Jump to content

Just had my in-home (not-so) wellness visit

samhexum

By samhexum
in The Lounge

 Share
This topic is 1256 days old and is no longer open for new replies.  Replies are automatically disabled after two years of inactivity.  Please create a new topic instead of posting here.  

Recommended Posts

samhexum Grand Master

samhexum

Posted
Posted

United Healthcare has been emailing and calling me since June or July, bugging me to schedule an in-home wellness visit. They offered a gift card as a bribe. They started at $15, went to $25, then $50, then a few weeks ago they went to $75 and I caved.

 

She was just here. It took an hour. My blood pressure was normal for years despite my weight, but has been steadily increasing the last few. Today it was 140/90. I've also graduated from pre-diabetic to diabetic. My A1C was 6.7 . I had a slight amount of glucose in my urine, but that was true the last time I had a physical about 3 years ago. (When she called last night she asked me to collect a sample-- thank God I save wonton soup containers.) And she left me a free 'thank you' gift-- a set of 3 square plastic food storage tubs. I have a few million of them already. The gift card is supposed to come in about 3 weeks. Now I need to make an appointment for a physical.

 

She came with a bag that had so many different things in it. She changed her gloves at least 10 times, sanitized her gloved hands just about as often, and set up her own garbage bag to discard any used item... which she took when she left, of course.

 

The timing worked well... I had 3 packages to return to Amazon, but am out of printer ink, so I asked if the UPS driver could bring me the shipping labels. It was from 3 different orders, so three different boxes and labels (they should enjoy the one item in the Walmart box). Anyhoo, I knew I'd have to interact with the driver so the right label went on the right box, so I was hoping he'd come before she did, or just after she left, so I wouldn't have to make her wait and also introduce another factor into the equation. He showed up 10 minutes after she left (while I was typing the second paragraph, in fact).

 

Oh, United Healthcare sent me a well-at-home kit the other day with a thermometer, a dose of Tamiflu, and an at-home covid test (with a warning not to open until directed, as it has to be activated by a doctor). I'm also not supposed to open the Tamiflu until directed. There's a number to call for either if I start feeling symptoms.

 

I was thinking of trying to start a diet after New Year's anyway. I guess the next 10 days will be a pigfest, as I've been stocking up on stuff in the event this covid wave gets totally out of hand here. Actually, given how much junk food I have, it might take until early-mid January to start.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 25
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

samhexum Grand Master

samhexum

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I have been on an amazing plan for over a year! Lost 37 pounds and no longer on any meds. My husband lost 70 pounds. Happy to share info if your interested. We love it!!

Thank you, but I'm thinking of trying the Trump Covid plan... one day my health problems will just disappear. It'll be like a miracle. In fact, I think I'm turning the corner right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
samhexum Grand Master

samhexum

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Best piece of advice a trainer gave me was that the first two things everyone should do are walk more and sleep more before going crazy on diet or doing hard exercise. If you only just tipped into diabetes and are overweight, there's a good chance you can still reverse it, so it's worth putting some effort into.

Except that I can't stand or walk for more than a minute or two without terrible back and/or leg pain. (Sciatica and lumbar radiculopathy). I spend my life sitting down. And I've been an insomniac my whole life. My parents used to go to bed after the 11PM news & my sister and I would stay up to watch Carson.

 

But thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sniper Grand Master

+ sniper

Posted
Posted

Except that I can't stand or walk for more than a minute or two without terrible back and/or leg pain. (Sciatica and lumbar radiculopathy). I spend my life sitting down. And I've been an insomniac my whole life. My parents used to go to bed after the 11PM news & my sister and I would stay up to watch Carson.

I have significant back issues myself, and I strongly recommend finding a physical therapist, they are much better now than they were 20 years ago. I used to not be able to walk more than 100 feet without stopping. And it took months of doing annoying daily exercises that didn't feel like they were doing anything at the time before one day I noticed I went down the stairs without hands on both banisters and things got better from there. If you can swing it get a PT who works only with you for the hour; avoid the pt mills that have 5 patients at once and leave you alone most of the session.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
josh282282 Community Regular

josh282282

Posted
Posted

She was just here. It took an hour.

 

I'm a physician and know (oh so very) well of these "wellness visits".

Please be honest: do you think it provided you any health benefit (excluding the financial incentive) that your primary care physician doesnt already provide? If so, where?

Now that you have experienced this wellness visit, how could it be improved?

What can your doctor do, if anything, to help you improve your long-term heath that s/he is not already doing?

 

Anyone with first hand experience with the (patient compensated) wellness visit is very welcome to chime in.

 

And Happy Holidays & good health to all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
samhexum Grand Master

samhexum

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I'm a physician

 

Yeah, but you don't play one on TV, so I'm not impressed.

