Intermountain Healthcare & Medical Debt

This link I'm posting shows a video that needs to be watched. This fits us to a T.

What most people don't understand is why we're in such a financial crisis. It's because of our medical debt. Even when we did have health insurance, the deductibles were outrageous because of their high charges for medical work to be done.
We also have had to see many, many doctors which has cost us even more before we could find diagnosis for my EIGHT diseases.
Because of our current medical debt and financial situation I cannot even go see my doctor to be treated for my Hypothyroidism, Interstitial Cystitis, Endometriosis, Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome, Infertility (due to these problems), or to be further tested as my doctors have referred and recommended to me that I do (i.e. my heart, and other possible diseases).

We have credit cards that are over maxed out and personal loans that we took out BECAUSE OF OUR MEDICAL DEBT. And that's it. Not for extravagant lifestyles or playing or even for nice things. We've lost our car!! We cannot buy our own clothing, etc etc. I cannot write down the extent of the damage that medical debt has caused here on a public site but I can say that it's ENORMOUS.

Nobody has been able to help us. No consolidation companies or programs or attorneys. They've ALL told us that our ONLY OPTION is to file bankruptcy, which we cannot because we don't even have the funds to do that!

Because of the debt that we have with medical bills and the credit cards to pay for past medical bills and the loans, we get 3-12 calls A DAY with collectors and attorneys harassing and threatening us, even to say "we don't care that you don't have a job we have to be paid and we'll garnish your unemployment if we have to". Tyler has tried EVERYTHING, as have I, to plead with them, threaten them, promise them, beg them, ignore them, work with them, but to no avail. They never keep their side of the bargain, either.

It's completely unfair that I cannot even see my doctor and buy the medications that I NEEEEEED to take care of myself.
How on earth can I have a full time job when the pain I get sometimes is crippling? Of course it's more than I show. I'm not a ball-baby or a wimp. My pain tolerance is extremely high. Just because I don't cry all the time or lay on the couch with my arm over my fore-head sighing from the pain doesn't mean that it's not seriously there. I don't receive much or any sympathy at all from most people, and it's probably because they don't realize what I'm going through.

Pretend you have dull knives and a crappy hand blender and you take them to your insides on a regular basis. That's me almost ALL the time. Try that on for size and see how you like it. These pains wouldn't be so bad or even there at all if I could get the medications that I need and/or the treatment that I need (surgery, chiropractors, etc).

Anyway, please don't frown on us because we are doing poorly financially. It's NOT our fault, as much as many would like to believe. I've had an earful from "friends" (who I've recently dropped) that thought they knew so much better than us on how to do it. If it's one thing I cannot stand it's people who think they know best when they have no idea what they're talking about and are on a "high" because they're doing so well presently; they cannot comprehend what we're going through. They think they know what will help us.
RRIIIGGHHTTT. Yeah, Tyler and I are two really dumb pathetic morons that can't add 1+2. GRRRRRRRR. I HATE being treated like I'm stupid and pathetic. HATE IT.

Okay so here's the link I promised: http://utahcpr.org/

Now I am NOT writing this for sympathy or attention or a "woe is us" thing, but to bring some LIGHT to the subject. I believe that this must be addressed. And what's scary is that Obama recognizes IHC (Intermountain Healthcare) as one of the best in the United States and wants to model our future healthcare system after it. WHAT????? NO WAY!!!!!!!

so, enjoy the video and comment there or here as you like.

And the winds keep on blowing (Poor Lacie!!)

There has been a lot more that has happened lately, and none of it has been good news. Okay ONE bit of good news. Tyler MIGHT have a job up in Layton working at the Hill Air Force Base making better money than he was with Gunther's Comfort Air. PLEASE PLEASE PRAY EARNESTLY THAT HE GETS THIS JOB!!!!!!!! Unless, of course, our Heavenly Father has other plans and sais NO.
Which has been his answer to every question we've asked so far ;)

So Tyler's cousin, Jake, passed away the week of Memorial Day. It was an awful and torturous week for us. Not just for Jake's sudden tragic and fatal condition, but the repercussions of hurt feelings forced back towards me. I cannot write about them here for fear of being sued or other such nonsense, so please just write me privately if you are curious.

The stress of Jake and his passing put Tyler and I physically ill. We had to have a bathroom close at hand. I'm still not better. I NEVER throw up but did so surprisingly one morning. No, it was no morning sickness, though I really sincerely wish it was.
Even my very honest Grandma Pearson noticed how dark under my eyes have gotten.
(bad grammar, I know, sorry).

