(NO) Health Insurance

[graygables]

I will always be lethargic and tired, no matter what job I'm at.

Not to be harsh, but "whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're probably right" (the sign that was on my family's gift shop's break room wall for years.)

It sounds to me as though there is depression involved which can certainly cause fatigue and be part of the sadness-hopeless-fatigue cycle. Have you sought treatment for that?

If so, and the docs say you are fine, this may be a "suck it up, cupcake" moment in life. Or "bloom where you are planted".

You may want to look into herbals that help with fatigue/depression. Eleuthero is one (for the fatigue/stress) and St. John's Wort.

 

[kamik86]

I wouldn't go without health insurance if you suspect any kind of health problem and even without that not for long.

I went with very minimal insurance for 6 months when I got married and was no longer eligible for my parents insurance but was still a student so I didn't have a full time job with benefits yet. I only had the plan they made all the students at school get if you didn't have anything else. But I knew that would only be until I got a full time job at graduation.

 

[ThreeBeans]

wow, lots of feedback. Thanks!
I've been at this job for 7 months. There is no more day shifts available for me. I wish, but it's not going to happen.
As far as looking for another job, it's going to be the same situation wherever I go. I will always be lethargic and tired, no matter what job I'm at. I'm lucky this store hasn't fired me yet. My head is in the clouds and I don't know if I'm coming or going and sometimes I don't even know what day it is. I have a lot of memory issues due to early menopause and stress.I have a chronic problem with fatigue. I've had it for years. Been tested for everything imaginable. Nothing ever shows up. I worked tonight and barely made it. By 9pm I was done. I get very mentally fatigued. Kind of sounds like I'm drunk but I'm not. Hopefully I'll win the lottery. LOL. The thought of having to work and feel like I feel for the rest of my life doesn't give me much hope. It causes me to feel hopeless and sad.

You sound really, really depressed. The "Hopeless and sad" thing is obvious, but the lethargy, the fatigue, the spaciness are all also symptoms of chronic depression. Have you ever seen a psychiatrist?

 

[lurkernj]

Another cautionary tale, last year my DH(41) had a sudden stroke while laying in bed watching tv. He was in great shape (about 6 ft, 200lbs), worked out regularly,ran 5K races frequently, didn't smoke, didn't drink much and ate fairly healthy. No family history either. No reason has been determined for this to have happened. He was hospitalized for almost a month and received various degrees of physical therapy for 11 months after, as well as extensive medical tests frequently. I stopped totalling the bills about 3 months ago and we were already up to $180K, with still more prescriptions, tests, physical therapy to go.

Fortunately we had insurance, I can't imagine what our life would be like without it. I would definitely look into another job or purchasing insurance. What if something simple happened, like a broken ankle (my friends son just did this and it was $11K).

 

[Mkrop]

I would never risk being uninsured. I would be a nervous wreck..

I think you need to find a day job with benefits. There are some people who just dont adapt to shift work.

 

[minkydog]

wow, lots of feedback. Thanks!
I've been at this job for 7 months. There is no more day shifts available for me. I wish, but it's not going to happen.
As far as looking for another job, it's going to be the same situation wherever I go. I will always be lethargic and tired, no matter what job I'm at. I'm lucky this store hasn't fired me yet. My head is in the clouds and I don't know if I'm coming or going and sometimes I don't even know what day it is. I have a lot of memory issues due to early menopause and stress.I have a chronic problem with fatigue. I've had it for years. Been tested for everything imaginable. Nothing ever shows up. I worked tonight and barely made it. By 9pm I was done. I get very mentally fatigued. Kind of sounds like I'm drunk but I'm not. Hopefully I'll win the lottery. LOL. The thought of having to work and feel like I feel for the rest of my life doesn't give me much hope. It causes me to feel hopeless and sad.

If you think you feel hopeless and sad now, just wait til you've wracked up thousands of dollars in medical bills for even a minor illness or injury. You aint's seen nothin' yet...

