KeepMe Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Where I'm living, we have the worst hospital ever! Everyone in town will agree that they are the worst hospital around, and they never know what is wrong/what's going on. I need some help. I've been having horrid stomach pain, the pain right in the center of my stomach, dead center. If I put my finger on my chin and drag my finger down my chin, straight down the middle, between my collar bones, down my chest between my breast, to the opening of the rib cage, right above my stomach is the most excruciating pain I have ever felt. First it starts out with my back, my back will get all cramped up and start hurting unbelievably. Once my back starts causing me pain, my stomach always has to put it's two cents in. My stomach will hurt like the * * * * ens! causing me the most absolute torturous, misery. Once the stomach starts hurting, it's definitely on from there, I start vomiting, I usually vomit until all I vomit is bile, then once that is done, I make these embarrassing, awful, dry heaving, puke up nothing, sounds, while I'm trying to throw up but nothing is there to throw up. This pain only occurs at night, and I'm practically bed ridden all day cause' I'm scared of having another attack. I must sleep on a heating pad every night. What is this? I've experienced this pain for about two years now, in the earlier times when it started coming around it hit me maybe once every ..... three, four months. It's getting more and more frequent every time til' now it happens every other day. I went and seen a local doctor (who is older than dirt, a complete jerk, and I'm not sure how he is still a doctor.) I complained about this pain and he says "How much exercise do you get? How much water do you drink?" Not once did he run any tests, just said that I need to exercise, and drink more water, and prescribed me "back pain" medication. Took the back pain medication, and it caused me to have another attack! So at this point I'm thinking what the hell! I go to the emergency room March 9th of this year and the doctor said "Oh, you have a severe kidney infection." So he prescribed me medicine, it was three pills I took one a day. Plus pain medicine, and nausea medicine. He told me to follow up with him in a week since it was pretty severe. Well, I'm 20 years old in the United States, I have absolutely no insurance. I was actually fired for this "unknown" medical condition, so I'm unemployed. I can't get another job because these attacks are more and more frequent. I can't afford to get to a doctor. I've not made it on my own yet, and I'm already over $10,000 dollars in debt due to medical bills. The doctor that prescribed me the three pills, said he ran all tests, I got an xray, a catscan, a whole bunch of junk. The bill was $5,125.00 pretty expensive. I was healed for about two months, then the pain started coming back. I just went to the hospital again on the 15th of this month, and they ran some tests couldn't figure out what the problem was said I was backed up, and said it was due to constipation. They prescribed pain medicine, and nausea medicine, and stool softeners. While I was there they gave me pain medicine that knocked me out, and my uncle came in and asked if it was my gallbladder, I knew it had to be more then just constipation. So the doctor was like "Wow, gallbladder problems, lets check for those." So I got an ultrasound, and they determined I have gallstones. I went home, been taking my pain medicine, and they aren't doing a thing. Take my medicine, there's still pain, take my nausea medicine, there is still nausea. Went back to the hospital day before yesterday, and they said they won't treat me anymore for my pain. They said I've been diagnosed with gallstones and if I can't get my gallbladder removed, then I need to get a local physician that can prescribe me chronic pain medicine. Well living in the U.S, I can't get medicaid, because I'm 20 and unless I get myself pregnant I can't have medicaid. So I have no insurance, no job, and they expect me to pay 180 dollars just for a visit, plus 65 dollars for a standard urine sample, and hundreds of dollars for tests, and medicines, to see a normal physician. I have no clue what to do, I'm still having pain. Does anyone know any thing to relieve gallbladder attacks? I'm on a 90 year old's diet, and life right now is miserable!! Not to mention I looked up the horrors of having the gallbladder removed, and I'm not sure I even want to go that route ... not that I'm going to have a choice, but I either keep the gallbladder and have pain, or remove the thing and still have pain. Any help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karvala Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Wow, that's like a description of the worst medical care imaginable. I'd already concluded gallstones after reading your first paragraph, and I haven't even met you. Any half-decent doctor would have sent you straight for a cholangiogram at that point, and diagnosis would have been confimed on the same day. Which raises the question, have you actually one yet (it's basically an x-ray, and the definitive diagnostic tool to locate gallstones)? No insurance (and now it's an existing condition, so many future insurance policies wouldn't cover it anyway) and no medicaid = something of a problem. It may be that your gallstones can be treated medically (many can, and it's certainly the preferred option), otherwise you're looking for a free clinic or some form of welfare or charitable support. I honestly don't know how easy that will be to come by, though; I don't work in healthcare in the US I'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turnera Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 My husband had kidney