Friday, February 28, 2014

Phlebotomy-ed, breakfast out, yesterday, gym/rehab, lunch out, today...

Well that was easy!
Two days under our belts as nearly done...and life goes on in spite of our wild gallivanting! HA, ha, ha, ha, but some day!

Actually, to elaborate on the day prior to my marathon phone calls with Florida Blue. Oddly enough today I received a USB, flash drive, with my policy on it, but which one? OH NO just checked! It is the WRONG ONE! THE SELECT PLAN, NOT THE OPTIONS!

Yesterday, I awoke rather late, at nearly seven thirty and Hubby who usually enjoys his peaceful blissful sleep until eight A.M. was already getting up! He remembered that I had to be taken, like a child, since I no longer drive, due to many reasons, to the VAMPIRA who sucks out your ruby liquid jewels i.e. blood into vials for testing and it was the type that you had to be fasting for, so instead of heading towards the kitchen for my cup of Jo, I headed for the shower.
After Kelli the phlebotomist, sucked my life’s fuel, I was maybe down a cup or more, any-who I felt odd, but no not as if turning into one of them, ha! Just weak… and it wasn’t that much.
Hubby’s idea to refuel up at Bob Evans and they even had a 340 calorie, low cholesterol breakfast with fruit available and this time I had their delish coffee with my Stevia. Hubby had what he liked, the works, including home fries.
None the worse for wear we arrived home early. We relaxed with doing domestic necessities me, laundry, Hubby yard work. We never seem to run out of it… ha!
Today, too was not very eventful, and the more I think about that the more I try to realize that, that is a really good thing!
Of course I did my things on the three pieces of equipment that I so enjoy… By Monday I will be trying to increase my reps! I feel that secure after these last two weeks, well we will see what we will see, hmm?
Then lunch at the Cultural Center this time in one thrift shop I found a cute blouse/ cotton ‘T’ shirt to wear with my slacks for exercise, it is a perfect match to my pants since I was wearing them today, but it does have a fantastic splash of colorful stars on it, as if firecrackers in a holiday display! This lovely addition to my wardrobe which is already in the dryer from the washer was a mere three bucks! Never wear anything until washed when purchased, thrift shop or regular store, is a very good practice.

On that note of telling you from retail experience, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and to please share your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

PS Just because I thought I would share my rose with all of you, it was given to me on squishy breast day, as a bud, it is still doing incredible at one week old, with just one 81 MG. of Aspirin in its water,oddly enough I take that same daily dose... I should do as well... bud dump bum!

 

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Around and around we go where we stop nobody knows

Florida Blue is making me oh so blue!
Today I received a new bill for my insurance premium, but sadly it is for the policy that I have been trying to discontinue since January 14th when I found out none of the neurologists I need to use are on the Select plan, they are on the Options one.
That is why I have been trying hard to change to that plan!
But receiving the wrong plan bill for the third time/month is what made me call them again!
And sadly I have been on the phone with them since 3P.M.  EST and while I write this it is now, 5:49P.M.
The first fellow tried to tell me since I have been on the Options plan since February first I owed them the difference from the policy, huh? I said no one would take my money which would have been less than sixty bucks in the beginning of this month and they told me to use the Select plan, which I have been doing without a choice it appeared, and now this guy wants the difference payment for the one I did not use since there was no way to use it, on two days before the new month? I said I paid for the Select plan for those two months and was told to use it and did use it, not the Options since I had no card or policy number in order to use that!
I am still on hold for when after I spoke around in circles to too many others to have catalogued, with each one telling me that Health Care. Gov is the one that actually bills me and so after I was given a bogus payment number I called Health Care. Gov, getting their number their online site, and they said what I knew was right that once they find you the subsidy they turn it over to your choice of insurance and they, not them bills you! Well, isn’t that correct, but not according to Florida Blue!

The last one who gave me the bogus billing number I thought had the right info that my Options will go into effect on March first and my new bill will be generated for that. I said but don’t we have a problem since I have two doctor’s appointments next week and I won’t have a policy number or card to give to the doctors’ offices

They again told me to use the Select until the new card comes…

The person in customer service at Florida Blue answers when you call the toll free number on your bill 1-877-352-2583 what it says is pay by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Call toll free (the number above), now really what would you think?
I thought they were billing, but oh no they are not!
Talk about run arounds, I am getting too old for this and in too much pain for this, but I am quite determined to get this done in spite of ALL this!