Since the docs can't seem to find a physical explanation for your fatigue and low mood, that would suggest there is a chronic mental health issue going on. Depression can be just as sickening to your body as any physical illness. It can make you feel extremely fatigued and even produce chronic back, neck, and abdominal pain. If you have not sought out a psychiatrist for evaluation, maybe you should. Depression is a real disease and it can be treated with meds and therapy.

Please don't think i'm putting you down. Lots of people have mental health issues. I do. I have had chronic depression for the last 40 years. It slowlly sapped my strength and creativity. Thankfully I was correctly diagnosed 3 years ago and put on appropriate meds. I can't even tell you how much better my life is! I'm no longer fatigued and anxious all the time and I'm much more productive. Meds are not the only thing--i see a therapist periodically and i have a support system in place. But I'm telling you, I got my life back once we started addressing the real problems.

ETA: I forgot to ask this: have you had a sleep study yet? Sleep apnea may not be apparent to the sufferer but it can produce many of the same symptoms as depression, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. It would be worth checking this out.

 

[clutter]

You sound really, really depressed. The "Hopeless and sad" thing is obvious, but the lethargy, the fatigue, the spaciness are all also symptoms of chronic depression. Have you ever seen a psychiatrist?

Also, please have your B12 and estrogen levels checked. Both can cause some of the symptoms you are having.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

I am in the same situation. I am working 35 hours a week and so exhausted that at times i just wish i could lie down on the floor.

It is not depression in my case. Been there, done that, and this isn't it.

I too have had many tests done and see a Rheumatologist. She thinks it is Fibromyalgia with the pain caused by faulty sleep.

My husband now feels the same way- and i am sure he has sleep apnea.

I am seeing an OB/GYN to consider HRT with Bioidentical hormones.

I take a lot of vitamin supplements (vitamin D3 1000mg-after test showed low on D, Chromium Piccolinate 800 mg, zinc Citrate,multivitamin for vegetarians) and with them i feel awful. Without them i feel much worse.

Rheumotologist is working on a study that showed promise for Zinc citrate, metatonin and vitamin D.

Music playing helps me keep going.

Just keep trying to see what helps you feel better and add that.

Best of Luck!

 

[Agri]

I personally would not want to go without health insurance. You stated in your post that you suspect some health issue - even more reason to have insurance. One major illness can financially ruin a person / fa mily without insurance.

I would personally keep the hours you have and the insurance and put the insurance to use and see a doctor. A reasonably heathy adult should be able to work 32-34 hours a week without being exhausted. Maybe there is a medical reason behind the tiredness.

Better same than sorry - I would see a doctor

Hope you feel better

All health insurance policies are not created equal. Some will cover you if you're in a car wreck, but not for other crazy things that can happen outside of a catastrophe such as cancer or minor surgery for an infection. My health insurance got to be a bit over $600 a month, didn't cover me when I had to have a MRSA infection lanced, nor did it cover the subsequent home care. I need to take a seizure medication every day for the rest of my life - which costs $300 out of pocket. I also was covered for only 4 doctor visits a year, the rest I had to pay OOP as well. I get my medication through a patient assistance program now, but even without that, I would be saving $300 a month by not having the health insurance. Yes, I'll be screwed financially if something happens, but the majority of Americans have some sort of medical debt to their name and it is not weighed as heavily as say, not paying a credit card bill.

I don't really worry about it because Urgent Care is $70 a visit (same price I paid when insured) and most widely needed medicines are on the discounted medication lists at most pharmacies now. A lot of hospitals and physicians have discounts for uninsured patients and also offer payment plans as needed.

Anyway.

OP, I would keep the hours until you get your health straightened out. Yes, it sucks, but if you have really good insurance now, you need to take advantage of that and figure out just what the heck is going on with you. If you drop insurance and then find something wrong, you will have a heck of a time finding reasonable insurance. (I know that I'll never get reasonable insurance unless its offered through an employer or I get married to someone with a good policy.) It's silly to not take advantage of a resource while you have it. If the first doctor doesn't find the answer - keep trying! Maybe there *is* something wrong that can be fixed with medicine. Then find out if the medicine is available through a patient assistance program or can otherwise be discounted. Basically, figure out what is wrong BEFORE you drop the insurance so you can weight the pros and cons properly.

