Re: So frustrated, please help
From: Angela (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed Oct 12 06:58:33 2005
Diana ~
That is horrible. If you are taking that much Vicadin a day, you need
to do something else. Not only can you get addicted to those pills, but
they aren't good for you. They only mask the pain. You should look
into state mandated health insurance. I am looking into getting my lap
and making monthly payments that I can afford.
Here's to a pain free day.
Angela
t Wed, 12 Oct 2005, anonymous@obgyn.net wrote:
>
>I don't have health insurance, and despite being in constant pain I
>haven't had a lap, and I can't afford to get one. The endo started for
>me with an extreme episode this past April. I never had much trouble
>with cramps before, so it was a very bad surprise. In May I got in to
>see my gyn and she put me on continuous Ortho TriCyclen Lo. She got me
>on a county health plan that pays for birth control, office visits, etc.
>- as long as it is "fertility" related. They don't pay for the Vicodin,
>and they certainly won't pay for a laproscopy or hormone therapy.
>
>Right now, I just pray it doesn't get worse, and that my doctor doesn't
>cut off the Vicodin. (Getting refills always takes multiple phone calls
>to her office and she's impossible to get on the phone.)
>
>I'm now vegan, don't drink alcohol, take vitamin E, I started taking
>fish oil about a year ago, I exercise, and I avoid caffeine - wheat may
>be the next thing to go. I don't know if any of the diet changes have
>done any good, but at least it makes me feel like I'm doing *something*.
>I'm in pain all the time, the only way I can manage it presently is with
>Vicodin. I'm taking between four and six 5/500's a day, pretty much one
>every four or five hours. I've found that if I need more than six
>Vicodin in a day, taking more doesn't really help much and isn't worth
>it.
>
>Of course, as long as I'm sick I can't work fulltime - at least not long
>enough at one job to qualify for insurance! I have no idea how I'm going
>to work my way out of this. For now, I just keep hoping the things I am
>able to do will make it better, or at least keep it from getting worse.
>I suppose I might be able to be billed for the surgery, but I have
>credit cards and school loans to pay off already and anymore would
>completely break me.
>
>Insurance would be only a beautiful fairy tale if I hadn't ever had any
>at all!
>
>So there you have it, my sob story. ;)
>
>Thanks for listening,
>Diana
>
>At Tue, 11 Oct 2005, Hela wrote:
>>
>>Hi Angela,
>>It is horrible you have to wait that long for lap - how are you supposed
>>to get diagnosed? Insurance is not covering it?? It always shocks me
>>when I am reading on this forum, that endo sufferer have to pay for
>>their treatment as the insurance wont cover it.. I dont know, but even
>>in a postcommunistic country Slovakia which I am from, where half of
>>things just dont work, the state paid for my laps and treatment (I was a
>>university student then...) Anyway, if you have to wait, in the mean
>>time you can try some alternative medicine - eg. homeopathy? you dont
>>have to know your exact diagnosis to get treated by a homeopath - you
>>just describe how you feel and what symptoms you are experiencing...
>>Hela
>>
>>At Tue, 11 Oct 2005, Angela wrote:
>>>
>>>Hi there. I am new to the forum and thank goodness it's here b/c I have
>>>no idea where else to turn.
>>>
>>>My pain started over a year ago. I am 27 years old and am very active,
>>>healthy, and have no children. All of a sudden one month, I woke up and
>>>couldn't stand up straight, catch my breath, or talk b/c the pain was so
>>>unbearable. This continued to happen every month along with other side
>>>effects such as heavy heavy clotting during my period, dizziness,
>>>swollen stomach, throwing up, massive headaches, feeling like my uterus
>>>was going to drop on the floor at any given moment. I went to the ER
>>>one month and they sent me home with some Vicadin and Ibuprofen 800mg.
>>>The Ibuprofen seem to help me get through work letting the pain be
>>>tolerable enough. I hate taking Vicadin b/c I get super sick from them
>>>and they only make me feel worse. My doctor put me on Tri-Sprintec
>>>(generic for Ortho TriCyclen Lo) 4 months ago and they aren't working. I
>>>had my period for 10 very long days, it stopped for 5, and now I have it
>>>again and am going through 4-5 pads per hour. I'm sorry to keep
>>>venting, but I have no clue what to do. I can't get a lap for another 6
>>>months b/c of a lapse in insurance. Pre existing condition. I can't do
>>>this any longer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Words of advice? Thanks
>>>ladies - i know there are women out there that are WAY worse off than I
>>>am. I feel for you and will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
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