Over the last few weeks, it seems I've been going down to the hospital
or various clinics with the wife about three times as many days as
we've stayed home.
The wife went to see the oncologist for her five-year evaluation.
Only ... He wanted one last scan of her body first.
So, back to the hospital another day for a CT-scan.
Then back to the oncologist.
The wife ALSO had pain in her left leg that seemed to keep getting
worse. She went into Urgent-Care, where they X-rayed the joint from
various angles; but found nothing.
The next Monday she went in to her regular doctor who also didn't see
anything wrong; but recommended various pain thingys like switching
from Aspirin to Aleve; and trying a pain-patch on the knee.
While seeing the oncologist the last time (See above), HE recommended
the wife get an MRI, since the leg was now swollen and more painful.
Down to the hospital again, to the Radiology Department (getting there
late because of Road-Destruction and a power-line falling down in the
road right in front of us on the way). THEY said, "Oh ... We don't do
THAT sort of scan HERE. You have to go over to the Cardiac Center for
THAT. They have a special MRI over there for things like necks and
knees." Gaahhh ... When already late. Still, they fitted us in.
The result? Eileen has a small fracture of the knee and a slightly
torn ligament. The X-ray didn't show a thing; but the MRI did. Oh
yeah, she had a few tiny *other* problems there, mostly due to age and
arthritis; but ....
Starting BEFORE all this, the wife was having problems that (to me at
least) seemed like heart problems she'd had before when they ended up
putting first three and then four stents in her heart. The
Stress-Test at the Cardiac-Center MRI (See above) didn't show
anything; but when her symptoms persisted they scheduled in another
angiogram ... where they did angioplasty and put in a fifth stent.
So, she stayed overnight; and I picked her up the next day.
Now *I* have been having symptoms that I thought sounded almost
exactly like classic heart problems myself. So, I talked to my local
GP; and he ran some tests, EKG, listening, etc.; and didn't find
anything wrong. Ran some tests on my NECK; and said that probably the
pains I was feeling were from a bad disc there. Well ... That made a
certain amount of sense; but ....
When following up on the wife's angioplasty, down at the Cardiac
Center, I mentioned my suspicions about having heart problems,
out-of-breath, pains in the back of the neck and down each arm, etc.,
and they told me to make an appointment if I thought it might be.
So ... I did. Another trip to the hospital.
The cardiologist scheduled me to go to a *different* hospital, where
they had a NEW special fine-resolution MRI, not the one that had
previously shown me to be OK a few months earlier.
OK ... Down to the other hospital where they ran tests.
Two days later I'm called and told I have calcium blockage in my
heart; and that I need an angiogram like my wife previously had. Oh
yeah, and expect to stay overnight, like SHE did, if they put in
stents ... or even longer, up to several weeks, if they have to do
open-hear-surgery ... like they just did to my wife's brother the day
before; doing triple-bypass-surgery on HIM.
In the hospital ... and out the next day with three new stents in my
heart. Over 80% blockage in one artery. I had to have the kid take
me down in the morning; and pick me up the next day, since the wife
doesn't drive any more. Luckily, it didn't interfere with his job.
The doctors (and nurses) all told me to TAKE YOUR NEW MEDICINE! as
it's needed to prevent clogging up the new stents. Plavix; or
actually the generic version of same. They gave me the first dose
that thursday. They sent off a prescription both to the VA (who
supply most of my medicine) and to the local pharmacy for pills to
take until the VA came through.
Friday was back to see the doctor. Don't remember what for; but it
was the wife's stuff. By the time we were finished there, I went over
to the Drug-Store to pick up my new medication.
I couldn't AFFORD it! They wanted MORE for that one prescription than
I was paying TOTAL for ALL of my medications. That's just NOT in my
budget! And it was *WAY* too late to call the hospital, my doctor, or
the VA to hurry things up or get something temporarily. So ... I just
went without over the weekend. They say that's BAD. Still, if I
don't have the money, what can I do?
In the meantime, Eileen's doctor called and told her to stay off the
leg and come see him Monday, first thing. So, for most of the weekend
I wheeled the wife around in a borrowed wheel-chair.
Monday, in to the local Clinic with the wife to see about her leg.
The Aleve seems to help the pain a LOT. The patch ... nothing. Her
GP looked at the scan-results and told her to mainly keep the leg
straight, and keep pressure off it ... use a cane or a walker. She
HAS a walker; so ....
They also gave her a knee-brace to help her keep the leg straight.
It seems to help a lot ... IF she can get the bloody thing ON.
So, Monday, after Eileen sees the doctor, I call the local VA about my
missing meds and how I simply CANNOT afford that sort of price. The
nurse also tells me that I simply MUST take the medicine; and that it
was a HUGE mistake not to take it over the weekend ... three days
then: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So, we both calculate. I figure
I CAN afford possibly as many as THREE pills from the local pharmacy.
In the meantime, even with expediting and approval from my VA doctor,
the mail has already gone out; and the earliest the VA pharmacy can
send is Tuesday ... Today. Hopefully the meds will be here tomorrow
or the next day. I took one pill yesterday, one today, have one left
for tomorrow; and hopefully the prescription will be here either
tomorrow (Wednesday) or the next (Thursday) by the time I'm completely
out and need more. Geesh.
Back and forth to the hospital, all week(s) long.
BUT:
I'm feeling a *LOT* better since the stents went in.
No more shortness of breath or pain down the back of my neck.
I think my GP was *slightly* right about my having a neck problem; but
that's very *minor* compared to the heart problem. I just have to be
careful turning my head ... Rather like you do when you get a "crick"
in your neck.
I'm now catching up on housework I kept putting off because of
breathing problems.
The wife is feeling better also. Maybe the knee-brace helps.
She didn't even take one Aleve today; only a single Aspirin.
<Whew!>
It's getting close to time for me to go down to Georgia.
Not a single word YET on how I'm going to get there.
If I can't afford medication to save my life, I surely can't afford to
pay my transportation all that way, since that would likely be
half-again to twice as much.
A little over a week and ....
Well, I guess I'll find out then.
No word either on what the judge is expected to do.
I *might* be back here a week later.
I might also be sent to jail for several years.
Or, somewhere in-between.
No clue as to what the judge will decide to do while we're working
through a whole batch of appeals.
I might do OK ... Or, I might lose everything because of the house
being under a Reverse-Mortgage and my not living in it.
Who knows.
Well, it's part of what I signed up for.
I worry about the wife though; because (as shown above) I'm pretty
much *IT* for her transportation; and not just to see the doctor; but
getting to Church on Sundays, groceries, and anything else. Besides,
I'm her ONLY First-Responder and the one to come if she has an
emergency. Other than that, she's only got 911.
Ah well.
We'll soon see. A week and two days away.
Wish us luck. (Good or bad, depending on how you feel.)
;-}
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