A post I'm not sure how to go about

[Omaha Steve]

Knowing that over 50 million Americans don't have health insurance including many DUers, this isn't easy to bring up. After feeling so good Friday for the first time in a week, last night my drug resistant staph returned. I've seen four different doctors. Tomorrow I'll try to find one of the area specialists that can get me in. Looking back now, I believe I first got infected in March and just didn't know what it was. Long story.

I'm behind on posting and mail. It may be a few days before I return to my usual self here. It hurts to move my arms much including typing.

I don't know how sick people without insurance make it, especially during the current bad times.

See you all soon,

OS

[yardwork]

1. I've very sorry to hear that. Nothing to apologize for - it's a very serious thing.

The fact that some people are even more unfortunate doesn't reduce the seriousness of your issue at all. I hope that you get well soon. Thinking of you and sending good thoughts.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Take care, my dear Omaha Steve...

You always fight the good fight! There is no shame in looking out for yourself.

Get Well!

And good luck...

:hug:

[geckosfeet]

3. Be careful. That's nasty stuff. You may need a stay in a hospital plugged into

some high octane antibiotics.

A friend of mine has a son whose heart was infected by staph and they did surgery to clean it out.

[Taverner]

4. Aw Jesus fuck...take care buddy

Staph scares me more than any other "pandemic" out there

My Aunt died of Staph - with the result being ammonia in her brain

[WinkyDink]

22. Scares me the most, too.

[Arctic Dave]

5. Take care friend.

That stuff is nothing to take lightly.

[Hissyspit]

6. A lot of people don't make it.

They die.

Or go bankrupt.

Or lose their home.

All of it is fine for Republicans.

[bvar22]

11. And they will continue to die or go bankrupt even after all the provisions in 2014.

The Insurance Policies that the lower middle class will be required to BUY require co-payments in the 20% neighborhood.
The percentage of these people that can "afford" the co-payment will be very, very small.

"Medical bankruptcy", a term unknown in civilized countries, will STILL be Big Business in the USA even after all the provisions of Health Insurance Reform kick in in 2014.

[Enthusiast]

24. PLUS ONE...............nt

[russspeakeasy]

34. bvar22...thanks for saying it.

[Divernan]

7. You cannot be too aggressive in fighting MRSA

I just finished a university course on infectious diseases. MRSA is a nightmare and getting worse.
It is vital that you get into a specialist ASAP. Push your family doctor/internist or any other medical professional you deal with or know to pull strings to get you an immediate appointment, or at least on a waiting list for cancellations. All docs keep a few times open for their patients' emergencies. If you push hard and are flexible enough, you CAN get in quickly. Once you get an appt., find out what lab work the new doc will want, and get a prescription to have that done at once and sent to the doc's office. Get copies of all your medical records dealing with possible source of infection and treatment you've had since it started. Get copies of your lab work and learn how to read your own lab reports - all those abbreviations/numbers - and what the different tests measure, so you can intelligently discuss them with your medical care providers.

I recently needed to see two new kinds of specialists (different medical problem than yours, but serious), and was told there was a four month waiting period for all of them. I made appointments with several of them in each specialty, and asked to be put on the list in case of cancellations. Then I ran into a nurse practitioner, who picked up the phone and got me an appointment with one type of specialist the following week, and another type of specialist within two weeks. I got into see a local endocrinologist quickly, but kept the four month out appt. with the most highly regarded endocrinologist in my area. My insurance allows for second opinions, and that's what I got. The first endo. guy was OK, but the second one was better, and she gave me some valuable advice which makes my life a lot easier.

My ex was suffering for months with a post-op infection, treated in a one-horse hospital in a small town. I had our adult kids push him(cause he'd die before taking any advice from me) to go into the university teaching hospital in nearby Pittsburgh, where they cured his condition. Don't know where you live, but you need to get to a board certified specialist affiliated with a major medical center.

When it comes to being on a waiting list for cancellations, make getting an appt. your first priority. You are dealing with a lethal disease, so don't hesitate to walk out of work on 5 minutes notice, or cancel a social engagement if that will get you into a specialist sooner.

Research the symptoms for MRSA, and if your situation worsens significantly or abruptly, get into the ER of the best hospital in your area.

Here's a link on a promising recent development in speeding up correct treatment. There is a lot more info on the web of course. Knowledge is power, and nowhere more so than when it comes to taking control of your own medical care. Top specialists are pressured to see 50 patients a day. When you are intimately familiar with the disease for which they are treating you, the time they give you is much more beneficial. If you know what symptoms are significant, and what questions to ask, you are ahead of the game.
http://www.kgoam810.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=116&itemid=29666315
Test to Help Speed-Up Distinguishing Between MRSA and MSSA

Siri Stafford/Photodisc/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Health experts will now be able to save time when trying to determine whether Staphylococcus aureus infections in patients are methicillin resistant (MRSA) or methicillin susceptible (MSSA), as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Friday that it has cleared a test that will allow a speed-up in the process.

There are various types of Staphylococci bacteria, some of which are easily treated with antibiotics and some that are resistant to this treatment, such as MRSA.

