Staying Focused

All my life I have been telling people to stay focused when there is a decision to be made. Now that Theresa and I are in a extremely difficult place where we have little or no control it is important I keep the advice I gave so often. With people making decisions without our input and insurance company workers following the script to make sure that every cent is protected we are at the mercy of strangers. We usually work, play and associate with folk who are known to us and we feel safe. Out in the world where you are a number its another story.

For thousands of people this situation is a daily reality and it must be scary. As we watched the mechanics of arriving at a decision as to what was to be done for Doris , I saw several layers of concern. The first was the medical team whose first and only concern should be her well being. In our case it was and a wonderful team of Dr's,Nurses and support staff did everything possible to give her the care required to make her well.

The next concern was when a procedure was suggested by the Cardiac Doctor. He had to stop and consult the insurance company. The company then evaluated the cost and decided that the procedure which was a costly  one would be done free in Canada so made the decision to transport Doris back to Canada by air ambulance. The hitch however was that there had to be a friendly receiving hospital with an available ICU bed in a isolation situation. Out of country patients have to be segregated for a period of time.

Then came the waiting. It is now 10 days and as no bed could be obtained the procedure is to be done this pm. All that time putting Doris at risk and now we wait for the results. We will sit and wait, and worry while the Dr. performs this procedure and then decides what is best for Doris based on the results. I tried to talk to the insurance company yesterday but they refused until after the procedure. As we have to make plans it leaves us in limbo.

As this saga go on I can only say how lucky we are that we have universal coverage and not private insurance where decisions are made on the basis of profit, not need. I hope and am positive about the eventual outcome for Doris, but the path to wellness is a rocky and stressful one and not one we wish to repeat. Stay Focused Henry and stay calm....yes.