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When finances dictate your health :(

Draka

Wonder Woman
I went to that link and typed in melanoma...unfortunately, according to that site, I not ony show the signs of melanoma, but metastatic melanoma. Meaning that it has spread. Considering my newly frequent headaches that don't ever seem to go away...possibly to the brain. Which is the leading cause of melanoma related death. Great...something more for me to worry about.
 

TurkeyOnRye

Well-Known Member
Remember: What we think, we become.

It is ridiculously true, I know.

Quit looking on the internet for diseases and cancers, first of all. You have it in your mind that your body has "something" and it's trying to reconcile that mental cognition by actively searching for what you "have". This mind-state has probably been building on itself for a while, yes? Don't create a sense of self out of the state of your health.

I challenge you to do the following in the moments before you fall asleep at night. Do so for several nights.

Create a mantra. For example:

I am a happy, healthy person and I am not worried about the state of my health.

If you ever get up, drunk and groggy in the middle of the night, to pee, for example, start the mantra again during the trip. The mind is particularly suggestible then.

Let's pretend that you actually have a 100% physical ailment brought on by nothing but chance. The least you can do is make peace with the fact.

In any case, remember that all this...the world, your body, is just a game. Nothing can affect what is truly you.
 
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Draka

Wonder Woman
Had my appointment today. The mole on my shoulder blade was removed entirely and sent off for biopsy and the one on my breast they did a punch removal for biopsy. The results for both should be back maybe Monday or Tuesday next week. We'll find out then whether they got it all or if I have to go back for more cutting and tests.
 

FFH

Veteran Member
Both biopsies came back normal! :jiggy:
That's great news.

Seriously you should look at your diet and eat only whole foods. Some foods give me terrible headaches, such as peanut butter, simply because it has hydrogenated oils added to it, which are no good, so I half to buy the brand that has no added hydrogenated oils to it.

Check your food labels, eat only whole wheat and other whole grains, fruits and nuts, stay away from white flour, white sugar, hydrogenated oils, such as margarine/crisco, etc.

I eat only whole wheat spaghetti, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pancakes, whole milk and granola cereal (health food brand they sell at Walmart named Kashi), 100 percent grape juice, fruit, beans, nuts etc.

I do occasionally eat lots of chocolate though.

I don't have medical or dental insurance, but I don't have any medical or dental problems. I haven't been to a doctor or dentist since I left home 20 years ago.

Our bodies are designed to work properly if they are fed properly.
 
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Draka

Wonder Woman
I've always been a big peanut butter fan though. I don't think that could really be much of a factor, though it could be something to consider if they don't go away now. I'm honestly thinking that the headaches may have been brought on by stress. That is to say, I first noticed having them probably around the same time I really took note of the moles and started worrying about them. The longer I worried, the more frequent the headaches. So at this point I may just chalk them up to stressing out over the melanoma scare and see if they disappear on their own. If they don't, then changing things in my diet may be the next step. Thanks, I probably wouldn't have thought of diet myself and if it does turn out not to be stress then I know what to try next.
 

anders

Well-Known Member
This whole thread is quite exotic to any civilized country. In Universal Health Care countries, you don't have to worry about health insurance. You can't even escape it! Minimal or no waiting lists, free or almost free unlimited health care (procedures and/or meds) at the point of use (but there are taxes, of course).

Swedish UHC has for example found and cured my prostate cancer. Imagine: suspicious lab test, repeated, ultrasound examination and half a dozen of biopsies, still no firm conclusion, another set of biopsies which confirmed the diagnosis.

Already at this point, imagine the financial problems of a run-of-the-mill US citizen.

Well, I could now chose between surgery and radiation therapy. Surgery had practically no waiting list, but would almost certainly lead to impotence and urinary problems. Radiation might cause the same problems, but then you'll still have the op option.

Radiation uses expensive equipment and very well educated personnel, and summer interfered with their schedules. My case was not terribly aggressive, and well contained, so I chose a month of waiting.

Pre-medication hormones carried a label of a couple of thousands of dollars. So what! We never pay more than some $220 per year for prescribed meds. (And the maximum for tests, visits and procedures is, like, $110.)

The first set of radiation consisted of 18 darning needle size things being pushed through my bottom into the affected gland, and radioactive substance introduced to where the ultrasound had found the cancer. I'm generally very curious about medical procedures (I'm a professional medical translator), but I'm rather happy that I was too sedated to have a look at what happened.

I was released after a day in hospital, and later returned for some 13 sessions of radiotherapy in those monster machines costing millions of dollars.

Like I said, $110 max per year for any and all combined procedures.

Recent lab tests suggest that they cured me. There will be follow-ups for a year or two.

Any political party or group suggesting a change away from our UHC system would be dead even before headlines were printed.
 

Draka

Wonder Woman
anders, for anyone in the US without health insurance they'd be seeing several bills in their mailbox for several thousand dollars each for what you went through. The average person would not be able to pay all of those bills in any short amount of time so a large chunk of the bills would be turned over to collection agencies and reported to credit bureaus. Thus a medical ailment could actually ruin your ability to buy a house or car or even get a job as many employers will do a credit check on applicants before hiring. Now how messed up is all that?
 

Comet

Harvey Wallbanger
The funny thing is: I usually don't go to the doctor to save money.... after my knee surgery, etc this past year; my finances are in ruin due to my health! So it is a catch 22 for me. Even with insurance, it is expensive! Avoid the doctor to be able to pay bills, HAVE to go to the doctor, have more bills, and fall behind: and end up none the better off!

As for weird moles? Well, take my advise: CUT THEM OFF! It is cheaper and quicker.

Draka, when it comes to Melanoma... it doesn't spead mole to mole randomly. It will start where you've had too much sun (typically)... then will spread to the lymph node system. If you have a mole where you've had lots of sun, then I'd go see the doctor. If the moles that are weird grow in size or change since you've noticed them: go see the doctor. If not, I'd not worry so much. Yet, I'd still advise to go see the doctor for peace of mind.

Just know you'll have to pay for the appointment, the cutting out of them, and the lab work to find out what they are (should the doctor be suspicious of them). Save up or make arrangements to be able to pay for them. That seems to be the best way to deal with the doctor. Eitherway, I say cut out the middleman (doctor) and just cut them out, send them to the lab yourself. You'll save about $300 right there.

Best of luck, I hope it is nothing.
 

Draka

Wonder Woman
Comet, I take it you didn't read the last page or so. I went to the doctor, he thought both suspicious enough to completely take the one on my back off and punch biopsy the one on my breast. They both fit criteria to be checked. Both relatively new, both multicolored and both odd shaped/assymetrical. Considering all that and my extensive family history of cancer it was best to have both biopsied. Luckily they came back normal.
 
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Comet

Harvey Wallbanger
Comet, I take it you didn't read the last page or so. I went to the doctor, he thought both suspicious enough to completely take the one one my back off and punch biopsy the one on my breast. They both fit criteria to be checked. Both relatively new, both multicolored and both odd shaped/assymetrical. Considering all that and my extensive family history of cancer it was best to have both biopsied. Luckily they came back normal.

Yeah, I just read that.... glad to hear you went and the biopsy was negative! :clap

Sorry to hear that you had to go, I know how that is. I've racked up almost $40,000 in medical bills over the past two years.... I am hopeful this year will be better and allow me catch up on my credit, etc...

Tis the time to be in debt though! Join the club! Seems to be how most of us Americans are living these days. I'm just thankful that I haven't had to file bankrupcy, etc... You just have to keep your chin up, be thankful for your health and what you have, and keep going.... keep going.... keep going. We'll make it someday!
 
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