Aa
Back from my new shrink and audiologist
Hopefully I can stay awake long enough to write this post. I really hate this early morning appointments at the VA as I can't sleep the night before ( afraid I won't hear the alarm clock) plus a 2.5 hour drive each way.
Only saw two deer on the way up as most of the time it was too dark to see since I had a 8AM appointment with the audiologist.
Turns out my hearing has gotten a little bit worse since they last tested my hearing about 2 years ago. My ability to distinguish spoken words has also dropped slightly though still pretty good. The frequency that gives my the most problem with speech happens to be that of women speaking. If I was married I would have a good excuse for not listening to her. :)
I get hearing aids in about 8 weeks and she also order something ( I can't remember what she called it ) to help with the constant hissing in my ears for sleeping. It is suppose to keep my mind from constantly honing in on the hissing. I hope that made sense. :) Just maybe it will also help with my PTSD nightmares by giving my mind something else to do :)
My appointment with the shrink wasn't until 10 so I had an hour to kill after the hearing test, but it turned out to be 1.5 hours. But at least he had a good excuse for seeing me late. He turns out to be the head of the clinic so he gets interrupted a lot which tends to make him run late.
He really impressed me the most by the fact that he had read all of my medical records including what medications I was taking and labs that were done on me before seeing me. I knew he wasn't just say that as he went through what doctors I have seen and there finding, what medications I was taking and what side effects I had to watch out for. He also noted that my last thyroid test was slightly off and said my PC should adjust my med. He also mentioned that my last urinalysis was slight off ( white blood cell) and that I should be watchful for a UTI. He also wants my PC to change one of my medications as my liver tests were high and there are alternatives medications that don't harm you liver. All of this from a shrink no less. :)
Oh yeah I almost forgot I also found out that my Neuro has changed my DX. It is now PPMS. I guess since I have not had any remissions and am continuing to get worse they figure that DX is more in line than the SPMS. I guess at this point it really doesn't matter which of these DX they use.
Dennis
Only saw two deer on the way up as most of the time it was too dark to see since I had a 8AM appointment with the audiologist.
Turns out my hearing has gotten a little bit worse since they last tested my hearing about 2 years ago. My ability to distinguish spoken words has also dropped slightly though still pretty good. The frequency that gives my the most problem with speech happens to be that of women speaking. If I was married I would have a good excuse for not listening to her. :)
I get hearing aids in about 8 weeks and she also order something ( I can't remember what she called it ) to help with the constant hissing in my ears for sleeping. It is suppose to keep my mind from constantly honing in on the hissing. I hope that made sense. :) Just maybe it will also help with my PTSD nightmares by giving my mind something else to do :)
My appointment with the shrink wasn't until 10 so I had an hour to kill after the hearing test, but it turned out to be 1.5 hours. But at least he had a good excuse for seeing me late. He turns out to be the head of the clinic so he gets interrupted a lot which tends to make him run late.
He really impressed me the most by the fact that he had read all of my medical records including what medications I was taking and labs that were done on me before seeing me. I knew he wasn't just say that as he went through what doctors I have seen and there finding, what medications I was taking and what side effects I had to watch out for. He also noted that my last thyroid test was slightly off and said my PC should adjust my med. He also mentioned that my last urinalysis was slight off ( white blood cell) and that I should be watchful for a UTI. He also wants my PC to change one of my medications as my liver tests were high and there are alternatives medications that don't harm you liver. All of this from a shrink no less. :)
Oh yeah I almost forgot I also found out that my Neuro has changed my DX. It is now PPMS. I guess since I have not had any remissions and am continuing to get worse they figure that DX is more in line than the SPMS. I guess at this point it really doesn't matter which of these DX they use.
Dennis
The VA is leaving the treatment of my MS up to the Neuro at Vanderbilt as they don't have any MSologists at this VA. As such as long as a drug that he prescribes is on their formulary it will be filled at the VA. The pharmacy doesn't check your DX to see if they will fill a prescription. If they did I wouldn't be getting my CellCept since it is a transplant medication and I sure don't have any kind of transplant DX.
If they wanted to keep from paying for expensive DMD all they would do is remove it from their formulary as once that is done it is almost impossible for a Vet to get the drug. I have seen first hand just how powerful the board at the VA is when it comes to approval of a non-formulated drug is. Even if none of the alternate approved drugs work on a patient they can still refuse to let the RX be dispensed regardless of what your doctor says.
What kills me the most about this is that the hospital will still carry the drug and dispense it to inpatients no questions asked, but won't fill a prescription for it to take home with you.
Dave is not doing to great. He finally got the VA to put him on insulin since the oral medications were not controlling his glucose and also making him sick. But the one catch is that he is suppose to check his glucose 5 times a day but the pharmacy won't dispense more than 50 test strips for a 90 day period. So once again he is having to fight that board at the VA about his prescriptions.
He is also scheduled to see a surgeon at the end of the month about his hernia which is now about 6 inches long with a portion of his guts sticking through about the size of a softball. The last time he talked to a surgeon they said it was better that it was a big hernia as it made it less likely to cause him problems of blockages. At that time it was only about a 3 inch hernia. Of course it was only about 1 month later that they had to do emergency surgery due to a blockage. Now again he is constantly getting sick from partial blockages so needs surgery again.
Dennis
If they wanted to keep from paying for expensive DMD all they would do is remove it from their formulary as once that is done it is almost impossible for a Vet to get the drug. I have seen first hand just how powerful the board at the VA is when it comes to approval of a non-formulated drug is. Even if none of the alternate approved drugs work on a patient they can still refuse to let the RX be dispensed regardless of what your doctor says.
What kills me the most about this is that the hospital will still carry the drug and dispense it to inpatients no questions asked, but won't fill a prescription for it to take home with you.
Dave is not doing to great. He finally got the VA to put him on insulin since the oral medications were not controlling his glucose and also making him sick. But the one catch is that he is suppose to check his glucose 5 times a day but the pharmacy won't dispense more than 50 test strips for a 90 day period. So once again he is having to fight that board at the VA about his prescriptions.
He is also scheduled to see a surgeon at the end of the month about his hernia which is now about 6 inches long with a portion of his guts sticking through about the size of a softball. The last time he talked to a surgeon they said it was better that it was a big hernia as it made it less likely to cause him problems of blockages. At that time it was only about a 3 inch hernia. Of course it was only about 1 month later that they had to do emergency surgery due to a blockage. Now again he is constantly getting sick from partial blockages so needs surgery again.
Dennis
Dennis, the switch to PPMS means they won't give you any disease modifying drugs. Are you ok with that? It could be one more way that the VA wants to save money by keeping you off the expensive therapy.
Sorry but I am too suspicious when it comes to the medical treatment you have received. It has been less than stellar.Your dx of MS hasn't been that long, and I would n't let them off that easy quite yet.
Sorry you didn't see more deer. The hearing aids will take time to adjust to, but well worth rejoining the world in conversation.
And how is your friend these days? I hope he is better.
hugs,
L
Sorry but I am too suspicious when it comes to the medical treatment you have received. It has been less than stellar.Your dx of MS hasn't been that long, and I would n't let them off that easy quite yet.
Sorry you didn't see more deer. The hearing aids will take time to adjust to, but well worth rejoining the world in conversation.
And how is your friend these days? I hope he is better.
hugs,
L
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