The Power of Money When You Are Sick

I have so many thoughts swimming in my head these days and seem to find so little time to type them into my computer. As I mentioned a few weeks ago I’ve been struggling with medical problems that resulted from antibiotics. I won’t lie. The condition is painful and I’m having a difficult time concentrating on anything other than not feeling well.

I have a lot of pain in my legs and feet while I’m sleeping and I typically wake up quite grumpy and blah. For the first four or five minutes I think “Why me?”, “Why am I stuck with another medical problem?”, “Why am I the 1% for anything that can go wrong in the human body.” By the time I step into the shower I start counting the reasons I feel grateful. “At least this won’t kill me.”, “I’ve dealt with more painful problems.”, “At least I’m the one suffering, not my son.”

The rest of my day has it’s ups and downs depending on my level of pain. Sometimes I cry for absolutely no reason. Other times I turn up the music, chase my son around the house and do my best to forget all my troubles. I waver back and forth between feeling grateful and pitying myself. I am hoping and praying that my condition is temporary. I’m trying to convince myself that I’m only thirty-six and that my body has plenty of time to bounce back from this.  Somedays I’m more successful than others.

Medicine and medical care are unbelievably expensive. The vitamin prescription my neurologist called in cost $168 for a thirty day supply. I was in such shock at the pharmacy that I had to ask the clerk to repeat the number. Luckily there is a cheaper option through Brand Direct. They charged me $175 for a three month supply. That adds up to $58 a month, which is still a lot of money, but much easier to swallow.

My visit to the general practitioner ended up costing me $177. The blood work was an additional $23. The bill before insurance paid was $690. Nearly $700 for a small vial of blood and six different tests. I haven’t received the bill from my neurologist and need an expensive test performed a week from now. I would guess it will cost around $1000.

The doctor prescribed a medication for pain, but I am reluctant to take it. After all drugs got me into this predicament in the first place. Instead I’ve been researching alternative treatments. Everything from TENS machines to acupuncturists. I found a few promising studies about deep laser therapy and hope to give that a try as well.

Medication would certainly be the cheaper option, but medicine won’t cure me, at this point it will only mask the pain. I’m hopeful there is an alternative solution that might actually mend my nerves. Otherwise I’m looking at a lifetime of prescriptions.

Acupuncture sessions cost $110 each. Deep laser therapy can cost upwards of $200. I’m glad that my finances are stable, because when you are sick you don’t want to worry about money.

I’m definitely willing to throw money at this problem. Every time I come across a possible home solution I click on Amazon and begin searching.

I’ve been in this predicament before. This is not the first time I’ve experienced a painful condition, which is crazy because these two issues are completely unrelated. The last time I was ill I wasted money on things that weren’t working. I spent thousands of dollars on a physical therapist that wasn’t helping.

Eventually I gave up on him and went in search of other alternatives. A few months later I found an amazing massage therapist who is worth more than double the $45 she charges. In the beginning I visited her two to three times a week, but after weeks of amazing work I was able to cut back to just once a month and then went two years without requiring a single visit.

I’m hopeful that I will find a similar solution this time around. The key is to find an expert. I have my hopes set on a former neurologist turned acupuncturist. I’m praying to God that she can help me.

5 thoughts on “The Power of Money When You Are Sick”

  1. That is horrible!!! I’m so sorry this happened to you (again). I hope the damage done by the antibiotic is just temporary and even if not, you find an amazing solution that gets you back to feeling like your old self. 🙁

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  2. This sounds awful. I’m so sorry.

    It is really frightening the first time you have a major health problem as a parent. DH and I went to Paris for about a week when the girls were 3 (they stayed with grandparents). A month after our return, one morning I was just chatting with DH in the kitchen, drinking coffee, when I felt my left arm suddenly swell. By 1 pm it was hard and red, so we rushed to the nearest emergency room. It turned out to be cellulitis, not DVT or a stroke. But I was so scared for myself and for my daughters and husband. Then I had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic I was prescribed and broke out in hives.

    Later I remembered I had slightly burned my arm on a hot cookie sheet a few days before we left for Paris and forgot all about it, then got on a transatlantic flight.

    A very close friend has several major health problems and it has really affected her parenting of her 3 kids, not in a good way. She’s very overwhelmed and unhappy. I am glad that you can find the energy to keep up with your little boy.

    Re: acupuncture — check into community acupuncture clinics, which charge clients on a sliding scale and minimize expenses by using recliners to treat multiple patients in a room. I did this for my out-of-pocket IVF cycle, and it was a great experience. I think I paid $30 for the first session per week and $20 for additional sessions that week. The acupuncturists were really nice and did their best to maximize privacy by keeping the room dimly lit and speaking softly. Most of the other patients, many of whom were blue collar, were there for chronic illnesses.
    xoxoxo

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  3. So sorry to hear that you are in pain and hope that you get relief soon. Glad to hear that your neurologist thinks it’s temporary; that’s always good to hear from a professional. In January, I suffered from excrutiating sciata in my right leg from a misplaced needle injection. It lasted about a month and a half and towards the end, I was starting to feel desperate & depressed that I’d have this pain the rest of my life and wondering how I would possibly bear it. It took me twice as long to do simple things such as stand up and take my child out of a car seat. I was starting to look into physical therapists and accupuncturists when the terrible pain suddenly abated. I was lucky. These painful experiences remind me how important it is to have good health, and without it, it really colors your world/outlook on life.

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  4. Hope you feel normal again! I am so sorry this is happening to you. I don’t have any words of wisdom, but just wanted to send a virtual hug. Hope the acupuncture works to help you

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  5. Sorry to hear about your medical issue. I hope there is a cure and it doesn’t cost a pretty penny.

    I’m not sure what the issue is but if its foot / knee related, would orthotics or orthopedic shoes or braces help?

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