Today we had two patients come in with interesting stories:

One expressed great gratitude for Wallace and the service we offer.  He says that he and his wife have been uninsured for many years and they feel quite scared knowing that if they do get sick or hospitalized, they would have to go into debt.  The wife has struggled with thyroid issues since age 5, and Dr. Anna took her on as a patient as part of the Wallace Primary Care Pilot Program.  We have been able to supply her with free lab work through Legacy Health System for the past several months.  Dr. Anna has also been able to monitor this patient’s thyroid levels with medication.  The husband was told he had high blood pressure several years ago, but without insurance and in his financial situation, he was unable to purchase the medication that was prescribed to him.  He also couldn’t afford the needed follow-up visits with his doctor.  He didn’t know where to turn, so he just ignored his blood pressure problems for years.  His wife finally heard of Wallace and that is when she scheduled them both to come in to see the doctor.  They were very relieved to find out that the medication for her thyroid and for his blood pressure were both on the $4 list at several pharmacies.  They both expressed their appreciation for Wallace and the excellent care they received from Dr. Anna.

Another patient came to the Mobile Clinic today with the same concern as all of our patients: They have a medical issue, but lack the insurance and the money to afford to get treated.  This patient had done some major research and homework to try to find an affordable health insurance policy for himself and his wife.  Once he realized he could not find anything in his price range, he decided instead to save up some money to take care of the minor surgery that he needed.  He had a few hundred dollars saved up and called several local hospitals and clinics to get a quote.  Each place told him that he would need to be seen by several doctors to figure out exactly what he would need, and that each visit would cost about the same amount that he had saved up, since he didn’t have insurance.  Finally, one of the hospitals told him about Wallace.  He was ecstatic and shocked that we could schedule patients within one week of his first phone call.  He came to the Medical Van and Dr. Anna was able to perform the surgery that he needed here on the Mobile Clinic.  He has been in a few times since the procedure and is very pleased with the service he has received at Wallace.  He donated the money that he had saved to Wallace and thanked everyone that makes such a place accessible to patients in need.

We had a patient return to the Mobile Medical Clinic recently who had received care approximately three months ago with multiple symptoms.  He appeared in good health during this latest visit and much more energetic than last time he was seen by Dr. Jimenez.  While in the waiting room, she asked him the purpose of this visit, and he told her that he was here for follow up from the last visit, as she had requested.  She asked how he was feeling and he stated that he is feeling much better and that he hadn’t had any alcohol since September 8^th.  After congratulating him, we looked up his last visit in our records.  He was seen on that very day, September 8^th.  Once on the van, he was asked what it was that made him quit drinking, and he said that Dr. Jimenez was the first person to be so direct about his drinking.  He shared that she was clear that he needed to stop drinking immediately!  He took her very seriously and quit that same day.

The patient was very sincere and very appreciative of what Dr. Jimenez had said to him.  He told us that no one else had taken the time to talk seriously about his alcohol addiction, and that he now knows he can be a better example for his children, who had never seen him without a beer in his hand.

Prior to quitting, the first thing he would do in the morning was crack open a beer, and fall asleep at night with a beer still in his hand.  His addiction made him miss many of his children’s football games and school plays which he is now able to attend.  His children, mother, grandmother, and his friends are all really proud of him.  He has even motivated some of his drinking buddies to quit and they are all really impressed with how strong he has been through this.  He has noticed that he is much less irritable and has a much better outlook on life.

His shared that what he did was “Go to a place like Wallace, get help, listen to your doctor’s advice and listen to your heart.”  In his final remarks, he thanked God and The Wallace Medical Concern for helping him become the man he is today.