I am so excited (but a little scared to be), I am finally getting some help!
Thank you to my Fairy Godmother and her AWESOME plea (see my blog entitled: Shannon's Story: Invitation to Make a Difference). She sent that letter to Senators, State Reps, Cherokee Nation, Lupus Foundation of America, Oklahoma State Department of Health and every place else we could think of. It Worked!!!!
I got a call last week from the Cherokee Nation Patient Liaison, who instructed me in what to do as far as getting moved up the list to see my doctor at the Indian Clinic in my town and how to get a written prescription to go back on Lyrica. I did everything she instructed me to do, including calling the pharmacy to find out that my prescription was going to cost $306!!!!!! a month. But, hey I am willing to do anything.
About an hour after that call, I got a call from the CEO of Hastings Hospital. He overrode everything I had just worked out with the patient liaison - he scheduled me an appointment with one of their doctors and I now have a primary care physician at Hastings! I had my first appointment last friday. Prior to my appointment, she ordered 11 vials of blood for all kinds of tests, 6 xrays and an ekg, she ordered an ultrasound of my thyroid (still waiting for appointment), she ordered an appointment with the dental clinic to have the growth removed from the roof of my mouth (scheduled for this Thursday), will try to get an mri done of my leg (for now took 4 xrays), more bloodwork panels for Lupus and kidneys. She also put me on the waiting list for their rhuematology clinic.
She put me back on Lyrica (which I do NOT have to have filled at an outside pharmacy), she gave me back my tramadol to help take the edge off of my pain. She wants to get me back on all my meds that I have been taking and then she wants to look at putting me on meds that are more for Lupus treatment. She mentioned Plaquinil.
I feel so thrilled that someone finally took me seriously and really seems to "want" to help me. I told her that I have resigned myself to living in pain, but that I shouldn't have to be bedridden or a zombie because of it - and she agreed! And she didn't blame everything on my weight - hooray!
I am very happy and very willing to take the baby steps needed, but I am really scared that someone will yank the rug from underneath of me. It has happened so many times that I come to expect it.
I pray that God has shone favor upon me. I also pray that no one else has to jump these hoops only to have the door slammed in their face.
And now for an uplift:
"I am the Lord who heals you." Exodus 15:26