Foster care screwed me — I am a medical mystery
September 24, 2011 at 12:21 am 37 comments
Next week I goto the endocrinologist because I have something wrong with my thyroid.
This afternoon
I checked my mailbox. Usually I only get bills or nothing; so sometimes I dont even bother looking. But today I got this big envelope that was stuffed inside my box. I was scared at first, because it looked official and I had some brief panic about my safety. I read the return address it said ____ Medical Associates.
I took the envelope into the kitchen. Inside there was a brief letter and four pages of paper, stapled together on the top left corner.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“Dear LT (but my real name),
You are scheduled for an appointment on September 28, 2011 at 10:30 AM with Dr. W____. In order to help us understand your medical history, treatment history, and family history of disease, please fill out the included forms as thoroughly as possible. The more detail that you can provide, the better understanding of your health and your medical concerns we will have. Please bring the completed forms to your appointment.
If you have any questions, contact us at (xxx) xxx-xxxx.
_____ Medical Associates
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
After rereading the note, I looked at the forms that were included:
The first page seemed fine. It required (a) general information about me, (b) information about my current symptoms, and (c) information about my current physical and psychiatric conditions, treatment, and medications.
The second page got harder. It required (a) past illnesses or injuries and (b) treatment received for those listed in part (a)
(I never know how to answer these types of questions…Do I talk about childhood events or just events as an adult (after 18)? Why does it matter?)
.
The third and forth pages sucked. They were all about family. There were separate boxes for grandparents, mother, father, siblings… There were circles to fill in next to diseases for each family member. Some diseases I have heard about like cancer and heart disease and diabetes. Some diseases I never heard of like polycystic ovary syndrome and osteomalacia (rickets) and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. There were TONS of diseases listed. Many had lines next to them for “more information,” such as what type of cancer or what age diagnosed. Pages 3 and 4 even asked about whether each family member was living or deceased…
I dropped the papers to the counter and slid my hands through my messy hair. I felt defeated… and then without any warning, I screamed for the whole world to hear:
How the fuck do I know?
I fucking hate this
You see, I dont know anything about my family medical history. Nothing. Not a thing. Am I destined for cancer? Dunno. Did my family have thyroid problems? Dont have a fucking clue. Did my mother have female problems? Who the fuck knows?
I am a medical mystery
because
I have no knowledge of my family history
This sucks for me…
…and it sucks for the doctors.
Couldn’t “the system” get something for me? Some kind of medical history, so I don’t look at forms with a blank stare? There was some system involvement and contact with the bioparents before they “disappeared” or went off to do their time. Did the system not fucking care to get some medical information for me? I guess not.
.
I dont understand how diseases really work, but since every fucking doctor I see, asks about “family history” I suspect that it is important.
I understand that how I entered foster care might have been *difficult,* but it should be mandatory that workers do their dammest to get some family 
medical history when kids enter the system. It should be provided when kids get adopted or age-out. I am a ticking time bomb in a sense, because I have no idea what could pop up at any given time. I once read that doctors have to do more tests on people presenting with no family medical history, to get a baseline. It makes sense, but I have no money. I have no insurance. Who knows if I ever will…
As I stared at the papers, I felt full of sadness and angst. My whole childhood was full of unknowns. And although I left foster care, my life continues to be haunted by my foster care past ….. continuously full of unknowns…
Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: aged-out foster kids, Foster Care, foster child, foster home, foster kid, foster parents, medical history, social workers.
1.
KimB | September 24, 2011 at 12:37 am
Many diseases and disorders are related to genes, so that is why family history is so important when it comes to medical issues. You are 100% right that the system should keep records of family health because even conditions such as addiction have a genetic component. It must be very hard not knowing any history.
2.
Krista | September 24, 2011 at 12:38 am
Dearest, I want to write a whole bunch of stuff to let you know I am listening and I care…but I will have to write it all tomorrow because I’m trying to get through bronchitis and my sleep medication is kicking in. Stay strong, dearest LT.
3.
The Sleeper | September 24, 2011 at 12:49 am
This is a very difficult issue to deal with for foster children or adopted children. I have an adopted child with absolutely no family history. Like you, she entered into the system under emergency circumstances and we were never provided anything. Be honest with the doctors so that they take the right precautions regarding your thyroid.
It is important to fill out your history from childhood, as it contributes to their understanding of your health. If you are concerned about writing it down, ask Dr. Val to help you. Hang in there kiddo. You are taking a step toward self-care that is important.
