SoldierOfLight
Member
It did inure a nerve and I couldn't extend my arm for almost a month. She could've taken concern at that time rather then leave it as is.
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I had a stroke.
- Thread starter Mineshaft_Gap
- Start date
- Status
It did inure a nerve and I couldn't extend my arm for almost a month. She could've taken concern at that time rather then leave it as is.
You didn't include that part, but I am not sure what she could have done differently unless you told her exactly what was wrong.
Sucks that it happened and I hope you sought out some help after it happened to heal it faster.
Sorry I had to laugh at the thought of trying to explain "air borne Chlamydia like infection" to people. Sounds like one of those falsehoods that high school kids tell each other about sex.
Mineshaft_Gap
4077th
This was my intention. I posted in that thread and this was a reference to that op.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Reading these horror stories about the US healthcare system is nothing new, but it's always infuriating, every single time.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that, not just the stroke and the pain but the fact that the system has failed so miserably to take care of you, mostly because you aren't rich. Absolutely blood-boiling.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that, not just the stroke and the pain but the fact that the system has failed so miserably to take care of you, mostly because you aren't rich. Absolutely blood-boiling.
GregLombardi
Member
It's fine. I've laughed about it since that date, because that's how you get through ridiculous things in life. That was how it was described to me. I still don't know what the actual thing was, I just know it took 3 drugs before I got my hearing back, and about 10 doctors.
Stormhammer
Member
A cousin of mine in her mid 20s had a stroke recently that turned out to be from her birth control. I don't recall the brand or anything but it seemed to be a bigger concern for this particular brand and thought I should bring that up in case you were taking any. I only skimmed through the thread a bit so I apologize if what triggered the stroke has been mentioned.
Contact the hospitals and ask if they have a need based fund. I had some issues between college and getting a job that racked up about 15k in bills. I went in and talked to the administrative staff, filled out some paperwork, and they elected to comp the whole thing. Like genuinely every last penny. Thinking of that, I should donate to that fund at some point soon.
In short, talk to the people at the hospitals... they might be able to help you out.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
OP, how old are you!?
I'm incredibly lucky that my husband has good insurance. Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Even so, when we moved for some damned reason the school here demanded the kids all have physicals before they could attend. A public school mind, and not for sports, just for getting in the damned door. An appointment with a doctor would have had them waiting for over a month, so the school told me to take them to a walk in clinic.
Even with insurance, I had to pay 60 dollars for each kid for a doctor to listen to their heart and check their ears. The bill before insurance was 500 each. This was of course on top of waiting for 3 hours to get them seen.
So even with insurance the costs can pile up. And it's gets so fucking confusing. I have a serious autoimmune disease, so I have several different doctors, have to have tests run a lot, etc. It's not uncommon for me to receive in one month:
A bill for 40 dollars from a lab that tested my blood
A bill for 20 dollars for a doctor that looked at my xray in another state
A bill for 70 dollars for the xray
A bill from my rheumatologist for a check up, 40 dollars
A seperate Bill for 40 for the steroid shot he gave me
a 175 dollar bill for another rheumatologist appointment
200 from the orthopedic doctor
Etc etc
Why can't it all be combined into one fucking Bill? Ugh
Sorry for the double post, just wanted to share this video:
https://youtu.be/2aTFThB8D4M
It's important for everyone to know the signs of a stroke so they can react as fast as possible and get themselves or someone else to the hospital
https://youtu.be/2aTFThB8D4M
It's important for everyone to know the signs of a stroke so they can react as fast as possible and get themselves or someone else to the hospital
Pagusas
Elden Member
Seriously listen to this man, Bankruptcy is not a good idea, even when it seems like the easiest way out. 1. your debt is negotiable, 2. There are non-profits and systems in place to help aleviate some of the hardship, 3. Most every hospital WILL work with you on reducing the debt WAY down if you are a strong negotiator, as something is better than nothing to them. Lastly, you dont get to decide what debt gets errased in Bankruptcy, its not a big red "erase debt" button, rather the court takes over and you may still be on the hook for a lot of it, with even less ability to handle it now that you've destroyed your credit.
GreenMonkey
Member
Unless you have a lot of assets, you'll be able to get chapter 7 and walk free and clear. By assets I mean savings, boats, a LOT of home enquity, etc.
