Not that anyone is asking

Clear back in Sept, my surgeon ordered a spinal DEXA scan, pre-surgery imaging that checks bone-heartiness, and I went in and got it done, but his office failed to forward the images to the person who interprets the results and enters them into the system.

Because of that *oopsie* the surgeon couldn't order all the subsequent tests, and all the lab-work I already did expired.

Today I'm going in to do all the expired lab work and 5 other pre-surgery tests; tests that should have been done a month ago, including the dang DEXA scan. I don't drive and Michelle works till around 7pm, so my son is taking me, and because the surgeon's staff is really scrambling now, they squeezed me in for a 3pm spot, which is when my son, who works nights, picks his kids up from school. So I assume his wife has to take time off work to do that.

I'm so freakin pist. The surgeon wanted to do the surgery, in early Nov, but now he has to wait til the latter part of January, and he's not any happier about that than I am.
 

Murrmurr said:
Clear back in Sept, my surgeon ordered a spinal DEXA scan, pre-surgery imaging that checks bone-heartiness, and I went in and got it done, but his office failed to forward the images to the person who interprets the results and enters them into the system.

Because of that *oopsie* the surgeon couldn't order all the subsequent tests, and all the lab-work I already did expired.

Today I'm going in to do all the expired lab work and 5 other pre-surgery tests; tests that should have been done a month ago, including the dang DEXA scan. I don't drive and Michelle works till around 7pm, so my son is taking me, and because the surgeon's staff is really scrambling now, they squeezed me in for a 3pm spot, which is when my son, who works nights, picks his kids up from school. So I assume his wife has to take time off work to do that.

I'm so freakin pist. The surgeon wanted to do the surgery, in early Nov, but now he has to wait til the latter part of January, and he's not any happier about that than I am.
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I forgot to mention the worst part.

So I baked some Earl Grey Shortbread cookies yesterday but I can't eat any today until after I get back from doing the blood work because my PCP will tell me I'm borderline diabetic and take up 10-minutes of my next 12-minute appointment time lecturing me about it.

And I really want a cookie right now.
 
Jules said:
I’d be mighty pist too. Sure hope you enjoyed that cookie when you finally got it.
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I ate three. But they're small. 😁

Lemme tell you about these cookies, though; they're the yummiest things you could ever put in your mouth. That's how my Daughter-in-Law describes them. And the kid who comes to work here every week says they're his favorite. When he comes over he always asks "Did you make those cookies today?"

Besides being delicious, I like to make them because they're really easy, so I get yummy home-made cookies to snack on without the ordeal of excruciating back pain.

It's your classic shortbread; use a fork to stir 2 cubes of softened butter and a heaping 1/2 cup of sugar until the sugar's dissolved and you get it nice and creamy, then gradually stir in 2 and 1/2 cups of regular ol' flour, and when it gets hard to stir, you work the last of the flour in with your hand(s).

But, after creaming the butter and sugar, I mix in a tablespoon of good quality pure vanilla and half a teabag of Earl Grey tea, which is about a teaspoon, I'm guessing. And then I add the flour.

I like to use quality tea, too, like Twinings or Charbrew or Harney & Sons, which have hard little nut-like bits in it, so I go over the bag with a rolling pin before I put it in...cuz the hard bits tend to get stuck between your teeth. But the Earl Grey adds flavor and warmth and character that you don't get with classic shortbread. And, of course, the vanilla gives all those properties a big boost.

You're supposed to form the dough into a 2" (diameter) log, wrap it in cellophane or whatever, then chill it for at least 3 hours or even overnight, and slice it into half-inch slices when it's good and solid from chilling for so long. But I usually only chill it for an hour or so and then I just roll it into a square or rectangle a half-inch thick, and then I cut that into a grid with a good sharp knife, so all the cookies are identical 2" squares (about).

Doing it that way spares me from a LOT of pain because it's way less fussy and I can do it a lot quicker, so I'm not on my feet, bent over the dough for nearly as long.

