As the title states, I have no health insurance or income. Needless to say, that makes an already difficult healthcare journey that much more difficult. But I've been working on some things, and I'm kind of proud of myself, so I wanted to share. Mods, please don't delete, as I am not asking for money, medical advice, or a diagnosis.

1. I spent 4 hours calling and emailing people yesterday and another hour calling people today. Genelex Labs now has the documentation they need, and I qualify for their financial assistance. So now I can order a ~$1,200 genetic test for $179. A friend *VERY* generously gifted me that money, and I should get a phone call later today so I can order the test kit for the MedMPact Plus test. This is a test that attempts to determine how you metabolize medications. Soon I get to find out why some medications are toxic, take hours to kick in, or don't work at all. And if I request or refuse a specific medication, healthcare workers can't accuse me of drug-seeking.

2. I spent ~3 of those hours calling the IRS trying to get ONE document so I can apply for the hospital's financial assistance on account of my ER visit. The IRS website wouldn't let me register for an account to request the document online, and the phone system didn't recognize my information. I was only able to occasionally get a live person by calling the wrong department. Three of those live people gave me the same advice, which led to the same online dead end. A fourth person said there were too many people calling and using the website. A fifth person finally helped me get what I needed, and it was only two clicks away. I am currently waiting on a document to arrive in the mail. I have to complete that, mail it back, and THEN I can get the document I needed in the first place. Then I can apply for the hospital's financial assistance.

3. After researching an EDS-friendly immunologist that treats CVID, I found Dr. Andrew Pugliese. I emailed him and explained everything, and he said to make an appointment at any time. So I planned everything with the charity I use that helps me raise funds for appointments), called the doctor's office and explained everything, got prices and more info, and coordinated finances between the doctors office and the charity. Everything was going well. Then, this morning, I got an email saying Dr. Pugliese doesn't treat CVID... even though his website says they do. To "help," they sent me a link to a list of online EDS healthcare providers. Two were in my state, and neither one was an immunologist. I am now repeating this entire process with a new doctor, Dr. Theodore Lee.

4. After some scrambling, I managed to make it to my follow-up endocrinology appointment (I can't drive due to the brain fog). I can afford endo visits thanks to a local indigent care program, and it took me three years to get accepted into it. Anyway, the endo doctor agreed that PCOS isn't just a fertility issue, and that the NP I saw at my OBGYN appointment shouldn't have neglected to treat me just because I'm not trying to start a family. After some debate, she put me back on Spironolactone, which is already starting to work after just a few weeks on a low "starter" dose. Since all PCOS blood work was negative, she ordered repeats for December. There were also talks of doing some imaging, as negative results with my symptoms can indicate a tumor on the pituitary gland.

5. My latest fight with bronchitis is slowly dissipating, and I'm slowly recovering on my own, 2 months later. I'm not back to my usual self yet, but I can sit up without feeling like I am dying, for example. 4 different medications and plenty of self-care didn't knock it out. It's like the bronchitis refuses to die. But I have bigger fish to fry at this point.

6. When I was taking antibiotics, my stomach attacks (possibly h. Pylori that also refuses to die) stopped. Now that I'm off antibiotics, they're back again. That's pretty typical for me. On = multiple symptom improvements. Off = Oh hai. Seems compelling.

So yep. This is how it's always been for me. Scramble to create options where there are none. As a side note, I have been fighting for disability since 2008. I was only recently able to get a lawyer once I got my hEDS diagnosis, which took 13 years because I don't have health insurance or an income. It's been 2 years since I got my hEDS diagnosis, and I don't have a single comorbidity diagnosed yet. I'll give you one guess as to why, lol. And my disability case needs those comorbidities. It's so hard, but I'm trying. I'm going to fight this to the death and then come back for more. If I can do this, so can all of us.

Just wanted to share a little bit of my life with everyone. Thanks for those of you who read it!