losing evering
 

cant eat, cant drink. I have no insurance and neuro wants me to have some doc put a scope down my throat to figure out why I keep choking when I drink and eat. he says they'll admit me. really doc!!!! come on!! I HAVE NOOOOO INSURANCE!!!! RINGING ANY BELLS YET?!?!?! my dh wants me on a dmd and we all know dmd's wont cure anything and wont recover any damage. I am the way I am going to be. I have 2 ears and to many people talking into them. I get confused easy now and cant concentrate when more than one person talks to me. my speech is affected now and I talk slow and garbled and im embarrassed to speak in public. I just want my pillow and blankie and a nice comfy bed to block out the world. Have I leaped into spms??

KittyLady, if you need to be in the hospital they have to admit you regardless of your ability to pay. It really does sound like you need some medical attention. Sounds like you're in the midst of an exacerbation and maybe they can give you some IV solumedrol that would calm the neurological symptoms down.

I'm really sorry you're having such a hard time right now. There should be some social workers at the hospital that might know of some low or no cost ways to get medical attention since you don't have Medicare or Medicaid just yet.

Since I know about the hospital all too well - you can apply for intergent care if you are admitted to the hospital.

I am so sorry to hear of your rough patch. Just know that you are on my mind and in my prayers. Hug. :hug:

Hi Kitty Lady
 

Most communities have out reach programs, or womens' centers to go for information on how to get help. Hospitals do have to take you regardless of your ability to pay. Most doctors will accept you, if they truely know you need that test. I didn't have insurance either, when my own health issues presented. I had 4 surgeries, and I did ask the doctors to reduce their fees. If you tell the doctor the truth about your situation, most of the time they are willing to help. They may even know how to go about getting financial aid. The public hospital I went to has a patient advocasy department. They waved some of my costs through that department. Don't loose hope, and go get that test OK? This can turn out even without insurance. You just have to search for those programs willing to help. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. ginnie:grouphug::hug:

I hesitate to comment on this serious issue, but I think the choking and swallowing issue is MS. I have had it in fairly mild form myself (on occasion badly) and have seen considerable numbers of MS people who have it, back when I went to support groups. I had it just tonight but I quickly recovered. Putting a tube down your throat--that is unpleasant, although if they knock you out you may be able to tolerate it. It was the only test I could not tolerate, and doctors have told me it affected them the same way. Since it is probably MS, I would suggest that it will simply stress you to go through the test. Of course, some other problem COULD be discovered with this test.

What they were trying to see, in my case, when I failed to be able to tolerate this test, was whether or not I had an ulcer from too much acid. Later, I found a doctor who does the Heidelberg test, where one swallows a tiny radio in a pill, which is later excreted, to measure one's stomach acid. I had NO stomach acid, so taking antacids was, most of the time, not a good idea. However, I could not tolerate the hydrochloric acid that doctor wanted me to take, to replace stomach acid, and went on to take digestive enzymes. I rarely have stomach problems now. My stomach area pain was in part due to Porphyria, another disease I have which was undiagnosed, and which was not diagnosed until years after my MS dx. In this disease, the nerves to the stomach (and other organs) can become inflamed and cause acute pain.
But I gather that is not your present problem, KittyLady--it's the swallowing the doctor is wondering about.

Kitty Lady,

So sorry that you are having a tough time lately. The endoscopy might reveal something that can be treated to decrease the choking. I had this proceedure a while back for a similar reason. It was done under a light general anesthetic...and it was the best sleep that I have had in months.

Hopefully the hospital can get you some assistanace financially for your stay and proceedures. What a worry that must be.

In the meantime, you might try putting things through a blender so that it goes down easier. I found that it is easier to swallow cold or cooler smoothie type drinks, taken through a straw. You can put some nutritious things in such a drink like fruit, yogurt, powdered greens, protein powder etc. Maybe worth a try.

In my thoughts and prayers.
With love, Erika

There should be no such thing as, no health ins. in the U S A.
Get the to the ER and let them figure it out. The medicare wait
may be waived, because you have applied and this is serious.

Please go and feel better soon.:hug::hug:

i'm so sorry you're going thru all this.
however, i agree with the others. please call your dr and do what he says.
the hospital has to treat you regardless of ability to pay.

make sure your dh advocates for you in such ways that he tells them only one person must speak at a time.

while dmd's can't cure MS they might be able to give you back some of what you've lost. and, they might be able to delay further disease. if these options are offered to you please consider them. when i was on copaxone tx i received aid from the chronic disease fund and my co-pay was only $30/mo.

i'm sending prayers for you.

I somewhat disagree with everybody else. I say this as I had been in a similar boat - rapidly got worse, ability to speak/think/eat/move, and no insurance or fat pocketbook.

While a hospital does have to treat you, they do not have to alleviate you of the financial responsibility for that care.

