Going in (expensive!) circles

[SulaBlue]

My rheumatologist wants bilateral, 3-view X-rays of my hands/wrists, feet, and ankles... to the tune of $700 estimated price. Neither the doctor's office nor my insurance seems able to tell me what the contracted rate that I'll actually pay. I've been on the phone since 8:30 this morning and back and forth between the imaging facility, to my insurance, then back to a different department in the imaging facility. The imaging facility gave me all the codes, but my insurance company won't give me the contract rate information (and the imaging facility says they don't give that information out) even though I have the codes. The imaging facility has to call provider services, and THEY have to give them the codes, then call me back with a total estimate.

SO STRESSED.

:shock::sad:

 

[1sweed]

Calm down and take a breather. It is not life or death. These things come up and can drive you up a wall. But what happens if you just let it go for the moment? What is the worst that can happen? Don't let the doctor's or the medical division or insurance, control your life.
We allow them to dictate, how quickly something must be done. We race in circles trying to do their bidding, when what your attempting can wait another day. The X-rays are to rule out different types of arthritis like rheumatodid and osteoarthritis.

I know I make it sound easy and your no doubt thinking how to I stop my heart from racing and feeling overwhemed with stress, when I can't deal with these jerks that can't do their job? Relax. Go take a nap. Drink something refreshing. Take a short walk. Watch a good movie.
The test will be there tomarrow. And maybe tomarrow you will get to talk to the superviser who knows how to get the job done. When your going in circles ask for the superviser or dept head. Be needy not angry and ask for their help. Be sure to get their name and dept # and phone number. Keep a record of who you talk with and that way you can get back in tonch the next time you need help. It will work out. Be strong!

 

[SulaBlue]

Thank you, 1sweed.

I just have so much on my plate right now!

I was denied SSD despite having Type 2 Diabetes, degenerative disks with restolethises and associated sciatic nerve pain that keeps me from driving (and I use a walker for anything more than a few dozen feet), obesity (I've put on over 100 pounds since a bicycle vs. car accident in 2005), hypothyroidism, chronic insomnia, depression, and now possibly fibromyalgia.

I've got a lawyer and they already submitted for a reconsideration as of March 6. Speedy! Now I just have to remember to send them updates every time I go to the doctor - which is going to be a lot as I'm trying to get films for both the rheumatologist and a spine & pain specialist (who'd really rather have a MRI). It seems that it may be 6-9 months before I hear back from SSD/DARS this time due to the backlog. Then again, they said it'd be 4 months when I first filed in late December and heard that I'd been denied by the end of February, so here's to hoping that I hear back just as quickly (but with a better outcome!) this time. I'm also trying to get approved for bariatric surgery. I may just need to put that on the back burner for now and pick and choose my battles.

On the up side, the Lyrica seems to be helping with my diabetes. Less pain means less stress on the body, and lower blood sugar. It is seriously knocking me on my butt, though, and I can't afford it. I'll be switching to gabapentin/Neurontin to see if that'll work as well without some of the side effects. It's making it very, very hard to handle all this when I can't remember what I'm saying from the beginning to the end.

 

[1sweed]

SulaBlue, Just don't give up. Sometimes it takes a long time to get SSD. It took me about 7 years, of applying and getting turned down, and reapplying until with a lawyers help I won my case. If you don't get SSD, could you get help though SSI. With SSI you get more income. Either way do not give up.

I use gabapentin, and it works for me. Now remember when you first start it, it will made you feel tired and lazy. Your brain has to adjust to the doseage and it takes up to two weeks for that to happen. So give it time to start working. This medication has a short life, meaning you must take the medication as your told to do so it stays at a constant even level in your body. Don't over medicate. This medication is also used for seizures, so taking more than your suppose to could shut off more than just pain signals in your brain.

Keep a journal of who you talked with and what was discussed. That way you will always know what you said or did not say, if asked or trying to remember. Hope this helps you some.

 

[SulaBlue]

I don't think I qualify for SSI.

I'm worried about it taking a long time to get SSD. I haven't worked since 2008 when I got laid off. I was really slowing down at my job then (I worked in a printing shop and had to move boxes of paper around every day and could also no longer comfortably stand still to man the counter). If it takes 7 years, will I even be qualified for SSD anymore since I wouldn't have worked in the last 10 years?

 

[1sweed]

If it takes a longtime and you finally win your case you will get backpay for all the years since you applied. However, the lawyer you have must be one approved by social security, that way the lawyer can not charge you more than the set fee of $5000. Now that seems like a lot of money for the lawyer to get, but just think if he or she, helps you win your case then you will be set with a income and back pay.

In my case I kept reporting income until I won my case. The last year I reported $600. But by doing this the amount of money I had earned and was set to receive each month did not go down. In your case they will look back at the last 5 years that you worked and decide how much you will get based on that information and your work history.

Are you able to work from home? Could you answer a phone and take orders for a company? Could you blog about your health or jobs experience? There are lots of jobs online that are legit. Just never pay anyone for a job. Be safe with your personal information. Sometimes you can work a bit and still get SSD, if the income is not enough to live on.
Hope things work out and keep us up to date on how it goes.