Now a young woman who finally answered has told me that they are open until 9 P.M. and that she will be calling me back tonight with the right people to pay and that I will be able to pay with my credit card like I did the first time, since this is another new policy and that it will go into affect as soon as that is done, TA DA!

ONE CAN ONLY HOPE!

I am so concerned that none of them will follow through…

The young woman called back and we are in another three way call that is with Health Care. Gov! (THE FOURTH TIME!!!!)

Been there, done that, actually we are waiting for that other person who has us on hold!

The outcome should be any minute and I will be asking all of you to stand by because I have to publish this…

Well, here is the ending of what has transpired, I am now told that for the entire month of March I only owe only $112.12 for the new policy, and they will bill me, huh?

On that note of G-d help us all…if this is where modern medicine insurance policies are going!

Allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessing and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

It is now 6:57 P.M. real time EST!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Roaring around town, i.e. the CDP Port Charlotte

Living in a place where you're unincorporated sounds darn gosh strange, doesn't it?
Coming from up north a piece that is way, way up north nearly to New York in a place called New Jersey!
We came from small towns, but that is what they were most of them that is, except for one, our tiny village of Bamber Lake, part of Lacey Township, population three hundred in those notorious Pine Barrens, mob burial grounds, down near the bottom of the state in the county of Ocean, but a bit north of that famed city called Atlantic, by about forty miles or so, and about an hour from that place in history known as Philadelphia... Culture shock from up north of the state where we grew up in Oradell, population for Hubby about six thousand, or for me Paramus where I grew up with an enormous population of around twenty-five thousand or Emerson where we moved and had maybe 6 or 7K while I lived there till marriage with my Mom and Dad! I commuted to college in NYC; fifteen minutes away by car, but no one drives in Manhattan unless you are a cabby. Instead I took the bus from Kinderkamack RD. where I would park my car in the lot which would take me to the Port Authority and then I would take the A, D and E trains (subways) down to my school on 12 East 53rd street, between fifth and Madison, directly across from Paley Park, LIM, nice neighborhood. Madison Ave was/is the advertising hub and Fifth Ave was/is the fancy smancey shops most notably Bonwit's,  Bergdorf’s, Saks, and Lord & Taylor's... where I did work but at their Ridgewood NJ, store due to having work study programs and who wants to commute and hour and a half each way if you don't have to, really? But eating in those days in the city was filled with fun and lotsa of different cuisines... the suburbs not so much... but we would walk to everywhere, and that was great too!
Ahhhhhhhhh, you would think I missed all that, nah, but plenty of fond memories… I don’t walk anymore; I roll anyway.

Ahhhhhh , but PORT CHARLOTTE FLORIDA IS: "A census designated place (CDP)[1][2][3] is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places,[4] such as cities, towns, and villages. CDPs are populated areas that lack separate municipal government, but which otherwise physically resemble incorporated places."
 
Thanks to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census-designated_place


"Port Charlotte is a census-designated place (CDP) in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. The population was 46,451 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area."

(WHERE ARE THE RESULTS FROM THE 2010 Census, I do know they took one????)

Thanks to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Charlotte,_Florida


Got that?


Sure you do.


I only wish that we were something that I could grasp like a village, town or city, which I am much more familiar with… although, I have been here in this CDP now for going on sixteen years, and prior to that we did live in Punta Gorda for four, a true city and before that in Ormond Beach another city for nearly nine! Florida is a rare bird that as of yet I still don’t completely understand… Those cities were rather small in my way of thinking according to what most populaces are, but none-the-less so boldly named…harrumph …


On my bewilderment of thought since I still have way too much time on my hands allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!



And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

40 arrived, and my eye is a go!




 
The Copaxone 40 MG. arrived via UPS at just before noon today!
You see, it is refrigerated and we must sign for it and so we usually plan to stay home for the day. The tough, rough part is that I have about a month left of the twenty! Oh pooh! The rule is to finish the one before starting the other, too logical.

Although Hubby did go out, he went to the imaging center early for all my last five MRI's, three years of brain, one cervical and one lumbar, and a DVD with all of their PICS, they are fascinating actually, if you like that sort of thing. The ultimate, "SELFIES"

Hubby brought the three years of brain MRI/scans to the eye doc, which they made their own copies and he brought our copies home.

The eye doctor's office called back fairly quickly and what I was told was what he felt when he examined me that although the optic nerve is pretty much gone, until the massive cataract is removed there is no way to know if I will be able to see the BIG "E". He had been encouraged with my light reaction during the exam.

