Will do. I’m hoping that my worst fear won’t come true on this.
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It might be if you doc office has a policy to give samples. I would ask often. Also, sometimes people with extra new and unopened give it to the doc for others because they have extra, somebody died, somebody doesn’t need one particular type because it changed, or whatever. My doc has a special secret stash for select few who ask. So, don’t be shy.
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Dave44, I hope that all goes well with your surgery, and the outcome is the best one possible.
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thanks so much, and thanks to everyone else for the well wishes. Once I get back home (maybe next Saturday if just a one day stay) and get to my PC, I’ll update. I don’t do too much posting using my phone.
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NatureOrbs,
I think you have no clue what kind of health issues you may be facing as you age. A friend had Medicare Advantage (a ripoff) and not Part B. Because of that, when she got cancer she could not go to an out of state cancer center of choice. Only one out of state accepted her but it was not a pleasant trip there and back and ultimately not successful.
Part B is more widely accepted in other states if you need a special center not in your state. And it could be other things besides cancer, of course.
You are being shortsighted but do your own thing. Maybe you will be healthy during your full aging process. I hope so.
If you have not already done so, I suggest you contact the local agency in your area that offers free and detailed information on Medicare and other programs available. The agency varies by sstate and location. Go to https://www.medicare.gov/Contacts/, enter your state and select SHIP - State Health Insurance, and follow the remaining instructions for to find your local agency. Or, if you indicate your city/state, I will find it for you. I volunteer at my local non-profit that offers information.
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I will echo what Gretchen said. One year ago at age 69, I started to run a high fever. Turned out to be deep vein thrombosis that had thrown a dozen or so clots to my lungs. By the end of 2018, Medicare had paid about $40,000 to get me well. Great! No more problems.
As part of my treatment for DVT, they did an MRI of my torso. Oops - I had a thickening of a wall in my gallbladder. $25,000 to take it out. But…the lab said it was gallbladder cancer (almost 100% fatal within about a year). I was totally asymptomatic. But I needed a partial liver resection. $65,000. Followed by chemo, 12 sessions @ $4,000 each. Followed by 28 sessions of radiation treatments @ $2,000 each. So far in 2019, Medicare has paid around $100,000 for my medical care.
I have no complaints about the cost of Medicare, parts A, B, and D. I even have a plan G supplement. My out-of-pocket is about $2,500. I sure got my money’s worth.
You never know when something unexpected will happen.
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I’m back home after the surgery,. As I’d suspected I had a cancerous growth inside a diverticuli in my bladder. The doctor removed it. I’ll hear results from the pathology lab on Tuesday. He thinks it is one of the less dangerous types. We’ll see. I also need a TURP because I can barely pee much of the time. He said i need to wait a month, but he goes on vacation right around that time, so I’d prolly have to wait almost 2 months to get that surgery. I had to be sent home with a catheter. The residual limit to release me w/o one was 350ml. I had over 1100!
Thanks to all the well-wishers!
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- List item
Sounds like good news Dave. I have been concerned and thinking of you. I hope that you have the very slow growing kind like I do. Sounds like they caught it early. Wishing you all the best. I am going to look up TURP.
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I am happy to hear from you!
I am glad you are back home. I’m sorry to hear about it being cancer. But it sounds at least hopefully it is a slow growing one and that is at least good news.
Big hugs! And may you feel great soon!
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Glad to hear you’re home Dave.
We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you on your pathology report. 
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thanks, Jim. I’m still waiting for the report. My doc said at the time of surgery he expects the report on Tuesday, which is today. I’m on the west coast so it’s still early here.
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I wish you the best, Dave.
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Glad you had the surgery, and hope it was not invasive. PM me if you want to talk about bladder cancer, as I went through that 14 years ago. Meanwhile, one of my cousins had the TURP surgery, it was very successful, and he was glad he did it. Can you schedule yours before your doc leaves on vacation for immediately after he gets back? That’d probably save some time, and I can imagine that being on a catheter is no fun at all!
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Bluebird
One error in your comment. You cannot get an Advantage plan without having Part B. But you are right that it is important to get Part B. You never no what will happen in future
For Nature Orbs I strongly urge you to contact a SHIP counselor in you state. They do not sell you insurance. They are trained to help you understand what you need
When I volunteered with this program, I talked to people who thought as you did and regretted that decision
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Ruth, I think that a month from my recent surgery would put the doctor just about to leave on vacation. I’m waiting for a call from him at the moment. the staff told me an hour ago they got the results, but he was still with patients.
Yeah, having a catheter isn’t fun for two reasons primarily: 1) it makes me sore, and 2) the trauma of having one causes bleeding which when removed has resulted in clots that make it hard to urinate. Not to mention the irritation that causes swelling of an habitually swollen area. I always fear that when a catheter is removed, I won’t be able to pee. That’s exactly what happened the day after surgery. I could go a little bit, but had 1100 ml in my bladder after trying for over 4 hours to pee a minimum of 200 ml with no more than 350ml left over. Each time I went a bit, there would be a larger amount remaining. The doc had set a residual volume of 350ml for me to leave w/o a catheter.
oh, my dad bled profusely decades ago and they had him in for surgery in short order. it was cancer and he never had it again. (He got frequent cystoscopys to check for it)
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