Oh, my, it's been a very long time since I posted. I am sure that all of my faithful readers have left me! Perhaps I should Twitter instead of blog. I suppose I could get a sentence out each day. Or, maybe I should just work a bit harder at what I have already started.
Actually, I have always been a gal that gets bored easily. I dabble in this, and then I dabble in that. I tend to think of myself as a connoisseur of many interests, but a master of very few. Maybe I have a touch of attention deficit disorder. I will have to look this up in the DSM IV and self-diagnosis myself. Someday, when I have nothing better to do with life.
In the meantime, we have had a few wins. We received notice from Dennis' insurance company that they will cover an initial visit with the movement disorder specialist from Mayo. Score! We also have finally convinced the insurance company that having an HMO from Wisconsin cover him is not acceptable, since we live in Minnesota. Score, 2!
We are lucky. We have the resources to get what we need. We are educated, resilient and resourceful. No one should have to fight this hard to receive what is rightfully coming to them. Yet, we do.
Obama, fix this! Please!
Until later,
Ann and Dennis
Showing posts with label Mayo Clinic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mayo Clinic. Show all posts
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
All This, and No Results, Yet
I am glad that this Mayo visit is finished. It ended up being two very long days and in the end, we never heard the results of the tests. I know we will, eventually, but it is rather a let down spend two days coming and going from the hospital and end up knowing nothing new.
The tests themselves weren't much of anything, from what Dennis told me. Both days he would start out with a cursory check by the nurse, and then he would drink some iodine. The first day this burned his throat, but he was a trooper and took it again the second day. Then he was with the technician being stuck with needles, forcing dye through his veins and towards his heart. He was so comfortable, he fell asleep the first day. We would have between one and four hours off, when he would return and have pictures taken.
All in all it was dull and long. In fact, the most exciting part of the whole adventure was the poop fest. Now aren't you envying us our daily lives?
The tests themselves weren't much of anything, from what Dennis told me. Both days he would start out with a cursory check by the nurse, and then he would drink some iodine. The first day this burned his throat, but he was a trooper and took it again the second day. Then he was with the technician being stuck with needles, forcing dye through his veins and towards his heart. He was so comfortable, he fell asleep the first day. We would have between one and four hours off, when he would return and have pictures taken.
All in all it was dull and long. In fact, the most exciting part of the whole adventure was the poop fest. Now aren't you envying us our daily lives?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Day One of Research Test Two
It was a long day - with driving, doctor visits and test, pooping and cleaning up. We had settled into our hotel room and decided to find a place to have a dessert before retiring for the evening. We were both exhausted, but we weren't quite ready to watch TV in bed. There just isn't much else to do in a cheap hotel room, and the book I brought was not calling to me.
We cleaned up, to the best of our abilities, and headed out through the crazy subway and sky way system of Rochester. Rochester is all about the business of hospitals, clinics, research, hotels and restaurants. The subway, and sky way walkways seem to be add-ons, to ensure shopping and eating while making your way around the tiny downtown area in the cold of Minnesota winters. They aren't efficient or direct, but then I am spoiled by the great sky-way system of downtown Minneapolis.
We were off. We weren't venturing too far, just to a hotel a few blocks away. We turned down the wrong hallway, when Dennis said, "Take me back to the room."
We had crabbed at each other all day. He was demanding too much, and I was bossing him around too much. It took me 7 minutes to eat my lunch time burger, it took him 40 minutes to eat half of his. He needed to be cleaned up a few times because of pooping issues, and I didn't feel like cleaning up crap all day. The list of complaints we had were trivial, and really just frustrations that life wasn't feeling quite fair at this particular place and time.
Today was day one of the test. Tomorrow we will find out, we hope, that he does not really have MSA or Shy-Drager. I suppose this was weighing on us all day, too.
We cleaned up, to the best of our abilities, and headed out through the crazy subway and sky way system of Rochester. Rochester is all about the business of hospitals, clinics, research, hotels and restaurants. The subway, and sky way walkways seem to be add-ons, to ensure shopping and eating while making your way around the tiny downtown area in the cold of Minnesota winters. They aren't efficient or direct, but then I am spoiled by the great sky-way system of downtown Minneapolis.
We were off. We weren't venturing too far, just to a hotel a few blocks away. We turned down the wrong hallway, when Dennis said, "Take me back to the room."
We had crabbed at each other all day. He was demanding too much, and I was bossing him around too much. It took me 7 minutes to eat my lunch time burger, it took him 40 minutes to eat half of his. He needed to be cleaned up a few times because of pooping issues, and I didn't feel like cleaning up crap all day. The list of complaints we had were trivial, and really just frustrations that life wasn't feeling quite fair at this particular place and time.
Today was day one of the test. Tomorrow we will find out, we hope, that he does not really have MSA or Shy-Drager. I suppose this was weighing on us all day, too.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Insurance - Yuck
Yes, you should be hearing the results of our visit to the movement disorder neurologist at Mayo today.
But you will not here anything about new tests, or anything of that nature. Dennis' insurance decided that they would not cover the visit. They decided that he does not need to go out of network, since there are in-network doctors that are specialists, too.
I guess they don't know me very well. I will not give up without a fight.
So, I took the two days off, spent time on the phone and writing emails. Dennis made an emergency appointment with his neurologist here for tomorrow. We are also working through the research part of Mayo to help us out.
In the meantime, it is off to Rochester next Monday and Tuesday for that long put off radio active test. At least we will have a final decision on whether Dennis has Shy-Drager or not.
Until Later
Ann and Dennis
But you will not here anything about new tests, or anything of that nature. Dennis' insurance decided that they would not cover the visit. They decided that he does not need to go out of network, since there are in-network doctors that are specialists, too.
I guess they don't know me very well. I will not give up without a fight.
So, I took the two days off, spent time on the phone and writing emails. Dennis made an emergency appointment with his neurologist here for tomorrow. We are also working through the research part of Mayo to help us out.
In the meantime, it is off to Rochester next Monday and Tuesday for that long put off radio active test. At least we will have a final decision on whether Dennis has Shy-Drager or not.
Until Later
Ann and Dennis
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