Daily Chats and Encouragements
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I am back in town, and back on track. Bren - your savings will not effect you getting a Medicare Advantage ot prescription plan, and you definitely need to! If you don't you are penalized if you apply later. Just sign in to Medicare.gov and look at the plans available. We have Medicare with a supplement part G) and Part D (prescription). I have a fairly hefty IRA and my mom has hefty savings and it doesn't effect anything.
Also check GoodRX for your meds! They can save you quite a bit.
Oh and it looks like singleCare has better prices on insulin pens.0 -
Thanks Connie. I'll look into that. I just know I am frustrated and have hit a few walls lately. Wasn't sure if the GoodRX etc. worked with Medicare?0
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Ack! Singlecare: 1 Novalog pen $89.00. I get 15 per month so would be $1335. With my insurance it's $369. There's no generic for it or my Levemir....get on the stick Bren.
I looked at some Part D plans but it doesn't look to be much savings at all....and there's a monthly fee, like with the Part B. I don't know what I'm doing at all! I'll look into things in October or so, perhaps with an agent?
I woke up sick from my afternoon nap...sugar was 102 which was great, and low for me as I do get shaky and nauseated at 85-90. I had some applesauce, about 34 G carbs worth and it went up to 182. Didn't eat anything else and at 10:30 it was 258. Waah! It's down to 200 at 1 AM, after my Levemir.
I'd forgotten how much i like applesauce! The unsweetened has 13 G sugar/17 carbs in a half cup so I need to be careful and not get too happy with it. I got 2 jars to use while my tongue is healing. I usually have a bottle of OJ since when I feel sick like that, I don't want to eat anything. I did find one bottle of juice in my pile but it looks pretty crummy and was best by Dec. last year. I shook it and popped it in the fridge anyway. Lukewarm OJ is nasty, y'all! It still works but it's nasty! I keep yogurt on hand too as it's easy on me when I have a drop.
My right foot went left on me! I have a compression sock on, using my cane and pray it passes quickly. I have things I need to do!
Kim, I've been thinking of Broccoli Salad....looked at a few recipes and one has 693 calories per serving! Ack! I remember you had a simpler, safer recipe....Guess I'd better stick to steaming it or having some in my Bento Box.0 -
Here's the site to seek help: I can't get into it to see how it works, but you should be able to make the print larger on your computer so you can at least see how it works:
https://novomedlink.com/diabetes/products/treatments/tresiba/cost-and-coverage.html?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=levemir&utm_campaign=&utm_content=_-mkwid-s_dc-pcrid-587535169086-pkw-levemir-pmt-p-&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6auoi42P-AIVmOTjBx2PlAc5EAAYASABEgJpkvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I had to get off the computer yesterday to go and run and get my Emgality before Wade had to get ready for work so I didn't get on here yesterday, sorry about that. I took the shot yesterday and woke with a doozy of a headache and upset stomach this morning! Hope that isn't going to be a side effect! LOL! As long as it's the only bad headache I have in the month, that would be alright. Ugh!
I need to go and sit for a bit, really nauseous right now. Love y'all.0 -
Praying for all of you - seems like we are all dealing with medical issues right now.
It is now 2 weeks since I have drastically changed my eating due to finding out that I have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) - stage 3 - that is where your GFR number is between 30 - 59 (mine came out at 34) Not good at all. So completely eating different and let me tell you it has been hard and easy.
Needing to make sure I don't have any added sodium (sodium is in all natural vegetables) and it is in all processed foods. Diabetes (pricking the finger) has never looked better. Weight is coming off. Praying for good results when I have blood work this month for my kidneys.
Have a good day everyone0 -
Awesome, Marilyn! Keep heading in the right direction!
I am 3A, the last time I had my kidney's checked two years ago. The doctor told me at that time that that is the edge of kidney disease and fairly common for people my age. I need to make myself call the doctor to have blood work done. I'm not going to go back to the gal I've been going to, she has only done one blood work on me and it was the most basic you can do. Just not happy there at all. Wade has gone to a guy near us who is a PA and has a family practice and walk in clinic. I'm going to call him and see if he will do a complete blood work on me and check cholesterol and kidneys as well. I used to have my liver checked when I was on a statin, but the doctor said that even though my cholesterol was above normal my risk for heart disease was very low, so no statin needed. I also need to get my ears checked. I can watch TV on a much lower sound level than my husband likes and hear it just fine, but I struggle to understand something if there is background noise. I can hear someone is saying something to me, I just can't understand what they are saying unless they are facing me.