4.
Pat | September 24, 2011 at 12:56 am
LT, this is yet another issue that foster children have to deal with that people just don’t think about. I hate that this complicates things for you even more. You can only give the dr.’s office the information you have; don’t let the forms get you down. Hopefully the specialist knows how to treat you based on the tests you have already had. It sucks that you have to jump over so many EXTRA hurdles just because you grew up in foster care.
I’ve been visiting with a child in a “therapeutic residential placement” for some time, and today was her birthday so we had a little party for her. I took a cake, another lady who visits her (after the case manager recruited at a church for visitors) took her balloons, and her GAL brought drinks and a game. We took her a few gifts. She had such a good day – and afterward I cried because she turned 14 today and it’s the first birthday party she’s ever had.
Please keep writing and sharing your wisdom about the foster care system. Your insight is amazing, you write beautifully, and your message is important! Thank you for your blog, LT!
5.
dimple | September 24, 2011 at 12:59 am
:/ that medical record thing you suggested, is definitely a good idea. it really should be done for foster kids. it would be incredibly beneficial.
the best thing to do, when filling out medical forms, is to just put down what you know and when they ask about your medical history, they mean everything that happened to you in your whole life. so, yes, childhood things.. but it’s okay if you can’t remember everything. no one knows everything about their own medical history, even people with families that discuss their medical histories on the regular.
hopefully not knowing if your bio parents had thyroid problems won’t make it that much harder for them to fix your thyroid.
how’s your throat feeling, anyway? better, i hope :]
6.
Mione | September 24, 2011 at 1:06 am
As for why they want to know about childhood events – for instance, I had the measles when I was a kid, which hardly anybody has had anymore thanks to vaccines. I still have hearing problems related to that. Sometimes doctors see a clue to what’s happening now in your past medical history.
7.
James | September 24, 2011 at 1:07 am
LT, I hope I’m not out of line for suggesting this but have you thought of tracking down your bio-mom? If you’ve already tried please accept my apologies but if you haven’t then perhaps it could help? Did your brother mention anything about her the last time you saw him? Here’s a link that might help you get started, if that’s what you want.
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Someone
Perhaps this would be a good subject to talk with Dr. Val about? Maybe in the process of looking for your mom you might come across information about other relatives like grandparents or aunts/uncles. In order to maintain your anonimity maybe KC or Dr.Val could help you with the search and act on your behalf.
Peace and I wish you nothing but the best, James
8.
complicatedwaltz | September 24, 2011 at 4:02 am
Sweet LT,
I’m sorry this is yet another failure of the foster system. The whole medical and family history is just there as pieces of a puzzle. The more the doctor knows, the easier it is for her to help you. But it’s okay if she doesn’t have all the pieces, she can still do her job and you can still be healthy. I disagree with your image of a “ticking time bomb.”
Modern medicine is a great thing. You will be okay, even with gaps in your history.
Sometimes, even those of us with bio-parents in the picture don’t know the full history. My mother is mentally unstable, physically unwell, and lies about her health. She exaggerates minor problems, lies about things that don’t exist, and is in denial about real medical problems. I never know quite what to write! In the case of my husband, his mother abandoned him when he was a kid, so like you, he doesn’t know anything about her medical history. My husband was born with a birth defect, and we never knew if it was a fluke, or something that might run in his mother’s family. The doctors asked us about it, when I was pregnant, but we just didn’t know. It didn’t really change the outcome, or treatment plan. Yes, it is something that must run on his mom’s side. We figured that out when one of our son’s was born with the same defect. We just do the best we can, and we’re both able to still get good medical care, even without all the pieces.
9.
Fi | September 24, 2011 at 4:43 am
i totally agree that more effort needs to go into the fullest picture possible of the history of kids in care.
I also agree with the others about telling them everything…the abuse and your body’s response left you with alot of cortisol coursing around your body. This is a hormone, and all hormones interact. Like others have suggested, maybe Dr Val could help you write the history of what you do know., I imagine it’s incredibly difficult and painful.
Thanks for raising it…. something else us foster carers can advocate for.
10.