Wiped like $40k of medical debt with chapter 7, was great. Credit takes a long time to recover but he is never gonna negotiate his way out of the medical costs for a stroke. I saw my bills for my brain hemorrhage - 12 days in the NICU. And I didn't need physical therapy. He's probably looking at bills of AT least 100k.
The problem is that you want to declare after you are done incurring medical bills..OP is getting insurance soon but even then will prob end up with a bunch of costs from physical therapy and such.
Reckless Abandon
Member
Horrifying story. My mother had a series of strokes this year and is mostly paralyzed on one side. Shit definitely needs taken seriously, people, know your stroke symptoms. The main thing we've been taught is the FAST method. Stands for face, arms, speech, and time. Face drooping, not being able to raise both arms, affected speech/swallowing, and time (as in reacting to these symptoms quickly).
And yeah it's frustratingly bad how hard it is to get help at hospitals sometimes. We've been in and out of 3 of them all year and while there are no doubt truly helpful people there, the whole experience has soured me on hospitals and our health care system in general. There were multiple times I was trying to talk to a doctor while they were trying to walk away from me. You really have to be your own (or your loved ones) advocate and make sure you are heard, or else you'll likely not get the care you need/deserve. My small family just through the hospitals/doctors took care of everythig for you. Nope. You need to maintain your own records, make sure your symptoms are known, and make it clear if you have issues with your treatment (or lack thereof).
Best of luck OP. My thoughts are with you.
And yeah it's frustratingly bad how hard it is to get help at hospitals sometimes. We've been in and out of 3 of them all year and while there are no doubt truly helpful people there, the whole experience has soured me on hospitals and our health care system in general. There were multiple times I was trying to talk to a doctor while they were trying to walk away from me. You really have to be your own (or your loved ones) advocate and make sure you are heard, or else you'll likely not get the care you need/deserve. My small family just through the hospitals/doctors took care of everythig for you. Nope. You need to maintain your own records, make sure your symptoms are known, and make it clear if you have issues with your treatment (or lack thereof).
Best of luck OP. My thoughts are with you.
This is good advice but I wanted to correct you in the fact that the op is a part of GirlGAF.
Speaking of Mineshaft_Gap, do they think the stroke was birth control related?
YourMaster
Member
I'll do you one better. My mother had a TIA, did not know what was going on or what it was but knew it was strange. After morning coffee when her left side was still having the strange tingly sensation you describe in the OP she went to the GP who recognized what she described as stroke like symptoms and she had to go to the hospital where he had called ahead she was coming. This is all in a Dutch hospital by the way.
There they kept took her in but kept her waiting for about 6 hours without giving her the ability to eat, mind you, she's diabetic. Eventually they gave her blood thinners and took her to the stroke ward for overnight observation.
There she woke up experiencing a stroke, pressed the emergency button calling for a nurse, telling her she's having a stroke. But the night-nurse insisted she wasn't because she came in with a stroke. The nurse won the battle as my mother could now suddenly not get out of bed anymore because she was severely paralyzed so the night nurse could go about her business.
The next day they found she now has severe brain damage, will never walk again even after spending a few months in a dedicated facility for recovering stroke victims. Before she was a healthy, active woman in her fifties with still some big plans in live.
TLDR: She had insurance, was already in a hospital, recognized her stroke, is now still paralyzed for live.
There they kept took her in but kept her waiting for about 6 hours without giving her the ability to eat, mind you, she's diabetic. Eventually they gave her blood thinners and took her to the stroke ward for overnight observation.
There she woke up experiencing a stroke, pressed the emergency button calling for a nurse, telling her she's having a stroke. But the night-nurse insisted she wasn't because she came in with a stroke. The nurse won the battle as my mother could now suddenly not get out of bed anymore because she was severely paralyzed so the night nurse could go about her business.
The next day they found she now has severe brain damage, will never walk again even after spending a few months in a dedicated facility for recovering stroke victims. Before she was a healthy, active woman in her fifties with still some big plans in live.
TLDR: She had insurance, was already in a hospital, recognized her stroke, is now still paralyzed for live.
