Medical Trials

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I have been doing my own medical experiments, with me as the subject. Last week, when I knew I was about to run out of my thyroid replacement medicine that I brought from the States, I went to a doctor for a new prescription. She did a blood test and gave me a new prescription for the African version of my medicine. I started taking it on Sunday. The blood work came back normal. On Tuesday, I was so exhausted that I came home from work and went to bed at 5:30. Wednesday I was tired all day, and I called the doctor back to get help. I ended up having to leave work at 2:00 to come home and go to bed. We picked up new medicine at 5:30, and within a day or so I was almost back to normal. Apparently, the South African version is different, even though of course the experts say it should be the same. I am very glad to have a doctor who is willing to look at what is going on with me and not just the numbers from the bloodwork!

I still don’t have health insurance (medical aid, as it is called here) since the medical aid company rep took a month to respond to my requests for a meeting. Now I have to get the paperwork in and get approved. Coverage is NOT retroactive, but it looks like a decent program (or scheme, as they call it).

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