I asked a basic question of my doctor of 15 years which he could not answer for me. Oh, the question?

How much would an addition blood test, a urine test, and an X-ray of my chest cost?

The first two are necessary to determine where the infection is and the X-ray is probably to detect what may be in my chest. All are necessary to determine a specific internal infection that was generally detected by the Sedimentation Rate which measures how quick red blood cells settle in a test tube. The speed at which they settle is indicative of internal inflamation or an infection. He did not know the cost; however, he said he would get me a ball park (my suggestion) number of how much.

About 3 weeks ago, I started to feel strange (not mentally but physically!). My shoulders, hips, and muscles ached with no fever. I had just started to run 10Ks and figured ok I'll step back a bit and ease into it some more. I had hurt my lungs earlier in the year from pushing so I figured I needed an easier routine which I did implement. The pain in my hips, shoulders, chest muscles did not subside and to this I added headaches and chills and fatigue 2-3 weeks ago. It all sounds like the flu, even though I had the shot. So I rested and drank the fruit juices. The last two weeks I have been either in bed or on the couch with flu-like symptoms.

Except, I could not sleep from the ache in my joints and muscles and it felt like someone was sitting on my chest. I slept when I was exhausted and turned from side to side to relieve the pain. My Elkhound crawled up on top of me one night I was shivering so bad. Finally, a higher authoritative voice demanded I go to the doctor even though my insurance covers getting run over by a bull dozer but fails to cover simple office visits whcih go for $180/visit. I passed the other blood tests (liver a little elevated - but he was not concerned), the lungs are clear, my heart strong, and I passed an ekg. Paid my $250 for the office visit and I am waiting to get run over by the blood test bill. I do not think I am being unreasonable to want to know cost and I am not negotiating. How does one weigh the options without information? :)

To this I would add; those of you who have private insurance, do not have insurance. With the blink of an eye it can disappear or be taken away. Those who are covered by the VA or Medicare have insurance. I do need to sit down and pen my letter to the VA. This Marine is tired.

You should Google "elevated ESR." It often goes with polymyalgia rheumatica and/or temporal arteritis. Alternative-medicine offers some decent DIY therapies. Ray Sahelian has top advice.

But infection and parasite possibilities abound. A decent doc should get to it via blood tests.

I hesitate to alarm you; let's just leave it at blood tests.

If you have VA coverage, go there.

Sov:

This is the true nature of a free market healthcare system. I am too young for medicare, too wealthy probably for the VA, and I can't afford a good plan at $600-$800/month that will give me a low deductible for office visits or discounted doctor visits.

They can't give you a price so you can decide and you are expected to just have it done and pay the bill collectors afterwards whatever the undeclared cost is. Its 11:45 PM and 10 hours after I asked him how bad the costs would be. As a patient with a choice as we are told by many here, I am practicing my right in a free market healthcare system to make a choice by asking about cost.

It appears the healthcare market is not prepared to answer those questions of costs when asked by patients who must pay cash; but, they are not bashful to ask for the cash after the procedure is done, with no discount, and they will hound you. The US healthcare system is flawed and most people here don't know it.

I agree with your diagnosis as it fits my symptoms and our age bracket. I just spent the last 2 hours buried under 5 blankets trying to stay warm while dressed. No fever though and a headache and aches.

One very unfair thing about the system is that you pay much more for itemized health care as an individual than as a member of a PPO or HMO, since the insurance companies negotiate their own lower rates as part of their strategy of keeping the customer under their thumb at all times. The power equation is insurance companies come first, employers second, and the customer last.

matches low thyroid. I'd est a 60% prob.

Causes can be dietary or disease -- even pituitary or lymph.

Make sure to take multi with iodine and avoid soy and cruciferous vegs.

where ESR is indeed a huge problem . . . for trout, salmon, etc., whose eggs get smothered and die in the spawning-gravel substrate as a result (among numerous other negative impacts of ESR).

Good luck navigating our "system", figuring out what's wrong, getting it treated, and getting better. (A thought, FWIW: if sov9 were knowledgeable enough for his diagnoses/advice to be worth anything, he'd also know enough not to be dispensing them remotely over the InterTubes.)

tar:

He is an even older fart than I and we argue on The Bottom Line. This is an agre related infection and appears after 50 typically.

Sov:

Your first thought of polymyalgia rheumatica is what I believe it is. Everything tested out normal for me in the initial blood test. I have an elevated Sedimentation Rate.

I am going outside of the system for the two other tests and the X-Ray for a net savings of ~40%. $72. for a chest X-Ray andtwice that at U of M. Why?

Jesus fucking god. Shut up.

Did somebody say something wrong in this thread?

I conjecture that nowadays when a person feels ill, the regular med system often involves many visits and/or tests before docs get it right. Followed by numerous treatments. Examples are with alleged-Lyme, fibromyalgia, MS, intestinal things, depressions, toxins, drug-reactions, etc.

I've had relatives with simple problems that were missed by great authorities and MD-professors for as long as 7 years. One even died while profs were arguing.

1) yes, you. 2) medicine is hard, and often dumb. the answer is better medical science (yes, slow, but that's life), not junk advice from an idiot with a web crawler on an anonymous message board, or alternative medicine woo. 3) Hi run. I don't mean to imply you're unable to distinguish good advice from bad, and you seem to be doing your homework well. I'm sorry you're in this position.

to say what was said here that is wrong.

You said that "medicine ...... is often dumb."

You called it "junk advice" or "alternative medicine woo."

At least my fellow idiots have some non-caged-simian responses.

Are you an enema-nurse?

alexa:

I am somewhat suprised to see you on one of my threads.

My doctor is a sports doctor and he has treated all of my kids who have had minor sports injuries at one time or another. He has worked with me on muscular and skeletal issues also. He is big on non-medical cures (stretches, etc.) for issues of pain which is why I keep going back to him. This is a common theme for me and the cure typically works.

My "self" diagnosis and what I may have is secondary to the story I am trying to tell here. There has been a lot said about giving the common person the ability to discern for themselves what course of treatment to pursue given a pool of money such as the HSA. Since my insurance only covers the harsher injuries, I thought I might put into play some of the questions one might ask if pursuing a course of treatment. Getting tests done is certainly one of those times when one could ask the "How much?" question. I do not believe this is life threatening although I should know next week.

The doctor could not tell me how much the cost would be, no one in his office could tell me, and Billing said it would take a several days to find out. Billing openly admitted it was cheaper to get the Chest and Lower Abdomen Imaging, Urine Culture, and Blood Culture tests done offsite from U of M. Since I am in the position of having to conserve money and the doctor knows it, I ask the necessary questions and it is met gracefully. The larger picture does not bode well for people having to determine courses of action quickly minus the necessary information. So how does one decide?

The same as too big to fail banks, it appears the medical industry may have grown to big and unwieldly to handle requests for small bytes of information. We live every day life safe in the cocoon of ESI. I do believe my "how much?" request is an unusual one for medical practitioners, puts them on the spot, as most people would go to the company store lab to get the tests done. Without information be readily available, how does one control costs? I can see why doing nothing is desireable for healthcare and heathcare insurance industries over reform. No one knows what is going on today.

Thanks for your concern. I do not believe I am going anywhere yet. The fatigue certainly slows down my "wing chun do."

Fatigue means "stop".

Hi run. I get the point you're trying to make (*) and realize my concerns are secondary and not really responsive to you.





For completeness sake, Dawn: shut up.