severe pelvic pain for 7 days...no medical...what to do?
i am currently undiagnosed, but suffer from chronic pain making literally everything a huge chore that costs me energy and happiness. im constantly fatigued. im in a weird loophole where im unemployed, and poor, and therefore cannot afford medical care for my pain and mental disorders, so i applied for disability benefits which is in the beginning stages of being decided in my state. i am unable to work, i cant even do dishes. so i am facing the problem of"should igo to the ER for this SEVERE what feels like ovarian pain for the last 7 days?". it has to be ER because i have no family doc...bc poor. i cant go to an emergency clinic...because im poor, i literally cannot afford to spend one penny, and the thought of a hospital bill looming over me is giving me anxiety. and if they find something actually wrong with me like PCOSor appendicitis ill have a huge bill, prescriptions i cant afford to fill and a diagnosis for this one problem (pelvic pain) i cant afford follow up care for. what the heck do i do? im so stressed out.
I am so sorry to hear about your chronic pelvic pain. It sounds like it's significantly interferring with your quality of life. I am so glad you came here for support to help you out with this.
If you do/did decide to go to the ER, they do have charitable programs in most hospitals that help. My recommendation is to be sure to talk to the hospital social worker. These are the exact things they have to work with: providing information and optons for uninsured persons. They should know what charitable or discounted programs the hospital offers. There are usually county clinics as well that allow low-income uninsured access to annual female exams. They are often called "Community Health Clinics". And I'm not sure what state you live in, but the Affordable Healthcare Act has made many healthcare options available to more people so they can be insured. It might take a bit more research for you to find out the options where you live, but there are options available. They are just often difficult to find out about.
Additionally, I would recommend connecting to a support group of women who are also having chronic pelvic pain. They are going through similar situations as you are - even with the lack of insurance or means to pay for care. They may have additional advice for you. I am not saying you have this, but may find you can identify with women that have "Endometriosis". The symptoms you're having are similar. And women with endo frequently have co-occuring pelvic issues such as PCOS, Intersticial Cystitics, and many other disorders. I would search that term to find a specific online support group. It will help!
Good luck, and I hope you get the care and treatment that you need to resume a functional life with minimized or free from pain.