Thank heavens you did the right thing and took him to emerg!!! And how thankful that he had a successful surgery.

We are lucky that surgeries and most meds are covered, and we don't see the bill.

Anything done in the hospital was covered, but none of hubby's cancer drugs were covered because he wasn't 65. If he were they would have been. When the nurses told us that his oral chemo was $3800/month and his monthly bone injections were $1600/mth, I said there was no way we could afford that. She went to the province to see if they would waive the costs on compassion purposes. Thankfully they did.

His hormone therapy injections were $900/month and his urologist went to the 2 pharmaceutical companies to see if either would cut a break. One company said a flat our No, and the other did.

I have the receipts for these drugs, just to keep as a shock factor.

A friend of ours is going thru prostate cancer now, and his credit cards are maxed getting the meds that he needs. He's in his 50's.

Ann, that was quick thinking on your part to take him to the ER rather than going home! Good to hear everything fell into place in a timely fashion.

Will you be able to manage his recovery or will you need assistance?

Who's Shannon? Is that someone here?

Stressful indeed! I'm glad Moe is recovering well.

Oh my, Ann! I hope you all recover soon and that things start looking up for you both. WIshing Moe a speedy recovery!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Glad to hear Moe is on the mend.

Glad you overrode Moe’s typically male “I’ll be fine” attitude and took him to the emergency room instead. The outcome could have been dreadful.

Poor Moe with his staples! My MIL was visiting just yesterday and telling me of a relative on FIL’s side of the family who we are in touch with, who had an incision from hip to knee and couldn’t sit down for more than five minutes for two months. I hope Moe is not similarly afflicted.

Best wishes to Moe for a speedy and as pain free as possible recovery.

I'm SO sorry this happened to Moe, and to YOU, too! Glad he's recovering quickly.

What kind of insurance do you people have? Before Medicare, I had a BlueCross/BlueShield policy through my husband's employer in Maine. Yes, there was a deductible but it was not huge. And it covered a lot!

After Medicare, with TriCareforLife as my Supplement, I rarely ever pay anything for anything. And yes, it has included ambulance ride.

The OP is lucky that there was an ER open in her area. I have friends with a summer home in Chester Nova Scotia, and the ER in their area is only open M-F, 8:30 -5:30 PM. At this time, there is no physician in the area, leaving 4000 patients without a doctor.

I have another friend whose daughter is married to a Canadian Army Officer (career officer). Family is not covered by their insurance, and they are moved by the military so often, that the wife and children have never gotten off the "wait list" for a physician anywhere they've lived.

Be careful what you wish for...

Anglophilia, I have no idea where you are getting your information from, but it is wrong. All Canadians are covered by a universal health care. Including that military family you referred to. Each province funds it somewhat differently. In BC, we pay $75 a month which covers both Moe and I. And in 2020 the Province is doing away with premiums.

Obviously if you live in a rural area you are not going to have the same access to services that you find in larger cities. I spoke with the wife of a patient in the hospital as her husband was being discharged yesterday. They live at the far end of Vancouver Island in a small community. A 6 or 7 hour drive non stop. They wouldn't have a Vascular surgeon in this community. They had to come to Victoria for surgery. But again the cost of his treatment and hospital stay was covered. And they would be paying the same $75 a month premium that Moe and I pay. No deductible and no co-pay. AND, they also put a cot in his room so his wife could stay with him, rather than having to pay for a hotel.

Rather than your "be careful what you wish for" , you should be wishing for equal health care for all of your citizens.

As if rural health care is easy to find in the USA. :) I don't know about Canada, but many countries with national health insurance also have private insurance available to cover the portion that lies between basic care and catastrophic, and have private providers who take cash. I know so many people who go without because they can't afford basic medical care, and others who work constantly to pay off insurmountable debts from fairly ordinary hospitalizations. Nationalized health care isn't always the very best on offer, but it does provide the care it can to all citizens equally, and often to visitors and other non-citizens as well. Therefore, humane.

It's great that Ann could focus on getting Moe the help he needed rather than on how they were going to pay for it!

AnnT, I'm so glad Moe is on the mend and that he's well taken care of. I hope you can both be back home soon, that would certainly be a frightening turn of events. I'm also glad you took him to emergency, who knows what would have happened if he had just gone home.

