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Hey,

My name is Bella and I was diagnosed with lupus almost 3 years ago. For as long as I could remember by body never felt like it was doing what it was supposed to but I tried my best to pay no mind to it until I couldn’t do it anymore.

In 2013 when I became pregnant with my oldest daughter I became really sick. My pregnancy was labeled a high risk pregnancy and my doctors had more questions than answers every visit. After the birth of my oldest I felt more off than usual. My body felt worse than before I became pregnant but I assumed it was normal because I didn’t know any better and all my doctors told me it was to be expected postpartum.

Soon after I started to notice changes with my body that didn’t seem quite right and someone suggested that I get my thyroid checked. I did more than once and was told that my thyroid was normal. It felt like every health problem I developed was dismissed as either, “normal as you age” or not concerning enough yet.

As time went on I started to notice that whenever I would get sick it would take me down for weeks. Because I was young my doctors treated it as something that would fix itself over time. It didn’t. It persisted to the point where I was scared to get sick. This continued for 10+ years.

Fast forward to 2020 and one day I noticed my finger was turning purple out of nowhere. I shrugged it off and convinced myself it was nothing to worry about and probably a one time occurrence. Following that I began to notice my fingers would turn white. Again I shrugged it off because I couldn’t afford health insurance so I felt there was nothing I could do about it. That is until I told a family member and they became concerned and suggested I go see a rheumatologist.

I took their advice and found a rheumatologist. He heard me out, took a look at my hands, and said I was too young and healthy to be experiencing these issues. He also noted that my cuticles show signs of an autoimmune condition. He diagnosed me with Raynaud’s phenomenon and ordered blood work. I mentioned to him that I didn’t have insurance and he said some of the bloodwork that I need cost 500+ dollars out of pocket. So I did the bloodwork that I could afford.

During this I found my fantastic primary care doctor. She reassured me and supported me throughout my journey, and helped me be able to get my bloodwork done. We looked over the results and she said that my bloodwork showed that I’m a healthy woman for my age but that some things look off so I should go over it with my rheumatologist. I did and he soon after diagnosed me with lupus, fatty liver, and let me know I’m at high risk for hashimotos. He also told me that it would be a good idea to do my best to get insurance because managing and treating my conditions was going to cost a good amount of money.

I couldn’t get insurance because the cost was too much so my lupus didn’t get treated right away. As we move into 2023 I became pregnant with my second child. I went to Denver Health for prenatal care and once I mentioned I had lupus they put me in touch with a rheumatologist there. I was able to get more bloodwork done and they reaffirmed my lupus diagnosis and I was giving a prescription for hydroxychloroquine. I had a discount program through them and my medication costs me a fraction of what it normally costs ($560.00 for 3 months). That made me realize just how expensive everything can be with lupus.

After I had my baby Denver Health said I could no longer see the rheumatologist I was with because I live in Broomfield and need to live in Denver to continue to be seen by them. They didn’t put me in touch with anyone and just let me go. My primary care doctor and I worked to try to find a cost effective rheumatologist but we soon realized that was going to be hard since I don’t qualify for Medicaid. I was told by someone to check out UCHealth and they were happy to help but because I’m uninsured I was put in a waiting list. Even with a referral I’ve been on it since April of this year.

From that realization my doctor suggested a rheumatologist with a different approach to the practice. I took down her information and did my research on her and realized that what she had to offer is exactly what I need. The problem is … she doesn’t accept insurance or Medicaid because it’s her own private practice and she wants to do things in a cost effective way. I looked at the transparent service packages that broke down how much I’d be paying out of pocket with any other rheumatologist versus what she’s willing to do. The numbers made sense.

I called hoping they would have some sort of payment plan available. I was told that unfortunately they don’t for the initial visit but they do for the care plan. The first visit is $1,979 upfront. Then after depending on what the rheumatologist suggests for the care plan it would be between $3,675 and $4,875. If I could get help with even just the initial visit I would appreciate that so much.

My body hasn’t been feeling and doing the best and all I want is to feel okay again and I know that if I had the answers and guidance that could be a reality for me. I also recognize the importance of seeing a rheumatologist. Despite the fact that this would help me, I want to do it for my daughters because they deserve a happy and healthy mom.

Rheumatologist