So I said that I would go for it and next week my eye will be sized for the cataract lens and then two weeks later I will be having the surgery! Slower than I like...oh well. The other eye was a whirlwind in comparison. The nurse and I were discussing the possibility of going back to wearing a reverse bi-focal contact lens on my lefty; it would be great to get rid of the glasses again! Exciting!

If you recall, I had lefty's cataract lens turned into a reading lens and so this would be something to think about, and if I do get to see the BIG "E" with righty, then I will have better center vision and perception of things lining up, especially when handed things!  No one knows how frustrating that is until they think they have the item and, like slow mo, there it goes…
Albeit, my peripheral vision will still not be there on my righty eye.
At this point nearly four years later it does make one have a bit of thoughts of the old days, a little smidge of nostalgia, ya know?
Seeing with my mono-vision contacts was amazing.  
The weirdest day was when I went into pick up my new pair when I was in my forties and amazingly, after arguing that they gave me one lens that was the wrong prescription … The doctor came out that time and said, “take your reading one out.”
And guess what?
At the medium age of forty-seven, after wearing a reading lens since tender age of thirty-eight I no longer needed it! I needed near sighted lenses from the age of seven, thus the contacts by sixteen due to being told to wear my glasses all of the time!
I was flabbergasted!
The doctor then said it was due to the beginning of a cataract in my left eye, and wow!
I am wowing due to the realization that was way back in 1997 and that cataract took until 2010 to need to come out, amazing! (I did wear contact lenses on and off for over forty years! All different types.)

On that note of maybe going slightly back in time...how truly sublime... allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

PS To all our northern friends stay warm and safe with another hit of that POLAR VORTEX on its way! So sorry folks! Wish it could be removed...SURGICALLY!

Monday, February 24, 2014

The eyes have it!


  

Accomplishments are plentiful.
1. eleven A.M. rehab/gym, three machines not waiting, and done!
2. Chili’s for lunch, delicious shrimp tacos with black beans and rice, mine; Hubby's two sliders with the works and potato cheddar cheese soup, ugh with calories, but he gave me a taste and oh what a taste and Oy vey, mmm, mmm good! And to wash it down, coffee with sugar for him, iced tea with extra lemons for me!
3. Had my appointment with the new eye doc, a take charge kind of guy, M.D. ophthalmologist, he thinks that if I remove the cataract on right eye I might be able to see the BIG "E" with that eye, on the eye chart!
 


Although, that sounds like not that much, it could fool lefty into thinking he's not working so hard and help a little/smidge with my perceptual distinctions. He still wants to see my report from the brain MRI to make a definitive determination.

And so although I have a new prescription for specs, my options might have possibly changed. Interesting and who knows for sure, even this doctor said it might not work. But this time my copay is affordable, only $200, so if you were me, wouldn't you try and go for it?
My other eye, lefty, was done in January of 2010 and was that $2000 out our pockets! But then I did not have insurance and it was discounted due to that, most doctors were charging three times that; I knew from my investigating at that time, and this is doable and realistic financially.
Now if he still feels it can be done after reading the brain MRI report, well then we have a deal, I think... THAT I WILL SAY GO ON AHEAD, JUST DO IT! 

Just spoke with the imaging office and they have, all my last three years reports! I asked for them all, and it will be interesting to get this doctor's perspective.
Now that was a productive day, hmm?

Nah, just kidding, but to me it was an accomplishment, a big deal, to get out beyond my four walls, as lovely as I feel they are; to go out and do something!
How soon many forget that I was somewhat of a prisoner in my own home with not being able to leave first due to one respiratory infection after another with all being dosed, three times, with steroids and that keeping me from 'my' public, ha, for fear/doctor's orders of getting sicker and then herniating a disc, making me unable to sit up straight enough for wheelchair or auto travel! Whew so happy that is over, since circa 2-14-14, my escape day! And I never ever want to look back!

On that note of new hopes to float allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!


 



Sunday, February 23, 2014

Anyone else have a numbers game?




I have been playing this one game for nearly six years and Geez, isn't it true that most of them are about numbers?

