Hi, Jess. I'm not sure I can offer much sound advice, but a few thoughts instead... I went through a situation a few years ago where I didn't have health insurance and ended up in a hospital for a week with bilateral pulmanary embolisms. Fortunately I was in my late 40's at the time and had a 401K I could draw on -- now $60K less. I did learn a few things as I went through the process though that might help. Most Dr's have a "self-pay" rate that is %30-50 less than their full charge, so always make it known up front that you are self-paying for the care. It's still more than what the insurance companies pay, but every bit helps. Also, I found that most of the Dr's working in hospitals charge a lot more than those who work outside of them. The downside of that is that most hospital will let you go on a payment plan where not all Dr's offices will. Check on costs and payment options up front.

Before going to see the nuerologists at the hospital, see if you can get into see a primary care physician. They are less expensive and you can usually get in to see them quickly. They can write a prescription for the pain medication before he runs out. Check with family and friends to see who they recommend. Often having a referral gets you in quicker as well. Look for a certified internist if you can. They usually have more training and can hanlde more issues than a general practitioner.

Not knowing your specifics or NJ regulations, it might be worthwhile to check into medicaid. My 18-yr old niece who had moved out from her parents house recently had to go into the hospital for chest pains and was there for 3 days w/out insurance. She was able to qualify for assistance and work out a payment plan for the rest.

Good luck to you both!