Guest guest Posted January 17, 2003 Report Share Posted January 17, 2003 Teri in Oregon, Sorry to hear about you set back. You didn't say who your insurance is, however, maybe you could try getting it approved on your own. First you have to read your insurer's policy manual to see if obesity related surgeries are covered. If you don't have one, ask for one at work or call your insurance company and ask them to send you one. If obesity is covered there may be things you have to do to show medical necessity. First and foremost I would suggest getting that manual so you can see for yourself what is covered and what is not and go from there. Good Luck! Kelli G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2003 Report Share Posted January 17, 2003 Have you tried Oregon Health Science University. They just started doing lapband surgery in Jan. They are also starting a study on the affects of lapband surgery and diabetes. I think Dr Macabee is the doctor, but not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2003 Report Share Posted January 17, 2003 Terri, Dont give up and dont be blue. Keep looking for a way. I just got a credit offer from American express " blue " . They will loan me the money to pay off some of my balance on my credit card and give me 15 months with no interest on it. Well I dont have a high limit but with the money I saved already I will be able to go to Mexico for the operation. Then Ill have the 15 months to pay it off. So I am gathering information now with Mexico in mind and hope to be ready soon. Insurance is such a bitch...They would pay for a gall bladder operation for me and then I could pay for the " band " part but they would only cover someone local. Guess what? No one local does the lap surgery for stomach or gall bladder and Im not going to let them slice and dice me. Im 54 years old and I can not wait for future discoveries and local doctors to improve their expertese. I want the weight and pain to start going away and have found that " lap banding " is to Mexico as " lasic " eye surgery is to Canada. Ahead of the good old USA. Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Deb, I can't remember if you have actually joined a pain clinic. I think that, if anything, that is what I would do if I were in your shoes. It may take a little time until they land on the combination of things or whatever that would give you relief. I do believe in pain clinics, though, mostly because they have been a good help for me. One has to be patient with them, though, because they try one thing and another until they find just the right thing for the patient. Wishing you a happy and pain free New Year, as well as blowing doors with your degree. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Deb M: I had fusion from T-4 to L-4 in 1984 with Harrington rods (2). I went in 9 months later and had the rods removed. The top and bottom curves have gotten worse over the years (I had three children after the fusion) and I am in constant pain. When the pain got REALLY bad a couple of years ago, I went to physical therapy. The therapist recommended exercises in the heated, deep, therapy pool. Basically I worked with floties and then spent a half hour treading water in the deed end of the pool. For some reason, after about three weeks, this provided a great deal of relief from the pain. I so looked forward to the heated pool. Sometimes I would just float out in the deep end with two " noodles " one wrapped around the front and one around the back. Something about just hanging out there in the heated water was very helpful. I don't know if this would work for you but its worth a try. ita Disappointing news Hello, Feisty Friends! I've been incommunicado for weeks now - finishing up my master's thesis and getting in as many dr.'s appointments as possible before the new year. (The thesis passed the oral defense, but I have a TON of revisions! due 1/5.) I have now had extensive x-rays and an MRI for the last 2 vertebral disks below fusion. I've seen both Dr. Booth in Pleasanton (twice) and Dr. Hu in San Francisco. They both concur. There's nothing to do at this point. The disks are fine, there is only slight sagittal imbalance at this point, and the fusion and hardware are in good shape. Like other back patients, there is nothing they can point to that screams " This is why you are having so much pain. " Dr. Hu recommended injections in the facet joints below the fusion, as there was some swelling and extra arthritis there. No guarantee that will help, of course, as not sure that's really what's causing all the trouble. I am very disappointed to say the least. While I do not want to have surgery, I had hoped there would be something that could be done. Basically I need to put up with the pain. I'm allergic to most NSAIDs, and most narcotics make it impossible for me to have any kind of life. So I have to choose between (1) not being in pain, but feeling woozy and unable to be independent and (2) being in pain and managing to have a job, life, etc., just with huge compromises about mobility and commitments. I can't say I like these options. I guess I'm back to where I was before I got my hopes up that there was something that really could stop the pain. Any words of wisdom from those of you who've been down this road before? Deb M. 1989 harrington rod Fusion T3 - L4 Support for scoliosis-surgery veterans with Harrington Rod Malalignment Syndrome. Not medical advice. Group does not control ads or endorse any advertised products. _____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Deb, I'm sorry to hear your disappointing news. This must be an additional stress on top of the Master's thesis finale. Thanks for keeping us posted. I have had severe problems staying awake on narcotics in the past but have developed some ability to tolerate doses that help my pain considerably. It has taken a good deal of patience and careful " titration " with close help from my docs, that's for sure. I would urge you to look into all possibilities, since you may yet find a sufficiently potent medication (or a dosage form -- patch, whatever) that you can tolerate a little better. Some of the literature on pain medicine and management of chronic pain that we've chatted about at this group might be helpful. I am always " pushing " that one little book I keep referring everyone too, Handbook of Pain Management? -- something like that; but only because it is so good -- a really refreshing oasis in a desert of medical misinformatoin and moralizing at the time