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April 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
11:43:00 AM PDT
I decided I needed to come back here for this entry. I miss you guys and I really need the support from my J-land friends. As you know I decided to have gastric bypass surgery. With having PCOS this is the best way to get everything under control and I can get my body back to being healthy again. I have had a hell of a time with our TRI-care insurance. I go to a civilian doctor and the surgeon I picked is also a civilian In network provider. Well my primary care sent to referral to tricare and they approved it BUT they modified it to Balboa Naval Hospital instead. I am sure they are a great hospital for some but I have had nothing but hellish experiences with Balboa and every other Military clinic I have been to since I married James. Now being that my Daddy is in the Navy and always worked at the base hospitals/clinics growing up going to Navy Doctors was fine because they treated me like royalty because My DADDY worked there.
Being married to James and going to see them is a whole different ballgame though. I have had to put several complaints in about the level of care and about the way I have been treated at the MTF (military treatment facility). I can't tell you how much they have screwed things up at times. There have been times we have received expired medicine and gotten sick, there were 2 times I had strep throat so bad and they kept telling me it was just a virus and to go home, and then 2 weeks go by and I am in the hospital dehydrated beyond belief and the STREP infection spread through my body. And the time Savanah had a broken wrist and they lost her x-rays 3 times in a 9 hour period and then 3 different doctors at the mtf told me nothing was broken (after her civilian doctor and the civilian radioligist showed me the broken bone) until finally I raised such a ruckous that some head doctor had to look at her xray, found the broken bone and made them all apologize to me. I could go on and on all day. The worst was while in Japan Savanah was sick for about 2 months and we kept taking her to the ER because she could not breath, they gave us bottle after bottle of Robitussin and sent us home, it did not work, she still could not breath, so once again we had to rush her to the ER because she could not breath, and we had 3 doctors looking at her for hours and the head doctor turns and looks at us and says "well, I dont know what to do, I am scared she wont make it." WTF We lost it! Come to find out my daughter has Asthma. It just took them about a year to figure it out.
Needless to say I have tried fighting with tricare and they tell me I have to fight Balboa, balboa says I HAVE to get it done there because they have a surgeon. I am praying and praying that something will come through and The good Lord will allow me to go to my chosen civilian doctor for the surgery. This is a big surgery and I want to best.
Please keep me in your prayers. I have been really bummed out and depressed about this whole situation. I want to do what's best for my health but I DO NOT feel comfortable with the Navy Doctors doing my surgery. I really want Dr. Owens to preform the surgery. At his hospital there is an entire floor for bariatric patients and the staff is trained specifically in bariatrics. Their after care program provides lifetime support, they have larger sized equipment and private rooms and my mother can stay with me as long as I want. Since James will be gone my mother is going to have to come stay with me and I will not be able to get her on and off base while I am in the hospital, so how will she be able to be with me?
It's just a bit overwhelming to say the least.
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11:43:00 AM PDT
Tough Times
Being married to James and going to see them is a whole different ballgame though. I have had to put several complaints in about the level of care and about the way I have been treated at the MTF (military treatment facility). I can't tell you how much they have screwed things up at times. There have been times we have received expired medicine and gotten sick, there were 2 times I had strep throat so bad and they kept telling me it was just a virus and to go home, and then 2 weeks go by and I am in the hospital dehydrated beyond belief and the STREP infection spread through my body. And the time Savanah had a broken wrist and they lost her x-rays 3 times in a 9 hour period and then 3 different doctors at the mtf told me nothing was broken (after her civilian doctor and the civilian radioligist showed me the broken bone) until finally I raised such a ruckous that some head doctor had to look at her xray, found the broken bone and made them all apologize to me. I could go on and on all day. The worst was while in Japan Savanah was sick for about 2 months and we kept taking her to the ER because she could not breath, they gave us bottle after bottle of Robitussin and sent us home, it did not work, she still could not breath, so once again we had to rush her to the ER because she could not breath, and we had 3 doctors looking at her for hours and the head doctor turns and looks at us and says "well, I dont know what to do, I am scared she wont make it." WTF We lost it! Come to find out my daughter has Asthma. It just took them about a year to figure it out.
Needless to say I have tried fighting with tricare and they tell me I have to fight Balboa, balboa says I HAVE to get it done there because they have a surgeon. I am praying and praying that something will come through and The good Lord will allow me to go to my chosen civilian doctor for the surgery. This is a big surgery and I want to best.
Please keep me in your prayers. I have been really bummed out and depressed about this whole situation. I want to do what's best for my health but I DO NOT feel comfortable with the Navy Doctors doing my surgery. I really want Dr. Owens to preform the surgery. At his hospital there is an entire floor for bariatric patients and the staff is trained specifically in bariatrics. Their after care program provides lifetime support, they have larger sized equipment and private rooms and my mother can stay with me as long as I want. Since James will be gone my mother is going to have to come stay with me and I will not be able to get her on and off base while I am in the hospital, so how will she be able to be with me?
It's just a bit overwhelming to say the least.
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This entry has 11 comments: (Add your own)
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I've had my own struggles with Tricare, and I sympathize with you. I wish I had some advice to give, all I have to offer up are prayers that everything will work out for you. I wish you all the best.
Just had this thought...
Have you made a list of all your problems that you've had with treatment at MTF's? Perhaps if you write Tricare and tell them that you fear for your life and do not feel comfortable with the military surgeon they might reconsider. I hope so...
nicole
http://mymusingsonthisandthat.blogspot.com/ -
Hi...I found your journal through Becky..Just wanted to stop by and check it out. I too have PCOS and it really sucks!!!
I am adding you to my alerts!
hugs,
kathi -
So what is happening with your surgery plans?
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Find out if Balboa has a support group for gastric bypass surgery, many Army posts do, so if they do go to a meeting or two and talk to those who've had the surgery there and find out what their experience was like.
As far as your mom goes, you can get her a pass so you don't have to be with her every time. I'm just guessing that your Base has a sign in place, find out where you go to get a pass for your mom since she'll be staying with you for an extended amount of time and helping you because of surgery. When my parents came to visit they were able to get temporary passes...it was a picture id that had an expiration date, but when we went through the gates, they'd just scan their cards just like they do our id's and that was it. My parents were always with us, but they could have went off post alone had they wanted, and it also made it so we didn't have to sign them in everytime.
5/31/08 4:52 AM