Stop your whining!

[Miss Philicia]

By the time the 31st of this month arrives I will have had SIXTEEN medical appointments during one month's time. 

[Rev. Moon]

Dayum, gurl.  Hopefully you have no co-payments (or at least very low ones).

[Jeff G]

By the time the 31st of this month arrives I will have had SIXTEEN medical appointments during one month's time. 

I thought your doctor cut you off from that many postate exams in one month .

[Miss Philicia]

In fairness seven of these appointments were for physical therapy. Fortunately I don't have any co-pays, and though it's true I don't work it's still a part-time job just keeping up with the travel and scheduling. However, I do pay ~$200/mo in insurance premiums, and there are odd-off expenses for eyeglasses, custom orthotics, and then those oddities like a $15.13 lab bill when I've never been charged for lab costs previously.

And this has just been the worst month. I've had a lot of appointments for the past six months.

June - 5
July - 5
August - 3
September - 4
October - 6, including sugery
November - 5
December - 5

But hey, I'm not complaining... REALLY! At least I have three times as many t-cells as you do.

[Rev. Moon]

Ya need a chauffeur.  Driving Miss P.

[Miss Philicia]

Ya need a chauffeur.  Driving Miss P.

I had some lovely taxi expenditures post-surgery... and I assure you Kathleen Sebelius didn't reimburse me!

ps: just four weeks to go until my septoplasty!

[aztecan]

I had some lovely taxi expenditures post-surgery... and I assure you Kathleen Sebelius didn't reimburse me!

ps: just four weeks to go until my septoplasty!

Oh lordy P, what are you having lifted now?

HUGS,

Mark

[Valmont]

How do you get so much doc appointment???  My doc only wants to see me once each 6 months....

[Miss Philicia]

How do you get so much doc appointment???  My doc only wants to see me once each 6 months....

Oh, this isn't about HIV, it's tons of other specialists. HIV is the least of my concerns... it's like child's play. I've moved up to the playground where only the Big Girls go.

Like I stated, about half of my appointments this month have been for physical therapy, post-surgery on my left foot. And with the actual surgery, that involved not just the actual hospital experience but then endless trips to the podiatrist/surgeon, pre-surgery testing, neurological examination, etc. Then on top of that medical experience I was suddenly diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, so that then necessitates seeing a pulmonary specialist and an otolaryngology specialist. Oh, and the deviated septum which is involved with the sleep apnea causes me to sleep with my mouth open, which then makes my mouth dry, which then causes more cavities to appear, which then means more visits to the dentist -- I think I have maybe four visits planned in the coming months to repair old fillings. Add on one trip to the eye doctor for glasses, and another trip for a man named Dr. Butcher to stick camera objects up my anal sphincter and there we have a multitude of doctor visits.

That said, about visits to your HIV specialists, if you need to go more then you go -- you doctor doesn't think you need to be there a lot. 6 months has become standard for patients who are on stable treatment. Of course, if something should pop up in between those 6 months then you ring him up and ask him to fit you in. For example, I went years... like a decade, where my viral load would not come down, so I had the distinct pleasure of going to my HIV doctor every fucking single month.

So anyway, that's what is going on with me. If I was trying to hold down a job and do all of this I don't think it would be possible. Oh right, and I live by myself so there's no one to pick up after me, do my laundry, cook for me, or give me a blow job. This is why I'm an extremely bitter, dried up, kunt.

ps: today I have physical therapy at noon, then the pulmonary specialist at 2:45 PM... which mean I'll have an hour or more to kill downtown. I need to figure out something new to do, new to eat. Then I was going to possibly go to a movie after the last doctor, as I can still make the cheaper cost matinee at 4:50 PM just a few blocks away. But I'll probably end up being too tired. I'm tired all of the time from sleep apnea crap. To go to the cinema I need a double shot of espresso, maybe two.