Disheveled_Zen
Member
Glad to hear you are safe now, the important part is you are still alive and can continue on with life. I had a "stroke like event" a couple weeks ago so I know what you are going through. Had all the symptoms, got rushed to the ER for them to tell me they have no idea what happened to me.
I am lucky enough to have insurance, but I can see what my bill would be without it so I know what you are facing. I also know how each day can be a struggle when every little twinge, pain, and ache, can send you into a panic that you are having another event.
For paying the bills, I would contact the hospitals bill department. Every hospital has funds set aside for people who cannot pay their medical bills. They will make you submit a lot of paperwork and forms, but a lot of times you can get your bills down by tens of thousands if you are able to prove your income does not afford you the ability to pay the entire bill. Most hospitals also offer monthly payment plans as low as $5 or $10 bucks a month, which of course they don't tell you about up front. It may take you decades to pay it off, but its better than it going to collections or declaring bankruptcy.
Lastly, make sure to keep everyone close to you in the loop about how you are feeling. I tend to be someone who bottles up the issues they are facing, but after two big medical scares this year, I found talking to those close to me about how I was feeling helped a lot to pull me away from a lot of anxiety. If you ever want to chat with someone who has gone through most of what you have, feel free to send me a pm.
I am lucky enough to have insurance, but I can see what my bill would be without it so I know what you are facing. I also know how each day can be a struggle when every little twinge, pain, and ache, can send you into a panic that you are having another event.
For paying the bills, I would contact the hospitals bill department. Every hospital has funds set aside for people who cannot pay their medical bills. They will make you submit a lot of paperwork and forms, but a lot of times you can get your bills down by tens of thousands if you are able to prove your income does not afford you the ability to pay the entire bill. Most hospitals also offer monthly payment plans as low as $5 or $10 bucks a month, which of course they don't tell you about up front. It may take you decades to pay it off, but its better than it going to collections or declaring bankruptcy.
Lastly, make sure to keep everyone close to you in the loop about how you are feeling. I tend to be someone who bottles up the issues they are facing, but after two big medical scares this year, I found talking to those close to me about how I was feeling helped a lot to pull me away from a lot of anxiety. If you ever want to chat with someone who has gone through most of what you have, feel free to send me a pm.
GhostWriter24
Member
This is so scary...
You would be astounded at how negotiable hospital debt is. If the OP is low income (most people in their early twenties are) it's 100% possible that they can qualify for charity care.
The hospital system I work for regularly writes off hundreds of millions of dollars in medical bills every year through our financial assistance programs.
Again, OP, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME.
I can help you! I sent you a PM. DO NOT FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY
adamsappel
Member
If you suspect someone is having a stroke,
I assume that if there is any difficulty doing those 3 things, seek medical attention immediately.
Mineshaft_Gap
4077th
And now, part two of two part a multi part series on my stroke. I'll post this here and I'll also update the OP
Emergency Room 2: Electromagnetic Imaging Machine Boogaloo Continued...
So, a paralyzed vocal cord is what came back from the CT scan. That's certainly a sign that something bad happened inside my noodle, but what? I hadn't even really noticed, but according to people I'd been in contact with during the first couple days of this event my voice was really fucked up and horse sounding. I kind of just thought I was tired and thus, had some vocal fry going on. The point is I didn't even notice this as a symptom (and neither did ER #1). But to drive the point home... my voice did not sound normal. Which would make sense having had a paralyzed vocal cord I guess, huh? Oh yeah, and to give you bearings on the timeline this is about 28 hours after the very first onset of symptoms (neck pain). Thanksgiving Day.
I said in my first post that the next step after the CT scan was the MRI but now that I've had a bit of time I remember that's not exactly how it went. Following the CT scan I was admitted as a patient into the hospital. I met the doctor who would be my primary care physician for the duration of my stay at the hospital (excepting a short few day stint which I may go into detail about). For the purposes of this post I'm going to name all of my doctors after animals so that it's easier to follow along with the cast of characters. So... let me give her profile and stats real quick.
Dr. Peggy Penguin was nice but as it turns out she was kind of a shit doctor. Her bedside manner was good insofar as she seemed sympathetic and I felt as though she cared. She was also readily available if and when I had any significant questions of requests for medications. That being said, her actions and inaction put my life at risk at worst and destroyed my quality of life while in hospital at best. But hey, at least she was nice? By the way, I'm not giving SPECIAL to any other doctor. They're all zero except for the neurologist(s) who probably saved my life (literally or in terms of things I would have lost if I had more strokes).
