Medical Issues

[twocoach]

I am currently awaiting the approval of my insurance company so I can get a discectomy scheduled. Hopefully cleaning out all of the junk that escaped from a herniated disc two Decembers ago will help alleviate some pressure and friction on my L5 nerve that has been damaged so I can have some form of pain relief. Hoping it will provide some relief for my current situation and allow me to kick my inevitable spinal fusion surgery a few more years down the road. I am really not interested in having that done at all and would like to avoid it at all costs.

twocoach, sorry you're going thru that, having back problems totally degrades the quality of your life. And I don't blame you for wanting to avoid surgery if you can do it.

~ 20 years ago I had a bulging disc with radiation of the pain down my leg. Thankfully, an epidural shot "fixed" it, and I've been mainly pain free since.

But between Christmas and New Years I developed it on the other side, and after waiting the 6-12 weeks for the sciatica to go away on its own, which isn't uncommon, I've had an MRI and am waiting two months to see the neurosurgeon. Unfortunately, there's no one thing like a bulging disc to "fix", so it looks like I might be facing surgery, but I hope not.

Last Feb I had changed my diet, started intermittent fasting, began walking no less than 2 miles/day, cut back on my drinking, and lost 25 pounds. Now, I can't walk half a block and haven't since late Dec., but I've managed to lose 6 of the 8# I gained over Christmas by fasting.

More proof that getting old, isn't for sissies.

My insurance denied coverage of my surgery. "Not medically necessary" according to some chart they use to fuck with people's well being. If I sat on my ass eating Doritos and eroded to the point where I can no longer walk then they'd cover it. But since I am proactive and have tried to help myself by getting in better shape they don't feel I "need" it. Fucking assholes.

With this minimally onvasive outpatient surgery, I could probably avoid the bigger, riskier, far more expensive and far more negatively life-altering fusion surgery but they are too fucking dumb to think like humans with brains. If all health insurance companies erupted into spontaneous fireballs, I would grab a bag or marshmallows and toast their demise.

FUCK!

[jfish26]

Good timing, this thread.

Smallest guppy being admitted to the children’s hospital tonight for some nasty skin infection. I’d say thoughts and prayers requested, but.

Well you'll get them anyway. I came for the miracles but stayed for the socialism.

lol, Sparko.

Man, sorry to hear that jfish, it's scary when your child is sick, it feels like nothing else matters. Please don't hesitate to give us updates.

Still don’t know exactly what’s going on, but whatever it is isn’t in her bloodstream. So that’s good.

[pdub]

twocoach, I might sound like a looney, but I had the same back issues with the same surgery and it didn't work.

Healing Back Pain by Sarno did.
Might as well give it a try.

[Shirley]

That's too bad. I've seen it a million times.

And, don't get me started on medical ins. co.s.

Consider speaking to the person at your co. who administers your benefits with the idea of gradually ratcheting up your requests and making their life uncomfortable so they'll call your medical insurance vendor and make their life uncomfortable until they change their mind in an effort to keep your co.'s account.

[jfish26]

That's too bad. I've seen it a million times.

And, don't get me started on medical ins. co.s.

Consider speaking to the person at your co. who administers your benefits with the idea of gradually ratcheting up your requests and making their life uncomfortable so they'll call your medical insurance vendor and make their life uncomfortable until they change their mind in an effort to keep your co.'s account.

Unfortunately this (“squeaky wheel”) is a good strategy.

[Shirley]

Well you'll get them anyway. I came for the miracles but stayed for the socialism.

lol, Sparko.

Man, sorry to hear that jfish, it's scary when your child is sick, it feels like nothing else matters. Please don't hesitate to give us updates.

Still don’t know exactly what’s going on, but whatever it is isn’t in her bloodstream. So that’s good.

That's a huge relief!

So, not just a rash, but constitutional symptoms too?

Sorry, you've piqued my curiosity.

(Feel free to post a picture of the rash, just be sure to edit out any identifying tattoos, birthmarks, &/or exotic piercings.)

[Shirley]

That's too bad. I've seen it a million times.

And, don't get me started on medical ins. co.s.

Consider speaking to the person at your co. who administers your benefits with the idea of gradually ratcheting up your requests and making their life uncomfortable so they'll call your medical insurance vendor and make their life uncomfortable until they change their mind in an effort to keep your co.'s account.

Unfortunately this (“squeaky wheel”) is a good strategy.

It is totally "unfortunate", sad beyond understanding, in a country so rich.

And you're correct, I've seen the strategy work a number of times over the years.

[jfish26]

lol, Sparko.

Man, sorry to hear that jfish, it's scary when your child is sick, it feels like nothing else matters. Please don't hesitate to give us updates.

Still don’t know exactly what’s going on, but whatever it is isn’t in her bloodstream. So that’s good.

That's a huge relief!

So, not just a rash, but constitutional symptoms too?

Sorry, you've piqued my curiosity.

(Feel free to post a picture of the rash, just be sure to edit out any identifying tattoos, birthmarks, &/or exotic piercings.)

