LABS

Since my insurance started last November 1, I've been diligent about getting my quarterly labs. As a DS patient, we have to take high levels of supplements due to the malabsorption issue that makes the DS so effective.

I have been diligent about taking all my supplements, daily, adjusting when necessary, and rarely missing, usually when I went out expecting to be home earlier and didn't take any with me. So now I make sure to always have them in my purse as a backup, whether I need them or not. One day I will need them.

My recent set of labs doesn't look that great. My iron has tanked. It is extremely low despite taking two daily Proferrin Polypeptide Heme Iron recommended by my DS surgeon. They didn't help. This explains why I've been feeling rundown for the last four months or so. Ferritin and Iron are way below normal. I tried in the waning weeks of our crappy HMO (it expires on July 1) to get an iron infusion, the only solution for this type of DS-caused anemia. I enlisted the help of my surgeon, my PCP, and who is also a hematologist, and even my ocular melanoma specialist. They all basically said, "Huh. Too bad."  &^%$

So I pulled up my last two quarterly labs and WTF? No iron or ferritin tests were done! I emailed copies to my surgeon, and he said everything "looked great." That's because all the tests I requested weren't getting done. (How did it get done this time? Uh...magic? I take the fifth.) So there was no trend to follow. Dammit. In addition to HC professionals, I also dropped the ball. I did my best, but it fell short of the mark. I accept that.

We went to social services (well, my husband did), a week ago to apply for insurance coverage. We have to start with Medi-Cal, which we're not eligible for this month because my husband is getting paid one last teacher paycheck on the 1st (and thank dog), so we have to be rejected from that first so we can move on to the next thing. I'm not sure what the next thing is, but we are going to meet with a caseworker, hopefully this week. Maybe we'll go over just to say "HI" and get in their faces.

So to recap, I need the following medical stuff:

1. Iron infusion
2. Diagnostic D&C to biopsy ovarian cyst, uterine polyp, uterine fibroids, and endometrium (too thick)
3. I need an ocular oncologist (requested one thru my PCP in May. She dropped the ball as usual.)

I tried VERY HARD to make all these things happen by July 1. I visited doctors' offices' in person; I burned up the phone to doctor offices, my HMO, and my "group", i.e., the gatekeepers. I cried. I got hysterical. I bullied. I threatened. I begged and pleaded. Nothing. It sure wasn't from a lack of effort that none of these events took place. I don't know what else I could have done other than just do it myself. Gah.

And still, I would trade it all to make the diabetes go away. I would.

But I'll tell you what? No more HMOs. I mean it. I'll go without before I accept another HMO. I hadn't had one in over ten years, and they are even worse now than they were in 2005. Un. Be. Lievable. Never again.

In the meantime, I sold some stuff on eBay so we're going to do our Sunday ritual of a newspaper and eggs at Denny's. Also, free WiFi and free A/C. It's been hotter than hell here and it is making me crazy. We can't afford to run the A/C. This house has very high ceilings--it would cost a mint to actually cool it down.

Right now, I'm just taking it one day at time. That's all you can do.