4 posts tagged “medical”

I had my hearing tested yesterday. I have a mild hearing loss in both ears, though my right ear is worse. I can get along without hearing aids, but I could definitely benefit from having them. It was suggested that I go to an ENT doctor next to see if there is anything else to be found out about it.

I'm not sure if I'd be able to just get an appointment for one without going through a lot of hoops. An Ear Nose and Throat doctor is a specialist, so I imagine I'd have to be referred by my imaginary Primary Care Provider. Hm...sounds like fun.

It isn't cheap to get the hearing aids either. Almost $7,000 for the high end, and $1000 for the lowest. From what I was told, the low end ones cover the entire ear canal and are uncomfortable with a lot of chaffing. Bah. I don't think getting any is going to be an option at this time.

I told my parents about it, and of course they want to know why I have hearing loss. I don't know. All I know is that it has been getting worse every year. I started noticing it about two or three years ago. People had said things about it before hand, but I had never paid attention to it before.

The flu bug has our family in its grasp. Right now it is just myself and Lucian that are battling it, but everyone has had their share of it this past week. I attempted to get Lucian into the pediatrician's office, but the same old schpeel they fed me last time I tried to take him is what they fed me this time. My son has never been to the doctor. SHOCK! GASP!

Medical Neglect, you say? No; that would mean I have ignored his medical needs. I've tried to get him seen MANY times, but have been turned away. We have insurance, but when we attempt to utilize it to seek medical attention, we are told either

1. "You don't have insurance."
2. "You have a different insurance than the one you presented, and we don't take it."
3. "You have a different doctor and we can't see you, you need to go see that doctor."
4. "You could pay cash and your insurance will reimburse you."
   

The argument gets cyclical. I'll go to doctor A and s/he will say #3. We go to doctor B, whom Doctor A said was our doctor, and we are told either #1 or 2. If I argue, they look at me like I am retarded, and get hostile. I have attempted many, many times to get this cleared up with those that CAN fix it, and they give me a standard, "we'll research it, but it says here that [insert correct info here] so I don't know why that's happening. Just go back and tell them its okay." This is the exact reason I had absolutely no medical care while pregnant with Lucian. When something happened, I would just go to the ER because they CAN'T turn me away. This is what I've had to do with Lucian. This is what my husband has had to do. This really bothers me, because our ailments take away from those that are truly in need. The ER should not be our only recourse. My girls don't have this problem, because they have their primary insurance through their father's work and mine is secondary and picks up the copays. Our family simply does not have the money to pay cash and hope the insurance would reimburse us.

What is this terrible medical insurance, you ask? Medi-Cal. Yes, that state funded medical insurance so that no low income family will go without medical care is the exact one that is making it impossible for my family to get care. The workers that handle cases need to be retrained so this doesn't happen. And when they say they will do something, they should actually do it instead of blowing smoke up our butts just to get us off the phone. I know it is a hard job, and I appreciate the help they do do, but the condescension and downright lying isn't necessary.  /sigh

I can't believe the mood swings I had today. Hubby called and said he was on his way home and asked me to make him something to eat. I said okay, and then went back to teaching the girls. DD2 was having some sort of shut down and would just look at me blankly when I would ask her a simple question. I finally lost it and started yelling. Once that passed, hubby walked in the door. And proceeded to say, "thanks for making me something to eat, hun" just dripping with venom.

I said I was sorry and got up to make him something. He wouldn't move out of my way so I could get into the kitchen and he kept making his food. We both started telling the other to go sit down so the food could be made. Finally he got mad and yelled at me. I snapped and told him off. I don't tell anyone off. Ever. Seriously. He had this stunned look on his face, then I could tell he was deciding whether to challenge me further or to back down and go sit down like I wanted so I could make him lunch.

He sat down.

Later on that evening I had been having a very difficult time trying to get my son to calm down and go to sleep. You see, we are in the midst of day 5 of a nursing strike. He just will not take the breast unless it is on his terms...and his terms are I need to sit in the shower. Seriously...I'm tired of taking showers. (And I love showers.) And it is just frustrating me that I'm needing help and he's just sitting there at his computer acting like nothing is happening. Does he ask me if he could take the baby so I can have a break? No.

I sit down on the couch to try to feed the baby again and I look up at the tv and see he's watching the show that we're recording so we can watch it together. I've asked him numerous times not to do this, because what is the point of recording it if you are watching it...and it is supposed to be "Our Time." I'm upset and go to leave the room so the show isn't spoiled for me and he yells at me, "What is your problem? Why does it bother you so much?" And I screamed. I mean SCREAMED, "I can't fucking hear it!" and went into the bedroom. All I heard from him was, "Wow..."

He knows I have hearing loss, and that our stupid tv and cable box doesn't have closed captioning like our old Moxi dvr receiver, so I can't use that like I used to. And it is lessened even more when the baby is screaming in my ear. I just needed a break and maybe a hug.

The Wellbutrin can cause added aggression, irritability, and spacing out (which I've also been doing) for the first few weeks. I am wondering if it happened because my dose is double what it was before I got pregnant.I hope this passes very soon. I don't like this person. It isn't me.

Lamictal has a possible side effect of potentially fatal rashes. So great is the importance to pay attention to your health that they advise ANY rash warrants a call to the doctor.

So...

I had taken Lamictal previously for years and stopped once I became pregnant. My dosage was up to 200mg when I went off it. I started taking it again on Thursday at 25mg (They start you out in stages). I wake up this morning and my left foot is intensely itchy and red. It took a couple hours for me to realize what is going on and that the redness I was seeing on my foot was indeed a rash and not from me itching.

I called to let my doctor know what was going on, but of course the office is closed. I left a message, stating that I would stop taking it (since it was only 25mg and I had only been on it for 2 days) until I heard from him. Though if it spreads I am taking myself to straight to the Emergency Room. If you look up "Lamictal Rashes" on google you will see the most graphic pictures of what can happen. No freaking way do I want that to happen to me.

In summary, today I learned not to cast aside the side effects ("oh that won't happen to me") of medications I take. I will now make sure I know what to expect if a serious one happens and to take appropriate action.

I just hope the Wellbutrin won't send me into a manic episode because the Lamictal acts as a mood stabilizer. =/

And just for you...more pictures.