Diabetes & Chronic Issues Support Group

[Twilight Phoenix]

In that case I'd recommend Germany: over here, you can give birth at home if you like.

Problem is : Germany isn't exactly next door and if I ever decided to have a child, I couldn't leave my house for an unknown amount of time to give birth abroad...
In France too, midwives can attend homebirths ; but the insurances are so expensive that most of the homebirthing midwives actually work with no insurance. This is a real problem when a medical complication arises, because the midwife can be legally prosecuted. It happened last year, because of a mistake made by the French 911 service (again !!!! ) that didn't arrive on time despite numerous calls from a midwife attending a homebirth...When the 911 arrived, the mother had lost more blood, and the hospital then prosecuted the midwife for being responsible for the situation...

 

[rhubarbodendron]

On the whole we seem to have the same system. Only, over here, midwives consider it too risky to work without having an insurance and rather quit their jobs completely.
Did the patient and her baby survive? How long does it usually take till an ambulance arrives in France? In Germany it should by law be no more than 20 minutes - in the country that's absolutely illusory: you are lucky if they arrive after 45 minutes.

 

[Nakita Akita]

On the whole we seem to have the same system. Only, over here, midwives consider it too risky to work without having an insurance and rather quit their jobs completely.
Did the patient and her baby survive? How long does it usually take till an ambulance arrives in France? In Germany it should by law be no more than 20 minutes - in the country that's absolutely illusory: you are lucky if they arrive after 45 minutes.

In the USA, I don't know much about mid-wives, I never wanted kids, but if I did I'd have been all over the knock me out, feel no pain medicines.
Every time I've ever needed an ambulance they came quickly. Way way less than 45 minutes!
Less then 20 minutes.
But if you live or are out in the middle of no-where, it can take as long as it takes. There aren't laws about it because how can there be? A drive that might take 15 minutes in normal weather could take an hour in a blizzard. If the weather is okay then they send helicopters too. I've seen that before and we were not even far out in the country.
(Car crash, not involving anyone I knew)

I don't have anything wrong with me right now. I'm not on any prescription medications from the doctor. I take a multi-vitamin about once a day. I had my kidney removed in 2013 because I had cancer. But it was all contained inside just my kidney. So the operation got it all.
My boyfriend has to take a couple of pills for high blood pressure. He has a family history of it, dad, mom, aunts, uncles.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

@rhubarbodendron : yes, the mother and baby were fine. When the mother began displaying haemorragia, the midwife already did everything necessary and she called an ambulance early when she understood the mother would need more care. The problem definitely came from the emergency call centre. The first time the midwife called, she was told an ambulance was sent but actually it never arrived...So she called again, had to argue for several minutes for an ambulance to be finally sent, but the driver didn't consider it an emergency and arrived late. When he arrived, he blamed the midwife for not calling earlier... *sighs*
The mother was furious when she was told her midwife was being prosecuted by the hospital. She was interviewed several times during the trial and said her midwife did everything right, unlike the ambulance....

 

[DimesDan]

I have just spent a productive afternoon at the Hospital discussing my diabetes and my overall control and measures to loss the weight I have gained recently.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

....my cornea reopened.

It's becoming unbearable, it doesn't stay intact for more than a week now. Despite the lubricating eye drops, night oinment, attentive care. I see the ophtalmologist more often than my friends...

 

[rhubarbodendron]

oh damn!! Can you get an appointment with a specialist or with an eye clinic? This shouldn't happen and it seems high time that some really good ophtalmologist takes charge.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

@rhubarbodendron : I have an appointment this afternoon...
I don't think my ophtalmologist is doing anything bad actually, I read about that problem and I am convinced I suffer from recurrent cornea erosion, which varies greatly from patient to patient. I may be really sensitive to that issue, or I may have a severe form. From what I read, the ophtalmomogist did the right things all along...The only solution left seems to be surgery...

 

[rhubarbodendron]

that sounds unpleasant I'm always a bit scared when someone works on my eyes. Instinct says you must shut the eye, the doctor insists you must keep it open. Good luck this afternoon! I hope no surgery will be necessary.
Funny coincidence: I had an ophtalmologist appointment only 2 hours ago (just a routine checkup to get a prescription for special computer glasses).

