Slowly Jumping Through Hoops

I was reading the other day an editorial about someone who felt that nationalized health care would increase lines and wait times. I have one thing to say to that: how is that any different from today?

I have been referred to both a cardiologist and a neurologist to try to figure out what the heck is going on. Everyone seems to think that I can wait indefinitely for tests and results and decisions. I understand that things cannot happen fast, but 6 weeks has gone by, I’ve had no paycheck during that time, savings has run dry, and my STD insurance is almost out, but never got approved due to a delay(2 weeks or so) of my doctor’s office to respond to their inquiries. It is very frustrating. So someone arguing that nationalization of healthcare will make wait times longer does not seem well-supported. It is because our system is so fragmented that things take a long time as it is.

For example: Doctor A must tell Insurance A that Patient A is going to Specialst C and why. Insurance A must tell Specialist C they will pay for Patient A. Patient A waits and waits. Medical files are requested by Specialist C from Doctor A. Doctor A sends said medical files. Specialist C sees patient, reviews files, orders tests. Then…Testing facility receives request from Specialist C. Testing facility contact Insurance A to be sure they will pay for procedure. Insurance A responds yes, and Testing center calls Patient to schedule. Patient gets in, and again the fragmented process keeps repeating itself.

Compare this to going to the hospital….Things happen within days instead of weeks. Why? Everything is centralized. All testing facilities are in the same location and all doctors are there as well. The patient’s complete records while at the hospital are available. Everything is streamlined.

The good news is that we seem to be getting close to a diagnosis and either a “fix” or method of managing things. The bad news is that if it is what I am now suspecting, I might be going in for a bypass surgery in the next few weeks. I’m making a large leap of logic here, but it doesn’t seem unreasonable to me.

A couple of weeks ago I visited my office to see everyone. I am very glad that I did. It was very upbuilding and it showed me the difference I make in other people’s lives justby existing. That is always comforting. I am anxious to get back to work but cannot push myself because I get worse. When I don’t push myself I feel better and so think I can push myself….Repeat.

Sorry I haven’t written for a while. I’ve been frustrated and working the phones trying to sort everything out and stay in the loop with all parties involved. I feel like I should have made a central database with online access and asked all of my doctors, insurance people, and medical testing people to schedule and manage everything there. It would make my life easier, but unfortunately is not legal. My BP’s have been 140’s over 80-100’s. Not good. It seems to be related to my language and memory problems (at least anecdotally). At this point, I’d be all for a bypass surgery and weeks of recovery if it meant this crap was done with. I won’t know for another two weeks at least.

I might simply go to the hospital to get things done faster. There’s probably a down side I’m not thinking of, though.

Comments

[Tom Sheepandgoats]

Wow. Prayers are with you, Screech. It all sounds very frustrating and unsettling. Did your shepherding call with Bro H ever turn out? I can identify with much of what you say, as I once did go through a long period of diability, for which the family was not well-prepared, and during that time, finances were very precarious.

I've sometimes told older ones in the cong whose health is deteriorating that, soon enough, I'll be where they are now. It's the nature of life in this system. It does take it to an entirely different level, though, when health problems seem to crop up prematurely.

But it's good news that no brain problems exist (or that there is "nothing there", as the doctor's said :-) )

Somewhere along the line, I learned to (attempt to) envision actual life as "the Game of Life," in which you move your piece around the board, and land on this space or that. Some spaces are good, some are decidedly bad. But another turn always comes...whatever space you are in is but temporary....and then you are somewhere else.

Oversimplified, to be sure, but to some extent helpful, at least to me. It seemed to encourage flexibility, and rolling with the punches.

Best wishes to you and yours.