DIY Home Surgery

NOTICE: This worked. It was drastic, painful, and very difficult. However it did work. I can now sit up again. The are has scabbed over and hopefully there won't be any more complications.

Why I did I do this? Because nobody else would. In September when this thing burst open I was sent to the hospital. They did a CAT scan and determined that it did fully drain. However, they did not prescribe any medicine to prevent infection even though I asked for it.

I have been to the ER with insurance and I have been to the ER without insurance. If I had insurance I have no doubt I would have gotten the treatment I needed to prevent infection. Such as being admitted to the hospital to ensure frequent bandage changes and to keep the area clean.

Needless to say the thing continued to bleed and eventually the area began to swell up again and infection set in. The daily loss of blood and infection made me very weak and the tenderness of the area prevented me from sitting up right. This resulted in me no longer being able to work.

Durring this time I applied for but still never got government assistance for my medical needs. The fact that I was able to do this myself is evident, that while extremely painful, the corrective measures would have been quick and simple.

The simple fact is I could not allow myself to lie in pain while someone else was paying my rent. Thank you to those who assisted me financially. I will get to paying you back very promptly.

Today I am out on the town. My former employer requires a doctors note before I can return to work. Not sure how I am going to pull that off but I will.

Category:

• Documentary

Tags:

• happycabbie
• er
• vlog
• hospital
• health
• care
• yt:crop=16:9

[mysparklymic]

@HappyCabbie

I wondering now what my ankle would have cost...ambulance +3 paramedics, ER, straighten dislocation and x ray, transfer to nearby hospital ambulance + 2 paramedics, orthopeadic surgeon, and team [saturday night], ankle plated back together, three days bed rest in hospital, physio, zimmer frame, drugs, revisit surgeon week later, x ray, new cast, dexa bone scan, more visits and physio and many meds to come. If I thought I had to pay for it I might kill myself - much cheaper.

[HappyCabbie]

@mysparklymic In the US anyone can go to the Emergency Room and get care, however they are only required to stabalize you. It is not the place to go for things like cancer treatment or things like that. The emergency room of course sends you a bill for a few thousand dollars. There are programs such as medicaid for the poor, but many areas like Arizona have enrollment frozen, others are limited by income ceilings.

[mysparklymic]

@HappyCabbie

So if you have cancer and no insurance do they just leave you to die?. I am truly shocked. Is this what happens in the US? a fabulous country with this as their health care. So what do you do if your children are ill and you have no money? I just cant imagine the worry this must cause you all the time.

[HappyCabbie]

@mysparklymic Oh that is nothing. You should google how much Cancer medications are. Or how much dialysis costs, and people who are on it have to go a few times a week. Organ transplants can cost over $100,000 dollars.

[mysparklymic]

@HappyCabbie

WHAT!!!!!!!!!. Oh my goodness, how does any non-rich person ever get well?. I have a broken ankle at the moment, it was operated on, and they gave me a bag of drugs I would need when I was discharged [no prescription fee as I was a hospital in-patient] including mega pain killers and antibiotics. 90 dollars for one course of treatment is a lot of money. We pay £20 for internet, and £7 for a prescription. so your drugs cost 3 times your internet cost while ours are one third.

[HappyCabbie]

@mysparklymic For the bottle I was last prescribed I paid 90 dollars. To equate that for you, in terms of cost of living, I pay 30 dollars a month for internet.

[mysparklymic]

@HappyCabbie

So how much would a prescription for antibiotics cost?

[HappyCabbie]

@mysparklymic I know people who pay more for their medications than they do on Rent.

[mysparklymic]

Its shocking that so many people in the US are resorting to home surgery, presumably because they cant afford to pay, but not to be able to pay for a prescription is beyond ridiculous. In the Uk we have the National Health Service. Prescriptions [for everyone] are £7 - about $10, no matter what the medication is. If you are on a low income, under 16 or over 60, or pregnant, prescriptions are free . I dont understand your country's way of looking after your health at all.

[seanthedonconsidine]

I have eczema, dry skin, and generally poor skin. There was a short period where I had large zits (infections or something) on my buttocks. I had a similar situation to this, albeit a smaller scale. It was unpleasant, painful, and frightening. Hydrogen peroxide and Isopropyl alcohol are the home surgeon's best friends. Your courage is impressive, and hopefully you haven't had to experience these sorts of things too often. Hope you're doing well.