Sick by Ben Holtzman

Author:Ben Holtzman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Microcosm Publishing
Published: 2014-08-25T04:00:00+00:00

555.1

ERICA

Crohn’s disease is the shits, literally. Dealing with drastic weight loss, complete lack of energy, months on end of bloody diarrhea, constant pain in the gut, malnutrition, hair loss, not to mention the plethora of side effects that come with all of the medications is never fun. It can be especially damaging to your psyche when you get sick in your teenage years like I did. Right when I was trying to gain independence, I lost control of my own body as well as any control I may have had over how to live my life. Every day and every decision became dictated by my disease and by the rigid regiment of treatments.

However, for some reason, I came to terms with my disease quickly. My condition was diagnosed relatively fast as Crohn’s colitis (an autoimmune disease of the large intestine), and I was able to start treatment, so I didn’t get far behind in school. I had a supportive network of family and friends, a great doctor, and health insurance through my parents. Crohn’s is a chronic disease so it never goes away, although you can treat the symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms will disappear for no good reason at all, and then they will return again, also without warning. As I began college, I had a period of three relatively quiet years. With my disease in relative remission, it seemed like just another routine part of my life. I had to go to the GI doctor occasionally, be comfortable constantly talking about my bowel movements, always know how to get to the nearest bathroom, and get my white blood count tested from time to time.

What I didn’t realize in those first few years with the disease was that I had become marked. Despite the fact that I felt like a capable, active, independent person, on paper I was something totally different: uninsurable. Leaving the security of student life (and simultaneously my parent’s insurance plan), I have slowly discovered that I am in for a long, hard road.

My first year out of school, I was tipped off that I should not try to get my own health insurance independently. If I tried, I would either get denied or be forced to pay an exorbitant monthly premium. To make matters worse, I was warned that if my coverage was rejected, I would forevermore have to check the box on insurance forms indicating that I had been denied health insurance for medical reasons. Basically, I would be shooting myself in the foot for the rest of my life. So instead, I signed up for a short-term insurance policy, which gave me a year with minimal coverage. It was a crappy plan, but the symptoms of my disease had lessened. I figured I was fine.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t fine. Within a few months, my disease returned in full force. With bad insurance, no energy (thus, no job), and no transportation, there was little I could do. I stayed at home, continually getting sicker and sicker.

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