I had a little stroke today

[MoseyWalker]

I noticed tingling and dizziness on my right side. From my toes to my arm.

I am not covered by insurance yet in my new job, and even when I am, if I admit to having these problems, they will disqualify me.

I had a stroke today, and it is taking me longer than usual to post because I keep using the wrong letters.

I currently have no insurance. Even though I have spent 21 years helping others in leaky boats, I have no boat. I just went through a hell of a scare, but that was covered by my previous insurance.

Insurance.

I hate the bastards.

[uppityperson]

1. so did you call 911 and get checked out?

I don't care if you don't have insurance today did you get checked out?

[MoseyWalker]

3. No

I won't put my family through that payment hell.

[uppityperson]

15. You would rather put your family through funeral bill hell?

You are supposed to be a (counselor) of some sort, listen to yourself if not me. ER bills are outrageous. Most places have help for people who need financial help. Even if you don't qualify, you would rather put your family though the payment hell of a funeral?

911
911
911
911 "my friends pressured me into it" Place the blame on me, no problem. Just call. Please? Or go drive there if you can and don't want to run up ambulance bill. Go. Now. The sooner you get checked out, the sooner on treatment/medicine, the better off you will be, the less chance of future problems and/or death.

[bluerum]

2. Get some medication - it will help prevent a future perhaps worse

stroke until you can get some medical coverage.

[mike_c]

4. what the fuck are you doing? Dammit-- go to an emergency room NOW!

Piss on insurance. If you haven't gotten any emergency care, DO NOT reply to this post, get your ass to an emergency room. Friendly advice, my brother, but no discussion. DO IT NOW.

[Zavulon]

18. This is the best advice you'll ever get., MoseyWalker.

Go to the goddamned emergency room at once. In fact, call 911 and get transported. Stop thinking about money and think of those who would miss you if this turns out to be serious and you don't get checked. You can declare bankruptcy later if necessary, your community could hold a fundraiser for you, whatever the fuck - the stakes here are higher than debt.

I don't mean to berate you in a dark moment, but you shouldn't need to be told this by a stranger. Pick up the fucking phone. I don't even know you and I'm already scared shitlesss, for fuck's sake.

CALL.

[Cha]

5. I'm glad you're okay!

I don't have insurance, either, and I cannot break anything or I'll be up the creek.

[bigwillq]

8. MW's not ok. MW needs to go to a hospital now!

GO!

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. I hope you will be ok!

[Deb]

7. Call 911 now, please

Please call.

[Tab]

9. I concur (about getting it checked out)

The sooner you treat this the better - what you do in the first few hours, and certainly the first 24 to 48 hours - will affect the rest of your life.

Hospitals have to treat people that present themselves in emergency rooms - insurance or no insurance.

And what's to keep you from having a relapse? Then you'll really be up shit's creek.

Get thee ass to a hospital.

- Tab (whose father died of a stroke)

[Viva_La_Revolution]

10. oh Mos.

:hug:

I know how it feels, if my cancer comes back, I'm screwed. I can't even afford the check up to see if it has or not. :(

Get thee to a physician! Otherwise, the stress of wondering how bad it is will kill you, more than the loss of this months electric bill.

:hug:


on edit:

MOVED TO THE LOUNGE!!!!? what are the admins smokin?!

[MoseyWalker]

11. I will not call

I can not do that to my family.

a lifetime of debt. fuck'em

[uppityperson]

19. you would rather put them through funeral debt?

OK, don't call 911 because ambulances are expensive. Call a friend to drive you to the ER and keep you company. Or a cab. You probably don't need an ambulance, but you need to be seen.

Funerals cost lots of money and hurt people a lot emotionally too.

[Zavulon]

30. What do you think they'd prefer?

Debt with you around or no debt with you not around - to say nothing of the fact that even worse debt may well come anyway if you have another stroke and things don't work out so well the next time?

If one of your loved ones had a story similar to yours, what advice would you give? I think we both know what it is, and you should follow it yourself.

Like I just said in another post - CALL.

[uppityperson]

34. How about Nursing Home debt when you get paralyzed from stroke?

that is it's own kind of hell and expensive also.

[Warpy]

12. Get to an ER NOW.

You will need to be put on a blood thinner or an antiplatelet drug IMMEDIATELY.

Little strokes can turn into big ones very quickly.

Would you rather be in debt for a year or two or tied into a wheel chair in a nursing home on Medicaid, unable to speak and unable to care for yourself, half your body gone?

That's your choice.

[ourbluenation]

13. Jesus christ mosey...check this out....

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of your brain is interrupted or severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. Within a few minutes, brain cells begin to die.

Stroke is a medical emergency. Prompt treatment of a stroke could mean the difference between life and death. Early treatment can also minimize damage to your brain and potential disability.

