Preventative care - are you getting yours?

[sllowe]

Are you getting your preventative care? You know, the non-MS related preventative stuff?  Stuff regular folks do? I'm not, and I need to.

This, among many publications are good from the CMSC:

     Publication from the Consortium of MS Center (mscare.org)

Preventive Screening in People with Multiple Sclerosis
Megan Weigel Barrett, DNP, ARNP, MSCN; Beverly Roberts, PhD, FAAN, FGSA

Abstracted Conclusions:  People with disabilities are a vulnerable population, and MS is considered a disabling condition.  Those with disabilities may develop other conditions at younger ages as a result of having a narrower margin of health.8 further, people with MS have unique needs that increase vulnerability to disorganized and disenfranchised care. Women are studied more frequently than men in a ratio disproportionate to the sex ratio of MS. More severe disability reduces the likelihood of receiving certain services and may be a significant barrier to the receipt of care..............
               http://mscare.org/cmsc/images/journal/pdf/IJMSC_Winter_10_4.pdf

Enjoy,
Shell

[sllowe]

WildC-
Yea, after all the visits, who the heck wants to go for prevent stuff. Dentist and gyno are suppose to be on my to-list too :(

[wildcat2x]

Hi all.

Though I have insurance through work, and have seen the dentist regular in the last 2 years (had a bad experience with finding one in '96 so didn't go till 2009.)   And I did get my yearly gynocological exam (feel somewhat bonded to this doctor with the delivery of 2 children).  I only saw my regular doctor when I had a bad cold before my issues this year I last saw him 6 years ago so had to go through the reinitiation process this year to keep him as my regular doctor.  -oops didn't think that I really needed to see a regular doctor if I had no problems.

My feet felt funny a little bit, but I had thought it was from wearing those sketcher shape ups all the time.  I had gone to the eye doctor with the kids about a week then I had double vision, (funny this was about a week after I did the eye exam so I went back.)  He told me that it was neurological and see a doctor.  (the double vision did get worse but stopped after a week.)

I had a dr.'s appt with my gyno as the birth control I had started 2 months ago stated a sever side effect could be double vision - so stopped taking the stupid thing.  During the wait time double vision stopped but numbness spread up from the feet to knees and some low thoracic areas and balance was bad.

This doctor sent me to the neurologist as he was concerned about these symptoms.  So I've probably seen a doctor more this year than in the last decade.  

[sllowe]

All,

I was sifting through my posts, looking for something else, and seen this!

I'm still not getting preventative care, nor have I followed through on what I said here back in January, how I was going to knock these things off my list, blah, blah, blah

How about you? Anyone getting regular check-ups? Or, are they all issue related like me?

Spill!

-Shell

[sllowe]

Dang, Alex, Someone needs to plug that hole! I hate you and so many others in that situation.

I'm not, and have no excuse. This yr. I'm going to work on my list of catching up on years of neglected preventative checks.

Enjoy the winter edition read.

-Shell

[summerluvr]

I'm glad I live in Canada.  and I have a  union job that has  insurance for things like drugs (75% coverage) and am currently on disability insurance through my work, 60% of my normal salary but still have a paycheck coming in. I don't know how I would survive otherwise.  The drugs alone in the last year would have cost more then I make, plus rent and bills etc. etc.  I wasn't getting care for my other health issues, but my oncology doc is very good and has squeezed me in when I had other health issues (ear infection, flu,  and recently abdomin pain) and will treat these.

[jensequitur]

I forgot to mention that I actually do go to the doctor!  I kinda have to - I had that blood clot, so I'm on warfarin, and have to get my INR done every week or so.  I also have my well woman exam every year, and general checkups.   The only thing I don't do on a regular basis is get my teeth cleaned.  I brush and floss, but getting to the dentist is quite a chore, on top of everything else.

[COBOB]

I have pretty good insurance, but in truth, I hate going to the doctor.  I hate sitting, and standing in line and messing up my workday.  Your post is very timely since I am FORCED to go tomorrow.   I got a puncture wound in my left hand yesterday.  It is now hot, tight and swollen, so I have a cellulitis  going on.  I grabbed my standby bottle of ciprofloxacin since this is case where a antipseudomonal is warranted. Opps, only 7 pills left...three and a half days.  Not enough. Damn. So it is off to the doctor tomorrow to get it looked at and get a new script.  

