The new general surgeon was night and day different from the one that I saw that was incredibly rude and refused to put in my port. He was so kind and helpful!!!! I am going to get my port put in at the local hospital next Wednesday 11/27/13, yes the day before Thanksgiving! I am so excited to get this all set up and ready to go! I already spoke with the pre-surgery nurse this morning so she got all of my information in the computer and what not. I should get a call on Tuesday evening to confirm the time, but as of now my surgery will be at 11 a.m. I will need to be there at about 8:30 or so to receive IV fluids so that I do not get dehydrated like I did after my wrist surgery. I also got a call from the home infusion center yesterday while I was at work, but when I returned their call this morning they didn't answer so now we are playing phone tag.
The fitting for my cervical collar was quick and easy, I just haven't been able to pick it up yet because it is in the town my parents live in and I am an hour away from there. I am going to go get it on Tuesday and then have a nice evening with my parents and my puppies! I will not be with them for thanksgiving this year as we are going to see my Fiance's family so it will be nice to get to spend time with them.
I also got some blood work done yesterday to check the levels of electrolytes in my blood. I have to get this panel, called a basic metabolic panel, done every couple of months because one of the medications I am on, called fludrocortisone, can deplete my body of potassium so we need to keep an eye on that and make sure that I do not need to take a supplement for that. I haven't got the results of that from my neurologists office, but I should shortly.
On the downside I got a call from The Chiari Institute where I am having my surgery done in December and the lady that I have been conversing with finally got a hold of my insurance. The gentleman that she spoke with told her that The Chiari Institute and my doctor are not covered by my insurance. Now when I had spoken with them they had told me they were. Please pray that we get this figured out quickly so that my surgery and visit do not get delayed and/or not covered fully by insurance! I will update again after I hear back from my neurologist and after we contact insurance about the Chiari Institute and the issue that I had last week with my medication.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013
General surgeon appointment!!!!
I got an appointment with a new general surgeon who is going to implant my port! I have an appointment next Thursday, 11/21, with a local general surgeon! This doctor should be able to get me into surgery very quickly if all goes well :) I am so relieved that this is done!!!!!
I had my orthopedic surgeon appointment yesterday and it went very well. I have had the same orthopedic surgeon since I was 7 and absolutely love him! He said my hand and wrist are very stable and that I can go back to everything I was doing before without any restrictions. The one thing he said is to ease back into signing (ASL) gradually. I asked him if the cartilage was likely to tear again since it has already torn once and he said that he took out the piece that tore so no. That was a relief to not have to worry about that. As we were leaving he said that the best advice that he has for me is to stay out of his office! Then he thought for a second and goes "I feel like I have told you that before...". I love Dr. Krpan :) This was a great relief as it is now one more health issue that I don't have to worry about anymore!
I also picked up my allergy serum for my shots, so I don't have to think about that anymore because it will last me until October or November of next year. I am not sure if I will need a yearly appointment in May with my ENT or not, but I am having no issues. I do have to do another round of allergy tests to see how my body is responding to the shots, but that is not until October of 2015. My allergies are so much better and my sinuses feel great! It has been over 1.5 years since my sinus surgery and I am still infection free :) I have NEVER gone this long without a sinus infection before!!!!
I went to pick up the new dosage of one of my medications, as I mentioned in the last post, and for some reason Humana wouldn't cover it. They said they had already paid for that prescription.... which is true, but it is only a 30 day prescription and I last had it refilled on October 11, which is obviously more than 30 days ago (I don't take it on the weekends). So now I have to call the insurance and figure out what is going on with that.
I will update sometime next week after my cervical collar fitting and general surgeon appointment.
I had my orthopedic surgeon appointment yesterday and it went very well. I have had the same orthopedic surgeon since I was 7 and absolutely love him! He said my hand and wrist are very stable and that I can go back to everything I was doing before without any restrictions. The one thing he said is to ease back into signing (ASL) gradually. I asked him if the cartilage was likely to tear again since it has already torn once and he said that he took out the piece that tore so no. That was a relief to not have to worry about that. As we were leaving he said that the best advice that he has for me is to stay out of his office! Then he thought for a second and goes "I feel like I have told you that before...". I love Dr. Krpan :) This was a great relief as it is now one more health issue that I don't have to worry about anymore!
I also picked up my allergy serum for my shots, so I don't have to think about that anymore because it will last me until October or November of next year. I am not sure if I will need a yearly appointment in May with my ENT or not, but I am having no issues. I do have to do another round of allergy tests to see how my body is responding to the shots, but that is not until October of 2015. My allergies are so much better and my sinuses feel great! It has been over 1.5 years since my sinus surgery and I am still infection free :) I have NEVER gone this long without a sinus infection before!!!!
I went to pick up the new dosage of one of my medications, as I mentioned in the last post, and for some reason Humana wouldn't cover it. They said they had already paid for that prescription.... which is true, but it is only a 30 day prescription and I last had it refilled on October 11, which is obviously more than 30 days ago (I don't take it on the weekends). So now I have to call the insurance and figure out what is going on with that.
I will update sometime next week after my cervical collar fitting and general surgeon appointment.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Small updates
Well I still have no news as to where we are at with the port implantation... I emailed my doctor, after being told they would call me, since when I talked to his secretary (medical assistant maybe?) yesterday she told me to directly email him. Well he has not gotten back to me yet, so I am hoping to hear back from him tomorrow. I am pretty sure that my surgery for next Thursday was officially cancelled though :( I just want to get this ball rolling already!!!! I will update after I hear back from my neurologist on this.
I have an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon tomorrow for a check up, so I will let you all know how that goes.