 

[Christine]

OP, don't give up trying to find a physical cause for your pains if you don't truly believe it's mental.

I had so many doctors try to hand me antidepressants when I was feeling like you. I was in a FOG for 3 years. While I wasn't anemic (at first), I was found to have low iron stores. Very low. This isn't found on routine tests and it won't be run if you don't show up as anemic. After I kept seeing my hemoglobin drop from very robust levels to borderline anemia, I asked for further tests. My ferritin was 3. It should be above 70 and, ideally, even higher than that.

I was found to have stomach bleeding due to overuse of Motrin (I had all those aches you know) plus heavy menstrual cycles.

Getting iron into me changed me totally. Got me back to what I thought I should be. If I hadn't pushed, I'd be sitting here on Prozac trying to figure out why I still felt so bad.

 

[tvguy]

I just got divorced and had to go back to work full time. I work retail (hate it) and in order to get health benefits I have to work at least 30 hours. I have two night shifts a week so my week is 32-34 hours. I have a few health issues (fatigue, I suspect fibromyalgia and mild depression) and the night shifts are too much for me. Long story short... I'm thinking of cutting the night shifts and giving up the benefits. I'll still make enough money to get by, just no insurance. How many of you go without health insurance and don't constantly worry about it? I went without insurance for many,many years but got used to having it while I was married. All the working hours are wiping me out and I come home and get into bed after work cause I'm so exhausted. I don't want to live like this. Just looking for options/opinions/or whatever....

Patty

Not much any of us can tell you, it's really a personal choice. I would encourage you to find a way to adjust, and if you can't cope until you get a new job.
When I lost my job I was lucky to get a new job in a few days, but it involved working 4 different shifts a week, and weekends. I never saw my family, but after 18 months I setting into a regular shift (3 am to 11:30 am) and then my wife was able to shift to a similar shift (4:30 am to 1 pm). Of course, for the previous 25 years I worked 11 pm to 7 am.

 

[ThreeBeans]

I am in the same situation. I am working 35 hours a week and so exhausted that at times i just wish i could lie down on the floor.

It is not depression in my case. Been there, done that, and this isn't it.

I too have had many tests done and see a Rheumatologist. She thinks it is Fibromyalgia with the pain caused by faulty sleep.

My husband now feels the same way- and i am sure he has sleep apnea.

I am seeing an OB/GYN to consider HRT with Bioidentical hormones.

I take a lot of vitamin supplements (vitamin D3 1000mg-after test showed low on D, Chromium Piccolinate 800 mg, zinc Citrate,multivitamin for vegetarians) and with them i feel awful. Without them i feel much worse.

Rheumotologist is working on a study that showed promise for Zinc citrate, metatonin and vitamin D.

Music playing helps me keep going.

Just keep trying to see what helps you feel better and add that.

Best of Luck!

Knowing all of this...I think it must be perfectly clear to you that losing your health insurance at this juncture would be terrible, right?

 

[Imzadi]

I will always be lethargic and tired, no matter what job I'm at. I'm lucky this store hasn't fired me yet. My head is in the clouds and I don't know if I'm coming or going and sometimes I don't even know what day it is. I have a lot of memory issues due to early menopause and stress. I have a chronic problem with fatigue.

I've had it for years. Been tested for everything imaginable. Nothing ever shows up. I worked tonight and barely made it. By 9pm I was done. I get very mentally fatigued. Kind of sounds like I'm drunk but I'm not. Hopefully I'll win the lottery. LOL. The thought of having to work and feel like I feel for the rest of my life doesn't give me much hope. It causes me to feel hopeless and sad.

You sound like you have adrenal fatigue and thyroid problems. having one or the other WILL make you have ALL those symptoms. Having the brain fog, memory problems, depression & hopelessness, and just wanting to go home to sleep, will also make your thinking and assessment abilities off, as in wanting to drop your health insurance when you need it the most right now to see Drs. to properly diagnose this and treat it, while you HAVE med insurance.

