So I got denied from SS again. So my lawyer is working on the next steps. I was going to an older guy for mental help, but it turns out I didn’t like everything he said. I don’t know if I posted this but I text him for my last appointment and said I would be seeking help elsewhere as I believed that the therapy should help me not make me feel more depressed. He just said good luck then without any compassion.
I have been going to physical therapy for my frozen shoulder, and I have been doing it all summer and working on it. It has become my job. My insurance stopped payment as they say I can stretch it myself, but I can’t. And the therapy place I’m going for that has continued to let me come and not been billing me.
I finally got into a specialist and have an MRI scheduled for next week. And my specialist has given me an updated paperwork for my other shoulder which is a tight also and needs some therapy so that I can continue to go and get them paid.
I had to have an MRA scheduled this summer. I had called my surgeons office to find out first that he is no longer seeing patients out of the hospital. Then I was able to get the MRA done. The plan was to go over it tomorrow when I see my neurologist. But I was called last week into the surgeons office. I met with another surgeon who is visiting from another hospital. And he told us that my surgeon was moving to Ohio so he was done. He then showed me a pic from my MrA and said that there is too much of a gap so I need more coiling or a stent put in. He was able to arrange for mom and I to talk on the phone with my precious surgeon a couple days later. He explained to me that last august I had a cath-angiogram and this was an MrA do they were 2 different types of pictures. And that he had intentionally left some spacing in for blood flow with hopes that it wouldn’t expand. He is done but could get the visiting surgeon to do the procedure that we had met with who was a close friend of his. We should get another cath-angiogram done.
We then got a call this week saying the visiting surgeon is not going to be back to either. All the drs I talked with all agree that I can’t wait for this and that it needs to be checked asap if it does need more surgery it can’t be waited on. So we scheduled through my surgeons office with a new surgeon that they don’t know. My mom is concerned and wanted to go somewhere else but it’s so much confusion, paperwork, and delays to go to new places i just said let’s do it here then if I need surgery will see where to go after.
I see my neurologist tomorrow. So hopefully he can help navigate all of this
Hey @R1ck
Best of luck with your appointment tomorrow. It can be VERY disconcerting when differing Dr’s give us differing opinions. It can make an already stressful situation even more stressful.
I hope you can get some clarity.
Merl from the Modsupport Team
Rick,
So sorry you are being hit with so many irritations and obstacles right now, with more potential neuro-interventional procedures being the most stressful. I’m also sorry you have to deal with a new, unknown neurosurgeon. I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised and get someone great that you can rely on now, and in the future. Please keep us posted, we’ll be waiting for news.
Judi
I saw my neurologist today for the first time in a year. We talked more about the MRA and doing a repeat cath-angiogram then anything else. We had it scheduled for mid September and he says he wants me to stay over night this time between being premdicated for the dye allergy and to make sure my levels are good as my potassium crashed last year, which he was on vacation when all of that happened. But I was able to get a new primary care dr through all of that being he was gone.
He also assured us he brought in the new surgeon and the one we had needed a break and some things changed. So overall I was glad I had scheduled through my surgeons office and not tried to call around. He also put my mom’s mind at ease with all of this.
I will be seeing him in the hopstial and then reviewing with him the follow ups. Then we can get into my other appointments and drs and everything else.
Thanks all for the support, as we all know this isn’t easy
Hey @R1ck
It never is and at times I do wonder if others can actually comprehend how ‘UN-easy’ it can all be.
I’ve been on this journey for many years now and it never gets any easier for us, no matter how many times people say “It’ll be okay…”, until I get those answers, I’m a ball of stress.
My only advice is to listen to what they say and ask questions. If you need, write a list of questions. Often I’ve gone to these appointments, left and thought “ohh, I should have asked about X,Y and Z…”. Now, I have a list. I get my wife to think of her questions too, she may think of other details that need answers that I may not have thought of, so we discuss it all before the appointment. AND…
Best of luck with it all.
Merl from the Modsupport Team
Having a dye allergy isn’t fun at all! Please make sure to have them put it in your chart so the RNA and Anesthesiologist knows and has the medications ready if needed.
So my neurologist is having me stay overnight the night before my procedure. He was on vacation during the last test so missed out on all the fun I had.
I agree with his thoughts they can premed me and keep an eye on all my levels make sure I’m stable and able to be released.
I saw a foot dr today as I have dead toenails and flat foot. Luckily my inserts for my flat feet are good. He was able to help with my toenails, but as he said my insurance won’t pay him for it, and he didn’t charge me. He said he was 67 and not in it for the $ but in it to help people. He said he has trained a lot of drs over the years and it was good talking to him about my surgeon and other drs and to get his perspective on all of it.
On an unrelated note I have been sick with a cough for three or so weeks now. I have seen different drs about it who have had differing opinions and prescribed different meds.
I finally got a call back today that said it’s not whooping cough but it sounds very similar to me. It’s been going around and it lasts about 4-6 weeks. I think I’m on around week 3 or so. They have prescribed me with more Codiene to help the cough but it just takes time. Not been fun and adding to the stress of the aneurysm and everything else.
Thanks for the input everyone
My goodness Rick, that’s a lot to be dealing with, hang in there!