Serious topic

[PHATchik]

Okay, I just needed to get your attention.

I need some help. Someone who is very special to me needs some medical help actually. He's got Medicare insurance that will only apply to the state of KY. He's got a very screwed up back. I'd have to get specifics from him, but he's got a degenerative back disease and some other shit wrong with him. For example, he fell the other day and broke a vertabrae just from falling and landing on his butt. Apparently, he landed pretty hard. He's gone to several doctors in the state. Some say he is too far gone to do anything and some (total crackpots apparently) say he is fine. He's given up because he can't afford to traipse (sp?) across the South till he finds a specialist that will actually take a chance. Plus, everything they have done thus far has failed. We fought last night because I refuse to give up on the idea that there is some treatment or surgery that can help him. They've told him that he could in a wheelchair in a matter of months. Are there programs or organizations that will help with health care and surgeries for people who are limited by their insurance or simply don't have the funds? I think there are programs for juveniles and seniors, but I don't know of any for a 22-year-old. Also, if anyone knows a good back specialist, I'd love a name and location. Maybe I am just being stubborn and whimsical for thinking that something can be done, but I'm trying to do some research and check out all options that are available.

 

[JBRO]

if you need a wheelchair or walker/cane let me know. other than a county hospital, im not sure where to send him.

 

[Raina]

I wish I knew. You might want him to go to a pain clinic if he can find one. My mom has massive amounts of spinal disease/damage and they've been the only dr's who really listened. They know a lot more about alternative treatments and experiemental dr's. It can't hurt to have him try to see if someone at a pain clinic knows what to do.

Even if they can't surgically fix him they maybe they can help him tolerate the pain etc. Good luck.

 

[PHATchik]

Thanks Raina. They have given him Lortabs and things like that to help with the pain. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. He's got an appt. at a rehabilitation place on Feb. 3 to see if he can be admitted there and if they can do anything. He would move in there and they would teach him how to help control himself better. Better ways to move, to lay, things he can do to help, etc. Hopefully, they'll take him in.

I guess I keep thinking about all these medical advances that are being made. Who's to say there isn't some kind of revolutionary treatment out there that can help a 22-year-old guy who feels like he is 90 because of his body? I'm too stubborn to give up so easily I guess. I've seen him go through surgeries and go to different doctors to see what they say, and I see him getting let down every time. He's afraid to hope anymore. I can't say that I blame him either.

 

[Raina]

My mom's on a morphine patch 24-7 and has been for years. It dulls the pain for her. She can drive on it and is totally normal when she's just on that. But her dr said if we put on a used one it would knock us out within 10-15 minutes. She takes really strong pills though other than morphine and methadone. Mostly she sleeps a lot which is sad because she's young.

A lot of dr's don't seem to listen. If he can find a good open-minded dr they might be able to steer him down a new path. Poor guy.

 

[PHATchik]

He sleeps a lot too. They have given him sleeping pills too, so he can sleep despite the pain. But the Lortabs and whatever else they have given him don't always help. He's been working on remodeling his '98 Dodge Ram for a couple of years to make it a show truck and all that. (I don't follow the car stuff at all, lol). He's done a hell of a job with it. He can only work on it for so long a period of time now. He keeps saying that he is putting all this work into something he'll never be able to drive. He can't drive for long periods of time either.

 

[gonelifting]

they would teach him how to help control himself better. Better ways to move, to lay, things he can do to help, etc. .

I think that`s the job of an Occupational Therapist. That`s what my wife does.

It`s a long shot 5% chance but I`ll ask her if she has any ideas. It can`t hurt. She deals with older populations mostly.


Nope sorry, I did`nt think so. She just said about talking to the hospital people about social workers that do that kind of stuff. I know at his level he`s way past that though.

Actually the social workers have helped someone I know pay FULLY for a procedure that otherwise she would have to fork out a ton of money for.

Also another longshot, Talk to a university that may be doing that type of research that can do something for him. You/he may get lucky and find a match. good luck you`re a good friend he`s a lucky dude.

 

[PHATchik]

I think that`s the job of an Occupational Therapist. That`s what my wife does.

It`s a long shot 5% chance but I`ll ask her if she has any ideas. It can`t hurt. She deals with older populations mostly.

Thanks.

 

[gonelifting]

Thanks.

Sorry I just edited my post after asking. good luck

 

[big4life]

Healthcare for those who can't afford to pay is a joke. Most of the doctors will just write a script for some pain pills and tell them to come back in a month, that way they can keep billing medicare for doing nothing.

I'm sorry for you and your friend.

 

[Longhorn85]

Is he a student? Maybe he can get help through the University system. Otherwise, he'll probably have to take out a loan and pay direct.

Most young people have to decide whether to buy the insurance while they are young and think they don't need it, or pay exorbitant costs when they do need it.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

and i thought my back problems were bad....

i could prolly tell my personal experience, but i don't wanna hijack the thread.

Pain management is a good place to start, if you can find a decent doc at one. also, girl we knew had the same thing your friend does. pain management implanted some sort of magnetic thing and a battery pack into her back and that was helping her out tremendously.

i hate to say this, but considering his age and the fact that he's a man, they're going to blow him off a lot more than they would if he was a she or he was in his 40s. been there, done that, and have almost gone postal because of it.

good luck to your friend and just try to support him. it's real tough to deal with back probs. just be supportive and help him explore new possibilities. i've all but given up on doctors helping me. i don't even listen to them anymore and i won't listen to them until they tell me the truth, which i already know. until then, they can take the 25lb weight limit they gave me and shove it up their.......

 

[PHATchik]

and i thought my back problems were bad....

i could prolly tell my personal experience, but i don't wanna hijack the thread.

Pain management is a good place to start, if you can find a decent doc at one. also, girl we knew had the same thing your friend does. pain management implanted some sort of magnetic thing and a battery pack into her back and that was helping her out tremendously.

i hate to say this, but considering his age and the fact that he's a man, they're going to blow him off a lot more than they would if he was a she or he was in his 40s. been there, done that, and have almost gone postal because of it.

good luck to your friend and just try to support him. it's real tough to deal with back probs. just be supportive and help him explore new possibilities. i've all but given up on doctors helping me. i don't even listen to them anymore and i won't listen to them until they tell me the truth, which i already know. until then, they can take the 25lb weight limit they gave me and shove it up their.......

Tell me more about this magnetic thing and battery pack?

 

[danielson]

find out whats wrong with him...chances are if that many specialists have seen him, they are on the money in terms of treatment

you won;t know whats wring with him until youi find out whathis cndition is, and if its untreatable, its untreatable

worst case scenario he may be able to improve his palliative care but thats about it...im sorry to say it but if you tell him there's hope and there isnt you might be getting his hopes up for nothing

there are a lot of gentic conditions that at present can;t be treated....osteogenesis imperfecta is one where you have britle bones (like sam. jackson in unbreakable) but it tends to settle in adulthood....u really need to know whats up

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

Check out the Hughston Clinic. Not sure if they are in KY but they are leaders at this sort of stuff and they are throughout the Southeast.

He probably needs to see a neurosurgeon.