Glad to hear you are doing well. Being taken away from the things you enjoy is very hard.

Sorry to hear it's going so slowly.

Eris wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 8:54 pm Sorry to hear it's going so slowly.

Thanks. I’m hoping I’ll get a little more freedom in a few weeks. Teacup weight restriction is getting tiresome.

The reality of getting older, but you both are headed in the right directions. Keep dry firing.

sikacz wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 1:58 pm It’s been a little over 10 weeks from my surgery. Slowly recovering and going through therapy. I’m somewhat optimistic that I have not screwed up anything post surgery. Unfortunately I’m still a long way from being allowed to go to the range or do any of the other things I enjoy. This has significantly complicated my life. It’s bit of a damper on all other issues I have and want to address. Still, remaining positive even though the world at large seems a bit of a mess. Y’all stay positive and love y’all!

YT hope your post op recovery is going on schedule. I know your surgery was more critical than mine so hope you are feeling optimistic!
5BDE2158-67FE-42BF-8A72-1C7B0D76AE2A.jpeg

Thanks, sikacz! Everyone's surgery is risky. People have died during basic simple surgeries. Yeah, mine was pretty traumatic though.

I'm now over 7 weeks post-surgery and I started Cardiac Rehab at the end of last week. It's like P/T and cardio training but the trainers are all RNs and they take your BP before you start, and after every exercise station. It felt REALLY good to actually start working out, even though it was so light I barely broke a sweat.
I have mostly good days, but usually once a week a not-so-good day. My chest still hurts--the sternum takes a long time to heal, but I'm far stronger than I was just a couple of weeks ago. I repaired my front steps and reset the railings, proving once again I am, at best, a mediocre amateur mason, but it doesn't look TOO bad. Either that or my wife is being too kind! Also working on getting our pool open, installing new drop-in steps--that's been a pain.

Still on lots of meds, but battling with the health care system has been an unnecessary source of stress. Frequently, what the superpowers that own want is what's more profitable even if it's more dangerous for the patient.

On the other hand, every day I'm glad to be alive and getting stronger and healthier.

YankeeTarheel wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 10:10 am

sikacz wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 1:58 pm It’s been a little over 10 weeks from my surgery. Slowly recovering and going through therapy. I’m somewhat optimistic that I have not screwed up anything post surgery. Unfortunately I’m still a long way from being allowed to go to the range or do any of the other things I enjoy. This has significantly complicated my life. It’s bit of a damper on all other issues I have and want to address. Still, remaining positive even though the world at large seems a bit of a mess. Y’all stay positive and love y’all!

YT hope your post op recovery is going on schedule. I know your surgery was more critical than mine so hope you are feeling optimistic!
5BDE2158-67FE-42BF-8A72-1C7B0D76AE2A.jpeg

Thanks, sikacz! Everyone's surgery is risky. People have died during basic simple surgeries. Yeah, mine was pretty traumatic though.

I'm now over 7 weeks post-surgery and I started Cardiac Rehab at the end of last week. It's like P/T and cardio training but the trainers are all RNs and they take your BP before you start, and after every exercise station. It felt REALLY good to actually start working out, even though it was so light I barely broke a sweat.
I have mostly good days, but usually once a week a not-so-good day. My chest still hurts--the sternum takes a long time to heal, but I'm far stronger than I was just a couple of weeks ago. I repaired my front steps and reset the railings, proving once again I am, at best, a mediocre amateur mason, but it doesn't look TOO bad. Either that or my wife is being too kind! Also working on getting our pool open, installing new drop-in steps--that's been a pain.

Still on lots of meds, but battling with the health care system has been an unnecessary source of stress. Frequently, what the superpowers that own want is what's more profitable even if it's more dangerous for the patient.

On the other hand, every day I'm glad to be alive and getting stronger and healthier.

Glad! It’s great you can start doing small projects. What’s your restrictions, how do you know what level you can exert to? Being alive is the goal as far as I’m concerned. Keep moving should be an unwritten mantra for us! LoL .

