Why Can’t They Figure Out What Is Wrong?
I have always been a very healthy and active person but this last summer almost overnight I starting having horrible health problems. It started with a hospitalization for what they believed was a failing gall bladder but test after test showed that the gall bladder was functioning perfectly. The doctors and specialists then looked into other gastrointestinal problems and ran every test imaginable and still remain stumped. While we were running tests and trying drug regiments the symptoms only grew worse. I started suffering tremendous pain throughout my body, both muscular and bone pain. In addition I started suffering from seizures and weakness down my left side. Eventually a neurologist said that the latest MRI showed that my cerebellum was enlarged and that was causing the symptoms so they put me onto an anti-seizure medication. This has helped some but I am still experiencing the pain throughout my body, extreme weakness and fatigue, lesser seizures than before and irregular loss of muscle coordination. Because of the ongoing medical problems and repeated hospitalizations I was forced to go on FMLA but now my employer has decided that upon my return they were replacing me because they just didn’t know what my continuing health issues would be. I am currently on a drug regiment that seems to be controlling most of the symptoms while we continue to try to figure out the root cause and how we can manage the symptoms daily. However, now that my employer has let me go I no longer have the medical or prescription insurance coverage that allows my doctor visits, testing and the very prescriptions that are necessary to keep the seizures at bay. I am trying to find a new job but have a tremendous fear of what will happen until I have insurance coverage again if I go off of the anti-seizure medications that I cannot afford without my prescription drug coverage.
Lori W., Vancouver, Washinton
