Guest guest Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Next week... I will say, "That was the week that was..." (Zap-Boomers will understand)Gads... Last Tuesday, a dear friend from WTSP/10News passed away. Dick Fletcher, the BEST TV weather man - ever - suffered a stroke 8-days earlier. I was really too ill to attend his service Saturday... but went anyway. Got home, took a nap, was awakened by visitors... went to the living room and KURPLUNK, passed out cold. B/P bottomed out.The day before (Friday)... weeks of hassles ended when we closed on a refi... the day after (Sunday) I [needlessly] fasted for a procedure early Monday. Turns out, I did not need to go hungry for an endoscopy. Guess I was given the colonoscopy instructions... twice.So... after the Monday procedure... while starving... I ate NOTHING all day... in prep for the colonoscopy today. (Tuesday) Here's the rub... important to all of you with Aetna Insurance: They will NOT pay for both, if done on the same day!!! So... Endopeekaboo on Monday. Fannypeek-up-mine Tuesday.I called Aetna and griped... to NO avail. "Sorry sir... that's the way we do business." Stupid bean counters. Who the heck dreamed up this routine, and why?!?!?! First... it cost a whole lot more to go through the prep twice... two different staffs... two operating chambers... two gassers... two trips through recovery. Now, how the heck could that be a money saver? Second, imagine the wear and tear on a healthy human body to go through getting knocked out twice. NOW.... add in the stress of having a faulty ticker! It is just incomprehensible. I plan to have a long talk with Sheri's HR people... to discuss this episode and that other one where I was held hostage in (the same hospital...) Mease Countryside for four days a couple years ago. Both are pretty good arguments to get another insurance provider.Reminder of that: During a sleep study, while my ICD was doing a routine diagnostic routine in the middle of the night... the tech freaked out, thinking my heart was going berserk... and called 911 to have an ambulance take me from the sleep lab to the ER... maybe 500 feet apart. I balked... and tried to walk.. when orderlies grabbed me and wheeled me to the ER in a wheelchair. Well... this hospital has an exclusivity deal with Medtronic... so there was no one available to interrogate my (old unit) Guidant device. I was put in CICU.... where I was threatened that I would have to pay the bill by myself if I walked out "against doctor's orders." And they kept me there four nights... until a Guidant tech drove up from Fort Myers, snuck into the hospital and read my device... proving NOTHING went wrong several nights before. That episode was apparently used by the insurance company as an argument to raise the rates they charge Sheri's employer (Tampa Electric) - even though the insurance company worked in concert (dare I say "conspired?") with the huge hospital corp to keep me confined in a high rent room. Anyone out there wonder why health care costs have gone through the roof?Between the funeral, two days of hospital procedures, and a new mortgage closing... I could use time in a spa. But wait... there's more! Seemed to have been bothered more and more lately by those nasty ocular migraines. And while all this was going on... I had two major client deadlines to meet. That lead to three all nighters in the past 8-days. But I did get both projects done... well one needs some tweaking. That is a website for a guy who used to be a manager at Cleveland Clinic press... whose new book just went on sale. It's a real good book for ZapFolks... dealing with the diagnosis of heart disease... during the first year. You can get more information at Chilnick.com Also... last night, I wrapped up work on Dr. Edlund's new (DVD) collection of media programs. It has slide shows featuring his book, Designed To Last, another with a dozen of his Staying Alive newspaper articles, a montage of his TV appearances, and his three Fitcast videos. Never did a DVD before... but I am really proud of this thing. Will try to figure out a way to share it those of you who would like to view it. Now... going to take a few days off... before getting back to work. Think I've earned it. Thanks for letting me share my tale.... And another BIG thanks to all of you who have been sharing your insights, experiences, and perspectives with Freshmen ZapFolks starting down a long road many of us know too well. Love ya'll big time!Stay well...Duffer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Geez! Hope this week is better! From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Jon