sounds like a skill I'd love to learn lol lol lol. Right now I am eating really basic - pudding and applesauce but I seem to be doing better today so I'm going to try berries cut up small and cottage cheese and see how that goes.

All the signs seem to be pointing to me living a simple life with an emphasis on diet and self employment and I wonder if I have been bucking this lately? On some level? I have had some real intense pancreas pain lately and yeah, I'll do what I have to do diet wise to keep this under control. And I also wonder AW, if all my crazy years serving - which to me was at times very lucrative and at all times absolute insanity - if that has something to do with my health issues? I remember leaving most shifts angry and with little hope for the future - both my future and the future of the human race. Over a long period of time, this can't be good for the human body/system. I'll look into the book you recommended.

Some good news, though - I called the HMO and both appointments I have this week are in network. So I'm not dusting off the passport just yet lol. Rob

[Spartana]

Sorry to hear about you having to deal with all this Rob - both the illness and the medical insurance hassles. Glad you decided to keep on Medicaid as I do think it will all work out and they will cover you. If you had dropped it as planned you really wouldn't have any other choice in an emergency like this but to pay. At least now you have a documents saying you were approved to back you up. Good luck and get better soon.

[awakenedsoul]

Totally, Rob. I walk away from situations like that, too. I worked in the restaurant biz briefly, and I agree, it's very stressful and dysfunctional. I believe emotions predict the future of the body. I taught yoga for many years, and talked to a lot of students who felt their stressful jobs had given them cancer. I'm glad to hear your doctors are in network. There's a book that shows how the aura reacts to arguments and conflict. I think her name is Barbara Brenan. She wrote Hands of Light. She's a healer in NYC. You can feel that dark energy when there is trouble....

The good news is, the opposite is true. Spend time with people who uplift you, inspire you, and encourage you, (on and off line,) and your body responds. Doing things you love and practicing self care really can speed up healing. Hope you're able to keep eating healthy foods...keep us posted!

[Gardenarian]

Glad to hear you're feeling better!