Lee | September 24, 2011 at 7:10 am
I am so with you on this LT. I go through this all the time with my kids and it really really is scary as a parent to say “I have no way to know.” You did ask about medical stuff when you were a kid and I would include that. Usually drs want to know. One of my children has a medical disease that is rare to see in children and it is very likely that it was passed on from family genetics. However as hard as it is to face the not knowing it is also important to know that the drs are still going to be able to treat you. So hopefully soon you are going to be knowing why you are so tired and what you can do about it. And now I am going to talk like a nagging mom–are you eating heatlhy food?? Your body needs that especially after being sick with strep!
11.
Melissa | September 24, 2011 at 7:22 am
I’ve never seen them ask for family in so much detail before. That must have been very frustrating. My husband and son are both adopted and know nothing about their family medical histories. For what it’s worth, a lot of people who grew up in their biological families also don’t know all that stuff about their family history. I’m sure the doctor has seen many people who don’t have all the answers.
I hope everything goes well next week and you start feeling better! Praying for you! (((LT)))
12.
Beth | September 24, 2011 at 9:18 am
I’m so sorry, LT. I feel this way everytime I try to fill out paperwork on my adopted son. There just isn’t a way I’ll ever know his whole medical history. I’ve asked, I’ve searched, I’ve begged, I’ve even called his bio father and asked, but I’ve gotten very little information. If I feel this way I can only barely scratch the surface of how I’m sure you feel.
It isn’t fair, but I can tell you this. I’m a nurse. I’m the one who takes the medical history. While it makes the doctor’s life easier to know the family history (kind of a guiding point for where to look first) it is NOT at all impossible for them to figure out what is wrong without it. Plenty of people in the world who didn’t grow up in foster care know NOTHING of their family history. The doctors can find out what is wrong and (if they are a good doctor) they will keep working to find it.
You are totally right about the system needing to find more medical history. It is hard for them, but not impossible. For you, it is now impossible and they should have done more for you, LT. You deserved more.
13.
Medkid | September 24, 2011 at 9:28 am
You’re right LT, that does suck. Don’t worry too much about it medically speaking. I have to be honest with you even when I ask patients who grew up knowing their parents about their family history it is the rare individual that actually that knows enough about it to tell me. Honestly taking care of yourself is better medicine than pretty much anything a doctor can give you (and this is coming from someone who is on year 8 of 11 of becoming a doctor!). Be well LT. Hang in there.
14.
DK | September 24, 2011 at 9:30 am
I could not agree with you more. Parents should be required to give this information to providers before they can recieve the services they need to work on getting their children back OR they should be required sign consents for the providers to have access to the parent’s medical records. This is one more loss that the children unfortunately have to suffer because of the adults in their life making crappy choices.
I wish the parents rights didn’t always seem to superceed the rights of the children! You have EVER right to be pissed off about this . . . I would be too!
Good luck with your appointment
15.
Becca | September 24, 2011 at 9:51 am
LT, I’m sorry you don’t know more about your family medical history. I’m sure that is frustrating and very upsetting. The most important thing now is that you are taking care of yourself and seeing the specialist. I am glad you are moving forward. Hope you feel better soon.
16.
Linda | September 24, 2011 at 10:10 am
LT, I am an adoptee and have no family medical history. I am in my late 30s. A few years ago I was diagnosed with lupus, which is an autoimmune disorder that varies in severity. I often wonder what the course of the disease will be for me; but it is all a mystery because I have no idea if it runs in my family. People do not recognize the value of knowing what diseases occur in their family or what their family members died from. But it is very important. The best example I can think of is heart disease. If you know heart disease runs in your family, you can alter your eating habits as a preventative measure. Calling yourself a medical mystery is accurate.
17.
Lynn | September 24, 2011 at 11:49 am
I wish I had a medical history that I could loan you. It hurts me to remember who is not in my life every time a doctor asks for my history. I’m so sorry that you’re having to go through this.
You’re right about foster care and records, too (if they’re that important than you deserve a chance at receiving your records… I think that should be mandatory.)
I hope you get answers at your appointment. Take care, LT.
18.
Splintered | September 24, 2011 at 12:31 pm
I listened to an interview once with physician researchers who stated that 60-70% of people can recall cancer history in their family. They also said that people are more accurate knowing the diseases their family did not have. Either recall is good for understanding genetic susceptibility. I am sorry that you have more unknowns in your life.
19.
Jen | September 24, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Mention stuff from before you were 18 – including the fact that you often didn’t get enough to eat and that you were abused, because the stress might have affected how your body grew.
20.
