STEAM ROOM FOR ANGER
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great news Sunshine!
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Congratulations Sunshine!!! I am so happy and relieved for you. Last week I was diagnosed with fat necrosis too after finding a lump just below my sentinel node incision.
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sunshine, sounds like Santa arrived a few days early for ya! Yay!
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🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎅
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Thank you everyone!!!! I'm so relieved not to have to give my family bad news
Wishing you all a peaceful holiday season, whatever you may or may not celebrate.
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Great news Sunshinegal!
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Fortunately, it all worked out for the best for me, but I can't believe how vulnerable this new "insurance rule" will make people.
I recently went to my primary care provider for my annual check-up. When I checked in, the receptionist gave me the notice card shown above. I told her that when I made my appointment, I had also specified some issues I wanted to discuss with my doc. "Yes, I see that in your notes. If the doctor wants to talk about that with you, she'll make that decision. But we have to code wellness exams and health exams separately." Needless to say, I was fully ready to give my PCP an earful. Fortunately, the doc agreed with me completely. She said revisions in insurance procedures caused the change, and they're still working out policies for how to ensure patients get full and appropriate care. She was happy to discuss every health concern I had at that appointment, and gave me the referrals I needed for my continued care.
The take-away - if you are scheduling your annual check up, be sure to specify any health problems you are having. Even if you aren't having a problem, consider saying you do. Then, if something does come up between when you make the appointment and when you show up, you will proactively have the time scheduled to get it checked.
*I am over 50 and a cancer survivor. I'm almost guaranteed to have something that needs discussing, even if it's only to start monitoring a potential issue.
*I am fortunate enough to have a flexible schedule for exams, but not everyone is. People juggling multiple jobs may not be able to take off work to schedule an additional appointment outside their annual exam.
It is appalling that a petty insurance rule would make a health care provider shut us down when we try to discuss a health problem with our doctor in the doctor's office. I hate encouraging people to lie, but if that's how we ensure that we get the medical attention we need without haunting the emergency/urgent care offices, so be it. Be safe.
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Miriandra, good advice! I saw dr in the spring for something and when I tried to bring up another issue he said thats not what this appt is about. I don't remember what the issue was but at the time I remember thinking "jeesh"
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I have run across this in my pre-bc days. The solution, at the time, was to book two back-to-back appts.
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My PCP's office deals with this in part by having a nurse practitioner do the wellness visit. I see my PCP every six months for blood work and chronic conditions. He is open to discussion of other issues, which may lead to a referral to a specialist or scheduling a follow up visit. So far this has worked out OK.
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I just saw my PCP the other day. I have a Medicare Advantage HMO that eliminated primary care copays this year. The annual check used to be the free one, but now they all are. As long as I don't go too much over my allotted time, I can bring up any new health thing. This must vary a lot by insurance plans.
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I agree with Alice that this probably varies depending on one’s insurance. My all inclusive HMO does not have a restriction like this. I recently went on Medicare though I remained a member of my HMO so very little changed. Yes, we are members not patients. Kaiser Permanente employees all the medical and support personnel, owns the hospitals, labs, pharmacies and everything else you might need and is the insurer as well so no third party insurance company.
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Medicare is pretty picky on the annual visits on what the doctor can cover and be reimbursed for. For other issues you need a "follow up" appointment to discuss those I know. I learned that one with DH when he wa first disabled on Medicare longbefore I got on it. Now I bring up nothing when I go and let the doc talk. I think they can give you your shots too at that visit you need.
We figiure we have to see our primary every 6 months anyway at this point anyway so it will be covered. We see see also other doctors as well who are dealing with other medical issues anyway.
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I've got Tricare, which offers very thorough coverage. As long as it doesn't involve crystals or chanting, they'll cover it just about. Other insurance companies are likely to be more stingy. All the more reason to make universal health care an option for all. (Note: for those who like having an accountant without a medical degree undermining your doctor's care, you are welcome to enjoy your private insurance too.)
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Crystals or chanting 😂, let me check my coverage! On a more serious note, Kaiser, at least in my area, employs acupuncturists so they do cover that. I have used them.
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Our company switched insurance companies this year. Back to Atena. While my premium is staying the same amount, and my deductible is $500. less, the co pay for a specialist is going to be $100! Having 3 of them now- if seeing them all 2x's per year is $600., only $100 more then the $500 less deductible I have. My PCP switches their patients from seeing the Dr. and the NP, I wonder if that's how they are getting around this rule I just read here about time, or is that just certain plans, like Medicare? Crazy crazy world we live in. I was out of pocket around $4K this year.