I have lost three pounds, woohoo! Not sure how, but I have lowered my calorie intake a little bit, so hopefully it is enough to start that downward trend. I was 236.4 this morning. Praise the Lord.
Still very hot here, hopefully not quite as hot today.0 -
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Bren - On the medicare site, it gives you the opportunity to put in the meds that you take and then check to see the best prices overall (including cost of plan). If you have some insurance, though, that is the main thing. With regular part B medicare, I didn't think that there was any type of prescription coverage. With Bill, we pay about $60 per month for the plan, but it still saves him money over a cheaper plan, due to the price of his meds. My plan is about $7 - but I don't take any prescriptions.0
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Thanks Connie, and Kim for your tips and input. I went there the other day. Checked a lot of plans that confused me. BUT...I'll be back. It makes it easy to have my meds list there, front and center.
I have the Medicare Part D at $24 a month ( I pay by the year) and I fell in the hole in January it seems. I did some checking at CVS/Caremark (my insurance) and according to their charts, my 3 month supply would be half what I'm paying for a one month scrip at this time so I will contact my Dr. when time to refill and ask for a new script. I printed out the info to take to my pharmacy. Hoping to get us all on the same page. Actually, I will see him the 15th so will discuss it then.
I had to switch pharmacies this year because Wal-Mart was no longer a preferred pharmacy with my insurance. I will look into changing plans if need be. I've had coverage with them since 2018 when my Medicare took effect. This has been my major expense even when I was still working but it's more in my face now that I'm not!
Both feet are acting out but not as bad as the last round and I pray it doesn't reach that point...ever again. I have an order to pick up this morning so they are in shoes, ready to roll. I hope to get some chores done today since I've been lounging about the last 3 days.0 -
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I made a bowl of Scrappy Broccoli Salad...delicious! I say scrappy as most of what I used were 2 days from the scrap heap!
2/3 bag of broccoli florets, trimmed and cut smaller, about 1/4 cup diced red onion, 1/3 cup of cubed cheddar, cut smaller, diced sweet pepper (new) bought for omelets, chopped walnuts and chopped bacon (bigger than bits) about 3 TBS each....and 2 pouches of coleslaw dressing from bags of mix. I usually stir fry the cabbage mix. Could be a lot less calorie dense with a vinegar, stevia and bit of mayo dressing but I love it. Had some at lunch with my piece of leftover steak from Friday and roasted veggies. I nearly burned that up in the AF. 15 minutes was too long! I ate it anyway.
I have one beefsteak tomato I need to use so am thinking a BLT for dinner. I got some egg beaters to do some omelets with. I've had eggs for dinner twice in the past week.0 -
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Thanks for the info, Connie. I can't get medicare for another two years, so I don't know much more than what Mom had and I never had to deal with the logistics, just show her card at the doctor's office. She ended up with one bill from all of her time in the hospital and at the nursing center, and it was less than $20.00! She had medicare and Tricare for Life which is military insurance, and between the two they paid it all. Phew!
Not sure I'm real happy with how Emgality is working for me, I've had three headaches over the weekend. I think that I had the same problem with Aimovig until they put me on a higher dosage, then I didn't have nearly as many headaches.
I am going to go and see another PA tomorrow and talk to him about different things I need help with, and hopefully have some bloodwork done. I don't go in until 1 PM, so not sure they will do bloodwork, but his office is about 10 minutes from our house, so it wouldn't be a problem to come in another day to do that. We are finally getting to go to the dentist on Wednesday! We made the appointment three months ago! Pretty much, most everyone in the church goes to see this dental group and they have long waits as well. It shouldn't be too bad in six months because we'll make that appointment when this one is over! This dentist is the spouse of one of the doctors at my eye doctor's office! They are right next door to each other - awww!
Well, I was three pounds down two days ago and I gained one over the weekend, so 237 this morning. Not quite one pound up. Eating well today so far!
Bren, that broccoli salad sounds yummy for you! heehee. I wouldn't be able to do the onion and pepper. I add dried cranberries and sesame seeds to mine, and diced carrot when I have them. I did a taco salad for lunch yesterday and added some of the dried cranberries to it - really good.