While in my room but before my first MRI we discussed the possibilities of what was wrong and more or less things that I don't remember and therefore aren't worth mentioning.
I go for my first MRI.
They move me down to that section of the hospital asking me a TON of questions about whether or not I have any metal inside me. Thank God I didn't get that copper IUD, huh? I answer all of their questions and I recall a small portion of the conversation I had with Dr. Penguin mentioning that MRI's are extremely expensive. "Fuck my life" I think as I lay in the MRI section of the hospital for about half an hour. After that, it's go time.
The MRI people tell me they have Pandora and so I can listen to whatever I want while I'm in the machine. We all know they're lying but I tell them Simon and Garfunkel because I want something relaxing while I'm in the machine. I'd never had an MRI before but I heard that people with claustrophobia have a really hard time with them. Thankfully, I don't suffer from anything of the sort. I have nothing to fear from the MRI machine except for the fact that I have to sit very still for, what would feel like to me, a very long time.
As I said, MRI tests require you to sit very still. There's two details that come into play now that I think you should know. First, I've been kind of sick (cold, mild flu-like symptoms) for a few weeks leading up to this point including right now. Second, I can't swallow, remember? During all of this time I've had an increase in saliva and mucus that I haven't been able to swallow, so I've been spitting it into a McDonald's cup through a straw that I've had with me since I checked into the ER. Yes, this is very gross. Also, the prospect of having to sit still for forty-five minutes to an hour without being able to move and therefore not being able to spit out the pool of mucus and saliva that would accumulate inside my mouth was making me very nervous.
After several false starts ("Wait, wait. Let me spit one more time.") I went in. I don't know how I did it, but I did. Spoiler:
I think Simon and Garfunkel helped. I closed my eyes and basically tried to zen myself to a place where I didn't produce any spit.
I get back onto my travel bed and go back out into the MRI waiting area and wait for someone to take me back up to my room which happens after a relatively short wait. These tests take some time to interpret but not too long, maybe a few hours. I can't remember a whole lot about what happened between the MRI and the results of the MRI. I should note that I don't know who's reading my MRI results. I think there's someone who's job it is to specifically look at these scans and interpret them. Just a reminder, it's Thanksgiving. Later on I'll think that maybe the A-Squad had the day off and it was the B-Squad in charge of interpreting the results of MY MRI.
"Unremarkable."
That's what my nurse tells me based on what she saw in my chart that updates on her computer as changes are made. It was nice of her to give me a little teaser before Dr. Penguin can come in later on to explain more or less the same thing. The MRI does not show anything outside of the ordinary. No lesions, no nothing. According to the MRI I have a normal, healthy brain. But something is fucked up about my vocal cord, so what's the deal?
She thinks it might be viral. Evidently, sometimes the flu can fuck your brain up. So can viral meningitis. An infection of some sort is the path we're on for now and it's the path we'll be on for several days. Doctor Penguin says she had another girl in not that long ago with dysphagia and similar-ish symptoms. Her dysphagia was treated successfully with IV steroids. So she puts me on IV steroids and says they'll have to confirm the infection. How does one do such a thing?
Spinal Tap
Also a swab of the deepest, darkest corner of my nasal cavity. The spinal tap will need to wait until tomorrow, the nasal swab takes place shortly after Dr. Penguin leaves. It's rather uncomfortable as it's like getting a pap smear inside your nose hole. In fact, this is a lot like the brush they use:
Oh yeah, she also ordered more swallow tests. More barium for me.
More like Bari-yum!
Stay Tuned for Part Three. I thought I could write this in a single sitting. Then I thought I could write it in two. Here's hoping third time's the charm. Fuck my life in the meantime and I'll be around to answer questions periodically. Sorry for having to spread this out, it's just taking longer than expected.
Emergency Room 2: Electromagnetic Imaging Machine Boogaloo Continued...
