Tuesday

ei34 · September 2024

How’s everyone? Yesterday was a whirlwind for me (just one of those days at work, everything fine in my personal life thankfully).

Can someone cooler than me tell me why I keep seeing Bye Bye Bye on instagram reels? (Not complaining. **NSYNC was the second concert I ever attended. Just feels random?)

ILoveBeachMusic · September 2024

DD and I are headed off to take all the boys to school in just a bit. Then we are going for manicures and some mom/daughter time. Today is rainy and cloudy so I don't know if I will get a walk in or try and do her peloton later today. This may just be a stretch kind of day. H and I will get some walking done tonight when we go to the theater.

banana468 · September 2024

The dance is newly popular (again) from Deadpool and Wolverine!

VarunaTT · September 2024

I'm skipping my allergy shot. I need to see if they have any Friday openings. The last 2 days have been a lot better in terms of sleep and fatigue and I'm loathe to possibly mess it up. I just didn't feel like working today but WFH means I can just roll up, messy, in PJs, at my desk with Harley napping next to me, and work. So that's good.

IDK what happened last night, but I was in a RAGE. I eventually ended up making no bake cookies. Stirring batter with anger and then having chocolately peanut butter cookies at the end was helpful. So, probably perimenopause.

No other news. I'm trying to crotchet and it's not going to well. I need to find a really simple easy pattern that is easy to hold with not a lot of different stitches and then be able to practice. If anyone has any recommendations, I'm all ears My mom said knitting was easier so I might give that a shot. I'm trying to find something that I can get decent enough that I can keep my hands busy, my brain little distracted, and watch TV or walk on the treadmill, to help with ADHD brain distraction.

banana468 · September 2024

@VarunaTT I'll see what I can find. Fat yarn and straight stitches can be your friend at keeping track and progress.

https://trulycrochet.com/12-free-chunky-crochet-scarves-2022/

#7

Link to # 7
https://www.ashleylillis.com/blog/2020/10/5/the-ridge-crochet-scarf-pattern

VarunaTT · September 2024

Thank you @banana468! I knew someone had been helpful on here, but couldn't remember who. I want to keep working at it, because I do enjoy it but man, some of the stuff I see labeled as beginner, I'm like...beginner WHO! :

charlotte989875 · September 2024

Day 2 of new job and it’s been A LOT. I just don’t know how the entire team hasn’t quit by now.

short+sassy · September 2024

Medical insurance rant:

I finally called my insurance yesterday...I hate ever having to talk to them...to ask if they cover removing my lipoma and have them e-mail me a list of in-network providers. It's a golf ball sized lump of scar tissue on my left hip from 30 years of insulin shots. I think I have a smaller one on my right hip. I asked for in-network providers for gynecology also.

First, some AI being answers the phone. I say "Customer Service." He assures me about how well he can understand what I need. Me very sarcastically, "Oh really? Okay asshole. Tell me if lipoma removal is covered under my policy?" AI AH, "I'm sorry, I don't understand. Please repeat or choose from one of these choices (list choices)." Which this nightmare bullshit program, that companies are always trying to shove down our throats even though their total crap, refuses to say anything but that while I'm screaming "Customer Service" at it. Fine. Whatever. I choose one of the choices that isn't even accurate.

But before connecting me, now it has to go through it's 2-minute spiel about their fucking app that I would never in a million years want. I start screaming, "No." Over and over again. But screw me. It has to go through the ENTIRE thing and won't accept my "no", until it gets to the end and asks, "Would you like me to send a link to your phone to download our app?"

Then I'm back to the AI bullshit asking me again what I'm looking for. But this time it gives me a phrase if I want to talk to someone. Great. So glad I just wasted 5 minutes of my time on this aggravating nonsense. And now I'm REALLY PISSED before I'm even talking to someone.

The CSR told me they did cover lipoma removal, but I'm not sure I trust her. From my research, insurance companies don't usually. But a glimmer of hope.

I told her this procedure is sometimes done by dermatologists, but usually done by plastic surgeons. She is an abject nightmare to talk to. I have to spell multiple things for her and spell them 4-8 times. She e-mails me a list of providers and we get off the phone.

But of course the nightmare isn't over. Because this is United Healthcare who seem to only hire people that can't understand basic English. That is not a reference to them being foreign. They are not. It's just always been my experience that their employees are dumb as a box of rocks.

I start to look up each of the doctors she sent. Did she send me a list of dermatologists and/or plastic surgeons, like I ASKED? NNNNOOOOOO.

