Just Venting!

[Creed3]

Hi Everyone!
I was away for a nice long weekend, but since I have come home it has been nothing but bad luck. My oldest daughter is sick. The poor little thing can hardly talk. I am now just starting with the cold and the baby just threw up this morning. We were hit with that terrible ice storm and lost all electricity all day yesterday. I had to use kerosine heaters and put some food from the refrig. out on the screened porch to keep the food from going bad. We finally got our electric back at about midnight. Then the furnace wouldn't work. The guy is here right now trying to fix it. It had something to do with the electrical problem causing some damage to the furnace. My husband woke up to go to work this morning and found our dear kitty cat dead. She was really old but she didn't seem to be sick at all. I thought maybe it had something to do with the house being cold because we had no heat, but the house wasn't that cold, only about 65 degrees. Poor little thing. Right now the ground is too frozen to bury her in the yard. Hopefully things will begin to thaw out today. Things just have to get better. Sorry for going on so, I just needed to vent a little bit. Hope everyone is doing well. I hope nobody else had too many problems due to the ice storm.

Take Care!
Gail

 

[Ross]

I'm sorry to hear about your cat. It seems all of us, that are pet owners, have lost something dear to us recently. Wonder what's up with that anyway? If I didn't know better, I'd say your suffering the same type of luck that I have and I hate it. I drive myself nut's trying to keep everything operating smoothly around here, and all it takes is something like an ice storm to mess it all up.

The ice is starting to melt here and it should be warmer for you for the rest of the week. Hopefully, you can do what needs to be done. Have you decided on getting another kitty or not? Even though this one I have now acts like Satan incarnate, I love her and find her to be comforting sometimes (When she's not tearing me to shreds).

You all need to be getting better. Not sick! Your not allowed this close to the holidays.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Gail,

You've had a nasty run of luck. But things should improve now.

It sounds as if your darling kitty passed in the night, peacefully. That is so much better than having her suffer with a lingering condition. My condolences, it's hard no matter what the circumstances. She had a wonderful life in your family.

 

[Creed3]

Well, the news keeps getting better and better. We have to go another night without heat. I also heard from my insurance company, and I have already hit my out of pocket max when I had my c-section, but so far $10,000 of my surgery is to be paid by me. They should be covering it, but they aren't. Who knows how much more they will deny. This is not a good day! Sorry again about being so negative. I know things will get better. My husband just took my daughter to the doctors. I hope everything turns out ok with her. Poor little thing feels terrible.

Take Care!
Gail

 

[Creed3]

Question????

Question????

What do you guys think?
My daughter just came back from the doctors. They tested for strep throat. It came back negative, but they said she may still have it because they saw white patches on her throat. They gave her an antibiotic. They said that in my case, eventhough I am starting to get a cold, they won't give me an antibiotic unless I get a sore throat or a fever. Does this sound right to anyone? If my daughter does have strep throat and I am catching her cold, does that mean I will catch the strep throat (bacteria)? Can you get a bacterial infection and get over it without knowing you had it? Does it still have a chance to settle into the valve even if you don't get very sick and the body fights it itself?

Thanks!
Gail

 

[Blanche]

Gail:
So many unpleasant things are happening to you all at once. I think you are bearing up well. I would be crying, fussing, and cussing all over the place. I can only imagine how hard it must be to have a sick little one, to lose a loving companion animal, and to receive added problems from the insurance company. Both Al and I have had hospitalizations and lingering health problems for years. We have been denied coverage by the insurance company, and now Medicare more times than I can count. I see a denial, not as a no, but as a maybe. We appeal everything, even things that we doubt should be covered. Luck has been on our side (I don't think it had anything to do with skill) and we have prevailed with most appeals, Recently, Medicare agreed to cover an ambulance charge for Al's latest hospitalization. He was taken by ambulance to one emergency room and then taken to a second hospital for admittance. They first denied both charges. I really didn't think they would cover the second charge, but they did. I hope our experience will give you a glimmer of hope in getting some of your bills covered. You'll have to fill out tons of forms, but it is possible. If you think I might be of assistance with the paper work, or for that matter anything else, please contact me.
Blanche

 

[Ross]

All I can tell you is, my Doctor said that if I have a fever, to call immediately. They don't want to use Antibiotics without a just cause, since your body may, at some time in the future, develop a immunity to the antibiotics. I know that's not exactly what you were looking for but I hope it helps a little.

