Frustrated...

[PeacefulChaos]

A bit of overall frustration.

So we went on vacation a couple of weeks ago, and a week before we left I had started feeling some kidney pain (I have regular kidney stones) and so wasn't surprised when, two days before we were to come home, I had a kidney stone attack. But it was really bad. No sleeping for a couple of days, my pain meds (which ALWAYS knock it out) not even making a dent in it, getting sick from it, etc. I ended up at the ER there the morning we were planning on leaving. They did a CT and discovered a stone that's big enough to not pass on it's own. :glare: I've never had to do anything but drink a lot of water, take pain meds, and wait, so... I'm not exactly happy. Anyway, they prescribed anti nausea med, pain med, and antibiotic (there were signs of infection as well) and told me good luck for the drive home.

So I get home and am unable to get an appointment at the hospital I prefer before DECEMBER. :001_huh: I have to settle for here in town, which is not good, for several reasons. #1 reason? I don't have health insurance. I have never really felt any need for it, though even if I did the out of this world cost is enough to deter us. It would take a pretty big chunk of DH's paycheck to get insurance. So I got the bill from the ER and it was pricey, which I expected. If it was just that one alone, I wouldn't be too worried, however I now have this appointment here in town on Thursday, as well as potential (probable) lithotripsy on Monday. :svengo: I don't have the slightest idea what to do! I mean, I don't really have a choice...I have to get rid of this stone. I STILL don't feel right - I'm forcing myself to eat, everything makes me nauseous, and I overall still feel pretty crappy. :( So I know that I have to go and get this procedure done.

There are other places (like my preferred hospital) that will do a financial screening, and we've been able to get a percentage off there before. However, they won't see me without being referred by my PCP, and I actually don't really have one. I called the one that I often 'list' and I haven't actually been to see them in years. So they wouldn't refer me up there because they hadn't seen me in forever. I highly doubt that the urologist here in town would refer me up to the other hospital to get the lith. done, because they do it here... I don't know, I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do this that a) is quick - like, I'm not going to continue feeling like this for weeks/months more! and b) is the most cost-effective.

So anyway, I'm frustrated about that.

Another thing is that before we went on vacation, I had started looking into getting a degree in Respiratory Therapy. A community college close by had listed on their website that they offer it. I call them... Nope! So then I have a couple of other options, but they are both 45 min to 1.5 hrs away. :( So I call the one 45 min away... well, they don't offer night classes for it, it's a full time, 4 day/week program that HAS to be done the way they outline it - no picking my own speed on classes, taking lighter loads each semester so I can keep homeschooling, etc. It has to be finished exactly the way they have it in the description. So that knocks that one out! The other college offers all the pre-requisites online and after that seems to have more night classes (he couldn't tell me exactly over the phone what it would look like each semester, whether they would be offered at night or not) and it isn't required to finish in a set amount of time. But it's an hour to an hour and a half away. Even with online courses and stuff, there will obviously be many things that I have to travel up there for. I can't go up there that often, drive that far even once a week, definitely not more than that!? So I just feel kind of stuck about that. I don't know what to do... it isn't like we can move anywhere to be closer to a place that offers a RT program. I wouldn't WANT to move any closer to this one, in particular, because I have no desire whatsoever to live anywhere closer to the city where it is located than I currently do.

Anyway, it's all kind of swirling in my head...all these medical bills we're going to have piling up, and just kind of feeling like I don't know what to do next. Part of me thinks that now more than ever I should go back to school and get a job and stuff, so that with working at a hospital, I'll hopefully have good benefits and health insurance. But it just seems sort of unattainable at this point. It's aggravating - I get an idea and it just doesn't seem to want to work out. It's true that I'm not willing to compromise our homeschooling for going back to school, maybe it would be easier if I was. But that's too bad... homeschooling is still our #1 priority.

Anyway, if you made it through all that wallowing in self pity, thanks. And if you have any advice at all, I sure wouldn't mind hearing it. :)

[QuirkyKidAcademy]

:grouphug:

[readinmom]

:grouphug:

[besroma]

:grouphug: I hope things become clearer soon!

[Michelle in AL]

:grouphug: to you, hope you're feeling better soon.

 

Have you looked into other medical degrees from the college close to you?

If you're open to different degrees, physical therapy assistant pays well, as does ultrasound tech and radiology tech.

 

Also consider alternate time for homeschooling. IF you have classes during the day, could you school at night?

 

I drive 1 hr each way to work, hate to drive, but I do this twice a week and it's not bad. It does take a toll on homeschooling though.

[Mama Geek]

Can you make an appointment to go see a urologist that is associated with the good hospital?

[PeacefulChaos]

:grouphug: to you, hope you're feeling better soon.

 

Have you looked into other medical degrees from the college close to you?

If you're open to different degrees, physical therapy assistant pays well, as does ultrasound tech and radiology tech.

 

Also consider alternate time for homeschooling. IF you have classes during the day, could you school at night?

 

I drive 1 hr each way to work, hate to drive, but I do this twice a week and it's not bad. It does take a toll on homeschooling though.

The only thing that the college nearby offers is the RN program. I'm not really interested in becoming an RN, and I don't like the idea of going to school for a job that isn't even what I want, kwim? Just seems like a waste. DH was considering becoming a PTA, but there are only 3 colleges in our state that offer the program - none of which are anywhere near us.

I can't do classes during the day because DH works during the day. I'm ok with doing day classes 1x/wk and getting family to watch the kids that one day, but I can't do any more than that.

 

Can you make an appointment to go see a urologist that is associated with the good hospital?

 

That's what isn't available til December - the appointment with the urologist there. I'm going to try to call my PCP again and see if they will see me and refer me to potentially get in sooner (much, hopefully). There are a couple of places to choose from that offer the financial screening. I don't know... I don't want to drag it all out but at the same time, I don't want to be thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt, either. Sigh... :glare: