Bryan Welsh
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thread 1/15
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Recently I have had to deal with two related issues that have shaken my whole world view. The first is I managed to contract Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from a nasty little blood sucker while on a walk
03:44 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 2/15
The second is dealing with the medical and insurance system we have here in the United States. To be honest, after the week my wife and I have had, I don’t know which is worse.
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03:48 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 3/15
It all began 8 days ago, when I felt a bit under the weather and went to bed a bit early, only to awaken in the morning running a 104 degree fever, severe headache, and shaking, intense body aches .Being a tough guy, I downed a couple Ibuprofens, drank a pint of water and went to bed,
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03:50 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 4/15
I figuring it would just work its way through. It didn’t. Tuesday night, after two nights of no sleep, I took a sleeping pill, hoping to rest a bit. I immediately tossed up everything. It would be the last time I would have anything in my stomach until the next Tuesday,
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03:53 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 5/15
On Saturday, the wife insisted I go to urgent care.
We arrived and started the check up. First ruling out Covid, Flu, and Pneumonia. Having run out of options, they suggested an EKG, they insisted I go to the ER, as my heart was apparently was attempting Free Form Jazz.
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03:57 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 6/15
So off to Mission Hospital here in Asheville. 12 hours of injecting, inspecting ,rejecting and all kinds of nasty things and at midnight they suggested I admit for observation, as I was still in bad shape and they still had no answer to what was causing the whole thing.
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03:58 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 7/15
This is when the second issue arose. See, I lost pretty much everything right before the Covid stuff. No savings, No insurance, no assets. All gone. I do have an ACA plan, but it doesn't do much at all, so a night in a 20000 a night hotel was was not an option.
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04:00 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 8/15
The doctors were sympathetic, pumped a bug killing cocktail through my IV, and reluctantly, discharged me with a big antibiotic prescription and sent me home if I promised to come right back if I got even the tiniest bit worse.
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04:01 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 9/15
I awoke on monday, my fever was back at 104.3 and I was a bit delirious. Wonderful wife once again said we were off to the hospital. I balked, but she calmly said she would go get our son-in-law, a former SF Medic to stuff me in the car if I even thought about non-compliance.
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04:03 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 10/15
.Another 8 hours of testing. more issues popped up, as my kidneys were shutting down. Took the threat of a catheter to actually convince my bladder to do it’s damn job. More tests, more blood work, and another threat of a night in a cold room looking at beeping machines.
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04:04 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 11/15
A Consultation with the DR. . A test for RMSF takes two weeks. In two weeks, I wouldn't need the results. I’d need an autopsy. switched the antibiotic to one that will fight RMSF, prescribed a massive dose of potassium in a pill as big as my thumb, told me to guzzle pedialyte .
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04:07 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 12/15
Two days later I am feeling much better.I’m sure we got this beat. Today the worry about money starts though. My insurance has a 9000 dollar deductible and is pretty basic on all other stuff. I had 6 Xrays, Ct scan, 4 EKGs, tons of blood work, and hours of health care workers time.
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04:09 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 13/15
As I said, I have very little. The wife has a comfortable retirement but in no means can our budget handle even the deductible. We will do what we have to do, I guess

What’s the point of all this? I dunno. Maybe just that the healthcare system needs a complete overhaul.
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04:09 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 14/15
Maybe that in the most prosperous country in the world, being bitten by a bug shouldnt leave you wracked by anxiety and having to choose between medicine and what little financial security you have managed to secure.
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04:10 PM - May 17, 2023
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Bryan Welsh
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thread 15/15
I guess if there is a point, it’s if you get bit by a tick, call your doctor, get an antibiotic and take it. My prescription for that was about 37 dollars with a discount card, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than what I fear is going to show up in my mailbox.

Peace out.
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04:12 PM - May 17, 2023
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Gabe McGrath
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In response to Bryan Welsh.
Hey Bryan,
Thanks for sharing a horrific - and sadly ongoing - story.

Whilst I'm a bit annoyed at times at the 'overly American' content mix on Spoutible (I'm an Australian) I have found this thread challenge quite educational re US culture.

I know this doesn't do much, but thanks for writing.
02:16 AM - Jun 07, 2023
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