Thursday's Tumbles and Stumbles: News!

Unlike my usual post on Thursdays this is not a tumble or a stumble, but good, awaited news.

The dry needling modality I've been waiting for is covered by my insurance! Hooray! Yippee!

I spoke at length about it to the nurse practitioner when she visited our home last week to do my hubby's recertification for hospice. She is also a nurse practitioner for my neurologist. Neat, huh? It sure makes my life easier. She can check on both of us every six weeks and I don't have to drive to my neurologist's office.

She, of course, had never heard of it so I filled her in on it from my research. She was the one who had mentioned massage therapy to me during one of these home visits. More on this in a minute. She told me that when I found out about the insurance to give her a call and she'd order it.

Well, that's exactly what I did on Monday. The office faxed the order over by the
afternoon. It has been like most things you pray about and want. There is a delay that seems interminably, and then a whirlwind of things happening. This week has been like that. Numerous conversations between the neurology office, the rehab center, the therapist certified to do it, and the transfer of services from the hospital based therapy center and the new one. It's a good thing this new therapist is the husband of my speech therapist (the one that speaks aphasia), my regular OT knows the new one, and they all are part of my stroke support group.

Yes, I live in a small town, but it's not that small. We have a population of almost 100K. But right now, it feels like when I first moved here back in the 70s and the population was only 20K and I'm thankful for it.

When I spoke to my new therapist about the cost of treatments, He said not to worry about it. Something could be worked out. Thanks to Obamacare, my insurance only covers 40 hours a calendar year versus the 75 hours previously. All therapies- OT, PT, and Speech are all rolled into that one package. At least that's how my plan works. Massage therapy is limited to 40 hours per year under Chiropractic care for muscular reeducation. I love how doctors word things to get paid.

I'd hate to start this and it works because my hourly limit expires so I wanted to know what my cost would be without insurance. So far the people I have talked to who have undergone this treatment are pleased with their results. A couple have seen a reduction of their spasticity even after two treatments. They used the word "miracle" several times so I'm hoping for the same results.

One is even doing what I hoped to do, Botox and dry needling so I won't be the first. I can say I'm greatly relieved not to be the first. Although I've pioneered many things in the past, I was really unsure about this in this instance. When I spoke to the therapist, he mentioned the results I already knew about. He said hopefully he could get me the same results. I told him I expected better. We both had a good chuckle with that one. I told him that I also understood the odds of making it worse, no change, or improvement. He said that was good. He asked me how I felt about needles and I told him I'd rather be one on the giving end rather than the receiving end of the point, but I could handle it. Now I'm waiting on an appointment time next week to start.

Yes, I'm excited. Can't you tell? I'm a realist but remain hopeful. Is that a contradiction? Well, no matter. It's how I am. I'll keep y'all posted.