County Health Care
'Nuff said, really. Short version: I have no health insurance. Dad was paying the premium, but the SheBeast decided that it was too expensive, so they stopped paying for it, ending my coverage at the beginning of July. Since then I have been trying to get applied for every other type of coverage I can. Social Security Disability: on hold, still waiting. Medicaid: no one can tell me if I am a candidate, so I'm filling out the application. Harris County: I had an appointment to be screened for eligibility yesterday, but was told it was today, so I missed it. The next available isn't until Aug 21.
As of tonight, I am out of all of my psych meds. This is a very very bad thing. Without them I completely fall apart and either get so depressed I try to commit suicide, or get so manic I try to commit suicide. Obviously neither is good. So I called around and was told that even without the Harris County "Gold Card" I could still be seen on an emergency basis at any of the local clinics. That once I was seen, I could get my prescriptions and be given a week's worth of meds for free right then. I would have to come back for a new week's supply every 7 days, but would only have to see the doctor once. So I got to the nearest clinic (there aren't any ones closer than 30 mins away) at 9am. I waited in triage until the nurses came out at 12:30. They told all of us that we needed to either go to the ER or make an appointment, but there was no way to be seen there today. This I found highly suspect as the clinic stays open until 10pm. That they stop taking emergency patients at 12:30p seems odd and I am calling tomorrow to speak to the head of nursing to complain. So, if I wanted my drugs today, I was told I had to go to the ER.
I arrived at the closer County Hospital (Think ER, but with staff who doesn't give a shit at all, nor looks like Noah Wylie or George Clooney) and was told it'd be a while. So I waited. It took 2 hours to get me back into triage. Then I waited another 2 hours. It finally got to me. I was the only white person in the whole ER (including staff). That's not racism, that's unfortunate fact. There were so many people who were dirty and stinky and icky. And a lot of them were coughing. If I end up with MRSA or TB, I'm going to be really pissed. Most of the coughing people had masks, but weren't wearing them either properly or at all. At about 3 hours post triage, I had enough. My already taxed stress-system shut down. I started to have a panic attack. I don't think it helped that I have a very hard time processing lots of sounds, and 75 people all talking very loudly makes me very upset (almost like autism). I just about screamed at one chick, and started rocking back and forth in my seat, crying, with hands over my ears. Finally, when I started to hyperventilate, I went to the front desk. I told them I was having a panic attack. They told me I would be seen "soon." I told them, no, this was serious. I was pulled back, told to stand in a corner, and given a paper bag to breathe into. Also I was told to "calm down." UH HUH. After another hour of waiting, I finally broke down and called Mom. She had to have Sis drive her across town to me because I had her car. She got there, and was told that it would be at least several more hours before I'd even be seen. I had been sitting there already for 6 by the time she got there. I had had enough. I told her we were going to leave, and I would figure out something tomorrow. I just couldn't deal with it any more.
I am mainly pissed off that Dad stuck me with bad genes, and KNEW that I would end up in this situation, but didn't care enough to do anything about it. Just let Janice make the decision. Now I'm looking at having to call my godfather to see if he'll be willing to pay for a supply at near-full price. (Which, for 4 medications, is about $700 per month.) I hate having to ask him. But it seems like it's my only option for the time being, until I can at least get my "gold" card from Harris County. Once I get that, I can make appointments to see an actual psychiatrist and then get my meds for cheap. How I"m going to get my seasonale (birth control - crazy expensive, like $140 on insurance). I don't know if Medicaid Women's Health will cover it, and I haven't found any other pill that will work that's cheaper.
Nevertheless, I'm not dealing with ANY of it again until tomorrow. This seriously sucks, and makes me wish I lived somewhere with fully socialized medicine, like Canada or Britain. Any of you who think socialized medicine is bad, just take my example. Then e-mail your congressional representatives and senators and tell them to PASS THE HEALTH CARE BILL. Preferablly without all of the anti-abortion riders. But that part's optional. Asking for better healthcare for ALL isn't, please. You can also visit www.thepetitionsite.com to electronically sign petitions to urge officials to help the healthcare crisis. Feel free to use my story, or refer to me if you want.
