MY HEALTH

on January 17 i was rushed to the hospital on oxygen, unable to breathe.  i have always panicked when i cannot catch my breath, and this was one of those occasions.  i was going to drive myself to the hospital emergency room, but felt too weak and disoriented to do so.  so, the paramedics got to give me a ride............ for $501!!

of course, once at the hospital, i had to wait forever to be seen, even though brought in in an ambulance.  i sorta passed out once, got quite dizzy and was having much difficulty in breathing the whole time...........

the paramedics had given me oxygen before and during the trip to the hospital.  once at the hospital, i was never given oxygen again.  once i did get into an examination room, a young (and nice looking) doctor came in and immediately began speaking to me as if i were a child or something.  he was very condescending, uncooperative, and more or less made it sound like i was psychotic, not sick.  i explained to him that i couldn't breathe, was having severe palpitations, where my heart would speed up and then almost stop, then race again, etc.  they DID run an ekg, and found i was having a slight irregular heartbeat, but according to him, nothing to be concerned with.  i was born with a heart murmur, so just figured since i was nearing my second childhood, i was once again going through this. 

i do agree with the fact that i was probably making my condition worse by panicking, but had no control over that matter.  i completely relaxed when the paramedics gave me the oxygen.  i just wanted to BREATHE!!!

well, the doctor told me there was nothing he could do for me..........that i had such a lengthy history of conditions and wasn't taking meds for them, he could not do anything for me at this point.  i knew i had a severe sinus infection, and he never even checked my sinuses.  i asked for a shot to decrease the congestion in my head and a shot of an antibiotic to help start me on the process of recovery.  he claimed there was no such shot for the congestion (lie.....i know there are numerous shots for different types of congestion, or maybe even some breathing treatments) and that since i was allergic to penicillin, there was nothing he could give me in a shot (also a lie, since i know that other antibiotics come in shot form).  he put on my "diagnosis form"  that i had sinusitis, fever, panic attack and non conforming to med schedule.................I DON'T HAVE INSURANCE NOR MONEY TO PAY FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no wonder so many people in this world either just die before their time or go postal on the world...........there isn't enough help out there for those of us that work our butts off for minimum wage and get no health care.  my hours have been cut at work to about 18 a week..........now how can someone live on that?????  i put in applications everywhere for better jobs, but never get any nibbles back.  i applied for the "Catalyst" free meds program, and that worked fine until it was time to reapply and have the card reinstated.......... you have to call in a month before the card expires and renew.........i was homeless at the time and had no phone or funds.............so now no meds.

i am not claiming to be a victim here........... i just want to know how the average person can possibly know where to turn to find help with their lives???????  i am a fairly intelligent woman, and I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE WHERE TO TURN. 

so how does the man or woman who may have a slight mental disability, or who has no education and doesn't know where to start and what to do get help???  one of my first steps was going to my local county Dept of family and children services.  they give you a long list of agencies that help...........but you never can get through to them.  if i am at a pay phone what good does the number do me if i cannot get a call back asap?  when people need help, they need it immediately, not 6 months down the road...............

i just wish there was a simple and easy answer to the problem of  health care in this country.  we have made some great accomplishments in recent years, but the problem of getting the information out to the public that needs it is still major.

i will probably continue to have these panic attacks and health scares until either i find a job that pays well and/or provides health insurance, or until i die.  i pray it is the job instead of death.