Just back from a "Debridement" surgery following a brain surgery. ACA covered. Ask me anything!
First and foremost: If you have been treated for hypertension, don't drop the meds unless you're told to.
I picked up my exercise and dropped 30, improved my eating habits last December and quit my $1,350 COBRA plan for similar ACA coverage under same provider, Anthem.
BUT, it took time for cards and I never picked up with my PCP for testing and refills of cholesterol and BP meds.
Big Mistake.
On 5-17 I became dizzy and fell, continued dizziness after a short unconsciousness took me to an ER, and a brain scan indicated possible brain bleed so was flown to Stanford and had a cranial angio, then brain surgery to treat a minor aneurism, then another angio and release.
The surgical site deal heal well and I went in last Tuesday and they checked me in, opened me back up (but didn't have to remove the skull piece again, thankfully) and sent me home today with a PICC and IV meds to be self administered for the next six weeks, pretty intensive but likely to prevent a relapse.
The jury is still out about coverage, but I know my $6,350 max out of pocket and deductible are covered (all that on the first day, easily).
I hope and pray for good health, but also hope that the ACA Silver Plan will cover everything, this is a costly deal.
Just some of the costs:
Ambulance: $2700
LifeFlight to Stanford: ~$25,000
Angiograms: $60,000 - $80,000 each for total of maybe $160,000
Cranial surgery: I have no idea, thinking at least $100,000 (I have one bill for one doctor alone that's $25,000)
Room and Board in ICU/Neurology at Stanford Hospital and Clinics: No idea, great care, five star staff and surgical crew.
Cost for return visit and second CT Scan and Surgery: No idea.
Six weeks of home health care, PICC system meds and other prescriptions: No idea.
I'm thinking this is at least a $250,000 medical event, possibly twice that, all for about $500 and month plus the max out of pocket.
I'm grateful for the medical team and for the providers.
Lesson learned: I take my hypertension meds, I check my BP with a decent device that has a memory that stores the values. A few minutes ago I was at 109/83... much better than the numbers I had when admitted!!!
Needless to say, there are other measures (reduce sodium, chill out) to manage stress; meds aren't the only way to reduce tension.
But I'll bet I'd not have had the problem had I not so cavalierly dropped them.
Be well, DUers!
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My god, man, what a ride you've had!
I'm really glad to hear that you're OK...and that you have this great insurance.
Please take care of yourself, OK? We only have one of you!
I was actually surprised at how relatively "cheap" my hospitalization two years ago ended up. Had expected it to be much higher. The even better news is that my share was just $225. My detached-retina surgery later that year cost me nothing beyond the initial copay to the retinal specialist.
And as for you, just take it easy and do what the doctors say.
Another 2 or maybe 3 weeks they say. 
aA
rocktivity
Scary story and one I will take to heart, my friend.
4:30 this morning
6:15 this morning
Will try to catch sunset for you, @ 8:30!
I look forward to the update.
I'll be keeping a low profile, resting, trying to heal but look forward to getting back to my happy new place with a view.
I hope everything at the cottage continues to be amazing, I think about the different birds you must see, and other critters.
There must be water critters and crawling and burrowing critters, too!
Last edited Sat Jun 14, 2014, 08:52 PM - Edit history (3)
Insects are coming. I do see birds, lots of ospreys in the area, SAD I missed them when they are nestlings adjacent to the cottage. Cardinals, and think I've spotted some jays. FUNNY when I open the door, start to take a walk, they start telling eachother, 'Here she is, watch it!' I WAVE at them! NOT easy to get pics, tho.
Looking for recipe for safe weed killer I thought I'd shared on FB, cause weeds coming up on brick patio, and would like to do them in so it looks respectable.
DO rest!
OK, JUST for you!
across the creek:
Wow.. how nice it is to have such feasts for the eyes available for us observers. 
Mahalo!
One thing from childhood that never left me, the love of living on or near the water.
Sister and I grew up in a house without running drinking water, but it was adjacent to a river, almost on the levee, in the "Delta" of Northern California.
I wouldn't trade that simple rural life for anything. We both attended the same two teacher K-8 school, both wound up in education.
I think she hated it, but I loved the nature and the critters and the solitude, it formed me.
Your cottage and your photographs always bring back warm memories, they are comforting and beautiful.
Thank you!
what? Did you finally have one installed? Just kidding, get better Skip.
It was a long, exploratory surgery but they did find one!
Girlfriend says it would have taken longer if they tried to find my patience, and they'd have failed at that one!
Actually, an aneurism, aka brain attack, bleed, or mini-stroke. Could have been much worse, I'm lucky to be alive and with all of my faculties!
For all that could have happened, slurred speech and blurred vision, for example, I'm one lucky sucker.
OTOH, I'm now dependent on someone else to admin four syringes thrice daily, that's a load on them and on me.
I'll have to work on what means "mama dogface to the banana patch often"!
good recovery!
you were just chillin by the Ocean.. You poor thing.. I'm glad you're on the mend now.
Thank you for writing about it so vividly with the caveat not to drop ones meds unless you check with your Dr.
Hope it works out the best for you financially, too, with your coverage.
You be well, SKP.. we've all heard this but our Health really is our most important asset/priority.
Good to have you back and recovering. What an ordeal.
Get well soon 
