Tuesday, April 19, 2016

The Rising Cost Of Health Care

I was looking for something yesterday in a box of some memorabilia and ran across a picture of myself from many years ago.  It was in fact a picture that my husband took of me one day as I was getting ready to go to work.  I had my white nurse's uniform on, and on the lapel was my pin that signified me as an RN from the university that I had attended.  I could not believe how much I looked like my dad.  I laid the picture on my husband's night stand and he was like wow.  It is a shame we grow old, but it was a reminder that at one point in life I may have turned a few heads.  LOL!  It was also a reminder of a career that had allowed me to help others.   So, today I am wearing a t-shirt that my husband bought me a year ago that says " This is what a cool nurse looks like."   Maybe I could scan that picture on the shirt for some laughs.

My husband after admiring the picture finally snapped back to reality and handed me an article from our local newspaper.   The  article was about the financial burden that medical issues such as cancer are creating these days on the patient and their family.  This is a topic that we are too familiar with.  The article addressed the fact that doctors now days have to discuss with patients the cost of treatment.  I remember years ago that doctors did not ever say let me help you find a way to afford these drugs.   Now days patient's really are unable to afford some of the treatment.  Medications  have become astronomical in price along with the growing increase in insurance premiums and the high out of pocket insurance expenses. 

We are among those who have had their out of pocket expense raised two and half times what is was just two years ago.  It affects the care that we receive, because we have to decide if we can afford to pay our portion on top of the monthly premiums that have also risen.   I had to tell a doctor recently that a test she wanted me to have done was not necessary and I felt it was not going to change my course of treatment.  The out of pocket expense was too great.  My husband has had to curtail yearly visits to a cancer center, because of the expense and opted to get yearly well physicals which are covered under Obama Care Act.  However, if anything is wrong we will have to somehow come up with the money.  It is another burden to add to anxiety that cancer patient's and survivors face.   We do a lot of praying. 

How did we get to this point that are health is on the back burner due to the rising cost of medical care.   Our life should be what we are investing in and should not be become a worrisome daily thought.   The article pointed out that some hospitals are now offering financial advisors that help the patient get the best care without breaking the bank.  I am so happy to see these changes and pray that no one has decide to just die, because they can not afford a medication. 

On a final note I laid my head on my husband's chest Saturday and heard the sound of a fine tuned clock.   That sound is his heart beating in perfect rhythm and we are happy to say that he medication is working.   We may be able to escape some medical procedures if it continues.    We give thanks and blessings to ourselves for getting to the cardiologist and blessings to him for helping us. 

My prayers and thoughts to my family, friends and all the people of Houston Texas,  as they recover from devastating floods.   May the Sun shine on you all soon!

Life is beautiful !!!!!

Elizabeth:)

Thursday, April 14, 2016

The Quality Of Life

Wow life is constantly throwing curve balls at us.  I feel as though I am being tested to see how well I can handle the stress that has been bestowed upon us once again.  I have to admit that I can feel my heart pounding in my chest and I have been out of sorts for the past month and a half.  I have to remind myself everyday that everyone experiences life situations that are not pleasant, but it is how we react that makes the difference in our quality of life.

My husband and I have learned a lot about interacting with health care professionals in order to get the best care and reducing our anxiety.  The environment and attitude of the healthcare team will make or break the experience that the patient has and it will make a difference in the quality of a patient's life.

I have read some good articles about the trust level of the patient-doctor relationship.  I studied in college the importance of looking at the patient as more than just their disease.  Yes we can just prescribe medications that we supposedly know will help the patient, but a lot of times I have seen where the quality of the patient's life has been disregarded in order to sustain life.  I have even heard a doctor say he did not have time to care about his patients and his job was to just prescribe medication.   That statement hurt my husband and I both.  I am sorry that a physician was so overwhelmed that he felt the need to drop that bomb on us, as my husband was trying to stay alive.

And here we are again facing another life threatening situation, in which my husband was told to just take a medication and see the doc in another three months.  My gut was telling me something was not right.  You can't live without your heart.  And no it was not a cardiologist that said there is nothing else you can do.

Okay, so my husband and I will stand before you and say we have great anxiety when it comes to doctors.  We have not had good experiences with doctors and  we have become afraid at times to speak up.  We have even been threatened by doctors who I guess have their own insecurities.    We have learned to be our own advocates.  My husband has always looked to me for advice and my advice was get yourself to a cardiologist and quickly.  We have overcome so much to let the ship sink now.

There is actually a term for people that suffer great anxiety before seeing doctors called iatrophobia of doctors.  I don't quite have all the symptoms, but I have developed an anxiety disorder to the point that I personally a couple of years ago would have let myself die than see a doctor.  My husband also has anxiety, but he will go to the doctor and suffers from the white coat syndrome.  It was evident, as we saw a new cardiologist two days ago.  I could see my husband's chest quivering through his shirt and his blood pressure was 30 points higher than usual.  I didn't want to tell him that my heart was about to pound out of my chest.  And if not for the love I have for my husband,  I would have run out of that room as fast as I could.  I reminded myself over and over in my head that I am not responsible for how the doctor acts, but I am responsible for how I react.  I have to be able to talk to the doctor about my husband's treatment, as my husband freezes up during the visits and can not remember half of what was said.  I had to really step up to the plate and had prepared myself with records and health history of my husband.  I prayed over and over that the doctor would be receptive and listen and he did.  In fact he commended me on providing all the info and it helped him to create a healthcare plan for my husband.  He encouraged us both to talk our life and the quality of life that my husband wanted.  I felt that God was there with us and we had an excellent experience.  

The doctor was glad that my husband had come, because he can help my husband live a good quality life.  He also told us that if we had not come his heart would have failed.  He also told my husband that his quality of life mattered and that at any time he could not tolerate the medications that he was not to hesitate to call.  He said that there are a lot of options available.  He was compassionate about the quality of life and assured us both that we would be enjoying a lot more of life.

I thank myself for not letting the anxiety paralyze me and believing in my medical knowledge.  We need to be our own advocates and it is all right to seek second opinions.   I am not going to let a bad experience with a doctor determine the outcome of my life or anyone that I love any more.   The doctors who don't have time to care perhaps should think about another profession.

A person is whole, mentally, spiritually, and physically,  not just a disease.   Quality of a patient's life is dependent on the physician understanding that every patient is unique and that not all patients respond the same to treatment that has been based on research and studies.  A patient should never have the fear of telling a doctor that they are experiencing difficulty with a treatment.  It is irresponsible to let a patient suffer, because the doctor does not believe that side effects exist.  Every patient needs someone to be an advocate for them so that when the anxiety takes over and paralyzes them they can get the help they need. 

It is not how long we live, but the quality of the life we live.

Life is beautiful !!!

Elizabeth:)