STEAM ROOM FOR ANGER
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She was one of a kind and treasured by so many people and gave pleasure to so many. We can only hope to live to that ourselves and brighten other people as much.
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Betty White will be missed by many. I did hear a recent statement she made about feeling good as she approached one hundred. Good to know she was feeling good rather than suffering.
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The more I hear about things I did not know about her, like her serving in WWII, the more I am amazed by her. Things she did for race relations in the early days and insisting on using diverse cast members. She was such an animal lover as well and did a lot of work with animal shelters. What a special person.
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I'm so stressed and upset right now I'm almost shaking. My hormone therapy is over $700 per month on top of my almost $1000 premium and I owed my provider over $5000. After a lot of effort I was approved for financial assistance which cut my bill down to under $1000. Recently I received a statement for over $5000. I thought this was an insurance/processing issue as often in the past I would receive bills prematurely while they were still being negotiated by the insurance or going through whatever internal processing they go through and I would be told to disregard them because they were inaccurate but I just learned today that the bill is due to my financial assistance being revoked because they say they did not receive the reduced payment.
I'm now trying to determine if this is actually the case that it wasn't received. A few years back, as a holiday gift to myself, I tried to pay off all of my medical debt. I walked up to one of their payment desks in person, asked how much I owed for everything and zeroed out my balance then and there. I later discovered that some of it didn't get credited to my account and no one I spoke with seemed to know anything about this payment desk or where they got the value I was told to pay. I think I had to fax copies of the receipt to clear the issue up.
I'm so upset, I received no communications explicitly informing me that the reduced payment in question wasn't received or that they were going to revoke my financial assistance because of it. Just statements that change constantly and are incorrect half of the time.
I was told someone would be calling me about the issue in a few minutes. That was 2 hours ago and now they are going to lunch.
I feel like I'm being punished for getting cancer and not having thousands of dollars a month at my disposal.
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Had an issue on my last mamo on my non cancer side. They told me to call in January to schedule to come back for a follow up 3 D mamo and ultrasound since they could not shedule me 6 months out in the computer and gave me a card to call in January. Called and then the scheduler said I had to get a new referral from oncologist before they could schedule me!!! Really?? Radiologist there was the one who told me to call to start with! So put in message to oncology. Then after being notified it was sent over called the next day to schedule scans. They said what they sent was not what they needed and it had to say it was for "follow up" on it and did not. So back to oncology again. Then get a message they had to send it to the "outside scheduler" to send over. Still waiting now. At this point wondering if I'll get it done before my next MO appointment in March! So annoying.
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Wow, bcincolorado, that's nuts! I noticed that one of my insurance changes for next year is that most scans and tests no longer need as many referrals. Maybe it was driving the insurance people up a wall, too.
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It is Medicare so do not know. They felt it was important enough to check on again in 6 months and not wait for a year so just hope it is still "watch and see" whenever they get it
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Yeah, mine is Medicare advantage. Ooh, that reminds me, I need to switch my card in my wallet.
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We at least made to a new year. I do not carry my cards since I cannot drive and have left my purse places now. DH carries them since he has to drive me and go to my appointments anyway due to speech issues I have from other health issues I have. He can check me in and give them my stuf that way.
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I don't drive, either. I use a small, thin wallet with Velcro fastening to carry my insurance, state ID, Covid vax, a credit card if I'll have unknown co-pays, and a few dollars, and stick it in my pocket. I have never bought pants without pockets - a carryover from my smoking days, I guess. During Cancer Crap Year ™, my husband was my wallet. In fact, early on, when he needed something practical to do, I gave him the responsibility for paperwork and financials.He still tracks a lot of that.
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Mail yesterday brought a letter from the breast screening center stating I needed to call and schedule a follow up appointment!!! Well we've been trying to do that!!! Figure now we'll end up speaking with supervisor at the scheduling office at this point. It is driving me crazy.
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Oh, bc, how frustrating. It's like you want to yell at the letter, "THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO!!!" I hope you can get it scheduled ASAP.
Carol
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bc, I know the facility is required to send those letters. I have gotten them after I had scheduled the recheck. However, your situation is even more frustrating. Hope you had a good long yell at the letter!
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I did when it came. At least I know if it is something really growing in there most cancers are slow moving at least but is frustrating all the same. Then if it is something not sure what I would even want to about it at this point depending on what it Cancer is the pits no matter what stage you are and the drama is ongoing all the time it seems.
