Kate Collins67 said:Look, if you’re working for some massive state-run corporation, that extra bit they talk about is basically just a phantom contribution—it’s money you’ll never actually see in your hand. I don't even know the exact technical jargon they use for it—is it an "additional contribution to your salary" or "deducted from your pay"? Whatever the official wording is, it doesn't matter. Believe me when I tell you: once they actually start pulling those deductions for your healthcare straight out of your paycheck, you’re going to notice. It’s going to hit your bottom line, and trust me, it won't be subtle. As for the private sector? Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue how they're operating these days. It’s all such a black box—I just don't know. I honestly don't get why you keep bringing up the pension fund carve-outs—it’s like a broken record at this point. Look, that's just the money you get if you actually manage to live long enough to see retirement. If you don't make it? Well, then there's someone else left to collect it. It has absolutely nothing to do with the healthcare system. Why are we even linking the two?
Oh, it's definitely noticeable, I just don't want to claim I know the exact math off the top of my head.
Kate Collins67 said:Well, I went ahead and ran the numbers for you—roughly, at least. Do the math: figure out your age and how much longer you expect to be around. Now, imagine if tomorrow you suddenly ended up needing dialysis—could you actually afford that if you had never contributed a single cent to the healthcare system? If you hadn't, you'd be stuck paying the full, brutal price for treatment right now. Believe me, you aren't that wealthy—and honestly, neither are you nor the vast majority of people in this country.
And listen, you're assuming you're the one paying into the basic health insurance, but I'm pretty sure your employer handles that part, not you—meaning it isn't being deducted directly from your take-home pay. Correct me if I'm wrong on that. What actually comes out of your own pocket is that supplemental insurance you mentioned, plus whatever medications you end up buying yourself.
You're pretty much off base here—my last two paychecks weren't quite what they should've been, but I'm paying more than $500 for Social Security, a bit less for my retirement fund, and it seems like my employer picks up the tab for the mandatory Medicare portion too, maybe around 17.2% for all contributions (I might be slightly off on that number). I also pay for supplemental health insurance which comes to $43 a month, so just multiply that by twelve, plus I've paid a mountain of extra stuff out of pocket that was supposed to be processed within like 2 or 3 weeks. And yeah, health insurance *is* deducted from my pay. My boss pays it, but he deducts it from me too. As for how much longer I plan on living... judging by the state of our healthcare system, probably not that long. 😉
Kate Collins67 said:Look, I personally have about ten different pre-op exams to run through every single day. Now, just imagine if I tried to admit all ten of those people to the hospital every day—it's impossible! Usually, I only have a maximum of eight beds available for all internal medicine cases, and sometimes I'm down to just three. You simply cannot meet everyone's demands.
If they think it's just a myoma, then there is absolutely no reason to be hospitalized just for pre-operative testing. If someone didn't catch an appendicitis, that has nothing to do with a myoma.
I get it, there’s a social component here, and there are real social issues at play, but a hospital isn't the place to go solving those kinds of problems. Don't come asking me where else they should go to solve them, because you might as well ask me where an unemployed person is supposed to find a job. I don't know.
Personally, I think they should have that right, especially if they're traveling from some tiny town far away from the big cities. Otherwise, my experiences with Dr. Ali have been okay, but yeah, they have their flaws too. Everything really just depends on how you carry yourself as a patient when you deal with them.
And another thing: all my business should have been wrapped up within two weeks, instead of how they usually drag things out through the DB—and we all know damn well why that happens.
Look, here’s how I handle it: first off, I make sure I’m setting aside enough for my retirement and health insurance. For the first part of my retirement savings, I put away 15%, and then there's the second part where I'm required to contribute, so that's another 5%. On top of all that, I have basic health coverage, but I also pay extra for supplemental insurance, which runs me about $43 every single month. Honestly, thank God I actually signed up for it—if I hadn't, I would've gone totally broke. I really needed it last year, and I definitely need it again this year. Plus, I’ve had to shell out for private tests too—some things were covered by a referral, some I paid for myself, some EEG tests, you name it. If you counted every single ailment I've dealt with and what it cost just to see my primary care doctor for prescriptions I absolutely cannot stop taking, I’d be penniless. So, on top of all those deductions, I’m still paying out of pocket for private visits and even some medications. To top it all off, I urgently need a gynecological exam. Let me tell you, if I call one of our local hospitals: the wait time is like a month and a half! What am I supposed to do? I need this done within a week. Should I head to the emergency gynecological clinic, go to a private doctor, or is there something else?
Raymond Price4 said:Of course people are flooding the ER, because you can't get an appointment for basically anything in a reasonable timeframe anymore.
A suspicious mole? General practitioner: grab a referral and wait a few months Let’s just assume for a second that the mole is malignant—what kind of damage are we looking at after waiting months for a checkup?
The Student Gynecology Clinic in downtown: unless you're actively bleeding or running a 104 fever, you need to book ahead. Expect a month-long wait.
Okay, sure, if a girl isn't bleeding and doesn't have a massive fever, maybe it's just some ovarian inflammation or something else that isn't critical *right now*, but could become a crisis or a chronic issue in a month. Or maybe it won't, but why should she have to walk around in pain for a month waiting for help?
