Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:19:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2019 16:01:00 GMT
Hey Peas!
Been spending my time recovering from my last surgery, only 1 month ago! My eye healed really quickly, but my stomach (where they took the fat/lipo) is still healing. No biggie....... Still in pain with my eye because I have a "band of scar tissue" in the upper portion that needs to come out. Ooy! She wants to fill it with either my own membrane from the inside of my bottom lip area, and/or placenta! So cool........ We'll see how much it fills out. If it works, I should finally be finished with the surgeries, and then it's on to the eye-making process again. (We're looking for a better Ocularist since my case is tough. Found out there's 1 in Miami, 1 in Sarasota, and 1 in Orlando--tough to make it to any of those places when DH is feeling awful and facing either chemo or bladder removal soon.)
My eye surgery will be on November 14th...... It's ridiculous that it's so "old hat" for me at this point. I've lost count of my eye surgeries!! I'm well beyond 40-something! This one should only be about 2 hours, but a lot of recovery with my mouth (I've had that done before).
As far as DH (with his bladder cancer), I'm still spending my time fighting for him to be permitted to go to Moffitt Cancer Center. I fought and got him in for a consultation, full body CT scans, and now a cystoscopy next Monday. His doctor called to tell him that his cancer didn't metastasize, so it's not in his lymph nodes. He's blessed--he's had it now since 2012 and it's been contained.
He'll get the bladder looked at, and then he needs a few more tests (lungs, heart...) to make sure he could withstand a long surgery and recovery to remove the bladder. It'll be up to him if he chooses that surgery (which would practically eradicate the cancer) or if he wants to opt for chemo (which has a very low rate of success). His timeline with treatments comes first, so we'll see where we're at with him. Of course, he told me to make my surgery date and if I "have to" cancel, I will.
Been spending my days fighting Medicare/Humana HMO, and also Foodstamps (since they want to keep lowering ours for absolutely no reason--nothing's changed except the bills piling up for copays, etc...). I think I need a bigger desk!
Thanks for listening. I'll DEFINITELY be wearing my fancy patches again in November after my next surgery (for months). I have to make a few new ones--the ones from last year just fell apart from the humidity here!
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basketdiva
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by basketdiva on Oct 9, 2019 16:09:30 GMT
Been spending my days fighting Medicare/Humana HMO, and also Foodstamps (since they want to keep lowering ours for absolutely no reason--nothing's changed except the bills piling up for copays, etc...). I think I need a bigger desk!
Sorry you are spending so much time on this. As for the food stamps- the current administration is changing the rules and people are losing benefits.
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:19:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2019 16:19:00 GMT
Been spending my days fighting Medicare/Humana HMO, and also Foodstamps (since they want to keep lowering ours for absolutely no reason--nothing's changed except the bills piling up for copays, etc...). I think I need a bigger desk!
Sorry you are spending so much time on this. As for the food stamps- the current administration is changing the rules and people are losing benefits. True--they're trying to take the Foodstamps benefits away........ however, here in FL, I know a few people whose amounts haven't waivered, at all. I called and asked why the newest drop just took place. The woman checked it, came back and said, "Oh, it's because you haven't put in your current medical costs." I said, "Really? I'm not due for a renewal--I don't have to input it until then!" She really had no answer! This is a first! She said, "I really don't know why, then, but you can add all of your expenses, paid and unpaid and see it it'll change the amount." Grr!! I know it's a "benefit" but with all of our surgeries and recoveries, our medical expenses are piling up, so we owe more and more. Why they'd lower it is beyond me. It's just cruel!
As far as Medicare, the 2020 booklets all claim that your benefits are increasing. Sounds great but I'm not believing it. I have a spreadsheet on it already, and we'll see which plans look better than ours, but I'm hearing that Trump wants to ruin Medicare too. Wonderful.........
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:19:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2019 16:47:27 GMT
That's great news that your DH's cancer hasn't metastasized! He is so lucky to have you in his court! Wishing you continued healing.
I don't recall your story as to how you got shot in the eye. I do remember my brother having a BB gun as a kid and it was incredibly dangerous with BBs ricocheting off of hard surfaces!
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Post by lesserknownpea on Oct 9, 2019 17:20:05 GMT
I’m so glad DH cancer is contained. That’s huge.
Fight for those food stamps!!
Can’t wait to see the new patches 😀 have fun with them. Think themes 😉
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:19:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2019 17:21:25 GMT
That's great news that your DH's cancer hasn't metastasized! He is so lucky to have you in his court! Wishing you continued healing. I don't recall your story as to how you got shot in the eye. I do remember my brother having a BB gun as a kid and it was incredibly dangerous with BBs ricocheting off of hard surfaces! That just gave me chills that you mentioned it ricocheting because that's what my "shooter"'s parents claimed happened (it didn't--I remember that part so clearly!). I'll give you a quick breakdown. I've mentioned it a lot in the past few years (shocking, since I've been very quiet about it for decades!!!).