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Keep us poste bc. Did they give you a birads 3 on your last report? Seems like if so this should not be an issue. However I know year to year coverage and rules change all the time. Wishing you the best
Feeling really lonely. Not sure if I will ever get used to this. I hate it. Especially with the covid stuff. The basement light didn’t come on this morning when I flipped the switch so I put a light bulb on my shopping list. No big deal right? After I finished my laundry and un plugged everything else about 2 hours later that one bulb was on. Freaked me out. I also feel like something or someone is messing with my thermostat at night. Wth
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Sending warm hugs, ctmbsikia. I'm sorry you're so lonely. It's such an adjustment to lose your partner, especially during the isolation of Covid19 restrictions.
When my brother in law died suddenly my sister had such a hard time adjusting to a quiet house. They had been together almost thirty years. What made it even harder for her was that they had just moved eighty miles away from friends and family. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it made it so much harder for any of us to just drop over and sit with her.
Be well, ctmbsikia. I hope things get better for you soon.
Trish
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So aggravated! Six months ago I had a mammogram. Lots of problems getting a good view. They even called me back in the room after I had already dressed for another go round. I ended up with bruising for the first time. It took two months to get a report back because my previous one had been at a different facility and they wanted to compare them. The report said to repeat in six months. Now to the present. I had another mammogram at a different place in town. She argued with me about wether I had a mastectomy first or the lumpectomy. I think I'm pretty sure I know the difference. They have a 3-D machine and I thought this might give them a clearer picture. It's important to know that these are all being read by the same radiologist. The next day I get a call from the tech that I need to redo it but somewhere else because they aren't Medicare certified for "diagnostic 3-D mammos". I'm supposed to get my Faslodex shots tomorrow which may or may not happen because we have covid in the house. I'll have to see in the morning what they say to do. Now, do I ask them to find somewhere to get a mammogram or push for a PET scan? I'm getting pretty stressed out by it all. Looking to get talked off the bridge.
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Wow I would be totally annoyed also, they seem a bit unorganized! Sounds to me as though you still need to have your mammo with 3D. A PET is not used to evaluate breast tissue like a mammo is. It used to rule out metastasis from your breast cancer.
Is this a large practice? Are you going to another office within their practice that is certified for diagnostic 3D? If you are returning to the same practice I would confirm that the radiologist reading your mammo is a women's imaging specialist also. I work in a large radiology practice and we have a couple women's imagers that only read mammo, breast MRI etc. These radiologists in my opinion are better because that is all they do! So if you have that option I would go that route. If they don't you can request a specific radiologist to read your mammo if you had a thorough report by them in the past.
I am so sorry you are stressed by this, I would be too! People don't realize how stressful imaging is for a previous or current cancer patient! I wish you all the best on getting a good study and good results. Be well.
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I don't know if it will help you, Grace, but whenever I have to deal with inept clerical staff or bumbling bureaucrats I have a mantra I repeat over and over. "Non illegitimi carborundum". It roughly translates to "Don't let the bastards get you down."
The great thing about it is you can say it to someone's face and they have no idea that you've just insulted them. Plus it feels kinda classy to swear in Latin 😉
If that's not enough to make me feel better, I have another stealth insult as a backup. A deaf friend taught me how to sign "Eat shit and die". Gotta be careful with that one, though. These days you never know who understands ASL. Gotten myself in trouble more than once with that one. 😁
Trish
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I'm in a small community so the radiologist at the hospital also reads the mammos from the OB-GYN office where I had the 3-D done. I'm not sure she has ever given me an all's OK report. The OR I saw 8 years ago said he thought she over-read when she knew BC had been diagnosed before. I'm guessing the next nearest is 1-2 hours away. I usually ended up back at my MOs office four hours away but I'm dealing with a new to me practice as my old one left. The new one's in a different direction an hour away so I'm thinking he will be referring me to new places. Between this and 3 family members in the house with covid despite being vaccinated I'm going crazy. A good night's sleep would help. I usually just mutter under my breath at incompetent people but she just didn't believe me. Look at my chart idiot.