Look, based on everything we've been talking about... my aunt was just visiting me from Norway recently, and honestly? Their healthcare isn't exactly some perfect paradise either. It’s the same old story—you’re stuck waiting forever for surgery or even basic tests. If you want things done fast, you end up paying out of pocket at private clinics, which really just widens the gap between the rich and the poor. Plus, if you go through the ER, they'll obsess over running every single test imaginable before doing anything. And yeah, not even all the doctors there are actually Norwegian. Sure, the paychecks look decent on paper, but there's a catch: they quote you the gross amount, then the government hits you with massive taxes, and you still have to set aside your own money for retirement, health insurance, and who knows what else.
You can get an abdominal ultrasound done at a private clinic, sure, but honestly? You better do some digging first. Make sure you find out which major hospitals actually work with them or take their referrals, especially if things turn south and it becomes an emergency.
Michael Reed45 said:Q-PIN - anyone have experience with this?
Oh, wow. "I think it’s just some Seroquel antipsychotic—yeah, I know way more about medicine and drugs than you because of certain circumstances—pretty soon I'll be prescribing my own psychiatrists myself."🙂 Why don't they just throw in some Adderall and whatever else while they're at it, huh?
redharbor23 said:Look, I get that she meant well, okay?🙂 But honestly, what she said just sounded totally off to me. You can't really compare those two things—it’s apples and oranges. Most people posting on here are either medical pros or they've been through some serious hell themselves, either personally or with someone close.
So, I totally get where this person is coming from, and I'm not saying those two situations are the same thing—I was just sharing my take. Fine, whatever. Everything's great. And yeah, I know exactly what the OP is going through right now.
briskgardener13 said:She wasn't really comparing anything, she was just sharing her take on things.
I truly get how much this means to someone fighting through hell, especially waking up from something as brutal as herpes encephalitis. Honestly, having support like this is everything. And I’m positive that whoever wrote those encouraging words—telling them it’ll all be okay—really meant it. I’ve been there myself, stuck in this endless loop of medical uncertainty. Doctors were looking at two super rare neurological conditions—one was Huntington's chorea (which hits about 1 in 100,000 people)—and I can't even remember what the other one was. It dragged on forever, but thank God, the tests came back negative. I honestly couldn't be luckier. Before that, they suspected MS twice, then epilepsy, and some doctor even claimed I’d survived viral encephalitis... though, let's be real, if I actually had that, I probably wouldn't be sitting here typing away on an online forum right now, given how many nasty neurotropic viruses are out there. In the end, I landed on an ADP disorder. But the whole process? Total chaos. One specialist sends you to one guy, the next guy sends you somewhere else entirely, and then the third one points you in a completely different direction. It's a mess.
Look, you're probably fine. They aren't going to find anything besides some weird platelet count—it’s just everything piling up on you at once and finally hitting a breaking point. I've been through the wringer myself, bouncing between my GP and specialists... ended up being a total mental burnout. You need a psychiatrist or a therapist, honestly. Even if it's just once a week, you gotta go. It's all just stress, man.
Roger Rodriguez said:From what I understand, when dealing with things like panic disorders, various phobias, or general anxiety, therapy should typically be phased out about six months to a year after the symptoms have cleared. For some people, once they start an antidepressant, those symptoms vanish so quickly that they can stop treatment quite early on. That said, if someone is still struggling and doesn't feel like themselves even a full year after starting treatment, shouldn't they just stay on it?
Well, my meds weren't right on the first try—still suspecting there might be some rare neurological issues involved. And honestly, it was my own fault for not being more aggressive about getting things sorted out sooner. I deal with some weird labels, mostly anxious depression. Plus a few other diagnoses, mainly F-22—supposedly psychosomatic issues triggered by stress, especially since nothing was treated in a timely manner.
Robert Collins2 said:The real question I'm asking is whether you're actually strong enough to overcome that infantile, childish, fake-helpless side of yourself—you know, the one you're constantly projecting and putting on display right here on this forum?
Look, you just have to face the real world. I had to do it myself—a little bit of support here, some medication there, just doing whatever it takes to move forward.
Hang in there, because I’ve been exactly where you are—it felt like every single thing was a potential culprit, and honestly, nobody could tell me what was actually going on. It took them forever to finally land on an anxious depressive disorder after two months of endless testing. At least they actually found *something* after sixty days of running around in circles. But what am I even supposed to say? Should I just lay out all my misery here on the forum? Honestly, I really don't feel like writing all that out.
Look, from my own experience, you can bounce from doctor to doctor until you're blue in the face and still have absolutely nobody pinpoint the root cause—you’ll just end up stuck with a psychiatrist's label. It’s all been done before. Take me last year, for instance; it was a total mess. One day I felt okay, the next I was spiraling. I even had two different autoimmune issues flare up on me out of nowhere, and I was losing weight like crazy just from the sheer stress of it all. You'll just keep getting tossed around from specialist to specialist, and most likely, they'll just slap an anxiety and depression diagnosis on you. And honestly? You should probably consider if there wasn't some massive stressful event lurking in the background that set the whole thing in motion first.
Roger Rodriguez said:Thanks, ladies, I truly appreciate the support. I am trying my best to keep it off my mind, but it's always lurking in the back of my head. Last night, I actually had a dream where I was crushing my Paxil just so I could snort it to make it kick in faster.🙄. It's true, I don't have much of an option. I either power through even when I feel terrible, or I go back up to 20mg and spend the next few years trying to taper down again. Charles James3, I don't know the specifics of your situation, but I really hope everything turns out okay.👍
If I'm reading this right, Roger Rodriguez is trying to get off Paxil for good.