Thursday, July 11, 2013

old health problem causing new symptoms

due to my recent lower rate of tweeting several people have shown concern for my health . i felt it easier and more effective to explain this here...

about 10 years ago i had several symptoms which mimicked possible heart attack, 1 symptom was low oxygen levels to my heart,this led  DRs to believe i had blockages in my heart... a heart angiogram was performed. they were shocked to find absolutely no blockages in my heart. upon further testing performed by other specialty DRs i was finally diagnosed with severe GERD, which i have been treated for daily since diagnoses. medications have been different throughout the years due to lack of insurance at times, worsening or improving symptoms and so on.

within the last 3 years my insurance had approved the original brand name medication,which works the best for me, however due to changes in coverage or whatever,coverage of brand name was discontinued and i was placed on an over the counter med which caused almost immediate problems with uncontrolled acid... i was then placed on a generic of the original brand name med,this helped with the acid however there were more foods i was unable to eat to keep the acid under control.

recently however i started having shortness of breath which was not caused by allergies or asthma,as those meds had no effect on my symptom. then i noticed an ache in my chest as though i had been coughing extremely hard. i've experienced bronchitis many times in my life and though i had no bronchitis, or other cough, i realized my breastbone or sternum was hurting in the morning. then probably a month or so ago i noticed a strange sensation in and around my sternum,besides the ache, with this my breathing became more difficult... all of it was worsening,with standing,walking,sleeping and now with eating. 

because of my moyamoya i need to be as diligent as possible with keeping my systolic blood pressure (top number) within certain parameters... i also know it is not safe to have the top number and the bottom number (diastolic) too close together and noticed most often my diastolic pressure would rise during these episodes even while systolic pressure remained within suggested parameters.

this is when i remembered the episodes 10 years ago,they were slightly similar in one sensation i was feeling in my chest. i was finally able to see my regular DR plus my nurse practitioner was at the appointment also. i told them everything happening now and what had happened 10 years ago tho they agreed it sounded intestinal an EKG was done to check my heart,it was normal. they agreed to increase my GERD medication to 3 pills a day from 2. 

i started the increase upon returning home,as i continued with the higher dose all symptoms were improving... i assumed (as was typical) that once i finished this prescription early that upon reorder i would receive the new increased prescription... however, i was not notified of my insurance company denial for the increase until i received a letter delivered by the pharmacy,which accompanied other medication refills days after i had submitted the refills... the letter simply stated i reordered the med too soon,that was july 3rd... due to the july 4th holiday i was unable to contact anyone till july 8 by which time i was completely without GERD medication.

so it was on the 8th that i finally found out about the denial to increase at which time we agreed to appeal for the increase and i have since have gotten a refill of the lower dosage... 

so now all symptoms have returned and if they deny the approval to increase a generic medication by 1 pill a day,they may end up paying much more for the possible hospital costs as the lower level of my pulse oximetry readings (blood oxygen saturation readings ) messes with my MOYAMOYA which has already been slowly shutting down the oxygen supply to my brain...
                          
THIS IS ONE ON THE MANY REASONS WHY INSURANCE COMPANIES SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO OVERRIDE AND DISMISS A DOCTORS DECISION ON A WHIM WITHOUT ANY INVESTIGATION OF AN BOTH THE INDIVIDUALS IMMEDIATE AND LONG TERM HEALTH BENEFITS !!!!  ... IN MY OPINION A MEDICATION DOSAGE THAT BENEFITS IMMEDIATE QUALITY OF LIFE OVER THE POSSIBLE LATER LOSS OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN A NONE LIFE THREATENING MANNER SHOULD BE ALLOWED FIRST AND FOR MOST!!

MAN,i hope that made sense cuz i can't do that all over again,simultaneous lol & not lol