Ramblings

I know, I know… A really long time no see!

Tracy8 Comments
So very tired.

Wow it’s been a little over all year. Crazy how time just catches up with you. In that time I’ve had five more surgeries dealing with kidney stones and having nephrostomys placed. This last one has been probably the hardest. It won’t be coming out until November 23, so I’m a little unhappy about that. But what are you gonna do?! I had some breathing problems which was kind of scary as that’s kind of new to me. But I’m getting by.

I am the phoenix!

I do have some good news, after three years I got into my sling and into my shower chair and had a real shower! Antonette, my physical therapy angel, decided it wasn’t about moving the legs right now it’s about stretching them out. My frozen knees now bend again as do my hips. Unfortunately when I did start sitting up straight, the kidney stones did what kidney stones do and they all started dropping. Hence why I have a nephrostomy right this moment. Another little bit of unfortunate news is that getting in my sling with the tube in my back is not that easy. It gets caught in the mesh of my sling. I’m not able to sit up for a little bit but we are continuing the pillows under the knees around the hips and pulling the legs together and I know once I have surgery, I will be back up and getting back in my chair. That was a horrible sentence but right now I really don’t care. 😜 I have never claimed that I’m a writer.

As I said, this time it’s kind of hit me hard and I’m not feeling my best but I need to get back into doing what I do. I am still fighting with Independence Blue Cross. But one thing I realized is that I gave the people I spoke with way too much credit. Basically, I thought, when I was called by Jason, that he was somebody important that could do something. He’s not he’s just a person that has a notebook that he reads off to disgruntled members that they find online. He’s basically their online boy. That does make it easier realizing that I’m just dealing with basic hourly employees and I can’t expect too much out of them. Tomorrow I have to do some adulting and really start making some calls because everything that’s done to me they deny, still. It ends up in my favor because I have no choice as to doctors that are used or ambulances that are called when I go to the hospital and there’s a law that they have to pay in-network when that happens. It just sucks that I have to jump through the hoops every time. But like I always say, they don’t know who they’re dealing with. 😏

I’m sorry about this is all over the place I’m just in kind of a strange space right now. I hope everyone out there is doing well and I’m going to try my best to get back here and do what I need to do. 🖤

Anger · chronic illness · healthcare · HELL · Medical · mental health · Multiple Sclerosis · PAIN · Primary Progressive MS · Ramblings

Long time no see…

Tracy4 Comments

Life has been crazy. I wish I could say it was the kind of fun crazy, but sadly no. I’m still dealing with Independence Blue Cross regarding my hip surgery and the subsequent hip draining surgery. Now my husband is also dealing with Independence Blue Cross and their horrible service.

Independence Blue Cross actually approved some procedures for my husband and now they’re saying that we are responsible because the anesthesiologist was out of network. Excuse me Independence Blue Cross but are there monkeys working for your company? Although monkeys would probably be more intelligent. You approved it and if there was a problem with out of network doctors you should’ve said that. When you’re having procedures/surgeries you have no choice as to what doctors/Specialty doctors are used. So in essence Independence Blue Cross should pay for this. It has happened to me more than once and they went ahead and paid for it after my first appeal.

The amount of mental anguish and anxiety that Independence Blue Cross has caused us is unfathomable. Stress is not a friend of multiple sclerosis and I can feel myself getting worse. This past week I received yet another bill from the hip doctor stating I need to pay $4300. From what I’m finding out it’s because of the Precertification that the hospital is supposed to get before the surgeries. I was told by Accolade that this had been taken care of but obviously it has not. I was taken to the hospital via ambulance and they immediately admitted me due to the infection that was brewing in my leg. This was an emergency… An emergency… An emergency! How dare they say you should’ve gotten a precertification. I guess the doctors in the hospital should’ve just waited and see what happens. Hell Who cares if the infection takes over and you lose your leg, you’ve got two right! 🤦🏻‍♀️ BTW, Accolade is the go-between so Independence Blue Cross doesn’t have to talk to its members. My morning has been writing appeals through tears. The tears are not from sadness the tears are due to unmeasurable anger.

I believe what angers me the most is not the fact that Independence Blue Cross always tries to make me jump through hoops… It’s that now they’re doing this to my husband who has never had a problem before getting the neck and back injections that he so badly needs. What angers me as well is the fact that Comcast/NBC Universal does not make sure their employees have better healthcare! My husband has worked for that company for 23 years and this is the treatment he gets. Independence Blue Cross is based back east so most things become out-of-network. You also have to get up at the butt crack of dawn to be able to get a hold of anybody because we are three hours behind. It is absolutely disgusting that Comcast/NBC does not have insurance in our time zone to better help us get in touch with people. I guess we better hope that nothing bad happens to us at 2 PM or after because they are gone and out of the office at that time. I really believed when a certain person called me from Independence Blue Cross that I was going to finally get the help that I deserve since we pay good money to have their insurance. But, alas, nope! That person stopped taking my calls. A couple words come to mind… Spineless, unprofessional.