I live in Northern Michigan. My doctor just got transferred to a bigger community by the big company that runs all the health care here. I can't say enough bad things about them. None of us are patients, we're all just dollar signs, that's how business is. There are no doctors in my local office, just one Physician's Assistant. When I tried to make an appointment with a new doctor within the same company but in a different city, I got one, but it was a five month wait. They charge $165 for 15 minutes and if you ask an extra question and it takes 17 minutes, you get billed another $165 for another 15 minutes. My co-pay is $50 and the insurance will not pay for the second 15 minutes at all, so better talk fast.

My daughter had very serious surgery in Seattle in July. The insurance company said the doctor and the facility were "participating providers" and so she was covered. So far her bills have totalled nearly $200,000.00. She just got a bill for $17,000.00 that the insurance won't cover and no, they don't take payments or have a payment plan, they'd like cash now, please, or they'll sue. We've had community fundraisers and her Dad and I have both paid as much as we could so they don't have to get a home equity loan on their house to pay the medical bills.

The same big corporation that runs my health care recently refused to do a heart transplant until the recipient came up with $10,000 in cash to prove she could afford to buy the anti-rejection medication. They suggested she start "fund raising". Now, she's so sick she needs a heart transplant, but she'd better try to raise $10,000 pretty quickly or die? Yeah. Fortunately the community stepped up, as it tends to do, but what if they didn't? Then she would have died without a transplant, because she didn't have cash. And she even had insurance, but the meds are expensive and the insurance only pays a portion. She went to the media and an absolutely detested company is now trying to explain why money is more important than health care. Not that they care, they are the only "game in town", having bought up every small hospital within hundreds of miles and turned them all into "diagnostic centers". So, what are you going to do when there is no place else to go?

Health care in America is a mess and that's what happens when the drug companies buy the politicians and the insurance companies run health care.

Annie

Glad to hear your husbands on the mend AnnT and thank goodness you went straight to the emergency.

Hugs to you and prayers for Moe....and for you too!! Sending you some virtual chicken soup and a loaf of home made bread....not as good as yours....but better than the store!
Get well Moe!

Oh Ann, I’m so sorry you and Moe have been going through this sudden, lengthy, and frightening medical ordeal. As others have said, thank goodness you had the sound mind to take Moe to the ER. I hope your husband has a fast and uneventful recovery, and that you both can go home soon. I imagine you are exhausted. You both are in my thoughts.

Ann T - Sending best wishes from Maine. I am glad you got him to the Drs so quickly and that you can focus on caring for him and not negotiating the ins and outs of insurance.

So glad you trusted whatever it was that said it was time for the ER and that you had wonderful care and Moe is now on the mend. I've never heard of something like this, so thanks for sharing. You may have helped someone down the road too.

I'm glad you're Moe is on the mend! And it being the cooking board, I always have meals frozen in my FS bags for just these type of situations! I always make twice what I need and freeze some....maybe just for a night off from cooking, but have helped out quite a few people who were sick, had family troubles etc.!

Making a big pot of soup tomorrow!

Ann T. So glad to hear Moe is recovering and that you had the foresight to head to the ER, instead of home. After all the stress, I hope you can find a minute to put your feet up and take a deep breath.

Sounds like your medical system took good care of Moe, both medically and financially. I hope the day will come when we in the U.S. can do the same for all of our people.

Well, here it is Friday evening, I'm still hoping that Moe will be home tomorrow or Sunday, and Ann will be happily cooking for him. No matter how good the care, or even how good the food, it won't be like Ann's, I'm sure. I'm sending all the good thoughts I can muster, hoping to hear that Moe is home and recovering. I'll just keep checking....

Annie

Ann, as we've been in touch, I didn't think I needed to add my good wishes here too. That said, Annie's story about Ashley's surgery has my hackles up and so I'm popping on this thread to respond. First, let me say that I hope that Moe will be released home to your healing hands and that his recovery is speedy, relatively pain free and complete. He's a lucky guy to have a quick thinking wife and fantastic, fully covered medical care.

Annie, I'd be seeing RED if I didn't have a doctor available to see me for 5 months! I know that we've spoken before about the terrible state of healthcare in northern Michigan. A monopoly like that should never be allowed, but with the current administration and the power of lobbyists, it's doubtful anything could get done to create change.

