My first healthcare "need"...

Okay - now we'll see how this "experiment" of mine will work in the real world. 

I've been having some very weird symptoms lately - mainly since I took almost all sugar and most "cheap" carbs out of my diet. My blood sugar has gone down, so I've tried to reintroduce things like whole grains and so on back into my diet. When I did so recently, I ended up with a cracking headache that kept me up all night, and then a distinctly "hungover" feeling (sorry my Christian followers, I was a sinner before I came to the Lord) all the next day. I also had what felt like Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms that lasted three days one time (no RA factor in my blood - had that tested!). 

Okay - long story short, Dr. Griffin told me about a food sensitivity test called the ALCAT that can look at over 200 foods, additives, herbs and environmental factors. I looked at the price and nearly fainted... $1100 for a blood test? Well, then I realized - this is a legitimate healthcare "need" as defined by Samaritan!

So - I called Samaritan and told them my symptoms (and thankfully they will publish those, not necessarily that it's a food allergy problem - because what if it isn't and I need more tests later??). I got my need packet in the mail last week and took it to Dr. Griffin today. He drew the blood, and will be sending it to ALCAT's lab in Deerfield, FL overnight FedEX. He knows I'm with Samaritan, so he will bill me! Not sure what the total is, because I will be getting his discounted price, which he will pass on to me! 

This is what a trust-filled relationship between doctor and patient should look like! I trust him with my health, and he trusts that I will pay. And I trust that my fellow members in Samaritan will send their shares to me once my need is published. And I trust in the Lord that he will ultimately provide the healing that will come from having the wisdom of understanding my body's reaction to food... stay tuned!

An aside: A Total Money Makeover

Let's face it - if we could all afford huge insurance premiums, we'd be paying them. In my case, really bad financial decisions in the past mean that I absolutely must live on a budget. 

I've heard financial counselors refer to "spending plans" because the word budget is so fraught with negative meaning. I wanted to find a way to rearrange my financial life along Christian principles; I wasn't looking to get rich quick, or even to get rich.

I found Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" - a plan that uses straightforward "baby steps" to help people achieve financial peace and freedom. Dave follows biblical principles like tithing, and he believes that money is meant for giving, spending and saving. Period. Money is a tool, nothing more. So far, I'm only on Step Two - the Debt Snowball. But I already have more financial peace than I've had in years. Thanks Dave!