I found someone to fit and make the Miami J cervical collar that I need for after surgery! I have to drive about an hour away back to where my parents live to get it fit because I could not find anyone in the town I am currently living in who can do it from an external physician that is with my insurance. I have an appointment on Monday to do the fitting and then I will have to go back to pick it up later in the week. I am very excited to get this as I am supposed to wear it for car and plane rides and can also use it for symptom reduction anytime that I feel I need it.
I also have to stop in at my ENT (ear-nose-throat) office to pick up more allergy serum for my allergy shots. I am running pretty low so I am glad that that came in because it can take up to 6 weeks to come. I just ordered it 3 weeks or so ago, so it came quickly!
I got my dosage upped on my newest medication, Strattera. This is the medication that helps me focus and fight through the mental fog that us POTSies call "brain fog". I really like this medication and it has helped tremendously with school! We started on a super low dosage to avoid side effects and I have now gone from 10 mg to 18 mg. The only side effects I have been having from this are lack of appetite and constipation. Both of which I suffer from anyways and they are not too bothersome.
That is about all that has happened the past week or so. I should have more updates for everyone within the next couple of days or so :)
I have an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon tomorrow for a check up, so I will let you all know how that goes.
I found someone to fit and make the Miami J cervical collar that I need for after surgery! I have to drive about an hour away back to where my parents live to get it fit because I could not find anyone in the town I am currently living in who can do it from an external physician that is with my insurance. I have an appointment on Monday to do the fitting and then I will have to go back to pick it up later in the week. I am very excited to get this as I am supposed to wear it for car and plane rides and can also use it for symptom reduction anytime that I feel I need it.
I also have to stop in at my ENT (ear-nose-throat) office to pick up more allergy serum for my allergy shots. I am running pretty low so I am glad that that came in because it can take up to 6 weeks to come. I just ordered it 3 weeks or so ago, so it came quickly!
I got my dosage upped on my newest medication, Strattera. This is the medication that helps me focus and fight through the mental fog that us POTSies call "brain fog". I really like this medication and it has helped tremendously with school! We started on a super low dosage to avoid side effects and I have now gone from 10 mg to 18 mg. The only side effects I have been having from this are lack of appetite and constipation. Both of which I suffer from anyways and they are not too bothersome.
That is about all that has happened the past week or so. I should have more updates for everyone within the next couple of days or so :)
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Appointments gallore
Wow what a week it has been! My family and I have started to get travel plans in order for our trip to NY for my surgery. That has been stressful in itself, but there are still a million other things I have to do besides that.
I had an appointment with the general surgeon who was supposed to put in my port on the 21st of this month and lets just say it didn't go as planned. He totally overstepped his boundaries in my opinion and decided that I did not need the port. He was very confusing and just kept talking in circles! Long story short he said he absolutely would not put the port in for me if I was going to do the infusions myself and that he didn't think i was "sick enough" to need the port. He doesn't know me or my medical history so it is not really up to him to decide that! I went straight to talk to my neurologists nurse who is PHENOMENAL!!!!!! She was not happy at all that he said that so we are working on fixing this little predicament. She did find a home health care company that will deliver my supplies and have a nurse teach me how to do the infusions and do them for me at the beginning at what not. We are waiting to hear if the surgeon will agree to doing to port now that we have this company to do it and has talked to my neurologist again. I am not sure if the port is still getting put in on the 21st of this month or not... I will update again when I hear back from my neurologists office.
I made an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon for a follow up on my wrist just to make sure everything healed well and that I am cleared to do everything again. I have had zero problems with this recovery so I am anticipating a full release from him until the next joint goes out :) I also made an appointment with my PCP (primary care provider) for pre-surgical clearance for my fusion surgery in NY. That appointment will be on December 12.
I was prescribed compression stockings which are basically tights that squish your legs really hard in order to send the blood back up to the brain from your legs. I was able to get those locally and hopefully my insurance should cover them which is wonderful. These will be really helpful for long days on my feet and flying to NY. I need to also get a cervical collar for the flight to NY, long car rides, and post surgery. This is a stiff collar that will immobilize my neck. I will have to wear it for a couple months or more after surgery. I just need to find someone who will fit it for me in my area.
I will update again shortly I think! Hope everyone is doing well!
I had an appointment with the general surgeon who was supposed to put in my port on the 21st of this month and lets just say it didn't go as planned. He totally overstepped his boundaries in my opinion and decided that I did not need the port. He was very confusing and just kept talking in circles! Long story short he said he absolutely would not put the port in for me if I was going to do the infusions myself and that he didn't think i was "sick enough" to need the port. He doesn't know me or my medical history so it is not really up to him to decide that! I went straight to talk to my neurologists nurse who is PHENOMENAL!!!!!! She was not happy at all that he said that so we are working on fixing this little predicament. She did find a home health care company that will deliver my supplies and have a nurse teach me how to do the infusions and do them for me at the beginning at what not. We are waiting to hear if the surgeon will agree to doing to port now that we have this company to do it and has talked to my neurologist again. I am not sure if the port is still getting put in on the 21st of this month or not... I will update again when I hear back from my neurologists office.
I made an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon for a follow up on my wrist just to make sure everything healed well and that I am cleared to do everything again. I have had zero problems with this recovery so I am anticipating a full release from him until the next joint goes out :) I also made an appointment with my PCP (primary care provider) for pre-surgical clearance for my fusion surgery in NY. That appointment will be on December 12.
I was prescribed compression stockings which are basically tights that squish your legs really hard in order to send the blood back up to the brain from your legs. I was able to get those locally and hopefully my insurance should cover them which is wonderful. These will be really helpful for long days on my feet and flying to NY. I need to also get a cervical collar for the flight to NY, long car rides, and post surgery. This is a stiff collar that will immobilize my neck. I will have to wear it for a couple months or more after surgery. I just need to find someone who will fit it for me in my area.
I will update again shortly I think! Hope everyone is doing well!
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