YankeeTarheel wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 10:10 am

sikacz wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 1:58 pm It’s been a little over 10 weeks from my surgery. Slowly recovering and going through therapy. I’m somewhat optimistic that I have not screwed up anything post surgery. Unfortunately I’m still a long way from being allowed to go to the range or do any of the other things I enjoy. This has significantly complicated my life. It’s bit of a damper on all other issues I have and want to address. Still, remaining positive even though the world at large seems a bit of a mess. Y’all stay positive and love y’all!

YT hope your post op recovery is going on schedule. I know your surgery was more critical than mine so hope you are feeling optimistic!
5BDE2158-67FE-42BF-8A72-1C7B0D76AE2A.jpeg

Thanks, sikacz! Everyone's surgery is risky. People have died during basic simple surgeries. Yeah, mine was pretty traumatic though.

I'm now over 7 weeks post-surgery and I started Cardiac Rehab at the end of last week. It's like P/T and cardio training but the trainers are all RNs and they take your BP before you start, and after every exercise station. It felt REALLY good to actually start working out, even though it was so light I barely broke a sweat.
I have mostly good days, but usually once a week a not-so-good day. My chest still hurts--the sternum takes a long time to heal, but I'm far stronger than I was just a couple of weeks ago. I repaired my front steps and reset the railings, proving once again I am, at best, a mediocre amateur mason, but it doesn't look TOO bad. Either that or my wife is being too kind! Also working on getting our pool open, installing new drop-in steps--that's been a pain.

Still on lots of meds, but battling with the health care system has been an unnecessary source of stress. Frequently, what the superpowers that own want is what's more profitable even if it's more dangerous for the patient.

On the other hand, every day I'm glad to be alive and getting stronger and healthier.

Glad to hear you are coming along. That's a big surgery.

cooper wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 10:45 am

YankeeTarheel wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 10:10 am

sikacz wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 1:58 pm It’s been a little over 10 weeks from my surgery. Slowly recovering and going through therapy. I’m somewhat optimistic that I have not screwed up anything post surgery. Unfortunately I’m still a long way from being allowed to go to the range or do any of the other things I enjoy. This has significantly complicated my life. It’s bit of a damper on all other issues I have and want to address. Still, remaining positive even though the world at large seems a bit of a mess. Y’all stay positive and love y’all!

YT hope your post op recovery is going on schedule. I know your surgery was more critical than mine so hope you are feeling optimistic!
5BDE2158-67FE-42BF-8A72-1C7B0D76AE2A.jpeg

Thanks, sikacz! Everyone's surgery is risky. People have died during basic simple surgeries. Yeah, mine was pretty traumatic though.

I'm now over 7 weeks post-surgery and I started Cardiac Rehab at the end of last week. It's like P/T and cardio training but the trainers are all RNs and they take your BP before you start, and after every exercise station. It felt REALLY good to actually start working out, even though it was so light I barely broke a sweat.
I have mostly good days, but usually once a week a not-so-good day. My chest still hurts--the sternum takes a long time to heal, but I'm far stronger than I was just a couple of weeks ago. I repaired my front steps and reset the railings, proving once again I am, at best, a mediocre amateur mason, but it doesn't look TOO bad. Either that or my wife is being too kind! Also working on getting our pool open, installing new drop-in steps--that's been a pain.

Still on lots of meds, but battling with the health care system has been an unnecessary source of stress. Frequently, what the superpowers that own want is what's more profitable even if it's more dangerous for the patient.

On the other hand, every day I'm glad to be alive and getting stronger and healthier.

Glad to hear you are coming along. That's a big surgery.

Thanks, Cooper. Scared the shit out of my family. But the plus side is I felt their love--my wife, my sons, my brothers, and my niece.

Hardly an issue of the magnitude that you folk faced but just an indication of just how broken the US Health Care system really is.

I'm pretty fortunate in having fairly good health insurance even though it's damned expensive. BUT ...

I take the generic form of Procardia for blood pressure. Procardia is one of the oldest blood pressure medicines out there and all developmental cost have been recovered decades ago and I am also getting the generic version as well.

Yet it's not covered by my Part D insurance.

And the cost for a 90 day prescription is $165.00.

But using GoodRx the 90 day cost dropped to $18.94.

