The "What's on your mind?" Thread -2016

[tallyollyopia]

If she had her way, she'd lie on the roommates' heating pad. Yes, the roommates are spoiled

The heating pad isn't currently plugged in but the roommates seem just fine curled up in their igloo. I'll toss in some more tissue wipes for them to burrow under.

Leroy is under the blankets on the bed. He crawled under as soon as I got out of bed

I think I'm going to use the other Snuggle Safe for myself. I'm home sick with chills and a cough and various aches

Can't seem to get warm no matter how many layers I put on

I hope you feel better soon! 

Well, my updated ER bill came in the mail today--and it's only a hundred dollars less than the original which is still far more than I can afford. I've been doing research on what I should do to get help with it (reasonable payment plans--which the hospital probably has a different definition of than I do) or something, and one of the things I came across is contacting the insurance company itself and seeing if I can get them  to pay more. (Honestly, I still feel like they should have paid me  after all the stuff I had to do to get my insurance numbers only for them to give me the wrong ones!

 Well, that's a dead horse and I'm not going to beat it any more--much.) Has anyone here done anything like that? Any advice on what to, or what not to, do?

 

[artiemom]

@Tallyollyopia   I know every hospital has a financial aid department. They can try to help you with costs or a payment plan...

not sure about the insurance company though....the price of medical care is outrageous, and many fall through the 'cracks' of getting help... those that can pay, never really do, yet a lot of people who are over the limit for assistance are really suffering... I am in that situation also...

 

[LTS3]

My sense of taste is so off being sick

Nothing tastes good. I'm trying to eat a banana right now but I have to choke it down because it tastes blech

I have to eat and drink. I'm so lightheaded and having hypotension doesn't help. But sometimes I just don't want to drink or eat anymore. I did end up going to urgent care yesterday. I have a low grade fever and the flu. There isn't medicine for the flu so it's just drink lots of fluids and eat healthy, Tylenol for the fever and aches and chills, and OTC cough medicine.

Oddly, even though I'm sick, I don't feel sleepy at all. I haven't been able to sleep since I came down with the flu

I just stare at the wall while in bed, tossing and turning to find a position that doesn't bother my back even more.

 

[DreamerRose]

@LTS3 You did the right thing going to urgent care. Try drinking some chicken soup. Canned soup has a lot of salt in it, which will help with the hypotension and the taste. Hope you feel better soon. Flu is the pits.

 

[margd]

 
My sense of taste is so off being sick

Nothing tastes good. I'm trying to eat a banana right now but I have to choke it down because it tastes blech

I have to eat and drink. I'm so lightheaded and having hypotension doesn't help. But sometimes I just don't want to drink or eat anymore. I did end up going to urgent care yesterday. I have a low grade fever and the flu. There isn't medicine for the flu so it's just drink lots of fluids and eat healthy, Tylenol for the fever and aches and chills, and OTC cough medicine.

Oddly, even though I'm sick, I don't feel sleepy at all. I haven't been able to sleep since I came down with the flu

I just stare at the wall while in bed, tossing and turning to find a position that doesn't bother my back even more.

It sounds to me like this is a time for a cough syrup with codeine in it.   You need your sleep in order to recover and the codeine will help with that, as well as the cough.  The OTC night-time cough syrups just are not as effective.  Is there any way you can call the urgent care place and explain the situation to the doctor? (S)he can call the prescription in - you shouldn't have to go for another visit since you were just there.  It just seems to me that any treatment plan should include ensuring you get your sleep.  

 

[margd]

 
Sometimes you just have to remind yourself of that paycheck.

I hope you feel better soon! 

Well, my updated ER bill came in the mail today--and it's only a hundred dollars less than the original which is still far more than I can afford. I've been doing research on what I should do to get help with it (reasonable payment plans--which the hospital probably has a different definition of than I do) or something, and one of the things I came across is contacting the insurance company itself and seeing if I can get them  to pay more. (Honestly, I still feel like they should have paid me  after all the stuff I had to do to get my insurance numbers only for them to give me the wrong ones!

 Well, that's a dead horse and I'm not going to beat it any more--much.) Has anyone here done anything like that? Any advice on what to, or what not to, do?

When it comes to hospital payment plans, my experience has been that you can make up your own.  In the past, I've just sent what I could every month and the only thing that happened was that I received a bill the next  month with the payment noted and the new balance. My credit rating wasn't affected and the hospital never sent threatening letters.   I didn't even bother asking for a payment plan.   Your hospital might have a different policy but if contacting the financial aid office doesn't help, you might try this.  At least you are trying to pay. Many people can't or won't even do that.

