It's The Economy Stoopid!

Chronic low back pain disability is the most expensive benign condition that is medically treated in industrial countries. It is also the number one cause of disability in persons under age 45. After 45, it is the third leading cause of disability. Disc disease costs the health care system more than $50 billion a year.

Did ya catch that? BENIGN. It means it is not going to kill me. Louisiana Medicaid has forced me to submit to torture for almost 4 years because my condition is not fatal. Should I equate Mr. Levine with Dick Cheney? They do seem to both favor torture.

To be fair... The Neurosurgeon ordered physical therapy. I am still working on finding one that takes Medicaid and that I can get to by bus. Oh, I forgot...  I can't take the bus anymore, and not once in 2 years has Medicaid been able to provide transportation to and from medical appointments for me. Everyone that I knew that had transportation, moved to other states after The Thing. Lack of transportation is a serious issue down here.

Hmmm... wonder what it costs us in GDP? Bet that's a lot more than $50 billion a year.

Fall Out of Bed - June 10, 2009

I remember the feeling that I was falling quite rapidly from a height. I was whirling my arms in that way we have when we're off balance and falling forward. I was dead asleep so I can't say whether hitting my head on the edge of the door woke me, or if I was knocked out when I hit. I remember the pain. I've been conditioned. The blood on the floor didn't phase me. I did upchuck a few times, but made sure I did not fall asleep. Been there, done that. Gave those details to Medicaid already though. Fill in the blank, check the box. Move to the right...

I should not have gone to the emergency room that day. I thought the pain wracking through my body was up there; It was NOTHING compared to the next week. But, test results that I have never been shown indicate no new damage I'm told. okay.

Let's see now... I had had to buy a new laptop while in exile following The Thing. I fell over with it and on to it so many times that my falling destroyed it. You will have to forgive me if I do not recall how many times I have fallen since the stroke. Nine times in the month of October 2008 I know.

I do remember kidney stone #27 passed later the same October day I fell on the outdoor steps and ripped off half the house on the way down. Hey, passing a kidney stone is a major event; ya take the benefits where ya can. No pain help there either. Do we sense a trend? Mr. Levine, can ya help us out here?? Are people that really need intelligent pain management being discriminated against here in New Orleans? Because of The Thing??

I apologize. I forgot that intelligent doesn't quite fit into the Medicaid lexicon.

Ten days later and I was in another Emergency room...