[mikeyb39]

Miss p  may i ask what happened to your feet?  maybe my feet peoblems or something i need looked at by poditrist

[Miss Philicia]

Miss p  may i ask what happened to your feet?  maybe my feet peoblems or something i need looked at by poditrist

Well, for the longest time (like going back over a decade) I thought it was related to my having lipoatrophy issues and peripheral neuropathy, as I was on all of those nasty meds in the 90's that aren't used any longer. But in the past two years the pain increased so much that I went to a podiatrist, and xrays showed that I had exceptionally high arches, which are a genetic type thing so I've always had them. It's just that over time this put a lot of pressure on the metatarsal bones, which then caused all of the toe tendons to stick up, which then caused hammertoes in a few places, and the tendon stress went all the way up my legs. All of the bad stuff I just described basically mushroomed in the past year and a half. Before that my foot pain was confined to just not being able to walk barefoot, and my shoes started to get tighter.

The bottom line is that I should not have chalked it up to what I did, nor should any of my HIV doctors -- and I don't just mean my current one as he's the one who sent me to the podiatrist. All of the previous ones, and there were several, seemed to agree it was that I had a lack of fat on my soles due to lipo, because my entire body is like that. Ideally I would have gone to a podiatrist at least five years ago, if not before then.

But then a really high arch isn't that common -- this probably explains it better, though my podiatrist has never come out and said "omg you have Charcot Marie Tooth disease!":

http://www.drmyerson.com/conditions/higharch/charcot_marie_tooth.html

[Valmont]

So bad....  I hope you´ll be better very soon...

Mmmmmmm, you should think in staring studying medecine, you´re already in professional practice !!! 


About my HIV specialist, well, sure, if I need him; I won´t wait...  He receives regualrly mails from me and always anwers very well...

[mecch]

By the time the 31st of this month arrives I will have had SIXTEEN medical appointments during one month's time. 

Dayum.
Well kinda chic in a Liz Taylor kinda way.  But tiresome I'm sure.
Well at least it shows you are a trooper and do what's necessary to keep the health up.  I still can't get over your incredible immune stats!

[eric48]

SIXTEEN medical appointments ...

Dating your doc ? are you...

Cheer up  Eric

[Growler]

Dating your doc ? are you...

I
Unfortunately there's no video for this Olivia Neutron Bomb classic (cough, splutter, cough) but the lyrics are SO applicable under the circumstances.......

"Overnight Observation"

Looks like I'm the only one here
Even the nurse is gone
But I guess I should wait cause when she left, she said

The doctor won't be long
So make yourself at home
His office is down the hall

Why do I feel uneasy?
I know he must be good
Got credentials all over the wall

I hear a voice behind me say
What seems to be the trouble, my dear?
Won't you be kind enough to step over here

It might be fever
It might be flu
To isolate it, I'll have to hold you
Overnight (observation)
Overnight (observation)
In my opinion
All we can do to isolate it
I'll hold you overnight (observation)
Overnight (observation)

Please don't think me ungrateful
But holding me overnight
Seems a little extreme
Do you always serve martinis
And turn the lights down low
Doctor, do your colleagues know?.........

[Miss Philicia]

Dayum.
Well kinda chic in a Liz Taylor kinda way.  But tiresome I'm sure.
Well at least it shows you are a trooper and do what's necessary to keep the health up.  I still can't get over your incredible immune stats!

Well, indeed it is chic but only because my physical therapy sessions are at The Sporting Club at the Bellevue. For those not "in the know" this is located at the very legendary Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, though now operated by Hyatt which for some reason deleted the word Stratford. It's the most expensive gym in the city I think, and there's even this old man there that will shine your shoes but I think that service requires the VIP membership. So anyway, I feel like I have to get a little more dressed up every day I go. I mean you never know if you'll hook up with a personal trainer over drinks at XIX later amirite? Anyway, it's kind of fierce to be a Disability AIDS Queen™ and turning out in the seat of old money charm and class. Is that more Liz or more Liza? Especially considering during my therapy session last Thursday I was majorly high on klonopin. Anyway, I'd rather be Nan Kempner or C.Z. Guest.

That said, I'd gladly swallow my pride and donate fully half of my t-cells to Bivens if I didn't have to endure all of this non-HIV medical bullshit.

[Buckmark]

Is that more Liz or more Liza? Especially considering during my therapy session last Thursday I was majorly high on klonopin.

Definitely more Liz.  So much more elevated than Liza (if you'll pardon the pun).

Did anyone in your therapy group call you out?

[Miss Philicia]

Definitely more Liz.  So much more elevated than Liza (if you'll pardon the pun).