Frankly, that should be criminal. If the same pharmacy that is dispensing the same medicine at the same dosage and the same number of pills can charge folk $165.00 rather than $19.00, especially if the higher price is being paid by some insurance policies then the system is just plain broken. And if there are people who are prescribed the drug and cannot afford the price we as a people and a society are broken.

sig230 wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 5:39 pm Hardly an issue of the magnitude that you folk faced but just an indication of just how broken the US Health Care system really is.

I'm pretty fortunate in having fairly good health insurance even though it's damned expensive. BUT ...

I take the generic form of Procardia for blood pressure. Procardia is one of the oldest blood pressure medicines out there and all developmental cost have been recovered decades ago and I am also getting the generic version as well.

Yet it's not covered by my Part D insurance.

And the cost for a 90 day prescription is $165.00.

But using GoodRx the 90 day cost dropped to $18.94.

Frankly, that should be criminal. If the same pharmacy that is dispensing the same medicine at the same dosage and the same number of pills can charge folk $165.00 rather than $19.00, especially if the higher price is being paid by some insurance policies then the system is just plain broken. And if there are people who are prescribed the drug and cannot afford the price we as a people and a society are broken.

Damn! Agree absolutely. My blood pressure meds are also old, lisinopril 10mg tablets 30 day supply $1.17. That’s a price I can live with. I’m lucky mine is controlled by a med that isn’t expensive.

sikacz wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 5:45 pm

sig230 wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 5:39 pm Hardly an issue of the magnitude that you folk faced but just an indication of just how broken the US Health Care system really is.

I'm pretty fortunate in having fairly good health insurance even though it's damned expensive. BUT ...

I take the generic form of Procardia for blood pressure. Procardia is one of the oldest blood pressure medicines out there and all developmental cost have been recovered decades ago and I am also getting the generic version as well.

Yet it's not covered by my Part D insurance.

And the cost for a 90 day prescription is $165.00.

But using GoodRx the 90 day cost dropped to $18.94.

Frankly, that should be criminal. If the same pharmacy that is dispensing the same medicine at the same dosage and the same number of pills can charge folk $165.00 rather than $19.00, especially if the higher price is being paid by some insurance policies then the system is just plain broken. And if there are people who are prescribed the drug and cannot afford the price we as a people and a society are broken.

Damn! Agree absolutely. My blood pressure meds are also old, lisinopril 10mg tablets 30 day supply $1.17. That’s a price I can live with. I’m lucky mine is controlled by a med that isn’t expensive.

We have generally excellent insurance. Yet shit still happens. With my recent surgery, most of the common migraine meds aren't really safe. But the safe ones are new and insanely expensive and the same insurance company refuses to cover it. So I'm not willing to pay $2000 for 30 pills.

YankeeTarheel wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 9:06 pm

sikacz wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 5:45 pm

sig230 wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 5:39 pm Hardly an issue of the magnitude that you folk faced but just an indication of just how broken the US Health Care system really is.

I'm pretty fortunate in having fairly good health insurance even though it's damned expensive. BUT ...

I take the generic form of Procardia for blood pressure. Procardia is one of the oldest blood pressure medicines out there and all developmental cost have been recovered decades ago and I am also getting the generic version as well.

Yet it's not covered by my Part D insurance.

And the cost for a 90 day prescription is $165.00.

But using GoodRx the 90 day cost dropped to $18.94.

Frankly, that should be criminal. If the same pharmacy that is dispensing the same medicine at the same dosage and the same number of pills can charge folk $165.00 rather than $19.00, especially if the higher price is being paid by some insurance policies then the system is just plain broken. And if there are people who are prescribed the drug and cannot afford the price we as a people and a society are broken.

Damn! Agree absolutely. My blood pressure meds are also old, lisinopril 10mg tablets 30 day supply $1.17. That’s a price I can live with. I’m lucky mine is controlled by a med that isn’t expensive.

We have generally excellent insurance. Yet shit still happens. With my recent surgery, most of the common migraine meds aren't really safe. But the safe ones are new and insanely expensive and the same insurance company refuses to cover it. So I'm not willing to pay $2000 for 30 pills.

Yeah, this healthcare system raises my blood pressure.

Our health care system is infuriating. It's another piece of our society that exacerbates the divide between the haves from the have nots. Count me as one of the few docs who's all for nationalized single payer health care.

