Suunday Stroke Survival: News and Insurance Woes

I finally heard from my neurologist about getting an appointment at the Shepherd Center!!!
(Whistling and one-handed clapping)

That's the good news.
(CLUNK! The other shoe dropping)

The bad news is that they are not taking any new patients. My neurologist's office will have to call back in October or November to see if there is an opening. So I;m still waiting. But I do have a toe in the door. Sort of. With Shepherd's being one of the top spinal/brain centers on the east coast, a waiting list is to be expected. The last time I was there a couple dozen years ago, I had an 'in' (leverage). I was a spinal trauma, life flight nurse with a severe injury and they had an experimental surgery. I had doctors pulling for me. That's not the case now. Now, I'm an old (five years post stroke) stroke survivor looking for options. I understand the difference, even though I'm the same patient.

The odds of getting into the Center and having something done before the end of the calendar year is looking pretty slim. Why the push? Well deductibles for one. I've gone round and round with my medical insurance program since my Medicare kicked in back in July. Yes, my insurance is cheaper by $30 a month. My Blue Cross/Blue Shield is now my secondary insurance. They've got divisions called Pre-65 and regular medicare. It shouldn't matter, right? Medicare is Medicare and my BCBS is secondary. But because I'm not 65, by a couple of years, they only reduce my premiums by $30 instead of 66% (100 a month versus 300 a month) like at 65. It's a racket, right? Who besides me, thinks this?

I'd shop for a different policy, if it wasn't mixed up with my retirement pension. It's also terrific insurance that has a maximum out of pocket and a low yearly deductible. Yeah, I'm just griping here because there is nothing I can do about it. With my Medicare, the chances of my hitting my yearly BCBS maximum out of pocket expense ever again is nil. Which is a good thing, but a bad thing when you compare the benefits of the BCBS policy. I can foresee me spending close to the maximum each year without actually crossing the threshold each year.

I guess I've got a choice to make. Either to wait in Shepherd Center or find another neurosurgeon. The bad thing about my move to north Georgia is that I know no one that includes doctors. My years of experience and tracks records means nothing. I'm starting from scratch. Wish me luck.

Nothing is impossible.

St. Simons Made the List!

I was browsing yahoo news snippets this morning, and saw a familiar picture. The article was titled "America's Most Romantic Towns."

Sure enough when I opened it, my very own St. Simons Island was list #1 of 10! As if there was any doubt judging from the number of marriages I've officiated at before my stroke.

                      "No. 1 ST. SIMONS, GA • America’s top town for romance strikes the right balance between seclusion and accessibility. Located on one of Georgia’s Golden Isles, this southern-style beach town has both white sands and live oaks, and was a hit with readers in romance-friendly categories such as picnicking and charming cafés. You can rent bicycles, browse antique shops, and check out another undeniable marker of romantic destinations: the local lighthouse. Stay at the 34-room St. Simon’s Inn, and you’ll get a clear view of the 19th-century landmark. goldenisles.com (Photo by James Schwabel / Alamy)"

 

For me, coming in second was Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island listed as #10 globally as most romantic beaches.

 

In other news- My purse is $1,300 is lighter today than it was yesterday. (My portion after insurance) It takes 5 months to save that much money on a fixed income. I had another series of Botox injections. 300 CCs worth in my lower and upper arm plus my pectoral muscle. Eighteen EMG guided needles probing (digging) for the exact spot. It should alleviate some of the spasticity in the arm relaxing the muscles some and breathing will become easier again. It only took two hours to accomplish that feat. Post stroke life is such a joy! 

 

Oh and I forgot to mention the private sitter fee for my hubby that is paid out of pocket. Yesterday was expensive but worth it! Fifteen dollars an hour times three hours. YOU HEAR THAT SOCIAL SECURITY? And, they say I should work outside the home instead of caring for my hubby. That savings isn't considered income though because it isn't taxable or deductible. Forgive me for ranting without warning.

The good news is that I've met my yearly out of pocket limit with this and a carotid artery scan I had done in January so after this the insurance will cover 100% for the rest of the year. It's really quite sad to reach your out of pocket expense for the year in February, but that's life post stroke and having a bad heart.

Another piece of news- My DH is on the mends of sorts. No he's still dying in slow increments, but he seems to have rallied a bit. It may be his body adjusting to the added morphine, but he's more lucid than he was. He is sleeping only about 18 hours a day which is a blessing to me. We are able to spend a couple more hours of together time. Every second is a blessing. Although he has more episodes of severe difficulty breathing, with that taken into consideration, he is smiling and laughing more.

Just thought you'd like to know.