Good news: I still have a job.
Bad news: They cut my commission percentage way back a couple years ago.
Bad news: I had to discontinue any health insurance coverage (among several other things) as no longer affordable, nevermind not being able to afford the $3,000 deductible either.
Good news: I finally qualify for Minnesota Care.
Bad news: I had to chose between 4 different insurance plans with basically not enough information to choose between them.
Good news: All four plans cover my current doctor and clinic.
Good news: I now will have dental coverage.
Bad news: Mostly the dental coverage plans I can now choose between do not extend to my current dentist.
Good news?: One of the plans might, but I haven't found out yet. I signed up for it anyway.
Bad news: The bill for the first premium came today.
Good news: It's $10./month.
Bad news: Coverage doesn't start until next month.
Good news: Coverage starts next month.
Showing posts with label health care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health care. Show all posts
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saturday, December 11, 2010
On Morphine
I've learned some things about morphine recently.
I already knew it wasn't addicting if you used the proper amount for pain. I already knew I wasn't worried about addiction for end-of-life care. But I thought it was only used for pain. Apparently not.
It's been prescribed for my dad. That's not because he's in pain, because he says that most of the time he's not. But it opens the sacs in the lungs, helping him breathe better. It works well with the Atavan which relaxes the chest wall muscles to make more room for air. That's why he'll be getting it.
We think the Thick-It used in his beverages is causing diarrhea. (Something is, and that's the only big dietary change, other than decreasing amounts of food intake.) Morphine will actually work against that, tending to cause constipation. If we're all really really lucky, it will balance out.
We won't find out until Monday. Well, Tuesday, really, since I won't be bringing it home until after work Monday. That's because it can't be called in to the pharmacy over the phone from the doctor's office, nevermind caller ID and any other prescriptions or identifications that make the caller legitimate. Paper is required. And I won't be picking that up until Monday.
Monday is when the doctor's office opens again. And it's when I also stop in for the doctor's signed DNR orders that we can post in the house, proof that CPR need not be tried if EMTs ever get called. And even more than that, Monday is when I venture out of the house again, after the storm blows over, when we know the possibly 18-20 inches of snow and whatever drifts the winds create playing with it have a chance to be cleared off the roads.
Meanwhile I'm contentedly snowbound.
I already knew it wasn't addicting if you used the proper amount for pain. I already knew I wasn't worried about addiction for end-of-life care. But I thought it was only used for pain. Apparently not.
It's been prescribed for my dad. That's not because he's in pain, because he says that most of the time he's not. But it opens the sacs in the lungs, helping him breathe better. It works well with the Atavan which relaxes the chest wall muscles to make more room for air. That's why he'll be getting it.
We think the Thick-It used in his beverages is causing diarrhea. (Something is, and that's the only big dietary change, other than decreasing amounts of food intake.) Morphine will actually work against that, tending to cause constipation. If we're all really really lucky, it will balance out.
We won't find out until Monday. Well, Tuesday, really, since I won't be bringing it home until after work Monday. That's because it can't be called in to the pharmacy over the phone from the doctor's office, nevermind caller ID and any other prescriptions or identifications that make the caller legitimate. Paper is required. And I won't be picking that up until Monday.
Monday is when the doctor's office opens again. And it's when I also stop in for the doctor's signed DNR orders that we can post in the house, proof that CPR need not be tried if EMTs ever get called. And even more than that, Monday is when I venture out of the house again, after the storm blows over, when we know the possibly 18-20 inches of snow and whatever drifts the winds create playing with it have a chance to be cleared off the roads.
Meanwhile I'm contentedly snowbound.
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