Medical Help Worried Mom

Call the 24/7 nurse's hotline through your local hospital. They'll be able to run down a symptom list and determine whether or not you should come into the ER immediately for treatment or whether you can wait and what signs to look out for.

I'm sorry you don't have insurance and you are stressed out about your health. Go to the health dept. and apply for Medicaid and or Medicare.
You really don't want to have something really bad happen because you don't have insurance.

I hope all is well with you.
God bless.

hi -

have you looked into assistance for insurance? here is some info from http://www.hmohelp.ca.gov/dmhc_consumer/hp/hp_uninsured.aspx :

Help for the Uninsured
If you do not have health insurance, find out about low-cost or no-cost health insurance and other resources for you and your family. There are many resources in California. The ones listed here may help you.

If you think you may lose your health insurance, try to keep it or get new insurance in less than 60 days. Read about COBRA and HIPAA.

Know Your Costs

Resources for People with Low or No Incomes
AIM Program (Access for Infants and Mothers)
A state program with low-cost health insurance for low- and middle-income pregnant women and their newborns
1-800-433-2611 (many languages)
www.aim.ca.gov (Spanish)

CaliforniaKids
Healthcare foundation that provides premium subsidized health care services to children ages 2 - 18
1-###-###-####
www.californiakids.org

California Children's Services (CCS)
A state program that treats children with certain disabilities and health problems
www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/ccs/Pages/default.aspx

CalMedicare
Information on Medicare in California and financial aid for Medicare members
1-888-430-2423 (Spanish) (publications only)
www.cahealthadvocates.org (Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese)

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Government agency with information on Medi-Cal (California's name for Medicaid)
http://cms.hhs.gov

County Medical Services Program (CMSP)
County program with health care for people who qualify because of low incomes
Contact your local county health department
www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/Pages/CountyOffices.aspx

Families USA
Information packet developed by Families USA
Getting Covered: Finding Health Insurance When You Lose Your Job

Family Pact
Family planning and reproductive services
1-800-942-1054
www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/OFP/Pages/default.aspx

Healthy Families
State program with low-cost health and dental insurance for children in low-income families
1-800-880-5305 (many languages)
www.healthyfamilies.ca.gov (Spanish)

Medi-Cal
State and federal program with health care for people who qualify because of low or no incomes and/or costly disabilities. To apply for Medi-Cal contact your county social services office.
www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/default.aspx

Partnership for Prescription Assistance
Help for patients who do not have prescription drug coverage
1-888-477-2669
https://www.pparx.org/about.php (Spanish)

RX Help for CA
Help for patients who do not have prescription drug coverage
1-877-777-7815
http://www.rxhelpforca.org (Spanish)

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General Resources
Coverage for All
Help finding no-cost and low-cost health care for individuals, families and small businesses
1-800-234-1317
www.coverageforall.org

MRMIP (California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program)
Information on California's insurance program for people with serious health problems who have difficulty buying individual health insurance because of their medical history
1-800-289-6574 (many languages)
1-800-735-2929 (TTY)
www.mrmib.ca.gov

Know Your Costs
If you need medical care and you have to pay for it yourself, try to find out how much you will have to pay. Sometimes it is hard to find out costs. And there may be more than one charge, such as one charge from the doctor and another from the hospital or clinic.

Ask your doctor, hospital, or other provider what the service will cost.
Ask if there is a discount for people who pay with cash or credit card. Ask if you can make payments.
Every hospital must provide a list of its 25 most common procedures. These include inpatient services, like hip surgery, as well as outpatient services, like cataract surgery or colonoscopy. You can read these lists on the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development website.
The law says that a hospital must give you a written estimate of hospital charges if you do not have insurance. The hospital must also give you information on financial aid programs and charity care.

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Is there any warmth? swelling in your legs? discoloration? what you have maybe anything including from minor "something to do with your knees" to life threatening (e.g. a blood clot/ DVT). I would also recommend calling a hospital nursing line to see if they feel you should seek immediate medical attention.

Good luck and wish you all the best

Hi G.,

I am glad you are from California, and in Los Angeles county, since I am more familiar with LA county services. You may go to any LA county health center or clinic, or any county hospital like USC medical center, and Olive View Medical Center, and inquire if these facilities still offer the ATP, or the Ability To Pay plan.

With regard to the swelling in the inner sides of your knees, I know someone who had a similar problem and was told by her doctor that it is a lump of fat and muscle. But to ease your mind go to the above places I mentioned for you to get checked. If you worry that you might have deep vein throbosis then a Doppler study on both legs will be done.

If sitting a lot caused your leg to swell then we have the same problem as all the other people who sit a lot in the office. It has to do with blood circulation which is slowed down due to inactivity and the legs esp. feet will retain fluids.

You probably saw the ad on TV about Peripheral Artery Disease, or PAD.
When you go to any of the above facility I mentioned the doctor will be able to explain to you the PAD. I think one sign/symptom is weakness of the leg that is affected. But the MD's are the experts so please call 411 or open your phone book and check the listing for government services.

You are a Los Angeles county resident so you may also call the office of Supervisor Michael Antonovich. In this office they have a person for Health that maybe able to help you obtain free medical and services. Good luck and take care.

An asprin a day helps a lot and any doctor will say fine.
Walking a lot is also a good idea. Get a dog and he will
make you do it.
A young intern can be just as good as an old guy. Keep gong
to the clinic. You are lucky that it is near your home.
Good luck.

sorry to hear this..try googling this supplement..i'm almost 46..and they found a thick hard cyst and thickening of my uterus when i went to St Joseph's b/c i hadn't been feeling well..the doc wanted me to have surgery..anyway...i know of this supplement and it gets rid of cysts and swelling..could be helpful for you right now...b/c it also is a blood thinner but don't take it if you need surgery..but it got rid of my cyst..b/c i went to the doctor 3 weeks later for more scans..could not find the hard cyst or anything wrong...its only $13 if you go through ebates.com and then vitacost.com
i get Dr.'s Best 90 caps..take away from food not with..but i would google it and see if it could be helpful for you..it does clean out the arteries ..it goes after all non living organisms in the body...tumors..build up..swelling..i've taken it before years ago too..and never had a side affect or anything strange..

good luck

xo

D.

You can treat the underlying cause with homeopathy, it would actually be a better approach even if you had insurance. Many homeopaths who work on their own will make your payments to be very reasonable. Many will give you the remedy in the office w/o you having to spend $$ on pills.
Good Luck!
V.