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Mama, it sounds as if you may be suffering from peripheral neuritis. Are you a diabetic? Please call a doctor and make an appointment. This can be fixed.

Oh dear, please go to the ER if you do not have health insurance. My friend was dying of diabetics and he did not even know he had it...he went to the ER because he did not have health insurance. Please go and I will pray for you....

Yes Mama please listen to these ladies..I don't want to scare you but my uncle waited and waited and now he is a double amputee and you don't want that...call an ambulance or someone and get the the ER now!

I wonder how she's doing.

I have been in bed with about the same thing, feet swollen to the knees finally, and very hot on fire with a stiff calf. Not 1 leg but both. Took some water pills, been laying in bed with feet up for 3 days and the swelling is starting to ease up, but now they are turning a purplish color and so sore. I have had cold wah rags put on them too cool down. Tried getting into my doctor, they were out with the flu and the receptionist told me not to go to a ER or urgent care because of the flu. Well I have dealt with this as long as I can, so go. They can't get blood out of a turnip my grandmother use to say, pay them $10.00 a month but don't suffer any longer with this.

I apologize for having vented like that. I don't really have anyone to talk to and am feeling especially down right now. Nothing new, I've been struggling with depression for many years now.

Going to an ER would not be a very good thing for me. My immune system is compromised and being around all those people with flu would make me worse off than I am now. All the hospital ERs around here are crowded 24/7 these days.

I used to be naive about what it meant to be uninsured. I was led to believe that if you were really sick and didn't have any money, you could go to an ER and still get treatment. And for some reason I dumbly thought if you didn't have money that you would somehow not be billed. Found out I was wrong about both points.

I can get some care at the local VA Hospital because I'm a veteran. But I have been inpatient there twice and am terrified of ending up there again. I've never felt so dehumanized and suicidal as I was in there. Last time I was there I was sure I would die there. If I hadn't pushed hard for a discharge.......I'm not sure I would have gotten out at all.

I know I probably don't sound reasonable about some of what I'm saying, but there is so much going on with my health. I really don't think I could emotionally handle explaining all of it, so you're getting a very small picture of what's got me so down.

I'll be fine. My outlook always comes around. Not so much that I ever feel cheerful anymore, but at least enough to keep me plodding along, ticking off each day.