MY Story spoken at the Move On Vigil last night [View All]

[proud patriot]

(please excuse the all Caps , when I typed this out I typed it to be easily read at night by Candlelight )

I just got back from the MoveOn Candlelight Vigil in Walnut Creek .
I told our story to just under 200 people .. It was very hard but I
feel good about sharing our Nightmare with concerned citizens .

Here's the text that I followed

HI MY NAME IS PATRICIA M#### G####### ,

MY SON HAS BI POLAR AND ADHD IMPACTS . THE LAST 13 YEARS OF MY LIFE LIFE HAS
MORE CHALLENGING THEN I EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE .MOST PARENTS WORRY ABOUT IF THEIR CHILD WILL GO TO COLLEGE . I WORRY IF MY SON WILL BE 5150'D FROM SCHOOL TODAY. YOU SEE WHEN YOUR CHILD HAS BEEN BORN WITH A qUOTE DISABILITY YOUR WORRIES ARE FAR DIFFERENT THAN
MOST . IF MY CHILD IS 5150'D TODAY I OWE FOR THE AMBULANCE , i OWE FOR THE COUNTY
TRIAGE , I OWE FOR THE STAY AT THE cONCORD MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY . IF I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET A BED FOR HIM THERE . IF NOT THERE , MY DAILY VISITATION TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL WILL BE MUCH FURTHER AWAY , UP TO 100 MILES AWAY I'M TOLD . DO ANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT IS LIKE TO DREAD THE MULTIPLE WEEKLY CALLS FROM SCHOOL INFORMING YOU OF ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR CHILD'S DAYS LIKE " TYLER TOLD ME TODAY THAT HE IS HEARING VOICES" OR "TODAY HE SLEPT ALL DAY THE MEDICINE SEEMS TO MAKING HIM ACT DRUNK"

TRY GETTING A DOCTOR TO LISTEN AS YOU WEEP THROUGH CONFUSION AND FEAR ..THAT'S ALL HARD ENOUGH WITHOUT THE DEBT FROM DOING MY BEST TO SEE THAT MY SONS MEDICAL NEEDS ARE TAKEN CARE OF . I HAVE INSURANCE .. WHY AM I IN DEBT BECAUSE I HAVE A DISABLED SON ? DO I NOT WORK AS HARD EVERYONE ELSE ?

WITH BIPOLAR YOU MUST FIND THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF MEDICINE .. THESE DRUGS HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED ON CHILDREN , SO BEYOND FEELING
LIKE MY SON IS AN EXPERIMENT , I MUST PAY UP TO $35.00 PER MEDICINE THAT MY SON TAKES. HE TAKES 3 DIFFERENT MEDICINES TWICE DAILY .

I'VE SAT AT THE PHARMACY THE DAY MY SON WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL ONLY TO HAVE THE INSURANCE COMPANY DENY THE MEDICINE THE
DOCTOR WAS ABLE TO GET HIM STABILIZED ON . TALK ABOUT A PANIC ATTACK . I'VE LEARNED PATIENCE AT THE PHARMACY AND TO NEVER LEAVE YOURSELF LESS THAT A WEEKS WAITING PERIOD FOR YOUR MEDICINE .

WITH MULTIPLE DR'S VISITS A MONTH , HOSPITALIZATIONS (WHEN NEEDED) THE BILLS PILE UP QUICKLY EVEN WITH "GOOD" INSURANCE . THE BILLS JUST KEEP COMING , EMERGENCY ROOM DR'S , BLOOD TESTS ,Ambulance rides OH MY ! MY SON AS OTHER BOYS HAS HAD 2 BROKEN BONES AND WARTS WHICH NEEDED TO BE MENDED , THE REGULAR KID STUFF DENIED OR ONLY PARTIAL COVERAGE .

BECAUSE WE ARE SO FOCUSED ON GETTING TYLER THE CARE HE NEEDS , MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE SKIPPED PROCEDURES , TESTS AND THE DENTIST FOR A LONG TIME .. WE JUST WANT TO GET CAUGHT UP, BEFORE WE PILE ON THE LUXURY OF A PAIN FREE MOUTH .

TYLER WAS DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY INSURANCE . HE QUALIFIES , WE FINANCIALLY QUALIFY , BUT WE HAVE A FEW VEHICLES WHICH WHEN ADDED UP BY THEIR BLUE BOOK VALUE EXCEED THE 5,000 MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE . YES YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT ! WHEN HE'S 18 HE WILL QUALIFY , BUT HE'LL HAVE TO BE VERY POOR TO QUALIFY. IF HE WERE TO ACHIEVE A JOB WITH INSURANCE HE WILL BE DENIED THAT INSURANCE DUE TO A PRE EXISTING CONDITION .

WE SCREEN OUR PHONE CALLS ,BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS A DEBT COLLECTOR ON THE OTHER END, NOT BECAUSE OF IRRESPONSIBLE CHOICES ON OUR PART , BUT BECAUSE WE TAKE CARE OF OUR SON'S MEDICAL NEEDS . I'LL NEVER FORGET WHEN A NASTY BILL COLLECTOR TOLD ME I WAS A "BAD PARENT
FOR NOT PAYING MY BILLS" .

WHAT DOES BLUE CROSS OF CALIFORNIA DO WITH THE OVER 10,000 DOLLARS IN PREMIUMS THEY RECEIVE ON MY FAMILY'S BEHALF annually? WE
SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE BROKE ALL THE TIME JUST BECAUSE OF MY SONS' MEDICAL NEEDS . I FEEL OUR FAMILY IS BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST UNFAIRLY BY A GLUTINOUS INSURANCE INDUSTRY .

MY FAMILY NEEDS OUR GOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE .

I HOPE YOU NEVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT MY FAMILY HAS HAD TO ENDURE .

THANKS FOR LISTENING