gall bladder update

I am going to make 3 blog posts today to celebrate having INTERNET BACK @ HOME! I'm so excited.
We are sharing with our upstairs neighbors. Completely worth $27 a month. We're thrilled.


So, first of all- a gall bladder update.
I got some horrible news on Monday.
I went into to the county office to see if I could add in my $1003 ER bill into my county assistance application. But instead, I got denied all together. The lady who works @ the office is so sweet, I cannot get mad at her. But, I guess this is what happened...
my surgeon had to write a letter to the state doctor explaining why I need the surgery- and apparently in the letter he did not make a compelling enough case that I needed the surgery. He said that is was "recommended" so, the state doctor (which i think it's totally ridiculous that some doctor who has never examined me can be the overruling force in this process) said he didn't think it was necessary. He said I should be tested for acid reflux, which is about the most absurd thing I've ever heard- i obviously have gall stones, i obviously have gall bladder attacks on a REGULAR basis, so saying that it COULD be acid reflux is as ridiculous to me as saying... OR.. it could be an ingrown toenail- i feel like they are just throwing out any possible thing it could be, except admitting what it ACTUALLY IS! (sorry, can you tell i'm frustrated?)

So, now I have to go back to the surgeon (which hopefully doesn't cost me any MORE money) to have him write a more compelling letter saying that i MUST have it removed. I've had now my 5th attack since going to the ER 2.5 weeks ago. Usually people only have to have 1 or 2 attacks before they get their gall bladder removed. My attacks are not "easier" than theirs- I just don't have the $4000 the surgeon is requiring for a 50% deposit. I am so fed up with being in pain and incapacitated all the time. I have to call in to work all the time so I'm losing a lot of money (if i made a lot of money while working :) and not only that, i feel like they will just stop scheduling me because I'm so unreliable. OH! and that's not to mention our Evapaul clients who I'm totally neglecting all the time since I'm too sick.

You'd write a compelling letter for me, right?

OK but there was a sliver of hope in my visit to the county office. I told her that I had not gotten my denial letter from medicaid yet which surprised her. How the process works is that you apply for medicaid and county assistance at the same time- then, they assume you're going to get denied for medicaid and move forward as if you've already been denied to apply for county assistance. So, she moved forward with it as if I was denied and THEN i got denied for county.

But, I haven't been denied yet.. so there is a CHANCE that I could get medicaid instead which would be AMAZING. they pay 100% and also will pay for my $1003 ER bill from a couple of weeks ago. The lady @ the county office said denials usually come pretty quick, within a week or so, so she said it was a good sign that its been almost 3 weeks and i haven't gotten denied yet. So, i am really hoping i just get approved for medicaid- but i need to still go to the surgeon just in case i need to reapply for county assistance.

thanks for reading- i've felt so loved through this whole process. thanks everyone <3