Rose | September 24, 2011 at 1:45 pm
I am sorry that the system did not provide medical information for you. That stinks. Good luck at the endocrinologist.
21.
abbys_momma | September 24, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Yeah it sucks. Those forms are overwhelming for me too. You just do the best you can. I’m soooo excited though that you are going to the endocrinologist.
22.
Krista | September 24, 2011 at 2:49 pm
OK, I’m finally feeling a bit more like a human being, so here goes:
1. What they want on the second page is everything that happened to you from childhood on. They’re mostly interested in the stuff that required a doctor’s care or hospitalization. HOWEVER, it would be a good idea for you to also mention the malnutrition you suffered as a child, too, because that has an impact on your hormones. The reason they want all this stuff is to see of there were any past medical problems that are part of a larger syndrome. Having one thing not working right can wind up being related to a whole system of stuff not working right, and that’s why they ask questions about any previous illnesses or injuries that you’ve had.
2. Some diseases have a genetic link, like the thyroid problems I told you about with my family. Some families have a breast cancer gene, so women in those famiies have to be careful to get mammograms done. Other families, well, ther are a whole bunch of different medical problems that are partially genetic. BUT, dearest LT, it is possible to have these same problems without the genes that make having a specific problem more likely. Also, it is possible to have a gene for a certain problem and never develop that problem — scientists think that genetics are a part of what triggers some disorders, but environment, stress levels, and preventative measures all play a part too. Like, for example, if someone had a gene that makes it more likely for them to develop lung cancer. If they don’t smoke, or work in a coal mine, or work as a firefighter, they aren’t exposed to the triggers in the environment that cause the lung cells to mutate into cancer more easily. One way or the other, dearest, life is a gamble. None of us know all of what our genetics say what problems or diseases we have a susceptibility to. Even the best-informed of us only know a little bit, so you’re not as bad off as you might think.
3. You’re absolutey right that it isn’t fair that you don’t have access to medical records — your childhood records, your parents’ medical information, your brother’s medical information, all of it. It’s total bullshit that you can’t get your hands on it.
I am so proud of you for getting good health care for yourself. It’s one way to model self-love — you are a wonderful, special young lady who deserves good health and good health care.
23.
Kryss | September 24, 2011 at 4:54 pm
In IL (Not your state…I think) the laws are changing on specific things you can access in regards to health information of parents after being a foster kid. I’m not sure how far they go- but it might be good to go back and check out if the laws to see if they have changed recently on what information you have access to in your state.
I have a friend who just received some of her medical records and more detailed family history. She just discovered she had siblings that she did not know about it. She also got some information on her parents and their causes of death which is a part of a medical history. IL also will help her to connect to one family member of her choosing for free.
While it can be important & useful to know specific diseases that can run in your biofam, all of those things have tests too. It just helps a doctor to know where to start. He just will start in a different place with you and not pick out a test based on family history.
For example- if you knew you had a specific digestion problem that ran in your family, they’d probably test that first before testing something else. But, if they don’t know that they run general tests to rule out before moving onto specific tests. Then if those tests come back a certain way THEN he’d run the digestion test. So you will get to the same spot either way.
It is important to fill out it as best you can and as honestly as you can. If you don’t know, just leave it blank. Or write simply unknown on the page. You do not have to go into detail to why you do not know. There are plenty of reasons and doctors have to deal with that all the time. And, lots of times, people fill out their history’s wrong or incomplete anyway, so doctors DO have to take it with a grain of salt.
24.
MamaMama | September 24, 2011 at 9:38 pm
I am sorry that does suck. I think you can write “unknown” at the top. Keep trucking.
25.
Jackie | September 24, 2011 at 9:48 pm
Dear and Sweet LT,
I am so sorry you are going through this. You are exactly right: This should be done for every child who goes through Foster Care. I hope people in “the system” who are reading your blog are taking notes. Your writing is really a blessing to caseworkers.
Everyone has already given such good advice that I will only add that I bet Dr. Val has had experience with this and would be able to help you.
Please eat extra veggies, if you can, dear LT. Get some protein in there, too. Feel better soon! Hugs from me and *purr purr* from the cats.
Love
Jackie
26.
michelle v | September 24, 2011 at 10:52 pm
maybe you could ask some past supportive foster parents if they had anything on you in terms of med history. hippie parents maybe? otherwise just write on the forms “unknown — long term foster care childhood” it’s sad, but probably more common than you think. good awareness for other kids in the system now
hugs
♥ michelle
27.
