I have spent a lot of time on the computer doing research and filling out information forms to even get to talk to someone about health insurance. While there are many companies out there I am finding high deductibles and high prices per month. I’m not too concerned about co-pays, but I do need to have a decent health insurance that will cover doctor visits, medications, lab work, and testing supplies.

In talking with the office staff at my primary doctor I learned the one company I had hoped to get insurance from was one she never heard of. Now I realize my doctor takes many different insurances, but having one that was never heard of rather unnerved me. I am not about to get involved with a company that could be a fly by night operation.

Calling my doctors’ offices will be my next move. Perhaps one of them can give me some insight as to what companies will be available. I am especially going to contact my endocrinologist as that one might give me a better idea of what health insurance companies will cover me with the diabetes.

I find it very frustrating to not be able to pick and choose like other people can. Having diabetes is bad enough, but to have someone tell me no when it comes to maintaining health insurance is disheartening. When I do find a company that will help me secure insurance I will be sure to let my readers know.

Perhaps I am lucky because I have healthcare through my workplace. However, will the company continue to pay for health care for me or will I end up paying more? Just recently I was ill and had to have a bout of some expensive medicine (see blog on Levaquin). I was shocked when I went to pay for this as it was $50 above my coverage. Then I have to pay another $70 for a nasal spray and an inhaler. How can people who have little or no health care afford this?  The truth is they can’t. That’s were Obama comes in. He is saying we should all be able to have good health care. Now picture this: Mom gets sick, goes to the doctor ($20 co pay here), then to the drug store. Sorry, the medicine costs more than she has in her wallet or bank account. Now she has to go home and worry about getting sicker because she couldn’t afford the medicine. Is Obama going to make this go away? Is he going to make sure Mom and others like her who don’t have a lot of money will be able to afford such medication as Levaquin if necessary? Or the $35 bottle of Nasaonex which cost me an additional $35 over my insurance?

Until I see this with my own eyes, I don’t believe the health plan will go as expected. Many people were opposed to it, but the legislature still passed it. Are we doomed for health care? Will there be enough doctors to see all the patients who are ill? Right now I can’t get into my family doctor as she never seems to have hours open during the week when I am ill. Lately I talk to the nurse practioner or to a nurse who relays my message or inquiry and then talks to the doctor between patients, then calls me back to tell me what to buy over the counter. Is this good doctor-patient relationship? No, it’s not. For someone like me with an ongoing illness, this worries me further as there may be times when I really do need my family doctor. I don’t believe she will be there for me. This is going to make more people run to the emergency room for help. Then the emergency rooms will be too full of people who really aren’t there for an emergency so they will tie up the people who are really ill and need help immediately. Yes, I do believe this all may backfire. It remains to be seen just what will happen in the next months and years.

Pray for America. We need all the help we can get.

Alex was waiting for me since I had been told I wouldn’t be able to drive for 5 hours after the procedure. When we got home I got the ice pack out and used that on my back, resting comfortably for 20 minutes. Then I took a nap! Felt much better upon waking and just went about the rest of the day as though nothing major had happened. I was still aching a bit when I went to bed, but when I got up the next morning I felt great. While I have to be careful about lifting things, I must admit this was a blessing for me to have that epidural. I have to do some back strengthening exercises, mild ones, for the next 4 weeks, but they are simple and don’t take a lot of time to do. I have to call the dr. next Wednesday to let him know how I am doing.

This whole health issue starting from the first hospital visit and ending with the epidural has taught me that I needed to fight to get better. No one should have to go to any length to find a doctor to help cure the problem. For me it was bouncing from the GI doctor to the rhumetologist, then the spine doctor. I wish I could have just had the spine doctor while in the hospital. Would have saved a lot of time and money. Lesson learned: fight for the end result when you know there is something wrong with your body. Don’t take the first doctor’s diagnosis seriously if you are still having the problem.