laid off, no Ins, and have been waiting for over 4 months to qualify for financial assistance for diagnostics for heart arrythemia. NOW
I noticed a rough patch under my tongue floor of mouth, in just 3 days it has developed into a pea sized, solid mass with a grainy appearance. I am not tasting sweet, my lower lip keeps twinging , tongue is sore, feeling like its scalded. also my lower lip is puffy as is my neck just under the chin.

I have hit the bottom of my 401k that I cashed out when I was laid off, all my utilities are in final notice and I am STILL waiting for assistance on a heart issue I had to go to the ER for back in May(holter monitoring was ordered done Dr wanted the results withen 24 hrs, but I did not make it out of the finance office, they insisted I had to pay for the diagnostic up front or apply and wait for assistance when it comes available, no specific timeframe was told to me.

I need suggestions on what someone else might do in the same situation, I am totally out of ideas and scared to the point of dizziness and nausea.

I do have nymerous other health issues that I was working with a doctor on at the time I was laid off and lost my insurance

I am 42, obese, smoker of more than 20 years, not a drinker and have been very diet conscious regarding food additives, preserves and other chems, as I have had lots of food and chem sensitivities over many years, an intermittent GI bleed that for the first 7 years I would get scoped from either end but the doc never found the source of the bleed and once the bleed stopped my ins would not cover additional diagnostics, so I had to cover the same path each time the bleed presented, it is now 12 years and I still have the bleed several times per year I have cronic anemia, I have daily issues with swelling all over, sometimes as much as 15 pounds of excess fluid in just a day or two, that sometimes will be relieved thru the course of my menstural cycle but not always, for the past year I have had a completely reverse sleep cycle, my bp drops and my body temp drops around noon time and I cannot stay awake, I usually sleep 6 to 8 hrs then I am not able to sleep again til the following day, I have tried to reset my "clock" without success, and when I try to push thru when my body wants to sleep I get very ill physically and have lots of tics and tremors and cannot safely function.
I have children still at home and I have a new Grandbaby. last week my biggest worry was being homeless with my children, as of this morning I would be thrilled and satisfied to be alive and homeless with my kids, just as long as I am alive and able to care for them the best I can.
I have waited til the last possible moment to apply for any public assistance and I am having a hard time to qualify because I have a 2007 car, paid for when I assumed I would be able to find a new job in a short time, but because it is newer and has a value over 2k, supposedly that is why i keep getting declined assistance( I live in a rural area, 15 mile from town without public transportation, I have limited mobility in that I cannot stand for long or walk far, I need a dependable car) sorry so long. but I am very concerned and I know that I will only have another 2 weeks or so to be able to access the internet(bills are due and the money is gone)

Hi Penny,

I'm sorry to hear of the hard time you are having. As far as oral cancer, which is what we know about here, I would say anything in your mouth that is uncomfortable, get it checked after 2 weeks of not going away.

I wish you luck in life, sorry I can't be more help.

Do you know that hospitals have to take so many charity cases and write them off? The social worker there will help you. Ask for her or him.

Penny,

First I would transfer the title to your car to one of your 16+ year old kids, assuming you can trust them. You can always take back a note if you don't.

What County do you live in. I have helped (now) 2 part time employees without assets and without insurance get county assistance and once you get it they will pay for everything, just about.

Re the white spot under your tongue, it could be many things like Leukoplakia, or Lichen Planus but it usually is not cancer. That said it can eventually lead to cancer so it needs to be looked at by at least a dentist if not an ENT.

STOP SMOKING as there is NOTHING beneficial about that habit as many here will attest to it causing their life altering cancer.

I can't offer any advice, but please know that I'm thinking about you.

Has the doctor put you on a generic beta blocker like Nadolol for the arrythemia? Generics are $10 at Target for a 3 month supply. You shouldn't have to have a heart monitor test to get this meds. Unless your asrrythemia occurs regularly, the monitor will probabky pick up nothing anyway. I've worn these monitors off and on for years and they never have caught mine.

STOP SMOKING NOW and maybe you will save enough money to go to the doctor for the thing in your mouth. If it doesn't go away in two weeks, it needs to be looked at. If it keeps growing, it needs to be looked at sooner preferably at a CCC that sees many cancer patients. You don't want to waste the money on some local doctor who never sees cancers.

Good luck,
Eileen