Deaths from lack of health insurance....

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2008

I will be without employer-sponsored health insurance for the next 90 days, as I will be starting a new job tomorrow. I simply hope and pray that I do not become ill enough to require hospital care while uninsured, because that would suck my personal savings dry.

I did not work while attending school, and was uninsured the whole time. I suffered a relapse of Graves disease (hyperthyroidism) while I was a student, and could not afford to get treated. I simply had to suffer with the palpitations, pulse rate of 140, insomnia, diarrhea, hair loss, anxiety, etc. I am thankful for not dying before my life had even begun.

Simplepleasures · Mar 2, 2008

I am still alive, not really kicking though, well , not physically kicking anyway. I worked as a nurse for almost 30 years, could no longer work D/T, DJD and DDD muliti-level, lumbar and lower thoracic spine. DJD bilateral knees, RA+, RA in bilat. hands , Autoimmune Inflammatory eye disease which has caused cataracts to form in both good eye and already blind eye.Good eye also had a Posterior Vitreous Detachment which left me with Cellophane Maculapathy.I can no longer drive.

I could not afford the Cobra payment, plus Cobra lasts only 18 months or so.I lost ALL my savings D/T MEDICAL debt, now go to free clinic( I am not eligible for Medicaid in my state of WI.) until I am approved for SSDI. free clinic is good but cannot give more than basic care D/T cost constraints. I will get Medicare when approved. My wonderful children are now paying me back , by supporting me financially,for all the years I worked like a darn dog to support them after my divorce. All 4 kids college grads, one a lawyer. We are decent hard working folks who never have taken a dime of assistance from the government except for student loans, which my children except for the lawyer have already paid back.