Or, I’m through with American “Healthcare”.
I haven’t had time to write this week, as I’ve been processing and preparing. Next step in the saga, and I know I am not alone in this, far from it, and neither is my dear husband.
I had been informed by the case manager or palliative care that he had 365 days of care for anoxic brain injury care and rehabilitation. Last week, I was suddenly asked how I was going to cover the $800 a day co-pay. I said “pardon?” The financials woman said “he had 60 days coverage for hospital stays, after that it is $800 a day, and he’s on day 75 so you owe us $6k.” Now, math is one of my strong suits and I know Oct 13-Dec 7th is NOT 75 days, so I went over the dates with her 3 times, and we counted it out on the calendar 3x, and added up the days of his first hospital stay (29) plus 17 days here, plus 9 days back in hospital (all those stories will be forthcoming) and I finally convinced her those numbers did not equal 75. (Side note–CHECK YOUR BILLS FOR SIMILIAR MISTAKES). Also, companies…make sure your financial specialist can actually do basic addition!! However, that made me aware of the situation, and after taking the weekend to process the information the case manager here had then given me, and the options – he can go to a skilled nursing facility for 20 days, and then that’s $250 a day or go home, or he can just go home now and she can get me all the equipment and connections he needs, and put me in touch with someone to discuss his insurance and secondary plans – we are going home. There are reasons I have stayed with him 24/7, which I would not be able to do in a skilled nursing facility.
So the week has been spent in preparing the house for a hospital bed, Hoyer lift, and everything else that goes along with a fully bedridden, non mobile, non verbal human, arranging for home health, medications, pain management, wound care, ramps, tube feeding, training on various aspects of taking care of him at home – this facility has been amazing with their support of both Neil and I, and I would recommend Texas NeuroRehab to anyone with a loved one who needs to recover from any brain injury, wholeheartedly.
Tomorrow is the day, the last of the equipment is to be delivered, and later in the day, my love will be brought home. It may or may not take me a few days to get back to writing. Your prayers or good thoughts are much appreciated. I will ever be frustrated that health “care” is about how much profit the jackals can make, not about what does a patient need? I am losing my income, as I have to quit my career as a veterinary medical receptionist. I cannot afford, on $16/hr (and I’m overpaid, per the industry, even as a lead) to pay a caregiver – don’t get me going on that subject, either…of people being paid enough to be able to provide for themselves. I have a few ideas of things I can hopefully do to earn income to keep the utilities on, may add a “donate” button here in case anyone is so inclined, and it will be what it will be!
I would be lying though also if I didn’t admit that there is one part of me who is eager to get home, nest the rest of the way, and continue to learn all the things to take care of him and help him recover. One learns to be grateful for the smallest steps, and in the last week since getting back from the 2nd hospital admission for peritonitis he has progressively become more alert, has regained the ability to turn his head when he wants to, his eyes are tracking both directions again instead of just to his left, he has lifted his head off the pillow and during PT has begun to lift his chin off his chest when put into a sitting up position, and 2 days ago he moved a hand, his left, for the first time since the day he grasped my hand in the ICU when I asked him if he wanted to fight or wanted to go and I’d see him when it was my time…small miracles, to me, one step at a time. I am thankful for the medical team he has, for his new neurologist since coming to NeuroRehab who will stay his neurologist, for his neurosurgeon who saved his life (story coming) and has fought for him from the time he stepped into the ICU room, for their encouragement and willingness to walk the long road with Neil and I.
Tomorrow starts another adventure.
The Time We Have Been Given 