No Health Insurance but Have Questions

[GailC]

Hi, My name is Gail and I am a 47 year old mother of four.  I currently have no health insurance and so therefore, I have not been able to see a doctor.  I have a questions though.  I will give you a little family history first.  My mother had a post menopausal full hysterectomy after her doctor found an ovarian tumor. They removed a mucinous ovarian tumor the size of a basketball that was atypical in the center.  It had not spread anywhere and she did not have to have chemo or rediation.  She had follow-up appointments for five years and then given a clean bill of health.

Three years ago, they discovered an ovarian cyst on my right ovary that was 3 cm.  It was measured after a night of excruciating pain in which I believe it burst.  I had no other problems after that until the last 1 to 1-1/2 years.  I have had increasing pain on my right side and now have pain going down my right leg at times.  My right hip has pain that causes me to limp at times also.  I have had some pain during intercourse and my periods have been very irregular over the past two years being anywhere from 11 days to 39 days.  I had just figured I was perimenopausal which I probably am.  I have a full/bloating feeling at times and depending on how I sit, at times my pelvic area hurts with pressure like the last couple months of pregnancy.  For example, if I lean forward while sitting, the area just above my public bone feels very full and hurts but relieves some when I sit back. My energy level has decreased over the past few months but I wouldn't consider it terrible.  I am still assuming that this is just an ovarian cyst but just don't know how urgent it is for me to get it checked out.  I actually feel kind of funny posting here since I don't have any diagnosis.  I just don't know who to ask at this point and I don't know if my risk factors increased because of my mother's tumor.  What kind of urgency would you put on getting this checked out?
GailC

[GailC]

Thank you.  Unfortunately we had been with Kaiser for 26 years then dropped our coverage to go to Mexico as missionaries for 1.5 years.  When we returned we tried to get back on with them but because of pre-existing conditions that were found under their coverage, they denied me coverage.  That is why I am in the place I am in.  I did find a no insurance/lower income clinic which I went to and now I am waiting to hear the results of my ultrasound.  
Thank you,
Gail

[Annekathryn Goodman, M.D.]

Hi There
It is tough but I urge you to find health insurance.
You cannot use websites to get your care.
You have a responsibility to your children to keep yourself healthy.

It is not possible to answer your question about urgency of care.
That decision requires a full face to face evaluation with a provider including a physical exam and other appropriate screening tests such as a pap smear

I Google-d Fairview, Oregon (from your profile it says you live there)\
this looks like an affordable plan.I suspect with a little research you will find a healthcare plan that you can use.
good luck with everything
take care

http://kpif.kp.org/Pages/98805/?pcid=48234494&WT.mc_id=98805&WT.seg_1=IP-4-48234494&WT.srch=1


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