 

[raina21]

Tesla and Zazzie have a vet appointment at 1pm. I put them in their carriers and now I'm waiting for my mom to get her with the car.

I just feel like they think I'm just an evil mean lady who put them in cages

Hopefully my mom gets here soon enough

 

[NewYork1303]

We did a home inspection on the house and everything came up mostly okay. There are a few things we'll have to ask for the sellers to fix prior to the sale.

Today we have snow. I took the cats out in their harnesses to see it. Carrot went out on the porch walked out in the snow, sat in it briefly, then walked right back to the door. Angua vanished as soon as I got her harness out, so she and I didn't go out. Ruby went out with her new harness, but looked at me like I was crazy when I took her out. 

 

[tarasgirl06]

I love the story of walking your cats in harness!  When we lived where there was snow, we bought a cat harness and leash and gave each cat a chance to walk out in the snow.  No one liked it much, but at least they had the experience 

 

[raina21]

Everything went well at the vet today! Zazzie and Tesla got a checkup and their yearly vaccines. It was the first time Tesla had been to the vet since he was neutered as a kitten.

At one point there were 3 vets in the room all fawning over him haha. He was a good kitty. [emoji]128568[/emoji]

The only trouble was that Tesla HATED riding in the car. He was fairly ok with being in the carrier but as soon as he was in the car, he started crying

A picture of him in the carrier:

IMG_20161209_131948.jpg

• raina21
• Dec 9, 2016

And a picture of him exploring the examination room at the vet:

IMG_20161209_133058.jpg

• raina21
• Dec 9, 2016

 

[margd]

And a picture of him exploring the examination room at the vet:

IMG_20161209_133058.jpg

• raina21
• Dec 9, 2016

Tesla owns that exam room!  Great news that all went well.  

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Finally...I think that the arthritis in the left hip is getting under control.  My doctor has me on Mobic twice a day, and prednesone once a day for five days, and I take extra-strength tylenol twice a day, and tylenol PM once a day.  It has it down to a low roar, and I'm sleeping well.  I have to be really careful, because I can't take ANY opiod, so codeine, hydrocodone, and oxycontin are no-go, as is demerol.  In fact, I cant take most of the harder-hitting pain meds.  But this seems to be doing the trick.  Sleep is a wonderful thing!

This morning,  I saw Little Bit (the cat I'm sneaking food to) stalk and bring down a bird.  It was awful, and wonderful, all at once.  I probably could have stopped it, but unless I can bring this cat into my home (and I absolutely cannot), I don't think I have the right to interfere with his/her ability to hunt.  I have to admit to being fascinated by the process, the creep-freeze-creep-freeze, then the sudden ASTOUNDING burst of violent motion (which was, for all its ferocity, ultimately graceful)!  I think that until we see a cat with whom we feel some connection do that, we lose track of the fact that our cuddly, purring companions still have the heart of a panther.  I am in awe, and humbled.  They really are not domesticated.  They chose this relationship that we share, we did not.  And I am so grateful that they did.  As I type this, my own little house-panther is curled sleeping in her favorite cardboard box next to my desk, and I can only think, "Thank you for being in my life!"

 

[handsome kitty]

@MargdThanks for asking about me.   Amazon has not totally wiped me out.  I am down about 12 lbs and looking slimmer.  I managed to pick up strep (spent my morning off at Urgent Care) and a cold at the same time so I am sleeping a lot right now .

 

[Margret]

Going to Dr.'s tomorrow. Pain is so bad the hydrocodone barely helps. The tip to use the cane on the opposite side was a big help. Ace bandage helps, too, although it's a poor specimen. Mingo has been a wonderful nurse, loving, concerned, and sleeping by my side all day. Lily stares at me like I'm the cripple I am.

My mother was a physical therapist; I learned the correct way to use a cane when I was 6!  (Why I needed it at the age of 6 is a long story.)  Using a cane on the side opposite the bad leg does two things.  The most important, of course, is that it puts your weight over the good leg.  But the other thing is that, while it's counter-intuitive to most people, it's also a more natural way to do it.  It's natural to swing your arms with the opposite leg while walking.  Therefore, you don't have to learn a new movement to use the cane; you just do what comes naturally.

