Yes I still Smoke Cigarettes and I am addicted to the smoking habit - support and chat thread.

[Erised]

Sorry, I must be confusing you with someone else here who needs knee surgery (Erised maybe???). My brain is full. I have been saying that a lot lately. I have heard of pseudo gout before. I know regular gout is very painful. Double ouch for you. Hope your dr can find something to help you to treat it.

Yep, that is me that needs knee surgery. It's set for March and I'm hoping the knee will hold out until then (and the rest of my body too!).

Aikanae..I hope you get yours resolved. I know what its like when you're sitting there going SERIOUSLY? ?? This so should not be happening!

 

[Erised]

Got my new WTA (American tobacco)...ummm why am I smelling and tasting lemon in this???

 

[aikanae1]

Sorry, I must be confusing you with someone else here who needs knee surgery (Erised maybe???). My brain is full. I have been saying that a lot lately. I have heard of pseudo gout before. I know regular gout is very painful. Double ouch for you. Hope your dr can find something to help you to treat it.

No apology required. I think Lori was waiting for shoulder surgery.
I was getting (more than) a little po'd that they were expecting me to wait a MONTH for an appt. or go to the ER or go into a skilled care center. What? Wrong. I don't think the home healthcare thing is going to work either. Can you imagine a nurse taking out the garbage? That's stupid. Why not just get me in to see a dr? But hey, if they want me to jump through that hoop first, I guess I will. I'm betting I'll get a call tomorrow with a doctor's appt. when they realize how stupid that is. Gotta luv insurance. I'm sure you can relate right now.

Go ahead, yank their chain. You need to talk to a supervisor or someone with the authority to make decisions before anything gets done. Otherwise it's a waste of breath. Ask for the unthinkable, the extreme and sometimes you'll get there. Of course this is over the internet and hard to judge in text. It just doesn't sound like your talking to the right person yet.

 

[aikanae1]

Got my new WTA (American Tobacco)...ummm why am I smelling and tasting lemon in this???

Hmm. I hadn't noticed that before but I just took a vape and there is a light tone of lemon. Kind of an undertone. I've got it on a spinner using a puritank @ 2.1 ohm. My first impression on a Zmax was the exhale almost felt like smoke to me. Like the real thing, smoke. Knocked my sox off.

 

[aikanae1]

Yep, that is me that needs knee surgery. It's set for March and I'm hoping the knee will hold out until then (and the rest of my body too!).

Aikanae..I hope you get yours resolved. I know what its like when you're sitting there going SERIOUSLY? ?? This so should not be happening!

This does feel stupid. Whatever I read says I should be older than 85 - What? Thx. So there isn't much on fixing it. Platitudes about finding "an underlying cause". They don't know my insurance. I did find a UK health site that had quite a bit more information as to causes. One was dehydration and they pumped me with 5 liters of fluid to get my blood pressure up. I think that's dehydrated which can cause these.

Don't forget to drink water when ya vape kiddies.

 

[ShariR]

I am going to wait to see what their line item estimate is. That I will not have for about another week. The adjuster was here Tuesday so he is taking his dear sweet time with it. Of course, they want us to start ripping the ceilings and walls out right now to mitigate any further possible damage. What I should do is start ripping out the ceilings and walls now, so I can not use the kitchen and have them put me up in a hotel room for a much longer period of time. But that is not the dollars I want to see out of this and DH and I would kill each other being that long in a tiny room. I can probably not have to spend any time in a hotel, as long as there is no mold found. I will not stay in the house if mold has set in. Gotta love insurance. Can not wait to see the estimate. Should be interesting. Bet it will not give me a new sink and faucet or full hardwood and carpet allowance. Bet they want me to get the cheapest materials too. This is an expensive house and does not have bargain basement materials. We will see what they allow. I am doing brain/mental exercises to try to prepare for the negotiation/fight stage. I am way out of practice on that front. Never had a homeowners claim before. And this is a big one. I know they are going to nickel and dime us to death.

 

[DoloresB]

No apology required. I think Lori was waiting for shoulder surgery.
I was getting (more than) a little po'd that they were expecting me to wait a MONTH for an appt. or go to the ER or go into a skilled care center. What? Wrong. I don't think the home healthcare thing is going to work either. Can you imagine a nurse taking out the garbage? That's stupid. Why not just get me in to see a dr? But hey, if they want me to jump through that hoop first, I guess I will. I'm betting I'll get a call tomorrow with a doctor's appt. when they realize how stupid that is. Gotta luv insurance. I'm sure you can relate right now.

