After the insurance is gone

I hope that you are one of the people who is dissatisfied when told that your therapy is done when your insurance says it's done. Do not think that since the insurance isn't going to pay anymore, you have gone as far as you are going to go. I have met so many people with aphasia who were told by the doctor or by their therapist that "this is as good as you are going to get", live with it. There is a lot left to be done and to be said when someone tells you this. A lot of people will believe these limiting ideas, lose hope, become depressed, and stop trying to communicate with the world. The only limitation is the one you set for yourself.
The other people will fight, and they will use this experience to push themselves to continue. If your communication is important to you, you will find a way to keep working. You may have been told that there is nothing that can be done for you, but this is not true. I watch it every day at the Aphasia Center. There are many alternatives to consider when your insurance stops paying that are not always ideal, but every little effort you make counts. There are inspirational stories from stroke survivors all around you--Barbara Newborn, Paul Berger, and others--that can provide hope and keep you going. Your insurance may or may not be limited to the number of visits for speech therapy, call them and find out. Does it start over again each calendar year? Does it continue to pay if you continue to make progress? Use all of the resources available to you. Our next blog will help you determine what resources are available. Have comments? Let's hear your story--let it out!!!