I think we have a health and wellness thread but cant find it so I will post here.
Kinda fits anyway, because I have shitty insurance that could end up costing me a bunch depending on what I do.
Woke up with pain in my middle-upper back region this morning. It seems to be on both sides of my spine. Were I to guess, I would say this is a kidney issue, however, I have no fever, no abdominal or testicular pain, no nausea, no painful or bloody urination, and no cloudy or smelly urination. Its mostly just radiating pain. Taking Advil has dulled the pain considerably but it is starting to come back about 5 hours later.
As mentioned above I am reluctant to go to the doctor, so when would you ultimately decide its time to take a trip? Iâve been staying hydrated today both with water and cranberry juice. Any other suggestions for self care, or would you bite the bullet and go to the doc if this persists into tomorrow?
It feels better when Im bent over but other than that Im moving around fine. Stairs, driving, etc. Its mostly just the dull continuous aching. I think the biggest thing I worry about is a kidney infection, but Id be surprised if that wasnt a bit more debilitating/presenting more symptoms.
No idea that middle/upper back pain equates to a kidney infection. Seems like the kind of result you get from WebMD symptom checker.
I mean if OTC pain meds dull the pain and you have full range of motion, then it might not be enough as of now. But if it gets worse, itâs doctor time.
Some good news for me. I got prescribed a machine with a mask to wear while sleeping.
your overall Respiratory Disturbance Index was 76.0 events per hour and AHI was 76.0 events per hour (*AHI 4% or greater: 73.1). The lowest oxygen level noted was 68%. The polysomnographic findings are consistent with severe obstructive sleep apnea.
OMG. Iâve been using the machine about 3 weeks and itâs incredible, life changing. After 2 hours on the machine I feel better than 10 hours of sleep before. Iâve been living completely exhausted from the moment I wake up for many years and I didnât even notice.
Iâm noticing now. Unlimited energy. It feels great to be awake.
I worked in a sleep laboratory for a while when I was younger. I have seen so many people having that same experience. I saw grown men break down in tears after they had their first good nightâs sleep in years. One told us he was this close to killing himself because he couldnât take it anymore.
In USA#1, Iâve had sleep studies denied by various insurers a handful of times now (and zero approved). Probably see people crying for different reasons if youâd have worked at such a lab here.
I sleep like shit. I should probably do a sleep study. I think mineâs mostly anxiety though. I wake up in the night with my brain going 1000 mph and canât get back to sleep.
I did a sleep study the one year I paid for insurance on the marketplace. Cost was absurd. Only got 80 minutes of sleep the entire night, but no apnea. I feel like shit every day and would kill for a life altering cpap
I used to wake up at like 3am and couldnât fall asleep for 2 hours, especially if I had gotten exercise that day. That sucked. Iâd go into work tired and cranky.
A psychiatrist put me on Doxepin and itâs been a life changer. Amazingly over 15 years I still have basically the same tolerance, and I can sleep w/o it if I have to. Every other sleeping pill either made me feel groggy in the morning or trippy (Ambien). Melatonin helped me go to sleep, but didnât keep me asleep.
Funny sleep apnea story thatâs appropriate for Healthcare USA#1 threadâŚMay have told it before.
So I snore. A lot. And loudly, apparently. So at the urging of the person who bears the brunt of that snoring, I finally go to an ENT. And I guess standard-issue first step is to order a sleep study. But first they give you the standard sleep apnea questionnaire. And well, frankly, I donât register any/many of these symptoms. Outside of the occasional afternoon power nap, I feel good.
So I fill it out. ENT comes into the room, looks it over. And then says to me something along the lines of âSoooo, for the insurance company to cover the sleep test, you actually have to have a score above x, and it looks like youâre below x. Iâll give you a few more minutes to look it over - think carefully about all of these symptoms and if youâre experiencing any of them.â
USA#1!
And the end of the day, I got the sleep test and fell on the very mild end of it. Really didnât want to deal with a CPAP for that (I exhibit pretty much no typical symptoms of sleep apnea), so I ended up just getting a dental appliance from my dentist, which has helped a lot with the snoring.
If they donât want to cover the cpap based on test results thatâs one thing, but not covering the sleep test to begin with based on self reported symptoms is bullshit. If a doctor thinks a test is going to be helpful then that should be the deciding factor.
Iâm torn because a lot of doctors have abused the shit out of that kind of privilege, but insurance companies are also so bad about it⌠a lot worse honestly
Yea I get that. Some doctors are shitty and take advantage. But all insurance companies are shitty and take advantage. Itâs a numbers game. I donât want some bean counter at the insurance company making medical decisions for me, and unfortunately Iâve experienced that more times than I can count.
I have severe sleep and fatigue issues. Every sleep specialist Iâve seen (four total) thought I should have a sleep study performed and it was rejected each time. Granted, most of that was before ACA and during periods where I either had no insurance or garbage graduate student coverage. Back then the insurance was just like âlol go fuck yourself.â After ACA, they at least put up a paperwork fight to deny it. #CHANGE