I’m still recovering from the surgery of course.
It wasn’t 100% successful but it was the best they could do.
The plan was to put a stent in each side of the arteries right where the Aorta splits in two. The right side went well, the left side was a whole ‘nuther story.
She ended up opening me up a bit more on the left side in the groin right where the leg folds. She dug out some solid calcification that she said was basically concrete. About 1/2 in diameter and 3 1/2 inches long. She couldn’t get it all so she couldn’t put a stent in that side. However, she did unblock another smaller artery that was trying to go around the blockage that she said was just letting a trickle of blood in around the blockage until she unblocked it. So I do have better blood flow on both sides now. Unfortunately, the arteries farther down in mid thighs and both shin bone arteries are also 100% blocked so there still isn’t a whole lot of blood getting down into my legs, so I still can’t walk very far before the lower legs start cramping up.
It is what it is and I will take what I can get.
Still working hard on the smoking. I went a week, had one. Tasted like shit. Had 1, 3 days in a row then went another week. had 1, tasted like shit.
I’ve had 1 today. Going to try like hell to quit completely.
I had her give me a Return to work note to go back as light duty. I went in yesterday and after 1/2 a day got a message that they don’t do light duty so I had to clock out and come home. I got here, was up for about an hour and fell asleep in my chair. Slept for 4 hours on and off and then just got up and went to bed at 4:30 in the afternoon. Was in bed all night and finally got up at 1:30 this afternoon. Don’t know if I’ve been punched or bored. Hot and cold sweats, I would really like to just go back to bed but I have shit to take care of.
I am studying this Medicare bullshit. I will be 65 at the end of the month and have to sign up for it. Jesus Christ what a hard to decipher mess. Also had to get the Washington Paid Medical Leave paperwork and on-line application shit done. Another fucking nightmare. I should have gotten it done before the surgery but put it off like a dumbass. I had the surgeon lady fill out the paperwork, releasing me on Jan. 2 when I tried to go back to work.
Called up there today and talked to a nice lady and had her download the form again, getting surgeon to fill it out again with delayed back to work date and then Faxing it in for me.
No rest for the wicked.
This Medicaid shit is giving me a headache so I shut that down for today and I will dive into it again tomorrow.
So I have been up, down and am now 1/2 up again.
The 4 inch long incision in my groin is still healing up so there ain’t any jumping around, bending over or picking anything up business going on.
I am having to put Iodine on it every day to help it heal up.
It’s still ugly looking so it’s going to be another week or so before I see any real improvement I’m thinking. A whole lot of sleep didn’t hurt I’m sure.
So my thanks to CederQ for keeping the joint open while I fiddle fuck around trying to get better.
I’ll offer my encouragement, again, for getting off the smokes. You’re stubborn enough to do it. By now, you’re really over the actual physical addiction, but the habit is a damn tough thing.
I’ll be doing the Medicare thing myself later this year. Sorta looking forward to it, since I have no insurance right now. But the complications are awful. Typical government shit, for sure.
Just get your ass recovered.
I quit smoking several times. I’ll go 7 or 8 years then start for awhile…then quit again. You can do it Cederq. There’s no shortcuts, go cold turkey, chew toothpicks, matches and gum…and you’ll be away in 4 months.
Just don’t be an idiot like me and start again…👍
Pretty sure CederQ doesn’t smoke but I appreciate the advice….
Praying for ya brother, it’s hell I’m sure, but I’m praying
Where you drunk or high on model airplane glue when you typed that Glen? I don’t smoke.
Not even after speedy sex?
My speedy sex takes several hours, I am not one for quickies… I want to drive her into an orgasmic frenzy and panting for more. I am considerate that way.
It’s good to hear that you seem to be able to whip the smoking. I need to do the same thing. Glad to hear you are doing better after the surgery and we’ll be wishing the best recovery possible for you Phil.
Watching a hubby die because of cigarettes was not any I ever want to watch again. I had quit in 1983. Kept promising he would quit. Watching his oxygen level drop and drop again. Him panting. Nope, no joy.
I found an ins agent at the senior center who did nothing but find you the best policy for your health and conditions. Computer will pop up your top three choices along with the price.
I’ve had 3 relatives on the west coast. I’m appalled at the care out there. Have a couple of friends who are doc’s. I’ve mentioned your conditions to him as you’ve listed them. All he said was “he needs surgery now not later”. They did the “later” on my niece and we buried her. A brother got “later” and it cost him multiple hospital stays, constant pain, loss of all function and then rehab to learn how to eat, feed yourself, walk, and all the rest. But “later” seems to be a all time favorite word out there.
You realize it may not have been “concrete” if they had done this 2/3 years ago.
But I’m praying for you. As so many people are.
“Quitting smoking’s easy, I’ve done it a million times” – Mark Twain.
My blood pressure was hitting 175. This was due to a drug I must take. Quitting was easy when the choices were live or die.
I hit 65 in sept. Used AMAC . Painless and affordable.