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

I'm coming back from the appointment. The cornea didn't open, but it's abnormally dry despite the frequent use of drops (every hour). I've been prescribed whole new high viscosity drops, to be used only once a week. The ophtalmomogist warned that if this doesn't work either, laser surgery would be the last available solution.
I'm terrified...I have strong phobia and hospitals and medical procedures...

 

[Nakita Akita]

I'm coming back from the appointment. The cornea didn't open, but it's abnormally dry despite the frequent use of drops (every hour). I've been prescribed whole new high viscosity drops, to be used only once a week. The ophtalmomogist warned that if this doesn't work either, laser surgery would be the last available solution.
I'm terrified...I have strong phobia and hospitals and medical procedures...

Are you supposed to use other lubricating drops in between the once per week drop?
Once per week does not seem like it will be all that effective.

 

[Avro Arrow]

I'm coming back from the appointment. The cornea didn't open, but it's abnormally dry despite the frequent use of drops (every hour). I've been prescribed whole new high viscosity drops, to be used only once a week. The ophtalmomogist warned that if this doesn't work either, laser surgery would be the last available solution.
I'm terrified...I have strong phobia and hospitals and medical procedures...

Glad to hear that it didn't reopen, but sorry that it's giving you so much pain and trouble.

If it's any consolation, any laser work I've had done on my eyes has been fairly easy and painless. (I don't know if this is the same for all procedures, though.) I actually have a procedure coming up later this month on my right eye that I had to have done on my left eye a couple of years ago. It only took about 10 seconds in the chair... it took much longer just registering as an inpatient!

Best of luck to you, I hope the new drops help!

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

@Avro Arrow : thank you for the reassuring words
@Nakita Akita : from what I understood, the weekly drops are not just meant to lubricate the eye, they're supposed to be absorbed by the cornea and stimulate healing of epithelia. The ophtalmo told me to keep using the other lubricating drops I already have, as well as the night oinment.

 

[DimesDan]

Type One diabetes is a fucking pain in the arose and it really pisses me off when it is compared to type two.

 

[Velocity]

So Blue Cross/Blue Shield won't pay the pharmacy for one of my diabetic meds (and the pharmacy won't sell me the med) until the pharmacy contacts the doctor who PRESCRIBED it (and who only comes into the office 2 days a week and subsequently not for another 4 days) and she sends a pre-authorization form to BC/BS, who will then either still deny the request or agree....until next year when they pull this crap again. Farxiga is expensive but why am I paying those expensive insurance premiums if not for this?

 

[T'Bonz]

I feel your pain. Waiting on a med I need and it takes forever because this one has to call that one and you have to call both to politely nag and no one gives a fuck but you.

It's all a game for insurance companies to screw you over. Take your money and do their best to deny you. Time to hang some CEOs and I'm only half-kidding.

 

[DimesDan]

I have never had an issue with a Pharmacist refusing one of my medications if it is on a script.

The whole concept of that boggles the mind.

 

[Amaris]

So Blue Cross/Blue Shield won't pay the pharmacy for one of my diabetic meds (and the pharmacy won't sell me the med) until the pharmacy contacts the doctor who PRESCRIBED it (and who only comes into the office 2 days a week and subsequently not for another 4 days) and she sends a pre-authorization form to BC/BS, who will then either still deny the request or agree....until next year when they pull this crap again. Farxiga is expensive but why am I paying those expensive insurance premiums if not for this?

Ugh, seriously. *hugs*

My doctor had to play musical chairs with my insulin until my medicaid provider would cover it. I know a number of folks, myself included, have been told at least once their medication wasn't "medically necessary" or some other stupidity. The system is beyond broken.

 

[DimesDan]

This reminds me, I'm running low on stuff for my pump and insulin itself, I should pop along to Boots and get it soon.

 

[T'Bonz]

I have never had an issue with a Pharmacist refusing one of my medications if it is on a script.

The whole concept of that boggles the mind.

It's not the pharmacist/drugstore, but the damned insurance companies. Over here, they play doctor meaning that they decide if you should get something. Nevermind what your actual doctor(s) say; they want to know why you are getting something and then they judge as to whether you get it or not (they'll deny it or change to a cheaper/different version if at all possible).

They're not even medically trained to evaluate it.

Our system is broken. But I'm not so sure I'd like National Health Care either - as if you don't put in enough money to fund it, bad things happen.

In the end, it all comes down to money.