One of the legacies of my family is the fact that we are not quitters. This includes (and maybe especially includes) health challenges (and my family has had its share over the years). But like my father, mother, and brothers, I am determined to live as normal of a life as I can for as long as I can.
That is, if the medical profession will let me.
Like others have found, many medical professionals seem to assume that once you have a serious illness, it is incumbent upon you to retreat to your home, stay in bed or lay on the couch, watch television and wait for death to come or for them to call you at any time during the day should they want to arrange an appointment of have a question for you. Even if they have your cell phone number (and I always give it to them), they will never call it but will, instead, leave a time-sensitive message on your voicemail. It’s like they can’t be bothered to try the other number that they have on file. And then, because they can’t get a hold of you, some get irritated because you were unable to respond promptly (meaning during office hours of the same day, of course) or be at home when they want to drop by or drop off supplies.
Add to this my continuing problem of trying to insure funding for my oxygen. Again, this equipment and oxygen supply this allows me to have a fairly normal life -- to go to work, to stay a tax-paying active contributor to society. But having this kind of life endangers my ability to afford the very thing that allows me to have it. The ability to function means possibly getting cut off from the very thing that allows me to function. So it would be better if I got worse and did nothing all day. What a dilemma!!
What I don’t understand is why so many in the medical profession seem so determined to make it so hard for someone to live an independent, normal life. I thought that was what they were supposed to do.
2 comments:
So, are you saying that they are cutting off your funding for the oxygen? Eunice
They are still trying to make up their mind. I went through one set of tests set up by my doctor on instructions from the government only to be told by the oxygen supplier that my doctor booked it too early and that, because I missed a phone call from them, I will likely have to go through it again because they want to do the test. Frankly, it's a mess. I have no idea how this is going to turn out.
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