Desperate for help or advice - General Health Message Board

suntayle · 12-16-2005, 08:20 PM

I don't know where to post this, but I'm really desperate. I'm 26 years old and I live in California. Five years ago I was raped and ended up leaving the state to get away from my attacker who kept harrassing me because the police would not put him in jail. Five years go by and all of a sudden two other girls show up saying that he raped them as well. The detective tracked me down and asked me to testify against him in court and informed me that the case rests mainly on my shoulders.

Since then I have been internalizing all of my stress while dealing with the guys family members and friends calling, following and harrassing me. I've started to see a psychologist again, but the damage has been done. I have now been diagnosed with ulcers. The pain from these bleeding ulcers is so severe that I'm unable to work. I had a very great job and eventually spent more time in the bathroom throwing up than working and they almost fired me.

Instead I ended up on disability and trying to see the doctor through a program the state offers called the Victims And Witnesses of Crime Program, yet they can't provide me the treatment I need to get better. Every doctor and hospital refuses to accept this program.

I can't afford health insurance, but my dad has been kind enough to offer to pay for it until I am able to work. The problem is, no healthcare provider will cover me because I have a preexisiting condition. So now I can't work because I am too ill, so even if I wanted to get a job and stay with it for three month until healthcare benefits kicked in, I would be too sick and unable to perform my duties and I'd end up getting fired right away regardless. But I also can't find anyone to even let me buy my own health insurance.

State disability has already ran out for me and I was only getting 100$ every two weeks, not enough to even live on. My doctors are very adament about me not returning to work until my ulcers are taken care of and because I severe anxiety and depression following the return of these rape charges. They've told me to sign up for social security disability, but they've informed me that it will take at least 5 to 7 months to even find out if I've been approved or denied. They also said that if I try to get a job in the meantime, it will null and void my application because it will prove that I am still fit for work.

I don't know what to do, I am at wit's end and this has become a vicious cycle. I'm too sick to work, but I can't get health insurance to fix my health problems so I can go back to work. If I try to get a job, I will get fired before my benefits kick in because I am too sick to work.

I've even tried something called the California Risk Pool, which is supposed be health insurance that covers high risk patients with preexisting conditions. The problem with that is that I need denial letters from different health insurance providers, which will take weeks, then I have to sign up for this Risk Pool which will take another several weeks, AND to top it all off, because I am such a 'high risk patient' the cost of the insurance is far too steep for me or my father to afford.

What am I supposed to do? I don't mean any offense by this, but there are people who come straight across the border from Mexico and other countries and they are granted health care immediately. I was born here, my father was born here, we have lived here all our lives, my father was in the Navy for 23 years for Christ's sake... and I am not eligible for any help whatsoever? It makes absolutely no sense to me.

If anyone knows ANY WAY that I can get any kind of help or treatment, I would be so in debt to you.

Please, I am desperate.

twizliz · 12-16-2005, 08:50 PM

First of all *hugs* I'm so sorry to hear all that you've been through. Is there any way that you can get medicaide or medicare? I'm not sure about how hard it is to get in CA. I live in Vermont and regardless of preexisting conditions they will cover you. I am on VHAP (google it) and I went into it having several preexisting conditions, including a few hospitalizations for anxiety, allergy shots, and several other things. Hey, maybe you could move to VT! We're one of the few in the country that make health insurance easy for most to get... I think you can even make up to $17,500 a year and still qualify. Just a thought lol. Good luck and God bless

croppingmom · 12-17-2005, 07:10 PM

How about supplemental health insurance, different companies have different policies. The duck company has hospital, sickness, acident... Just a thought, good luck

o_janus_o · 12-19-2005, 12:02 AM

I'm terribly sorry about your issues. My heart goes out to you.

I don't have any medical coverage either and have horrible health problems myself. I'm learning ways around that. There are free clinics out there. Sliding fee scale and all. If you don't have any income they wont charge you anything. It's often hard to get great treatment, but you can at the very least usually get someone to write you prescriptions that you need. My best advice to you is to be proactive in your medical care. Do all the research you can and try to diagnose yourself before you go in. It will limit useless blood tests if you can tell them that you just simply don't have the symptoms for 'mystery illness A', but are much more likely to have 'myster illness B'. Then you can tell that that you want to try x, y, or z medication that you read about. It will save excess visits that may cost you more money.

Search engines are the best tools you can have. Medicaid is a great option. Medical and Medicaid are two different things too. Look into them both. I know Medicaid has a program for imediate aproval sometimes.

As far as general survival goes, don't forget about the food banks and such. I don't know if you have a guarenteed place to live or not, but I assume you must if your father is willing to pay for insurance for you. You can volunteer a little bit at the food bank at your leisure, on a day that you might feel the best and get first pick of the food that comes in.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I wish you the best of luck. No one should have to go through what you are. Take care of yourself.

_mystictiger_ · 12-19-2005, 02:35 PM

Hi there.

Im very sorry what your going through hun. I completely sympathise with you. Im going through a similar problem myself but the only difference is Im from UK and the person who raped me was a family member. Unfortunately hes a person who hangs around with some very shady people who are of bad character, into drugs, incest and everything. His partner is in the same crowd and she attacked me recently. But the police did nothing about it.

Anyway Im not sure if this is any help to you, but in the UK we have something called Criminal or Victim Compensation. Its where the perpetrator has to pay compensation for expenses and damage done to you. Whether it be physical or emotion damage. You need doctors proof for this though and you do need to get in touch with a solicitor/lawyer or with the officer in charge of your case. Im not sure if they do this in USA but I hope they do.

Good luck.