CHRONIC TONIC posts on Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST. It is a place to share stories, advice, and information and to connect with others with chronic health conditions and those who care for them. Our diarists will report on research, alternative treatments, clinical trials, and health insurance issues through personal stories. You are invited to share in comments (and note if you'd like to be a future diarist).
Sorry I'm late posting tonight. I volunteered this afternoon to post chronic tonight when I saw a call out for help for a writer for this evening. I had been thinking about a diary about health care nightmares from people I've met through my work with the local OccupySpringfieldMO group this week. I also had started a personal diary about my friend with a multitude of chronic health problems who says life is no longer worth living due to the pain and fatigue he experiences daily. I decided to make it an ongoing story of both, since I know Chronic Tonic needs diarists for the future. The last Chronic Tonic Schedule shows that we have a wide open calendar. Please pick a date on the schedule below and volunteer to share with us.
Please Note In Comments if You'd Like to Write! The calendar needs some names.
I spent a good part of the day driving to and sitting in the doctors office. When you have chronic health conditions and you can't get any help, it gets very frustrating. My friend has severe arthritis, severe COPD, and severe anemia. He's had multiple heart attacks and a stroke. He sleeps 16+ hours per day and tells me he's in misery when he's awake. I buy him Boost, vitamins and I think he finally found a good doctor about a month ago. He's been getting the shuffle for years. You know, the shuffle...they send you here and there and everywhere. The poke you, prod you, and bombard your body with x-rays, scans, tests and more tests. They give you prescriptions and you hope you'll feel better, if you can afford to buy them. What hope can the chronically ill have when they never get answers? I saw many at our local marches who were disabled, veterans, older people, younger people...you can't always tell, you know.
I'm going to go ahead and post now and continue my story next time. Let's discuss some of the issues maybe we should be bringing to the table on local levels.