Re: update - ortho surgeon appmt. lonnnnng


<sweetpickleNO@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:12b37$4978887b$45491df5$4503@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rejoice in the good news, Kate, and 20% improvement in two months is good
news. And having the insurance pay for the bone stimulator completely is
good news also. Sounds as if you have two good cheerleaders on your side
also. So continue to be a patient patient so you can eventually get
completely away from that "thing". You're always in my prayers.
Gwen

thanks you, gwenie. i am rejoicing in the improvement news and so is my
son. he was practically dancing at the news. <smile>

well, it appears that way on my insurance benefits statement -- "patient
responsibility zero". i'm not getting my hopes up quite yet, because that's
not what the ebi company originally told me, two months ago when i called
them. we'll see . . . a bill for the 20% from ebi still might be
forthcoming, though i'm surprised one hasn't arrived yet. it's been two
months. i'm not running out and spending that 20% on anything else (i've
set it aside), though i'd like it freed up for other needs, until i know for
sure. sometimes, it seems like the wires, between provider and insurance,
get crossed up about these kinds of things. been there, done that.

kate

"d'huit" <threecedars1@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:gl6nh9$qav$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
after initial greetings, i told my doctor that 10 hours a day on this bone
stimulator is kinda asking a lot from even his most patient patient.<i can't
believe i said that -- patient patient. ick!.> told him that during the
past 68 days of using it, for 10 whole hours a day, there were a couple of
times i wanted to see what an angry wall would do to the unit. told him it
ticks loudly like an antique swiss clock mechanism and for someone who
sleeps only 3 to 6 hours a night while wearing it, that's annoying because i
haven't gotten over my conditioning of listening while i'm sleeping, because
of when butch was so ill. and i told him that this bugger keeps trying to
trip me, when i have to walk while wearing it on my thigh, cuz it keeps
wanting to see what my shoes look like up close. and i told him that
wearing it while walking makes me have to keep holding it up and i use a
cane in my other hand, so i can't get anything done. and i told him, that
if my xrays don't show some positive bone healing, that i suggest he not do
this unkindness to any of his other patients. i looked at his puzzled face
(i immediately guessed his puzzlement was cuz i'd been a good patient, and
worked hard to help myself without complaint, up to then) and so i said,
"whine, whine, whine. sometimes it just feels better to whine." and he
laughed.

he was very sweet about how i felt and i felt like an ass. he said there
are other units we can try. but also said,"however, all the data i've read
indicated this one would work best for you." i said, "i know we're in a
healing race against metal fatigue. . ." he didn't let me finish and said,
"exactly! there are a lot of breaks causing this nail to flex more than a
simple fracture would do." "but", he said, "let's see if it's all worth
it." so he looked at today's xrays, came back and said, "it's working.
there is some healing happening now." boy, was i emotionally confused . . .
on one hand, i felt good and thought, cool. finally, it's healing! on
the other hand, i felt depressed and i thought, bummer, it works and that
means if i want to heal and not risk the metal fatigue senario, i need to
accept and continue with this decidely annoying imposition.

i quickly decided that i wanted to see if there was any wriggle room out of
this situation. yeah, i did. so, i asked him to quantify that improvement
for me, so we can determine how effective it is. he went back and compared
september's to this xray. then he came back into the exam room and said "i
can safely say there's a 20% improvement since your last appointment." for
me that's substantial improvement and i told him that and he said "i know."

the ebi sales guy arrived just immediately after that moment (he planned to
be at my appmt. to see how the ebi unit was working for me). doc took him
right back outside the exam room for about 3 minutes and then they both came
back in. my doc said he had a call he had to take and left me with him. the
ebi guy said, "your doctor told me you're not happy and that i had better
make you happy, because you're an important patient."

"huh? important?" i said, and couldn't help thinking that was an odd thing
for my doctor to say. and ebi guy said, "yes, important. that means he
likes you. and he said you are his ideal patient." well, hell, that sunk
me . . . like how could i let my doctor down now. damn! (gees, i'm easy.
no wonder butch said that was the reason why he married me.<g>) he wanted
to know my gripes with it. so, i went into my tirade mode. and the ebi guy
went into a peptalk mode. i looked at him and said, "my son is a salesman
and i used to have a real estate license. i know what you're doing. don't
do that. i don't need rah rah. just give me facts."

so, we discussed the possibility of using stick on electrodes instead of
this weird sliding down my leg apparatus. i ruled that out because it would
require a different machine that had a smaller unit with much less power;
according to the data he showed me, less power equals an even longer use and
a more protracted healing time, even though it wouldn't slide down my leg.
and we discussed taping the current leg apparatus to my skin -- i winced,
because my skin is too thin now. i looked at him and said, "i think i just
need permission to get away from this thing when i feel like throwing it
against the wall out of frustration." he said, "then do that." my brain
went huh? and i asked, "it's that easy?" he said, "look. the computer on
the unit tells me you've used it consistantly for 68 days straight without
missing a day and you even used it a few hours more than you needed to. if
you miss a day or two, all it means is that your healing will take a day or
two longer is all." (well, duhhh . . . now, why didn't i think of that?!)
so we agreed on that compromise. i don't have to use it when i'm not
feeling loving towards the bugger. small victories are sweet.<g>

my doctor returns and says, how 'bout i see you again next month? i said,
"if you want to see another 20% improvement, wouldn't you have to wait 2
months?" and he said, "you're right! let's do that." then he said, "i
noticed you're struggling a little to walk. what's hurting?" told him my
hip and almost every other joint, and said it's probably because of the cold
weather getting to me. "he said, i think it's the cold, too. you'll do
better come summer. why didn't you call for more pain pills?" i said, "cuz
you wanted me to wean myself off them, didn't you tell me to do that?" "i
probably did, because i tell all my patients that.", he said. i said, "i
could probably use about ten pain pills just to get me through this cold
snap." he said, "no problem" and wrote out a script for a whole month's
worth.

all that settled, the doc left. the next thing i knew the ebi guy said,
"let's talk diamonds." (i'm not wearing any, so my brain kind of got stuck
and went, where in the hell did that come from?!) so, we talk about
diamonds and other gemstones and how they're graded and treated, for about
20 or so minutes. then he asks me where's a good place to buy diamonds. i
gave him a few suggestions. (i didn't ask, but i suss that he's thinking of
getting engaged to someone.) then, we both go out to the check-in desk,
though i'm a tad slower in my walking speed than he is. i get to the desk
about a minute after he does and he's already scheduling my next doctor's
appointment for me, checking his blackberry for convenient dates and asked
me if the 13th of march worked for me. sure, no problem for me. yep,
apparently he wants to be there for that one, too. then he walks me out to
the car. on the way, he says to me, "i think you're an important patient,
too." i say, "thanks" and think, awww . . . and what nice guys, even after
i beat them up with my tirades.

btw, this unit cost more than i expected. $5700 -- pricey bugger. but
somehow, my doctor got the insurance company to cover it all, instead of me
having to pay 20% of it. or that's how it looks on my insurance benefits
statement anyway. no word to the contrary yet.

kate




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