Adrenal Fatigue is NOT normally recognized by Western medicine. The friggin MayoClinic.com even says it is NOT a recognised medical issue as they have no machinery to accurately measure & gauge it, so it must not exist. (They also said that about PMS for centuries. So much for modern machinery. )

Thyroid problems are hard to diagnose as you need to push for ALL the proper blood tests AND find the right kind of Dr to treat you. you have other symptoms, like the menopause, which mask and cross over.

I was recently told almost all my tests, except one, are basically "normal". I asked the Dr. what they lab & he consider "Normal" range, since a normal range can be anywhere from 0.3 to a 5, and that's a wide normal range, and I present too many hypothyroid symptoms to be "normal." AND that I might be at the upper end at 5 which is considered, "normal," but it's not an optimal level of normal, which is a 1 or 2. (This is something I learned to say and push for from a website forum specializing on thyroid issues.) Then the Dr. relented and said, "Oh, uh, well, yes, you are hypothyroid."

_I_ knew more about hypothyroidism than he did. Only then, was I given the prescription I requested. Sometimes, you have to fight for your own symptoms and go in with more knowledge that they have. It's unfortunate and frustrating that the conditions that rob us of our brain & energy are the exact things we need for for the conditions most MIS-understood and incorrectly diagnosed by the Drs. themselves.

If you have adrenal problems, you need to treat that FIRST or the thyroid meds don't work. So you need a Dr. who knows how to work with and treat BOTH. I am now on THREE more supplements than any Dr. would have recommended: Iodine, Vit B12 (which cleared the majority of the brain fog & memory problems right away, ) and now IsoCort, which is giving me back my energy.

I am STILL on the hunt for the right Dr. On THREE forums I recently joined, I was recently told that endocrinologists, which I had been looking at, were NOT the right Drs. That I should be looking for an Osteopath or Naturopath, as I want to also treat this with as many natural supplements as possible.

Five days ago, I found out that soy & soybean products suppress thyroid functioning and should not be eaten. I looked in my fridge & shelves and nearly EVERY friggin thing had soy in it. No wonder I was having such up & down days. When I thought I was eating healthy salads, the dressings were laced with soybean oil.

I am five days clean of soy and feeling much clearer & more energy (in addition to the new meds & supplements.)


I URGE, URGE, URGE you

to go to these three forums below and copy & paste exactly what you wrote in your posts here about all your symptoms. I know you are tired & frustrated. Just do it. They are lead/based on the research of two leading thyroid/adrenal specialists in the country, who have written best selling books on this. Their Amazon reviews speak for them. The people at the forums CAN help you. If you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, they can then send you onto those forums. But, chronic fatigue is usually a blanket diagnosis when they can't figure out what else it can be. You present too many symptoms of thyroid + adrenal fatigue, so it is easy to figure out.

Yahoo Groups based on Stop the Thyroid Madness:

For Adrenals:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

Thyroid Group:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormones/



About.com forum lead by Mary Shomon:
http://forums.about.com/ab-thyroid


Do this before you give up your job & health insurance. You will need your health insurance to be able to request/demand the right tests that these people will help you to get. There IS help, and there ARE solutions. It is NOT all in your head.

 

[Imzadi]

Also, please have your B12 and estrogen levels checked. Both can cause some of the symptoms you are having.

My husband now feels the same way- and i am sure he has sleep apnea.

I am seeing an OB/GYN to consider HRT with Bioidentical hormones.

I take a lot of vitamin supplements (vitamin D3 1000mg-after test showed low on D, Chromium Piccolinate 800 mg, zinc Citrate, multivitamin for vegetarians) and with them i feel awful. Without them i feel much worse.

Rheumotologist is working on a study that showed promise for Zinc citrate, metatonin and vitamin D.

Lots of the supplements you are taking cross over for thyroid & adrenal problems. I need to up my Vit D as it helps with some thyroid absorption of other supps I am taking. Someone else recommended Chromium Piccolinate a while back. I have upped my magnesium & zinc.

