Start of Phase 2 - Doctors, DVT's and Insurance Fun
Sunday - 7/07/2019
Phase 2 of my post weight loss boot camp program is in progress, first week at home in the books. Unfortunately it was a very unproductive week in the weight loss department due to all the personal (Mom) and pesky medical issues I have been dealing with all week. Once again I am reminded how easy it is to slip in a few pounds when I get off track. I did manage to drop 2 of the the 4 pounds I regained during the last week of the weight loss boot camp, only to regain a pound by Sunday morning so I am officially starting Phase 2 at 324 pounds.
I did complete my Planet Fitness Black Card membership signup at the new location in Daphne, AL on Monday 7/1 which is less than 10 minutes from my home. The facility is HUGE, there is a large amount of available equipment and the hours of operation include 24 hour availability Monday through Thursday with late hours the rest of the week. This should allow me to squeeze in a minimum 3 day weekly workout program no matter what crazy hours I have at work. https://www.planetfitness.com/gyms/daphne-al, I have yet to start any physical program in Phase 2.... doctors orders.
First Followup - 7/02/2019
I had my first follow up with my Primary Care Physician (PCP) on Tuesday 7/2 around 8:00am CST, the beginning of a very long and frustrating process. My PCP was not as pleased with the weight loss boot camp results I experienced over the last 7 weeks as I would have expected given the amount of weight loss and the significant drop in my high blood pressure, which was 135 / 80 when measured on Tuesday morning. The subject of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the ramifications of delayed treatment was the core discussions during my follow up on Tuesday. I know how serious a DVT can be.....or I thought I did based on what was communicated to me by the trainers at the weight loss boot camp and from what I have researched on WebMD and other medical information sights on the Internet. My PCP painted a very grim "worse case DVT scenario", in my case it would have made my previous HBP issues insignificant. I was told to do more reading, there is an entire web site dedicated to the dangers of blood clots and DVT: https://www.stoptheclot.org
As I expected my PCP just gave me a weird look when I asked about an expected date for a release, he mumbled something about one issue at a time. He also ignored or dismissed the results from the health screening scans I did back in mid June when the right calf first started to bother me. How was I to know there are different types of ultrasound scans used specifically for blood clots, I am not the doctor, I was only going by what was recommended. Anyway, the proper protocol for diagnosing the severity of a DVT is outlined at the web site dedicated to blood clots:
https://www.stoptheclot.org/learn_more/signs-and-symptoms-of-blood-clots/how_dvt_is_diagnosed/
Scans - 7/03/2019
Wednesday morning 7/3 I was scheduled for another round of a different type of ultrasound scanning. Although the pain is primarily in the right calf area, a full spectrum of Duplex Ultrasound was ordered on both legs from hip to ankle. An MRI was also requested but due to my wonderful health insurance red tape, the Duplex Ultrasound had to be performed first even though, according to the blood clot web site, an MRI is the preferred method for DVT scanning when the area in question is below the knee. I was told my PCP or someone from his office would be contacting me with the results within 24 to 48 hours of the scans, sooner if there was any immediate danger.
More Scans - 7/05/2019
Did not hear anything on July 4th, on the morning of 7/5 around 7:30 am I got the call from my PCP's office to report back to see the doctor by 9:00 am, I was thinking, oh boy here comes the bad news since he want to see me in person. Another round of blood pressure, weight check and the same "where is the pain?" questions I had back on Tuesday, don't they write this shit down? To my surprise my normal PCP was not requesting to see me, it was another doctor at the same practice whom I was told has more DVT / vascular medicine experience and was a vascular surgeon at one point. Basically I was told there "may" be two areas of concern but the current scan results were inconclusive to make a 100% diagnosis so another set of Duplex Ultrasound scans where ordered for later in the day. I was also told the Orthopedic Surgeon who performed my right hip replacement surgery back in 2017 would need to see me also, as of Friday, I have no idea why. My guess is that the scans I did on Wednesday may have found something else? I am also guessing it's not something serious or anything that needs immediate attention since the appointment is still tentative for later in July. On a positive note, my blood pressure reading was lower and more "normal" then the reading I had on Tuesday morning, today it was 134 / 78.
Health Insurance Fun - 7/05/2019
The additional ultrasounds were ordered at the same medical facility I went to on Wednesday. However when I arrived around 1:30 pm I was told by the office manager my health insurance provider denied the request for a second scan because I just had the same order less than 48 hours ago. I ended up sitting in the waiting room for over 2 hours as my doctors office went back and forth with my health insurance provider to get an approval. The office manager made a suggestion and recommended that to work around the silly red tape, simply go to my local hospital's emergency room. It seems that ER treatments are classified under some other insurance payment code, what a joke... so that is exactly what I did! I drove over to Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, AL (https://www.infirmaryhealth.org/), the same hospital where I had my right hip surgery in 2017 so my medical information would already be in their system.
Lucky for me when I arrived around 5:00 pm, the ER wait time was minimal, I was in a screening room discussing my case with the doctor on call, admitted to the hospital and on my way to the radiology lab for ultrasound scans within the hour! Thomas Hospital provides exceptional care and customer service, they are AMAZING! I was discharged by 6:30 pm and heading home.