Not the point of this post, but wanted to tangentially continue sig230s post a little. Not advice to sig230 as I'm sure there is a good reason for you to be on Nifedipine (Procardia), so don't consider changes based on what some random dude on a gun forum who claims to be a doctor says. (LOL that's my disclaimer).

Anyway. Just a reminder, always okay to ask your doctor if there is a cheaper way to get what you need. BP meds can be a great example. There are lots of old cheap ones, so switching is often possible. Not always though. Sometimes there is a compelling reason to be on a particular medicine, so you're stuck.

cooper wrote: Not the point of this post, but wanted to tangentially continue sig230s post a little. Not advice to sig230 as I'm sure there is a good reason for you to be on Nifedipine (Procardia), so don't consider changes based on what some random dude on a gun forum who claims to be a doctor says. (LOL that's my disclaimer).

Anyway. Just a reminder, always okay to ask your doctor if there is a cheaper way to get what you need. BP meds can be a great example. There are lots of old cheap ones, so switching is often possible. Not always though. Sometimes there is a compelling reason to be on a particular medicine, so you're stuck.

cooper wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 8:35 am Our health care system is infuriating. It's another piece of our society that exacerbates the divide between the haves from the have nots. Count me as one of the few docs who's all for nationalized single payer health care.

More than infuriating, if healthcare isn’t for everyone then I really don’t see the point of this experiment. Affordable medicine and care should be a primary purpose of our society, not the pursuit of corporate wealth and power. I’ll give my non medical advice too, talk to your doctor insist on finding a cheaper alternative if possible. I’ve had to try on meds that are not covered by my insurance. This pisses me off, we shouldn’t have to be doing this at all.

Good to read all on the mend and trending well.

Re BP meds - I've gone thru several changes over the years currently on Metoprolol, Losartan and Hydrochlorothiazide (diuretic), all relatively inexpensive generically with or without insurance. Seems to control BP very well with readings in the low 100's over 60/70's mostly. Monitor weight, temp daily, BP every few days or if feeling off. Notwithstanding the fact I'm a sodium salt addict. Heart ablation in Dec. 2012 ended my Afib and since been good to go, despite cancer continually trying to kill me but for early detection's, good Docs, surgery, BCG, radiation and wonderful drugs, I'd probably not be in this conversation.
However, the last 15 years have seen a drastic reduction in medical care particularly in the GP area. I've gone from being able to see or talk with my GP when ever the need arose to having to wait months to see. Medical associations like WellMed have totally fucked this up along with Advantage Plans.

cooper wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 8:53 am Not the point of this post, but wanted to tangentially continue sig230s post a little. Not advice to sig230 as I'm sure there is a good reason for you to be on Nifedipine (Procardia), so don't consider changes based on what some random dude on a gun forum who claims to be a doctor says. (LOL that's my disclaimer).

Anyway. Just a reminder, always okay to ask your doctor if there is a cheaper way to get what you need. BP meds can be a great example. There are lots of old cheap ones, so switching is often possible. Not always though. Sometimes there is a compelling reason to be on a particular medicine, so you're stuck.

Yup. It is actually a return from many of the other options and what my nephrologist thinks best.

It's inevitable that we get to a single payer system, but lately between the Pandemic, the Ukraine War, the economy and an arms escalation with China, the major priority for federal funds hasn't been healthcare. There are different models that countries have, most are private insurance based rather than a hospital based system like Britain's National Health Service. Like Medicare and Medicaid, the feds should control which insurance companies and plans are approved and get rid of our employer based insurance system.

All of the meds I take are now generic. I've taken lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) for years, once I got over the ACEI cough it's been fine. Much better than reserpine that I took years ago, it had too many side effects.

It's crazy that the ACA was originally a REPUBLICAN plan that the ReThugs created then have wanted to kill or get declared unconstitutional since its inception, ESPECIALLY since, troubled as it is, it's working. Solely because it made Obama and Democrats look like they were DOING SOMETHING about health care--and the ReThugs have too, only everything THEY have done has worsened health care (See abortion bans).