Anyhoo, they're really, really tasty. And pretty tender, too.
 
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Murrmurr said:
I ate three. But they're small. 😁

Lemme tell you about these cookies, though; they're the yummiest things you could ever put in your mouth. That's how my Daughter-in-Law describes them. And the kid who comes to work here every week says they're his favorite. When he comes over he always asks "Did you make those cookies today?"

Besides being delicious, I like to make them because they're really easy, so I get yummy home-made cookies to snack on without the ordeal of excruciating back pain.

It's your classic shortbread; use a fork to stir 2 cubes of softened butter and a heaping 1/2 cup of sugar until the sugar's dissolved and you get it nice and creamy, then gradually stir in 2 and 1/2 cups of regular ol' flour, and when it gets hard to stir, you work the last of the flour in with your hand(s).

But, after creaming the butter and sugar, I mix in a tablespoon of good quality pure vanilla and half a teabag of Earl Grey tea, which is about a teaspoon, I'm guessing. And then I add the flour.

I like to use quality tea, too, like Twinings or Charbrew or Harney & Sons, which have hard little nut-like bits in it, so I go over the bag with a rolling pin before I put it in...cuz the hard bits tend to get stuck between your teeth. But the Earl Grey adds flavor and warmth and character that you don't get with classic shortbread. And, of course, the vanilla gives all those properties a big boost.

You're supposed to form the dough into a 2" log, wrap it in cellophane or whatever, then chill it for at least 3 hours or even overnight, and slice it into half-inch slices when it's good and solid from chilling for so long. But I usually only chill it for an hour or so and then I just roll it into a square or rectangle a half-inch thick, and then I cut that into a grid with a good sharp knife, so all the cookies are identical 2" squares (about).

Doing it that way spares me from a LOT of pain because it's way less fussy and I can do it a lot quicker, so I'm not on my feet, bent over the dough for nearly as long.

Anyhoo, they're really, really tasty. And pretty tender, too.
Click to expand...

I had to correct the flour amount. It's 2 1/2 cups.
 
Ok, I'm pretty sure all the pre-surgery tests are done. The surgeon might want to get images one more time, but he scheduled the surgery for early Feb and the follow-up for mid-March.

One of the lab tests was to measure nicotine in urine. It's fairly new as a protocol so I'm not at all familiar with the numbers, but I'm sure mine aren't good. In fact, any number is not good, probably.

I researched why the nicotine test is being done prior to a surgery...it's because science says nicotine disrupts the healing process.

I've been a smoker for 44 years and I've had 4 major surgeries in the past 34. I've always healed way quicker than the reported average. After my last surgery by the same surgeon (in 2017), he said the crucial healing time - you know, when you're expected to be getting around ok on your own - was 3 to 4 weeks, so my son set up a room for me at his house and assigned certain tasks to the whole family; Liam would assist with toileting, showers, shaves, and dressing, his wife was assigned to meals, linen changes, and my laundry, and his kids were assigned stuff like the TV, short walks, and bringing me tea.

That was really sweet, but I was doing great after only 3 days. Liam kept me for 4, just in case, and then he took me home; no reluctance because it was obvious I was doing fine.

Anyway, me and the surgeon have an appointment to go over all the test results. I hope he'll just explain the risks of the presence of nicotine, and asks if I'm willing to go ahead with surgery despite them. I mean, I hope he doesn't say he won't do surgery because I smoke. Some surgeons do.

I doubt this guy will, though. I've been his patient for a decade, and I'm pretty sure he'll accept the risks if I do. He's a very skilled, exceedingly detail-oriented surgeon who genuinely cares about his patients, but the man loves his paychecks. So we'll probly just go over the risks, and I totally accept whatever they are. Honestly, I'd rather die than continue living with this pain, and I'm not just being hyperbolic.

Doc scheduled surgery for the day after the day we go over all the test results, which probly means he's already good to go. He'll also explain the surgery in detail, with images, and that's always fascinating. I'm looking forward to that.
 