At some point something has gotta give. What I do know is if you have other options in getting your healthcare and Independence Blue Cross is one of your options, do not choose them, run as fast as you can, because unless you’re healthy and you don’t actually need insurance, they are the worst company in the United States of America. Medically, professionally, customer service wise, employee wise, you name it they are the worst! They treat you with nothing but disrespect. So please if you have other options choose those because I guarantee you will have better luck with anyone other than Independence Blue Cross.

I know I always sign off with have courage and be kind, and I do have courage but I can no longer be kind to those despicable people. I’m now off to look at legal options because I’ve been told by many through my Facebook channels that I have some. So we will see where that goes.

As per my health and regarding my hip and the hip contractures that are getting much worse, that’s not going very well. Because Independence Blue Cross does not allow me proper physical therapy I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get out of this bed. That’s not to say I won’t keep fighting and keep trying, but it’s looking more grim as the days go on. So if there’s any wealthy philanthropist that wants to help a girl out, hit me up. I’m a good listener because that’s about all you’re going to get. 😜

Tata for now… Have courage always! 🖤

Anger · Health · healthcare · Medical

Southwest Air Discriminates

TracyLeave a comment

I am putting a couple pictures here of southwest policy for people with disabilities. If I wasn’t so angry right now, it would be a bit comical.

If approved! What this says to me is, you can apply but don’t expect to actually be allowed to fly. 🤔

I guess if I am one of the first people for this flight that purchases a ticket, I still may get booted off. Basically, we’re ready to go we have all the proper information with us… But wait the flight is now 50% full. We’re sorry but we are going to kick you off this plane until we have a plane that is less than 50% full. Excuse me, what?! My ticket was purchased, it’s not my problem that you decided to fill up your flight. We did everything you asked. Jumped through every hoop you wanted. That just isn’t good enough for Southwest Air. my friends complied with every one of their ridiculous rules. Bryan had both vaccinations, a negative Covid test, and two doctors notes. What more did they want, Cheri’s first born, or a sacrifice to the Gods?! 

My favorite thing is the fact that when passengers need to eat, their masks are allowed to come off. I guess while you eat Covid doesn’t leave you because it knows you’re eating food. Really Southwest air! If that is the case, you should have no food service on your airlines because you’re saying that federal law states you cannot be unmasked on their planes. Oh by the way, it isn’t a law. It has not gone through the courts to become a law. All this airline is doing is discriminating against a whole group of people with developmental disabilities. The best part, is you can only have one person on the flight that is exempt from wearing the mask. I guess if you have twins or more than one child with the disability, you have to take separate flights. I’m sorry, but whoever wrote this up and made these rules, is one incompetent buffoon! What Southwest did to my friends is against the law!

Now if he was physically two years old he could’ve flown. I guess two-year-olds and under do not carry Covid so it’s OK that they don’t wear a mask. I’m sorry but I’d be more concerned of a two-year-old whose parents are probably doing things when they’re at home to be carrying Covid, than my friend’s son who has done all of the precautions and does not have Covid, being on that flight. His life is basically quarantine even before all of this Covid. Trust me I’m one of the biggest proponents for wearing your mask and doing what you should do. But in this instance, what Southwest is doing, is wrong! Bryan would literally have been the safest person on that airline. Both vaccinations, negative Covid test, doctors notes. Someone needs to make this right! 



Anger · Multiple Sclerosis

Dear Anyone Who Wants to Bring Awareness to Discrimination against People with Disabilities

Tracy6 Comments

I tried to fly on Southwest Airlines today and had the MOST miserable experience. I have Multiple Sclerosis, as does my friend that I was traveling with (who drove 6 hours from Ohio last night to fly out today) and we were trying to go see our bedbound friend with MS in California. However, my friend who I was traveling with has a severely developmentally disabled son who is 22 years old but has the cognitive abilities of an 18-month-old; therefor he is physically unable to wear a mask. We even brought two doctor’s notes from Bryan’s physicians stating that he requires a medical exemption to the mask, a negative COVID test from with the past week, AND he has already had both COVID vaccinations.

We made it through checking our bags, multiple people at the security checkpoints, and 3 different customer service representatives during our 2+ hours at Midway airport and not until we were literally boarded on the plane (the entire plane actually ready to go) and THEN they conveniently asked if we had paperwork?!?!?!? After presenting them with ALL of our paperwork…they made us wait approximately 15 more minutes before the supervisor returned to advise us that we had to deplane. They forced 3 disabled people off a flight….someone needs to help us share our story so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else. I would appreciate any help you could offer in helping others like us. Thank you!