I'm not a happy camper.. + Dutch healthcare explanation # post 52

[Justin Jett]

Yvette,

You are the sweetest! I think the world of you. Wishing you all the best.

Love you.

 

[AllyGirl_79]

Just chiming in to add my well wishes. I'm so sorry to hear you're in pain.

Here's hoping the doctors offer quick and effective solutions so you're in fine form for the cruise. Looking forward to seeing you there!

 

[Royster83]

Yvette, so sorry to hear that you're feeling like this. Here's to you getting better sooner. I'll keep you in my prayers.

Do keep us updated...

Roy

 

[starwood]

I can totally relate to what you are going through. I've had foot pain in both feet for about a year. I finally decided to find out what the problem was. My General Practitioner said plantar fasciitis. I decided to see a Podiatrist who said achilles tendonitis. MRI of foot was negative so he sent me to an orthopedist for my back. MRI of the back didn't show anything significant BUT I have gallstones. Now my feet still hurt and I have to see someone about my gallbladder.

Where is Dr. House when we need him? I hope you are feeling better and up and around soon Yvet.

 

[bevgray]

Yvet, sorry to hear you are not well. Have you noticed any new symptoms? For example, do you have tingling/pain in your fingers now as well as your feet? Are you having vision trouble (such as sense of burning behind the eyes, difficulty closing your eyelids, double vision)? Do you have trouble swallowing?

This is not to alarm you but there are some autoimmune diseases that come on quickly and then develop new symptoms as they progress. If you do start noticing new problems, get to a hospital/Emergency Center immediately. Most of the autoimmunes are nasty and scary but are treatable and patients usually make close to full recovery.

Just take care to monitor your condition while you wait. Best wishes that you feel better very soon.

 

[kaligal]

Oops. Posted before reading thread. That'll teach me.

I hope you get your MRI soon and get better!

 

[cdnmickeylover]

Sending you pixie dust Yvet. Being in pain is absolutely no fun.

In July I thought that I pulled a muscle in my leg because my leg started to hurt as I was carrying a heavy box. I suffered for a couple of weeks and then went to the doctor who couldn't see anything wrong with my leg - there was no swelling, no bruising, nothing. He said to just take painkillers and it should go away but if it doesn't come back and see him. I waited til the end of Sept to go see him and he sent me for x-rays. Turns out it I have osteoarthritis in my hip which sucks esp. as my hip doesn't hurt. The pain radiates down my leg and sometimes my toes tingle. It was actually the tingling which sent me back to the doctor in Sept. The pain is also in the back of my thigh so sitting, depending on the chair is uncomfortable. Standing for any length of time is painful and so is lying down.

I've opted at this point not to get prescription painkillers but may do so before our trip in December as at the moment I don't think I'll be able to walk and esp. stand for all the standing that you have to do. Over the counter painkillers are helping at this point but WDW and the cruise might be too much. There's still time before then though so I'm hoping and have my fingers crossed that the pain will be under control by then.

The diagnosis isn't great as there's not a whole lot they can do for it but at least I know why I'm in pain. Hip replacement surgery is a long way off for me (I hope).

Hopefully, Yvet, you will know the 'why' very soon.

Looking forward to seeing you in December again.

Fiona

P.S. - Both times I saw the doctor the next day after calling for an appointment after 5pm the day before. Had the x-rays done the same day as the second doctor's appointment which was a Wednesday and was called by the doctor's office on Friday to come back in and saw the doctor on Monday morning for the diagnosis. We are in Canada.

 

[tinkbutt]

So sorry to hear this I hope everything is ok!

 

[irishdadx4]

Kat and I really hope you find out what's wrong and that it isn't too serious and that you can make the cruise. We're wishing you well Yvet.

Mike and Kat

 

[SaraMc]

Im sorry to hear that your not doing well. My thoughts are with you, hope you start to feel better soon.

 

[Yvet]

Thanks again for all the support i receive that makes me feel a lot better already

Yvet, sorry to hear you are not well. Have you noticed any new symptoms?

No i don't have any new symptomes only the things that were already there, nothing new.

Are you having vision trouble

Euhm YES but then again i'm visualy impaired so maybe that does the trick here

Just take care to monitor your condition while you wait.

I will monitor myself very carefully!!!

 

[Yvet]

Long post because i try to explain our healthcare system.

We have basic healthcare and that is something that is mandatory.
Then we have some healthcare plus packages and that is something that you can take if you want to.
Some healthcare suppliers are more expansive with their basic and plus packages then others and we have one of the cheaper and better ones and we pay for our basic healthcare $125 a month per person and for our extra plus package $40 a month per person.
Then on top of that we have an excess of $210 a year

Basic healthcare provides:
* Family Doctor visits
* Threatment and stay in hospital
* Visit to a Specialist
* Medication (most of them not all of them are included)
* Blood tests
* Some dental treatment
* Physiotherapy for chronical ill people
* Ambulance transportation
* Mental healthcare
* Speech therapy
* Occupational therapy, ergotherapy
* Dietician (for people that are obesed or have diabetes).

Our extra plus package takes care of some extra stuff like more dental treatments (that aren't covered in the basic package), Physiotherapy for everybody (whoohoo that's for me right now).
But also treatments that aren't included at all in the basic package or are covered a bit in the basic package and in the plus package a bit more covered and in our extra plus package it's fully covered or almost fully covered.

What happens here is that when you are ill it doesn't matter what it is you go make an appointment with your family doctor.
The family doctor has normally an appointment within a week.

Then if you need to have a blood test then you can go to the hospital (no appointment needed).
If you need an x-ray or echo then you also have to go to the hospital but you do need an appointment for this and it depends on what kind of examination they would like to have performed the wait is between a couple of hours up until a couple of weeks.
** For me the family doctor where i could go to straight away called the hospital to have me put on the list as emergency and i could get my x-ray and echo the same day otherwise i probably had to wait for a couple of days.

If they transfer you to a specialist then the wait can be very long.
If they find a knob in a breast and they send you to the breast Physician then it's within a few days normally the same or next day.
But like me for a neurologist it can take up to a few weeks and for an eye doctor it can take up to a few months.
All depend on what kind of disorder we are talking about. When necessary a family doctor can always call the Physician to make an emergency appointment.

Then after your first appointment with a Physician it can take again up to a few weeks before they can let you run some more tests (like an MRI).
If you need an operation then again that can take up to a few months before it's your turn....

I hope this explains a bit how it all works here.
If you have questions or comments please feel free to talk about it.

 

[Cherinva]

Yvet...I wish all the best for you.

 

[aspen37]

I'm so sorry Yvette. I hope you get answers soon and are back on the mend really soon.

 

[DisneyKevin]

You are in my thoughts Yvette.

Wish I could do something to help.

Miss you much.

 

[ADP]

Our thoughts are out to you Yvette...I really hope everything starts to turn as positive as possible and you are on a road to recovery ASAP.

Thanks for keeping us updated.

 

[bigmoonmullen]

Yvette,

We wish you all the best. Hope you are better real soon.

 

[catycatcat4]

Feel better. it stinks that you have to wait so long.

 

[mejkjj97]

thoughts and prayers. I hope you feel better real soon.

 

[kimisabella]

Feel better Yvette - we are thinking of you and hoping for a full recovery.... You need to be well for the cruise so you can sing Karaoke again and be able to hang on Kevin's back, lol...