So, a paralyzed vocal cord is what came back from the CT scan. That's certainly a sign that something bad happened inside my noodle, but what? I hadn't even really noticed, but according to people I'd been in contact with during the first couple days of this event my voice was really fucked up and horse sounding. I kind of just thought I was tired and thus, had some vocal fry going on. The point is I didn't even notice this as a symptom (and neither did ER #1). But to drive the point home... my voice did not sound normal. Which would make sense having had a paralyzed vocal cord I guess, huh? Oh yeah, and to give you bearings on the timeline this is about 28 hours after the very first onset of symptoms (neck pain). Thanksgiving Day.
I said in my first post that the next step after the CT scan was the MRI but now that I've had a bit of time I remember that's not exactly how it went. Following the CT scan I was admitted as a patient into the hospital. I met the doctor who would be my primary care physician for the duration of my stay at the hospital (excepting a short few day stint which I may go into detail about). For the purposes of this post I'm going to name all of my doctors after animals so that it's easier to follow along with the cast of characters. So... let me give her profile and stats real quick.
Dr. Peggy Penguin was nice but as it turns out she was kind of a shit doctor. Her bedside manner was good insofar as she seemed sympathetic and I felt as though she cared. She was also readily available if and when I had any significant questions of requests for medications. That being said, her actions and inaction put my life at risk at worst and destroyed my quality of life while in hospital at best. But hey, at least she was nice? By the way, I'm not giving SPECIAL to any other doctor. They're all zero except for the neurologist(s) who probably saved my life (literally or in terms of things I would have lost if I had more strokes).
While in my room but before my first MRI we discussed the possibilities of what was wrong and more or less things that I don't remember and therefore aren't worth mentioning.
I go for my first MRI.
They move me down to that section of the hospital asking me a TON of questions about whether or not I have any metal inside me. Thank God I didn't get that copper IUD, huh? I answer all of their questions and I recall a small portion of the conversation I had with Dr. Penguin mentioning that MRI's are extremely expensive. "Fuck my life" I think as I lay in the MRI section of the hospital for about half an hour. After that, it's go time.
The MRI people tell me they have Pandora and so I can listen to whatever I want while I'm in the machine. We all know they're lying but I tell them Simon and Garfunkel because I want something relaxing while I'm in the machine. I'd never had an MRI before but I heard that people with claustrophobia have a really hard time with them. Thankfully, I don't suffer from anything of the sort. I have nothing to fear from the MRI machine except for the fact that I have to sit very still for, what would feel like to me, a very long time.
As I said, MRI tests require you to sit very still. There's two details that come into play now that I think you should know. First, I've been kind of sick (cold, mild flu-like symptoms) for a few weeks leading up to this point including right now. Second, I can't swallow, remember? During all of this time I've had an increase in saliva and mucus that I haven't been able to swallow, so I've been spitting it into a McDonald's cup through a straw that I've had with me since I checked into the ER. Yes, this is very gross. Also, the prospect of having to sit still for forty-five minutes to an hour without being able to move and therefore not being able to spit out the pool of mucus and saliva that would accumulate inside my mouth was making me very nervous.
After several false starts ("Wait, wait. Let me spit one more time.") I went in. I don't know how I did it, but I did. Spoiler:
I'd have to do this 2 more times.
I get back onto my travel bed and go back out into the MRI waiting area and wait for someone to take me back up to my room which happens after a relatively short wait. These tests take some time to interpret but not too long, maybe a few hours. I can't remember a whole lot about what happened between the MRI and the results of the MRI. I should note that I don't know who's reading my MRI results. I think there's someone who's job it is to specifically look at these scans and interpret them. Just a reminder, it's Thanksgiving. Later on I'll think that maybe the A-Squad had the day off and it was the B-Squad in charge of interpreting the results of MY MRI.
"Unremarkable."
That's what my nurse tells me based on what she saw in my chart that updates on her computer as changes are made. It was nice of her to give me a little teaser before Dr. Penguin can come in later on to explain more or less the same thing. The MRI does not show anything outside of the ordinary. No lesions, no nothing. According to the MRI I have a normal, healthy brain. But something is fucked up about my vocal cord, so what's the deal?
She thinks it might be viral. Evidently, sometimes the flu can fuck your brain up. So can viral meningitis. An infection of some sort is the path we're on for now and it's the path we'll be on for several days. Doctor Penguin says she had another girl in not that long ago with dysphagia and similar-ish symptoms. Her dysphagia was treated successfully with IV steroids. So she puts me on IV steroids and says they'll have to confirm the infection. How does one do such a thing?