I think she sent me a list of general surgeons. One of them is a plastic surgeon, but that seems to be a coincidence. Because I'm pretty fucking sure that neurosurgeons, bariatric surgeons, and transplant surgeons don't bother themselves with piddly little procedures like a lipoma removal. Which is only technically a surgery. Local anesthesia, maybe. Done in a doctor's office. One hour tops.

At least the list she sent me for gynecologists were actually gynecologists. What a concept.

I wait an hour to cool down and call UH back. I ask the next CSR to send me their in network providers for dermatologists and plastic surgeons. He says he sent it. AAANNNNDDD never did.

So that was an hour wasted and being completely frustrated and the only thing I find out is that lipoma removal is covered (maybe). Apparently I need to go to their website myself and look up providers. Except I hate their website for looking this kind of stuff up. The search function is awful and pulls up erroneous stuff. And most of their info is outdated and very inaccurate.

levioosa · September 2024

@short+sassy we often sent our lipomas to general surgery. I personally would pay out of pocket for plastic surgery if it was somewhere obvious, but that's where they usually go. Sometimes I send to derm for them but it's usually General. It is a pretty easy procedure though.

@charlotte989875 *Hugs*

Life is trying to destroy me. This weekend was rough. I got some bad health news, then I went to visit my Grandparents and had to call 911 for my grandfather who seemingly became septic in the matter of an hour (it was brewing, but he went from fine to very much became not fine in about 20 minutes). So they admitted him to the hospital on Saturday and that was a much more complex weekend than I had the emotional bandwith to take. H and I are squabbling and I would love for life to give me just a smidge of a win. Oh, also it's back to 100 here. On Friday lightening struck out building twice and took out our AC. So that's fun.

Otherwise SSDD.

CharmedPam · September 2024

Oh yikes @levioosa, that’s tough. You DO need a break.

@charlotte989875, it’s funny how you recognize that on day 2.
@short+sassy, I have United too, so I get it. The search is awful. I know that if you jump through hoops insurance can cover a panniculectomy (almost a tummy tuck lol) so maybe lipoma? When you call your desired surgeon is there a way to be sure be sure? (Although it’s really never a for sure until the claim is run and after the fact)

I think I’m caught up on sleep. Work is actually pretty busy which I like and my parents are visiting to do some things around the house. In other news colorstreet dropped the halloween (in my world year round) nail design collection and I’m probably going to order a lot. They’re beautiful!
edit to post the collection so you don’t have to surf out of curiosity. I’m that kinda friend.

short+sassy · September 2024

levioosa said:

@short+sassy we often sent our lipomas to general surgery. I personally would pay out of pocket for plastic surgery if it was somewhere obvious, but that's where they usually go. Sometimes I send to derm for them but it's usually General. It is a pretty easy procedure though.

@charlotte989875 *Hugs*

Life is trying to destroy me. This weekend was rough. I got some bad health news, then I went to visit my Grandparents and had to call 911 for my grandfather who seemingly became septic in the matter of an hour (it was brewing, but he went from fine to very much became not fine in about 20 minutes). So they admitted him to the hospital on Saturday and that was a much more complex weekend than I had the emotional bandwith to take. H and I are squabbling and I would love for life to give me just a smidge of a win. Oh, also it's back to 100 here. On Friday lightening struck out building twice and took out our AC. So that's fun.

Otherwise SSDD.

Thanks for the info. Everything I've seen online said it's usually a plastic surgeon, sometimes a dermatologist. Occasionally a general surgeon, but usually only if it is something more complicated.

Mine seems very simple. It's about 4cm wide, with the criteria being 5cm or bigger being more difficult/expensive. It doesn't seem attached to my body at all. It moves with my skin. I joked to my H that I wish our former veterinarian tenant still lived next door. I'm sure she could remove it just fine. Only joking because I'm sure she would never jeopardize her license like that. Not joking that it's well within her skills and I'd have no qualms.

A general surgeon just seems like such overkill. Plus I'd also think that is the much more expensive way to go. I have a high deductible plan so I'm going to have to pay for 100% of it. But I know from experience if I use my insurance for something they cover, I get whatever discount they've arranged with their in-network providers.

banana468 · September 2024

Oh @levioosa your grandfather is blessed to have you. DH saw his father go septic and it was frightening back in Feb. MIL also had not unpacked the thermometers so DH only knew that at 9 PM it was well over 101 (phone thermometer) and he was not aware of what time or day it was. FIL was 74 at the time (75 now) and pulled through OK but it was a scary potential foreshadowing of what may happen.