My BEST friend lived across the street from me,growing up. We walked to Kindergarten together and our families were so close!!! He, himself, lost his eye at age 3, from climbing a tree (he was on the lower portion, of course), with our other close friend who lived right near us! That friend (same age--3), stepped on a branch and it accidentally went RIGHT into our friend's eye. They (gag!!!) tried to pull it out and it immediately caused immense damage. He lost his eye, but he had ONE surgery (enucleation: removal of his entire eye), and at the same time they placed in there something to fill his whole socket, which he kept in there for life. He could use surgeries to replace his old implant, but he won't & he's not in pain......... (I know this b/c we began speaking to each other again a few years ago, after not speaking since 1974). I lost my eye and lost my best friend.....
Okay, quick story: I went across the street and saw him one day (we were ALWAYS at each other's houses, and always very physically active). He (unfortunately) was holding a bb gun, at age 13, on his small piece of property!!! NO idea why his mom (an R.N.) would hand one of them to her son who was monocular! Dumb move!!!!!!!!! Back then the 'bullets'/shells, whatever, were made from lead. They were all metal, opposed to the air guns today or the pellet ones which are plastic. Still, any of them could cause immense damage.
Okay, we were talking (about a girl he liked). He was grilling me b/c she was a friend of mine. No jealousy there--we were buds. He was standing about 5" from me, with the long gun across his right arm. It was aimed kinda upward, right at me (not purposeful, just comfortable for him). Fine......... All of a sudden I saw his very white face just staring at my face. I was in shock and had NO idea what had just happened, but his fingers were on the trigger and it went off and shot me directly in the eye. I was bleeding profusely. He screamed and his mom came out. She tried to put pressure on it--no good. She said something like, "Oh God, you're gonna be just like him" which freaked him out. Again, I was still in shock and couldn't process what happened. No pain--just utter shock.
The rest of that day was just a blur until I recall his dad driving my mom and me all the way out east to (supposedly) the best hospital there. It took 2 hours to get there. I sat on my mom's lap with tons of bloody towels we held against my face. It began to hurt.......... The surgeon had to remove the eye--it was damaged beyond repair.
The surgeon attempted to retrieve the bb, but instead pushed it FURTHER into my socket. It ended up causing daily, immense pain. Metal in my socket that was affected by humid weather or the barometric pressure, or many other things. The surgeon implanted a round silicone ball into my socket (standard), but I rejected it a few days later (horrific experience) and they repeated it a few more times..... Lovely. I was in the minority where my body couldn't accept a huge ball of hard silicone in my socket. This was 1974.
I finally found an up and coming eye surgeon in Manhattan who pioneered a procedure just for me. He broke down that silicone into tiny beads and implanted 100 into my socket. It took. It remained until 2013!!!!!!!!! Looked pretty good, but it began to give me more and more intense pain and caused scar tissue. Okay, fast-forward... I had over 30 surgeries from 1974-1982. Many of them were surgeries pioneered for me b/c of rejection. Interesting, but I missed years of school and socialization........ I needed cosmetic surgeries to repair or create eyelids, my cheek, etc.........
Anyway, this was ALL from a bb gun. I had another 7 surgeries beginning in 2013 until now, to take out ALL of the foreign matter (silicone beads, the bb, etc...) and we're replacing it all with my own stuff. Of course I've been having issues even with that. The fat they keep on adding is getting re-absorbed. It usually lasts 5 years with patients......... So, my new surgeon is coming up with all new ideas for me. I'm written up again in JAMA and I'll be the topic in an eye conference this month in FL!! Cool, but it's been done before for me......
