I have Interstitial Lung Disease, with Pulmonary Fibrosis. It is a terminal illness, with no current treatment that improves or arrest the disease, and therefore no cure.
The only chance is a heart and lung transplant, that I am not eligible to receive. I cannot seem to lose the 100 lbs I have put on while taking the Prednisone steroids.
But this is not just about me, this is about dying in one of the richest countries in the world.
Read more . . . @ Daily Kos
Not an easy read. I'm not dying, yet, but I have a few issues that would be much easier to deal with if I had even some kind access to basic medical care. Fibromyalgia, obesity, and most recently high blood pressure. Also, my teeth are falling out and I have been able to only slow the process a little. :sigh: It's very stressful when I have a panic attack, which is horrific and feels like you are dying, to not have knowing I can't afford to see a doctor to the stressors. A few months ago I had an episode where my chest and back hurt and I couldn't breath and it could be the muscle spasm I've had for years really acting up or I could be dying . . I crawled into the living room and lay on the floor near my daughter in case I started to die. So at least she would know, we can't afford to call an ambulance. And if I lose my job she will have to find a place to live.
It's not that I don't have a pretty good job. I am only paid about a third of what I'm worth, but the trade off is that when I have bad days, I can slide. But the down side, my employers CAN'T get me insurance. No medical plans for one employees offices. And covering myself is out of the question as I'm middle aged, fat and have a number of pre-existing conditions. I got a quote once, almost as much as I make. So self insuring is out of the question. I've been saving, hoping to get a bit of a nest egg so I can get a few procedures done at some point. That is how I keep going some days, knowing that I'm getting closer to where I could be well.
So my heart goes out to the writer and her family. The burden of being uninsured on top of dying is huge.
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