Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The war that hurts patients and doctors and pharmacists

Half in the United States have one or more chronic illness / illnesses like myself. The chronically ill are not just the elderly.A majority are under 65,including children and people 35 to 55 years of age.The people who are not elderly are ignored,it is easier to break out of assisted living or disabled housing then to get in when a person needs it in Des Moines Iowa.
Alot of people have illnesses that are invisable,like my first heart attack and being on watch for a possible second one.My spine more or less crashed,my joints have or need replacements and I have other health issues.My motorized wheel chair is a problem because there are not enough apartments that will accommodate it.
I'm expected to deal with the war on pain patients on top of everything else.The registry / medicaid tells me I'm on too many prescriptions.I somehow don't think they have a medical degree in orthapaedics and cardiology and pain management and know how to do tests to find impinged nerves.Yet,they want to take over my body and tell me what hurts and when the second heart attack is supposed to strike.Medicaid already paid for the first heart attack and they want to pay for the second one ? I don't think so ! My son knows where the papers are to take to a lawyer in case their (Medicaid's )actions cause a serious problem or a death.My adult son has seen what a fight that goes on at Wallgreens in order to get the prescriptions filled.Wallgreens knows there are heart meds that Iowa Medicaid hold up with my meds for my medical conditions.All I can hope at this time is one of those caseworkers their family member get in the shape I am in.It is only then will they walk a mile in my shoes and have "real" opinions when they are done.
Rarely has anyone stepped back and looked at the big picture.The big picture is growing larger.Chronic illness is described as any illness that requires years of medical care.The illness can be serious such as cancer,heart disease (like me),impairments such as spinal cord injury(like me),I also have brittle bones to contend with.I can do something as simple as open a window and cause another fracture in the spine.
The health care system is designed for diseases that can be cured fairly soon,not for ongoing,incurable medical problems.The chronically ill and their families have trouble finding assisted living if you are 30 to 55 or disabled housing readily available for a person in need.They also have trouble finding home health care services.The one stop shopping agencies exist for those who need it and doctors do not know where to send their patients.
Policy makers need to take note of the scope of chronic illness,before they have to deal with it in one way or another.Maybe they will open their eyes when they get put on a registry and get treated like a criminal.I am an A.C.L.U. member and I know the state of Iowa was told the guidlines and if they crossed them a court date would get set.Chronic pain patients are being treated like criminals and pharmacists like drug dealers.The policy makers of Iowa needs to take a real good look at their actions.

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