(no subject)

[dolari]

Dear Universe.

I'm not sure what I've done, but I'm sorry. You can stop piling it on now.

No, really, I couldn't eat another bite of this scrumptious Crises Cake. Really.

Thanks,
Jenn

Comments

[ghostangel.livejournal.com]

*hugs* :(

Just remember...

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

...they (the universe, whatever) might:
...break your body,
...empty your bank balance,
...destroy your property,

but

...they can't "break you", unless you let them.

Take a deep breath, and just stop and think a bit. It may seem bad now, but that will pass. Things will get better if you let them.

And I'm not talking out of my arse (well not that much, anyway). I was in a similar place a few weeks ago.

My computer was misbehaving something horrible; my car's engine just went to half strength and double smoke; I had a car accident that I didn't know about (until the police and insurance people came knocking); and a repair bill that I have to pay. BUT, life goes on, and there are always work-arounds that relieve the stress and problems. And things will get better - the stuff that's important to m,e (pets, house, art and studies) are all OK.

And lastly...

* HUGS *

Re: Just remember...

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

That's really easy to say when the THINGS in your life break down. In my case, my body is falling apart, all in the space of four days. I'm blindsided by something new every day I've woken up since Wednesday. And it's not petty shit like wrinkles or aches, we're talking about being unable to walk today, unable to draw yesterday, and the complete inability to live without overdosing on benadryl to keep the allergies down so I don't puff up into Fat Albert from these damned floors.

I'm sorry if I sound bitter, but I kinda am.

In that case (because it's physical)...

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

...go to the doctor's!

If pain-killers and benadryl are NOT ENOUGH, and you don't know what this is - get yourself to the EMERGENCY WARD if it's that bad. And if it's not, get to your G.P. as soon as you can. I'm not a medical expert, but I know when to go to one, even though in teh past it was the last thing I'd do. Feel bitter all you like, but get help! If this is something you DO already know about (such as alergies), then do what you have to in order to relieve it.

I suffer from sinus migraines myself and certain changes in the weather mean I can't do anything that day. I used to get epileptic seizures that would wipe me out for a day after only 1 minute (and scare the living shit out of me). But those things can be got under control, and the shit that comes with them passes. I also have no less than three friends with MS, and though their conditions steadily deteteriorate, they manage.

Sorry if this sounds extreme. I've had friends do really silly things (like continue to smoke while on HRT) and suffer the consequences (like get blood clots in their lungs) because they thought they "didn't have time" to do the right thing. Prevention is better than cure, aleviation better than suffering when you don't need to.

I don't want this shit to get needlessly worse for you. * HUGS *

Some LJ communities you might try, as well, are allergies, trans_fibro_cfs, and transhealth. I'm not saying that whatever it is that you is related, but it wouldn't hurt to ask questions at these places.

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[emilydm.livejournal.com]

Not to pick arguments or anything, but I need to play devil's advocate. I take Canada's public health care for granted sometimes, a lot more than I ought to. I'm not sure if Australia has a similar system in place? I feel spoiled with the level of care I receive despite my poverty, because I know for sure the US system does not work like this. In lieu of insurance, a patient's level of medical treatment there is based entirely on their ability to pay. No money, no care, too bad so sad. Or if it's an emergency, they'll bill the patient afterward and send the debt to a collection agency. Once the illness or allergy has been diagnosed, medication also costs money. A whole lot more in the US than elsewhere, too.

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

No money, no care, too bad so sad. Or if it's an emergency, they'll bill the patient afterward and send the debt to a collection agency. Once the illness or allergy has been diagnosed, medication also costs money. A whole lot more in the US than elsewhere, too.

What?! That's barbaric! I hadn't considerd that I must admit.

I'm poor myself, but here in Australia if I have a real emergency the ambulance will come and I'll get treatment at somewhere like John Hunter (a training hospital). Later when I get the bill for the Ambulance, if I'm on a disability allowance, or some other forms of concession, they won't charge me. And the emergency wards never charge for basic care. Medications here are at discount rates if you have a concession card. Maybe I'm "spoilt" here in Australia.

That makes things really awkward for Jenn then I guess. But still, its a worry, because the physical symptoms aren't going to just go away by themselves, are they?

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

Jenn, I was only trying to help. If things are the way that emilydm said, then just tell me to "butt out", I'll understand.

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

Health insurance in America sucks, even for those who can afford it.

If one has no health insurance and something minor goes wrong, one might be able to find a reduced cost clinic. There are a few (two, I think) in Austin. If one is further lucky, they will be accepting new clients when you call (if you haven't been there before) and/or have an appointment available that's less than a month away.

Hospitals are not allowed to turn away a patient who has an immediately life-threatening crisis. However, they will certainly be billed for the services they have received. If they're unable to pay, the hospital writes off the cost of the care and, if that happens often, raises their prices to account for the drain. This, of course, means that prices here have inevitably risen to astronomical rates, because the majority of our population does not have health insurance and can't pay the prices that have risen to cover the cost of treating people who can't afford to pay the costs . . . oh, look, circles are pretty. Almost all health care is tied to jobs, because to buy it privately is HUGELY expensive and beyond the reach of almost everyone.