Now I know you all know if you're in business because all businesses need certain numbers to succeed. As you must realize making more/higher numbers than you put out is the reasoning for any business to make it.
But now I have a question for you.
If you were given the chance to do something you love with minimal, extremely minimal monetary rewards, would you do it and would you try your darnedest to make it work i.e. numbers-wise?
I hear many of you saying that you have chosen careers that have given you that feeling of loving what you are doing and enjoying going to do it daily as if you would do it for free and some days it gives you so much joy you feel guilty accepting financial stimulus for doing it because if they knew what you knew they would take their money back, but still you would show up, hmm?
NO?
Come on, I do know that many go to jobs daily that they just do to pay the bills and support their family not to make them so happy that they would explode with joy and if it could be bottled you would sell that or better yet give it away for free!
Nope most would rather be doing something else.
And so when I was given the opportunity to do this particular thing that I have been eluding to I took the ball and ran!
Have any of you figured out from what I am speaking?

Below you will see two charts the first is the countries that having been reading this drivel, my audience and below that is that tally of how many to date, and that means not including tonight's dear souls who do me the privilege of taking the time to read something that is more than likely below their level of intellect, but still cause them a curiosity to try hard to make the best of the inferior. And for that I thank you all dearly! 

Now I am a professional in the respect that anyone who gets paid for what they do is, and oddly enough I do make a pittance so embarrassing that no one on this particular site, or perhaps just me would admit that they don't just do it for the utter elation of being heard by as many who care to give your piece a gander nightly! Which is why I do, do it.

You see like most media generated forms of communication, entertainment and dare I say news, advertising or commercialism is what makes the money for all of this to continue.

Yes, without those cereal boxes, soda pops, car sales, beer commercials and the like, no one would make a cent!

And me too… you see on each and every page of my nightly bleating there is an ad that if you show an interest in its content by clicking on its content and then, and only then I will be making something, not anything big and no not much at all, and thankfully I do not depend on it to pay my bills for if that were the case I would be living in a box in the woods now, not that there is anything wrong with that. WHOA, that’s carrying PC way too far, of course there is way too much wrong with that scenario, and for that I am very sorry that I said such a thing…! Bad me, again.



Any-who, if the truth be told I will never get rich from this and no I am not a secret millionaire...

And for me I do it for the feeling of purpose and to know that each and every night I have to do something, when at times in this physical condition that is not good, that I do have a necessity for being… and in that process I am leaving behind a story that is being told, by me to/for our family to perhaps look at long after I am gone. And have a bit of insight of which I was the good, the bad and the ugly and whys and why nots…, huh?



On that note of telling it once again as I see it from my low vantage point… allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all you overages with you know who and we will too!


And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

PS it will be six years this coming June 25, 2014



















Saturday, February 22, 2014

White noise






"Full Definition of WHITE NOISE

1
a :  a heterogeneous mixture of sound waves extending over a wide frequency range — compare pink noise
b :  a constant background noise; especially :  one that drowns out other sounds" 


And as you see above it has nothing to do with Archie Bunker making a racket, unless I have TV land tuned in on my idiot box while trying to sleep at night...

My realization and understanding of the process of noise drowning out other noise is very scientific and beyond my ken.
But I will say this about that as one of those who has maintained most of their adult life to feel the need to have a TV playing in the background during the process of trying hard to get some shut-eye, I have now been rudely awakened to the fact that all these years that when it did work by trial an error, it was just that!

This week has helped me to 'get' the how in the issue of falling asleep and acquiring a restful bodily rejuvenation.
And I am sorry to say that for all those years I must have been sadly mistaken, but not always, never will I admit to always, really who would, would you?

Hubby would be sound asleep, for in those days it would take three alarms to wake him, and since he is still a rock once into slumber-land ( I'm so jealous of that), anyway so I would know it was okay to turn the boob tube on that is as long as it was heard like ambient noise by my keen sense of hearing in those days of the normal nigh-time house utterances...

Fascinating as I am sure all the above is, my epiphany was of that of the nights that seem to sleep this week and the one that was juxtapose to that my position on my way of thinking...

It is indisputable that on the nights that I truly had my best rest were the nights that I shut off the TV!
OMG!
Could this be true, all those so-called specialist on TV, Dr. Oz again, but Gosh I don't even watch his shows only his promos!
He said NO TV in the bedroom, only two things should be done in there, sleep and sex, was it him, or Oprah, I get their quotes mixed up?  
Both wise folks.
I have been sleepless in Oradell, Lakewood, Lanoka Harbor Bamber Lake Ormond Beach, Ormond Beach, Punta Gorda and finally here in Port Charlotte! All my adult abodes!