The FDA has cleared the KeyPath MRSA/MSSA Blood Culture Test for use by doctors, with officials saying that the test makes it possible to determine whether bacteria in a patient’s positive blood culture sample are MRSA or MSSA within about five hours.

“This not only saves time in diagnosing potentially life-threatening infections but also allows health care professionals to optimize treatment and start appropriate contact precautions to prevent the spread of the organism,” said Alberto Gutierrez, Ph.D., director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics Device Evaluation and Safety in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

On edit: I see by your profile, you are married. Keep your wife educated on all this also. If she can go with you to the specialist, you've got someone to take notes, keep track of questions you have, etc. When one is dealing with stressful diseases, it's hard to remember everything the doc or other medical specialist tell you.

On edit II: Re getting an appointment. If you call every day to ask about cancellations, you'll wear down the doctor's gatekeeper/administrative assistant, and she or he will give you an appointment just to get you off their back. But ask in a nice way, of course!

[aj_cd]

15. Listen to Divernan!

I am not as knowledgeable, and I am grateful every day I have insurance. I Won't go into long story but I am in 4th yr of cancer battle and I Know everything in Diverman's post is true.
Get to specialist, at teaching hospital ASAP !! Be pushy, be rude, do what ever you have to but do what Diverman said.

[MedicalAdmin]

44. Second note on getting in early.

Have your doctors nurse or assistant call the specialists nurse or assistant. THEY are the ones who REALLY control the schedule.

Please people - don't buy commercial meat if you can avoid it as the overuse of antibiotics in commercial meat may be the culprit in the development of many drug resistant strains of bacteria. Second - stop using anti-bacterial wipes and sprays for everything under the sun. You ain't gonna die because you got some dirt on you unless you've never developed a functioning immune system.

Final comment regarding what americans without insurance do. They die. And a growing percentage of them are taking their own lives rather than impoverishing and making their families homeless. And that Shit ain't right.

Hope things get better and I am glad that you have what everyone should have. Coverage.

[hlthe2b]

8. That our country does not provide for the health care of its citizens

... all of its citizens, makes me ashamed of my country. That we will allow the most selfish 20-30% to deny anyone of the care they need and deserve, while simultaneously bamboozle another 20-30% to vote against their own best interests makes me frequently feel a sense of hate for my own country. That you feel badly for those who don't says a lot of good about you, Omaha Steve. All the best on your recovery.

[MH1]

9. Wishing you the best with finding a good specialist and a speedy recovery

I am very sorry that you're ill and we will miss you posting here while you recover. But whatever you do put your health first!!

Take care of yourself! :hug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Something similar going on with me.

I have a sore that just won't heal. I tested positive for strep but my throat doesn't hurt in the least. I have one more day of antibiotics but the sore is still not healing.

I had the same thoughts you did. What do people do without insurance when they get sick? What I am dealing with is relatively minor but the cost has been considerable. It would be unaffordable to me without insurance.

Neither of my adult children has insurance. Not a day goes by that I don't worry about one of them getting sick or injured and the cost of the medical care they would need.

[mopinko]

12. get better friend. we need you.

don't let docs give you the run around. this is an emergency.

[barbtries]

13. i'm so sorry to hear this.

get well soon.

[w8liftinglady]

14. bless you friend. I have lots of patients with your illness

I'm glad you have good insurance. Now get thee to a research/teaching facillity where they have the latest and greatest.

Unfortunately,I care all too often for guys without insurance who lose digits,lips,etc because they couldn't afford the high dollar medication those multi-drug-resistant bugs require.
I'll keep you in my prayers.

[Terra Alta]

16. Prayers and vibes sent your way.

Hoping for a full and speedy recovery.

I don't know how people make it without insurance, either. If I didn't have insurance, I'd be sunk.

[TuxedoKat]

17. So sorry to hear this

As someone else suggested please bring your wife to your appointments with you. This will alleviate some of the stress on you and you will have someone else advocating for you besides yourself. I will be praying for you.

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. feel better soon

[Kurovski]

19. K&R. Sorry to hear of the troubles re-emerging, Steve.

Best wishes.

[Liberty Belle]

20. Have you tried drinking kefir, or acideophilos milk?

My husband had a recurring staff infection and the acidophilos got rid of it, and it never came back.

[MedicalAdmin]

46. Most commercially available kefir wont scratch the surface...

... although it is good generally to promote a good balance in your body. We recommend something with a little more umph like this. It's more expensive up front but it has a LOT more bang for the buck...

Having said that, make sure that you are not fooling around with this and see a qualified doctor - I would suggest someone with functional medicine training but that is my bias.

[emcguffie]

21. you may not believe this, but try using oil of oregano.

The P-?? one. The one with two numbers. It's very expensive. Use a lot of it. A lot more than it says. If you use several bottles in a week, it might work. It has been studied against multiple drug resistant staph and was found as effective as the four drugs they use in the hospital -- at least, that is what I have read. Since it isn't used very often, it might help. It helped me a great deal once.

[MedicalAdmin]

45. I've seen this study too.

It was brought up at grand rounds at our clinic and made the rounds in all the affiliated clinics.

