A few years ago I started having some pretty frightening problems. My vision started to change dramatically, I was having terrible headaches on a daily basis, I kept seeing dark things floating all around, and my vision would go in and out constantly. I was like somebody turned off the lights and flipped them back on. S-C-A-R-Y shit! I went on with this problem keeping it my own little secret. I didn't tell anyone for at least a month. I finally decided to go to my eye doctor to find out how much it would costs for an exam. Let's just say I left in tears because I knew I couldn't afford to go. I visited both doctors in my town and there weren't any kind of payment plans for either one. I headed to my local health department to see if I could sign up for some sort of government assistance. I live with my fiance and he makes over $35,000.00 a year so I didn't qualify for government assistance.
I was so pissed of when I left that building. There are so many people out there that I know personally who get government checks and medical care and they use their food stamps and money to pay for drugs. But yet here I am an unemployed woman with no kids and no drug habits with a possibly life threatening problem and I don't qualify for assistance because my fiance makes too much money. I should have told them that I was homeless!
After visiting all of these places and realizing that I couldn't take care of this on my own I drove to my mom's and told her my symptoms in tears the whole time. By Christmas she and my grandma had gotten together enough money to pay for my eye appointment. The next week I called to schedule. Two months later I was sitting in the waiting room with butterflies going ape shit in my tummy. After filling out the forms to update my file they called me back to check for glaucoma and the test where you push the button whenever you see the little light flash. Next I went back for my exam. The doctor already seemed concerned with the pictures they took of the inside of my eyes. She dilated my pupils and took a peek with her little lighted microscope thingy. She sent me back for more eyeball pictures and called me back into the room. She showed me the pictures of the back of my eyes. The ends of my nerves were huge and red. I started crying like a baby because I just knew that there was something wrong and I knew that I couldn't afford to get it taken care of.
The doctor told me that she wanted me to see an optical neurologist as soon as possible. I was sitting there thinking oh my God I am going blind! I informed her that I could barley even afford to get into her office let alone a neurologist. She said the best thing to do would be to go into the ER at OSU medical center. And she wanted me to go first thing the next morning.
Well that night I couldn't sleep. There was so much shit going through my mind I couldn't even close my eyes. I pretty much sat up all night crying. I was finally ready to fall asleep around 7am. And the phone rang. It was my doctor calling from her house asking if I'd made it to OSU yet. I told her I was getting up right now. My fiance and I got dressed and headed out the door. I should probably mention that it was the coldest day in Ohio weather history. It actually hurt to breathe it was so cold. Kevin started the car and all of the sudden slushy antifreeze started spraying everywhere. He shut off the car and I went inside to call the doctor and let her know what had happened. She actually offered us her car! That is when I really started to panic. My doctor is offering me her very own car? That must mean this thing is even more serious than I had thought! I declined and told her I'd have my sister take us. She asked me to call her when I got out of the hospital.
So here we are my fiance, sister, grandma, and I sitting in the ER waiting room of the busiest hospital in our state on a Friday night. We sat there for at least five hours! I finally decided that I couldn't wait any longer. I hadn't been to sleep, I had a headache, and I hadn't eaten all day. So I signed myself out and we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner before we went home. While we were eating my doctor called to see how everything went. When I told her they were too busy and I didn't get called back she actually sounded disappointed that I hadn't stayed. Come on lady! It's Friday night in our state capitol and I am sitting in ER. Give me a break!
A couple of days went by and I received yet another phone call from the doc. This time she wanted me to see the doctor at the town clinic because she could give me a referral to a neurologist. The awesome thing was it only cost me $10.00! She pretty much told me that I needed to lose some weight and gave me some crappy diet tips. But she sent a fax the the optical neurologist at OSU medical center. That's all I really cared about.
A few days after my appointment I received the paper work in the mail that I had to bring with me to my appointment. It was pretty much family history, my medical history, that sort of thing. A week later I was in the car at 6am on my way to see the neurologist and my cell phone rings. It's the doctors assistant calling to inform me that they have to reschedule my appointment because the doctor's wife was in labor. What the fuck people?!? I am possibly dying here and you have to reschedule?
This happened one more time before I actually got to see him. I don't remember the second reason. Before my appointment they called and said that if I didn't show up they'd refuse to see me. Are you fucking serious?!? You're the one that canceled on me!
Like a month later I was FINALLY able to see the doctor. He did his own little exam and saw what my doctor saw but he didn't think it was a big deal. He scheduled me for an emergency brain scan for the next morning. I went in for the scan and headed back to his office right after. They emailed him the results and hallelujah there was nothing abnormal!!!!
So what why was I experiencing all of the crazy problems? Because of my weight I produce too much spinal fluid. With nowhere else to go it hangs out in my head causing pressure on my brain and the nerves on the back of my eyes. What were my options? There is either a spinal tap, which I chickened out of at the last second or weight loss.
My vote was/is weight loss.
No comments:
Post a Comment