Did anyone in your therapy group call you out?

For the klonnie? No, I'm generally fairly functional when I'm on it even at really large doses.

Well, today it's off to the dentist and get to run around the campus at U-Penn and look at Ivy League frat boys.

Also, for bonus points I will be having my septoplasty surgery at the historic Pennsylvania Hospital, founded in 1751... oldest in the US. I was there yesterday to see my pulmonary specialist, and he seemed like he was on klonopin himself. Also seems like a closet case.



ps: I also have diaper rash today after having diarrhea for the past 12 hours

[leatherman]

donate fully half of my t-cells to Bivens

thanks, but no thanks, David.

I'm doing quite fine all by myself. With still just barely over 300 tcells after all these years, I'm now seeing the doc once every six months and have no other health issues to deal with - except that pesky "aging" thing  (surprisingly, I'll be seeing 50 in another month or so!). I sure wouldn't want to risk being contaminated by anything of yours if you're having so many problems that you have to have all these doctor appointments. Please keep whatever you have to yourself. Thanks 

[Rev. Moon]

thanks, but no thanks, David.

I'm doing quite fine all by myself. With still just barely over 300 tcells after all these years, I'm now seeing the doc once every six months and have no other health issues to deal with - except that pesky "aging" thing  (surprisingly, I'll be seeing 50 in another month or so!). I sure wouldn't want to risk being   contaminated by anything of yours if you're having so many problems that you have to have all these doctor appointments. Please keep whatever you have to yourself. Thanks 

Ah, gratitude.  Such a lovely quality. 

Now, as far as not risking "being contaminated" by any of La Philicia's "many problems"... Since when are sleep apnea and issues with one's footsies contagious?  Interesting.  She must have gotten them from one of those illegal Dominicans that she harbors in exchange for sexual favors. 

Or perhaps it is something that happens frequently in the world of science fiction. 

[leatherman]

Or perhaps it is something that happens frequently in the world of science fiction.

LOL 
genetics might be responsible for the foot and breathing issues, so I'd rather not have any of her blood, tcells or anything else. just in case. 

[tednlou2]

All the best with the feet and sleep apnea.  Got to keep those feet looking good for all the guys with the foot fetish.  Oh, and the ability to walk without pain, too, I guess.  That pic just looked painful.  I am sure it's much, much worse than it looks. 

[eric48]

[img width=600 height=450].... I'd gladly swallow my pride and donate fully half of my t-cells to Bivens if I didn't have to endure all of this non-HIV medical bullshit...

have you considered the possibility that all these non-HIV medical issue might actually be the cause for such elevated CD4 counts ?

If you look down to the earth from mars and see a country with a high number of military you might think
A- such a peacefull country
B- or... they are at war

Eric

[Miss Philicia]

have you considered the possibility that all these non-HIV medical issue might actually be the cause for such elevated CD4 counts ?

Have you ever considered the possibility that you have no clue what you're talking about?

[Rev. Moon]

have you considered the possibility that all these non-HIV medical issue might actually be the cause for such elevated CD4 counts ?

If you look down to the earth from mars and see a country with a high number of military you might think
A- such a peacefull country
B- or... they are at war

Eric

LOL!!!  I bet this was intended to be funny   

If not then it sounds like another sample of cheesy science fiction.  Ya know, looking at Earth from Mars and whatnot. 

[Miss Philicia]

So now I'm back from the dentist, and I still have all this other dental work that needs to be done. They can't fit me in before my 2/22 septoplasty because they're moving the entire office and it won't open until 2/17. I guess I should call my ENT surgeon who I think wears a wig and ask how long I should go after that and having dental work done. Of course the dentist had no clue, I think she even thought that a septoplasty was brain surgery.

I guess I'll have to go without using poppers and snorting cocaine from the foreskin of cheap trade (yes! I've done this!) for several months, dontchathink?

[buginme2]

I guess I'll have to go without snorting cocaine from the foreskin of cheap trade

Intriguing!  I'm going to add that to my bucket list.

[Miss Philicia]

Intriguing!  I'm going to add that to my bucket list.

Junior League darling... I was doing it twenty years ago in Puerto Rico. Legendary Behavior.

[mecch]

Anyway, I'd rather be Nan Kempner or...

Good idea.