Online health care and accessibility

[kestrell]

I feel as if all I post here anymore are complaints, but it is just one of those years. Last week I had a really painful arthritis flare up in my right hip, which is a new thing, and my GP basically said, Let's wait and see if it goes away, despite my trying to explain about how much pain I was in. She recommended taking ibuprofen, because, hey, I never thought of trying that on my own, as it didn't help at all. I've ordered a mattress topper, in hopes that that might at least make it less painful to lie in bed. Also: lavender-infused mattress topper, ooooo.

Anyway, while at the health clinic, I asked for a code so I could log onto the online healthcare Website that allows for tracking appointments and communicating with doctors, only to find out once I tried logging in that it seems to be totally inaccessible. I mean, all I can find for my screen reader to read is the copyright info from the company who made the software--good to know they prioritized the important things.

Comments

Re: Sympathy

[jesse_the_k]

Lidocaine patches come in two strengths:

Over-the-counter Salonpas at 4% lidocaine

and

Lidoderm RX at 5%

I tried out the 4% version and got some relief, so asked my doc to RX the stronger ones. One percent makes a difference! They're only FDA approved for neuropathy, though, so Medicare/my pharmacy benefits manager won't pay for them. I hope MassHealth is more generous when it comes to "alternatives to opiods."

Do make sure you're just getting lidocaine. There are lots of pain patches in the CVS -- many have menthol, which might trigger your cold reaction.

Re: Sympathy

[kestrell]

One of the great things about serving on the disability advisory council that works with Mass Health and my insurance program, is that when I mention a serious issue, usually the people who can directly address it, or who known who can address it, are in the room, and come up to talk to me about issues as soon as the meeting is over.

Things don't always get fixed, or fixed right away, but just having people listen and know they are acknowledging that yes, that issue is seriously broken, and needs to be fixed, is affirming.