Y'all have an awesome day. Love ya0 -
Going to the doctor this afternoon. This is the guy Wade has seen a couple of times. If he can't figure out what's wrong he knows pretty much everyone in the area. I just need someone to keep track of my lymphedema/lipedema and my kidney numbers. I want to make sure that the medications I am taking are really helping in the areas they need to help in. I'm taking two diuretics and still struggling with swelling! What's up with that??? So, hopefully he can do blood work even though it will have been six hours or so from the time I had my breakfast drink. I would love to have it done today. We go to the dentist tomorrow. We weren't able to get in to sign the forms to have our records brought from Hickory, but she is going to warn them so they will have everything ready to fax over - won't she be surprised to see all but one molar with me is either a cap or an implant! Not sure there is even one left, but I'll be hopeful! LOL!
Hope y'all are doing well. Love ya0 -
Please ask your doctor about the diuretics - I take one and it affects the kidneys. Doctor took me off the acid reflux med as it would cause damage too but he gave a new on for that. For the other one - a water pill - he hasn't changed it but right now I will be having blood work just checking out the kidney function every month to make sure. I have to have the water pills because I have edema and now with the kidneys slowing down my left leg swells daily and I can feel the water in the leg as it hurts. Praying for you0
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Kim - hoping that your doctor's visit went well. I'm with Marilyn on the diuretics, but with your lymphedema/lipedema and kidney issues it seems like it will be finding a happy medium.0
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When I saw the doctor yesterday I was explaining some of the stuff with him that I am trying to juggle, and the diuretics were part of that. I told him about the lymphedema/lipedema and he said I would probably have to go to the Raleigh area to find someone who could help me with that. Overall he said I was complicated! You think??? One of the diuretics is helping keep the swelling down in my feet and hands, the other is helping to keep my potassium from dropping as it is wont to do. Even with the two I am still swelling in my feet and hands - ugh! I'm drinking more water than I am supposed to, but I drink when I am thirsty - so not much I can do about that. I told my old doctor I was getting about 48 oz. a day and he said that was probably too much!? I'm just feeding the lymphedema when I drink a lot of water. I'm getting around 48-60 oz. a day right now. I told him that I wasn't real happy with my present NP, he hadn't heard of her, but he suggested her practice and the PA there he said knew her stuff, so I may ask to be turned over to her or just find someone else. This doctor's practice is more emergency medicine rather than see you ever six months kind, but he will see you and then recommend someone who can help you. He didn't give me much information because I went to see him for blood work.
Went to the dentist this morning. I thought our appointment was at 9:30, and we got there at 9:05, but the appointment was really at 10. They saw us early and we both got full exams and x-rays, and cleanings. She was surprised at how well my teeth were doing having not been for at least 22 months. In the records sent over from my doctor they said our last cleaning was 2019 - hmmm??? Nope, Aug or Sept of 2020 because I had a cap put on and then two months later the other tooth we were concerned about broke in half and I needed it capped too. She said that my old dentist did really good work! Yippee! I just needed some tarter removed and that was pretty much it. She did say I had Geographic Tongue which is red places on the tongue where the papilla are missing and it can burn - I finally learned why my tongue burns when I eat a Red Delicious apple or use a regular type toothpaste (Crest, Sensodyne, etc...) and not a natural one.
Well, an exciting morning, now it's time to relax a bit. I'm going to go and check the garden and walk around some and then relax before Bible Study tonight. Love y'all0 -
Wow....you had a couple of busy days. Glad the dental thing worked out well, tho the Dr.'s appt. was less than stellar, info wise. Those are frustrating and more is expected for sure. That's interesting on the burning tongue thing! Yikes....
I feel like my PCP is ready to kick me loose....not sure she will but after my last appt. with her and her frustration at my lack of any progress and continued issues is at the end of her walk with me.
I see my endo doc next Wed. and will need to get labs done on Tue. Not looking forward to either of those. Then later, the 21st...my cardiologist appt.
That broccoli salad was really good, tho I could do better on the dressing. I'll play with it again some day soon. I've rediscovered my love of 2% milk and bananas! I hadn't had milk in about 2 years and now I've had a half gallon in 2 weeks.
I saw two new cats this morning and my calico came by. One belongs to my neighbor, 2 doors down. A beautiful, dark calico and I want to love on it! It sat in her doorway, wanting inside.
I got some chores done today and will aim for 2-3 more by bed time. Bug man is supposed to come tomorrow. A real waste of time and money in my opinion but nobody asked me what I thought about it.
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