The times they are a changing and so must I; but don't tell Hubby, since his logic was to shut the damn thing off years ago!
sure I read in bed and when our youngest would awake he would climb into bed with us, although Daddy was out like a light but Mommy was up and so he and I, dare I say would watch late night TV from Johnny Carson to Vampire movies, whatever the entertainment was back then in the late 1970's or early 80's...

He never ever had any night mare contrary to public belief with young children...
Actually, before he chose nuclear engineering as his profession, he was into acting in high school productions and had a rock band.
My night owl, older bro, number one son, was like his dad, a rock of a sleeper!

And so, in conclusion of my grasp of this newest reality for me, so I will be sleeping ala naturalle, noise wise, not nude, not with this zaftig frame that is I shall be instead unencumbered by noise from artificial means to drown out natural ambience… TA DA!
I hereby decry this statement on this date of 2-22-14, my dear departed Mother’s birthday.
She would be so very happy that I resolved another issue in my under stimulated life of real needs to be gotten for what I deal with daily…HUH?
Sure I have them, but don’t we all?
Sometimes, sorry that I forget too…
On that note of trying harder to get the world and hopeful they get me too allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!
And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?
PS Nothing to lose, any of you out there who are like the way that I have been, stubborn about needing that ‘white noise’, all these years; let me suggest try it you might like it?
PSS It seemed to work so well I think I will try it again tonight, so hush all you noisy makers. I want to sleep like a rock…They say, who are they anyway, they do say a good night’s sleep helps prevent weight gain, heart disease, even some forms of cancer… well we will see what we will see, hmm?

Friday, February 21, 2014

Places to go, things to do kinda day...




Our morning proved to be a bit busy and that's the way I like it, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, I like it!

Within about a two hour period where we accomplished my exercise program at the rehab/gym, then over to the Women's Wellness Center for squishing boobies for my yearly mam, and last lunch at one of the few Greek restaurants that I know of locally, Olympia; Geez how appropriate, tis the season, hmm?

Hubby ordered a Reuben, with sadly tough corned-beef, not Greek to me, could be why, hmm? Any-who, I had the good sense to order a small Greek salad and a cup of their famous cabbage soup! Soup was fine and the salad seemed to be missing something... couldn't tell what though...
While sitting, minding our own business all of a sudden I felt a spray of water at the back of my neck, head/hair, and blouse! I turned around, but could not absolutely determine from whence it came. Of course it was not harmful or painful but cold and wet and I didn't like it at all! I mentioned it to the server and she looked up at the air-conditioning vent thinking logically perhaps it could of come from there, but no it did not...Hubby, then after she left said the fellow sitting behind us around our age, with a group of people, all drinking water with lemon and straws, well, Hubby said he thought the one directly behind me was playing with his straw, filling it with water and letting it out and it could have come out from his ridiculous game with it, but when asked he denied it...Geez, I don't know about you, but if it was me at this age especially I would own up to the silly accident and apologize, wouldn't you?
I was cold and wet and extremely annoyed, and when we left, I almost kicked his chair from my wheelchair, out of anger, but I missed!
I suppose it was a good thing too, because according to Hubby he said that would have been battery and I could have been arrested, would you believe?

I wonder how any of you would have handled it?
Do remember I did miss the chair, and he didn't even know I tried to do that outlandish thing.

But what gets me the most, if I looked like my old self, a thin blonde, healthy with blue eyes that sparkled and move together, instead this fat blob, dark haired with gray highlights,  added by nature, half blind with one eye only able to focus on you, sitting in a wheelchair,... I wonder if he would have apologized? Or at least admit that he did it? It has been my experience that he would have, they all do when you look a certain way...for shame, boo hoo, and it does hurt. I have been both, pretty and ugly, and pretty sadly wins always! How shallow most people truly are. The "judging a book by its cover", comes to mind...

We have all seen the TV people dress in fat suits, most recently Dr. Oz, and I didn't watch that show, but I did see the promo. I bet the ones that saw it know exactly what happened and what I said was true. If I am not telling the truth let lightening strike me now!
What's that?
No, lightening?
See, ha!