That's the BASIC story. I hate guns, even toy guns!!! I never knew what damage they could do, but my life, every single day has been filled with excruciating pain. I took tons of aspirin for 30 years (they used to tell you to just deal with it), and it ruined my stomach and throat. I got put on opioids in 2012. Hoping to get rid of more pain, but I'm not sure it'll happen! I can hope, and I can hope my surgeon can finish and I could appear "normal" somewhat......... I'm ready to just wear an eyepatch and try to deal with the pain; pretty soon!!! xo
PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH **ALL** GUNS; EVEN TOY GUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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kate
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,667
Location: The city that doesn't sleep
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 3:30:05 GMT
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Post by kate on Oct 9, 2019 17:22:25 GMT
Good news about DH!  |
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:19:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2019 17:40:51 GMT
@bergdorfblonde, thank you so much for sharing your story. Every time I see that scene in a Christmas Story, I hear that blurb about the BB gun.. "You'll shoot your eye out!" I'm glad you were able to start talking to the shooter again. I imagine that if you two were ever in a room together, you'd make quite the pair. What were the odds that best friends would both lose an eye?! Talk about the universe's sick version of a blood pact!  |
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:19:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2019 17:59:31 GMT
@bergdorfblonde , thank you so much for sharing your story. Every time I see that scene in a Christmas Story, I hear that blurb about the BB gun.. "You'll shoot your eye out!" I'm glad you were able to start talking to the shooter again. I imagine that if you two were ever in a room together, you'd make quite the pair. What were the odds that best friends would both lose an eye?! Talk about the universe's sick version of a blood pact! I can't watch that movie. I have my limits. I did begin speaking to my friend again a few years ago. He had no idea that I had more than 1 surgery (like he did). He felt terrible enough about causing my life to change that he became a chiropractor so he could help people in pain. It was nice to be able to talk it out and to forgive him. We've moved on. |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Oct 9, 2019 18:05:54 GMT
As far as DH (with his bladder cancer), I'm still spending my time fighting for him to be permitted to go to Moffitt Cancer Center. I fought and got him in for a consultation, full body CT scans, and now a cystoscopy next Monday. His doctor called to tell him that his cancer didn't metastasize, so it's not in his lymph nodes. He's blessed--he's had it now since 2012 and it's been contained.
He'll get the bladder looked at, and then he needs a few more tests (lungs, heart...) to make sure he could withstand a long surgery and recovery to remove the bladder. It'll be up to him if he chooses that surgery (which would practically eradicate the cancer) or if he wants to opt for chemo (which has a very low rate of success). His timeline with treatments comes first, so we'll see where we're at with him. Of course, he told me to make my surgery date and if I "have to" cancel, I will.
Been spending my days fighting Medicare/Humana HMO, and also Foodstamps (since they want to keep lowering ours for absolutely no reason--nothing's changed except the bills piling up for copays, etc...). I think I need a bigger desk! Bite your tongue, smile sweetly and call your Senator!! Moffitt is where your DH must go! No Question! His life is on the line.... Be nice and call your Representative, smile again. Moffitt is where his surgery should be done They have the expertise! I put Moffitt into Google and this is a bit from there... Remind your Senator and Rep that Florida wanted the best for their residents and YOU and DH are residents who need help! Is Moffitt Cancer Center good?TAMPA, Fla. – Moffitt is No. 8 on the U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals for Cancer rankings released today. The ranking, up from No. 9 last year, solidifies Moffitt as the best cancer hospital in Florida and top-ranked in the Southeast. Moffitt has been included in the annual Best Hospitals list since 1999.Aug 14, 2018 H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute is a nonprofit cancer treatment and research center located in Tampa, Florida. Established in 1981 by the Florida Legislature, the hospital opened in October 1986, on the University of South Florida campus. Wikipedia Location: Tampa, Florida, USA CEO: Alan List (2012–) Number of beds: 139 Headquarters: Tampa, FL Affiliation: NCI-designated Cancer Center
Founded: 1986 |
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,117
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Post by edie3 on Oct 9, 2019 18:09:38 GMT
It's time for some good news, glad to hear it!
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Post by scrapmaven on Oct 9, 2019 18:32:12 GMT
Thank you for sharing your story w/us. You've been through way too many surgeries and you are most definitely a trouper. Sounds like surgery will put an end to your dh's cancer. I'll be curious to hear what the docs at Moffitt have to say.
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Post by quinlove on Oct 9, 2019 19:01:47 GMT
((( hugs ))) Thank you for sharing your story. What a great idea to make your own patches. Although, you are truly beautiful just the way you are love. ❤️
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scrappinmama
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,672
Jun 26, 2014 12:54:09 GMT
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Post by scrappinmama on Oct 9, 2019 19:17:38 GMT
I'm happy to hear that your dh got good news from the doctors. Dealing with all the red tape is soul-breaking. Hang in there!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:19:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2019 19:36:21 GMT
As far as DH (with his bladder cancer), I'm still spending my time fighting for him to be permitted to go to Moffitt Cancer Center. I fought and got him in for a consultation, full body CT scans, and now a cystoscopy next Monday. His doctor called to tell him that his cancer didn't metastasize, so it's not in his lymph nodes. He's blessed--he's had it now since 2012 and it's been contained.
He'll get the bladder looked at, and then he needs a few more tests (lungs, heart...) to make sure he could withstand a long surgery and recovery to remove the bladder. It'll be up to him if he chooses that surgery (which would practically eradicate the cancer) or if he wants to opt for chemo (which has a very low rate of success). His timeline with treatments comes first, so we'll see where we're at with him. Of course, he told me to make my surgery date and if I "have to" cancel, I will.
