There’s something to SOCIALIZED MEDICINE…let me tell you a true story

This might appear as a bit of a WHINE,    but this hurts like heck and  could be a problem in getting back to France.
I CAN’T WALK!!!   You realize ofcourse that I live in a place where we walk everywhere and in order to even get back to our “Port Village of Dreams” – I must walk in countless airports to the long gates to more transfers to the trains and metros and to my little awaiting car to take us up and over the mountain to our petit maison.

My knee went out.  It’s swollen and stiff and it’s probably from standing too much.  When we come back home to Saint Louis we never walk.   It’s a strange phenomenon. We don’t have to walk – we have a car sitting in our driveway.  And, we’re  busy, we have grands and we have things to do and errands to run …..IN  THE  CAR.  I am 64 and I cannot NOT walk or it’s very bad. This move to France has been the healthiest for us ever as we both lost 25 pounds each, dropped our high cholesterol counts, (despite all the cheeses) and  Therefore, I am determining how and what I shall do in the upcoming days to get ready to go back to France with a knee that will not cooperate.

Maybe you’re thinking, “WHY don’t you get a doctor to take a look at it , or get a Cortisone shot or something?”   Well, I don’t see a doctor at all here  because I don’t have health insurance here.  Yes, I have CATASTROPHIC health insurance,  a huge $5,000 deductible, in case I get hit by a BUS, –  but I don’t have insurance to see a doctor for a bad knee, or a cold, or a planters wart.  NADA.   I do, however, have a full complete coverage in FRANCE which is one reason we are there now.  I have one year until my MEDICARE kicks in, here in the US, but for now, when we need anything, eyes checked, prescription glasses, colds/flu visits, even doctor visits to our HOUSE – we pay a minimal amount ( 10- 20 euros) and then everything is reimbursed to us straight into our bank account.  This wasn’t necessarily easy to get started, (the French love paper) and there was tons of paperwork, but it’s done and we pay little out-of-pocket for absolutely anything that we need to have done – checked – or in worst case scenarios – surgeries.   I’m hoping this doesn’t lead to another knee surgery (like I’ve already encountered on the RIGHT knee and in which my Orthopedic surgeon in the US is still nickel and dime-ing me to death even though I had full insurance when that knee was operated on…) it’s disgusting, absolutely –  how we are treated here, even those WITH insurance!!  My treatment after the right knee surgery was physical therapy.  Guess what?   My expensive health insurance did not pay for that at all and I did not have the $45 – 3 times a week which was prescribed, therefore I could not get the therapy on the right knee.  I said to my doctor, “Since I cannot afford this physical therapy what can I do on my own?”.  He said to me “Use a stair stepper, or walk up and down stairs that are not too steep”  And that is exactly what I HAD to do anyway, because when moving to Paris, I had to walk an average 100 +  steps a day to get in and out of the metros.  My knee completely healed and fast, well, relatively , since basically it’s “bone on bone” on my right knee and eventually will need to be replaced. But for now……..the walking and the steps – were my beautiful and free – FREE – therapy.

Now, I’ve screwed up  my left knee from whatever I’ve done while being back home in Saint Louis and I must get back to France to get my treatment. It will be a relief  to  know that I am not being financially hijacked when my doctors in France find a solution for me.

Prayers would be nice……if you are a believer in such an awesome habit……as I am.

I know this is temporary, and there will be some pain in getting from here to there…..a long long travel back to France, and have to say, “I AM SO THANKFUL for the great care we get at minimal cost – in France – which has one of THE BEST HEALTH PLANS in the world!!!   Don’t even get me started on citizens of the United States not wanting a  much needed and improved health care system!!!!    You’re all crazy !!!  Crazy not to want this!!!!!!!

Hope your wonderful jobs stay wonderful and you never are made “REDUNDANT” and lose everything, because then, you’ll be wishing for what should have been  already in place years ago…….a decent HEALTH CARE PLAN……..

That’s all I’m saying…….