 

[SulaBlue]

Yeah, it's actually gone up to a max of $6,000 now, too! Not that I begrudge them that, for sure. I look at it this way: They're taking 25% of something that I wouldn't have had anyway, so it really doesn't feel like it's coming "out of my pocket" so to speak. I also know how much lawyers who work in other fields charge (I have a lawyer friend in CA and his firm bills at $300 per hour!). Lawyers doing SSD can really only be making money by sheer volume! That, and the fact that they specialize in this stuff probably means they can navigate all the ins and out in the time it'd take me to read the bleeping forms.

The application was just grizzly and repetitive! First 2 online forms (one that had an estimated HOUR completion time). Then they sent 2 more forms in the mail and I had to sit and write it all out longhand! I thought my hand was going to fall off!

I'm working with a lawyer that the local Bar association referred me to, as well as a former client who is a friend and a lawyer that my MiL's estate lawyer knows also referred me to them, so I'm fairly sure that I'm in good hands. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed.

As to working from home, that'd still be sort of iffy with my sleep schedule. Today I didn't go to sleep until 6am, woke up at noon, and then by 3pm I couldn't stay awake anymore and zonked back out until 6pm. Now I'll likely be up until at least 3am... lather, rinse, repeat. Anything with a deadline could be problematic! I have considered maybe doing some sort of crafts like jewelry when my hands allow it and then having an etsy store.

Thankfully I'm married, but with the changes in the economy 1 paycheck isn't cutting it anymore. I honestly should have applied years ago rather than wait, I know, but I was stubborn and kept thinking, "OK, if I just get up off my butt, I can get better and go back to work," and "I really don't want to be a burden on society," and so many other things we've probably all told ourselves. And then 2011-2012... I don't even remember whole chunks of time from about May 2011 due to my depression getting so very, very deep and me becoming a crotchety, short-tempered shut-in.

 

[SulaBlue]

YARG! This is almost, almost over.

Last week I tried to find out if SSD had sent my records over to my Internist. They hadn't. And since my lawyers jumped on my appeal right away my case was tied up and SSD hadn't given it to a new case worker until yesterday, so no hope of getting them before I need them on Friday (unless, of course, I go get new X-rays myself, at which point you KNOW that SSD will then have their x-rays sent over, am I right?). Called back to the Spine/Pain specialist to get them to call in orders to the imaging center and they said my Internist had to do it, but when I called her back she'd left town for Spring Break during the 10 minutes I'd been on the phone with the other office. D'oh!

So, Tuesday, I got my Internest to call in X-rays to the imaging center for my lumbar spine. My Rheumatologist wants 3-view x-rays of my hands, wrists, ankles and feet, so that's 12 x-rays and lumbar spine is another 2. I'm gonna glow!

Of course, on Monday my Rheumatologist called me and asked if I could come in for bloodwork before my next appointment and I said no, because I can't drive and my husband needs to schedule off work to take me. That means that I'm going to end up having an extra trip to the Rheumatologist at some point after she draws blood on Friday. There's a lab in the building next to the one where my x-rays are going to be, but i can't use that one. Gaaaah! The cab fare to the imaging center is going to be a MINIMUM of $7 (plus tip!) Yesh, cabs be expensive, yo!

Hopefully I don't end up being done at 4pm, because then I'm going to be sitting there waiting for my husband for an hour and a half >.< but the imaging center is walk-in, and they said they'd need about an hour or so for that many x-rays, so I'm planning on showing up at 3pm in case I have to wait.

Not being able to drive just really puts a freaking kink in things. I'm half tempted to drive myself even though it'll hurt like the dickens, but the spare car is also uncomfortable for my husband now and makes his knee hurt getting in and out of it.

 

[smh107]

My rheumatologist wants bilateral, 3-view X-rays of my hands/wrists, feet, and ankles... to the tune of $700 estimated price. Neither the doctor's office nor my insurance seems able to tell me what the contracted rate that I'll actually pay. I've been on the phone since 8:30 this morning and back and forth between the imaging facility, to my insurance, then back to a different department in the imaging facility. The imaging facility gave me all the codes, but my insurance company won't give me the contract rate information (and the imaging facility says they don't give that information out) even though I have the codes. The imaging facility has to call provider services, and THEY have to give them the codes, then call me back with a total estimate.

SO STRESSED.

:shock::sad:

What a hard time you are having. I don't understand why the 3 view X rays are required. For arthritis - a good thing, however fibro is muscular. A simple blood test for ANA (anti nuclear antibodies) would suffice, together with pressing certain points on the body. We certainly don't have to undergo these X-rays for fibro in the UK. Wishing you best of luck hon, and I hope you will soon a bit more stress free. :-o

 

[SulaBlue]

My rheumatologist was using the x-rays to rule out both Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis. She did a full panel of blood tests, which I assume also included the ANA test to rule out lupus and other auto-immune possibilities.

 

[SulaBlue]

I have an appointment with a counselor/therapist today. I just keep wanting to go back to bed! I didn't get to sleep until around 2:30 am or so and woke up before 8. I went back to sleep at 11 when I was nodding off in my chair and woke up around 12:30 due to having weird, freaky near-nightmares (I had to repot this plant, but was wearing a prison uniform, and I couldn't find the right pot and I couldn't let the owner of the house see me doing it since I was supposed to have already left... I dunno, it was all sorts of bizarre.) I've been up less than an hour and I already want to go back to sleep!

I need to get up, take a shower, fill out some paperwork and then have dinner ready around 5pm when my husband gets home so we can eat and get out the door to the appointment. Finally, an appointment that I can make in the evening so my husband doesn't have to leave more than 30 mins early!