If hydrocodone isn't doing it for you, you definitely need it seen to.  That sounds fairly major.  Hydrocodone was sufficient for my broken arm; it's extremely powerful stuff.  I'm glad you're going in today.

 
@Tallyollyopia   I know every hospital has a financial aid department. They can try to help you with costs or a payment plan...

not sure about the insurance company though....the price of medical care is outrageous, and many fall through the 'cracks' of getting help... those that can pay, never really do, yet a lot of people who are over the limit for assistance are really suffering... I am in that situation also...

Some hospitals also have someone on staff who is skilled at contesting insurance claims.  It's well worth asking.

Tesla and Zazzie have a vet appointment at 1pm. I put them in their carriers and now I'm waiting for my mom to get her with the car.

I just feel like they think I'm just an evil mean lady who put them in cages

Hopefully my mom gets here soon enough

They may think that.  But, fortunately, they also think you're the lady who opens the cans and operates the red dot.  And cats are very forgiving people.

 
We did a home inspection on the house and everything came up mostly okay. There are a few things we'll have to ask for the sellers to fix prior to the sale.

Today we have snow. I took the cats out in their harnesses to see it. Carrot went out on the porch walked out in the snow, sat in it briefly, then walked right back to the door. Angua vanished as soon as I got her harness out, so she and I didn't go out. Ruby went out with her new harness, but looked at me like I was crazy when I took her out. 

I'm with Ruby and Carrot on this one.  I suspect you'll find that they think that seeing (feeling) snow once is quite enough. 

Margret

 

[segelkatt]

@Alicia88 - thanks for the turn-on to Arm & Hammer litter from Amazon, I got the two boxes within 2 days, delivery piled one on top of the other, it's so heavy that the bottom box started to buckle. I had a really hard time getting them inside, they had been left in front of my door. Big sign on the boxes "HEAVY".  The boxes are made to pour out of. No way can I do that. I will have to cut the top off and use a big measuring cup to scoop the litter out of it. But I will have litter fro quite a while.

 

[Margret]

 
@Alicia88 - thanks for the turn-on to Arm & Hammer litter from Amazon, I got the two boxes within 2 days, delivery piled one on top of the other, it's so heavy that the bottom box started to buckle. I had a really hard time getting them inside, they had been left in front of my door. Big sign on the boxes "HEAVY".  The boxes are made to pour out of. No way can I do that. I will have to cut the top off and use a big measuring cup to scoop the litter out of it. But I will have litter fro quite a while.

Or you could cut a 2 liter soda bottle down and use that as a scoop, leaving your good measuring cup for cooking.  The top half of the soda bottle also makes a nice improvised funnel.

Margret

 

[handsome kitty]

 
@Alicia88 - thanks for the turn-on to Arm & Hammer litter from Amazon, I got the two boxes within 2 days, delivery piled one on top of the other, it's so heavy that the bottom box started to buckle. I had a really hard time getting them inside, they had been left in front of my door. Big sign on the boxes "HEAVY".  The boxes are made to pour out of. No way can I do that. I will have to cut the top off and use a big measuring cup to scoop the litter out of it. But I will have litter fro quite a while.

As an Amazon worker I can state that people who order kitty litter on-line are evil

.  At least they boxed them together.  Some cat litters go as is and I've seen at least one with a leak.

 

[segelkatt]

 
As an Amazon worker I can state that people who order kitty litter on-line are evil

.  At least they boxed them together.  Some cat litters go as is and I've seen at least one with a leak.

Sorry about that. I have a terrible time getting the bags or boxes of litter at the pet store from the shopping basket into the trunk of my car and then from there into my rolling cart at home and then out of that onto the patio. Old age is hell

, getting weaker every year, just can't pick up those heavy items anymore. 

 

[segelkatt]

 
Or you could cut a 2 liter soda bottle down and use that as a scoop, leaving your good measuring cup for cooking.  The top half of the soda bottle also makes a nice improvised funnel.

Margret

I have several measuring cups that I do not use for cooking, one is for scooping kibble and stays in that bag and another really big one for litter which stays in that bag or box. Besides that, I don't drink soda and thus do not get those big bottles, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[margd]

 
As an Amazon worker I can state that people who order kitty litter on-line are evil

.  At least they boxed them together.  Some cat litters go as is and I've seen at least one with a leak.

Ah, oops.  

   Well, at least I only order 28 pounds at a time, although if it went on sale....hmmmm.