I was informed the results of the scans would be available for review to the ordering doctor within 24 to 48 hours and that I would be contacted immediately, directly by the hospital if any major issues were found and for re-admittance if required. Since this is Sunday morning and I am at home typing this blog entry I am going to assume there will be positive news next week.
I did complete my Planet Fitness Black Card membership signup at the new location in Daphne, AL on Monday 7/1 which is less than 10 minutes from my home. The facility is HUGE, there is a large amount of available equipment and the hours of operation include 24 hour availability Monday through Thursday with late hours the rest of the week. This should allow me to squeeze in a minimum 3 day weekly workout program no matter what crazy hours I have at work. https://www.planetfitness.com/gyms/daphne-al, I have yet to start any physical program in Phase 2.... doctors orders.
First Followup - 7/02/2019
I had my first follow up with my Primary Care Physician (PCP) on Tuesday 7/2 around 8:00am CST, the beginning of a very long and frustrating process. My PCP was not as pleased with the weight loss boot camp results I experienced over the last 7 weeks as I would have expected given the amount of weight loss and the significant drop in my high blood pressure, which was 135 / 80 when measured on Tuesday morning. The subject of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the ramifications of delayed treatment was the core discussions during my follow up on Tuesday. I know how serious a DVT can be.....or I thought I did based on what was communicated to me by the trainers at the weight loss boot camp and from what I have researched on WebMD and other medical information sights on the Internet. My PCP painted a very grim "worse case DVT scenario", in my case it would have made my previous HBP issues insignificant. I was told to do more reading, there is an entire web site dedicated to the dangers of blood clots and DVT: https://www.stoptheclot.org
As I expected my PCP just gave me a weird look when I asked about an expected date for a release, he mumbled something about one issue at a time. He also ignored or dismissed the results from the health screening scans I did back in mid June when the right calf first started to bother me. How was I to know there are different types of ultrasound scans used specifically for blood clots, I am not the doctor, I was only going by what was recommended. Anyway, the proper protocol for diagnosing the severity of a DVT is outlined at the web site dedicated to blood clots:
https://www.stoptheclot.org/learn_more/signs-and-symptoms-of-blood-clots/how_dvt_is_diagnosed/
Scans - 7/03/2019
Wednesday morning 7/3 I was scheduled for another round of a different type of ultrasound scanning. Although the pain is primarily in the right calf area, a full spectrum of Duplex Ultrasound was ordered on both legs from hip to ankle. An MRI was also requested but due to my wonderful health insurance red tape, the Duplex Ultrasound had to be performed first even though, according to the blood clot web site, an MRI is the preferred method for DVT scanning when the area in question is below the knee. I was told my PCP or someone from his office would be contacting me with the results within 24 to 48 hours of the scans, sooner if there was any immediate danger.
More Scans - 7/05/2019
Did not hear anything on July 4th, on the morning of 7/5 around 7:30 am I got the call from my PCP's office to report back to see the doctor by 9:00 am, I was thinking, oh boy here comes the bad news since he want to see me in person. Another round of blood pressure, weight check and the same "where is the pain?" questions I had back on Tuesday, don't they write this shit down? To my surprise my normal PCP was not requesting to see me, it was another doctor at the same practice whom I was told has more DVT / vascular medicine experience and was a vascular surgeon at one point. Basically I was told there "may" be two areas of concern but the current scan results were inconclusive to make a 100% diagnosis so another set of Duplex Ultrasound scans where ordered for later in the day. I was also told the Orthopedic Surgeon who performed my right hip replacement surgery back in 2017 would need to see me also, as of Friday, I have no idea why. My guess is that the scans I did on Wednesday may have found something else? I am also guessing it's not something serious or anything that needs immediate attention since the appointment is still tentative for later in July. On a positive note, my blood pressure reading was lower and more "normal" then the reading I had on Tuesday morning, today it was 134 / 78.
Health Insurance Fun - 7/05/2019
The additional ultrasounds were ordered at the same medical facility I went to on Wednesday. However when I arrived around 1:30 pm I was told by the office manager my health insurance provider denied the request for a second scan because I just had the same order less than 48 hours ago. I ended up sitting in the waiting room for over 2 hours as my doctors office went back and forth with my health insurance provider to get an approval. The office manager made a suggestion and recommended that to work around the silly red tape, simply go to my local hospital's emergency room. It seems that ER treatments are classified under some other insurance payment code, what a joke... so that is exactly what I did! I drove over to Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, AL (https://www.infirmaryhealth.org/), the same hospital where I had my right hip surgery in 2017 so my medical information would already be in their system.
Lucky for me when I arrived around 5:00 pm, the ER wait time was minimal, I was in a screening room discussing my case with the doctor on call, admitted to the hospital and on my way to the radiology lab for ultrasound scans within the hour! Thomas Hospital provides exceptional care and customer service, they are AMAZING! I was discharged by 6:30 pm and heading home.
I was informed the results of the scans would be available for review to the ordering doctor within 24 to 48 hours and that I would be contacted immediately, directly by the hospital if any major issues were found and for re-admittance if required. Since this is Sunday morning and I am at home typing this blog entry I am going to assume there will be positive news next week.
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