Happy healing.
Attention tobaccos users..at the risk of pissing you all off and sounding self righteous, here are a couple of sincere thoughts. Get a pack of smokes or can of snuff or whatever, and bury them. Dig a nice hole, have a prayer and bury them. A nice funeral for your best buds. Idea two…try a piece of a clove in your mouth. Smoke when you want. The clove will make the cigarette unpleasant after a few drags. Good luck to you all.
One day at a time, buddy. Keep at it and you’ll get there.
The way I got through cancer was a day at a time and keep doing the next right thing. Best of luck to you, but do quit smoking, it has its own way to kill you.
Haven’t you talked to a Medicare insurance advisor? They don’t cost anything, get some recommendations if you can. You have certainly been flooded in the mail with all kinds of Medicare crap over the last 6 months (who in this country hasn’t) but what you want is a local independent advisor. They are out there, and it costs nothing. Your regular auto/home insurance agent may have suggestions. That’s what I did, good guy showed me different plans and suggested the best one to take. Been very happy with it since. Good luck.
I drove the L.A. freeways from 1973-2020 I lnow how your legs feel…get bettrer!
Stay away from Medicare Advantage. Looks great on paper, is awful in fact. My staff hates to deal with Advantage plans because our patients think they’re going to be covered for what we do and they aren’t. When I turned 65 last year they were on me like white on rice to stay the hell away from them. I got a few of the add ons and they only cost me a couple of hundred bucks every quarter and offer better coverage.
Right on! Avoid Medicare Advantage like the plague. Pick the best Medicare Supplement (Medigap plan) you can afford.
Advantage plans have networks and require prior authorization for procedures.
Medigap plans have no networks or prior authorization. Any doc that accepts Medicare will accept your medigap policy.
Some of the big boys like Mayo and MD Anderson no longer accept Advantage plans.
The jewboy is right. Go to an insurance advisor to find a medigap plan or
https://www.medicare.gov/medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans/#/m/?year=2025&lang=en
I have Advantage and have hit no snag’s or problems for the 12 years I’ve had it. Of course I live in a small town so when I want a second option I call whoever I want. Had two band aid surgeries for same problem. Went to specialist in big town. No joy. So I found one in bigger town and problem got corrected. No referral needed.
Yup, I got a Medicare Advantage plan and have no complaints so far, and that includes a three-week stay in an ICU unit and three weeks in a skilled nursing facility to get healed up enough to climb the five steps into my house. Then, another 3-day stay six months later to finish up what they started earlier.
My brother does a lot of traveling; he has standard Medicare and supplements. I don’t travel anymore, so the Advantage Plan (HMO) works for me. Here’s the caveat with Advantage Plans: make sure everything is done in-network.
Give tobacco its due every time you inhale the smoke it generates a central nervous system hit. That is very powerful reinforcement. A heroin addict can only get 2 to 4 reinforcing hits a day without dying. How many hits can a smoker get? A friend who had a pack a day cigarette habit effectively quit by forcing himself to smoke 2 packs a day. After a couple weeks he never wanted to even see a cigarette ever again.
Not sure what you mean by “Iodine” when you say you are putting it on your incision to heal. Iodine is contrast media in imaging and a part of the antiseptic used to clean skin prior to surgery but it does nothing to promote healing other than perhaps sterilize the incision. It can be detrimental if used often enough. I suggest at the very least you use Bacitracin on the incision after showering and then a bandage. Unless you are showing signs of infection at the incision I would not use any iodine products on it. And if you ARE showing signs of infection go see your doctor.
I studied Medicare a while, 5 years ago. I went straight Medicare A/B with a Part D and Plan G Medigap Supplement. Part A (hospitalization) should be paid if you worked enough to get Social Security. Part B (office visits and some in-patient drugs) has a monthly premium deducted from your Social Security payment. Part D is drug only and is available from private insurers at a wide range of prices depending on coverage level. Plan G is a supplement that covers medical expenses (not drugs) above your deductible; I don’t know if there is an upper limit but it covered a bunch of expensive eye surgery my wife had at Vandy’s Eye Institute. Plan G is likely the most expensive of the plans as it has the best coverage. Prices vary considerably for the same coverage so it pays to shop around for any of the supplemental plans, if you go that route.
I am happy with my choices. I don’t get coverage foe dental or eyeglasses, but those expenses for us are small and are amenable to budgeting.
In general, I pay just about what I paid for insurance as when I worked; although this year it may be a bit more. But, 5 years of inflation may make it still a bargain. After my deductible (low 200’s each year), all of my doctors and hospitals are covered; no co pay or deductible. I never even see a bill after the annual deductible is met. Drugs are normally very cheap, but you need to do some research if you are on any maintenance meds. The cost of my deductible when I worked was thousands of dollars for each of me and my wife.
I have heard horror stories of folks on Medicare Advantage. The amount of annual advertising on joining Advantage should clue you in that it is a high profit scheme for insurers.