I took down the Christmas tree and all the decorations today. Well, actually, I took down the tree last night, and put all the ornaments and lights in all their specific boxes, broke down the display table I made for it, and re-packed the pen I bought to keep the cats out of it. I took down all the boughs and garlands and other stuff this morning, and then carried everything back to the storage closet.

The tree had to come down because my granddaughter "Pan" is a raging alcoholic and her boyfriend is a total jerk, to put it mildly and avoid fitting but vulgar terms. I'll refer to him as "FR".

I got a call from Pan, last week. She and the FR were kicked out of his mother's place, and they were sleeping in Pan's car. She called to ask if she could come over to take a shower. I said "If you're at least relatively sober, then yeah, that'd be okay." She called at around 8am, so I figured she probably wasn't shitfaced.

Wrong.

I'll try to keep this short. About 4 hours after they got here, Pan was finally ready to take a shower. I showed her where the bath towels are kept and where the bathmat was stashed (note that), and left her to it. Then I sat in the family room with the FR and pretended to tolerate a conversation with him, which included explaining the reason for the pen around the Christmas tree. (to keep the cats out)

It was really no surprise that, after Pan showered and they went out to her car, they came back in to tell me the car wouldn't start and to ask if they could stay the night; they had to call around for some money so they could get the car towed and fixed. We'd done this before, so I said "One night, and Pan is not allowed to drink." I also told them I couldn't help with the car.

As usual, the FR kept repeating how much he respected and admired me, and how grateful they were that a great guy like me even existed. Then I let them have some chicken, potato, & veg soup I made a couple days earlier, and, of course, the FR kept saying "Best soup ever," and, as usual, Pan echoed him.

Anyway, next morning I found them already awake and sitting in the family room. Michelle made plenty of coffee before she left for work, and the FR was enjoying a big mug-full. I asked him if he'd gotten a-hold of anyone about the car, and he said he was just about to start calling around...again, I guess..? Then he told me he got up during the night and found one of my cats inside the pen around the tree, and that he took the cat out of it.

"It was that one," he said, pointing to Penny.

Two things stunk about this: 1) it would have been more credible if the FR had pointed to Charlie, the mischievous one, and 2) that pen had been up for a week or so, and none of the cats had even tried to scale its walls. Soon as it went up, they totally lost interest in the tree.

So I'm 99% certain that FR was lying to me. I'm 99% sure HE put Penny in the pen, and he probly took her back out only because Pan begged him to. And I'd have never known, except he just had to tell me about it, because he admired himself for getting back at me for having rules while also avoiding accountability, and because the idiot self-snitches all the freaking time, especially when he does stupid childish revenge crap.

But the tree had to come down early because Penny has been sleeping in its lower branches every night since the FR and Pan left, and my theory is that, by putting her in there, the effing FR basically gave Penny permission to go inside the pen.

As for the *Note this* - Pan was too drunk to remember where the bath towels are, and used mine. She also broke a hinge on the toilet lid. Probably lost her balance while she was sitting on it and drying herself off ...with my towel. She also left a big puddle of water on the floor, because "What bathmat?"

I can't do anymore favors for her. She's a sloppy, slurring, unkempt drunk, and she's drunk All The Time. She has severe pancreatitis, liver disease, and clear signs of alcohol-related dementia, and she's only 29. She went through an intensive 9-month rehab program, then refused to live in their FREE sobriety-maintenance apartments because the FR couldn't move in with her.

She's wrecked 2 cars and let her current car's insurance lapse a year ago. She can't afford the insurance because she keeps getting fired for stumbling into work drunk, and her current employer only schedules her for one day a week. She's lucky to have an 8hr week....that's an employer with incredible tolerance. If not for the FR's mom, they'd have been homeless months ago, because everyone is done with her and no one can stand the abusive, underhanded, unemployed FR she refuses to get rid of.