@short+sassy I loathe the management of UHC. In January they denied Chiquita's October infusion cost which was approved in September. The provider called and I called. The provider was told that it would be taken care of no issue. I was told they were working on it. I continued to check on the invoice and it's still posted in her MyChart. I called again. No, I didn't want their app. I wanted their answers. The case worker we were assigned kept changing, the Billing Worker was never at her desk, they constantly said that they were working on the bill and in the meantime the provider kept asking why I wasn't paying the invoice (which was over $9K). I had the letter! These were covered! It wasn't until April/May that it was finally all set after they acknowledged that it was their error and then that these things take time to fix.

short+sassy · September 2024

CharmedPam said:

Oh yikes @levioosa, that’s tough. You DO need a break.
@charlotte989875, it’s funny how you recognize that on day 2.
@short+sassy, I have United too, so I get it. The search is awful. I know that if you jump through hoops insurance can cover a panniculectomy (almost a tummy tuck lol) so maybe lipoma? When you call your desired surgeon is there a way to be sure be sure? (Although it’s really never a for sure until the claim is run and after the fact)

I think I’m caught up on sleep. Work is actually pretty busy which I like and my parents are visiting to do some things around the house. In other news colorstreet dropped the halloween (in my world year round) nail design collection and I’m probably going to order a lot. They’re beautiful!
edit to post the collection so you don’t have to surf out of curiosity. I’m that kinda friend.

I'm going to try to go with whomever is cheapest anyway because like I mentioned right above, I have to pay 100% of it. But hopefully an in-network provider gets me whatever discount my insurance has arranged.

The lower end of the range is $400-$600, at least what I've seen online, so at least it's not crazy expensive like most plastic surgery procedures.

When I did a Google search, I saw a clinic in Miami that charges $250 for a lipoma removal. Jerks! Why do they have to be so far away, lol.

I did make one interesting discovery. The one plastic surgeon on her list works at an LSU clinic here in New Orleans that trains plastic surgery residents. They have a big ole' glossy and very thorough website for the public with all the services they provide. Of course, lipoma removal is not listed but it's worth a call for tomorrow.

However, once I hit my goal weight, I'm going to need work done for excess skin removal. It never occurred to me to go to a medical school. I went down a rabbit hole. Yes, it can be a lot cheaper. Not especially recommended for more complex procedures like breasts and rhinoplasty. But I didn't have time to dig further for the procedures I would need. Weellll, a breast lift with skin removal would be nice also. But I might be too scared to ever get that done. And turkey neck, inner thighs, and upper arms come first and in that order anyway.

levioosa · September 2024

@banana468 Thanks, it really does just happen so quickly. I am definitely thankful that 1. I have medical knowledge, and 2. I remain calm in emergencies. We were visiting the grandparents and I was super tired so I asked my mom if she wanted to go pick up Starbucks. She did, so I went downstairs to ask if anyone else wanted anything. Nope. Grandpa said he was cold (he's always cold--he's 91 and anemic and he sits in the coldest room of the house) and he asked me if I was cold (I'm useless, I'm always cold too) so nothing particularly alarming. We left to go get Starbucks, got back but stayed in the car talking about some stuff for about 10 minutes, and then Grandma called asking where we were because he was shaking uncontrollably. So we go back in and he's shaking, confused, he has a 101.2 temp, and he has an elevated blood pressure and heart rate. I was just like lol no, I will not be managing this, straight to ER you go. And then some very large firefighters had to nearly carry him out to the gurney.

His next surgery is supposed to be December 20th and I'm just thinking...can we postpone until after Christmas? The whole family is supposed to be here for what could be their last Christmas and he ends up in the hospital every time now. Delaying surgery by 1-2 weeks is pretty much going to have zero impact on his longevity and care.

short+sassy · September 2024

banana468 said:

Oh @levioosa your grandfather is blessed to have you. DH saw his father go septic and it was frightening back in Feb. MIL also had not unpacked the thermometers so DH only knew that at 9 PM it was well over 101 (phone thermometer) and he was not aware of what time or day it was. FIL was 74 at the time (75 now) and pulled through OK but it was a scary potential foreshadowing of what may happen.

@short+sassy I loathe the management of UHC. In January they denied Chiquita's October infusion cost which was approved in September. The provider called and I called. The provider was told that it would be taken care of no issue. I was told they were working on it. I continued to check on the invoice and it's still posted in her MyChart. I called again. No, I didn't want their app. I wanted their answers. The case worker we were assigned kept changing, the Billing Worker was never at her desk, they constantly said that they were working on the bill and in the meantime the provider kept asking why I wasn't paying the invoice (which was over $9K). I had the letter! These were covered! It wasn't until April/May that it was finally all set after they acknowledged that it was their error and then that these things take time to fix.

