@tisme Tell me about it! My long term neurologist retired. So, I tried to book an appt. for the one and only Parkinson’s / Movement Disorders specialist in our area! The next appointment was 11 months away. Hundreds of baby boomers have retired, recently, to the touristy area that I have lived in for many years, so Neurologist appointments are hard to come by! Meanwhile, during that 11 month wait, i had symptoms that were very bothersome, that I thought were my Parkinson’s symptoms progressing. Walking had become wobbly and difficult fot me! I had big time balance problems. I had episodes of a room that I was in, spinning around! Those episodes duration were at least a half hour! I suddenly had incontinence, so I called my primary provider’s service. I was given a referral to a urologist! I had 5 falls, where I completely lost my balance, and had some injuries. By the time I got to see a neurologist, and explained what I’d been through, they did seem mildly concerned. The Neurologist ordered an MRI. Meanwhile, my Medicare Advantage coverage was dropped, along with millions of other people’s insurance. I applied for Medigap coverage right away, but didn’t get approval for a couple of months, because of an overload of applications. So, the MRI was scheduled for me, along with blood tests, ultrasound etc. during this interim period. The Hospital provider, where I live, told me that even though I had Medicare A and B, that because I didn’t have, at that time, a MEDIGAP approved policy in place, that BEFORE the MRI and ULTRASOUND and some blood tests could be performed, I would have to pay the 20% charge that Medicare does not pay! So, I had to come up with $270.00, for the MRI procedure, as an example! I paid the Hospital the 20% charges, plus several Doctor’s office visits! Altogether, I’ve paid out nearly $2000.00, to medical providers, during the interim period! After the MRI was done, and analysis completed, it turned out that I had several lacunar strokes!! These strokes fit my symptoms perfectly! Because I have been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, and have had several bad episodes, it is possible that one or more of the strokes, was a result of an Atrial Fibrillation episode. That news was devastating to me, to put it mildly. I called my Cardiologist’s office, the next morning, upon learning the news, and they set up an appointment for the following day! I was prescribed Eloquesstbj blood thinner immediately, and will be taking it for the next few months, with a Watchman scheduled to be implanted, in my heart!!
I’m going to need all the support, and luck, i can get, over the next few years, to get through all this!