I just kept it to myself

Low income people get so accustomed to a lack of medical care or poor medical care, that they just suffer in silence. (Hmmm, this reminds me of another story, about my ex roommate Paul from 2001) Here's an example. In '01, my roommate Paul had severe stomach pain but no health insurance. He was on some med for an injured leg. He ignored the pain. (I understand the concept of suffering in silence very well) because he had no health insurance.

One day, I was on his computer and he was sitting behind me. I said something to him, and got no response. I turned around, he went ghost white and collapsed head first on the floor. I called 9-1-1 and just sat on the floor with his head in my lap, having no idea what to do, really. He asked what happened, so he was conscience. I was supposed to be leaving for a party. I went to the hospital and they told me I had saved his life by calling 9-1-1. He lost so much blood that he would have died. Turned out, the med he was on caused internal bleeding............................

Which leads me to this. I grew so accustomed to such poor medical care from the low income clinics, (this was when I was on "Primary Care for the Medically Indigent" insurance) that I really just kept most of my concerns to myself. I didn't really know there was an alternative to the excruciating pain of fibromyalgia. But over the years, I occasionally overhear wealthier people talking about trying different meds for pain.

So, I just recently realized that I don't have to just suffer. I saw a commercial on t.v. for a med called Lyrica for fibromyalgia. I tried that but it didn't work. So my doc. tried me on hydrocodone, and that didn't work. Today, I started on Percoset, and I am almost completely pain free. I can't remember being pain free since about 1986. It's extremely important for me to be able to function, since I am job interviewing as a nanny.

Over the past 5 years, I've had a lot more trouble breathing. You already know that I live in a toxic apt. bldg. Baltimore City's pollution is far higher than EPA's acceptable standards. Now that I have such good insurance, I told my doc about how much trouble I'm having with breathing. So today, he sent me to the hospital for the full array of pulmonary function test. It was very hard, very stressful, I would have never guessed that. (I have never smoked)

I told them that my birthmother has never smoked but is on oxygen and has pulmonary fibrosis. They told me not to worry about inheriting breathing problems, that is very unlikely. So by May, I'll know the prognosis.

Back to the Percoset. I do not and have never had, an addictive personality. I've been pretty involved with vegetarianism, alternative medicine and the like, and still have that to draw from. I do not see myself using Percoset for the long haul. Once I get a reliable car, I can get around to chiropracters, massage therapists, etc. and I fully expect that will make a big difference. But in the meantime, life is a balancing act. I'm grateful for the health insurance I have, and if I have to rely on Western medicine for the time being, then so be it. Whatever I have to do to raise my quality of life, I will do, as long as it is ethical and legal.

Speaking of legality, check out my next blog piece on marijuana.