Spinal Tap
Also a swab of the deepest, darkest corner of my nasal cavity. The spinal tap will need to wait until tomorrow, the nasal swab takes place shortly after Dr. Penguin leaves. It's rather uncomfortable as it's like getting a pap smear inside your nose hole. In fact, this is a lot like the brush they use:
The results of the nasal swab come in fairly soon: I have parainfluenza. I already knew I was sick so this doesn't come as much of a shock.
Oh yeah, she also ordered more swallow tests. More barium for me.
More like Bari-yum!
Stay Tuned for Part Three. I thought I could write this in a single sitting. Then I thought I could write it in two. Here's hoping third time's the charm. Fuck my life in the meantime and I'll be around to answer questions periodically. Sorry for having to spread this out, it's just taking longer than expected.
Mineshaft_Gap
4077th
I haven't finished my story yet, mister.
If you want to skip ahead here's the gist of part 3.
Spinal tap comes back clean. Nasal swab shows parainfluenza. Doctor still thinks it's a viral infection for several days. I still get several more tests but the doctor does not want to give me another MRI. She thinks another MRI will be a waste since it will probably still not show anything. The last possibility outside of what's already been "ruled out" by the MRI is Multiple Sclerosis ONLY because apparently MS takes about a month to show up on MRI after the onset of symptoms. If it's not a virus it's probably MS but right now Dr. Penguin is CONFIDENT I have a virus.
Meanwhile I "pass" all my barium swallows... more or less. GI comes in to look down my throat and says my vocal cord seems to be a lot better/not paralyzed.
But still meanwhile, I can't swallow. Several days go by in the hospital where food is coming up from the hospital kitchens and I cannot eat any of it. No doctors or anyone else is watching me try to eat or listening to me when I say I can't eat. Nearly a week goes by where I don't eat a single fucking thing. Not via mouth, not via tube. Not until I'm diagnosed with an actual stroke do they take my inability to swallow seriously enough to watch my physically not be capable of eating and give me a tube that will feed me for most of the rest of my stay at the hospital.
My stroke is caught by a second MRI that I get because the neurologists come back after a few days and overrule her edict that another MRI will be a waste. I get another MRI 5 or 6 days into my stay at the hospital. It shows I had a stroke. I get an MRA almost immediately after those results come back. I have an 8-10" long dissection in my vertebral artery. That's " and that means inches and that's not a typo. Eight to Ten inches. The artery in my neck unzipped itself by eight to ten inches. Evidently they missed this in the first MRI somehow and let me go without eating for about a week. That's almost seven days without anything (heparin or warfarin) to prevent another stroke from my EIGHT TO TEN INCH DISSECTION and almost seven days with zero calories per day.
And that's still not all. Still to come.
1. Nurse gives me a blanket covered in shit.
2. Nurses use my bathroom as storage for various pieces of medical equipment leading to me not being able to get to the toilet in time to avoid pissing myself. This story gets worse and is easily one of the most humiliating experiences I've ever had in my life.
3. I finally get a CORPAK. It gets twisted up in my nostril resulting in an extremely painful and bloody (and infected) blister inside my nose. Nobody listens to me complain about it being extremely painful until I've sat in agony for several days. Their response to my pain: it's not a comfortable thing to have but it will get better. Eventually, a doctor physically checks and undoes whatever it did to fuck up in a manner of seconds. Still a bloody painful aftermath. A constantly bloody aftermath because I'm on blood thinners. This happened because the corpak wasn't being lubricated. Evidently that's something you're supposed to do that they weren't doing. Here's how a visit from the specialized nurse who installed it went after about a week of me having the corpak.
Her (after hearing about the painful knot): Have they been lubricating it?
Me: No.
Her: *extremely angry face.*
I get that, it is just i am married to a stroke nurse and she deserves a shit ton of respect for doing the job she does.
You're right...I am out. Hope all goes well.
Mineshaft_Gap
4077th
Maybe you should leave this thread because this story isn't about you or your wife whom I haven't met. Read the above and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Wish I read stuff like this through the ordeal I went through, hospital I went through didn't want to work with me one bit...was awful.
