Once again it's Friday! Yesterday was my trip to the local sliding scale health clinic.
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It's also so we can find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. Members come here to check in. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
Ok, we do have a diary schedule. But, when you are ready to write that diary, either post in thread or send FloridaSNMOM a Kosmail with the date. If you need someone to fill in, ditto. FloridaSNMOM is here on and off through the day usually from around 9:30 or 10 am eastern to around 11 pm eastern.
Monday:
BadKitties
Tuesday:
bigjacbigjacbigjac
Wednesday:
Caedy
Thursday:
weck
Friday:
FloridaSNMOM
Saturday:
broths
Sunday:
loggersbrat
Mostly it was a pleasant experience. I had one nurse who seemed incredulous I should be on the meds I'm on (she also didn't seem to believe me when I said I don't smoke or drink), but the practicing nurse (aka 'doctor') I saw understood and agreed with all of them. She also wasn't happy with how my lungs sound. It wasn't a good day with rain and the temp dropping, plus the exam room smelled like someone had been sneaking cigarettes in there earlier, and tobacco and my lungs don't get along at ALL.
She wants some blood work done to look into the seizure issues I've been having, and she's waiting for my medical records to get to her from Orlando where I used to go. I go back next month for a recheck, to find out what's going on with my body so far as the seizures go, and hopefully get on something to halt or at least slow them down.
I don't know how much the meds are going to cost, I guess I'll find that out later today when I get down to the pharmacy. I'm hoping there's some type of greatly reduced discount for the clinic patrons, because other wise I'm still where I was except for samples and such. Having access to a doctor is great, but if you can't afford the meds you're supposed to be taking it doesn't do you a lot of good on a day to day basis.
But for right now I'll have my prednisone tomorrow (I have 4 doses left from last month), I have Symbacort and my nebs, and my emergency inhaler. I don't know if she called in the cough med or not, but I'll survive if she didn't, it just makes my life a bit easier.
It always makes me nervous seeing a new doctor. They don't always take my lungs seriously. I hear a lot of "Well my other asthmatic patients" or "My other patients with COPD"... but I'm NOT their 'other' patients. I know my body and I know my lungs. I know what my triggers are and how they react to things. I've been doing this for a long time now, almost 30 years to some extent (yes they've gotten worse, more severe in their reactions and more touchy), but any doctor that won't listen to me, and I've run into many, I'm not happy with. And when I can change doctors I will at that point. At the clinic, and in the situation I'm in, I'm kind of stuck with whom I'm stuck with. I did hear a bit of "my other patients" stuff, but not enough to set off alarm bells. She also doesn't seem to get the point that I can't afford to be on what I need to be on. My meds cost more than our utility bills if I get all of them. We just don't have it. I get the two I can afford and make do. You would think working in a sliding scale clinic she would understand that. I know my breathing isn't well managed right now. I've done the best I can do. Lecturing me about it isn't helpful.
In Orlando if I didn't like the staff at one clinic I could go to one in a different location. Here there is only one. Hopefully things will go smoother next time, once she gets my medical records. Hopefully things will stay at least how they were today. Otherwise my only hope for really getting a doctor that understands how my lungs work and will do something to at least make them manageable will be this stupid State doing something intelligent, like expanding medicaid.
So what is your experience with your doctor? Do you like them? Did you get to keep them if your insurance just changed? Do you have more options or less if you run into a situation where you just can't stand the doctor you have?