Been spending my days fighting Medicare/Humana HMO, and also Foodstamps (since they want to keep lowering ours for absolutely no reason--nothing's changed except the bills piling up for copays, etc...). I think I need a bigger desk! Bite your tongue, smile sweetly and call your Senator!! Moffitt is where your DH must go! No Question! His life is on the line.... Be nice and call your Representative, smile again. Moffitt is where his surgery should be done They have the expertise! I put Moffitt into Google and this is a bit from there... Remind your Senator and Rep that Florida wanted the best for their residents and YOU and DH are residents who need help! Is Moffitt Cancer Center good?TAMPA, Fla. – Moffitt is No. 8 on the U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals for Cancer rankings released today. The ranking, up from No. 9 last year, solidifies Moffitt as the best cancer hospital in Florida and top-ranked in the Southeast. Moffitt has been included in the annual Best Hospitals list since 1999.Aug 14, 2018 H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute is a nonprofit cancer treatment and research center located in Tampa, Florida. Established in 1981 by the Florida Legislature, the hospital opened in October 1986, on the University of South Florida campus. Wikipedia Location: Tampa, Florida, USA CEO: Alan List (2012–) Number of beds: 139 Headquarters: Tampa, FL Affiliation: NCI-designated Cancer Center
Founded: 1986 We have Marco Rubio and Rick Scott. Two really bad guys, but I'll try. I already get their newsletters so I'm in the loop (with the crap they're attempting to force the Floridians to believe!). Thanks for the reminder. We ARE awaiting the appeal with Humana to see if DH could just override his PCP from now on and be able to go to Moffitt since no doctors or surgeons within his plan are able to handle his high-risk case. They just told me that it'll be a 90 day decision (not the 17 day decision they originally claimed!!!!!). I'll try every avenue to make sure he only goes there. They've been wonderful there, the few times we've gone already.
Thanks so much!
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purplebee
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,955
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Post by purplebee on Oct 9, 2019 20:41:44 GMT
Good to hear your Dh got some positive news and that you are recovering from your surgery. Hoping for better times for you both!
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Post by nysparkle on Oct 9, 2019 20:44:37 GMT
Glad to read your update. It's good to hear that your dh's cancer is contained andI hope you get to go to Moffitt. Sending my hugs and prayers.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:19:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2019 22:27:49 GMT
Glad to hear that his cancer has not metastasized. Hope you can get things cleared with Medicaire and Humana. My mom had Humana, so I know what a pain they are to deal with. Hope everything works out soon.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Oct 9, 2019 23:16:27 GMT
We have Marco Rubio and Rick Scott. Two really bad guys, but I'll try. That's why I say bite your tongue and smile sweetly!!  |
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Post by malibou on Oct 9, 2019 23:40:50 GMT
Wishing you all the best with your next surgery and your quest for a new ocularist.
Keeping my fingers crossed that dh can get to Moffit. So pleased to hear it hasn't metastasized to his lymphs.
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Post by teddyw on Oct 9, 2019 23:51:55 GMT
Good news for both of you for a change!
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Oct 10, 2019 2:56:55 GMT
@bergdorfblonde when you call Rubio's office, you could mention or better yet thank him for standing up for the Kurds in that mess in Syria. I know, I know you will be talking to staff. Compliments work well.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:19:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2019 14:40:37 GMT
@bergdorfblonde when you call Rubio's office, you could mention or better yet thank him for standing up for the Kurds in that mess in Syria. I know, I know you will be talking to staff. Compliments work well. Got word that DH's appointment is set for Monday, so either his PCP is cooperating or Humana is allowing him to go until they decide about the appeal. I will call Rubio's office when I can though. Thanks for the tips. Hard for me to have anything but disdain for the man. |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Oct 10, 2019 14:43:54 GMT
@bergdorfblonde when you call Rubio's office, you could mention or better yet thank him for standing up for the Kurds in that mess in Syria. I know, I know you will be talking to staff. Compliments work well. Got word that DH's appointment is set for Monday, so either his PCP is cooperating or Humana is allowing him to go until they decide about the appeal. I will call Rubio's office when I can though. Thanks for the tips. Hard for me to have anything but disdain for the man.YES!! I agree about Rubio, but he is right on this one thing at least. Use it for your advantage! DO NOT get into a dialogue about much else, ONLY about your DH!! |
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Post by alexa11 on Oct 10, 2019 14:48:53 GMT
Great news!
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Montannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,486
Location: Big Sky Country
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Post by Montannie on Oct 10, 2019 20:34:51 GMT
Good news indeed! Glad to hear such an upbeat report!
Being on assistance is hard work, and the rules are very complicated. I feel for anyone who has to jump through the hoops they put out!
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