Enough is enough

I've been sick for way too long. It all started about a week ago. I've missed a lot of work, but I'll be back tomorrow. It's horrible to be sick, especially this past week. We've been having a heat wave in this part of the country (actually all over the eastern seaboard). It's been above a hundred or near 100 degrees in the last week. I've felt clammy, and hot, and overall horrible. Once I got over the flu part of it, it became a hacking cough along with some congestion. Thanks, just what I needed.

I'm starting to feel better, so that's good. But let me just tell you about our lovely health care system. I tried calling my primary doctor, they wouldn't let me come in until next week. So they suggested that I go to urgent care if I felt like I really needed to be seen. They gave me the number. So I called. The receptionist asked me what insurance I had. So I told her. She said that I would need a pre-approval from my primary care doctor before I came in. WHAT? So I asked her," This is urgent care, right?" She said, yes but I would need pre-approval. So I decided that my own diagnosis was the flu and basically said-- forget it.

How could I need a pre-approval from my primary doctor to go to an urgent care place? What is the point of having a point-of-service plan if I need pre-approval? And why did my doctor say I should go there as a suggestion, if I needed pre-approval?

Do you know how long a pre-approval takes? 2 working days. That means I still wouldn't have been able to get in today.

Not only that, I had to get a prescription filled. My insurance no longer covers it...for some strange reason, no one told me. I've been taking this medication since November..... WHAT?? So I had to change to something else.. I don't even know if it's good for me to do that.

So, do we need an overhaul on our American "Health" Insurance plans? YES, by the grace of GOD-- or Obama, we definitely do. It's ridiculous how much I pay for it out of my own paycheck, but then I can't even get treated. I'm not the type of person to even go to the doctor all the time. I go when I need to go.

Needless to say, I was not happy. But, I am going to the doctor next week. I need to talk about my sleep issues, and get those squared away, I'm so tired of not sleeping.....

After all this, I realized it was lucky that I could take all these days off. My principal was very supportive, and luckily I had enough sick leave to cover this last week. I really needed it. I still have a few more weeks of school to go. I hope I make it through, so I can actually enjoy what little time off I have for summer.