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I looked up Nurse Advice Line for my area and lots of health insurance offers them, as well as the large clinic systems. I checked bordering states, too, and the same thing was true there.
I assumed that all insurance and most clinics had advice lines of some kind. Is that not true?
Sometimes it is hard to know whether you should wait to get a same-day appointment tomorrow or go to an ER tonight, or wait it out a while. When I was undecided I always called the help line. I'd say, "I have a rattling/gurgling sound in my chest as I breathe." They would ask a series of questions, pretty much as we have done on this thread. I learned to always take my temperature before calling because they always asked for that. Once they urged me to get an ambulance. Other times it would usually wind up something like this: "You should see your doctor in the next few days. If symptom X gets worse or symptom Y appears, go to walk-in care or the ER. Definitely follow up with your doctor, even if all symptoms clear up on their own."
I remember lying on the floor in excruciating pain, having crawled to my desk and pulled the phone down. I called the help line and described my pain to the nurse. She had me go through a series of movements. Does it hurt to lift one leg off the ground? Try straightening your body. And on and on. Finally she said, "it sounds like a gall bladder problem. Call your clinic first thing in the morning, but they can't do much until this episode is over." OMG! I was sure they'd send an ambulance. But I was glad not to have to go through that if they couldn't do anything immediately but send me back home. I had surgery when the acute symptoms went away.
I see a lot of posts describing symptoms and asking for opinions. I am definitely NOT criticizing this. Really. And it can be very helpful to hear what other caregivers did for their loved ones or for themselves. But I always wonder if people don't have access to a help line or just forget or don't want to use it for some reason.
How about it? Does your insurance and/or clinic offer a phone number to help you decide what your next step should be?
I have a pacemaker, so I will talk to cardiologist.