Category: Blog

First, see http://blogs.kweaver.org/adventures_in_training_th/2016/05/macy-and-dulce-tried-to-kill-macy.html if you haven’t already.

I research everything about TSA, and Love field is running normal the night before.  We get to Love before 7:00 am and there is a HUGE line already.  I ask the facilitator at the beginning of the line, and he tells us 30-45 minutes delay.  I immediately ask for a wheelchair.

I can run for 90 seconds at time, I can walk quite a ways but I cannot stand in line.  My normal course of events is to sit down and wait for lines to die down, but that is NOT working with the TSA publicity – Love Field would have been fine if everyone was panicking.  DFW is a whole other story.

So I have to travel quite a ways for a wheelchair, and they take forever to get me over to the line, but come to find out they have done a pre-board on us.  So they’ve done whatever TSA usually does that takes half the time.  We get to keep our shoes on – which we fine hard to believe, and they do the pat down and search everything I have on carry on.  Takes a few minutes, but I’m seated the whole time – though I am seperate from my possessions and my phone is laying which bothers me – next time put it in the bag, woman.

I had already asked the travel agent for a wheel chair at the dock, since the line has always put me out of commission for a day and a half on both cruises.

While we still have to wait awhile and they didn’t put the beverage stamp on Rich’s card, we get on board.  Biggest issue: can’t get anything to eat as we get onboard just as they do the muster.  We’re done about 4:00 pm and we have a reception with CardPlayer cruises at 4:30.  It’s laid out so I can’t get food at all – didn’t make any since because we’re in stadium seating until I find out it isn’t a meet and greet, but an announcement thing.

Then  I go to dinner which was wonderful – but I’m managed to eat a bit too much and the lap band is tight.  Restroom is too far away but they have me toss my cookies in a bus boy bin and all is good.

We also have another major issue. The minibar things are NOT labeled and placed next to the tumblers for our beverage package.  What am I to think.

So we got suckered, and I hate that.

On the good news – I’m figuring out that to eat, I have to go through the Promenade, mostly to avoid the smoky casino.  Otherwise, everything I want, from the poker room, to the fitness center, are on this elevator. 

Rich has been in the poker room almost every moment it has been open – this is a good thing.

The internet access is great, and I’ve been able to check on the dogs every few minutes.  I am also able to work with my students.

So with all things, the first few hours were frustrating as heck but now I am having a good time.  Also the cardplayer cruise people are doing a great job.

I’ll start out that I only despise one health insurance company and their business practices more and that is Cigna – they sold my medical information to the Korean insulin pump company back in 2004, so thereabouts.

I had UHC coverage for two years, if you want to call it that.  They did cover my Medtronic's insulin pump, but not the CGMS.  Both Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna have/are covering it.

The biggest reason for my disgust with UHC, is my husband’s case.  Baylor Institute for Rehab. has been battling them for months for coverage of his recovery from his head injury.  They pre-certified the care, got him back on his feet and back to work and UHC is refusing to cover the last week.  Oh, and he recovered over 4 weeks sooner than anticipated.  Really?  If they were trying to pull anything, they would have kept him for the full anticipated treatment.

I feel badly for you if you are stuck with UHC.  I'm praying that TRS never goes to them, and will protest loudly if they do.

I think the Minimed and their CGMS system is great.  I’m using the latest, and it is a vast improvement over their earlier systems.  So there really isn’t a reason to fight over that.  I will admit that I haven’t used a Dexcom in years, but I love that fact that I only have to keep up with one box.  My doctor gave me two choices, Medtronic's or Omnipod and there are a lot of reasons for me not to use Omnipod.

However, I know that each pump and each diabetic is different, and I think it is also extremely unfair of any insurance company to change coverage mid-year.  It always never good for me – since I’m a teacher, my insurance ran September to August, so when they switched on January 1, we were stuck for the rest of the year with their decisions.

I also know that my husband has gotten great service and is happy with the hearing aid and that UHC does have similar agreements for hearing aids.  Probably other medical devices.

That said, I blame UHC but I am happy that if you are stuck with them, Minimed is a good choice.  Yeah, the TSlim is sexier.  BTW, my pump warranty is up in the fall, and I'll be talking to my endo in July with what we go with, but I am leaning towards Minimed/Enlite/Connect.  Which reminds me, I need to charge that little gadget.

Still don’t have the energy I would like, but the insomnia treatment is going well.  I think this week will be my last visit.  I know why I don’t sleep, I have lots of strategies to make it better, and I just have to do them.

I’m at a pause in my dental treatment.  They’ve treated borderline periodontal disease, did 5 fillings, and finally yesterday, put a good temporary crown on my tooth.  I will go back in June for a reevaluation, and to get a permanent crown.  That tooth has been without crown since January which made it hard to chew protein.