Dana | September 25, 2011 at 12:28 am
Unfortunately, what you’re describing is the way it is for many people. My brother in law’s father was adopted as an infant and then died in his early 40′s. They have no medical history on his family at all. My brother in law found out a few years back that he has high cholesterol and high blood pressure probably due to a family history of it that he never knew about.
I have no medical history on my son. He has recently been having issues at preschool and we have had to start from scratch trying to figure out what the problem is. As it turns out, after many tests and a sleep study, he has sleep apnea and needs his tonsils and adenoids removed. Will this solve the problem? Who knows? If I knew there was a history of something like ADHD, I could start there, but we will forever have to start from the beginning and run test after test until we find an answer.
I guess what I’m saying is, yes, it sucks, but it is reality for a ton of people. Also, in a way, maybe it is a good thing. You hear of people not getting things like breast exams because there is no history of breast cancer and they think they are safe. Then, they end up with it and don’t find it until it is too late. With no medical history, you’ll get the preventive treatments you need because you simply don’t know.
So, fill out the paperwork to the best of your ability and if they ask about family, simply answer that you don’t know because you don’t have a lot of family medical history and leave it at that. They don’ t need the details of your life.
28.
Foster Mom in Training | September 25, 2011 at 1:43 am
I’m so sorry, LT. I wish I could go to the doctor with you. I’m sorry that you have to deal with this repeatedly. I hope you feel better quickly. ((hugs))
29.
Dinah | September 25, 2011 at 12:57 pm
We got birth family medical hx when we adopted a baby that we had gotten at a week old out of foster care. WE got it from the birth mom. DHS had me fill out reams of paperwork on his health and behavior and then released it back to us. Funny thing, they took out the party where I told them he had a family hx of mental illness! The bad thing about not knowing anything about medical history is that you don’t know anything. The good thing is that it takes no time to fill out the forms!
30.
tikunolam | September 25, 2011 at 2:52 pm
I have been filling in Unknown for my little one for the doctors since she came to us too. I wish I knew something, anything, about her family history. It must be such a feeling of disconnect to not be able to have answers to those questions.
Of course history only tells any doctor so much. I have complicated endocrine issues not shared by anyone in my bio family. Who knows why I was born with them.
I hope the doc can help with the thyroid issue to help your energy levels. Usually thyroids are easy to tweak, hope that will be the case for you.
31.
Linda K | September 26, 2011 at 11:33 am
Dear LT, In Ohio, the foster care system is required by law to release to a youth all of their health information from while in foster care (as well as any family medical history they have been able to find) when they emancipate. I believe it might even be a federal law. Have you tried contacting the agency that held your custody and requesting/demanding any info they may have? At the least, they should be able to tell you what heatlh care service providers you went to, and your doctor could request your records. (if they cannot provide you with this info, they have violated your rights, and I do believe you have grounds to sue them).
I am so sorry that your foster care experience was so bad. But not all foster homes fall below the mark. I work for a wonderful agency, and we work hard at advocating for our kids’ rights. I license the foster homes, and I am diligent and thorough in investigating the homes to make sure no baddies creep in, and that the ones that we have maintain the standards for foster care set by my state and my agency. There are so many factors that play into the quality of care-from the state laws down to public agency case workers and private agency case managers. I will admit to having seen a number of public agency case workers in my time who did not do their jobs well. But, when you consider the size of their caseloads and the horrendous paperwork demands placed upon them, it is hard to determine if poor case work is due to that, or the incompetence of the workers.
In other cases, agencies are often forced to put more kids in a single home than ideally what is considered best practice, because they just have no options. Then again, there are the private treatment agencies who should only place two kids in a single treatment home, but place up to five. I am one of the first to agree that the sysyem needs work and improvement, and lots has been done over the past ten years, but there is sure room for lots more growth.
I want you to know that I appreciate every word you write and every feeling you share; I use your thoughts and observations to help improve my social work practice. I hope you are feeling better today! Linda K
32.
RW | September 26, 2011 at 11:42 am
LT, I wouldn’t worry about it. Diagnosing a person and figuring out how best to treat their problem is what doctors do, mainly based on your current symptoms. They are used to people who forget their own medical history and are uninformed about their family’s medical history. Sadly, many people don’t know their medical history or their family’s because they were not able to get access to treatment.