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00150.html

[ourbluenation]

17. and this...

For most people, a stroke gives no warning. But one possible sign of an impending stroke is a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA is a temporary interruption of blood flow to a part of your brain.

The signs and symptoms of TIA are the same as for a stroke, but they last for a shorter period — several minutes to 24 hours — and then disappear, without leaving apparent permanent effects. You may have more than one TIA, and the recurrent signs and symptoms may be similar or different.

A TIA indicates a serious underlying risk that a full-blown stroke may follow. People who have had a TIA are much more likely to have a stroke as are those who haven't had a TIA.

[NewWaveChick1981]

14. That sucks, Mosey...

:hug: I'm really sorry. :pals:

[TOhioLiberal]

16. Get your ASS to the ER now!

insurance or no. Strokes are nothing to play with. Go NOW!

[atommom]

20. I hope you reconsider and call. This is very serious.

We're all pulling for you. Let us know how you're doing!

[w4rma]

21. If you aren't planning on going to a doctor before your insurance kicks in

I would like it if you had your cholesterol checked somewhere and go on a very low fat, very low cholesterol diet, immediately. And, of course, keep up your exercising.

I believe there are medications out that reduce cholesterol, now.

Hopefully whatever caused the stroke isn't something that requires surgery, yesterday.

Please take care of yourself. Please reconsider visiting a doctor, anyway.

Very often small strokes preclude larger ones that will either kill you or cause permanent dehabilitating damage.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

22. A doctor's bill is better than a funeral bill.

Go to the ER. Seriously. Get the fuck of DU and go to the ER.

[MissMarple]

23. Go to the hospital. Now. Strokes need treatment immediately.

I am serious. You need treatment now.

[villager]

24. Is there a county hospital? Anything? Look, I have no insurance either

and would likewise be fucked if anything major happens in the near term -- but you also gotta make sure you're "still in the world" for your family...

[deadparrot]

25. Go to the ER.

Small strokes turn into big ones fast. Please get help.

[mcscajun]

26. "Time is Brain" -- No foolin'

http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/other/stroke_14/

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/205_stroke.html#time

[w4rma]

38. Within 3 hours. That is good to know.

"The time window for getting the best results from thrombolytic drugs is three hours from the first signs of stroke."
http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/other/stroke_14/

[Smarmie Doofus]

27. Not to alarm you, but that could be a precursor...

to something much bigger and more devastating.

Doesn't sound like you are thinking all that clearly, frankly.

Would it be less 'devastating' for your family if they have to visit you in a nursing home for the rest of your life?

Go to the ER... insurance or not.

[ninkasi]

28. Please, call 911

Mosey Walker, you are a valued member of our community, and we can not afford to lose you. Please, I'm begging, get this checked out. I will not even bother telling you how wrong, and shameful it is, for you to live in a country which will not take care of your getting urgent medical care. Call them now.

[RevCheesehead]

29. You need to be at an ER, not on DU.

Seriously. Please get yourself checked out.

[uppityperson]

31. Hey Mosey, I'm not your stalker but we have talked, please read this

This may be nothing, or it may be a precursor to something, bigger stroke. Getting medical help and on medicine could save your life. Funerals are expensive, as are nursing homes if you get paralyzed enough to need to be there. Please go get checked out asap, like now. Call a friend for a ride, get someone in your family to take you.

You have said you have had a rough time this last yr, post Katrina. Dying by negligence isn't the way to go. Neither is being paralyzed. I've worked in enough ERs, enough hospitals, enough nursing homes to NOT wish this on anyone. Please get checked out.

[pointblank]

32. Please

do yourself a favor and call 911. They have to treat you no matter what and money is not worth risking yor life, or your brain for.

I am a licensed paramedic with 5 years of experience and I have seen the effects of waiting my friend.

[JeffR]

33. MW, for God's sake follow the advice above

My mother went through this last year, and she's fine now. If she hadn't gotten help right away, she might not be here now. Go. Do it.

[texanwitch]

35. You should see a Dr.

My Mother has had several small strokes and she is having trouble reading and doing her check book.

I hate the fact that we do not have National Health Insurance.

I know of people who have many health problems.

[ourbluenation]

36. NOW YOUR PISSING ME OFF.

Get the hell off this board and get some medical attention STAT if you think you really had a stroke....small ones are precurser to bigger ones.

The insurance doesn't matter if you don't have goddam job because you can't use your mouth and have to be fed and have your ass wiped for you.

Is this some kind of a joke?

[Haole Girl]

37. I guess it's been said, now, about a dozen times...

...go to the doctor!

[Ediacara]

39. Locking

Seek medical attention immediately. DU is not the right place.