PRE-SURGERY

Sunday, July 14,2013 When I looked in the mirror I noticed a bulge, lower abdomen left side. About the size of an egg, sliced laterally. No pain or tenderness, but I was thinking 'hernia' right off the bat.  However, that's after I thought that there was an imperfection or bulge in the mirror.

On Monday morning I called Dr. Ellison's office to schedule an appointment. He was on vacation and I got a slot in early August, but they said I could begin calling next Thursday at 8am. He would be back, and I could see if I could book a cancelled appointment.

When I called on Thursday they were supposed to call me back, but I never heard from them until Friday at 10am. The nurse talked to the doctor, and he said that since I was having no symptoms, it was probably OK to wait until the scheduled appointment in August. After a couple of calls, I got an appointment for Monday, August 2 at Dr. Ellison's office out by the Honda motorcycle dealership.

NAUSEA PROBLEM

Beginning right after I noticed the hernia, within thirty-six hours I began to experience symptoms of nausea. The next night I awoke from a sound sleep, and felt like I was going to throw up. Several times during the next day and a half I would feel that I might vomit. I thought that I might be getting an ulcer, or (more importantly!) that the hernia was dumping toxins into my stomach. And this could be a very real possibility if the hernia had become strangulated or if there were internal complications.

 From my journal Su 7/21/13
 "Tomorrow doctor's appointment and Nausea will be an issue. Do I have an ulcer? Why is this happening when I first noticed the swelling? Are they connected".

I did not bring this up with the doctor, and on Tuesday I connected the real cause of the problem. I was using salad dressing that was obviously spoiled. I had watched a German documentary called OUR DAILY BREAD which was about the mechanization of the European food industry. The bonus features required a computer to play them. I couldn't get it to work (I should have 'opened' the drive), so I checked out You Tube to see if someone had posted them on that site. When I was watching videos about Food, I checked one about how huge batches of tainted food is sometimes introduced into the food chain. I got to thinking about what might be in my own fridge, and I zeroed in on the blue cheese salad dressing. I had been thinning it with water to make it last longer, and I must have been using one particular bottle for weeks. When I opened the bottle it smelled like the bottom of a garbage can that had been left out in the sun all day. PROBLEM SOLVED.

I ate much less during the periods of nausea, and I was back to normal by the end of the week. I never actually vomited, but came very close.

1015 appointment Mo 7/22/13  At that time I was considering postponing the surgery until I turned 65 and qualified for Medicare. I had no idea what my coverage was from ATT and part of the visit was to get someone from his office to settle this issue.

He saw me and immediately determined that I had a hernia, and because of my level of activity, I should have the procedure done soon. Although it might not give me a problem for the next thirty years, or I could have a flair up later today. I spent a bit of time with one of his clerk/nurses (Kara) discussing what I should ask my health insurance representatives and generally how to handle the billing procedures. She admitted that much of the shenanigans that they pull really borders on criminal, and one common gambit is that certain insurance companies pressure people to buy 'secondary' policies that cover no more than the regular Medicare coverage.

Dr. Ellison made an appointment for me to visit with a surgeon at Springfield Clinic, 800 N.1st on Thursday, 7/ 25 at 1115am. Dr. Kristopher Mitchell is the surgeon. 4th floor at clinic.

On Wednesday I called my insurance and found that I have a $500 deductible and they pay 80% and I pay 20% up to $2,000. In other words, I pay NO MORE than $2,500. It's not really addressed on the website. Later I did find a way, but this seems to be the biggest and most important question that you could have, "WHAT IS MY END"?

On Thursday I took the bike over to the clinic on first street, and was knocked out by the beauty of the building and its stunning location. His office's waiting room has one of the most scenic views in Springfield. He had plenty of information about the procedure but nearly nothing about the cost. He actually had no idea what the fee would be either, and actually admitted that he was also 'curious'. Nurse Kara helped out immensely, and after a couple of days of 'phone tag', I finally got confirmation about the 80%-20% split. She deserves an 'A Plus' for customer service, and she has really made the 'puzzle of health insurance' a lot more understandable.