Doctors want your medical history, and your family’s medical history, to give them extra clues, besides your current symptoms, for figuring out what is going on with you now. Personal history, and, to a lesser extent, family history, can help them make a diagnosis quicker, or could lead them to choose one particular treatment as the first to try (like if you had a close relative who was allergic to the normal medicine, then they would try giving you something else first).
It is easier for doctors if somebody writes “unknown” than if somebody writes something definite, but it turns out to be inaccurate, like if their grandmother really had ovarian cancer, but told people it was her liver because she was too embarrassed to talk about her reproductive organs. I once read about a woman whose parents never told her she was adopted, so it took her doctors a long time to figure out that she had this serious genetically transmitted disorder because she said she had no family history of it. AFTER she got diagnosed, her parents were forced to admit that they were not her biological parents.
Almost all of the time, once you have been diagnosed, it doesn’t affect your treatment whether your family has a history of the same problem or not. I’m pretty sure that’s true of thyroid disorders.
BTW, being skinny is not a problem by itself, but it’s a problem when it goes along with being tired and eating a lot, because taken all together those things indicate that your body is not absorbing the nutrients it needs in order to work properly.
If you or your doctor want to search for your personal medical records, I bet you could find something. You have a right to a copy of your educational records, under a federal law called FERPA. They will have some medical information, mainly vaccinations. Foster children are entitled to Medicaid insurance, so Medicaid must have records of which doctors you have been to, and maybe also the reasons. I have no idea if Medicaid will release any of that info. Now that you have a lawyer, though, he could find out what rights you have to your Medicaid records. A lot of time you can get things a lot easier and quicker if a lawyer writes a letter requesting them.
I know you asked your state for your foster care records and they refused you, but probably they avoided telling you that they have to give them up to you if you get a court order (this is the law in many states). A lawyer can pretty easily figure out what is needed to get a judge to approve such a court order. Often it’s evidence of a “compelling reason”, and needing access to your medical and “social” history (social history for its effect on your current mental and physical health) would be a compelling reason. Of course the lawyer wouldn’t do it for free, but I think it would be an excellent use of the money you will get from your lawsuit.
It’s important to request records as soon as you are able because some places only have to keep records for a certain number of years.
33.
sensiblyunhinged | September 26, 2011 at 1:36 pm
It’s always those things that so many of us take for granted – like medical forms with family history…
I just recently read a blog that the adoptive mom was having some issues with the wording on her child’s school form…it said Name of Birth Mother. Simple thing, but the wording says so much.
I am so sorry that these little things can really amount to really big feelings. Sometimes I get angry at how politically correct we have become, but then things like this remind me that some people really are greatly affected by these things.
So sorry, LT. And I do agree with the medical history being available to adopted or aged out kids. It’s your right.
34.
Crumble | September 26, 2011 at 1:50 pm
I am sorry, LT.
35.
Cesarea | September 27, 2011 at 12:58 am
I’m sorry you have to think about such heavy stuff every time you see the doctor, LT. If it helps, I think that doctors are used to working with incomplete/missing family histories. One sentence about not knowing due to being raised outside of your biological family should cover it. If you express your concerns, I’m sure he or she will be thorough. Good luck!
36.
carlisle | March 8, 2012 at 10:09 pm
When they ask your history, yes, they do mean your childhood too. I think it may be helpful if you mention to them you were a foster kid because if you don’t have your shot/vaccine records that will have to be addressed….if you want to email me your city or county and state, I’ll look for treatment options in your area for medical care for people without insurance, but of course you don’t know me, so otherwise I will suggest checking with your local county health department or your state department of health and human services. Also, sometimes large hospitals have programs for what is called ‘charity care’, free care, they don’t always mention it if you don’t ask. Prestigious hospitals often have excellent charity care programs—I got my teeth fixed and everything (at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago).
37.
Heather | September 14, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Hi LT,
I just came across your blog. Thank you for being so strong and courageous and writing it.
I am not a foster child nor adopted, but my daughter is. I just had to fill out a ton of paper work trying to get speech therapy for her. I just had the same reaction, yelled WTF, and tossed the forms across the table. So many questions about her birth, and early miles stones, like when did she walk, or first speak, or first string 2 words together. I reached the point where I couldn’t write “unknown” one more time.
I cannot even begin to imagine how frustrating it is for you. But felt like I needed to respond. Your story just struck a chord with me. thank you for writing and having the courage to say all the really tough things.