Finally Retired

[TC Chris]

Time and PT are getting me back toward normal. For the last week Ive been walking standing up. I rode the bike to work the last 3 days of last week. Every day gets better. I'll have an MRI next week and maybe see what caused the problem.

On the bike, it's still painful to mount in the usual fashion: stand on one pedal, throw the other leg over. Instead, I lay the bike on its side, step over the frame, and pick it up. Totally undignified but it works. Now the problem is pain in the portions of the anatomy that contact the bike seat. They have lost their fitness.

It's nice to be ambulating more normally. I had always taken it for granted but suddenly found myself looking at people walking down the street with considerable jealousy. Today I spent most of it working on the boat--up and down the ladder, around the boat, stepping over the mast, in and out of the boat barn--then headed to a vast Kroger for coffee pods and navigated the store like a real person.

Chris Cmpbell

[19&41]

My back trouble gradually diminished after the nerve injections. The copays for them among the other medical copays with the medicare coverage I had were extortionate. My sister couldn't believe them. I had to cancel my next round of nerve injections. I also had to cancel a heart stress test because I couldn't afford the copay. I was just able to sign with another medicare insurance provider before the close of my enrollment period. This has been a difficult time.

[danrclem]

My back trouble gradually diminished after the nerve injections. The copays for them among the other medical copays with the medicare coverage I had were extortionate. My sister couldn't believe them. I had to cancel my next round of nerve injections. I also had to cancel a heart stress test because I couldn't afford the copay. I was just able to sign with another medicare insurance provider before the close of my enrollment period. This has been a difficult time.

I doubt if you'll be able change insurance now but next year check and see if your state has Essence on their list. Even if they do it may not be the same in your state but mine has a $1,600 flex account for medical, vision, hearing and dental. I'm pretty sure that I have a separate vision, hearing and dental allowance. They won't let you use it for prescriptions though.

[William]

I have the old fashion Medicare, Medicap plan for my supplement. The premium can be costly but I pay nothing when I go in for whatever. I had 5 days in the hospital back in February with a bill of over 60K and I paid nothing, other than the premium of course.

Bill