Moving on...
Although, the day did start off a bit ominous with a call from Care mark my new pharmacy, Brandon the sales rep from there stated that he needed to straighten out my delivery for Tuesday of the Copaxone 40 MG. that it was not done right by whomever tried to send it through and with the way it was done I might not have received it!
Talk about drama momma!
I get more than my share, truly!
He apparently is my caped crusader, since he  stated that if he hadn't intervened it would not have gone through and I wouldn't have seen it for who knows how long?
Well, he resolved the issue lickety split and I thanked him, minus calling him 'My Hero'. Phone friends are great since they cannot see you; so to them who knows what they think you look like, hmm?
He did seem to feel like many do, that are good at their job, that follow up on sales items, to make sure their customers are happy, no problem there, really.
And so all is well and my shipment is on target and all paid for, including the $150 for a month's supply copay by Assistant Fund my copay Angel, yes that's right three months is a $450 copay, my insurance covers the rest, thank goodness!
So all is smooth sailing...
I even got a lead on two neuros locally from National MS 1-800-344-4867, and Multiple Sclerosis of America 1-800-532-7667 today sent me a research update on all the newest medications in use and in promising trials and many are for SPMS, Secondary Progressive and  PPMS Primary Progressive, which previously there had been not much to be done...it's so very exciting! I let them know about me going on the Copaxone 40 MG that was just approved by the FDA last month 1-28-14!
I feel like I am one of the many lucky ones... 85% who have been given the choice to change to mine, they informed me will be over the next several months, although the Copaxone 20 MG. will still be available. So everyone is happy!
  
On that note of more hope allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?


Thursday, February 20, 2014

Copaxone 40MG. on its way!

  


All my grumbling was not good for me or the people on the receiving end, but all in all it has appeared to have worked...That's not the way good people handle things, though; bad me...OOPS!

Anyway, next week I will be receiving  my first delivery of my Copaxone 40 MG. injected only three times a week, instead of daily, hip, hip hooray to that! And my hips do thank you TEVA, the pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Although, I do have a few more weeks left of my Copaxone 20MG. that I will have to finish first and then with the transition I am to complete the twenty milligrams on a Saturday, hopefully, skip that Sunday and begin with the forty mills on Monday! 

If I forget how to do it Shared Solutions is there for support, and a mere toll free phone call away.

I did say that hopefully it will come in pill form in the near future to them.

Many pills are out now for us with MS, but they are not appropriate for me with my other ills, too many drug interactions. Copaxone is the only one that has very few side affects for me, and so far so good, nearly four years on this one.
Also many of the other injectables are not compatible with my other medications, and so Copaxone it is!

Upward and onward...

My last ultrasound was about an hour ago and as far as my herniation goes it appears to be much, much better.
I only wish, I know that I am a broken record, but I do wish that my MS was so easy to feel better.
My numbies and, burning twisting leg pain continues on and off all day long. 
My last few nights until last night had allowed blissful sleep, but last night did not!
For the first time in a while my neck, eyes and sinuses as well as my congestion throughout my chest and my shoulders made trying to stay asleep not very easy at all, and so by 3:47 A.m. or so I gave up and left what should have been the comfort of my cozy bed, but was not… as if thorns were expelling me, I rose to move into the living room and reluctantly begun my day.
I had coffee and did a load of laundry, I cranked up this thingy and went through my usual roll call of emails and notifications and news and points of interest etc…
The coffee is helpful with my headache after I’ve tried my thick prescription eye medication and nasal saline and had put on my cervical collar.
As far as the congestion goes it appears more during the night and in the mornings, as well towards the evening hours…like now for some strange reason, damn I hope I am not going to need more steroids!

One good thing that I did do today, and duh on me, I called the ophthalmologist that I went to years ago that appears on my Florida Blue Select plan, the one that I will eventually be replacing with the Options one, well I asked  if he is on both and sure enough he is!
Now I have an appointment for next week! Another problem solved, whew.
Two down, just couple more to go…
The biggest is this annoying switch over from Select to Options and my ability to find a new Neurologist. Hubby had confessed he spoke to someone whose wife also has MS and that the doctor I was going to see is not that great with MS patients…uh oh?
Now what?
I wish that there were more MS specialists closer to home; all the others are a few hours away.
This is going to be a problem but I think I have an idea… The MS Society out of NJ and National MS one too, sometimes can help with suggestions of doctors in my area so I suppose that is what I will have to do call them; TA DA!
My old doc is still my medication prescriber until March fourth; I know it’s sneaking up on me…less than two weeks away, ugh.
Any-who, I will try harder to think about the positives, the other things are just things that I must do!