I really hurt for her dad...my son. He was always so proud of Pan, his Daddy's Girl. She excelled at school, had definite goals, and began college. She was a talented artist and musician...piano and several wind instruments. And she was beautiful. She really was.
 
Welp, there isn't going to be a surgery. My insurance won't pay for it because the nicotine test was positive. Can you believe that BS?

I asked the surgeon's office to send me an estimate. Predictably, we had to go back and forth about it over a few phone calls - we all know insurance is billed by various departments for various services, and a number of unexpected things can crop up during a surgery, and the responses have costs - but I finally talked to a PA over there who's known me since I first met the surgeon, and she gave me an average range of his charges for this particular surgery. And I'm not paying it.

She said the doc would give me a discount off his specific charges if I pay the whole total, but she couldn't speak for any of the other departments and service providers and the hospital itself. So, nah.

Thing is, I have to think about what could happen to Michelle if something happened to me before everything was paid off. Or if I died shortly after surgery, or during surgery. Sure, she could sue, but a defense attorney would definitely blame the positive nicotine test, and you know the hospital and medical staff would back that up.
"Thanks for testifying honestly; here's your check."

So, what I'll do is ask my PCP to either increase my Norco or prescribe morphine. Given that choice, she'll increase the Norco. And that's fine.

I'm prescribed 20mg Norco 3 times a day (or every 6hrs). That's 6 10mg tablets a day; 2 in the morning, 2 at about 2pm, and 2 at 8 or 9pm.

But I take 3 tabs in the morning, then 2 at 2 or 3pm, and 1 at about 8 or 9pm. That's what works best for me.

The 3 I take in the morning stops the shaky legs clear up til 4 o'clock sometimes. I can walk like a normal person that whole time. My back hurts like hell if I do too much or stand for too long - i.e., when I'm cooking or watering the yard and whatnot - but that eases up pretty well if I just sit down for a while and have some tea (and a few smokes :p).

So, what I'd like to do is up the dosage to 3, 3, and 3...30mg three times per day. And I'm gonna experiment with taking only 2 tabs at the 8 or 9pm time. That'll free up one for during the night if I need it. Upping the dosage might build up tolerance, so we'll see how that goes. I usually sleep pretty well, so it's not really a big deal.

I'm not disappointed about the surgery being cancelled. I'm not at all worried about the nicotine, I smoked through several major surgeries and bounced back like a champ, but I've been very concerned about my overall physical condition. I broke this vertebra exactly one year ago and I've been relatively inactive since. A whole year of inactivity. I'm underweight, I've lost muscle mass and strength, I've had no cardio exercise to speak of, and I'll be 71 next month. Each one of those things puts me at risk for this type of surgery, and I've been worrying about that. Worrying a lot.

I'm walking unaided just fine for a minimum of 4 hours a day, and I don't need the wheelchair at all most days. So I just want to manage the pain better. And that's doable. Just gotta talk my doctor into it.
 
Darn, somethings aren’t fair yet you’re working on how to deal with it. Hopefully your GP will work with you. Would you consider a street dealer if you’re left in a quandary.
 
Jules said:
... Would you consider a street dealer if you’re left in a quandary.
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Serious answer…no.

The issue (besides the illegality) is the people you buy that kind of stuff from. Especially if you buy regularly. I was around those kind of people for decades.

When a dealer has a regular customer, he knows that person has a regular income. He’s going to want to bring the product to your house at some point. He’ll tell you it’s the only way he can get it to you that day; something like “I have it on me, I’m in the area where you said you live, and I’m on my way out of town for a few weeks.”

When he brings you the product, he’s going to look around and see what you have, look for cameras, look to see if you have a garage, what kind of lock is on your door and what kind of windows you’ve got, and he can check all that without even coming inside. And if he learns your comings and goings, he’ll steal from you multiple times while still selling you drugs every month.

I don’t wanna know those people.
 