Not all companies offer health insurance to even their full time workers. Part timers are out of the question. Many companies have "opt-in" benefits that they charge their employees for. It's not uncommon for health insurance, if chosen, to cost up to one fourth or more of an employee's paycheck. This applies mostly, of course, to low-skilled employees; highly skilled people often get health benefits from their job as part of a compensation package.

People with no health insurance and chronic illnesses, such as hepatitis, can't receive preventative or maintenance medication or health care, but instead only receive care when something so nasty happens that it immediately threatens their lives. Of course, treating emergencies is more expensive than preventative health care would have been, but hey, we don't give anything away for free in the USA, 'less we're forced to or see a profit in it. Hospitals used to turn away folks who were dying if they couldn't prove health insurance, before laws were passed against that.

Even those who have health insurance are often fucked if something bad happens. Insurance companies place upper limits on how much they'll spend on a case, and have the power to allow or deny treatment regardless of what the doctors say. Also, if you get a nasty disease (cancer, say) that requires LONG courses of treatment, your healthcare provider may only pay for the first $10,000 or so worth of treatment. After that, it's on the sick person and his/her family. People get cancer and choose between treatments and losing their homes.

Also, even if you do have job-provided health care, that may mean that you're stuck in that job. Providers will often deny treatment to "pre-existing" conditions, so that if you find out you have cancer, you can't get health insurance to try and cover the costs--they won't pay for an illness that you had before you joined up.



Um. Hi, Jenn. Sorry you're having a lousy day. Sorry for ranting in your journal. When I began I thought I was going to write one, maybe two paragraphs. If you need anything, give a call, dear.

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[elenderel.livejournal.com]

Hiya,

As an American whose husband refuses to leave his rotten job because he now has what will be termed a "pre-existing condition" by any new insurance company ... I can vouch for everything that's been said about health care in the United States. It really is like that. And the insurance industry has such a powerful lobby in government that there is no hope of change happening any time soon.

Gina

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

>Sorry for ranting in your journal.

Don't apologize. You said what I was gonna say far better than I could, mainly cause I'm typing with my left have, and I tend to sputter when I'm all googly eyed and screaming.

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

It's not like Emily said - it's WORSE.

Health Insurance

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

So your emplorer (might) run the health insurance scheme - gee, that's really different to Australia.

Obver here we have a basic health insurance scheme that comes out of general Commonwealth taxes, called Medicare (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_(Australia)). It subsidises basic healthcare in a number of ways.

In general medical practicioners can "bulk bill" clients and (depending on how much they charge) this is paid for by the Federal/Commonwealth governments. Some medical experts don't bulk bill, or charge more than the refund rate, and it's up to the patient to get a possible refund themselves.

Various other Health Funds (like Medibank Private (www.medibank.com.au)) which insure people for health problems not covered by Medicare, or meet the gap between what's subsidised and charged. In general, employers don't offer Health Benefits as such.

Even so, there are still problems in such coverage. I used to be in Medibank Private and everytinme I went in they'd ask me if I wanted to have a cheaper rate of insurance by dropping coverage such as "plastic surgery". As that was before I had SRS, I'd normal say NO!

In the end however, after my physical collapse of 1999, I couldn't even afford that. It was a deciding factor (that, and the introduction of GST on what was charged for hospital beds) when time came for my SRS (in 2000) and I went to Phiket instead of Sydney. Never regretted that, but lack of coverage meant that instead of having 7 teeth fixed over the last two years, I had them extracted instead (ouch)!

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[iqtech.livejournal.com]

And the worst part is, they are part of what is keeping the costs of medical care high.

How can I say that? Look at computers. The costs have been falling as more people gain access to them and competition heats up.

However, insurances limit access to healthcare to keep costs down thus keeping the costs of medicine and medical technology high because demand is low and so is the competition to create these things.

I realized a long time ago that insurance companies are not in the business of keeping people healthy - they are in the business of gambling on whether or not you will stay healthy and live off the fear of illness. Is it any wonder that the "war on obesity" coincides with HMO's looking for more ways to cut costs by denying coverage to those who are insured?

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[elenderel.livejournal.com]

Absolutely right. I don't see that this "war on obesity" is doing anything; what I do see is insurance companies posting record profits ... just like the oil companies.

I have a similar sentiment towards the pharmaceutical industry - med prices are sky-high, and for what? Drugs that aren't adequately tested for safety? More two-page advertising in all the popular magazines? More 60-second commercials on all the networks? More expensive dinners with drug reps?

I swear, it's enough to turn me toward herbalism ...

Re: Health Insurance

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

>Over here we have a basic health insurance scheme that comes out of
>general Commonwealth taxes, called Medicare. It subsidises basic
>healthcare in a number of ways.

We also have state funded "Medicare." My Doctor stopped taking it when every application he made to it was denied.

Most doctors don't take it anymore for just that reason.

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[amw.livejournal.com]

Is California a special case? I remember going to hospital in California - as a foreigner on holiday no less - and getting treatment for free. I did have to wait 4-5 hours along with all the other people with no insurance, but we did all get treated in the end.

Re: In that case (because it's physical)...

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

Like Texas, California is a strange animal with it's own set of special rules.

...although you just made it a lot more inviting.