Egaadss-DH no ins. yet

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Egaadss-DH no ins. yet
9
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 12:01am
Hi, ladies--well, DH has been sick all week with bronchitis, coughing, might as well be pneumonia. His ins. doesnt kick in until a few months (new job), and he hasnt heard yet from the other potential new job, although all the paperwork is done. Soooo--I am trying to convince him to go to my doc, and get chest x-ray, meds, etc. If I have to foot the bill for this, so be it. I was bad and rush ordered(on small cc) $$$$ for vaporizer, humidifier, kleenex, etc. He is watching "Alien Mammoth" on TV (yes, that is the title).He MUST feel bad if he is watching that! SIGH. ( No, he does not have COBRA). And I was doing soooo good (so I thought).--$300 in the e-fund, all bills paid and current (some snowflaked, thank goodness, for a few months), cut down on gas ($3.25/gallon), AND got the big Kahuna cc down to $4500! Heather, I'll gladly come over and clean your house LOL.;) Why is it that DH's regress when they are sick? Sorry-venting a little. Work has been crazy (new computers), and the sink is backed up and disposal not working. Looks like a bubbling geiser about to erupt,so am calling the plummer this week to get a new one (DH cant fix it). Positives: change jar is filling up fast. Whiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2005
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 12:15am
Hi Whiz -- Is your husband eligible for COBRA and just decided not to get it? The reason I'm asking is, you have until 60 days AFTER you leave the job that had health insurance to pay for COBRA -- you can actually pay for it RETROACTIVELY -- so that's kind of a good deal -- you could almost go for 60 days hoping that you don't get sick, but if you do, you could pay for the COBRA coverage retroactively. It might be worth checking into -- just a thought.
Megan
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 12:59am
Hi, Megan---Retroactive COBRA? I will ask him to look into this. I think he did say he thought it was too expensive. (!). Will check it out. THanks on this. WHiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2005
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 2:18am
Hi Whiz,
I hope he does check into it -- the problem is that you have to pay the retroactive months -- so if you left a job in March, and decided you wanted COBRA in May, you would have to also pay the premium for April. It is usually at the most 102% of what the previous company was paying for you. He should find out what the premium is for the month(s) he would have to pay retroactively but I know for sure that X rays and the fee for the radiologist to read the films could be awful. Maybe your Dr. would see him and just listen to his chest? And prescribe medicine -- and skip the X ray ...... Good luck with all of this. We had to pay retroactive COBRA for my son who was hospitalized with no insurance after he left his job -- and it covered the hospitalization.
Megan
Avatar for 2locachicas
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2003
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 8:50am

Whiz-

My Dh & my 7 yo DD have both had bronchitis(& my best friend) and none of them had to have a chest xray. We went to the doc and he listened to their lungs, said they were "wheezy" and gave us some stuff. Hubby got antibiotics & some cough syrup w/codeine to help him sleep. He felt better in 2 days...weeks later he is still fighting it off but it is just a pesky light cough. But broch. is definitely going around.

If DH decides to go to the doc don't suggest chest xrays. I would be honest and say that you are uninsured and paying it out of pocket and it needs to be diagnosed as cheaply as possible.

Loca

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 12:10pm
Hi, Megan and Loca--I am very grateful for your input. DH called in sick today, and I have the day off. For him to call in sick (his boss knows about this coughing/bronchitis stuff) AND agree to go to the doc is a milestone. I know the doc, so am going to see if they can work him in, samples, etc. COBRA? He said it is too expensive. Anyway, I ordered a toothbrush sterilizer (UV light application), and was reading an article about where the germs are: shopping carts, stethescopes, door handles, restaurant menus, and toothbrushes. So, I am throwing out all toothbrushes (they should be changed anyway every 3 months or so), and stocking up on Lysol, bleach, kleenex, etc. A week of this and not getting better is enough. Loca, maybe he needs to get on a different med---perhaps inhaler, new antibiotics, or something. Fondly, a tired whiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-27-2003
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 2:00pm

Hey whiz,

These are my (non-medical) suggestions based on many years of acute asthma and bi-monthly bronchitis, to make your DH more comfy, at least.

*Steam and humidifiers. Cold, dry air exacerbates breathing problems, so we have lots of humidifiers in our house, and when it gets too bad, I fill up the sink with hot water, cover my head with a towel, and breathe the steam in for a while.
*Stay propped up. Laying back will make the coughing worse.
*Hydrate--lots of fluids, no alcohol or caffeine.
*If your husband has a "wet" cough (mucus in the lungs), try an expectorant from the grocery--look for "guaifenecin" on the label. Also, if his cough is productive, don't try to supress it (ie, with cough syrups)--productive coughs rid the lungs of mucus, etc.
*Unless your husband's bronchitis has progressed to pneumonia, he likely won't need x-rays. For healthy people (ie, those whose lungs and/or immune systems aren't compromised), the usual treatment is just a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Good luck, whiz! I hope your DH feels better soon!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2006
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 7:23pm
Whiz,
I know some people think Gatorade is nasty, but I drink it by the gallon when I'm sick to keep me hydrated and keep my energy up as much as possible, past two years I've gotten sick with your garden variety cold and had to work thru the sickness, no way I could take even one day off. So this year after spending about $20 on the stuff I found a recipe to make my own much cheaper, let me know if you want it. Also, I like wonton or Matzo soup take-out when I'm sick, the hot chicken broth seems to help open things up and of course I don't have to worry about cooking or waiting for SO to get something for me.
Shopping carts are a big one for spreading colds, one of our local supermarkets has started putting out the disinfectant wipes near the shopping carts, but it's always empty so I don't count on them.
As for the toothbrushes, I would replace, but not until he is better. You can boil in water or throw in your dishwasher or even microwave to sterilize them in the meantime.
Sending get well vibes to you and yours,
Pam

Proud sister of a Marine:

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 7:55pm
Hi, Sylvia---I am thanking you again and again for suggestions I can try. Our house seems "dry", so I am ordering a humidifier (not de-humidifier)--maybe it will help my skin as well. I did order the personal Vicks vaporizer (it hasnt been delivered yet) so DH can clear his sinuses. He has been taking both cough syrup and expectorant, and I think it is cancelling each other out. No luck in getting in with the docs. At least he says he feels better. Whiz. ):)
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 7:59pm
Hi, Pam. Well, I am going to get those Clorox wipes. I have Lysol wipes in the kitchen. CHicken soup? Now, I think I will make him soup and tea. What about saline spray? Thanks Whiz.