Clearing Up Some Misconceptions About Health Insurance


Hi, 

I was having a conversation with one of my followers about how people just don't seem to understand what it means to be chronically/terminally ill. People in my experiences are the most clueless when it comes to the healthcare topic and being able to keep a job while being chronically/terminally ill. 
I get a lot of: "Well just get a job." Or "Oh I'm sure you'll find health insurance." Which is completely false and an ignorant comment on their part. Here is what I posted and I wanted to share it with you all because I think those who are perfectly health don't really understand just how hard it is to get health insurance when you are chronically/terminally ill or have a pre-existing condition.  

" It amazes me too how very little people know about how being chronically and/or terminally ill can effect all aspects of your life. A lot of people see me smiling and laughing at school, and they figure I can do anything. But they don't see the side of me that takes 45 pills a day, sleep with oxygen at night and get out of breath when just walking up a flight of stairs. They don't get that some days are better than others when it comes to my illness and they don't realize just how expensive keeping me alive is.

They are used to going to the doctor once a year while I go every 3 months. They think getting sick means getting a cold and having a prescription for some allergy medication. They don't think about needing to get approval from a health insurance company or having to deal with being denied the medication because it is too expensive. They don't have to deal with trying to find health insurance when no one wants to insure you because you're too expensive. It's frustrating and sometimes, its disheartening. But I am committed to spreading awareness that way more people will realize, this isn't just some flu like thing that once I get better its gone. This is going to live with me my whole life.

 As of right now, I am on my state's medical insurance but once I turn 21, I will have to put on my dad's. My dad owns a small engineering firm and I worry that because of my health insurance costs, his insurance premiums will sky rocket and he will end up going bankrupt... all because of me. I hope that once I graduate from college with my Psychology degree I will be able to get a job working as a child psychologist with a hospital; that way I can get good health insurance.

But what happens when I get sick for weeks on end and can't make it to work? I can't afford to get fired from a job. I can't afford to miss work but I have no control over it. Because of my heart and lungs, when I get a simple cold it turns into something horrific that makes me miss weeks. My senior year I missed 70+ days of school. If I do that at my job, there is no way I'd be able to keep it which means, bye-bye insurance and I can't afford to not have that... I'd die."

It is easy to sit there and tell someone to get a job so they can get health insurance. But its different when you yourself have a chronic, pre-exisiting condition and/or terminal illness that no one wants to insure you for that reason. So please, before you tell someone to just "get a job to get health insurance" remember that we would if we could.

Hope and Love,
Becca

Spreading Awareness, All the Way to Germany!

Hey guys,
I am honored and so excited to tell you guys that a blog for people with Congenital Heart Defects has in Germany asked to use one of my past articles for their own blog. After corresponding for a few days back and forth, the article was published on its site just a few days ago. I posted a link to their website on my 'Favorite Links' section of my blog, so feel free to check it out! 

This is also exciting for me because I got to meet yet another person who has a congenital heart defect and the same lung disease I have, Pulmonary Hypertension. If that wasn't cool enough, she also has a pacemaker like me! I have met a lot of people who have pacemakers, sure. But none of them have had PH like I do! I thought I was the only PH patient who had one! 

It is amazing how the world can be so big but the internet can make it so small and you can meet and connect with people from all different countries that you otherwise wouldn't have even known existed! The written word can bring hope to the world and change. And know, its also brought me a new friend; all the way from Germany! Just another reason why I love to write and will continue to do so. 

Hope and Love,
Becca 

P.S. If you want to read my article on their website you can go here: Corience.

Wordless Wednesday!

Hey guys,
Since it is Wordless Wednesday today, I will make this as short as possible! My teacher for my CPD250 (how to be a peer mentor) class showed us this video during our orientation about what being a leader is. I waned to share it with you all and I hope you enjoy it and realize that so many of these qualities not only help you become a good leader but a good person too.

 Hope and Love,
Becca

30 Things to Know about my Invisible Illness

My mom sent me a link to a website where they asked people to fill out this questionnaire about their invisible/chronic illness for invisible disability awareness month. Here is mine. 