So with our car being repossessed, no luck finding jobs for either of us (and YES we've applied at fast food joins, temporary jobs, everything!!!!!!!) and Tyler's truck being uninsured and the window breaking out and the fuel tank or pump breaking, among other things, and running out of food at the end of the month, every month..... okay I won't go on. It's just kinda pathetic and is just getting me more down to have to say it all. Let's just say that it's as low as it can get, or almost there anyway.

Our landlady served us an eviction letter to be out within 3 days. Out of desperation we called our bishop and asked if he could help. Thank you for our faithfulness in the Gospel because our entire rent was covered or we would honestly be in the homeless shelter in Provo. We actually went down there and met with a bishop of the place (not a religious person) and got the list of things we have to get together for next month when we will more than likely be evicted so that we can move in. That was enormous stress added to our heap of stress.

We have been sued FIVE TIMES now from doctors.
And my health isn't getting better. Sure you can think I'm some whiny person who asks for it or makes it up or whatever, but the fact of the matter is I have REAL issues and they've come to me in a very, very, very short amount of time!!! Why do you think I am so fat and look so awful?? DUH!!
Anybody who knew me, REALLY KNEW ME, would know that I was a very active, healthy, busy, hard-working and never-resting type of person. I was successful at everything I did. Nothing slowed me down. Not my endometriosis, breaking my leg, e-coli that nearly killed me, or anything. But when it's too much, IT'S TOO MUCH.
I feel like I am bearing more than I am able to and it's showing in so many ways.

My biggest concern is my family's well-being. I feel like a failure of a mother and Housewife. I want to be that housewife that can cook every meal and keep a schedule and a very clean house. I want to be that housewife that can teach her children the gospel and their school subjects. I want to be that housewife that has the energy to do normal things. But I am in constant pain and it is only getting worse.

ANYWAY!!!!!! Enough about me already!!!!!!

I am very deeply concerned about Lacie right now.
She's only 5 yrs old, almost 5 1/2. She's got to be one of the strongest and most perfect and special people I have ever known.
As a little background as to why I think this about her.
When she was born she would not cry. They tried and tried but she was 100% healthy and didn't want to cry. She looked at the nurses like "alright leave me alone, I'm just fine. Give me to my mother". As soon as I held her she just stared up into my eyes forever! She made eye contact with me and I knew right then that she was a very choice, strong and special spirit, older than I am, that God blessed me to be the mother of.
She never cried. She was the most perfect baby!!! It's been difficult to tell whenever she's sick or hurt because she won't complain about it. Not usually.
She suffered a severe seizure when she was just 2 years old. Perhaps some of you Pearson's will remember because it was the night of the Pearson Christmas reunion at uncle Kim's and aunt Marylou's. We stopped off at my inlaw's house. Anyway, she got her head slammed in a door and she already had a fever and it spiked. The impact, coupled with the spiked fever, sent her into a 45 minute seizure. She actually stopped breathing when I got to her! She was as limp as death when I held her and I panicked. I was pregnant with Sophie, due in mid-March. Lacie's little lips turned blue. Tyler called 911 and Tyler's dad, Gary, a previous EMT raced to her aid and saved her life. The Paramedics got there quickly but it still took them about 20-30 minutes since Saratoga Springs is so far from Lehi and American Fork. I rode with her in the ambulance. She re-gained consciousness in the ambulance but lay still.
In the hospital, as she lay in her bed and the entire family was in the ER gabbing away, Tyler and I saw her weakly sit up and point to a corner in the cieling and say "Jesus. Jesus" then lay back down.
She's broken both her arms and didn't cry. She's gotten two bad concussions and didn't cry. She won all baby pageants she's been in (except 1) and she's very gifted. She learns things usually the very first time it's taught to her with few exceptions.
Anyway, she's always been a very special and a very strong person.
Okay, now to get to what I really wrote this blog about!! lol
Lacie had a mole removed from her head in January. Over the last few years it'd been growing larger and larger and more recenlty started to bother her a little. I'd see her itching it.
The dermatologist said it didn't look good and sent in the mole he cut out to be biopsied. It came back as pre-cancerous and he was told to remove more of it if necessary (if he hadn't removed it all the first time, which he had). She had a check up in February and the mole had not healed. So he rescheduled again to have her seen just yesterday (actually it was Tuesday this week). He said it did not look good. It had not healed one bit since February!!! He was very concerned about this. He looked over the results again and decided that it would be the best thing to remove more. He took out 1 1/2" of her skin/flesh and gave her 9 stitches to close it back up!!!!!!!
He and the nurses said that Lacie was one of the best patients they have ever had. She didn't cry. She just laid perfectly still, with her eyes closed, patiently waiting for them to finish.
This is how Lacie is. Always has been.
So in two weeks roughly we'll find out if it is in fact Melanoma. I'm scared to death!!!!!!!