Over my couple extra days off after the holiday I ended up taking my son to an Aspen Dental place. He's been months in pain, on and off, is uninsured, and must be afraid as he has cancelled multiple appointments. He goes next week to extract 2 wisdom teeth and one other that was literally falling apart from the wisdom tooth pushing on it. He was quoted just under $1200. which I didn't think was bad, and it will be done by an oral surgeon. So, my 1st day off next year is to drive him to the appointment! What a brat that kid still is! j/k. I had more labs and another abdominal ultrasound yesterday with the added elastography done, which the tech had to do twice. I was in there for almost an hour. I don't mind as I don't understand any of it, other than it's a score that's calculated, and I have to pass it just like everything else. I just show up and do what they say. When I get the report that's when I will read up on what it may or may not say. Should have results in a couple days.
Feel bad a lot of people had to change plans last minute this holiday. We kept it small, but I am having a few over for New Year's morning/day. Luckily it's going to be 60 outside, praying opening the place up will help with this new variant that's spreading quickly. I hope it spikes and starts to come down as fast as it showed up!
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Here are my ultra sound results. I think I passed, but for those of you who are much better at reading these reports, I worry the Gi doc will still persist (my alk phos is still elevated) and want a liver biopsy?
Also not sure if this is saying it was a poor quality test, yet the measurements the tech did get suggest normal value. See impression #1. That 1.8 kPa is great, right?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and insight.
FINDINGS:
Ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography:
Sites Sampled 2
Site utilized for reporting 2
# Measurements: 6
Interquartile range (IQR)/Median: 40%, suggesting a poor quality data set. (Good quality dataset < or equal to 30%)
Liver stiffness median value: 1.8 kPa
Median values in this range suggest a high probability of being normal.
Please note, although data variability was excessive, values obtained ranged between 1.2 and 3.2 kPa. All values felt within the normal range below 5 kPa.
LIVER: The liver is echogenic consistent with fatty infiltration. The liver is also enlarged measuring 18.7 cm craniocaudad dimension. There is no evidence of cirrhosis or mass. The liver is otherwise normal in size and appearance.
IMPRESSION:
1. Liver stiffness of 1.8 kPa
Median values in this range suggest a high probability of being normal.
The quality of the data is poor. This decreases confidence in diagnostic accuracy.
2. Diffuse fatty infiltration of the liver.
3. Gallbladder adenomyomatosis is noted. This represents a benign finding.
4. The abdomen is otherwise unremarkable.
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ctmbiskia DH had a liver transplant so I know a ton about liver stuff. Reading that it almost reads like it could be similar to NASH which is a condition caused by non-alocholic fatty liver. If you blood ALK POS and BIli tests (did they do those too?) are way off you may end up referred to a hepatologist.
With diet changes and even walking if it is not too far off the liver can recover some and heal. One of the few organs that can. I know for the diet with DH pre-transplant while we learned it all we had to count not only carbs for every meal and they had to be so many each meal and sodium for each (you'd be surprised what all has sodium in it too!!!) , and then went low fat on everything as well.
Best wishes that next year brings better health for you.
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I've known about my intermittent fatty liver the last two years or so. When my weight edges up above a certain point, it shows on tests. When my weight goes down, it shrinks. I think I've had it for years - you know how it is, until we start getting scans, there's all kinds of shit going on inside we don't know about. I gained a LOT of weight when I was pregnant decades ago, and at the time, I blamed the weird feeling on my left side on my unborn son's toe sticking me - and funny enough, it was the first thing on him I checked when he was born, and his big toes were enormous even though he was otherwise on the small side. But it's something that I could feel off and on for ages. Now I just think it's like having a damn alarm going off on the refrigerator! Time for me to watch what I eat.
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Betty white died. I was really looking forward to her 100th birthday. Such a badass. I’m sad and pissed.
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Are you serious? I am in shock! I heard a segment on TV last night about everyone getting ready for her big 100th b-day. I am without words
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WHAT???!!!!!!😢 I'm not a huge celebrity follower, but she's always been so positive and a role model and makes me smile, and the whole 100 birthday with all.the interviews last week. Rip.
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I feel awful about Betty White's death. My mom missed 100 by just a few years, so I kind of hung onto BW making it since they were so close in age and looks and personality. So it's a little like losing Mom all over again. RIP, Betty.
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Partner came in to the room just as we were sitting down to dinner and said "guess who died". I knew immediately it was Betty White - had an inkling last week out of the blue that her time was coming. Her career was amazing, though - I was (randomly) watching the 1953 Oscars on YouTube the other month and right in the middle there was a Cadillac displayed on stage and Miss Betty White was the spokesmodel. Who knew of everyone in that audience who have all been dead and gone a long time that Betty would be with us still 70 years later and such an icon in her own right.
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I was ready for the big celebration too, just a few more weeks. Such a shit way to end the year.
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Betty White lived life with joy and a sense of purpose. A bright life well lived that brought laughter to others. We should all be fortunate to do the same.
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RIP Betty.
I trust she went quickly and I hope with no suffering. Such a loss of such a delightful lady.
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There are few celebrities who deserve a pedestal - Betty White certainly is one of them. Such a wonderful role model (I love her commitment to animals)
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Goldens, I totally agree! She was a delightful lady!
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