WHAT a day!

What a day!  It started before Dawn as we had to be up early to make the trip to Springfield so I could get a Lumbar Puncture.  This was supposedly to try to determine what some of my current insane health issues are caused by... like the vertigo I've had since early Spring, the recent hemorrage in my left eye, and the ever present lowgrade headaches...

First of all, the Transport (Medicaid provided) was late.  They had us ride on one of those buses that they use for the wheelchair patients.  When we got on, there was already a lady on board that had come from one of the local Nursing homes, and there was not much room available for us.  (2 seats at the very front - one a half-sized seat and the other a full seat that the driver had all his crap on).  The larger seat would have been more comfortable for me, but because of his stuff, there was no way to get the seatbelt around me, so I was forced to perch on the smaller seat with my knees (that are already in bad shape) crammed into the door partition, and with my back up against the cold window.  Comp got the other seat as he is thinner and could get the seatbelt around him. 

Then they had to stop and pick up another lady at a different Nursing Home, and she was no where near ready (not dressed and still sitting on the commode, according to the driver).  We had to wait a half an hour with the back door standing open in 40 degree damp weather before they got her ready and loaded.  By then, she and the other lady who both had drop offs before mine, were already late for their appts, so they went ahead and dropped me off first because if you are late at the hospital, they have to reschedule your test.  Don't know how late those two were, but we did make it - just in the nick of time.  And let's not talk about the Driver's speeds as he tried to make up for lost time... as a former Driver's ed teacher, let's just say I was not pleased...

The test was not too bad.  Really a lot more scary in theory than in actuality.  The technician who did my test was very good and very pleasant, and explained everything very well.  He did tell me that my pressure in the brain and spinal cord was significantly higher than normal, and as a result, he removed 12 ccs of spinal fluid (after what they took to run their tests with) to bring that pressure back down to normal. That did help with the headache.  The jury is still out on the Vertigo and the eye damage is probably permanent at this point.  Recovery was pretty good too - I spent most of that time knitting on socks, so it was a pretty normal experience for me... (what I do on a daily basis)

The real trouble began when they released me.  Comp called an hour before I was to be released to get the Transport on their way to pick us up.  They were supposed to be there right when I was released, or within 15 minutes.  Being as when you have a Lumbar Puncture, you are SUPPOSED to lie flat for the 1st 12 hours, they don't want you sitting around waiting on your ride.  We ended up waiting almost 2 HOURS!!!!  And Steve and I both had to call the Transport coordinators to get them to finally show up and pick us up. Grrrrrrr.  The reason you are supposed to lie flat is that if you don't you end up with a spinal headache, which makes a really bad migraine feel like a day at the beach.  How do I know that?  Gee, I wonder... NOT!!!

And there was no excuse for this having happened.  Because of other issues with Medicaid Transport in the past, I have elected a Preferred Provider to take me for my appts.  Did they schedule me with my preferred provider?  NOOOO... why not?  Their excuse is that they had heard that that company was going out of business.  NOT True.  I know because we have become friends with the people who own the transport company that is now my preferred provider.  The real reason?  The Transport coordinator company has to pay my preferred provider a higher rate than the company that they sent me with (because they contracted them at the higher rate and now want my company to take a rate cut - with gas prices climbing into the stratosphere?).  So they give all the work to the lower priced company and are driving all the smaller and more expensive companies out of business. 

The company I prefer takes good care of their riders and does whatever they can to make the ride more comfortable and bearable for folks like me who have to rely on Medicaid provided transportation (we can't afford the gas to go to Springfield for tests, and where we live, that is the only choice for many of them, not to mention the appts with Specialists).  If they do end up going out of business, it will be because the Transport Coordinator folks have found a loophole and are using it to deny them the riders they need to stay in business.

So tomorrow, when I am supposed to be resting and getting over this ordeal, I will be spending the day on the telephone, reaming new orrifices in the various folks who make the decisions that have caused this horrible experience and the horrific headache I am now suffering.  And if some heads do not roll, I fully intend to take this to the media and allow them to publicize this mess. Those of us on Medicaid are still people who deserve to be treated like people.  Granted some may be of less than stellar mental faculties, but not all of us.  It behooves those of us who are still mentally capable to take a stand and see that things are done right so that not only do we not have to suffer, but so that those with less ability to speak for themselves don't have to suffer either.

And don't get me started on what will happen if Romney gets elected... THAT  thought terrifies me...