1. The illness I live with is: Tetralogy of Fallot, Pulmonary Atresia and Pulmonary Hypertension

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 1992

3. But I had symptoms since: 1992

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: My low salt diet, no caffeine and no roller coasters

5. Most people assume: Just because I look healthy, that means I am.

6. The hardest part about mornings are: Having enough energy to actually get out of bed.

7. My favorite medical TV show is: ER, before it went off the air.

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: My pacemaker/defibrillator and oxygen tank

9. The hardest part about nights are: I lay awake, worried about my future

10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins. 45

11. Regarding alternative treatments I: In my case, they don't work and are impractical.

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Invisible. While having a visible illness may make people be more understanding since they can see it, I would rather them assume I'm like any one else and treat me as a normal person.

13. Regarding working and career: I worry about if anyone will hire me because of how much insurance will cost. I wanted to be a nurse for as long as I was little, but I know now that it is too physically demanding for me.

14. People would be surprised to know: I need a heart and lung transplant and I am not allowed to have biological kids.

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: It's not a new reality for me since I've been living with this my whole life. But I've never gotten over the fear of dying. 

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: Graduate high school

17. The commercials about my illness: This question makes no sense 

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: I have never been able to breath like a normal person. I'd love to know how that feels.

19. It was really hard to have to give up: Roller coasters and salt. 

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: Sign Language 

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: Go on a roller coaster, eat KFC, have Mountain Dew and go skydiving. 

22. My illness has taught me: Never give up and miracles do happen. 

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "You look healthy." 

24. But I love it when people: Take the time to really understand what I'm going through. 

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is facing some type of battle." 

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: Just hang on, it does get better and it doesn't mean your life is over. 

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: I am not alone. I used to think I was, but I know now that I'm not. 
 
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: Just listen to me complain and be there for me, supporting me. 

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I know first hand what it feels like for people to think you're faking it or think you are healthy just because of how you look. I want people to become more aware that you really can't judge a book by its cover. 

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: Like there is hope that people will start to be more understanding and aware.

Music Monday

Hey everyone,
I haven't posted an inspiring song in a while, so I thought I would do so again today. The song is called 'Trip the Light' and it is by Alicia Lemke. My mom told me about this song a couple of weeks ago and after listening to the words, I fell in love with it. It's about spreading the light (positivity) and ending the night (negativity). The song talks about seeing the world with new eyes which I really like because that to me means looking at things from someone else' perspective and about changing the way you view the world and the people in it. I am also posting a video from Youtube where I man goes around the world and dances with all sorts of people to the song. Below is the lyrics and the video, I hope you enjoy the song as much as I do. 

 "Trip the Light"
If all the days that come to pass
Are behind these walls
I’ll be left at the end of things
In a world kept small
Travel far from what i know
I’ll be swept away
I need to know
I can be lost and not afraid
We’re gonna trip the light
We’re gonna break the night
And we’ll see with new eyes
When we trip the light
Remember we’re lost together
Remember we’re the same
We hold the burning rhytm in our hearts
We hold the flame
We’re gonna trip the light
We’re gonna break the night
And we’ll see with new eyes
When we trip the light
We’re gonna trip the light
We’re gonna break the night
And we’ll see with new eyes
When we trip the light
Source: LYBIO.net
I’ll find my way home
On the Western wind
To a place that was once my world
Back from where I’ve been
And in the morning light I’ll remember
As the sun will rise
We are all the glowing embers
Of a distant fire
We’re gonna trip the light
We’re gonna break the night
And we’ll see with new eyes
When we trip the light
Come on and trip the light
We’re gonna break the night
And we’ll see with new eyes
We’re gonna trip the light
We’re gonna trip the light
We’re gonna break the night
And we’ll see with new eyes
When we trip the light
Music: Garry Schyman ©
Lyrics: Alicia Lemke and Matt Harding ©

Hope and Love,
Becca 
 
My Life As A Chronically
Ill Young Adult
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