The Price of Staying on Top of my Health

$839

I'm not going to get into a debate on the cost of health care here. I'm just going to make some very basic statements of fact about that number you are looking at up there. I am lucky; I pay an arm and a leg every month, and the occasional promise of a first born child to keep me insured. One month of health coverage costs more than one month of my last rent. And being that I'm lucky, that number up there got knocked down to $113.85.

Now what is this number for? Is it for a doctors visit... no. It's for the basic blood work I am supposed to do every 6 months for the rest of my life to stay on top of my health. Now I admit, I added on two things I wanted checked. Why? Because I'm an informed thyroid cancer patient, and I know that there are certain thins docs don't regularly look at, but if they are off can really screw with you. First, I asked for a Free T-3... $184... I know that the T-3 debate rages on from health professionals to patients alike. I was just curious. And there has been enough talk about it that I figured I should get it tested, and if it was really low, then I could really make a decision about a t-3 supplement. The second, and probably more normal thing I asked to have tested was my Vitamin D. I mean... its winter... thyca people tend to have Vitamin D issues. I was a little itty bitty bit lower than my doctor wanted me the last time.... $221. Oh and my doc threw in a CBC just to make sure my white blood cells were ok.

So all these "extra" tests that we get told we should do, and that we do just to stay on top of things... well they sort of like to rape our wallets. Even the reduced $113 still hits hard when you know you're doing that at least twice a year. I may have to make my testing decisions based on costs for now on. There's a part of me that just died while making that statement.