Then, to top it off. Today we took her in (Wednesday) to see her Pediatrician for her Kindergarten check up. Well, it wasn't good. Her doc is very concerned because Lacie's weight has been plummeting. It's completely dropped off the growth charts now! Her eye-sight has worsened, and her feet are worse.
From listening to her heart and looking her over and knowing about her broken bones and everything else the doctor was very worried and ordered a full blood test. They're testing for Leukemia, Celiac (what my mom has), diabetes (what my mom has), and any other types of cancer she could possibly have. Then we'll go from there.
Lacie eats. We feed her. But she doesn't have much of an appetite. She'll eat some food and fills up very quickly and loses her appetite. It's had me worried.
Her sleeping is sad, too. She grinds her teeth all night and moans and cries and calls for me in her sleep. She coughs all night, too. It really gets me worried sometimes, listening to her. I am constantly in her room checking on her for fear something bad has happened.
So in 3 days after getting her blood word done, which will be tomorrow (Thursday) morning, I'll know more answers, just not about the skin thing.

So every week there's been something happening.

It's just been too much. It really has! It's sucking all our strength out.
I'm tired of crying so much and tired of being so on the verge of tears all the time. I feel like a complete emotional wreck.
Tyler has had it.

What can you do when the problems you are having ARE NOT IN YOUR CONTROL AT ALL???? You cannot blame us for what we've been going through, period! Nothing could've stopped or prevented any of this from happening. At least the health issues. The financial issues are another issue all in themselves.
NO we have not been idiots with our money. We just don't have the same opportunities to money as most people we've known.

All we ask is that you keep us and especially Lacie in your prayers.
please pray for a MIRACLE.

MRI & Nerve Test & Sick Girlies!

So today I had my tests I've been waiting for. I was going to have to wait until next week for the stress test but my doc got me in today. That was pretty narly.

It was NOT what I expected! It was so weird!! Cuz sometimes I like weird things parts of it I liked and it made me giggle, but other parts were not so fun.

What they do is stick these little monitors on and a mini ultrasound machine and skinny, long, pins or needles inside the muscles/nerves and metal clips and SHOCK you! They do it until the muscles and nerves respond the way they want I guess. My right arm and hand took 3-4 shocks before it'd jerk and hurt and the left arm and hand would take 1-2 shocks, generally. The left arm and hand hurt worse than the right. A couple spots KILLED!! But my right arm and hand kinda tickled and made me giggle. Some of the shocks I kinda liked. Call me demented I guess LOL.

Well, I know there was a difference between the two arms and hands but I can't tell you if it was significant enough or what exactly this test was for. I've never heard of it before and don't know all the reasons for having them for. I know he wanted to see if I have carpal tunnel in my right wrist, but why he'd test both hands and arms on both sides I don't know. I just found it a bit interesting.

Then I had my MRI. It went well. I got copies of my brain hee hee. My sister, dad and I looked at them and Andrea showed me different parts of my brain and stuff. From what I could tell I look just fine everywhere, but I'm not an expert so who knows what to look for, right? Besides my neurologist and the radiologist! haha. So I have to wait, again, for the results. Oh well!! I figure if it's serious enough I'll hear from my Neurologist or my doc sooner than my next appointment, if they get the results before I bring my copies in or not.

Well, my little girlies have Strep Throat! And, Sophie started throwing up today and getting a fever! Poor little girly! So we're gonna stop her omoxycillan (sp) to see if she's allergic to that and then put her back on it to see if it's what's making her throw up. Kinda sucks for her! So she could have the stomach flu on top of strep throat. My poor baby! She catches everything!!

We're still waiting for Tyler's blood work to come back to see if he has mono, too. I would not be surprised at all, unless he's having sympathy pains for me and/or is just plain fatigued nearly to death because of all the stress he's been going through!
His wife is sick, his girls are sick, we keep getting sued and crap and he can't work enough hours and I can't get a job..... the list goes on. Just when he needs good friends to support him some are too busy and others aren't here... it's so sad.

Okay, anyway, so the waiting game is on to hear about my results and Tyler's. I'll keep y'all posted, even if it's just my blog I'm keeping posted LOL.