Go ahead, yank their chain. You need to talk to a supervisor or someone with the authority to make decisions before anything gets done. Otherwise it's a waste of breath. Ask for the unthinkable, the extreme and sometimes you'll get there. Of course this is over the internet and hard to judge in text. It just doesn't sound like your talking to the right person yet.

To have a home health care worker do laundry and take out garbage is NOT stupid, Aikanae. They get paid good money to help you out with chores you cannot do yourself. I live in a second-floor walk-up, too. The lady that used to live below me had a home health care worker come in twice a week to help her out, and this worker took out garbage and did laundry, because these were things that the neighbour could not do herself. It's all right to get the help you need if you can afford it.

I second your insight with Shari. Talk with a supervisor, and if that doesn't work, go higher still. Do what you need to, Shari, to get everything done you need to. Don't settle for anything less.

 

[aikanae1]

Did the storm cause damage to any neighbors? Sometimes they have good refferals. When my friends roof came down almost everyone use the same contractor. It actually went smooth and done in a month. Hotel? If they want you to tear down ceiling and walls, agree with them and then figure they owe $50 per person per meal. You'll get an estimate faster.

 

[aikanae1]

To have a home health care worker do laundry and take out garbage is NOT stupid, Aikanae. They get paid good money to help you out with chores you cannot do yourself. I live in a second-floor walk-up, too. The lady that used to live below me had a home health care worker come in twice a week to help her out, and this worker took out garbage and did laundry, because these were things that the neighbour could not do herself. It's all right to get the help you need if you can afford it.

I second your insight with Shari. Talk with a supervisor, and if that doesn't work, go higher still. Do what you need to, Shari, to get everything done you need to. Don't settle for anything less.

I can't afford it but something needs to happen or this place will become (already is) a health hazard. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't come on the heels of that respritory infection. That was the double whammy. I have to think about that. So my ridiculous wasn't that ridiculous. I'll hear back tomorrow. I got a direct line (always good).

When I had home health before, I was stuck staring at the ceiling and couldn't leave the house. They just came in to take care of the dressings (both legs were operated on).

I don't think you folks could stand me on the computer so much and I can't afford to waste time on ebay. That would feel sinful to have someone else clean my house. I like it.

 

[DoloresB]

I understand that home health care is quite expensive, and that's the case this side of the border, too. Our country's health insurance takes care of basics, but extras, like prescriptions and home health care, aren't covered, so the expenses come out-of-pocket. It's too bad you don't have someone close by to help you out right now.

Is there an apartment available on the main floor of the building you live in? Maybe talk with your building superintendant to see if that's a possibility.

 

[ShariR]

That first floor apartment thought came to me too. But could you imagine poor Aik trying to pack and move with her leg? t still may be worth investigating that possibility though. Aik, is this condition something that just flares up once in a while or is it constant chronic? I think regular gout is a flare up type of thing.

 

[DoloresB]

I found this:

Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition (CPPD) (formerly called Pseudogout) | American College of Rheumatology | ACR

Could an appointment with a rheumatologist help you out, Aik?

And yes, Shari, I realize that moving at this moment in time would be quite a burden for Aik to bear. But it is something to think about when the flare-up dies down a bit.

 

[ShariR]

I totally agree with you on the first floor move Delores. I am just in the throes of packing up stuff for repairs and the thought makes me cringe. Most people do not realize how difficult stairs are until you start having knee problems. My old house had stairs and I was having knee problems. After we moved to this house where I do not have to go up and down stairs all the time my knee has recovered and I have not had problems in years. Now stairs do not bother me because I only do them a few times a week instead of multiple times a day.

I found this:

Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition (CPPD) (formerly called Pseudogout) | American College of Rheumatology | ACR

Could an appointment with a rheumatologist help you out, Aik?

And yes, Shari, I realize that moving at this moment in time would be quite a burden for Aik to bear. But it is something to think about when the flare-up dies down a bit.

 

[DoloresB]

I understand the stairs thing all too well myself. In the house that I lived in with my DH, it had two flights of stairs that I had to climb several times a day. It's a challenge when knees are sore from arthritis. In the apartment building I live in now, there are stairs, too, but I only have to face them when I have to go to work, or when I have to do laundry, because the laundry room is on the first floor.