I just can’t get it out of my mind that your insurance company denied you care because of a positive nicotine test. i know smoking is unhealthy but this is actually very concerning. Makes me think it is further indication of insurance companies taking our money while grasping at any excuse to deny coverage.
What if they decide to deny because of caffeine in one’s system.
Pretty soon they’ll deny coverage just because you’re still breathing.
 
MountainRa said:
I just can’t get it out of my mind that your insurance company denied you care because of a positive nicotine test. i know smoking is unhealthy but this is actually very concerning. Makes me think it is further indication of insurance companies taking our money while grasping at any excuse to deny coverage.
What if they decide to deny because of caffeine in one’s system.
Pretty soon they’ll deny coverage just because you’re still breathing.
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..same thing has been happening here for some years now....
 
MountainRa said:
I just can’t get it out of my mind that your insurance company denied you care because of a positive nicotine test. i know smoking is unhealthy but this is actually very concerning. Makes me think it is further indication of insurance companies taking our money while grasping at any excuse to deny coverage.
What if they decide to deny because of caffeine in one’s system.
Pretty soon they’ll deny coverage just because you’re still breathing.
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Exactly! Yes, it blew my mind. And when I did some research, which didn't take long at all, the reason is a claim that nicotine retards healing. That was it. Well, I'm living proof that that's total BS. And so are millions of other people.

Not only have I always healed exceptionally nicely after each of 4 major surgeries, 2 minor ones, and a few open procedures, I've always healed exceptionally quickly. I think that's because I grew up on farm-to-table food, and I still don't eat processed food when I can avoid it (which isn't easy)...but whatever, this feels like behavioral control to me.
 
dobielvr said:
You might have to sign some sort of consent form, in case something goes wrong....so they (the hospital) aren't liable. Tell them you're willing to do that. If, you are, of course???
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You have to sign those before every surgery anyway. The surgery was cancelled, so I don't have that option.

And cancelling it wasn't my doctor's choice. Not that you said it was; I'm just pointing out that he's done surgery on me before, including a far more invasive one, and he knew I was a smoker then. And he remembers how quickly I healed. "Realistically, you'll be down for at least 2 weeks," he said, and that was after telling me he's supposed to say 6 weeks.

Well, I was up and around in 4 days, doing all my normal things. We joked about it during the follow-up visit. He knows nicotine wouldn't be an issue, but he's not gonna fight the insurance company. They're ruthless.
 
"So, what I'll do is ask my PCP to either increase my Norco or prescribe morphine. Given that choice, she'll increase the Norco. And that's fine."

Well, that was a big fat No. Freakin' FDA, man.

My doc wants me to give physical therapy a chance. That only helped when I was wheelchair-bound after major surgery about 20yrs ago...when PT was actually tailored to a patient's needs. It was custom and focused. Now it's one-size-fits-all, and useless. I have done weeks and weeks of PT several times over the past 15 years. It didn't do a thing except waste my time and gasoline.

I exercise at home almost every day. 3 times a week, at the least. And I do the same exercises that helped me get out of the wheelchair back when physical therapy was real. I hardly ever need my walker these days.

Dr. said she doesn't want to increase my Norco because it contains 350mg acetaminophen (Tylenol) per tab; bad for the liver. Why don't they just start excluding or reducing the Tylenol? Big Pharm and the FDA would rather put chronic pain sufferers on mind-fecking synthetics like Gabapentin, which are probly really cheap to manufacture. And they're just as addictive. People sell 'em on the street. She mentioned a brand new one. I've never heard of it, and I forget the name. There's a brand new one every year.

I'm not gonna take any of them. I know how they work. They literally alter specific brain neurons, and I'm not gonna do that to my brain. It's got enough problems.

I'm so pist.

Anyway, she said try PT once a week for 6 weeks, and then we'll *consider* increasing the Norco. And then she upped it to "maybe 12 weeks" at the end of our 15-minutes. Whatever, I'll do it. I mean, it won't hurt. Well actually, it might hurt, but it won't kill me. Even if I hope it does.

I'm disgusted that my university medical center surrendered to the will of the FDA. And the WHO as well, probly.
 
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