And so on that note of much hope allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

 


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Poetry in motion and sacrilegious doctoring

Project 'exercise' has finished day three without incident!
I feel that I am back on track, and YAY!
Tomorrow I will be all done with PT Mary, and Friday for me will be the way my new exercise plan should work, three days a week, with increases in reps. eventually!
My title starting pronouncement was a bit of me being facetious with how I am doing my program to beat the bulge, continue to prevent type 2 diabetes, and continue with maintaining my lower blood pressure with hardly any medication at all and eventually my lower LDL, since it was a bit too high.
So besides hoping for better mobility with using all of my triple threats of equipment formation there are many other good reasons to try to exercise. Did you know that exercise is supposed to help prevent some types of cancer? It also helps with dealing with pain from just about anything, kicking in those endorphins! 

Any-who, I am getting back to feeling almost like I am part of this world...EXERCISE IS JUST DARN GOOD FOR STRESS TOO! And as you all know I do NEED a way to control that! But doesn’t everyone really?

Moving on...
From the rehab/gym we again double dipped into our week with going back to the cultural center for lunch and another look see in the shops. No screaming items again.

Today, Hubby had hot roast beef with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies for the bargain price of $5.95, and I chose Cajun Jambalaya for a mere $4.95, that to me tasted rather dry and bland,especially for that particular New Orleans dish. So Hubby was kind enough to locate some hot sauce to doctor it up, but it was the famous Texas Pete, not the more locally made nearer there and accepted Tabasco!
Is that sacrilegious or what?
I do believe that in some Parishes in Louisiana it definitely would be called that... oh well, when in a bind you do what you gotta and it did work somewhat. 

Hubby had a nice little ache in his calves too, which he said since he had not had me out and about where he had to push me for four whole months, and so that is his exercise, and yes, even at his svelte five foot eleven, one hundred and fifty-five pounds he does need some exercise too, it's healthful for him as well with all the above reasoning!

On that note of our future prospects of doing things that are happy and healthy, what more can anyone do... allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!
  

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Battle of the shrills! Better shrill than kill! Or Not...at will? HUH?




Egg on my face these days is not that different from the ones days ago in my life...
Or is it?
I used to understand when folks spoke English to me, my now, again, second language seems to be only 'Gibberish', sadly.

This morning, I could have sworn that the RN Pam from Shared Solutions, the company associated with TEVA the pharmaceutical company that makes my medication and is only a toll free phone away when we need questions answered said that my ole doc who had Hippocratic-ly bestowed her continuing usefulness on me until March fourth, had received whatever the process was to change my old prescription of Copaxone 20MG. daily injectable to the new and improved Copaxone 40MG. three days a week one and that she had faxed it over to Care mark who is with CVS Specialty who provides the prescription medication for me via delivery in coolers with cold packs now only on a monthly basis; instead of three at one time, their rules.
So when I received a robo phone call this morning stating that it was going to be delivered I was elated! The only hitch to the call was that I had to stay on the line since they, all they needed, was to verify, my address! Yay, easy, breezy!
And I was to wait to speak to an associate, doable too!
Once on the line, Jessica verified who I was and that my address was correct, first two questions asked and answered... nearly there... next was the product itself, and no they had my old prescription for the Copaxone 20MG. but nothing there stating that my newer and improved model, Copaxone 40MG. had been ordered.
So I said but Shared Solutions said that my doctor ordered it via fax on Saturday, this past February 15th!
Why didn't they have it, and I was insistent that they should!
I asked them to please check or some facsimile of that verbiage... and Jessica said that she was in CVS Specialty and if the prescription was sent to Care mark she could only fax them NOT call them... I said that is ridiculous or something in that realm of thinking. I have their number; why can't she just call them too? But she insisted that she could not...
We hung up after she said that her silence on the line was because she indeed was trying another method of contacting them, by email...
Efficiency seems to me to be lacking with these companies in the communication end?
So I hung up since she felt that there was nothing she could do and believe me I knew that there was nothing she could do...!
So I called Care mark, since I had their toll free number and again asked them to check their records for my newer prescription from this past Saturday. 
They insisted that they didn't but that they also had no record of my existence!
WHAT! That is no information on which my insurance company was...! I am with Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Florida Blue, as they boldly shortened for all our enjoyment.
I gave them my card info and she said that she still could not find me!
That's ridiculous; I exist, due to me knowing that I am here!
She said are you a self pay?
I said no!
I have insurance coverage and an additional company that aids with the few hundred a month copay, the Assistant Fund, we met their criteria through legit tax records etc.! Besides that medicine is six thousand a month without the coverage!

I was crushed and angry and frustrated and defeated, and I finally thought perhaps I should call back Shared Solutions and perhaps I heard it all wrong... and guess what, I did; what Pam the RN actually said was that they had received a confirmation of the prescription from my doctor stating that
I was able to have the newer medication with a prescription for it allowing them to continue their process, huh? And within the next few weeks I will be getting it, before my other runs out!