stones, and he was literally writhing on the floor of the hospital in pain, it was so excrutiating. Find some place else to go. Before you can't move and help yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeepMe Posted July 30, 2010 Author Share Posted July 30, 2010 I recently went to a free clinic and check this out! I get there, and since so many people are in my situation without insurance it's a complete circus, with several people waiting to get in. This free clinic is only opened on Tuesdays and only open from 5-7 p.m, so getting in is ridiculous. Alright, well if that wasn't bad enough, I finally got in and guess who the doctor was? The doctor was the "same" doctor that was older than dirt, and prescribed me back medicine when I was in fact living with a year old kidney infection. Of course he was the usual old man I seen before, had nothing to say to me. Said it was definitely constipation, and that the medications I was on for pain and nausea also contribute to constipation. So this is exactly what he did, I was explaining to him my E.R visit, and what my symptoms were, and all he did was write on a piece of paper and interrupt me with "Mmhmm .... Mmhmm .... Yep ... Uh huh ... Mmhmm..." even during my talking I watched his mouth as I was talking and he was repeating what he was writing down, so he CLEARLY wasn't even listening to me. He said "Here you go..." handed me the paper that said: You need lots of fruits and veggies, take your 30 minute exercise and turn them into an 1 hour exercise" and gave me a list of bulky foods to eat, once he handed me the paper he said "See you later." and literally walked out of the room, not even letting me ask questions or anything. Just handed me the paper and said "See ya!" My luck! So I rescheduled an appointment but lucky me they can't get me in until the 10th of August because they are all booked up. So this severe, excruciating, lovely pain, I have to deal with until then. I'm really worried, and scared, because these attacks are literally miserable, and I can't do anything about em'. If I got to a different emergency room I have to travel an hour away, when I get there what should I tell them? They are my last resort, but I don't know what to tell em'. They told me at the free clinic that there is no way to dissolve, or pass gallstones. That the only way to fix them was to surgically remove my stones, and gallbladder. My dad told me to go to the other emergency room an hour away, and don't tell em' anything, to let them figure out whats wrong based on my pain symptoms. He thinks I'm too young to have my gallbladder taken out, and he doesn't recommend them taking it out until they know for sure that it's my gallbladder. So what should I tell them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brittney2008 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 ^ Sigh. Reading your posts just reiterated the problems that America is having in health care... I agree with your dad. Go to the other hospital and let them go from there. If they don't catch on to gallstones then suggest it. If you are in a medical emergency they HAVE to treat you, regardless of your ability to pay. My bf and I are currently dealing with hospital bills and collection agencies from him having plantar fasciitis without insurance. *hugs* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiredofvampires Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I'm 20 and unless I get myself pregnant I can't have medicaid I'm sorry I have not been able to read the entire thread, only your OP -- and just wanted to say this is absolutely FALSE. I have had Medicaid since I was 29 for a disability. It's not all that I have (I have Medicare as well, since I worked enough for it before I was disabled), but you qualify for Medicaid if you have a disabling condition that does not allow you to work and/or if you are in a low income bracket, and you qualify on both counts. I do not have children. I have friends with disabled children (both grown, and not), and these children are on Medicaid. You need to go to your local DHS (Department of Human Services -- it's a federal institution, but administered through states differently) and begin the application process asap. You can get full medical coverage with an internist and any specialists you need this way. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeepMe Posted July 31, 2010 Author Share Posted July 31, 2010 Our town DHS is actually the first place I checked in, I applied for Medicaid. The lady called my number and we talked in a little cubical, and she was going on about mental problems. I had told her that I wasn't mental, and I haven't been hospitalized for anything (cause' I never was) I told her I had been making trips to the hospital frequently because at the time the doctor said it was my kidneys. She handed me my papers and said that girls my age didn't have a health care plan at the moment. She said unless I have a disability that I can't get Medicaid, the only Medicaid they offered to girls my age were if the female happened to be pregnant. I listed my hospital visits, and reasonings, and they denied me within five minutes. We also have a sliders program where you only pay $15.00 per every doctor visit for a year, it's for low income housing. However, we make just a few hundred above the "slider program" but not enough for insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brittney2008 Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 ^ yep totally true. It's not enough anymore just to be low income. You have to be under or over a certain age or be pregnant or disabled. In my area anyway and OP's too sounds like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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