All I could think when this happened was that I could maybe bear getting an ostomy if there were really no options left, but if I had to get one because my insurance company was dragging its feet, then I’d spend the rest of my life hunting down the people responsible and destroying their lives. I had three days. Three days for bureaucrats to do their thing. It was a stressful period.
To have a chronic disease is to spend a lot of time in a state of righteous indignation. It’s just part of it. For readers outside of the states, you should know that the healthcare business in the US could really use some improvements. Before Obama, if you had a pre-existing condition, it was almost impossible to get coverage. And, if you could, it came with high premiums and some really crappy caveats. For example, they would cover you for everything but your pre-existing condition and if you could make it for a year without any pre-existing condition-related incidents, then you’d get full coverage. If you had an incident though, you were dropped completely. It was really a kind of cruel.
Before Obama, the only way someone like me could get insurance was to work for a large company that offered blanket coverage. I had to give up my dream of teaching because it was too risky. If you’ve read any of my comics about work, then you know how well that’s gone for me. Obama made things better, but it doesn’t seem like the doo doo heads running the country right now are really interested in taking care of people. So, insurance is still a frustrating topic.
Oh, and without it, Stelara was something like $30,000 per treatment. So again, my hopes were pinned on bureaucrats doing the right thing within three days.