Monday, September 28, 2009

I HAVE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS





HELP I AM SICK AND I AM UNEMPLOYED. TWO WEEKS AGO I WAS TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM BY AMBULANCE AND ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE DOCTOR INITIALLY TOLD ME THAT I WAS VERY ANEMIC AND MY BLOOD COUNT WAS EXTREMELY LOW, SO LOW THAT I WAS IN NEED OF A BLOOD TRANSFUSION. WHICH WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING THOUGHT. THE DOCTOR SAID THAT I HAD TO BE ADMITTED. I WAS SO AFRAID WHEN THE NURSE CAME IN THE ROOM TO DRAW MY BLOOD, I COULD NOT EVEN LOOK. I WAS SO AFRAID OF WHAT THOSE TUBES OF MY BLOOD WOULD REVEAL. AS I WATCHED THE NURSE CARRY MY TUBES OF BLOOD OUT OF THE ROOM FOR TESTING, SOME HOW I JUST KNEW THAT MY LIFE WOULD BE CHANGED FOREVER.

THE THING IS I HAD NOT BEEN FEELING WELL FOR WEEKS. I WAS NOT ABLE TO EAT MUCH AT ALL, I WAS SLEEPING FOR HOURS AT A TIME. I WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE WALKING, MY LEGS WERE STIFF AND AT TIMES I WAS UNSTEADY ON MY FEET. I ALSO HAD THIS RASH ON MY ARMS, FACE AND STOMACH. I HAD CONVINCED MYSELF THAT I WAS JUST SUFFERING FROM DRY SKIN, BECAUSE I MAINLY STAYED HOME WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING RUNNING ALL OF THE TIME. I WAS IN DENIAL AND I WAS SCARED.

I AM UNINSURED AND UNEMPLOYED. I WAS AFRAID TO GO TO THE ER BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID THAT AS SOON AS THEY FOUND OUT THAT I WAS UNINSURED THAT REGARDLESS OF MY CONDITION I WAS CONCERNED THAT I WOULD NOT GET THE PROPER CARE. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT MY BILL WOULD BE OVER $10,000 AND I HAD NO WAY OF PAYING THE BILL AT ALL.

AFTER BEING ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS, AN INFLAMMATION OF JOINTS AND SURROUNDING LIGAMENTS AND TENDONS. PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS IS AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, MEANING THE CELLS AND ANTIBODIES OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM ARE MISDIRECTED AGAINST ONES OWN TISSUES. RARELY, A PERSON CAN HAVE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS WITHOUT EVEN HAVING OBVIOUS PSORIASIS.

OFTEN THE MORE SEVERE THE SKIN SYMPTOMS ARE THE GREATER THE LIKELIHOOD A PERSON WILL HAVE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS, A FORM OF INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS. I WILL HAVE THIS DISEASE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I AM A YOUNG 51 YEAR OLD WOMAN. I STAYED IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 7 DAYS. MY BLOOD COUNT WAS SO LOW THAT I HAD TO HAVE A BLOOD TRANSFUSION. I WAS GIVEN ONE UNIT OF BLOOD. BY MY LAST DAY IN THE HOSPITAL WHICH WAS SEPTEMBER 11, 2009, I FELT THAT THE ATTENDING DOCTOR WAS RUSHING ME OUT OF THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE I WAS UNINSURED. WHEN I MENTIONED MY CONCERN THAT THE HEMATOLOGIST WAS CONCERNED THAT I NEEDED ANOTHER UNIT OF BLOOD, THE ATTENDING DOCTOR TOLD ME THE HEMATOLOGIST WOULD HAVE TO TREAT ME AS AN OUTPATIENT.

THEN I HAD A VISIT BY THE ATTENDING RHEUMATOLOGIST WHO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT I NEED TO SEE A RHEUMATOLOGIST FOR FURTHER TREATMENT AND MEDICATION TO CONTROL MY DISEASE. HE THEN WENT ON TO SAY TO ME THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO TREAT ME FOR FREE. (I NEVER ASKED HIM TO) AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHY HE SAID THAT EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT HE KNEW THAT I WAS UNINSURED. I ASKED HIM WHAT HIS FEES WERE AND HE SAID THEY WERE BETWEEN $250.00-$450.00 PER OFFICE VISIT AND THAT DID NOT INCLUDE LABS. I JUST LAID THEIR HELPLESS AND IN SHOCK!

I ALSO NEED FOLLOW-UPS WITH THE DERMATOLOGIST FOR MY PSORIASIS WHICH HAD BROKEN OUT ON MY ARMS, FACE AND STOMACH. SOME OF IT IS CLEARING UP NOW DUE TO THE OINTMENT THAT THE DERMATOLOGIST PRESCRIBED. THE DERMATOLOGIST OFFICE VISITS COST $120.00 PER OFFICE VISIT. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT ON OCTOBER 1, 2009. I AM PRAYING THAT I CAN RAISE ENOUGH MONEY TO SEE BOTH THE DERMATOLOGIST AND A RHEUMATOLOGIST ON THE SAME DAY, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BOTH LOCATED AT THE HOSPITAL CENTER.

MY HUSBAND WAS LAID-OFF AND IS STILL CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED AND SEEKING EMPLOYMENT. BUT NOW THAT I CAN BARELY WALK OR DO FOR MYSELF , I CANNOT BE LEFT ALONE FOR VERY LONG. I CAN ONLY BARELY WALK WITH A WALKER. MY MOVEMENT IS VERY LIMITED DUE TO THE PAIN IN MY LEGS AND FEET. I CURRENTLY CANNOT COOK, WASH CLOTHES OR TAKE A SHOWER. I CANNOT TAKE A SHOWER. I HAVE NOT TAKEN A SHOWER SINCE BEFORE I WENT INTO THE HOSPITAL. I WASH UP TWICE A DAY, BUT IT IS JUST NOT THE SAME. I BREAK OUT IN TEARS BECAUSE I AM SO SCARED AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. AT NIGHT MY LEGS AND FEET GET NUMB EVEN WHEN I ELEVATE THEM. MOST NIGHTS I CAN HARDLY SLEEP.

I HAVE BEEN PRESCRIBED 7 DIFFERENT MEDICATIONS. I AM PLANNING ON APPLYING FOR SSI AND MEDICAID BUT I MUST FIRST SEE A DOCTOR TO EVEN GET THE PROCESS STARTED, AND EVEN THEN THE PROCESS WILL TAKE MONTHS.

IF ANYONE WAS FINANCIALLY BLESSED AND CAN AFFORD TO DONATE MONEY TO HELP ME GET THE HEALTHCARE THAT I NEED. I WOULD DEARLY APPRECIATE IT! I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD FIND MYSELF IN THIS POSITION. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO SUFFER OR DIE IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO GET PROPER HEALTHCARE.

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