Not really possible as most of it has been on her face. Her eyes were mostly swollen shut from Sunday evening until this morning, in addition to lots of lesions on her face and torso. It’s looking staph-y, but they’re not understanding exactly why it got this bad this fast.

[Shirley]

I was (mostly) kidding about the pictures.

Of course, being "staph-y" makes me think of yellow crusting lesions, and impetigo gone wild.

Hope she's better really soon.

[jfish26]

I was (mostly) kidding about the pictures.

Of course, being "staph-y" makes me think of yellow crusting lesions, and impetigo gone wild.

Hope she's better really soon.

That’s pretty close to it. Trying to bottom out what else there might be (if anything).

[Shirley]

Is she a wrestler?





j/k, but wrestlers do tend to pass skin infections to each other.

[twocoach]

That's too bad. I've seen it a million times.

And, don't get me started on medical ins. co.s.

Consider speaking to the person at your co. who administers your benefits with the idea of gradually ratcheting up your requests and making their life uncomfortable so they'll call your medical insurance vendor and make their life uncomfortable until they change their mind in an effort to keep your co.'s account.

I just spoke to my back doctor. Apparently he contacted the insurance company as soon as he was notified of the denial of coverage and explained that they are pushing me to a far more expensive surgery and that I met the criteria they listed in their reasoning for denial so they changed their ruling and approved the surgery. What a huge relief. Now I just wait for the scheduler to get me on the books.

[Shirley]

That's too bad. I've seen it a million times.

And, don't get me started on medical ins. co.s.

Consider speaking to the person at your co. who administers your benefits with the idea of gradually ratcheting up your requests and making their life uncomfortable so they'll call your medical insurance vendor and make their life uncomfortable until they change their mind in an effort to keep your co.'s account.

I just spoke to my back doctor. Apparently he contacted the insurance company as soon as he was notified of the denial of coverage and explained that they are pushing me to a far more expensive surgery and that I met the criteria they listed in their reasoning for denial so they changed their ruling and approved the surgery. What a huge relief. Now I just wait for the scheduler to get me on the books.

That's great news!

Hug your doctor. A lot of us get fatigued and quit trying after a while.

Which, of course, is part of the Ins. co.'s plan.

[twocoach]

twocoach, I might sound like a looney, but I had the same back issues with the same surgery and it didn't work.

Healing Back Pain by Sarno did.
Might as well give it a try.

This surgery isn't meant to "fix" my issue as my issue is multiple fractures in a vertebrae that resulted in a disc giving way, herniating, and causing nerve damage to my L5 nerve.

This surgery is just to remove the goo that herniated out of the disc because it has apparently hardened and is causing a lot of pressure on that already damaged nerve, which is causing me all sorts of problems. We just want to remove that hardened material to reduce the pressure on that nerve so that I can do more physically to try to get in better shape to buy me some time before the inevitable spinal fusion. The underlying fractures to the vertebrae and the damage they have caused are still there and can't be fixed.

[twocoach]

That's too bad. I've seen it a million times.

And, don't get me started on medical ins. co.s.

Consider speaking to the person at your co. who administers your benefits with the idea of gradually ratcheting up your requests and making their life uncomfortable so they'll call your medical insurance vendor and make their life uncomfortable until they change their mind in an effort to keep your co.'s account.

I just spoke to my back doctor. Apparently he contacted the insurance company as soon as he was notified of the denial of coverage and explained that they are pushing me to a far more expensive surgery and that I met the criteria they listed in their reasoning for denial so they changed their ruling and approved the surgery. What a huge relief. Now I just wait for the scheduler to get me on the books.

That's great news!

Hug your doctor. A lot of us get fatigued and quit trying after a while.

Which, of course, is part of the Ins. co.'s plan.

Agreed on all counts. What a huge relief. Nice when a doctor proactively advocates on a patient's behalf. Can't thank him enough but I will certainly try.

[pdub]

I had the same issue and surgery and weeks later the problems were back.
Just would recommend that read - worth a shot.

[Shirley]

I had the same issue and surgery and weeks later the problems were back.
Just would recommend that read - worth a shot.

You know how I know you're "looney"?

[pdub]

Probably that.
But it worked incredibly well.
It was remarkable.

Who knows if it was just luck but I was skeptical too, then bought in, and my pain went from a constant 5 or 6 to a 1.

[Shirley]

Probably that.
But it worked incredibly well.
It was remarkable.

Who knows if it was just luck but I was skeptical too, then bought in, and my pain went from a constant 5 or 6 to a 1.

I was kidding, I'm very openminded about problems like that. Good for you it worked, especially after you'd already tried and failed the invasive route!

And, unlike many other "alternative modalities", other than time, if it hadn't worked, you'd be no worse off.

One thing I learned about medicine early on: "When there is not one way, there are many ways."

[pdub]

Right.
15 bucks, a couple read throughs and some extra time might have ( likely I think ) saved me thousands more in dollars and hours of discomfort.
Worth a shot twocoach.