The world is a messed up place...
I have had such a frusterating and emotional day it's hard to even describe. Early this morning while I was at work, my friend Lisa (who happends to be a nurse for an HIV specialist at the hospital I used to work for) called to tell me she had spoken to Dr. J and relayed the following instructions.
1. I need to start on anti-HIV medicatoin TODAY.
2. I need to find out what the woman's viral load and Hepatitis status are.
3. I need to get tested as soon as possible, then do follow up tests 6, 12, and 26 weeks from now.
I need to do all this becuase even though my exposure was minimaal, I was still exposed. Tiny droplets of blood could have entered my eyes or nose when the blood was gushing out of her without me even knowing it.
To try and find the woman's viral status (I know that she was HIV positive, but the amound of the virus makes a difference) I tried calling the Sherrif's department that handeled the case who then directed me to the detectives office, when then told me to call the coroner. I call the coroner who is out of the office but leave a message. I have yet to hear back from the.
I then try to find a place that can give me testing and medication (for free or a major discount, mind you, as I have no insurance). There are tons of resources for testing, but NONE FOR MEDS. Dr. J gave me the name of a doctor in Indianapolis who is an HIV speciaist but didn't have the number. I call information, who gives me a number for somewhere completely different. I call information again, to finally get the right place, but the wrong department. I get transfered again to the correct department, only to be told that that particular doc's office at in a different location. Once again, transferred. I finally get this guy's nurse, only to be told that becuase this doctor's office is in Marion Country, and I technically live in Hamilton Country (I literally live less than a 1/2 mile over the county line) that I didn't quailify for any assistance programs they had.
By this point I am getting very frusterated. I call the Hamilton County Public Health Department who says they do the testing, but weren't sure about the medications and would see what they could do. I am trying to impress upon then that time is running out, that I need these things TODAY. They take my number and say they will call me back.
I break down and call the Walgreens near me just to find out how much this treatment is going to cost and see if I can just pay for it out of pocket. The pharmasist's exact words to me are "are you sitting down?" I ask if I should be, and he says yes. He then informs me that the cost of this treatment is $1,500! Up until that point I had not cried about this whole woman-shooting-herself-me-possible-contrating-HIV-thing. But when I was told how much this treatment was going to cost, I started sobbing. I start blubbering to the guy about how all I was doing was shopping when I find myself thrust into this horrible situation and was only trying to help, and now I can't even afford the medication it takes to prevent me from getting this woman's disease. He stops me and says "call me back in half and hour. I'm going to look into something." I do what he says, and am given the name of a woman who works at a pharmacy in downtown Indianapolis. I call her and am told that they have the exact medication I need. Her store has medications that were donated by patients who have changed treaments and have donated unused meds they don't need anymore. I ask her how much it will cost me. I'm told it's FREE. So for the second time in one day, I sob, only this time it's out of happiness. Mike and I drive down there, get lost, finally find it, and am given the medication. The woman there was so nice and took me in a room for privacy and explained eveything to me, and asked me how I was doing. She said she was so worry that I had to go through all this. She even told me about a doctor she had spoken to about my situation who was so outradged that no one else would help me that he offered to help with testing and treatments, most likely for free as well. Dr. J back in Urbana also re-arranged his schedule on Friday for me to go and see him. Normally he is booked months ahead of time.
So now I have my meds and doctor appointments. The only problem is that the reason it worked out for me was by happening to know Dr.J, and by pure luck that I called that particuar Walgreens and spoke to that particular pharmisist who knew that other lady downtown with the donated meds. None of these things came from a resource freely assessable to any of the government agencies I spoke with today. That is just sad.
I'm going to go, I feel nausus from my meds as one of the side effects, but hey, it's better than HIV.
1. I need to start on anti-HIV medicatoin TODAY.
2. I need to find out what the woman's viral load and Hepatitis status are.
3. I need to get tested as soon as possible, then do follow up tests 6, 12, and 26 weeks from now.
I need to do all this becuase even though my exposure was minimaal, I was still exposed. Tiny droplets of blood could have entered my eyes or nose when the blood was gushing out of her without me even knowing it.
To try and find the woman's viral status (I know that she was HIV positive, but the amound of the virus makes a difference) I tried calling the Sherrif's department that handeled the case who then directed me to the detectives office, when then told me to call the coroner. I call the coroner who is out of the office but leave a message. I have yet to hear back from the.
I then try to find a place that can give me testing and medication (for free or a major discount, mind you, as I have no insurance). There are tons of resources for testing, but NONE FOR MEDS. Dr. J gave me the name of a doctor in Indianapolis who is an HIV speciaist but didn't have the number. I call information, who gives me a number for somewhere completely different. I call information again, to finally get the right place, but the wrong department. I get transfered again to the correct department, only to be told that that particular doc's office at in a different location. Once again, transferred. I finally get this guy's nurse, only to be told that becuase this doctor's office is in Marion Country, and I technically live in Hamilton Country (I literally live less than a 1/2 mile over the county line) that I didn't quailify for any assistance programs they had.
By this point I am getting very frusterated. I call the Hamilton County Public Health Department who says they do the testing, but weren't sure about the medications and would see what they could do. I am trying to impress upon then that time is running out, that I need these things TODAY. They take my number and say they will call me back.
I break down and call the Walgreens near me just to find out how much this treatment is going to cost and see if I can just pay for it out of pocket. The pharmasist's exact words to me are "are you sitting down?" I ask if I should be, and he says yes. He then informs me that the cost of this treatment is $1,500! Up until that point I had not cried about this whole woman-shooting-herself-me-possible-contrating-HIV-thing. But when I was told how much this treatment was going to cost, I started sobbing. I start blubbering to the guy about how all I was doing was shopping when I find myself thrust into this horrible situation and was only trying to help, and now I can't even afford the medication it takes to prevent me from getting this woman's disease. He stops me and says "call me back in half and hour. I'm going to look into something." I do what he says, and am given the name of a woman who works at a pharmacy in downtown Indianapolis. I call her and am told that they have the exact medication I need. Her store has medications that were donated by patients who have changed treaments and have donated unused meds they don't need anymore. I ask her how much it will cost me. I'm told it's FREE. So for the second time in one day, I sob, only this time it's out of happiness. Mike and I drive down there, get lost, finally find it, and am given the medication. The woman there was so nice and took me in a room for privacy and explained eveything to me, and asked me how I was doing. She said she was so worry that I had to go through all this. She even told me about a doctor she had spoken to about my situation who was so outradged that no one else would help me that he offered to help with testing and treatments, most likely for free as well. Dr. J back in Urbana also re-arranged his schedule on Friday for me to go and see him. Normally he is booked months ahead of time.
So now I have my meds and doctor appointments. The only problem is that the reason it worked out for me was by happening to know Dr.J, and by pure luck that I called that particuar Walgreens and spoke to that particular pharmisist who knew that other lady downtown with the donated meds. None of these things came from a resource freely assessable to any of the government agencies I spoke with today. That is just sad.
I'm going to go, I feel nausus from my meds as one of the side effects, but hey, it's better than HIV.