I thought in the last weekend of May (the beginning of Memorial Day weekend, no less) that there was a possibility I was having a heart attack. I have had consistently good marks cholesterolwise and I have had intensive heart tests before (more on that later). But on May 23, I woke up with chest pain, and it decreased to a feeling like someone was touching me on the chest constantly.
We know that people can have a heart attack and not even feel it. Some have even died that way. & since I am overweight, heart disease runs in my family and I had this "sensation" (after the pain decreased it wasn't even "pain" anymore), I very reluctantly went to the local ER.
Well, since the Dr were scared of getting sued and saw the same risk factors as I wrote in the preceding, he said "we are taking you by ambulance to the hospital, because every other ER doctor in the US would do the same thing". So, I had an x-ray and a bunch of tests, even a treadmill test where they had some nuclear material injecting in my veins which better allows them to see blockages better.
Going to the hospital had weird twists. First, it was my first ambulance ride. Secondly, I worked at the same place THE SAME EXACT FLOOR as I was going to be treated! So I knew everyone who was treating me. "Hi VINCE, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?"
"OH, EVERYTHING IS JUST PERFECT, FAITH, THANKS FOR ASKING"
That was a typical, repeated conversation I had. Thank God none of my former co-workers saw me naked. That would have really sucked.
So I leave hospital in less then 20 hrs after I first came. Yes, I was a lucky man when they told me no heart attack, no arterial blockage and no diabetes either. They have known for awhile that my blood pressure was "borderline" high. Not real high but enough to take notice, so my Dr. decided to put me on Atenol.
But I had a terrible sense of foreboding. I was scared shitless of the hospital bills. When you go to an Chicago-area hospital, you get more than 1 bill. Drs. don't work for the hospital. So when you go to the hospital you get 3 or 4 bills. One from the hospital, one from the ER doctor, one from the radiologists (if you get an x-ray) one from your regular dr., one from the janitor who cleaned your room......... (oops made that last one about the janitor up)
My total bills to find out that I was just fine and didn't have a heart attack was over $11,000. Thank God and thank Maribeth for insurance!! My bill that I had to pay for myself was around $600. One could make the argument that I "got off light" . The worst part of what I had to pay was the ambulance bill, not the hospital bill (that was $10,000 of the $11,000 total, for the hospital, I only paid $100).
I had surgery for a deviated septum in 2002 (the year from hell). Standard procedure is to find out if your heart is strong enough to take such a surgery. They did an EKG and thought that I might have had a heart attack. So I had a treadmill test with nuclear material shot through my veins that time too. & the results were that my heart, my arteries were just fine. The cardiologist reminded me, "But to make 100% sure we should do an angiogram. That's really the 'gold standard'" No, 'gold standard' for me, thank you. & besides I don't want to have a needle poking me in the balls and have a wire run from my groin to my chest. That sounds like it would hurt.
We know that people can have a heart attack and not even feel it. Some have even died that way. & since I am overweight, heart disease runs in my family and I had this "sensation" (after the pain decreased it wasn't even "pain" anymore), I very reluctantly went to the local ER.
Well, since the Dr were scared of getting sued and saw the same risk factors as I wrote in the preceding, he said "we are taking you by ambulance to the hospital, because every other ER doctor in the US would do the same thing". So, I had an x-ray and a bunch of tests, even a treadmill test where they had some nuclear material injecting in my veins which better allows them to see blockages better.
Going to the hospital had weird twists. First, it was my first ambulance ride. Secondly, I worked at the same place THE SAME EXACT FLOOR as I was going to be treated! So I knew everyone who was treating me. "Hi VINCE, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?"
"OH, EVERYTHING IS JUST PERFECT, FAITH, THANKS FOR ASKING"
That was a typical, repeated conversation I had. Thank God none of my former co-workers saw me naked. That would have really sucked.
So I leave hospital in less then 20 hrs after I first came. Yes, I was a lucky man when they told me no heart attack, no arterial blockage and no diabetes either. They have known for awhile that my blood pressure was "borderline" high. Not real high but enough to take notice, so my Dr. decided to put me on Atenol.
But I had a terrible sense of foreboding. I was scared shitless of the hospital bills. When you go to an Chicago-area hospital, you get more than 1 bill. Drs. don't work for the hospital. So when you go to the hospital you get 3 or 4 bills. One from the hospital, one from the ER doctor, one from the radiologists (if you get an x-ray) one from your regular dr., one from the janitor who cleaned your room......... (oops made that last one about the janitor up)
My total bills to find out that I was just fine and didn't have a heart attack was over $11,000. Thank God and thank Maribeth for insurance!! My bill that I had to pay for myself was around $600. One could make the argument that I "got off light" . The worst part of what I had to pay was the ambulance bill, not the hospital bill (that was $10,000 of the $11,000 total, for the hospital, I only paid $100).
I had surgery for a deviated septum in 2002 (the year from hell). Standard procedure is to find out if your heart is strong enough to take such a surgery. They did an EKG and thought that I might have had a heart attack. So I had a treadmill test with nuclear material shot through my veins that time too. & the results were that my heart, my arteries were just fine. The cardiologist reminded me, "But to make 100% sure we should do an angiogram. That's really the 'gold standard'" No, 'gold standard' for me, thank you. & besides I don't want to have a needle poking me in the balls and have a wire run from my groin to my chest. That sounds like it would hurt.
Anyway, if I ever have real chest pain, I"ll go to the hospital. But if I only have a touching sensation on my chest, I'll never go to the hospital again. Screw paying even $600!! I DON'T need to pay that amount just to be told I"m ok.
4 comments:
So it's the same as in Indo. That is, if you go to a hospital, you have to pay for the room, the doctor, the specialist (oncologist, gyneacologist, whatever), plus all the other extras.
I hope you won't feel any chest pain anymore and you'll always be okay, Vince!!!
Thank you. If I have chest pain it will only be panic attacks. & for those, all you have to do is calm down.
How is insurance in Indo? hard to come by or is it universal
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Well, companies do have some insurance for the employees, but usually it doesn't cover much (except if you're REALLY lucky and you work in a HUGE foreign company). Individuals can buy their own health insurance if they want to (that is, if they can afford to). My Dad used to be a health insurance agent. I think insurance thingie started booming in 1990, when my Dad started working as an agent. :-))))
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