[Enthusiast]

23. Sorry to hear of your illness.

That sucks.

Drug resistant staph has become so common in our area that I refuse to submit to much needed surgery. I simply do not feel safe.

[Le Taz Hot]

25. I'm so sorry your staph is back.

To answer your question about people with no heath insurance -- I just don't go to the doctor. I've a condition now that I know is probably critical but what can I do? I can't even afford the test much less the treatments which, if it is what I think it is, would be literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. I'm not going to do that to my family.

Healing White Light for your recovery.

Peace,
LTH

[WilliamPitt]

26. Feel better soon.

:hug:

[BrklynLiberal]

27. Be well. Hope this all is behind you soon.

[SlimJimmy]

28. Don't "try" ... Do. Go to a teaching hospital as soon as you

can get there. Push, shove, scream until they see you. MRSA is a killer, and the longer you wait, the more likely that fact becomes. I'm not trying to scare you, but time is of the essence. Do you hear me?

[nolabear]

29. Get well, OS. That's some awful stuff.

[msanthrope]

30. Feel better, soon, Steve! n/t

[patrice]

31. Get Well, Steve! Please be really proactive with your HC providers!!

[SusanaMontana41]

32. Take care, Steve. n/t

[era veteran]

33. Good luck, all caring people have those thoughts.

We could all lose insurance at any time. Take care of yourself.

[jwirr]

35. Take care. Hopefully you can find the answers.

[theFrankFactor]

36. Someday When We Have a Democratic Majority and a Strong Democratic President...

that is elected by a solid majority on the heels of a hideous Republican administration and who campaigned on "change", we will get real health care reform until then we just have Barack Obama and the current administration.

Someday.... someday....

PS I have a chronic condition (heart attack, high blood pressure and dyslipidemia), I take half a dozen prescription drugs that keep me alive. I have to run a gauntlet, an obstacle course, every year to secure coverage. I have no idea if Medicare will be there for me (I'm 54) and my Social Security as well.

I FUCKING DESPISE the tepid, ass kissing, corporate ball-licking, sell-out majority of the Democratic party. In my opinion they have thrown away the chance of a generation. Corporate power runs the show and the Democratic party at its highest levels.

I am sorry Democrats have FUCKED so many Americas over and it doesn't look all that sunny for our future either.

[FourScore]

37. Take care of yourself Omaha Steve!!!

I am so sorry to hear that you are suffering. And yes, it could always be worse -- just look at the ones without insurance.

[LiberalEsto]

38. Good luck with this

Hoping you get well fast.
Diverman's suggestions sound like excellent advice.

:hug:

[Jackpine Radical]

39. No matter how miserable your condition is, there's always someone worse off.

That doesn't make your misery any less miserable. Don't guilt-trip yourself over having access to medical care--especially in view of the fact that you have tirelessly worked to help extend those same benefits to everyone else.

Take care of yourself and come back at us when you're ready.

[MedicalAdmin]

47. Best reply to the OP award. n/t

[felix_numinous]

40. Hey Omaha Steve

I hope this finds you well. I thought of this thread when I came across another use for bentonite clay. Healing clay is cheap and found in health food stores, and can help absorb toxins topically, and without any risk. It will not interfere with other medicines being used (I am assuming you are seeing a physician too), but may assist in drying up the infection.

You can take a bath in healing clay, it fights fungus and rashes, or make a paste with it and apply it to the wound with plastic wrap, keep changing it--it feels good too :)

Thought you might be interested, if not- that's good too! I googled 'bentonite clay and MRSA' and there's a lot of hits.

[MedicalAdmin]

48. We do prescribe this for side effects of the MRSA treatments.

ANd it can help clear up an ourbreak but you REALLY need to get it out of your system and then (more importantly) get your system filled up with beneficial bacteria so that it can fight it off next time. The question I have is WHY did it come back? What is out of whack with your immune system that it allowed it a toe hold?

This is not a post blaming you, it's just a curiousity.

[DesertDiamond]

41. I get through with holistic healing, and it's cheaper and in my experience works better. Even had

H1N1 a couple of summers ago and treated it with simple bedrest and fasting. Came out of it just fine. When I was back up and running I heard that others in my area had died from it. That makes me so sad. But again, I had no need for Western medicine, so insurance was not an issue for me.

[xchrom]

42. please be well. nt

[Hawkowl]

43. Stay strong!

And good luck! You are one of my all time favorite posters!

[defendandprotect]

49. Best wishes -- get well soon -- !!

[kag]

50. Nothing to feel awkward about at all.

I have a chronic condition, and am fortunate enough to have a husband with excellent insurance through his employer. Don't know where I'd be without it. I just wish I didn't feel so "privileged". Everyone who needs medical care should be able to get it without losing their life savings, or even "feeling awkward".

Take care and get well.

[Better Believe It]

51. Hope you are back to normal soon. You're the main trade union person on DU. We need you.

[Omaha Steve]

52. I'm much better now than I was

I'm catching up on mail and will do a little posting. I see the infectious disease specialist tomorrow morning.

OS

[Divernan]

53. That's good to hear!

[femmocrat]

54. Best wishes for your recovery, Steve.

:hug: