As a family, we're starting to realize that our time in Chambana is limited. We're talking about parks we want to play at before we leave, restaurants we want to visit and friends we want to see.
X-man has made playdates in the last week with two of his favorites from school. He and Bubba went to the Y pool on Saturday and enjoyed playing Marco Polo with me and some of the big boys. And when we return from NYC after spring break, his favorite friend that's a girl is coming over to play for a few hours.
Most of the time, X-man is pretty okay with moving, but now that the sign in front of our house says, "Sale Pending" it finally seems real. I'm glad we've spent so much time talking about it with him. But he delivered me a note the other day that said, "I don't want to move. Love, X-man."
Today, I went to the dentist and got two old fillings drilled out and replaced. Next week Clawdio goes in to Dr. Mary to get a dental and a tooth removed. X-man has visited Dr. See, his pediatrician, and gone to get his eyes checked and he got his tooth cleaning last January.
It's like we're taking care of all the stuff we can now, so we can take our time finding doctors and what not when we move.
Tomorrow, we drive up to Chicago and catch a plane to LaGuardia. We bought a Citypass and plan on taking X-man all around New York City. He's very excited about the Natural History Museum, the Museum of Mathematics and going to see the Empire State Building and taking a ferry around the Statue of Liberty (since it's still closed). I haven't packed our bags yet. I may do that earlier in the morning, because I'm tired. I swear I've been taking my iron and my vitamin D, but I feel so sluggish!
I could use some sunshine, along with everyone else living far above the equator...
Showing posts with label Healthcare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthcare. Show all posts
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Life Insurance
MacTroll and I recently made changes to our life insurance policy. In order to apply for the new policies, we had to go through "physicals." I was nervous because I don't feel I'm in good shape. I hadn't weighed myself since before my surgery four months ago.
The insurance company sends an examiner to your house. They take a urine sample, a blood sample and they check your weight and height and your blood pressure. All of the medical history information is required over the phone prior to the exam. The weight actually was pretty within ballpark of what I was thinking. I'm also realizing that the difference between my high intensity cardio and low intensity is the extra 20 lbs I'm carrying around over my "goal" weight of 165. And my blood pressure, now that I'm not in chronic foot pain is back to being 96/60.
I haven't gotten all of my numbers back yet, but the policy called our Ameriprise guy to let him know that we both passed. And then he added that we were getting a refund because I'm "preferred." I'm not sure what I'm preferred for, but apparently, I got the good health discount. So hooray.
Then X-man asked what insurance was. So we explained it to him. We all agree we don't want anything to happen to anyone that would require us to use it. :-)
The insurance company sends an examiner to your house. They take a urine sample, a blood sample and they check your weight and height and your blood pressure. All of the medical history information is required over the phone prior to the exam. The weight actually was pretty within ballpark of what I was thinking. I'm also realizing that the difference between my high intensity cardio and low intensity is the extra 20 lbs I'm carrying around over my "goal" weight of 165. And my blood pressure, now that I'm not in chronic foot pain is back to being 96/60.
I haven't gotten all of my numbers back yet, but the policy called our Ameriprise guy to let him know that we both passed. And then he added that we were getting a refund because I'm "preferred." I'm not sure what I'm preferred for, but apparently, I got the good health discount. So hooray.
Then X-man asked what insurance was. So we explained it to him. We all agree we don't want anything to happen to anyone that would require us to use it. :-)
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
"You Told Me Vader Betrayed and Murdered My Father."
Well, the big news for all the Star Wars geeks (that includes me) is that LucasFilm is being sold to Disney, and that they plan on making six more Star Wars movies (one every two to three years), at least.
And I have to say... and I know this will sound like blasphemy to some, that I'm happy about that. Mostly because the Episodes 1-3 were so abysmal to mediocre. And honestly, if we can get some Avengers like action and campiness back into the Star Wars saga, I'm all for it.
The news was very timely, as X-man is suddenly very into Star Wars. We watched Episodes I, IV, V and VI together over the last few weeks. And we watched the movie the Clone Wars (Yuck). But he was very excited to hear the news from me this morning.
Less exciting was my call to Carle to get a referral for X-man's OT evaluation. I wasn't sold that the person on the other end of the line actually understood the wealth of what OT does. It's not just fine motor skills like "Hold your pencil this way." There's sensory processing and integration going on there that can affect learning in so many ways. So, there was a lot of the person on the other end typing and a lot of me just being silent wondering what in the hell she was putting down in the note to X-man's pediatrician.
Of course, this isn't the first time (or the last) that I'll have found the medical profession confusing. For example, my surgery bill from Christie.
I got an estimate a week after my surgery that my part of the bill would likely be around $1,900. Fine. Then I got the bill and it was over $4,000. What? Then I looked at my insurance claim online where I could line up all the items. There was a $3,904 charge for fixing my ligaments that the Christie bill said the insurance company hadn't paid their part of. But there on the computer screen the insurance company had it's 70% of the bill. So, I looked at what the insurance company said they paid and sent the remainder of the "patient responsibility" to Christie. I figured maybe the check and bill overlapped in the mail. But it was still annoying.
Today is the Storybook Parade at Carrie Busey. X-man is wearing a t-shirt about the story Swimmy by Leo Lionni that I mostly made but he told me where to put everything. (He's very bossy about his design concepts.) After school he goes to see the Mathman and then he can come home and veg until he gets dressed up in his Halloween costume and heads out to trick or treat. He's an astronaut this year. :-)
And I have to say... and I know this will sound like blasphemy to some, that I'm happy about that. Mostly because the Episodes 1-3 were so abysmal to mediocre. And honestly, if we can get some Avengers like action and campiness back into the Star Wars saga, I'm all for it.
The news was very timely, as X-man is suddenly very into Star Wars. We watched Episodes I, IV, V and VI together over the last few weeks. And we watched the movie the Clone Wars (Yuck). But he was very excited to hear the news from me this morning.
Less exciting was my call to Carle to get a referral for X-man's OT evaluation. I wasn't sold that the person on the other end of the line actually understood the wealth of what OT does. It's not just fine motor skills like "Hold your pencil this way." There's sensory processing and integration going on there that can affect learning in so many ways. So, there was a lot of the person on the other end typing and a lot of me just being silent wondering what in the hell she was putting down in the note to X-man's pediatrician.
Of course, this isn't the first time (or the last) that I'll have found the medical profession confusing. For example, my surgery bill from Christie.
I got an estimate a week after my surgery that my part of the bill would likely be around $1,900. Fine. Then I got the bill and it was over $4,000. What? Then I looked at my insurance claim online where I could line up all the items. There was a $3,904 charge for fixing my ligaments that the Christie bill said the insurance company hadn't paid their part of. But there on the computer screen the insurance company had it's 70% of the bill. So, I looked at what the insurance company said they paid and sent the remainder of the "patient responsibility" to Christie. I figured maybe the check and bill overlapped in the mail. But it was still annoying.
Today is the Storybook Parade at Carrie Busey. X-man is wearing a t-shirt about the story Swimmy by Leo Lionni that I mostly made but he told me where to put everything. (He's very bossy about his design concepts.) After school he goes to see the Mathman and then he can come home and veg until he gets dressed up in his Halloween costume and heads out to trick or treat. He's an astronaut this year. :-)
Friday, September 7, 2012
Grumble, grumble, health care
I guess the real doozy of U.S. Healthcare is that for as expensive as it is, you'd hope it would run like a fine oiled machine. But it doesn't. It's pretty repetitive and wasteful.
For example, the hospital that my surgeon is doing my procedure in next week called. It's the same hospital system as my primary care provider -- the one I have had since 2003.
Turns out that the physical I had wasn't within 30 days, and even though my primary said that doing everything then was fine, the surgical aspect of her hospital disagreed.
So, I get this nice woman on the phone. And she's not exactly clear, but she's very serious. She starts asking me all kinds of medical history questions -- questions that are on file already with her hospital from the 10 years of medical records she has in her hands.
What's worse, is she has to ask things like my husband's name. It's like there's no carry over of information from place to place and it's 2012.
My favorite health question was, "Do you have any swelling in your hands or feet?"
"Yes, in my right foot."
"Does your surgeon know this?"
"It's the reason he's operating."
"Uuuuhhhh, ohhhh! Wait, isn't the surgery your left foot?"
Now I sat with my doctor for 30 minutes this week while he carefully wrote out the surgical instruction of what and where he was going to do things. He had to fill it out twice. Once for his medical clinic and once for the surgery center. I had to sign both of them. I know what they said.
I read somewhere that I should take sharpie and write on my left foot, "No!" I thought it was odd. Now I'm wondering if it wouldn't be a bad idea.
Plus, she said that I failed to get a check up before surgery. I had to explain to her that my primary had messed up, not me. Then she said I'd have to see some random doctor for it. And I had to correct her that I have an appointment with my primary on Monday at 9. She didn't believe me. So she looked it up -- and yes, I had the appointment. Sigh.
My doctor gave me a list of things I cannot take within 7 days of the surgery. They included NSAIDs, aspirin, fish oil or Omega 3 supplements and any diabetic medication. He said I was fine to continue taking my Vitamin D, iron and multivitamin, as well as the fiber I sometimes have to take to help out with the iron supplement situation.
Apparently, the hospital has blackballed my fiber. And I totally am going to ask the doctor why when I get in there. Are they afraid I'm going to "be regular" on the table for the less than 3-hour surgery?
Then she said, "And I guess because of your age, you don't have a power of attorney for your health care or a living will."
"Actually, yes, I do. I've had them since I was 28."
"Who has your POA?"
"My husband."
"I'm sorry, what was his name again?"
It's just all very odd -- and annoying.
Monday, September 3, 2012
A Man, I Don't Know, Who Made My Life Easier
So the other day in my blow-by-blow of Family camp, I mentioned Bill Baird. A drug rep from the 1960's who had a woman die in front of him after trying to give herself an abortion (She was already the mother of eight children) with a coat hanger. Because she was single at the time, no birth control was available to her. It was against the law to distribute it to her. In fact, Mr. Baird went to jail many times for handing out contraceptives to unmarried people. (A great example to me that not all people who go to prison are there for "bad" reasons.)
In my 21st century brain, that just doesn't make any sense to me. And in 1963, it didn't make much sense to Mr. Baird, either. His name is on three different pieces of legislation that make it safe and legal for all women to tend to their bodies regarding reproduction, and he and his wife run the Pro-Choice League.
He's also done amazing work in trying to bridge the gap between people who live their lives under strict religious doctrine so that both sides can at least respect their differences.
I said in my blog I was writing a thank you note... and I did. I totally stalked Mr. Baird online and sent him an e-mail. He answered back today. It was very sweet, and I'm glad I did it. Mr. Baird is now 80 years old, and he's spent his lifetime working to help obtain reproductive rights for women and I am grateful for him.
In my 21st century brain, that just doesn't make any sense to me. And in 1963, it didn't make much sense to Mr. Baird, either. His name is on three different pieces of legislation that make it safe and legal for all women to tend to their bodies regarding reproduction, and he and his wife run the Pro-Choice League.
He's also done amazing work in trying to bridge the gap between people who live their lives under strict religious doctrine so that both sides can at least respect their differences.
I said in my blog I was writing a thank you note... and I did. I totally stalked Mr. Baird online and sent him an e-mail. He answered back today. It was very sweet, and I'm glad I did it. Mr. Baird is now 80 years old, and he's spent his lifetime working to help obtain reproductive rights for women and I am grateful for him.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Skin craziness
X-man has Molluscum Contagiosum. He picked it up last November during swim lessons at the Urbana Aquatic Center. At least we're pretty sure it was there because it was the last time he was shirtless in the last 12 months. It started to spread a little by his 5 year appointment in March, so we asked our pediatrician about it. She recommended leaving it be because it should go away in 2 years or so. She also said to keep it covered when he was swimming (because it can be contagious), but other than that it was nothing to keep away from people. Medicating it would be difficult and burning the bumps off of a five year old didn't sound like fun to anyone.
But I noticed there were more and more of them this summer, so I consulted a dermatologist. It took a while to find the right solution for X-man (he has kind of sensitive skin), but now we've got something that we put on the bumps around five or six every other night. We leave it on for 60 minutes under some protective tape and then we clean it off. It doesn't look too effective after the hour, but 24 hours later, it's clear that the stuff has burned through the growth and is (hopefully) killing off whatever is below it so the virus doesn't spread. In between the applications, we apply Neosporin and let X-man pick out a band-aid if he's afraid he'll fuss with it. (My son is the boy who tears apart socks at school every day, after all).
At this point, looking at his belly, it looks like I've been throwing some kind of acid on him. He says they don't hurt, so that's good. But at the same time he's littered with little tiny welts. We're keeping an eye on them. Just because we've tried two meds that were too drying and caused some really dry, chapped skin and one that didn't seem to do anything at all. But I really like the dermatologist, and X-man enjoys seeing him (and all the pictures of animals outside his office). So that's a win/win.
Now, if only I could find someone that could solve the sock picking issue.
But I noticed there were more and more of them this summer, so I consulted a dermatologist. It took a while to find the right solution for X-man (he has kind of sensitive skin), but now we've got something that we put on the bumps around five or six every other night. We leave it on for 60 minutes under some protective tape and then we clean it off. It doesn't look too effective after the hour, but 24 hours later, it's clear that the stuff has burned through the growth and is (hopefully) killing off whatever is below it so the virus doesn't spread. In between the applications, we apply Neosporin and let X-man pick out a band-aid if he's afraid he'll fuss with it. (My son is the boy who tears apart socks at school every day, after all).
At this point, looking at his belly, it looks like I've been throwing some kind of acid on him. He says they don't hurt, so that's good. But at the same time he's littered with little tiny welts. We're keeping an eye on them. Just because we've tried two meds that were too drying and caused some really dry, chapped skin and one that didn't seem to do anything at all. But I really like the dermatologist, and X-man enjoys seeing him (and all the pictures of animals outside his office). So that's a win/win.
Now, if only I could find someone that could solve the sock picking issue.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Well, That Only Took a Year!
Six weeks ago, I finally got to go see Dr. David Graham at the Carle Cancer Center. He is an oncologist/hematologist. He took one look at my blood work numbers and gave me a new iron dosage to try. It was an insane number of supplements. But he is the specialist... so I did what I was told.
I got my labs pulled last Thursday, and guess who has a "normal" iron count and a low (but normal) ferritin count since September of last year? Me. That's who.
I have to take the uber dosage of iron for six more weeks. Then if those labs come back, he'll let me go down to 2/3 of the dosage and maybe relax at 1/3 of the dosage after I show I can hold my numbers.
But he looked me square in the face and said, "I am never going to be worried about you having too much iron."
It's okay. I'll take it. Now... now I just need to get into get a second opinion about my foot on Friday.
We'll see how it goes. :-)
I got my labs pulled last Thursday, and guess who has a "normal" iron count and a low (but normal) ferritin count since September of last year? Me. That's who.
I have to take the uber dosage of iron for six more weeks. Then if those labs come back, he'll let me go down to 2/3 of the dosage and maybe relax at 1/3 of the dosage after I show I can hold my numbers.
But he looked me square in the face and said, "I am never going to be worried about you having too much iron."
It's okay. I'll take it. Now... now I just need to get into get a second opinion about my foot on Friday.
We'll see how it goes. :-)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
I Want a Do Over
Today was a LOUSY day.Yes, life is always this way the night before you go on vacation. But, I really didn't need a 3-hour medical detour in the middle of my day. I don't really feel like rehashing the whole thing, but let's just say there was pain and blood and profuse apologies from multiple medical personnel, and it's made me decide that after I'm done with hematology and whatever their best swing is at my low ferritin, I'm pretty much going to avoid doctors for a while. Because I've seen enough of them. They're very nice people and they're doing their best, but shit just falls through the cracks or things don't go my way. Or there's a lot of pursing of lips, as they admit something that they thought would be super easy -- really wasn't. Because let's face it, as a person, my body is apparently not just rebelling -- it's breaking.
And I wonder, as I hand over my credit card to pay a $20 copay for something that they couldn't actually make happen, why am I paying?
Okay, I have to get up and get my kid up at 4 a.m. to get on a plane at 5 a.m. My butt won't be on the beach until Thursday morning, but it'll be in a beach house tomorrow night with my parents. And really, I'm just going to float around the freaking ocean until all the crankiness melts away from my body. It may take longer than the 3 days we'll actually be there, but I'll do the best I can.
And I wonder, as I hand over my credit card to pay a $20 copay for something that they couldn't actually make happen, why am I paying?
Okay, I have to get up and get my kid up at 4 a.m. to get on a plane at 5 a.m. My butt won't be on the beach until Thursday morning, but it'll be in a beach house tomorrow night with my parents. And really, I'm just going to float around the freaking ocean until all the crankiness melts away from my body. It may take longer than the 3 days we'll actually be there, but I'll do the best I can.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Ending the Week on a High Note
Luke's growth was benign. :-) It was a cyst. it may grow back in the same place, but it's nothing to worry about. Both he and Nyssa go back for their post-surgical rechecks on Monday.
Also, if you were worried about it, my TB test for work came back negative. :-)
Tomorrow the boys and I are making our annual trip to Clinton Lake to swim with the radioactive, 3-eyed fish with LL and her family. It's our practice beach time before we get on a plain to St. John, USVI next Wednesday.
MacTroll wants to work on his "base tan."
Also, if you were worried about it, my TB test for work came back negative. :-)
Tomorrow the boys and I are making our annual trip to Clinton Lake to swim with the radioactive, 3-eyed fish with LL and her family. It's our practice beach time before we get on a plain to St. John, USVI next Wednesday.
MacTroll wants to work on his "base tan."
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Pink Frankenstein
He appears to be resting comfortably with Nyssa (our cat who had dental surgery on Thursday) in our room and bathroom (His movement is to be restricted for 10 days). She had a broken canine extracted, but she's currently lying next to me purring away. She's on antibiotics, but things in her mouth look pretty good.
I'm keeping her with him mostly so that I can check her tooth hole so that I can see it's not infected and keep an eye on him at the same time. I think Luke likes knowing it's not just him shut up, and Nyssa never complains as long as there's a litterbox, food, a soft place to sleep and ample pets at night. Whomever said cats are clean, never met Luke. He's throwing the litter out of the extra box onto the floor of the bathroom. He pushes wet food off of the plates and onto the floor. He drinks by dipping his paw into the water, licking it and then shaking water everywhere. I think he's just trying to piss me off.
:-)
He wants out of the bedroom, but he's happy when I'm in the room lying on the bed. At night we close off the bathroom, and the two cats and Lily are on the bed curled up with me.
Meanwhile, Maya and Clawdio have the run of the downstairs.
As for me, I'm doing okay. I'm walking tomorrow with a neighbor that I've been dying to spend time with, but at the same time, I totally miss running.
On Wednesday, I'll know what's up with my foot (knock on wood) after the X-ray and sports medicine appointment. Mostly, I'm just tired of going to Carle and seeing medical people. Does that make sense?
Friday, July 22, 2011
Stupid Fear
Five weeks after I had X-man, I found myself in the bowels of Carle getting a breast ultrasound. I had found a lump, and while we were pretty sure it was a blocked milk duct, we had to be sure. Of course, the place you get sent was into the prior breast cancer department, where a collection of a half dozen women waited for their ultrasounds all looking ferociously somber in a lavender painted room.
The ultrasound was inconclusive, so the only thing I could do was wait to see if it changed size after I stopped attempting to breastfeed three weeks later. It reduced in size gradually and then went away. But I never forgot the feeling in that room. The idea that after having a really unhappy pregnancy, an even worse birthing experience and a rough time balancing medical issue after medical issue between myself and the baby that getting the news that I had cancer was probably going to give me a mental break down.
I was lucky.
Today, I get to report back to Carle. I'm visiting a hematologist in the Mills Cancer Institute to go over my blood issues. I'm happy to go because I'm hoping to find answers as to why after a year of supplements my body still won't absorb iron, why my platelet numbers are on the low side and why it appears as if my body is destroying healthy platelets. On the other hand, I'm also scared. There's this thing about cancer -- it's like poverty in that it harms everyone. No one is exempt. You can live your life exercising with an excellent lipid panel and no history while eating your all organic diet -- and you could still end up with cancer. On the same note, you could smoke a pack a day and not get cancer.
I know several cancer survivors and some who died fighting the disease. Some of the survivors pray every day that the beast doesn't come back. Some keep battling it as it comes back years later. One survivor has become a spokesperson in her urban environment about the type of cancer she beat at 33. Family of these people run, walk, raise money, volunteer and do whatever they can in the fight to find a cure. I've watched it destroy families. I've watched it bring them together.
There's a certain amount of discomfort I have about walking through an institute so well versed about the intricacies and diversity of such a disease. It humbles me, but still I have to go. But inside, I really wished hematology had their own offices in some other building... because let's face it. I'm a big sentimental wuss.
Update: I saw Dr. David Graham, who apparently lives on my street. He was very nice. He did a consult with me and then ordered a bunch of labs. He mentioned that there might even be something in the way the other lab takes blood and tries to preserve it to transport to Indiana to process that could be affecting my platelets in their numbers. But Carle took 7 vials of blood -- one they apparently messed up, so I have to go back in tomorrow and give some more. He's having me increase my iron supplements to two -- and hopefully up to three a day, versus the one I was doing each day and the two a day I take during my period. He also took a urine sample because I have history of protein in my urine, which can, apparently, lead us down a whole different path. He did say that I shouldn't worry about not being able to clot. :-) I apparently have more than enough platelets for that.
I do the supplements and then go back to get tested again in six weeks. He's hoping to have new baseline numbers from blood that doesn't have to travel 300 miles to get examined. Yes, it's going to cost me a mint in lab work, but I'd rather know for sure, ya know?
The ultrasound was inconclusive, so the only thing I could do was wait to see if it changed size after I stopped attempting to breastfeed three weeks later. It reduced in size gradually and then went away. But I never forgot the feeling in that room. The idea that after having a really unhappy pregnancy, an even worse birthing experience and a rough time balancing medical issue after medical issue between myself and the baby that getting the news that I had cancer was probably going to give me a mental break down.
I was lucky.
Today, I get to report back to Carle. I'm visiting a hematologist in the Mills Cancer Institute to go over my blood issues. I'm happy to go because I'm hoping to find answers as to why after a year of supplements my body still won't absorb iron, why my platelet numbers are on the low side and why it appears as if my body is destroying healthy platelets. On the other hand, I'm also scared. There's this thing about cancer -- it's like poverty in that it harms everyone. No one is exempt. You can live your life exercising with an excellent lipid panel and no history while eating your all organic diet -- and you could still end up with cancer. On the same note, you could smoke a pack a day and not get cancer.
I know several cancer survivors and some who died fighting the disease. Some of the survivors pray every day that the beast doesn't come back. Some keep battling it as it comes back years later. One survivor has become a spokesperson in her urban environment about the type of cancer she beat at 33. Family of these people run, walk, raise money, volunteer and do whatever they can in the fight to find a cure. I've watched it destroy families. I've watched it bring them together.
There's a certain amount of discomfort I have about walking through an institute so well versed about the intricacies and diversity of such a disease. It humbles me, but still I have to go. But inside, I really wished hematology had their own offices in some other building... because let's face it. I'm a big sentimental wuss.
Update: I saw Dr. David Graham, who apparently lives on my street. He was very nice. He did a consult with me and then ordered a bunch of labs. He mentioned that there might even be something in the way the other lab takes blood and tries to preserve it to transport to Indiana to process that could be affecting my platelets in their numbers. But Carle took 7 vials of blood -- one they apparently messed up, so I have to go back in tomorrow and give some more. He's having me increase my iron supplements to two -- and hopefully up to three a day, versus the one I was doing each day and the two a day I take during my period. He also took a urine sample because I have history of protein in my urine, which can, apparently, lead us down a whole different path. He did say that I shouldn't worry about not being able to clot. :-) I apparently have more than enough platelets for that.
I do the supplements and then go back to get tested again in six weeks. He's hoping to have new baseline numbers from blood that doesn't have to travel 300 miles to get examined. Yes, it's going to cost me a mint in lab work, but I'd rather know for sure, ya know?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
My New Favorite Place
I suppose in the world of blogs there are people who reveal too much and those that reveal too little. Maybe some writers go insane by bouncing in between. For those of you who get freaked out about personal information, this entry isn't for you. Feel free to skip today and come back tomorrow.
For everyone else, I want to tell you about my first trip to Planned Parenthood in 14 years.
Today's visit was uplifting, and it made me think that the world of health care isn't turned upside down everywhere.
I arrived for my appointment at the Champaign office of Planned Parenthood of Illinois at 1:35 p.m. I handed over my ID and insurance card for my 1:45 p.m. appointment. As a new patient, I had to fill out a plethora of paperwork. Some of it was the usual insurance items and emergency contact numbers. I also filled out some health history and read over the information on the Mirena IUD that the clinician was going to insert that day.
If you're new to my blog, I've been living with (suffering through) low iron since last August. Even on supplements, my blood work has gotten worse. Now I have low ferritin, low protein and low platelets. In January, I had an ultrasound. It took 60 days for my ob/gyn to have an open appointment time to tell me what was in the ultrasound (a benign tumor called a fibroid) and to give me advice on how best to proceed. Then it was going to take another 30 days to get another appointment to actually proceed. And two days before that appointment, my doctor had to cancel for another more emergent case. I asked the nurse for anyone else in the office that could do it, but she never called back. So, I went around big brother Carle and called up Planned Parenthood. They got me in 7 days later. And if you know me, efficiency wins every time. The IUD is supposed to lessen the blood flow of my periods, so that I (keep your fingers crossed) am able to retain iron stores.
After I finished my paperwork and turned it into the medical assistant at the Planned Parenthood desk, I looked up and saw this poster.
Underneath the Food, Sleep, Sex, it talks about how those are the three basic biological instincts of a human. Then it says, "If your sex life is good, Planned Parenthood is here to help you celebrate it. If your sex life could be better, Planned Parenthood is here to help you improve it."
I fell in love at that moment, and wanted the poster on a t-shirt so I could wear it everywhere.
When they called my name about 30 minutes later as I was flipping through a Pregnancy magazine. (There were a lot of different types of parent-focused magazines and, of course, Oprah). My name was called by a smiling, welcoming employee. She weighed me (the sweet woman was nice to start the weighing at 100 lbs. I laughed and told her to bump it up a notch). Then she had me give her a urine sample. Afterwards she went over some medical information and then explained that a clinician would come in to do the insertion.
While I waited another 10 minutes in my lovely paper drape. I checked out the small exam room. In it was a sign that listed the patient's rights and responsibilities. The second line was a welcoming statement that said: "Welcome to Planned Parenthood of Illinois. Regardless of race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation or economic standing..." All inclusive and efficient. This keeps getting better. Don't have any money -- no problem.
Now, I know that most people hear Planned Parenthood and immediately draw a line from it to abortion. Abortion is a topic that gets everyone hot and bothered. So bothered, that it appears our country may well be headed to a government shutdown because of it. People paint PP as a place that encourages abortion. But I took a photo of the most prominent poster in the room.
And I don't get how anyone can get angry about a place that teaches those ABC values. The other largest informational piece in the room (I forgot to take a photo of it) were pamphlets about adoption tucked away near the "desk area." PP is a full service sexual health organization. Do they provide abortions? Yes, they do, but that is not at all the primary use of that organization. While I was there, several women came in to obtain birth control. One guy was there for testing. We all had different services and contraceptives to choose from. And although I'm not using my IUD as a way to prevent pregnancy (MacTroll took care of that six months after X-man was born). It was nice to have a choice. I'm also sure no one in that building as making more than $30,000. They were there to take care of patients in need. There's something heroic about that.
When the clinician came in, she smiled just as warmly as the woman who weighed me. She asked me to tell her what I knew about the Mirena, so I went over what I'd read on the paper they gave me, as well as the take care after insertion instructions and what my friends had told me about their experiences. She seemed pleased with the amount of information I'd retained and then she filled in any holes and answered my questions. The IUD is a plastic T-shape device. Mirena has a small amount of progesterone that is released in adequate amounts over the next 5 years. That's a long time. The hormone is what should help my monthly periods lessen or possibly even stop all together. And for anyone wondering, you can have the device removed and have no problem getting pregnant within 12 months of its removal (I don't have the desire to birth another child, but in case someone else did... I thought you should know.)
Then we went through the insertion. I'm not going to lie to you. It was somewhat uncomfortable, but anything that involves a clamp and a cervix can't be all that much of a party, right? If you thought a speculum was bad though, it pales to the clamp. Fifteen minutes later, it was in. She gave me some time to make sure I wasn't lightheaded and then left the room while I got dressed. That's when I noticed the calendar on the wall from some agricultural group that deals in sheep reproduction. It gives the "Next Heat date" and a "Due date" for the flock to make it easier on farmers. I thought that was quite funny for a Planned Parenthood.
When the clinician came back we went over the discharge instructions again, and then she walked me out where I paid a $20 co-pay for the device. Then I left. I got in my RAV-4 and I noticed a mother and a young woman standing on the sidewalk by the parking lot. I thought, "Isn't that nice? A family just hanging out in front of a family planning facility." Another patient was coming out of the clinic and getting on her bike to ride away. I was driving slowly behind her. As we passed the family, I noticed the two women suddenly had rosary in hand and were reading from a small bible.
And I thought to myself: "Awwww, isn't that nice? They're blessing my new IUD." ;-)
I have to tell you, if Planned Parenthood offered full service GP needs and radiology... I'd go there for every medical need I had in an instant. Plus, their facility is about to get a much needed physical rehab. So when I go back in six weeks for my recheck, they should be working on the parking lot entry way, and the clinic is supposedly moving up to the second floor.
Anyway, it was the most positive medical experience outside of weight management that I'd had in a long while. So, I thought I'd talk it up. :-)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Frustrated Beyond the Norm
So, I was scheduled to get an IUD on Wednesday. But Carle called to cancel my appointment yesterday due to my ob/gyn having an emergency surgery. What surgery is emergent if there's a 48-hour advance notice?
Normally, I'm a pretty calm and patient human being. But when I was pregnant with X, I only saw the ob/gyn twice. I saw her at the 9-week appointment to hear the heart beat and to actually officially meet her, and then I saw her at week 15 to go over the genetic testing that we decided to decline. After that, she was always in some kind of surgery and never made it to my appointments. Instead, her nurse practitioner always stepped in. That's 25 weeks of care where I don't remember seeing her at all. Since I got diagnosed with the fibroid last January, and it took 60 days for someone in gyn to see me to confirm the diagnosis and go over my options and then another 30 days to get an appointment to get the IUD in the first place, waiting another month seemed -- obnoxious. And I had no faith or guarantee that the next appointment wouldn't shove me to the side, too. But I guess a doctor makes a lot more money doing surgery than she does inserting an IUD.
So, I told the woman who called to cancel my appointment that it wasn't going to fly. That I'd be happy to see anyone else at that time period that had an opening and could do the IUD. She said she'd have to leave a message for the doctor's nurse. As soon as I hung up with her I called Planned Parenthood. You know, the fetus killers? The ones that the Republican House Members cut funding for because they provide abortion services, never mind the thousands of other non-abortion services they provide at low cost every day. Yeah, them. If you didn't know, becoming a parent made me fly my pro-choice flag bigger, brighter and higher than I flew it before. I love Planned Parenthood. I love them because I know that they are a million things more than just an abortion provider.
They'll talk to you about your options and the risks of your choices, but they never, ever give you the runaround about anything, and they certainly never push you off of getting care for a four-month period. This is why we need more open minded family planning services and not less! So, I made an appointment with them for next week. That's right, a one-week waiting period rather than another 30 days, on top of the 90 days I already had to wait just to get an IUD to help control my internal bleeding so that I can store iron again and stop sapping my bone marrow of things like platelets. My care doesn't even have anything to do with family planning -- and I go to Planned Parenthood.
Meanwhile, a Carle nurse called back this morning while I was at work. I called her when I got home, but she was at lunch. I have yet to hear from her again.
I get such excellent patient care from my GP, from my son's pediatrician and from Weight Management. Why has my experience at Ob/Gyn always been so -- negligent? I mean, I like everyone I've met there on a personal level. They're just -- way, way, way too busy.
Normally, I'm a pretty calm and patient human being. But when I was pregnant with X, I only saw the ob/gyn twice. I saw her at the 9-week appointment to hear the heart beat and to actually officially meet her, and then I saw her at week 15 to go over the genetic testing that we decided to decline. After that, she was always in some kind of surgery and never made it to my appointments. Instead, her nurse practitioner always stepped in. That's 25 weeks of care where I don't remember seeing her at all. Since I got diagnosed with the fibroid last January, and it took 60 days for someone in gyn to see me to confirm the diagnosis and go over my options and then another 30 days to get an appointment to get the IUD in the first place, waiting another month seemed -- obnoxious. And I had no faith or guarantee that the next appointment wouldn't shove me to the side, too. But I guess a doctor makes a lot more money doing surgery than she does inserting an IUD.
So, I told the woman who called to cancel my appointment that it wasn't going to fly. That I'd be happy to see anyone else at that time period that had an opening and could do the IUD. She said she'd have to leave a message for the doctor's nurse. As soon as I hung up with her I called Planned Parenthood. You know, the fetus killers? The ones that the Republican House Members cut funding for because they provide abortion services, never mind the thousands of other non-abortion services they provide at low cost every day. Yeah, them. If you didn't know, becoming a parent made me fly my pro-choice flag bigger, brighter and higher than I flew it before. I love Planned Parenthood. I love them because I know that they are a million things more than just an abortion provider.
They'll talk to you about your options and the risks of your choices, but they never, ever give you the runaround about anything, and they certainly never push you off of getting care for a four-month period. This is why we need more open minded family planning services and not less! So, I made an appointment with them for next week. That's right, a one-week waiting period rather than another 30 days, on top of the 90 days I already had to wait just to get an IUD to help control my internal bleeding so that I can store iron again and stop sapping my bone marrow of things like platelets. My care doesn't even have anything to do with family planning -- and I go to Planned Parenthood.
Meanwhile, a Carle nurse called back this morning while I was at work. I called her when I got home, but she was at lunch. I have yet to hear from her again.
I get such excellent patient care from my GP, from my son's pediatrician and from Weight Management. Why has my experience at Ob/Gyn always been so -- negligent? I mean, I like everyone I've met there on a personal level. They're just -- way, way, way too busy.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Fear and Doubt in Savoy
So there are things that I'm afraid of and none of them have anything to do with the Unit 4 kindergarten lottery. These are real things. Things that require trips to doctors. Things that cost a lot of money. Things that make my son look at me and see that I am, indeed, not the great pillar of strength that he needs me to be. Oh, the worry that can transcend in those little, blue eyes. He knows something's wrong. He's not stupid. He sees when Mommy doesn't have the energy to move onto the floor and play with him. He sees when Mommy decides to take him out to dinner rather than cook. He's watched my energy levels come and go like the freaking tide. He knows what's normal and what's not.
Today, I went to gynecology to talk to them about my fibroid. It turns out there is only one. It is small. It is benign, and if you're going to have a fibroid, you want it where mine is, completely out of the way, slow growing, nothing big. It's all good news.
The weird news is that she's not sure why my periods are now lasting 6-8 days. The placement of the fibroid makes it the least likely candidate to affect blood loss levels. But the attack plan stays the same, by either slowing my periods or stopping them altogether, it should help my issue with low ferritin, which should help the low protein and platelet count. It's been 5 months since I was diagnosed. We started with the conservative treatment of taking iron supplements for three months. When that didn't work, we ordered an ultrasound to look for fibroids and did a blood test for celiac disease. (And yes, I still take the iron pills.) The Celiac test was negative, but up popped the small fibroid. Then it took me, no lie, 6 weeks to get into ob/gyn. The doctor who came in to triage kept repeating, "You've been feeling like this for five months?" to me. Seriously? Get on the stick. To be fair, she was a resident. But she clearly didn't do her homework. So when the ob came in and the resident started talking to me about my thyroid. I tried not to roll my eyes. "Already been there, look harder at the blood work from September. It's fine."
"Oh."
So my choices were birth control pills, which I have a history of not doing well on, an IUD (Mirena), which appears to be my generation's birth control of choice, and endometrial ablation. I'm all about the conservative approach and don't want to take a pill every day, so we're going to go with the IUD for now, but it'll take another few weeks before I can get in for that appointment. Then, I have to wait another few months to see how it affects me. Some women spot the first few months, some have a shorter, lighter period. Some don't have one at all.
If this fails, it comes out, and we do the ablation. Since I don't plan on ever having children again, I can do this option, which, let's face it -- sounds a hell of a lot better to a 35 year old than a hysterectomy, which is -- surgery. And I'm not eager to be knocked out on any surgical table any time ever again.
But yeah, I'm scared about the fact that they don't know why I'm bleeding longer and heavier. I just am. I don't like the fact that the whole process will basically have taken over a year to go through the "safer" options. I also don't like the side effects of being borderline anemic. I am tired a lot, so my brain tells me to eat, even though I don't need food -- I need iron.
But it is what it is. I'm making the best of it. I have a life to live here...
Today, I went to gynecology to talk to them about my fibroid. It turns out there is only one. It is small. It is benign, and if you're going to have a fibroid, you want it where mine is, completely out of the way, slow growing, nothing big. It's all good news.
The weird news is that she's not sure why my periods are now lasting 6-8 days. The placement of the fibroid makes it the least likely candidate to affect blood loss levels. But the attack plan stays the same, by either slowing my periods or stopping them altogether, it should help my issue with low ferritin, which should help the low protein and platelet count. It's been 5 months since I was diagnosed. We started with the conservative treatment of taking iron supplements for three months. When that didn't work, we ordered an ultrasound to look for fibroids and did a blood test for celiac disease. (And yes, I still take the iron pills.) The Celiac test was negative, but up popped the small fibroid. Then it took me, no lie, 6 weeks to get into ob/gyn. The doctor who came in to triage kept repeating, "You've been feeling like this for five months?" to me. Seriously? Get on the stick. To be fair, she was a resident. But she clearly didn't do her homework. So when the ob came in and the resident started talking to me about my thyroid. I tried not to roll my eyes. "Already been there, look harder at the blood work from September. It's fine."
"Oh."
So my choices were birth control pills, which I have a history of not doing well on, an IUD (Mirena), which appears to be my generation's birth control of choice, and endometrial ablation. I'm all about the conservative approach and don't want to take a pill every day, so we're going to go with the IUD for now, but it'll take another few weeks before I can get in for that appointment. Then, I have to wait another few months to see how it affects me. Some women spot the first few months, some have a shorter, lighter period. Some don't have one at all.
If this fails, it comes out, and we do the ablation. Since I don't plan on ever having children again, I can do this option, which, let's face it -- sounds a hell of a lot better to a 35 year old than a hysterectomy, which is -- surgery. And I'm not eager to be knocked out on any surgical table any time ever again.
But yeah, I'm scared about the fact that they don't know why I'm bleeding longer and heavier. I just am. I don't like the fact that the whole process will basically have taken over a year to go through the "safer" options. I also don't like the side effects of being borderline anemic. I am tired a lot, so my brain tells me to eat, even though I don't need food -- I need iron.
But it is what it is. I'm making the best of it. I have a life to live here...
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Houston, we have a fibroid
The results of my pelvic ultrasound are in. I have a benign fibroid that could be contributing to my low iron. I have a follow up appointment with gynecology on March 2 at 10:45 a.m. to see if it's inside or outside my uterus, what my options are about treating it, etc. It seems so very far away.
I went in this morning for my gluten intolerance test. I'll get the results back next week.
Until then, I'm having a hard time with lethargy this week. I think if the schedule wasn't so insane, I'd be handling it a little better. But there's a lot of things going on. I started a new part-time job. I am picking up the book drop in Tolono. I attended my first board meeting at the library to see what it was like. I got some personal training sessions (3 per week for 30 minutes) for Christmas that I'm using at the Rec Center, and I've been doing Tae Kwon Do out my ears with X-man so that he can pass his yellow belt test. Traveling, guests, snow, vet appointments, doctors' appointments...
It's a lot. But then I read articles like this in the Wall Street Journal, about how I'm this totally whipped Western parent. And I think, "Wow, that whole dynamic sounds pretty heartless, but at the same time, I wonder if I was more relentless with my son, if he'd learn a better work ethic. Am I too lenient?"
I went in this morning for my gluten intolerance test. I'll get the results back next week.
Until then, I'm having a hard time with lethargy this week. I think if the schedule wasn't so insane, I'd be handling it a little better. But there's a lot of things going on. I started a new part-time job. I am picking up the book drop in Tolono. I attended my first board meeting at the library to see what it was like. I got some personal training sessions (3 per week for 30 minutes) for Christmas that I'm using at the Rec Center, and I've been doing Tae Kwon Do out my ears with X-man so that he can pass his yellow belt test. Traveling, guests, snow, vet appointments, doctors' appointments...
It's a lot. But then I read articles like this in the Wall Street Journal, about how I'm this totally whipped Western parent. And I think, "Wow, that whole dynamic sounds pretty heartless, but at the same time, I wonder if I was more relentless with my son, if he'd learn a better work ethic. Am I too lenient?"
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Health Scans: To do or not to do?
MacTroll has been talking about getting a heart scan lately. They apparently offer them from time to time at various open house clinics for $100. His family has a history of high cholesterol, blood pressure and heart disease. He spent his 20s and the first part of his 30s eating out of fast food bags and restaurants on the road either as a photographer or as a computer guy.
I think he wants the scan to know how much or if there's been any damage that he's already done to his heart.
In addition, today communities all over the US offered free screenings to see if folks were beginning to show deterioration in their brains due to Alzheimer's disease. My maternal grandmother had Alzheimer's. My mother often says things off the cuff about how she can't remember anything and how she'll probably get it like her mother.
In both conditions, there is a higher likelihood of having the disease if it runs in your family, but environment and lifestyle also play major parts in both health issues.
I'm not sure I'd have a screening, unless I had symptoms. Mostly because at both of them, they tell you that although your screen may say something, no one there is going to diagnose you. Instead, you're supposed to take your abnormal screening to your doctor.
What I worry about, is that if someone got screened and was given an all clear, it might make them make poorer choices in the future about their health because they think they're able to dodge the bullet, since they have for the last 30 years.
I know I have that response sometimes when I step on the scale. The "Ooohh, good, now I can eat" response to a good weigh in.
I know that sometime down the road the people I love in my life will start to have these kinds of issues. I remember when it happened to my parents in their late 30's and early 40's. One day you wake up and your 40-something neighbor who runs every day falls over dead of a heart attack. Or your parents die and you realize you're the oldest of the next generation.
I don't want to be left wondering where the time went. I don't want to be safe and not take risks and miss out on what my life could be. But at the same time, sometimes I feel blind in the dark and wonder if that's better than too much information. Where is the inbetween?
I think he wants the scan to know how much or if there's been any damage that he's already done to his heart.
In addition, today communities all over the US offered free screenings to see if folks were beginning to show deterioration in their brains due to Alzheimer's disease. My maternal grandmother had Alzheimer's. My mother often says things off the cuff about how she can't remember anything and how she'll probably get it like her mother.
In both conditions, there is a higher likelihood of having the disease if it runs in your family, but environment and lifestyle also play major parts in both health issues.
I'm not sure I'd have a screening, unless I had symptoms. Mostly because at both of them, they tell you that although your screen may say something, no one there is going to diagnose you. Instead, you're supposed to take your abnormal screening to your doctor.
What I worry about, is that if someone got screened and was given an all clear, it might make them make poorer choices in the future about their health because they think they're able to dodge the bullet, since they have for the last 30 years.
I know I have that response sometimes when I step on the scale. The "Ooohh, good, now I can eat" response to a good weigh in.
I know that sometime down the road the people I love in my life will start to have these kinds of issues. I remember when it happened to my parents in their late 30's and early 40's. One day you wake up and your 40-something neighbor who runs every day falls over dead of a heart attack. Or your parents die and you realize you're the oldest of the next generation.
I don't want to be left wondering where the time went. I don't want to be safe and not take risks and miss out on what my life could be. But at the same time, sometimes I feel blind in the dark and wonder if that's better than too much information. Where is the inbetween?
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