YankeeTarheel wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 1:12 pm It's crazy that the ACA was originally a REPUBLICAN plan that the ReThugs created then have wanted to kill or get declared unconstitutional since its inception, ESPECIALLY since, troubled as it is, it's working. Solely because it made Obama and Democrats look like they were DOING SOMETHING about health care--and the ReThugs have too, only everything THEY have done has worsened health care (See abortion bans).

Yup, IIRC it came out of a MA program created when Bill Weld, a Republican was Mass. governor.

highdesert wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 1:30 pm

YankeeTarheel wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 1:12 pm It's crazy that the ACA was originally a REPUBLICAN plan that the ReThugs created then have wanted to kill or get declared unconstitutional since its inception, ESPECIALLY since, troubled as it is, it's working. Solely because it made Obama and Democrats look like they were DOING SOMETHING about health care--and the ReThugs have too, only everything THEY have done has worsened health care (See abortion bans).

Yup, IIRC it came out of a MA program created when Bill Weld, a Republican was Mass. governor.

I thought it was when Mitt Romney was governor--called it "RomneyCare".

YankeeTarheel wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 4:05 pm

highdesert wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 1:30 pm

YankeeTarheel wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 1:12 pm It's crazy that the ACA was originally a REPUBLICAN plan that the ReThugs created then have wanted to kill or get declared unconstitutional since its inception, ESPECIALLY since, troubled as it is, it's working. Solely because it made Obama and Democrats look like they were DOING SOMETHING about health care--and the ReThugs have too, only everything THEY have done has worsened health care (See abortion bans).

Yup, IIRC it came out of a MA program created when Bill Weld, a Republican was Mass. governor.

I thought it was when Mitt Romney was governor--called it "RomneyCare".

You're right it was Mitt Romney's program when he was governor of Mass.
https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpoli ... -obamacare

Obamacare is sort of frustrating to me. It was an attempt to fix things, but by the time it got through the sausage machine on Capitol Hill, it was not great. I'm not a policy wonk. I just see how things work on the ground and it's a mess. To be clear, lots of uninformed people want to blame Obamacare -- "thanks a lot Obama!" has almost become a catchphrase for everything -- but it didn't cause this mess. It just failed to fix it.

I don't have a lot of faith in our ability to fix this mess, and it is rapidly bankrupting us individually and as a country.

Because we have a profit-based system that puts profits ahead of patient welfare. There's a reason I have to go to my provider's lab every week and have a vial or 2 of blood drawn just to get an IVR reading (that's a measure of clotting--used to control diet and Coumadin blood thinner). The cardiologist has a machine similar to one diabetics use that analyzes a simple finger prick for IVR. Faster, less painful, less risk. BUT THEY WON'T USE IT! The excuse is they don't have time--but if it takes a nurse even 5 minutes, they are slow. The REAL reason is they are only reimbursed $3 for the finger prick, and the retail price on the test "strips" (actually chip circuits) is about $5, though I'm sure they get them FAR cheaper. The first time I had the draw done, the tech was SO incompetent that it was one of the most painful draws I ever had, she kept wiggling the needle around because she did a fucked stick--which led to a bruising and soreness that took 2 weeks to heal--and THEN the idiot didn't send the blood for the ONLY time-critical test--IVR! I had to come back the NEXT day for another draw!

But they won't do the finger prick and they wouldn't let me get my own machine--I did anyway--and they won't accept the results of my machine, even though it IS FDA-approved and I didn't use insurance to pay for it. Likewise, they don't accept KardiaMobil results either, also FDA approved. Why? The answer is $$$ not that it's not accurate, or unsafe, or "unapproved by the FDA".

Sikacz I just saw this scrolling through messages. \

tore two of my four rotator cuff muscles off

I assume somewhere in the middle of the 12 pages you had the surgery and started PT. I had a similar surgery, they called the broken tendons a "through tear". Had to wait for vaccines to get in to hospital, then long wait for surgery, by then things had shrunk and it was hard to get it all back together. Better than before but not a hundred percent or close to it.

Every time coming out from under the ether gets harder. I am getting a large collection of dilaudids. I've been cut a few places, that shoulder stuff smarted more than any. Good part of the muscle on my right shoulder again pads the bone for recoil.

Hope you recovery goes well, just a matter of time. Infirmity is a lot better than the alternative.

Get well.