They are going to replace 2 crowns, but we’re spacing that out.

I’ve been losing weight this week, and a low pace.  I’m going to see what I can do to speed that up a bit, it was a hard week because I spent 3 afternoons at the dental school.

My biggest goal is to get back on track with yoga.

I’ve been to the insomnia clinic again – twice. Once for intake and yesterday was an actual session.

It was good. 
I’ve been doing well on the follow up too. 

I’m in the process of setting up a schedule.  I slept well last night, even if I didn’t get there exactly when I wanted to, and played my sleep CD.

I did get awoken up by the city removing the asphalt in front of the house.  But I did get in over 7 hours of sleep.

I type this after pulling a game playing all nighter and suffering from a strained muscle.  I knew as soon as I did it, that I did the wrong move – carrying too heavy of a bag and slinging it across the car seat.  Bad combination.

But right now, I have memberships at a set of Yoga facilities, and two different fitness places plus the city gym.  I may shift back to one, we’ll see.

The goal is to get a least one fitness activity in a day – so far today is Yoga and it looks like that is it.

Gym P is in a nasty parking lot that is shared with a very low end grocery.   You think Walmart shoppers are bad, you haven’t been to a cheap hispanic grocery store Dallas.  It’s not the management of the parking lot OR the grocery store.  They can come in and clean, and 30 minutes later, we’re back to every kind of discarded food you can think of, bags, and yes, the occasionally dirty diaper though they tend to only change those once a day.  I have to walk Dulce through a parking lot with inconsiderate drivers. 

There are several facilities at around the city who have safer, cleaner parking.

They are open 24 hour, but only have cardio and strength but do have massage chairs and beds.  And tanning beds.

Gym L has it’s own parking lot that only its patrons use.  It tends to stay clean, though they don’t clean as often as Gym P.  They have a pool, hot tub and steam room.  Their hours are good during the week but short on the weekend. They do have facilities all over town with extended hours.

Also there is always close parking.

The city pool is very nice, but small and can get over crowded.  Like this week in the afternoons.  Parking is okay most of the time, and if it isn’t, its time to go to a different workout. 

Since I can afford it and it’s at the top of the priority list, yeah, I’m going to keep up with all of them.  I’ll drop Club P first, if money gets tight.  Plus Yoga is paid through the year, and Club L is paid for three (signed up on Friday after another crappy parking lot day at Club P).

Besides Club P is closest and most convenient hours.

If you sit 4’ away from some at a restaurant don’t make nasty comments about service dogs. Especially fake ones.
Apparently they assumed she was a hearing dog.
 
And nope, no apology, just a nasty reply.
 
Sent from my Windows 10 phone
 

Testing a scheduled post

There are two numbers that aren’t budging and they are frustrating me – my weight and my A1C.

One number is getting better – that’s my sleep number.  I’m getting over 7 hours a night lately which is much better than it was in December.  I think I was average about 4 hours, even less some nights, especially when I was dealing with the gas line.

I do know that number has to improve before the other ones will.

I’ve got one more doctor’s appointment next week – primary care.

I’ve got all of my medical supplies ordered, and most of them are here.  The last box was here, but we did the billing wrong, so that box is on it’s way back to Medtronics, and its’ replacement will be here next week.

My prescriptions are on the way, one arrived today.  So yes, life is MUCH better.

Actually it isn’t that hard.  Layers of stress have been rolling off. 

First I got my medical insurance card.  And leave it to Express Scripts to make sure I get my presciption stuff on January 2.   I did get my information from them in advance and had PillPack working on things as soon as they opened after the 1st.

I’ve been getting all the medical appointments done that I’ve put off because of the $3500 deductible.  Well woman last week, endo this week, primary care next week.

Get my CPAP supplies last week, insulin pumps supplies are shipping today.  Have that all on autoship now.  Well, the CPAP stuff I pick up because the office is in Dallas and they are nice.

Nice to know that everything is covered with the reasonable deductible.  Yes, I pay more each month, but its all piece of mine.

Oh, and best yet, I show up in the Texas Teacher Retirement system as retired and I know what my gross pay is.

All good!  Now if I can get my A1C down.  It’s 8.1, was 8.0 and of course during the holidays.

Oh, and I ended up not scheduling a retirement party because the process brought out my social anxiety disorder.

I have been doing yoga since about the time we got back from our cruise.  On January 1, we celebrated my 50th class and celebrated doing their 60 day challenge – doing 5 classes a week for 60 days.

I missed a few days last week, between a dog agiity trial and doctor’s appointments, it just didn’t happen.

It seems to be helping my overall pain level and its definately helping the mood.