Any Advice Afterwards?

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Zay
Regular User
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2019 4:09 pm

Any Advice Afterwards?

Postby Zay » Sat Feb 22, 2020 1:18 am

Let me start this off with saying I don't have insurance and between the wisdom teeth incident and Cdiff we paid about 6k in medical stuff this last 6 months so needless to say at this second I am broke, so any other medical stuff would have to wait a few weeks to a month or so.

However, it has been over a month and I know it takes time to heal. But I still have frequent pain in my upper stomach, under ribs, and back, and swelling in my colon (upper tummy...you can't see any distention just feels...fat...I guess), and I am not worried about the bms, and lots of fatigue.

Since I don't have insurance I don't have a regular doctor and I was going to the ER to be treated for the cdiff but I feel like maybe I should go to the doctor just to make sure everything is okay.

My question is, I can't go to the ER for that so will an urgent care be able to check me out or direct me to decent GI doctor that can? Should I call straight to the GI doctor and fight with them until they set up an appointment? The last one nearly refused to see me without a referral until I started crying on the phone and then I regretted going there because he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box.

Also, I heard people saying you can still have it even without fevers and wd should I need to ask for another test? This doesn't really feel like the last 2 times so I don't know if this would be a waste of time/money or not.

I just want to get checked out and make sure everything is...okay enough and not sure where to turn for help since I don't have insurance. Sorry in advance if these are dumb questions.

beth22
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: Any Advice Afterwards?

Postby beth22 » Sat Feb 22, 2020 2:17 am

If you don't have insurance, you don't need a referral to a GI. Ask around and see who is good and make an appointment with that person. Urgent care doctors are not of much use unless you have an acute illness, so I would not waste my time or money going there unless you feel that you have a relapse with D, etc.

Zay
Regular User
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2019 4:09 pm

Re: Any Advice Afterwards?

Postby Zay » Sat Feb 22, 2020 4:16 am

Thank you Beth for your reply and to help me not waste time/money. I didn't know that I didn't need a referral, the last GI made such a huge deal and tried to refused me so I just assumed all of them would be similar.

Yeah there is no D, so an urgent care doctor will be useless. I will shop around then, thank you.

D1dad
Regular Contributor
Posts: 319
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:34 pm

Re: Any Advice Afterwards?

Postby D1dad » Sat Feb 22, 2020 8:17 am

I’m in the insurance industry (group benefits) and can tell you I sympathize. I talked to hundreds if not thousands of employees a yr and have a 6k deductible which needs to be paid before my insurer pays a dime. My son is a college baseball player/pitcher and needed Tommy John Surgery and I just now paid it off. More times than not, I speak to single parents who make very good money yet can’t afford the $800 a month to cover their kids so they’re on government assistance. It’s sad but that’s what it’s there for. Most hospitals have assistance programs that can eliminate most, if not all your bill and the income limits for say a family of 4 are quite high. Don’t feel embarrassed to take advantage of it. I knew a guy who sat in his home having a heart attack because he was afraid to go into debt. Nice huh. Point is, take care of your health and worry about the rest later. My bill when I had cdiff was $1600 for a trip to the Er which consisted of an iv and stool test....maybe a few hrs. My wife needs a scan do to female issues and tried putting it off and that wasn’t happening.

Zay
Regular User
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2019 4:09 pm

Re: Any Advice Afterwards?

Postby Zay » Sat Feb 22, 2020 2:30 pm

Yeah, it's stressful. My husband makes decent money, and his net gross sounds like a lot but he only takes home about half that and a good chunk also goes to child support. But because it looks like he makes a lot I don't think I am eligible for much assistance. We waited to put me on the insurance (regret the decision now) until his kids got off because it brings it up to 500 a month and individually it would still be about the same for me which is gonna make things very tight, but come this fall we are putting me on anyway.

I was healthy for nearly 10 years then all the sudden by body decided to get sick in many different ways. When it rain it pours.

Thanks D1dad, I guess I am going to have to just bite the bullet and get in to get checked out

D1dad
Regular Contributor
Posts: 319
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:34 pm

Re: Any Advice Afterwards?

Postby D1dad » Sat Feb 22, 2020 3:36 pm

There’s no shame in filling out the paperwork. You’d be surprised what people can make with children and still be considered Poverty level. Now understand, doctors bills generally will not qualify, just hospitals/emergency rooms.

D1dad
Regular Contributor
Posts: 319
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:34 pm

Re: Any Advice Afterwards?

Postby D1dad » Sat Feb 22, 2020 3:39 pm

Also keep in mind that any life event will allow you to get on his health insurance before open enrollment. There’s an extensive list so google will be a huge assistance and who knows, maybe you qualify.

Zay
Regular User
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2019 4:09 pm

Re: Any Advice Afterwards?

Postby Zay » Sat Feb 22, 2020 5:53 pm

I will definitely be looking into all of this, thank you so much! I appreciate all the advice as I am super unfamiliar with how it works. I will be spending this weekend on Google!


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