Catching Up on Doctor Bills, talking about my surgeries, my hip "complications" with sudden pain in that thigh, my RA, Lupus, and all acting up due to the weather, and more...

Well, Peanut is much better. He is back to himself just about. I've been very, very careful as to what he eats, so he has been getting plain rice, potatoes, a bit of turkey and this morning he wanted "Cheerios" so I fed him a few at a time. I think it may have been some dog food I gave him early last week so it's going in the trash, and I am going to keep a close eye on him... fortunately he kept drinking water the entire time, so he didn't get dehydrated, but now is just hungry, so he is getting a little at a time.... gosh he had me so worried, we were going to the Vet Friday morning, but he had stopped being sick Thursday afternoon, and was kind of much better Friday morning, did not get sick, ate just a bit and was back to wanting to play some. 

So, I waited, and as the day went on he felt much much better, so I decided to give him the weekend, and so far, other than being tired, he didn't sleep much those couple of nights he was sick and neither did I... so both of us are warn out, then I had a horrible dream that I woke myself up, hollering and mad in the dream, but I was also actually loudly talking out loud, so I got up about 5AM and decided to just stay up and have coffee... I've been so damned "out of it" though ... I guess the weather being rainy and thunderstorms, then my body hurting all over., and almost was having an upset stomach also and feeling lousy, kind of like Peanut, but out Vet has posted that the dogs have also been coming down with the flu. Which is actually the same type of flu that humans can have. So, I was concerned that he may have had that, although he had not been anywhere to come in contact with it, but I could have came in contact with it, and possibly had it on me, and he got it. But, since he is well, and not showing any signs of being ill anymore, I think it was more something in one of the dog foods I gave him,.. bless his heart, he saw me crying and came up, got in my lap, and was licking the tears from my face... I was so scared... after losing Tazzy suddenly, then Bub's passing away while I was in the hospital with my broken hip, I was terrified I could lose him, and I would not survive I don't think if something happened to him.... the nurse from my insurance who comes every week once a week to check on me, her "weenie dog" will be having puppies in a couple of weeks. 

So, I am going to try possibly and get one of those. I think she would either let me have him, or won't charge me very much, and I will just take the puppy, get his or her shots and have it neutered or spayed myself.... Peanut needs his shots, but with my neck like it is, I can't really take him by myself, and get him in and out of the car etc... I've driven a couple of times, down the street to my grocery store, which is just about 5 blocks away, but I wear my soft collar driving, then put the hard collar on to go in, and I won't go alone if i need anything very heavy or if I need a larger amount.... if it is just a few items, then I go myself and just be extra cautious, and take a back route, where there is not a great deal of traffic....I've got to go this coming week and have my hip X-rayed... since my thigh and hip on that side where I fractured it has been hurting now for several weeks, my PCP gave me an order last week to go and get it X-rayed to rule out that one of the screws or something is out of place and causing the pain...

I can barely stand to walk on it some days... then it will get better, then get bad again.... I don't want to go over to my surgeon until I know whether something is wrong or not... he charges me a fortune, and the X-rays there are 5 times as expensive, so I can go even to Urgent Care to have the Xray done, much less expensive, and find out before going and spending a fortune when I am still paying for the surgeries. I thought I was about done paying his bill, then I get another one for the 2nd surgery with the hematoma... I thought it had already been in with my bill, and I've paid at least 700.00 or more to the surgeon alone, then find out i may owe another 240.00 or more dammit.... And the neck surgeon, I owe him 1,600.00!!!! and that is just the doctor, the hospital was less, 

I paid my outpatient co-payment, but my surgeon is "out of network" so I have to pay more for his bill, than if He was "in network"... but I don't trust anyone else, so I bite the bullet and pay more.... go figure... I dread to see what the hell the government does with Medicare...I hope leave it the hell alone.... I already pay more than I can afford for any type of surgery especially.....

That 5 days in the hospital in December for my fractured hip was over 1,600.00 and then another 325.00 for the outpatient hematoma surgery, which I should have not had to pay for, since it was a damned complication of the initial surgery, that should have been "caught" weeks before when I first said it was "developing" I noticed the lump getting larger on my leg, like 3 weeks BEFORE MY FOLLOW UP VISIT, and he still just asked the nurses to "take a photo" and email it to him.... well it only got worse over those two next weeks, and I kept complaining but he still did not see me until it was the size of a SOFTBALL!!! It should have been looked at and dealt with as soon as I began noticing it..... goes to prove sometimes our doctors "ignore" what is right in front of their faces....

I FEEL totally CURSED!!

Most of u already are aware of my situation. Thank U ALL fir th well wishes, thoughts and prayers. When I am a bit more out of pain I will post more. Worried about my r. foot, think it may have a hairline fracture, so we may be going for another X-Ray This really put a kink in the holidays, and me having neck surgery. I will not be able to have that done now until the hip is healed more.... I am going to try and still write,blog, and do my advocacy work Again to you that have been so supportive to Amanda, Jason and myself - you guys and gals rock - guess this means my dream of snow skiing 1 more time in my life is over darned it..

Yes, this has been quite a shock to everyone to say the least. I WAS SUPPOSED to have cervical neck surgery BEFORE the end of the year. Last Tuesday, about 9AM or somy daughter, & I were on the phone talking. 

I walked out to the front porch, to see how"cool" it was outside & then walked back in the house & was going to step over 1 baby gate I have up between my Living room and bedroom. I have several up to keep the dogs out of places they just don't need be. I started over the gate & the toe of my shoe caught either the tip of rug out of the living room, so it is all hardwood floor right side, from my head/neck to my toes. 

It hurt so badly I dropped the phone & I WAS SCREAMING to the top of my lungs - I HOPED it was just sprained badly...but I got the phone , told Amanda to let me try and see if I could find out what I had messed up. I remembered that I had my crutches in the spare bedroom & also an extra rolling desk chair back there also. 

So, I put my heavy robe under me & was able to scoot a little at a time to that room. and then get up on the chair,grab the crutches & with my left foot I slowly rolled myself to the office.By about 2PM I KNEW something was broken but honestly I did NOT want to admit it. So, when the pain was unbearable 

I knew I had to call 911. I had no choice so, I made the call. Sure enough the CT& X-rays confirmed 2 breaks in my right hip. The Orthopedic surgeon , (Dr. Roye) who had also done surgery on my left shoulder & elbow, so he is familiar with my physical ailments. I can say this is the very last ordeal myself and my family needed- after losing Mom about 6 months ago.

 when it rains, it pours......