 

[aikanae1]

I found this:

Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition (CPPD) (formerly called Pseudogout) | American College of Rheumatology | ACR

Could an appointment with a rheumatologist help you out, Aik?

And yes, Shari, I realize that moving at this moment in time would be quite a burden for Aik to bear. But it is something to think about when the flare-up dies down a bit.

That's the doctor I was asking for. They had me scheduled with my GP for Feb 4th and said they couldn't get sooner. I said no way. NOW. This really is out of the blue sky. It better not be permanent. I'm not 60 yet. I'm used to being on my feet 48 hours a day. A hiker and runner. No way is this ok. I am afraid they are going to try and blow me off with a shrug.

 

[DoloresB]

Don't let them blow you off, Aik! You need care, and you need it now! There is NO way you should have to live with the pain you're feeling until Feb 4. Maybe a trip to the ER might be the best thing for you right now, because it might get you the referral you need quickly. I really hope you get the help you need.

 

[Topdogie01]

Im not sure how to get a refferal quicker for adults. . If my child needs to see a doctor and receptionist at office says they cant take him gor a while I try to explain he is one of thier special cases and every parent says that, so I either call the doctors private cell phone to talk directly to her for an appointment or I go way over their heads and call the hospital 3 hours away and say my chils name and that he needs to see a doctor and there are no appointment times available for a while and they tell me to wait 10 minutes and they call be back with my appointment time. Like the one time I was told to take child to another doctor, that doctor said he had rsv and tried to sent us home, I immediately called and that doctor got a chewing out from his cardiologist about his high risk of infections and that children with rsv should ALWAYS be closely watched for complications. I feel sorry for the person in the ER if I ever have to rush him in. He can't have pure oxygen, and his oxygen levels would make a average er person flip out how low it is and try to give him oxygen to raise the levels. His normal range is 70-80%, ours is around 95-100. Below 85 we would start having issues such as headache and dizziness. Below 60% we would start having organ problems.

 

[Topdogie01]

Im getting tired of myself. Cant vape more than ~4ml of a flavor before I cant taste it anymore. Changing flavors and im fine.

Also got 5 bottles of gingerbread man from grandma for doing tech support for her. She told me I had 2 bottles. Was a good surprise

 

[ShariR]

Top, I read that a lot of vapors have to switch up flavors fairly frequently. I was able to vape the same flavor almost continuously for several months. Now I am finding that I have to switch up flavors more often. If I stay with just the one too long the taste changes for me; sometimes it seems to get harsh or sometimes I will lose the sweetness or nuance that I enjoy in a juice. I am starting to think this may be common or maybe I am not drinking enough water or a food I ate is interfering. Not sure.

Im getting tired of myself. Cant vape more than ~4ml of a flavor before I cant taste it anymore. Changing flavors and im fine.

Also got 5 bottles of gingerbread man from grandma for doing tech support for her. She told me I had 2 bottles. Was a good surprise

 

[aikanae1]

I understand that home health care is quite expensive, and that's the case this side of the border, too. Our country's health insurance takes care of basics, but extras, like prescriptions and home health care, aren't covered, so the expenses come out-of-pocket. It's too bad you don't have someone close by to help you out right now.

Is there an apartment available on the main floor of the building you live in? Maybe talk with your building superintendant to see if that's a possibility.

Insurance said they were going to try "staffing it" with home health. Not sure what that means. I just moved here so I don't know very many ppl. I was putting my garbage outside and it'd disappear (someone took it as they walked by). I was going to ask if the maintance could take it out, which is still a possiblity.

This is new to me. I have never had a joint problem before or any problem with mobility before. I had cancer in both legs, so I know my circulation is great because of the skin grafts. I stay out of the sun (skin cancer). But that was the first thing that was checked which is why they drew out fluid to look at.

What's kinda bugging me is that a few ppl are expecting me to "work through it" and as I read, it sounds like I could cause permanent damage to keep using it. So far I've had to explain it to nurses. I'm also not 100% convinced that just those crystals they saw are it. Seems like a lot of people might have those without symptoms. I need a doctor, not the ER. It's been h*ll to get a referral to a specialist. Wait, I haven't been referred to any specialist yet; not respritory, not allergist, nuthin'. I'm po'd. I was yelling today.