Nomadic Sparks
Banned
:0
RageWaffles
Member
"an 8-10" long dissection in the vertebral artery"
how can a thing like that just happen. jesus...
thanks for continuing your story, mineshaft_gap. It's fascinating and terrifying, and I'm sorry for all the crappiness you had to deal with on top of the medical issues.
how can a thing like that just happen. jesus...
thanks for continuing your story, mineshaft_gap. It's fascinating and terrifying, and I'm sorry for all the crappiness you had to deal with on top of the medical issues.
Mineshaft.... I remember some of your posts and have thought you were a reasonable person. I'm curious about how you ended up with no insurance? I'm not one to criticize...I went through a gap myself(back when children age for insurance was more arbitrary and got my parents plan dropped me at 21). I'm just genuinely curious how Americans end up without insurance.
DanteGhost
Member
I have a couple of family members that are doctors (including my dad) and nurses. I also work on the health care system. And believe me, I've seen really awful doctors and nurses that I pray to god will never have to treat me for any health related issues I might have in the future. I have the utmost respect for doctors and nurses, but fuck negligent ones thet put on risk the life patients like the OP. Incredible how you dissmissed someone just due to personal bias.
Mineshaft_Gap
4077th
Change of employers. I wasn't eligible for X amount of months/open enrollment. It was a gap I thought I could deal with. Obviously I didn't expect anything like this to happen and COBRA is prohibitively expensive.
Zoe
Member
Wait, how long is your gap? Is it too late for COBRA?
Septimus Prime
Member
Yeah, you might be able to get COBRA retroactively still! It's definitely worth a shot.
Platinumstorm
Member
Was your CT with or without contrast, and did ER doc 1 do a neurological exam?
Your case does not sound as clear-cut to me. I see many legitimate pit-falls to be explored, but if I would have been evaluating you first I would like to think I would have thrown you to the radiation gods very quickly [which I don't like to do] after neurologic exam and listening to your neck with my stethoscope, which would hopefully raise flags.
Unfortunately things get missed, and unfortunately things can be complicated.
I had a missed diagnoses in an ER that I self-diagnosed myself with correctly prior to school. When I was admitted to another hospital, I had major drug administration mistake made against me that I advocated for, and wasn't resolved for 8 hours until after I developed significant symptoms. I also went for just shy of a week without food, and lost 35 pounds in the hospital! I was actually never hungry, thankfully.
You'll have to decide for yourself whether to take action on this or not, but I chose not to. However, I encourage you to think about that, and also other avenues that might lead to your bill being paid for without having to file for bankruptcy.
Best of luck with recovery and medical debt.
I wonder why the first MRI didn't show anything? Also, I wonder if the doctors had stroke in their mind at all while they were going through possible diagnoses/tests? Either way, terrible situation all around and sorry it happened. I hope everything turns out okay
Because reading MRIs, like reading X-Rays, is still a hugely subjective task, unfortunately
False negatives are a huge problem...Hope you get better Mineshaft.
Mineshaft_Gap
4077th
We're talking March of this year. I had a job between then that was full time but a small business that didn't offer insurance. It's too late for Cobra I believe. :/
Mineshaft, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I really hope you recover 100%. I also hope that the bill from the incompetent first hospital is erased completely and that you have some legal options there, because what they did to you is unacceptable.
I think you should start a gofundme.
Thanks for sharing this. Your writing style is great and makes for easy reading even though the subject is legitimately frightening.
I think you should start a gofundme.
Thanks for sharing this. Your writing style is great and makes for easy reading even though the subject is legitimately frightening.
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
What's even more fucked up is that US people activly rally against an improved health care. I would be scared as fuck living in the US...
BigJonsson
Member
Scary story Hope you don't have to go through that again
Hope you don't have to go through that againEye for an Eye
Member
As much as the rest of the US is fucked, it makes me really appreciate California. I've had less than caring doctors, but never bad treatment. Even hosptial stays and ER visits have gone smoothly.
OP: I hope your on the road to recovery, and once your insurance kicks in that you get better doctors that can help you.
OP: I hope your on the road to recovery, and once your insurance kicks in that you get better doctors that can help you.
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