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I'm struggling. Since the Abraxane shortage, I have been on Taxotere. I started in October 2021 so I'm about four months in, and got the news that I have bone mets. So, now Xgeva has been added to my treatment regimen. I don't know if it's the Taxotere or the Xgeva or the combination of the two, but I can barely move from the extreme fatigue. I was tired all week last week, which ended with a significanlty rapid decline in mobility over the weekend. I didn't have any fatique when I was on Abraxane. I'm both exhausted and pissed off that this is happening because I can't get the treatment I need. There has been no updates on the Bristol Myers Squibb website except to say that updates are coming. They actually issued press releases stating they'd be issuing another press release - month, after month, after month - the same press release. The "update" has continuously been that they'd have more information "next" month. What the hell?
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Hi. Have another issue at my house. I woke up to water on the floor. Not a lot. I think it came in through a window that is in need of replacing but I have one of those landlords that is currently residing in Florida for the winter. I asked my son to investigate. He and his girlfriend recently had covid. Both are doing OK as am I. I cancelled some things to be safe since I was around him when he was probably contagious. Had my booster last week, no side effects what so ever. Was invited to my nieces for a brunch yesterday, so instead of just not going I knocked on the door, dropped off deviled eggs and stayed outside for about 10 minutes to see my family. Best 10 minutes of the weekend. Then my football team lost-oh well wasn't expecting much. Not looking forward to doing any repairs, but if I can afford it and the landlord will pay me back I need to order a new window soon and stop this madness before the next wind driven rain or snow storm comes by. Ugh!
Hope you all had a good weekend. On Saturday I had a weird episode of being a little out of breath and sweating profusely after doing the floors. I almost jumped in the shower but went outside on the porch instead since it was a very cold day. Then just as fast as it came on, it was gone. Been fine since. Have a lab appt. this week, and MO next week. It best all be routine.
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Oh ctmbiska that is all you need! Windows are not cheap either. Maybe some heavy duty plastic weather proof stuff taped up around the window in the meantime will get you by in the meantime so you haVe no more water coming in.
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Ctmbsikia, Maybe you could try that spray foam that seals cracks. Or caulk.
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I'm doing the best I can out here all by myself. You know I'm not the sharpest tack in the box! I also don't want to bother my son everyday with one thing or another! Upon further investigation I now feel confident that the water on the floor came from the humidifier. It didn't leak, it was just set too high for conditions. The storm that rolled through started as snow and quickly changed to rain all while the temperature went up to almost 50 degrees. The day before was cold and dry. Anyway, that would explain why I can't find any evidence of wetness on and around the sad window. I did spray foam the sill and then made a hole with a screw driver so water would drain out.
Today, on my lunch break I am going shopping for a new area rug. That is something I know how to do and I'm pretty good at it!!
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Well hopefully just a humidifier issue only and not a window. Keeping good thoughts your way!
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Retail therapy is a good thing.
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ctmbsikia, well thats good news! Good luck shoppung
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New rug looks great!
Today's challenges. Failed attempt at putting air in my tires. The light is still on. Ugh. This morning went for bloodwork and just read the results. My total cholesterol is 210. Triglycerides went from 325 to 528. Alk Phos still elevated. Fasting blood sugar just over at 108. Bah. I really don't know how to explain my feelings. I want to keep living for awhile, but I really don't want to change. Haven't I been through enough life changes? I can make minor adjustments, sure. But, if I want wine, I'm gonna have it, and if I want to go buy a pack of smokes, I'm going to. They are still legal. I know perfectly well of the risks and having already had a cancer I damn sure know that one day something is going to show up and whatever doctor I go to that month is not going to be able to fix it. I know this. So, I struggle with a bit of anxiousness of wanting to be left alone. I don't know if feeling like this is rational or not. I know where I'm going, my name is on the stone. Neither myself, or any doctor is going to stop it. I just don't know when or how, so in the meantime, you know, can I just live and stop all this testing and appointments?
/medical rant. Maybe I should ask them to up my meds!
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ctmbiskia we eat pretty much low fat most of the time here and very little meat but we do splurge on sweets sometimes even though DH is diabetic i very small amounts. Sugar free sometimes as well. We have even found no sugar added ice cream we like and a scoop is good.
Imagine your doc is like ours and be reaching out to change your meds arounds. I know DH had issues with triglycerides and they changed some meds around as a result. He sees an endriconrologist who manages that one . Primary keeps track of it all of course.
Hang in there.
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