Category: Medical Issues

Family Medicine Notes: Psychiatry Archives

Any time I get frustrated with my doctor or insurance I’m going to go back and read this.

This year is the first year I opted to go for a flexible spending account. It works out really well. The money for it is deducted pre-tax dollars, and put in an account. When I have a medical expense (actually I usually do 4 at a time), I fill out a form, send it in, and get the money back.

Actually, it works out even easier. I scan the receipts, and file them on my hard drive. I fill out the form online, print it, sign it, and scan it. Then I take that form, the 4 receipts and fax them to the administrating company. Less than a week later, I get a check back, which I put straight into my charge account.

Oh, that’s the other key — I charge everything — especially mail order prescriptions, since I do that all online too. That’s one reason I always put the reimbursement checks on the charge card.

Here’s the cool part — they go ahead and give you the money, even if you haven’t deposited yet. Right now, I only have $30 in the account, but they are still giving me the money. They pay up to the projected amount.

“Next year” starting in August, the state will be putting some money is a savings account. I have to pay out of the flexible account before I can go to the savings account, but one neat thing about that one, is that it has a debit card. I wish this one had that option, and maybe it will. That would make life a bit easier all around.

I was afraid of this … Yesterday my Freestyle Flash meter failed. Switching batteries worked temporarily….

But I called and was on hold for over 15 minutes — I know, because my Treo told me. Didn’t get a satisfactorily answer but did get the meter working.

But today it was dead. I called Therasense again, and was on hold for 15 minutes AGAIN, I know, I recorded the time I called. The rep was not friendly, was not very helpful and resisted replacing the meter. Wouldn’t believe me at all, because yesterday’s rep did NOT record the battery problem.

I was afraid of this. I am afraid I’ll be switching to One Touch Ultra because

a) Animas has parterned with them and is planning having their pump talk with their meter.

b) The copay will be $60 instead of $112 starting in August.

My CDE really doesn’t want me to switch or I would have already. She claims the Hb1AC is correlarates to the reports better than any other meter.

DB’s Medical Rants

As a patient, I know that there is a raging debate among endos as to whether or not tight control is a good thing or bad thing.

Some of that is up to the individual patient, few patients are as sensitive to insulin and or blood sugar as I am. Most diabetics and most doctors (my own included), tend to think I’m nuts. My doctor at least humors me.

However, I have trouble with my vision when my blood sugar is over 160 … this is a problem. I’m dizzy at 90-110, especially if I have come down from a higher number. This is a problem too. And those are just the beginning sympthoms.

But who knows if the tigher control I tend to prefer is better for me in the long run? I do run the risk of hypoglycemia. Look at the last week. If I lose my awareness, I could get into real trouble.

At least now I can point back to some research and maybe more is coming. It’s only in the past few years we could even achieve tight control.

I have stopped wearing my medical ID because it is UGLY. I did find someone at http://www.beadin-beagle.com who makes pretty medical jewerly and ordered some.

By the way, you go to a different company to order the engraved medical parts, they ship to Beadin Beagle, and she makes them. Mine are all detachable, because I will probably order other styles.

The bracelet is here:

and the necklace is here:

Medrants asked if a good death is important.

I think so. My father had a good death. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure (this was 20 years ago), sent home, and was given some home nursing and equipment and basically left to die. It did take 3 years, and some of it was painful, but he did adjust well. We had plenty of time to talk and resolve issues. The only invasive procedure was a catherization, but that was his choice, he wanted to make sure why he had congestive heart failure. Most was congenital.

My mother-in-law had a good death too. She and my father-in-law were in a car accident and she was killed instantly. They had just been visiting their grandchildren and were on their way to a card show. They were in good health and she just went.

Even my father-in-law went relatively easily for him because he never regain consciousness. However, my husband and his sister had to deal with decisions. They did put him in hospice care and died a few weeks later without gaining consciousness.

However, my grandmothers didn’t fair as well. For different reasons, they were put in nursing homes and had all the care needed to keep them alive. One is still living, and has been reduced to the mental age of about 1 1/2 years. It’s very sad, and I wish she could die.

I’ve had friends deal with parents with lingering illnesses.

If I had my choice, I’d go the way the inlaws did, especially mother-in-law. I certainly don’t want to spend my last days in a hospital poked and prodded, especially by strangers.

“I just want a diet that works!” That’s the plea from confused people who feel overwhelmed by today’s many diet options, or frustrated that their diets seldom bring long-term results. The diet that works for you, however, will be the one that removes or reduces the foods you overeat in a way that you can live with permanently. There are plenty of options to consider.

I’ve been doing iShapes, logging everything, and concentrating on eating 600 less calories than I’ve burned and it’s working out well.

See … a doctor said it! It has to be true.

It’s the only time it works for me.

Though I wonder about her calorie level, any thing under 1500 after exercise for me puts me in starvation mode.

I DO hope they do what they are claiming they are going to do. I don’t much trust Minimed though, because of their customer service track record and other issues, for example the water tight issue.

BUT, they have taken their CGMS Gold system — available from doctor’s office, and made it a tad smaller — though it is still big. They have come up with a device that they claim will alarm when blood sugar is too low or too high.

They are marketing it to the kid market, BUT it can’t be worn in the pool — though they claim you can shower with it (you can’t with the CGMS Gold system). They also claim that it is going to be upgraded in the same type of program as the Paradigm system is.

However, they don’t have a launch date and they don’t have a price.

I will probably still hold out for the Therasense system, I have been SO impressed by their customer support, but it is interesting.

And you still need to test 4 times a day.

Oh, and I can’t figure out how you are going to get their sensor + pump on a 5 year old. But that’s not my problem

It’s a VERY good thing I knew the allergy medication game was coming. Here’s the latest in the saga…

The doctor’s office didn’t get the precertification back quick enough for Medco. On Feb 26, Medco sent the script back to me. The precertification came through on Feb 27.

So now I have to wait until the script is returned to me, and then send it back to Medco to be filled. So far, we’re talking about the following:

I went to the doctor on February 16, and got the prescriptions.
I dropped them off at the mailbox on the way home — but it was a postal holiday so it didn’t get mailed until February 17th.

The rest of the order arrived on February 27th — a 10 day turn around.

SO, if the script arrives in the mail today, I’m looking at March 12 to get my Zyrtec.

NEVER NEVER put off filling medications. In fact, I’d be totally screwed (though I didn’t let onto this), if I had not built up a 60 day cushion on my meds.

ALWAYS make sure you have a full month’s supply at all time otherwise you’ll have to pay a 30 day copay rather than a 90.