Blanche has some excellent advice about the denial. Insurance companies love this game. I hate filing out forms forever, but I'll do what it takes until they pay.

 

[Creed3]

Thanks!

Thanks!

I just want to thank all of you who responded. I think I just needed to vent some of my frustration. I'm feeling much better now. I was able to talk to my doctor so I could get better information on when I need to go to the doc and get antibiotics. Ross, you were right. They definately don't want to put me on anything unless I have to be. He said most likely what I have and what my daughter has is viral. They are just treating her for possible bacterial just to be careful. He said I only need to be concerned about bacterial infections. That is when I would be running a fever or have a very severe sore throat where I had trouble swallowing etc....
Blanche, thanks for the info regarding the insurance. They just seem to make it so difficult to get anything done. It's frustrating, but I'll keep working at it.

Thanks Again!
Take Care!
Gail

 

[hensylee]

Hey Gail - hope all is looking better by now. And that your baby is on her way to health again. You must be exhausted with all this going on, but just take it easy and all will return to proper ruts in due time, but isn't it nice to be able to tell it to someone else. Just one of the benefits of VR. Thanks, Hank

 

[mamsram]

creed,


10,000 BUCKS? YEOOWW! I think you should wait till all avenues of ins., pleas, etc. have been gone thru. don't set a precedent and pay anything til you know it is definately your responsibility.

We document every visit, call, names, dates, and times. It seems with insurance you have to cover all bases.We have a file for medicare, a file for dr. visits, a file for insurance bills letters etc.
Thru my medical problems ( starting a year ago) my ins. coverage was switched to another provider,I crossed the 65 yr. point which made medicare the primary and insurer the secondary. At that point a mess occurred. Those files and documentations came in very handy for straightening out the mess.

I'd like to mention the subject of strep throat. I had it twice in my 20's. I remember it as being worse than a sore throat. I didn't want to even swallow my saliva. but you have to after a while because the membranes start to dry out. I didnt want to go to a dr. but had no choice(I thought it would go away by itself--youth).

keep your chin up, " this too shall pass"

 

[ALCapshaw]

Sorry you are having so many 'hits' all at once Gail.

Hang TOUGH with the insurance companies. I've had several denials which I was able to appeal by calling the 800 number on my insurance card. Often it is simply a matter that someone did not put the proper code number on the file. You may need to have hospital records sent (again). You 'should' be able to have the insurance company resubmit or review the claim. Be sure to give them an explanation of the details. So far, I've been able to get all my claims covered, but it does take patience, persistence, and some persuasion. GOOD LUCK !

'AL'

 

[sylviayasgur]

wow gail!
you really got a load all at once; my daughter was having that kind of day yesterday too. must've called me atleast 8 times from college!!! sometimes those days happen and when they do, you feel so out of control and bombarded by everything "bad". i'm so sorry you had to go through that all at once.
i'm glad to hear that atleast your daughter is on her way to recovery. now you have to make sure that youget some rest too so you don't end up sick.
hopefully each day from here on in will be better.
stay well. we're thinking of you,
sylvia

 

[joy]

Hey Gail, I am sorry to hear about your cat, insurance, heat, and children being sick! I would give your daughter the antibiotics until they call you and confirm that it isn't strep. I myself am on a constant regiment of daily penicillin so that very thing doesn't happen to me! Things will get better. I will keep you in my thoughts!