As one can well imagine I feel like I am in a black-hole of understanding, not unusual with MS, cognitive ability is compromised.
Not good, but true and as you can see can cause significant problems...

My other issue is with the which plan are you on anyway, Select or Options, is still causing ramifications, nothing fully resolved and every-time I call it's like Groundhog Day with them telling me again that I must go through Healthcare.gov, since they still have only Select for me not Options, but on the seventh of February they said they have me covered by Options since February first and by the fifteenth they would be sending me all the books and cards and everything! That's why I called... they wanted to do the three way calling with them and Healthcare.gov again, but I declined! I can't get to my new neuro I need my eyes checked, my old eye docs are not on the Select and this old one that I went to years ago also is eye doc is on Select, but is he on Options, you see my problem??????

Talk about a crazy day!
I did have another ultrasound treatment via PT Mary and my herniation does seem much better, and her last visit is this Thursday...
Wish the MS could be fixed as easily, meanwhile spasms are rampant and burning painful right leg twisting/torquing off still happens daily!

 On these more than confusing notes allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

 

Monday, February 17, 2014

Expensive shoes and exercising collapse!




Again I became an exercise warrior.

This time at the rehab/gym still without my PT's knowledge. Tomorrow she will be here at her usual time four P.M.and I suppose I will have to fess up...getting exercise behind her back. I was able to accomplish five minutes in each direction on the arm cycle, twenty/twenty reps on the pull down thingy in each direction too and two sets of twenty-five on the total gym! Not bad for being away from there for nearly four months!

Just the other day, on Friday, our anniversary day, while in the car going to and fro the ancient machine that Hubby drives started acting like it was a drag. In reality our archaic auto has less than 40K on its engine at the old age of going on thirteen, would you believe? Yep, bought new in August of 2001!
It did seem, although, weeks ago when Hubby and our younger neighbor examined the brake area under the wheels that the brake pads were okey dokey! 

But after our draggy Friday Hubby gave the old gal/Blaze another look see and found that her back end, excuse the expression, was in dire need of new pads for her's were no longer there, worn completely off!
And so Hubby went to the parts shop and picked up the necessary replacement for her, and took care of her lickety split!

...Well, today, on our way over to the gym/rehab we could smell a bad odor, and sure enough when we arrived at our destination the old gal was smoking away in her, excuse the expression again, rear end area!

Hubby called Tire Kingdom while I was on the equipment and made he and she an appointment for two this afternoon, it was only a bit after eleven A.M.at the time.
He decided that we should continue on our day's journeys anyway, feeling that it was not too serious and it did seem to stop smoking and smelling on the short trip from the hab to the cultural complex, where we intended on eating our lunch and so we did.
We also looked around the shops for anything that begged to come home! And nothing screamed at us.
In their cafeteria Hubby had their meatloaf dinner with two sides and I had chicken Marsala also with two sides, we drank our own beverages his water mine sodium free club soda, both meals for less than eleven bucks. What a big difference from our Friday's anniversary celebration for over seventy-seven dollars including tip! Wild and crazy as we are once a year!

When we arrived home I got out of the car to come back into the house I use my walker for that and Hubby got it from out of the laundry room. I use the wheelchair while out, and as I was descending out of the car, my legs completely buckled and I crumbled back onto the car-seat; luckily not onto Hubby with this largess size I am I do worry that I would hurt him, seriously!
I waited for a few beats and tried again, but I was weak and wobbly, but I did somehow make it within the safety of the bowels of our endearing abode!
Once comfy in side, I realized that perhaps I did do a bit too much... and I will have to curb my enthusiasm a little next time...

Hubby left me to go to his two P.M. appointment and was still waiting for nearly an hour after his time; it reminded me of some doctor's offices.
The auto repairman quoted him a price of over seven hundred dollars at first, but somehow with whittling it down with discounts they arrived at a not too manageable, but necessary $537.31 including tax! Expensive brake shoes
We still don't have a due date on the arrival of our new car that we have decided to try for next fall or there about... oh well... it does take a chunk of that savings toward, but gives us a safer vehicle in the interim, hmm? And it does have a lifetime warranty, so we are good!

On that note of much note allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you all to kindly count all you blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go?

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go? :   My eyesight is going again... in case you missed it... Netanyahu snaps back against growing...