 

Other than giving me my specific numbers, which I wasn't hurrying in to my doctor to get, she didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. I haven't seen my PCP in about 3 years, and that visit was the first in about 5, so at least I got SOME diagnostics today.

 

Pre-covid I'd see my neurologist once or twice a year (have had disk fusions in 2003 & 2012, & 2 mini-strokes in 2017-- my file's about an inch thick) and my pulmonologist 3 times a year so he could test my deteriorating lungs and tell me not to smoke pot anymore. He'll be so glad to know I've cut back about 30% during the pandemic (down to much more than I should).

 

You don't get to be in the shape I'm in without intimate knowledge of what you're doing to yourself (and of the fridge & freezer, too).

 

If you're confused, my avatar pic was taken in really good lighting on a day when I was having a good (chest) hair day. ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tommygunzz Collaborator

Tommygunzz

Posted
Posted

I have been on an amazing plan for over a year! Lost 37 pounds and no longer on any meds. My husband lost 70 pounds. Happy to share info if your interested. We love it!!

Have my televisit with my DR today. I'm sure I'll be encouraged to drop the 19# that I've gained this year. Any help would be appreciated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sniper Grand Master

+ sniper

Posted
Posted

The reason for these wellness visits being pushed is that under the Affordable Care Act there are some su subsidies to insurers whose customer base is sicker on average. So it is in their financial interest to get you any and every diagnosis they can, especially if you don't go to the doctor much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JayCeeKy Veteran

JayCeeKy

Posted
Posted

I was thinking of trying to start a diet after New Year's anyway.

I, too, have resolved to eat healthier in the New Year and to stop buying all the sugary crap I pick up at Sam's Club (I also shop at Costco but they don't seem to have half the sugary snack food that Sam's stocks). I heard something the other day that kinda makes sense: 25% of what you eat keeps you alive; the other 75% of what you eat keeps your doctor alive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sniper Grand Master

+ sniper

Posted
Posted

My spouse and I have our supplementary policies with two different Blue Cross affiliates, and they have never sent us anything except summaries of what they have paid to our medical providers.

It may be different with Medicare supplements, or they may target based on what they already know about you. I do know that insurers hire consultants to maximize their margin on this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
coriolis888 Grand Master

coriolis888

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

snip

 

If you're confused, my avatar pic was taken in really good lighting on a day when I was having a good (chest) hair day. ?

-

 

 

Since this is your thread, I don't think you will mind if I go slightly off-topic responding to the above comment you made in jest about your avatar.

 

When I was in high school, I was fascinated by watching re-runs of films and television shows that included the guy in your avatar, John-Erik Hexum, who died at the age of 26.

 

He was a rising star to ladies and to men.

 

Likely, if he had not died so young, he would now, be contributing to this thread about his health issues if he were a member of this site.

 

For nostalgic purposes:

 

https://www.picsofcelebrities.com/celebrites/jon-erik-hexum.html

 

Now, back to health issues.

Edited by coriolis888
Link to comment
Share on other sites
samhexum Grand Master

samhexum

Posted
  • Author
Posted

When I was in high school, I was fascinated by the guy in your avatar, John-Erik Hexum, who died at the age of 26.

 

He was a rising star to ladies and to men.

When I was in college and living with my aunt, that poster was on my wall. I never told her I was gay, but she may have figured it out. I found another one in a candy store in the Bronx after he died. I wound up selling both copies online.

 

A friend of mine works as a camera man for CNN. They interviewed my late hubby before COVER UP started. My friend tried to reach me to tell me about it, but this was before cell phones & texting/email, so I had to settle for a bootleg unedited copy of the interview footage. I sold a few copies of it online, and still have a copy of it, in lousy condition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Luv2play Grand Master

Luv2play

Posted
Posted

Since this is your thread, I don't think you will mind if I go slightly off-topic responding to the above comment you made in jest about your avatar.

 

When I was in high school, I was fascinated by watching re-runs of films and television shows that included the guy in your avatar, John-Erik Hexum, who died at the age of 26.

 

He was a rising star to ladies and to men.

 

Likely, if he had not died so young, he would now, be contributing to this thread about his health issues if he were a member of this site.

 

For nostalgic purposes:

 

https://www.picsofcelebrities.com/celebrites/jon-erik-hexum.html

 

Now, back to health issues.

I remember when that accident happened. So tragic. Nice that he’s recalled in an avatar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

Contact Info:

The Company of Men
5834 C. North Kings Hwy #4343
Alexandria, VA 22303

Email: moderators@companyofmen.org

Help Support Our Site

Our site operates with the support of our members. Make a one-time donation using the buttons below.

$10 $25 $50 $100 $200

Make a recurring donation

Additional Resources

×
×
  • Create New...