A System Set-up to Keep Me in Pain
Diseases
Chronic Pain, Migraine
Issues and Challenges
Shae Lisa has encountered: Insurance Issues, Medicare / Medicaid Issues, Invisible Illness
My Story
I was driving on the freeway heading to a college final in 2011. I start blinking harder and harder because I noticed my vision in my right eye wasn’t clear. I couldn’t regain focus but assumed it was probably my contacts and continued driving to my final.
A few days later I noticed my eye still wasn’t clear. I asked my stepmom is this was normal and she made an appointment with my doctor. My eyes were checked but there was “nothing wrong” with my eye. All test came back normal and yet I couldn’t see clearly. They suggested an MRI and well, they found something. I was 19 and terrified but I did a second MRI with contrast, they found a brain tumor. This started a long string of doctors appointments and a hospital stay filled with tests and medications and just made everything worst and you guessed it. Every test came back mostly normal. There was nothing they could do but they figured brain surgery was the next options.
We asked the surgeon if his daughter was in the position would he sign off on surgery? He’s answer was no so we continued testing without cutting into my brain.
I’m so fortunate that my Father was in the military, my doctor appointment and testing was done at the number one cancer hospital in the country and I never saw a medical bill because of Tricare. Sure, we paid for parking and copays but the actual medical bill? Never saw them.
Cut to when I turned 26, I aged out of my dad’s amazing insurance and was on my own. Currently I am without insurance because I live in a state Texas, where the Governor, Greg Abbot didn’t expand Medicaid. Unfortunately, Obamacare also didn’t add provisions for states that didn’t expand Medicaid none of this truly matters thought because in order for me to qualify in Texas I would need to have dependents and I have no children.
I went from having amazing health insurance because my dad fought for this country for 23+ years to not qualifying because I fall in the Medicaid Gap.
With years of pain and failed doctors appointments/treatments. I still have my benign brain tumor along with all of my symptoms. Because all of my health providers don’t take insurance I pay out of pocket for all my medical needs totaling in about $1100 a month.
When I don’t have the funds I have to go without appointments and treatments. It’s been almost 11 years and to still be in this much pain with a system set up to keep me in pain
My Motivation and Inspiration
With years of pain and failed doctors appointments/treatments. I still have my benign brain tumor along with all of my symptoms. Due to being in the Medicaid gap I pay out of pocket for all my medical needs totaling in about $1100 a month.
When I don’t have the funds I have to go without appointments and treatments. It’s been almost 11 years and to still be in this much pain with a system set up to keep me in pain is frustrating. My motivation is for everyone to have free quality healthcare.
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