So I'll loose a couple of billable hours to have a doctor or PA or NP tell me I have cellulitis and need an antibiotic.  I know there is a reason.  Many people will take antibiotics for everything, but in this case it is warranted.  

I guess since I'll be there, we can see what my blood pressure is doing.  I was on an ACE inhibitor, but even at a low dose I ended up hypotensive.  The last few neruo visits my BP has been high (maybe situational since I was waiting on my diagnosis.) but this thread does bring up the point that I should watch my general heath.  

I have decided to move to an Integrated Care System that is a few miles from my home.  They provide Family Practice, Dental, Mental Health, Lab, and Behavioral Heath all under one roof.  That might make it convenient enough for me to actually go there.

Bob

[jensequitur]

Health care in this country is a joke.  The health care reform bill did some important stuff (pre-existing conditions, carrying the kid on your insurance until age 26) but we've got to have a single-payer health care system that's available to everybody.  Otherwise the insurance companies will just keep jacking up the rates.

[HVAC]

Lulu I fall through all the cracks. I have looked into everything. Since I work on the front lines of health care reform those working in SSI and High Risk Pools, etc. are amazed I just fall through every crack. The irony is when I have an MRI at Duke I pay an extra $1000 out of pocket on top of the $2000 my insurance pays to make up for what they can't charge those on Medicare or with out insurance. I can't get out of extra fees because we are at the exact cut off in income and we have a house ( a fifty year old ranch cheaper than most apartments). If we rented we could simply let our bills go into collections. Duke will go after our house. I had an MRI last February and I am still paying on it. I go to the MS PA at $200 copay for 15 minutes but that is all the tests or treatment I can afford anymore but if I stop and lose my spot I am sunk. The Doctor has a two year wait for his own patients.

I am not trying to get sympathy I am a tough cookie. Our reality is our income has been cut in half since 2010 and our health care cost this year was a third of that and next year will be half. It is a simple choice our house, my health care. We have been here before and I did not go to a doctor or take medications for two years. I do not want to do that, but I can.

[Lulu54]

Thanks, Shell.  The articles from MS consortium are always interesting to read.  The NARCOMS registery newsletter is also linked through their site, I believe.  

Funny but I just made eye doctor appointments for me and my husband this morning.  It is too easy to overlook these routing health care items.

Alex, there just has to be something out there for people in your situation.  This lack of medical care makes it feel like we live in a 3rd world country instead of one of the resource-richest ones.

take care, L

[HVAC]

My problem is I can't afford much health care anymore because the MS has frankly busted the bank. I went for my yearly exam and it was a joke, she checked my breasts that is it. I stay with her because she sees me quick, gives me lots of samples and is a good doctor. She is just busy, I get it. My Doctor wanted to pick her kid up so she basically did nothing. I can't afford the gynecologist anymore. I am not sure why to bother with cancer screening since there is no way I can afford treatment.

I am now incontinent and just do not care. Why if I tell a doctor it will cost money I do not have. So I am just peeing on myself. I am incontinent in the other way but again no money so I keep my mouth shut. I can't afford more Specialists or more medicines.

They are attacking my health care plan this year beyond belief. That means I decide which of my 16 drugs I can really do with out. I decide to cut out all health care except routine PCP and 6 month visits to the MS Specialist. No Hospital, ER, Imaging, Surgery, Specialist, PT, and counseling.

On top of the MS I have Asthma, thyroid, chronic sinus infections (I treat at home) and migraines (several a week which cause vomiting).

Then I feel guilty because 1/3 of our income goes to my health care this year and in 14 years my husband has gone to the doctor twice. Once when he was hit by a car and once when he was bitten by a spider! He thinks if we just don't go to the doctor it will be fine.

Also my Doctors staff do not listen to me because they deem me to have too many health problems therefore I can't be taken seriously.

Alex

[sllowe]

To see the table of contents for all of the articles in this winter edition, here is the link. I think you will find the data on lipoatrophy from copax and skin care for injectible therapy interesting too....

http://mscare.org/cmsc/Current-Issue.html