Duffey Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 9:28 PM Subject: TWTWTW Next week... I will say, " That was the week that was... " (Zap-Boomers will understand) Gads... Last Tuesday, a dear friend from WTSP/10News passed away. Dick Fletcher, the BEST TV weather man - ever - suffered a stroke 8-days earlier. I was really too ill to attend his service Saturday... but went anyway. Got home, took a nap, was awakened by visitors... went to the living room and KURPLUNK, passed out cold. B/P bottomed out. The day before (Friday)... weeks of hassles ended when we closed on a refi... the day after (Sunday) I [needlessly] fasted for a procedure early Monday. Turns out, I did not need to go hungry for an endoscopy. Guess I was given the colonoscopy instructions... twice. So... after the Monday procedure... while starving... I ate NOTHING all day... in prep for the colonoscopy today. (Tuesday) Here's the rub... important to all of you with Aetna Insurance: They will NOT pay for both, if done on the same day!!! So... Endopeekaboo on Monday. Fannypeek-up-mine Tuesday. I called Aetna and griped... to NO avail. " Sorry sir... that's the way we do business. " Stupid bean counters. Who the heck dreamed up this routine, and why?!?!?! First... it cost a whole lot more to go through the prep twice... two different staffs... two operating chambers... two gassers... two trips through recovery. Now, how the heck could that be a money saver? Second, imagine the wear and tear on a healthy human body to go through getting knocked out twice. NOW.... add in the stress of having a faulty ticker! It is just incomprehensible. I plan to have a long talk with Sheri's HR people... to discuss this episode and that other one where I was held hostage in (the same hospital...) Mease Countryside for four days a couple years ago. Both are pretty good arguments to get another insurance provider. Reminder of that: During a sleep study, while my ICD was doing a routine diagnostic routine in the middle of the night... the tech freaked out, thinking my heart was going berserk... and called 911 to have an ambulance take me from the sleep lab to the ER... maybe 500 feet apart. I balked... and tried to walk.. when orderlies grabbed me and wheeled me to the ER in a wheelchair. Well... this hospital has an exclusivity deal with Medtronic... so there was no one available to interrogate my (old unit) Guidant device. I was put in CICU.... where I was threatened that I would have to pay the bill by myself if I walked out " against doctor's orders. " And they kept me there four nights... until a Guidant tech drove up from Fort Myers, snuck into the hospital and read my device... proving NOTHING went wrong several nights before. That episode was apparently used by the insurance company as an argument to raise the rates they charge Sheri's employer (Tampa Electric) - even though the insurance company worked in concert (dare I say " conspired? " ) with the huge hospital corp to keep me confined in a high rent room. Anyone out there wonder why health care costs have gone through the roof? Between the funeral, two days of hospital procedures, and a new mortgage closing... I could use time in a spa. But wait... there's more! Seemed to have been bothered more and more lately by those nasty ocular migraines. And while all this was going on... I had two major client deadlines to meet. That lead to three all nighters in the past 8-days. But I did get both projects done... well one needs some tweaking. That is a website for a guy who used to be a manager at Cleveland Clinic press... whose new book just went on sale. It's a real good book for ZapFolks... dealing with the diagnosis of heart disease... during the first year. You can get more information at Chilnick.com Also... last night, I wrapped up work on Dr. Edlund's new (DVD) collection of media programs. It has slide shows featuring his book, Designed To Last, another with a dozen of his Staying Alive newspaper articles, a montage of his TV appearances, and his three Fitcast videos. Never did a DVD before... but I am really proud of this thing. Will try to figure out a way to share it those of you who would like to view it. Now... going to take a few days off... before getting back to work. Think I've earned it. Thanks for letting me share my tale.... And another BIG thanks to all of you who have been sharing your insights, experiences, and perspectives with Freshmen ZapFolks starting down a long road many of us know too well. Love ya'll big time! Stay well... Duffer __________ NOD32 2922 (20080305) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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