of my last big library-search. (See my Amazon review in the feisty files.) Also, I would urge you to check out Dr. Rosenfeld's excellent new book on pain management, likewise mentioned in our files. (He emailed me permission to quote from it, but so far I have not found a version of the excerpt in Parade magazine -- which he edits -- that is available for quoting online.) I hope the injections afford you some relief. As I mentioned here, I was surprised at the efficacy of trigger-point lidocaine for killing the pain at the site of my iliac bolts, at least temporarily. I guess it goes without saying, too, that it couldn't hurt to get another expert opinion. Take care, and do keep writing. If you haven't already told us, what field are you getting your Master's in, and what are your plans for the future? I truly hope you can find a way to continue with all that you intend to do. Best, Disappointing news Hello, Feisty Friends! I've been incommunicado for weeks now - finishing up my master's thesis and getting in as many dr.'s appointments as possible before the new year. (The thesis passed the oral defense, but I have a TON of revisions! due 1/5.) I have now had extensive x-rays and an MRI for the last 2 vertebral disks below fusion. I've seen both Dr. Booth in Pleasanton (twice) and Dr. Hu in San Francisco. They both concur. There's nothing to do at this point. The disks are fine, there is only slight sagittal imbalance at this point, and the fusion and hardware are in good shape. Like other back patients, there is nothing they can point to that screams " This is why you are having so much pain. " Dr. Hu recommended injections in the facet joints below the fusion, as there was some swelling and extra arthritis there. No guarantee that will help, of course, as not sure that's really what's causing all the trouble. I am very disappointed to say the least. While I do not want to have surgery, I had hoped there would be something that could be done. Basically I need to put up with the pain. I'm allergic to most NSAIDs, and most narcotics make it impossible for me to have any kind of life. So I have to choose between (1) not being in pain, but feeling woozy and unable to be independent and (2) being in pain and managing to have a job, life, etc., just with huge compromises about mobility and commitments. I can't say I like these options. I guess I'm back to where I was before I got my hopes up that there was something that really could stop the pain. Any words of wisdom from those of you who've been down this road before? Deb M. 1989 harrington rod Fusion T3 - L4 Support for scoliosis-surgery veterans with Harrington Rod Malalignment Syndrome. Not medical advice. Group does not control ads or endorse any advertised products. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 29, 2003 Report Share Posted December 29, 2003 Hi ita. I read your post about the heated water therapy pool. It sounds like heaven to me to be able to lay there supported by the floats, relaxing in a deep water heated pool, as I am struggling with a good deal of pain these days. I was wondering how you found a therapist who has such a large facility in which be able to have a large pool of water. I live in the suburbs outside of NYC and space is at a minimum. Could you let me know what to look for in the yellow pages for such a facility. Do you think they might possibly take insurance for partial payment? Thank you....Carol ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 29, 2003 Report Share Posted December 29, 2003 Carol: I was referred to the therapist by an orthopeadic surgeon I had seen (she has since been killed in a tragic head-on car crash). I visited with the physical therapist who assessed my condition and worked up a series of water exercises that I could perform. The pool was set up to accomodate handicapped persons with a wheelchair ramp, etc. I so enjoyed the water and got to know several of the regulars as well. The pool was housed inside a physical therapy clinic which also had machines for people to use for rehab purposes. My insurance paid for each session and I paid a $15.00 co-pay. After a while, the therapist said I could come as an " independent " . At that point, I was charged $50.00 per month for the use of the pool. I went three times each week for one hour sessions. I would check with the orthopeadic doctors in your area and ask for a referral to a therapist who specializes in exercises for the pool. I live in Austin, TX. Your area of the country is more populated than Austin, so I bet there is a similar clinic there. Write and let me know what you find out......ita Re: Disappointing news Hi ita. I read your post about the heated water therapy pool. It sounds like heaven to me to be able to lay there supported by the floats, relaxing in a deep water heated pool, as I am struggling with a good deal of pain these days. I was wondering how you found a therapist who has such a large facility in which be able to have a large pool of water. I live in the suburbs outside of NYC and space is at a minimum. Could you let me know what to look for in the yellow pages for such a facility. Do you think they might possibly take insurance for partial payment? Thank you....Carol ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! Support for scoliosis-surgery veterans with Harrington Rod Malalignment Syndrome. Not medical advice. Group does not control ads or endorse any advertised products. _____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 > > > got a URI several weeks ago and was having trouble kicking it. then > I started having pain in my chest when breathing, especially when > laying down. > > Saw my dr - problem was pleurisy related to a non-asthmatic > condition that I have had for several years. Went on a burst of > pred and it cleared right up after a few days. > > Bad news is I don't need pred for asthma, but can't do without it. > > This is a big disappointment because I was hoping to get off it. > > I think I am going to see about changing my meds to incorporate the > use of pred. Since I am stuck with it maybe I don't need some of > the other stuff. At least pred is cheap. > > On the plus side - had snow this weekend and I taught my oldest (6 > yr old) how to ski. No asthma symptoms at all. We had a blast. > > Oh well - better pred than dead. > > Greg Greg, I am so sorry to hear this. Hopefully, they will keep you on a small pred dose. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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