Rachel,
Your son is such a sweetie. It's hot here in Austin again! I have a quilt that's 12x10 squares. I've got most of the squares sewn together is groups of 2 and 4 rows sewn together already. I'm taking a break and will be back at it soon. Won't get the top done today because I'm waiting for a block to be overnighted back to me. Hopefully it'll show up tomorrow. I start PT tomorrow for my ankle. I'm still sewing with my left foot, but still take breaks because no matter how I sit, it still puts some pressure on my right ankle.
Frances

Frances,
That's great that you are able to take less meds. My son just brought my sewing machine over to me and put it on a kitchen chair. He set it up and everything. I was shocked. He said "I know you feel better when you sew, maybe you can sew and rest at the same time. He really is a sweet kid. So I am trying to work on a block that I want to get right. If it wasn't so cold here today I probably would feel better. I do hope that you continue to feel better. I hate being drugged up. By the way how's things in your piece of the world? :

Rachel, I know how hard it can be dealing with insurance companies. My DH, DS, and I were rear ended years ago. We all see a chiropractor as part of our regular care. We wanted the ins co to pay for a couple of extra visits to the chiro and they refused. Our chiro gave us the name of a lawyer. After the lawyer got involved, they not only paid for the chiro visits, but each of us also got money for pain and suffering plus the lawyer's fees. What would have cost them less than $500 ended up costing them almost $20,000.
I have potentially good news. I have nerve problems in my back that act up when I use my right hand and arm. It's from a different car accident (drunk driver). Well when I was sick last week, I didn't take my meds for 3 days without any pain. I was in for my quarterly appt with the pain doc's PA and told her this. We we are trying the Lyrica once a day instead of 3 times a day. If I'm still doing ok, then great. If not add in one more. We'll see today because I have a quilt that I need to get done.
Frances

My lawyer and my DR. are furious. My Dr. called this morning because the Dr. that I seen yesterday and my lawyer called him. He told me to come and get samples andnever to go without again. My lawyer is calling the insurance company and demanding answers. He says there is no excuse. My DH is going to take me to the Dr. to get the samples when he gets home from work because I can't turn my head from side to side. My Dad is on the same pain meds as I am so I did get some sleep last night. The Dr. I seen yesterday was a rhuematologist (I know that is spelled wrong). So I guess if I had to go without meds this was the time to do it. He says I'm a mess. I could have told him that. He ordered a ton of blood work and Xrays. He also would like to get me off some of the meds that I am on and make it so I am only taking 1 or 2 pills instead of 9 or 10. Right now I don't want to go public with what this Ins. company is doing because of the lawsuit. I'll just let my lawyer deal with it. Thanyou all for being so encouraging. It really means a lot my family tries to understand but it's hard for them. Rachel

Rachel,
I may have told you this before but--going public with these things can very often get you what you need.
Is there a consumer advocate you can contact? Either your local newspaper or TV station.
Eileen

sorry Rachel. Insurance battles suck. Wish you success.

My neice had surg she is doing fine. I had a Dr. appt. today with a new Dr. He wasn't very encouraging. In fact he was very blunt and did not sugarcoat anything. I have been without my meds for 2 weeks because of an insurance issue with No Fault. My lawyer is trying to get my case manager to knock the BS off but all of a sudden they are refusing to pay for one med and back dated it 3 months. If it was just 1 months worth I could have paid it but 3 is another story. Oh well I will get it by the end of the month hopefully. Rachel

Eileen, good for you so many people think teens aren't able to discuss their problems. What I do with my 14 year old is tell the Dr. what I see going on then say I'm going to wait outside and give you 2 some one on one time this way he can tell you other things he doesn't want a girl to know, and leave the room. When the exam is over the Dr. tells me the diagnosis and anything that is important. Usually on the way home Alex tells me the rest. Soon I will be doing it with Elijah too. My word they are getting big. I feel old.Rachel

I'm sure your niece will have good luck with her surgery. Tell her to run as fast as she can from that doctor and everyone associated with him.
I changed doctors several years ago when my kids were still on our insurance. The one we had at that time refused to talk to my kids, even though they were in their teens. If I wasn't in the room, he'd come out and talk to me and just dismiss them. If I was in the room, he wouldn't make eye contact with them at all. I understand that they were under 18 at the time but he could at least speak to them instead of talking to me.
We changed our insurance and I moved all of us immediately.
eileenkny

Ok here's the latest on my neice and her DR. We finally got the paperwork straighten out. The nurse practitioner refused to see Angela to sign the med release form. So after 5 years or more she finally got to see her Dr. and not the nurse practitioner. :shock: Yeah over 5 years so she told him what happened with the paper work and the Lyrica. He tells her that that is the root they should have been going all along He did give her med clearence though so she can have her surg. I told her if she goes back to him she is a idiot who is just asking for probblems.

Just my not so humble opinion but doctors like your niece's old one should have to appear before a medical board. They should have to go back to school periodically so they can stay current. I don't mean those conferences where all they do is schmooze.
eileenkny

Frances we found out that her old Dr. might not sign the paper work friday at 4:25 exactly. Wasn't that nice? Anyway I called my Dr of course he was gone for the day. His nurse was still there though. She said it shouldn't be a problem. She would call me or my neice back first thing monday morning. Either way it is just nice to see Ang. smiling and moving again. She is only 23 and has been in horrible pain for over 4 years. Her old Dr. diagnosed her with degenerative joint disease but told her she would have to live with it because she was too young to do anything about it. Kind of backward thinking don't you think. She has had both knees operated on and now her back needs surg for 2 hernated disk. She is way to young to be in this shape. Rachel

Rachel,
Glad your niece is feeling better. Her old dr sounds like a jerk. Will your dr. sign the paperwork? Glad the Lyrica is working for her. I take it and it is the one pain med I can take that lets me function normally (driving, using sharp impliments ). Frances is hot Austin where we had 18 straight days of hotter than normal temps until yesteday when we finally got some rain.

Warmer weather has me doing things I probably shouldn't, but it feels good to actually be productive. Yesterday I did some gardening, granted my DH had to practically carry me back into the house but I got a small garden in. I also have started 4 new quilting projects. These ones take a little extra time then the simple baby ones I have been doing. Anyway I wanted to tell you love ladies about my neice's experience this last week. She needs back surg. She is gaining weight, bloating, moody, in pain constantly, IBS, joint pain, fatigue... sound familiar. Her Regular DR. wold not do anything for her so I took her to my Dr. He listened to her ailments. Told her he would treat her after her surg. but gave her a sample of Lyrica to try until after surg. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! She called me 3 days later telling me how much better things were in her world. And her mother called me shortly after that to tell me how much better things were in her world. However now her old Dr. won't sign the paper for her to have med clerence for surg. WhAT A JERK!!! Anyway after the Dr. appt. we bought fabric for her to start quilting, Purple and pink split rail. Rachel one neice quilting 5 more to go