Subligual Vit B12 helped the most on the brain fog & memory problems. It was a god send finding out about that.

I also used to eat broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts nearly every day. (Along with soy.) ALL of these suppress thyroid functioning.

I have uterine fibroids and I was eating heavy doses of high estrogen foods like chick peas & red meat. The last thing I need is more estrogen down there. The thyroid problems caused massive Aunt Flo problems, which in part casued the fibroids.

I cut down on the high estrogen foods, added natural supplements & vitamins & started thyroid treatment and within a couple months, Aunt Flo went down to a more normal size, and I am no longer Always Pads best customer.

What I used to think was phony, woowoo, hokey science & beliefs about what we eat, taking natural supplements & vitamins, and how we live, can be significant factors to illness, there was just way too many synchronicities & coincidences in what I had been inadvertently doing and eating to BE coincidences. Way too many.

 

[Owl's Friend]

I repeat do not give up health insurance. I was married without health insurance (dh's job didn't offer it), when surprise I was pg. Made too much money to get state insurance. We had to pay out of pocket for all of it. Even after no insurance discount (offered by the hospital) we paid $10,000 for an uncomplicated ******l birth. The bills started arriving the first week we were home.

 

[PattySwind]

My depression has been treated. It's worse in the winter and I'm OK in the summer. I believe it's only part of the problem. I am also lacking estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone and my adrenal glands are depleted due to stress. I did get a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in my back about 5 years ago. I also have pain in my hips,feet and my hands are a bit stiff. I take a lot of vitamins.
My local hospital offers charity care so I know that would be there for me if I needed it. I would definitely qualify.
Thank you all again for the feedback.
I

 

[PattySwind]

My depression has been treated. It's worse in the winter and I'm OK in the summer. I believe it's only part of the problem. I am also lacking estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone and my adrenal glands are depleted due to stress. I did get a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in my back about 5 years ago. I also have pain in my hips,feet and my hands are a bit stiff. I take a lot of vitamins.
My local hospital offers charity care so I know that would be there for me if I needed it. I would definitely qualify. I really can't afford to do any testing and I've pretty much had everything tested anyway. My insurance is a 80/20 plan with a $500 deductible so I'm still left with a good bit to pay out of pocket.
Thank you all again for the feedback.

 

[bumbershoot]

Five days ago, I found out that soy & soybean products suppress thyroid functioning and should not be eaten. I looked in my fridge & shelves and nearly EVERY friggin thing had soy in it. No wonder I was having such up & down days. When I thought I was eating healthy salads, the dressings were laced with soybean oil.

I am five days clean of soy and feeling much clearer & more energy (in addition to the new meds & supplements.)

Isn't that interesting...wow.

I also used to eat broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts nearly every day. (Along with soy.) ALL of these suppress thyroid functioning.

Also very interesting!

What I used to think was phony, woowoo, hokey science & beliefs about what we eat, taking natural supplements & vitamins, and how we live, can be significant factors to illness, there was just way too many synchronicities & coincidences in what I had been inadvertently doing and eating to BE coincidences. Way too many.

OP, when western medicine fails you (when you KNOW something is wrong and they can't/won't find it), it's time to go to the alternatives.

When I was a practicing chiropractor, I had some people with fibromyalgia come to me...when they came in regularly, they didn't have to take as many pain killers. None of them went down to zero, but they did feel *better*. I practiced a very gentle type of chiro, Network Spinal Analysis, where I wasn't doing hard moves on people...mostly very soft work, and it really seemed to help people with things like that. (MS, too, had several patients come to see me after losing faith in the western drugs, and they found help from the work I did as well)

A charity type place isn't going to get you the alternative things you might find work best for you...



Working during times other than the day is almost always difficult, but is downright nearly impossible for some. While you have this job and this insurance, I would continue to seek answers (don't take "no" for an answer, if you're seeing the same person, switch providers!) AND seek a new job during the day. Even if it's the same motions, just working during daytime might really help. And since the best time to GET a job is when you HAVE a job, start looking now.

I wish you the best of luck!