Medicare is a long and often drawn-out process. Medicaid may be an option - the key is a diagnosis & letter from your doctor stating you are "fully and totally disabled". Having medicare or SSDI is deemed equivalent to being classified as disabled - but it is not the only way to be considered disabled adult. Be aware the qualifying factors for medicaid are a bit different in each State. Usually they will consider and cover (if approved for medicaid) any medical related expenses from 3 months prior to the medicaid approval. Not sure how long it may be for you untill you get Medicare but this may be an option?

Dysphagia can be MS caused. Neurogenic dysphagia or neuro-esophagial dysfunction can be MS related - but may be due to other causes/reasons. The tests determine the disfunction & cause - but don't traditionally "fix" the issue of swallowing & choking. A speech therapist may be able to teach you some coping tricks. I suggest searching online for SLP dysphagia exercises or tips. I for example have to sit stock upright with a pillow behind my back, eat slowly and small bites, have to hold my chin a certain way to swallow with less chocking, etc

If it were me and my spouse would be jointly financially impacted AND the medical charges wouldn't fix me, then I would say "Thanks, but not until I can afford this". *this would not apply if the hospital and doctors are agree to provide charitable/indigent care* Please note that this is my personal opinion and you should probably consider it like a grain of salt - because I am not you-

A big hug & blessings to you - I wish I had a magic pill for you that would make everything better! {make that a magic shot, since it's tough to get a pill down without choking... :rolleyes:}

Hi jprinz
 

I have to tell you that I got help, and I believe it can be found because I did it. My hospital which is a teaching institute, waved many of the fees through the hospital patient advocasy program. Many hospitals that service the public with a certain amount of indigent folks have to take them. Nobody knows about this until they investigate this with their own local hospitals. I had to search for it, it wasn't advertised...... ginnie

Thank you Ginnie, I think I have found the hospital in my area the university of Tennessee hospital. Its connected to the university and they waive or half price a lot of the fees. Now if I could just get past the test part. Does not sound fun at all. looking it up online says they numb your throat then have you eat something then put in a small tube in your throat, ok, does anyone else hear MASSIVE CHOKING or is it just me?!?!?

KittyLady,

Don't worry.
I've had it done that way and it was very much OK. Just keep swallowing if you start to gag and the tube will go down more easily (even if you tend to have swallowing/choking issues).
I've also had it done under a light general, which was way better...but you don't get to see the cool images on the screen with that method. It was the best sleep I've had in months though :D.

Hope that all goes well and easily for you.
In my thoughts and prayers :hug:.

With love, Erika

Ginnie and all-

I agree with you- if a facility or doctor is treating you AND is willing to reduce or eliminate fees, then that is definately the way to go. I was simply trying to point out that: the obligation to treat you and the fee issue and both things to get agreed upon. It is a scary thing when they say "Yes, we will treat you"... and then you get a whopping bill for that treatment after the fact because they did not agree to provide charitable care via waiving/reducing the cost of the treatment. Some places group it together, but some do not. Just rrying to let you know so you are not caught unaware.

Kitty- Vey happy you have found a way to get the test you need!!! Hope it goes well for you :hug:

about that test
 

I had a lookie down the throat with that nose tube. It wasn't bad at all. They numb your nose and throat with some kind of spray. After that I had an endoscopy, again not bad as they put you in a twilight kind of sleep. neither one gave me any trouble. The first swallow test however where you drink some awful stuff and then take pictures, now that was icky. I didn't hold it down and gagged. Rather have the tube in my nose than that!!!! Hope it all works out. Try not to worry. ginnie:hug:

swallowing difficulty
 

Kitty Lady: I also have a lot of swallowing troubles. I went for my upper/lower GI tests...colonscopy and endoscopy. I had explained to the dr that I had difficulty swallowing most likely caused by my MS. While doing the endoscopy he took some kind of tool (sorry for the non technical lingo lol) and he stretched my esophagus ..... it is a lot better now. think of one of those shoe-stretchers....it worked. I have less trouble swallowing and less spasms in my esophagus. I don't know if it lasts, I doubt it but it has definitely helped. I wish I could remember the name for that particular procedure but a gastro doctor should know it off the top of his head.

I have felt exactly as you feel in your post .... my worst relapse which did leave some damage, I couldn't think, I couldn't explain things to anyone and everyone had a freakin opinion. and I didn't have ins for 4 years. I feel your pain. So sorry you are going thru this.

Take care of yourself and know you are not alone ....
janet

Sounds like some folks were OK with the tube test. I would not consider it for myself without general anesthetic.
I am just completely out of steam myself. Life has become just a coda to what it once was, even though it always was a struggle. Just hoping for reunion with my husband in Heaven, that's my hope.

My husband had one of those esophogeal dilitations and it worked fine. He had conscious sedation and wasn't aware of anything. That's what conscious sedation is, you are out and it'sa n amnesiac, meaning you don't remember anything. I was going to tell you the name of it but it slipped my mind! I wanted to be a nurse in the lab that did all that.