My new fitness health watch
My kidneys
Staying healthy has been a focus for me especially since living abroad here in Australia. In the first 2 years living here I had issues with my kidneys, apparently it was around 65-70% optimal but after a few visits with the kidney doctor here and after he started reviewing my City of Hope health records from my bone marrow transplant in 1994, it was expected to be around that percentage and it looks like so far its been stable but the doctor has been monitoring them since.
My gout
Gout has been bad for me and could not figure out how to address it. It kept coming back frequently and I suffered chills at night and pain with swollen toes, ankles, and knees. I have adjusted my diet accordingly and the gout has decreased to around 1-3 gout attacks this past 2 years. The goal is to get it down to one or none a year which was where it was when I was living in California.
My heart attack
In early 2018 I had a heart attack. I had two blockages at 90%, and had two stents put in. I now carry nitroglycerin (spray) in case I suffer another attack. I attended a rehabilitation program that consisted in cardio exercises and attended classes on eating and maintaining a good diet. Since then I walk briskly around 2-1/2 to 3 hours a week. I have been seeing my Cardiologist once a year; he puts me on a treadmill and monitors my heart. So far it’s been good and my heart seems to be good and stable.
Australia’s healthcare
The advantage for me here has been the Australian healthcare system. Within the first month of my arrival in Australia I got a Medicare card. My wife’s family had their family doctor and he became my doctor. From that doctor he referred me to a kidney specialist, a chiropractor for my upper back, (covers 5 free visits a year through Medicare) and when I got my heart attack I got a cardiologist. All my medications were under my Medicare and cost $5.00 per prescription due to my wife’s sponsorship and my current residency; but will probably go to regular price when I start employment. My meds will then be at regular price between $10-15 dollars; which is still inexpensive. I stayed at 3 different hospitals and they took me in an ambulance from one hospital to the other for my heart attack, and stayed in another hospital for a week due to a hand infection.
Overall, my health issues here in Australia has been a challenge but when it came to medical expenses I’ve accumulated since being here I’ve paid nothing; I did however had to fork out some money for medical tests that I had to do that added up to around $500; my wife said to me it’s ok we will just file a claim and send it to Medicare; about a month later, we were reimbursed for 90% of it. I cannot imagine if this happened to me in America; I probably still be paying for all the medical costs.