I remember when you were going through that and all the time you had to spend sorting it out. Ugh! I forgot that was also UH.

I've never had to deal with them on a billing issue (knock on wood). Probably because they don't pay anything anyway on my high deductible plan, lol. But I can imagine what a nightmare it would be.

banana468 · September 2024

They just revised to acknowledge that they completely screwed up and it was a high 4 figure mistake!! We're only a year into our journey with this and it just seems to be pretty piss poor that they screwed up so newly into it with such minimal communication and all follow up had to be on our end.

My kid makes me even more emotional about this upcoming election. She has ADHD and an autoimmune disease. I'm 44 and the record keeping, note taking and proof of paperwork are intimidating for me. The idea that the ACA can be overturned so she's not covered once out of school, that preexisting condition coverage could be swept away and that she's going to have to keep meticulous notes all while who knows how her body will be tolerating infusions as she's a young adult just make me angry that people I know and people I love are actually planning to vote for it. DH and I have seriously avoided politics with his family members but I've been crafting the ways in my head to state that a vote for Trump is a vote to put their granddaughter/niece/family member in a position of having to either be hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt or be close to death. I probably have some form of PTSD from last year (TMI alert) but I watched my kid unable to pee without (exploding out of everywhere wretching in pain and having to measure all the fluids to know how much needed to be administered into her because she couldn't eat anything. And if you want to torture your child, force her to drink Miralax followed by CT Scan fluid when she was previously told nothing by mouth all as we prepped for the next round of tests.

kvruns · September 2024

@short+sassy that is super frustrating I hate the customer service loop. I will say UHC online account and chat usually works well for me and is rather quick. I just save everything they say and also try to search my plan cert when questioning coverage

short+sassy · September 2024

kvruns said:

@short+sassy that is super frustrating I hate the customer service loop. I will say UHC online account and chat usually works well for me and is rather quick. I just save everything they say and also try to search my plan cert when questioning coverage

Thanks, I'll try that next time.

And Hello Stranger!

I hope things are going well for you.

short+sassy · September 2024

banana468 said:

They just revised to acknowledge that they completely screwed up and it was a high 4 figure mistake!! We're only a year into our journey with this and it just seems to be pretty piss poor that they screwed up so newly into it with such minimal communication and all follow up had to be on our end.

My kid makes me even more emotional about this upcoming election. She has ADHD and an autoimmune disease. I'm 44 and the record keeping, note taking and proof of paperwork are intimidating for me. The idea that the ACA can be overturned so she's not covered once out of school, that preexisting condition coverage could be swept away and that she's going to have to keep meticulous notes all while who knows how her body will be tolerating infusions as she's a young adult just make me angry that people I know and people I love are actually planning to vote for it. DH and I have seriously avoided politics with his family members but I've been crafting the ways in my head to state that a vote for Trump is a vote to put their granddaughter/niece/family member in a position of having to either be hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt or be close to death. I probably have some form of PTSD from last year (TMI alert) but I watched my kid unable to pee without (exploding out of everywhere wretching in pain and having to measure all the fluids to know how much needed to be administered into her because she couldn't eat anything. And if you want to torture your child, force her to drink Miralax followed by CT Scan fluid when she was previously told nothing by mouth all as we prepped for the next round of tests.

I am really sorry. I feel so much of what you said. There's no reason insurance needs to be as confusing and complicated as it is. The ACA protections were still 20 years away when I graduated from college. I know what it was like. NOBODY should have to worry about how they are going to pay for medications and treatments they need. Especially not young people just starting out in life. I hope Chiquita and her generation never experience that.

I am also so worried about the election. Not just the ACA, but that's a BIG one.

Some irony. My mom was about your age when I was diagnosed with diabetes. The concerns and fears you have for Chiquita, with the illnesses themselves/her future/insurance/money, is really reminiscent of how my mother was. She's been worried ever since, especially when I was unemployed...which meant I had no insurance at all...or in yet another 1-year waiting period on a group plan before pre-existing conditions were covered.

But still votes for Trump every election. smh. She hems and haws about it because she doesn't like him. She hates the Republican policies on healthcare, which I know is in large part because of me. But she likes most other things about the Republican party and overall doesn't like the Democratic party, so she always stays on the right (sigh).

ei34 · September 2024

Ugh hugs @levioosa, that's soo much. Your whole family is blessed to have you, but it's so much on your shoulders.

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