 Monday 7/29-
The surgery is scheduled for Friday, August 2nd at 1030am. I have to arrive by 830am at what they call 'the main campus' between 6th and 7th. Since I have to have an chest x-ray, lab work, and an EKG sometime before the procedure, I decided to visit the Springfield Clinic's location on Wabash this morning, and then head to club south after the tests are completed. I have been told that it is a 'first come, first serve' deal, so I will bring a book (BLACK HILLS).

Last Saturday I went over to the Brandenburgs for Jamie's birthday and Jon and Whitney's anniversary( 5 years). Janny said that she would take me to the surgery, and keep an eye on me. Sometime this evening after the tests have been done and the workout is over, I'll call her back with an update.

715pm, Monday 7/29- Wrap-Up of the Clinic Visit

 I decided NOT to go to the clinic on Wabash because I felt it would be beneficial to visit Dr. Michell's office. Took the Accord, and arrived about 845am at the clinic on 800 1st. and before I headed out, I spent the early morning on the living room PC checking the news sites, and then I began this blog about the hernia operation. A cool sunny day (unfortunately it would have been ideal for a bike ride) , and the plan was to hit club south as soon as the visit was over.

I went to the 3rd floor and had the blood work and EKG done. I probably didn't wait five minutes, and I had brought BLACK HILLS with me, but I really didn't have time to read more than a couple of pages. I spent no more than fifteen minutes there, and then went down to the second floor for a chest X-Ray. This didn't even take five minutes.

I went back to Dr. Mitchell's office on the fourth floor, and talked to Kara about the procedure. She was the one who tracked down the insurance information. I still haven't contacted Blue Cross, but I think what she told me is true. I have penciled in a phone call tomorrow to talk with the ATT insurance people. One Fun At A Time.

She went over the basics of what I can expect on Friday, the morning of the operation. I will be having the procedure done at the clinic between 6th and 7th, second floor, East-side. I plan to bike down before Friday, and locate the exact place. She talked about 'black scrotum'  and using frozen peas for relief. Blood in urine and black stools and swollen testicles....and, this was only the worst possible case. She said that the fact that I have no symptoms probably means that I will have an easy recovery. The doctor said that he didn't feel that I had a problem on the  right side, so I most likely will not need the double procedure. If I do, it would mean a much longer recovery time.

I did the workout at club south, and stopped at County Market for supplies ($56), and when I got home, I called Janny for the update. She will pick me up on Friday at 745am, and she said that Joe might be available to help take me home after the surgery. I hope that this is not necessary.  When I was talking to her on the phone Joe came home and said that the guy in his office had my same surgery done on Friday and he was back at work today. That was good news, because this guy was in his 50's, and if he can bounce back in a couple of days, I hope that I can do the same. With that being said, I will be doing 'narcotics' for at least three days....

830am Tuesday, 7/30/13
 I got a call from Kara with Dr. Mitchel saying that my EKG was 'borderline', but they called Dr. Ellison and he felt confident that I could go ahead with the procedure. I asked Kara if possibly the EKG test might have been poorly administered. She said that might very well be a factor, and also if I had been nervous or had drank any coffee. Of course, I was apprehensive and borderline terrified during the test, and I had drank almost a whole pot of coffee before arriving. She also told me that my blood-work was 'a little off'.  She said that had if I ingested so much as a single mint, it could throw the test results off, but I specifically asked if I should fast before the visit, and they said this would not be necessary. Yet how could they expect a 'normal' reading if any food or drink whatsoever would taint the results? Makes No Sense At All

530pm Tuesday 7/30/13
When I got back from this morning's workout, I called Blue Cross to confirm the information that Kara had gotten about my coverage. I have an automatic $500 deductible, and the insurance will cover 80% up to $2,000, and then anything over two grand, they cover 100%.

Since I will need prescription drugs after the operation I wanted to find out if I had any coverage. I understood that my new Blue Cross plan did not have pharmacy coverage, and this is true. However, I do have coverage through Caremark. The clerk gave me their number, and I talked to Caremark. On Friday I will give the druggist the toll free number, and then they can check on the extent of my coverage. The pharmacist at County Market will tell me only what I owe, and I don't have to be reimbursed at a later date. I don't know why I don't have any cards, but the clerk at Caremark said that she would send them to me. They probably will not arrive by Friday, but I suspect that the only reason the drug store uses the card is to get the number to call the insurance.