YMMV, of course. I tended to shy away from consultants because they are being paid by somebody if they tell you that they don’t charge you. I would imagine that they will steer you to whoever is paying the bills.
Good luck. Sorry to read about your current medical issues and I wish you a recovery that resolves your problems. Getting old sucks but it sure beats the alternative. Being your own master for a few years is worth the wait.
Good Luck Phil. The way you are powering through and your attitude are an inspiration. My grandfather had emphysema, and the doctors wanted him to sit in his chair and not move. They said it was for him to live longer, but he said I would just be sitting dead in a chair and not living. Well, he may have shortened his life, but he played golf and raked leaves on his last day. He chose the way he lived. I think you would have got on well with him.
The month I turned 65 is the month they started me on Medicare with no action on my part, they just took the premium right out of my SS payment. It was automatic.
I’m retired military so that covers the other stuff.
My neighbor is on one of those plans that covers everything but she has to go to a doctor in her network, and that has been a problem for her with her medical problems. I can go to any doc that will accept Medicare and have had no problems.
Hang in there!
Prayers will be said for your recovery and the loss of your addiction. Remember, one day at a time. Chewing toothpicks helps some folks. Putting the money you spent on them in a jar also helps some. All recoveries are a process. Try to relax and enjoy the ride.
Keep up the good work and be thankful that you don’t have to deal with the UK’s Notional Heath Service. Elder daughter is recovering from hysterectomy surgery: she was sent home a day and a half after the op with a bundle of dressings and no aftercare plan. After a week and a half her wound – from above her navel to pubic bone, is weeping so badly that she’s cleaning up and changing the dressing two or three times a day. They won’t take out the staples until the weeping stops and she’s been told by different witchdoctors that the weeping is a good sign and a bad sign.
I’ve met a lot of caring, capable individuals who work for the NHS but there are clear signs that a hell of a lot of staff – particularly “managers” are simply there for the money and couldn’t medic or manage their way out of a wet paper bag.
Good to know you have some improvement from the procedure, take as much time as possible to heal, that is not a quick process.
Sometimes sleep is actually the best medicine. Sorry about the paperwork issue–that sucks bad and just adds to stress. The smoking thing is hard until it isn’t–I haven’t had one in 30 years, but sometimes just a whiff of someone else’s starts me craving. Then I just remember how bad it’s gonna taste. Blech!
My dad once said quitting smoking was one of the easiest things he ever did. He claimed he could quit 4 or 5 times in one day.
My Dad quit smoking cold turk by keeping an sealed full pack of smokes with him and no lighter, every time he got the urge he clutched that pack a few moments until the urge went away. He was smoke free in 2-3 weeks and never looked back. May the Good Lord help you through this Phil!
Somewhere in the town near you is an office that offers advice on medicare. My wife took her mom to one in my MIL’s town and we went to one in our nearby town…so I know they’re in more than one place. Personally I thought they were just insurance sales offices, but they’re not. Do a search on Insurance Planners near you. And I cannot recommend AARP or United Heathcare. My mother had ~3 different AARP plans that only seemed useful for making payments to and my wife said United was an absolute nightmare for the doctor’s offices to deal with.
I called an insurance agency and let an agent help me through it. I have Philadelphia Life as my supplement. It’s a little pricey but the back surgery cost me Zero. I don’t pay to see anyone and If a Dr accepts Medicare, they are In Network. If more medical appears to be in your future, okay, you get it.
https://youtu.be/hrqr3IIoTOs?si=b6uCGV0ZABG_XwUH
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This discusses the benefits of magnesium and zinc to prevent calcified vessels.
I have zero idea if any of it applies to your lovely limbs…
I feel your struggle Phil. Our doctor had been trying to get my wife to quit smoking for years, tried everything, but she still was not willing to give up cigarettes. She tried patches, Chantix, cold turkey, and and other meds to no avail.
Recently, she was diagnosed with lung cancer in her right lung. She asked the doctor to put he back on Chantix, and since she really wanted to quit this time, it has worked so far. She has been nicotine free since 12/1/2024. I can’t say it is an option for you, or will work for you, but its worth asking your doctor about. We both will be praying for you.
Lloyd in NC
Good luck with cigarette addiction – I hope you can kick it. What worked for me (after 40 years of smoking) was Chantix. It worked so well, they pulled it off the market. What also helped was they put a $1/pack tax increase to ease the property taxes. It wasn’t the money as much as the disregard of my choices – why didn’t they increase soda tax? What may help you is to imagine every pack you buy will add $ to some illegals’ debit card.
Wow you are one tuff ol man. Hope they get ya tuned up good .Smoking is a pain fir me it’s Coffee n cigs in am .Rest of day is easer to control .I’m same age as you 01061960 .I’ve counted my blessings lately an feel humble. Thank the carburetor gods it’s not Cancer ! Just worn out ol men .
Rest ,food,rest,food …Take care .