Challenges We Encounter

Aside from the obvious problems such as difficulty in reading documents, writing checks, signing receipts, and reading maps or phone books, there are some other challenges left to deal with. First off, we need to cover challenges with medical records and medical professionals being informed.

Be your own best medical advisor:
Know your medical condition(s). Everybody should have at least a basic understanding of their known medical problems. At absolute minimum, the medical name(s) and description. The more depth of the knowledge, the better the person will be to explain it and live with it. There may be times when a person encounters a new doctor or emergency worker who will not be familiar with them or the condition. Better treatment will occur if these new people are enlightened about these conditions right away rather than treatment waiting for medical records to arrive.

Know your medications:
Some people carry a card in their wallet which lists the medicine they take, often including dosage and symptom information. This can prove valuable in the event the person is not able to communicate during an emergency situation. Sometimes the card can also list medical conditions. A person should have an understanding of what the medication treats, the possible side effects which can occur, when and how to take it, and if there are restrictions or reactions to other medicines or foods. Think about it, the more you know about what you put into your body (be it food, drink, or medicine), the better equipt you are to have a healthier life.

Medical ID bracelets, tags, or jewelry can also be a lifesaver. Emergency workers on the lookout for such things can obtain useful information in the event you are unresponsive. Some places that sell medical ID products also have a service to provide your medical history to emergency workers. Such devices and services can be found in our Webstore.

Know your reactions:
Communicate ANY changes in your life that may be a result of medication reaction or symptom difference. Such events include (but not limited to):

• drowsiness
• dizzyness
• breathing trouble
• energy loss
• weight gain or loss
• pain

Get your medical records:
You have the right to request your medical records from your doctor(s). These records contain the medical codes or terms for conditions, but can also list results of routine tests performed during each office visit. This can be helpful to monitor the progress of a condition or recovery.

Get your own facts:
Consult books, websites, or pharmacists to gain further understanding of the condition(s) and medication(s). This not only helps to confirm that a diagnosis is valid, but many sources will say things in a different manner which might be easier to understand. Again, the more you know the better off you are.

Communicate with insurance companies:
Like everything else in life, things have a better chance of going smoother if good communications is used. Insurance companies have policies of what to cover, how much to pay, etc. You may not like their policy, you may not like the way they run their business, but if you don't work with them you are just asking for even more problems.

You should know the basic coverages of insurance at the time of signing up for a policy (even if it is provided through work). You should know what doctor(s) you are allowed to visit under the plan, what co-pay or deductible will be charged, what examinations are covered, etc. There may be special instructions for emergency care reporting after the fact.

You should call the insurance company for details about other events, such as a planned upcoming surgery or an emergency event which happened recently (many have time limits on reporting). This not only helps the insurance company to know an event is in progress, but provides a way for you to get the details on what it might end up costing you or what things you need to do for coverage.

Always be prepared to give doctor(s) names, addresses, and phone numbers when calling an insurance company. Dates, places, and times are also commonly asked questions. The more information you provide, the better your chances of having a smooth (although maybe not lovable) experience.

Make sure you, your doctors and the insurance all have the same facts. Don't just assume things are handled for you. Double check inportant issues. Review paperwork and ask questions if in doubt about anything. The more order you can provide in the mess of paperwork, the better off you will be in the long run. It isn't fun, but it is in your best interest.

Review paperwork and receipts. Save all paperwork:
Medical records, receipts, letters, and history are all part of the big medical picture. Although some of these should be saved for a minimum of seven or ten years (legally it depends on where you live), future generations would probably appreciate these being saved and passed down in the family history. Paperwork isn't one of those things that we look forward to storing or moving, but medical information also ranks as more priority than the electric bill from years back.

It takes just a short time to review and compare the paperwork from the doctors office with what actually happened. Another short time to check the insurance billing with the office receipt. Not much of a hassle to be sure the same figures are being used. Mistakes can happen. It is a good idea to compare paperwork.

In the USA, medical bills may be tax deductible when you itemize the income tax form. This may include medications, travel expenses and services needed for certain cases. Saving receipts allows you to claim everything more accurately.

EMOTIONAL ISSUES

Vision is often considered to be our most important sense since most of the information humans possess enters the brain through our eyes. Even what we hear, touch and smell are associated with an image to identify them. It follows that people with vision problems must bear increased hurdles in life as opposed to those with average vision.

One very important topic is the emotional aspects of vision loss. Therr are two key parts of this which include dealing with the vision loss itself and dealing with the often accompanying loss of self-esteem due to public opinion.

Good vision is something that far too many people take for granted. And since vision is such an important sense, it is often difficult for people to cope with its deterioration. It becomes even harder to cope when the loss is quick or severe. The world becomes a much different place with new challenges and learning experiences. Toss in the fact that many people do not understand their new condition (medically) and it is hard to ask a doctor good questions about it when you do not even know what has happened.

Also, there may not be many other people who truly understand a persons new view on life because they have not experienced it themselves. The feeling of being the only person with a vision problem just adds to the emotional mixture.

As if it weren't enough to suffer though vision loss by itself, many people find they also have to deal with negative public opinions. Children who need glasses during school are a prime target for other kids to pick on. Children and adults who have an outwardly show of vision loss (such as close reading or use of visual aids) can also be targets for comments. That is very sad since nobody really wants less than average vision, but does want to use whatever is available to help them regain as much vision back as they can possibly get.

Sometimes we experience a lot of negativity due to the fact that our eyes look different even from the outside. Usually the best way to deal with comments about it is to judge the basic attitude of the person and respond accordingly. Those who ask about it out of concern or genuine interest may be told about the conditions which affect us. Those who try to avoid the issue are allowed to do so. Those who attempt to make fun of us should be treated with politeness while explaining that we have no control over the way we were born.

Each person will have to develop their own style of dealing with situations. If they are handled with dignity, the chance for real progress is improved. Accept the fact that some people seem to exist just to cause trouble and will never change and there is no reason to drop to their level in a response. For all of the other people, just be honest and as informative as the encounter merits or you feel comfortable doing so.

The process of coping with any medical problem should not have to be complicated with self-esteem issues also. Look at it this way, everybody has some problems or flaws (rarely just a few, but not all are outwardly noticeable). Some people deal with hearing loss, some lack mobility, others have any of assorted medical or emotional troubles. Somebody with vision problems really shouldn't feel like they are abnormal humans, just that their affliction is different.

Earlier it was noted that over 12 million Americans have some degree of visual problem, so visually impaired people are not alone after all. So let those who want to be mean be as mean as their hearts desire and lets all just proceed with making our own lives as comfortable as possible.