Enough, now. I'm going to sleep, hopefully.
As of tonight, I am out of all of my psych meds. This is a very very bad thing. Without them I completely fall apart and either get so depressed I try to commit suicide, or get so manic I try to commit suicide. Obviously neither is good. So I called around and was told that even without the Harris County "Gold Card" I could still be seen on an emergency basis at any of the local clinics. That once I was seen, I could get my prescriptions and be given a week's worth of meds for free right then. I would have to come back for a new week's supply every 7 days, but would only have to see the doctor once. So I got to the nearest clinic (there aren't any ones closer than 30 mins away) at 9am. I waited in triage until the nurses came out at 12:30. They told all of us that we needed to either go to the ER or make an appointment, but there was no way to be seen there today. This I found highly suspect as the clinic stays open until 10pm. That they stop taking emergency patients at 12:30p seems odd and I am calling tomorrow to speak to the head of nursing to complain. So, if I wanted my drugs today, I was told I had to go to the ER.
I arrived at the closer County Hospital (Think ER, but with staff who doesn't give a shit at all, nor looks like Noah Wylie or George Clooney) and was told it'd be a while. So I waited. It took 2 hours to get me back into triage. Then I waited another 2 hours. It finally got to me. I was the only white person in the whole ER (including staff). That's not racism, that's unfortunate fact. There were so many people who were dirty and stinky and icky. And a lot of them were coughing. If I end up with MRSA or TB, I'm going to be really pissed. Most of the coughing people had masks, but weren't wearing them either properly or at all. At about 3 hours post triage, I had enough. My already taxed stress-system shut down. I started to have a panic attack. I don't think it helped that I have a very hard time processing lots of sounds, and 75 people all talking very loudly makes me very upset (almost like autism). I just about screamed at one chick, and started rocking back and forth in my seat, crying, with hands over my ears. Finally, when I started to hyperventilate, I went to the front desk. I told them I was having a panic attack. They told me I would be seen "soon." I told them, no, this was serious. I was pulled back, told to stand in a corner, and given a paper bag to breathe into. Also I was told to "calm down." UH HUH. After another hour of waiting, I finally broke down and called Mom. She had to have Sis drive her across town to me because I had her car. She got there, and was told that it would be at least several more hours before I'd even be seen. I had been sitting there already for 6 by the time she got there. I had had enough. I told her we were going to leave, and I would figure out something tomorrow. I just couldn't deal with it any more.
I am mainly pissed off that Dad stuck me with bad genes, and KNEW that I would end up in this situation, but didn't care enough to do anything about it. Just let Janice make the decision. Now I'm looking at having to call my godfather to see if he'll be willing to pay for a supply at near-full price. (Which, for 4 medications, is about $700 per month.) I hate having to ask him. But it seems like it's my only option for the time being, until I can at least get my "gold" card from Harris County. Once I get that, I can make appointments to see an actual psychiatrist and then get my meds for cheap. How I"m going to get my seasonale (birth control - crazy expensive, like $140 on insurance). I don't know if Medicaid Women's Health will cover it, and I haven't found any other pill that will work that's cheaper.
Nevertheless, I'm not dealing with ANY of it again until tomorrow. This seriously sucks, and makes me wish I lived somewhere with fully socialized medicine, like Canada or Britain. Any of you who think socialized medicine is bad, just take my example. Then e-mail your congressional representatives and senators and tell them to PASS THE HEALTH CARE BILL. Preferablly without all of the anti-abortion riders. But that part's optional. Asking for better healthcare for ALL isn't, please. You can also visit www.thepetitionsite.com to electronically sign petitions to urge officials to help the healthcare crisis. Feel free to use my story, or refer to me if you want.
Enough, now. I'm going to sleep, hopefully.