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Hi n.

First of all, I'm in England and our healthcare is different here, but I have never had a biopsy. I have had chest x rays and ct scans, and I responded to steroids so it has been concluded that I have NSIP type. My doc has decided that a biopsy at this stage wouldn't give them any useful information.

Love Ze xx>> Hello All:> > If anyone remembers my brief appearance in this forum I can't> imagine why you do, but you have a fantastic memory! > > I was diagnosed with IPF in April, 2006, and a few months later > went off to teach English in S. Korea. I had almost two wonder-> ful years there, before the IPF caught up with me and I landed> in a Korean hospital...this was one of the more interesting > experiences I had in Korea, and most of the two years was inter-> esting! > > Fortunately, Korean doctors are well trained, and although medical > services are delivered differently, they are on a par with medical > care here, with the exception of cost. My 12 days in the hospital,> including 2 in intensive care, cost the equivalent of $320 US and > my Korean health insurance paid another $650. My share included > the 24hr a day services of a pbyongwon-a, or substitute family > member, as I had no family in S.K...amazing how one can> communicate without speaking each other's language...> > Anyway, I'm back in the US with blood oxygen hovering at 90-91> (and lower, of course, if I do something like walk across a room...)> I do not have health insurance, and only a modest amount of money,> most of which I need to live indoors and all that good stuff. In the > US I have not seen a pulmonologist, and where I live in N.C. no pulmon> ologist will see you without doing a lot of invasive (and very > expensive)procedures. Several doctors in S. Korea, and one US > internist told me that I would not benefit from these procedures.> > Another friend, an RN, has told me that I MUST, MUST, MUST have a> lung biopsy and a couple of other things, I'm an idiot if I don't do > it even if I have to live in a tent yada, yada, yada. However, she > got a little iffy on the answer to "How will this benefit me?"> > Can anyone here suggest a concrete benefit to me of these procedures? > The best I've gotten from a doctor was "Well, then we'll know what's > going on in your lungs." When my follow-up question was "Will it > change how you treat me?" the response was, "well, maybe..." > spoken in tones that lead me to think the answer was really "well, > no, not at all."> > The trade-off for me is that I might rapidly outlive my money with > even a very short time horizon if I'm spending $$$$$ on medical care. > Medicaid is not possible in N.C. and I don't want to move to another > state where I know no one. S.S. Disability is problematical because > 1) they told me I had to be diagnosed by a pulmonologist (and have > all those tests) and 2) it would take two years to be approved and I > can't receive Social Security Retirement while waiting. (I'm 63)> > As of right now I'm not on any medication (I was given steroids in> S.K., didn't respond) but about to start on oxygen as needed. And one> more thing...I really have no interest in a lung transplant.> > How do you all vote on lung biopsy, bronchoscopy and whatall for some-> one in my financial position? And why?> > n>