proud patriot
proud patriot's JournalMy dad was just published "A VIEW ON HEALTH CARE FROM 2028"
... way to go Dad
(snip)
I just had my third heart attack.
Let me tell you about my previous two.
The first was 16 years ago in 2012. After wasting 15-20 minutes with an ER admitting clerk demanding my insurance information before I was allowed access to care, a triage nurse hustled me backstage. I was diagnosed with a minor MI stopped by doses of nitroglycerin.
The following day the artery that had closed up was stented. The day after that I was kicked loose to the street. The retail cost for my two day stay in the hospital and the procedure was around $250,000. My insurance negotiated that down to $22,000, co-pay was $2,200 plus $300 per month for prescription drugs over the next year.
During the procedure, they found that my major heart artery (LAD, the widow maker) was over 70% closed. Because of policy decisions designed to maximize corporate profits they did NOT open it up and place a second stent. I was not allowed to weigh in on that decision and instead was left to carry the information about a time bomb in my heart for the next 6 years.
The LAD finally completely closed a little after 7pm on June 9, 2018. The EMTs showed up at my rural farm and did a fine job delivering me to the closest ER within the critical first 2 hours.
But since no ERs in our area are equipped to deal with serious cardiac problems and thanks to being out of network at that ER (only in America), I was warehoused for additional hours awaiting permission from my insurance company for further transport to care. After another ambulance ride to the airport and a helicopter ride to the hospital lawn, I finally signed a release form about 12 hours after the onset of the attack and the artery was opened and stented. The following day I was overdosed with blood pressure meds and nearly expired again. This all resulted in a miserable, sleep deprived 6 day stay in the hospital before I could go home and begin healing. Over the next few months, I received bills for co-pays and uncovered charges that exceeded $6,000 and my heart function was measured at 50% of normal thanks to 12 hours of transport killing heart muscle.
In 2021, things began to change. (snip)
read more: https://popularresistance.org/a-view-on-health-care-from.../
Profile Information
Name: TrishGender: Female
Hometown: Hawaii/ agnostic
Home country: Woodstock Nation
Current location: Third planet From the Sun
Member since: 2001
Number of posts: 100,705