As for Ashley, has she tried working with a private patient advocate? One who can negotiate medical bills? I think this would be an instance where one could be useful. I've not had personal experience, but the L.A. Times has run articles about their ability to negotiate in ways that the average person was unable to do.

Same healthcare monopoly is developing in SWMBO's home town of Yakima WA, which is a rural and agricultural area. There is access to doctors and hospitals - all owned by the same company - but the quality of care is poor. Everyone who has money goes to Seattle for major procedures.

Hi Ann - Just seeing this, so sorry to hear Moe’s going through this. Hope he’s coming home this weekend, and that he heals up quickly.

Thanks, Ellen, I'll tell Ashley to try to get an advocate in Seattle, it can't hurt. Fortunately, that last fundraiser netted nearly enough to pay the current bill.

If it is an emergency, they'll "try to get you in", but you are probably going to see their Physician's Assistant. The practice that I've gone to for over 30 years is now owned by Spectrum Health and doesn't even have a doctor, only nurses and PAs. Most doctors employed by Spectrum are part time, so they are only in the office 2 or three days per week, and they are usually young and foreign, because they will work for the pittance that Spectrum cares to pay them, and they get no benefits that way. When I broke my elbow several years ago, my insurance company would not pay for the Emergency Room visit, insisting that it wasn't an emergency. So, the ER is out, and everyone is directed to the local "Urgent Care". Things like strep throat, the flu, immunizations? All patients are directed to the local pharmacy, where a pharmacist will administer injections, do your swab for strep or test for influenza. No doctors involved at all.

Now, I don't have a problem with a pharmacist swabbing for strep or giving me my flu shot, but if I have a medical condition or problem, I want to see a doctor and I don't want to wait 5 months. Plus, the pharmacists can't prescribe things like my blood pressure meds, although they apparently CAN prescribe antibiotics, because they just give them to you right at the pharmacy counter if your tests are positive. The option is to get a doctor in Grand Rapids, which is an hour's drive, and I lobbied for that but Elery wanted a doctor that was closer.

My 83 year old mother doesn't even have a doctor and stopped taking her blood pressure meds and cholesterol medications, and no longer gets her injections for osteoporosis. Whenever she needed an appointment she was directed to the Physician's Assistant, a young man from India. With her increasing hearing problems, she couldn't understand a word he said, so now she won't go. I told her I'd take her, but she says she doesn't need a doctor anyway. She also doesn't need hearing aids, everyone just needs to talk louder. Yeah...

Oh, and one of the families who are intimately involved with Spectrum in Grand Rapids, as in Chairman of the Board? Oddly enough (or not), the DeVos family. Yes, that DeVos, as in Betsy. The DeVos family was the driving force behind the hospital merger that created Spectrum Health, the corporation who coincidentally also owns the insurance company, Priority Health. As a result of that political control, our health care is abysmal, and only driven by who can pay and what is cheapest for the hospitals and insurance company.

Annie

Thank you all for your prayers and your thoughts.

I brought Moe home today, armed with a whole slew of new prescriptions.

They sent him home with a walker and he is suppose to go for a short walk three times a day. But basically he is suppose to just take it easy, relax and heal.

Monday I will make an appointment with his surgeon for two weeks from now, to have the staples removed. At that time, he will give Moe more detailed instructions on what he can and can't do from now on. We already have been told that he will have to give up running.

He didn't have much of an appetite but I expect that will return now that he is home. He requested soup for dinner so I have a pot of soup on simmering. I'm so relieved that he is home, I plan to spoil him.

Ann, that's wonderful news, I'm happy he's home and I'm sure that your cooking will help his appetite.

I'm assuming that there will now be some kind of rehab or physical therapy, after he's healed enough to do that, and it's encouraging that he's getting around with a walker already.

I'll keep Moe in my prayers for a fast and complete recovery.

Annie

How terrible! Stressful is quite an understatement.

Good thing that he got good medicine in good time.

Wonderful he is home.

There is a saying that good food is the best medicine? He should be back to normal soon.

dcarch

Ann, I'm so glad to hear that Moe is on the mend, and thanks to your fast thinking, and the wonderful medical care he received at Royal Jubilee, too! Best wishes for a continued, steady but speedy, recovery! He's so lucky to have you in his corner!

Wonderful, wonderful news Ann! I've no doubt, nor does anyone else here, that you will indeed spoil Moe : ) I'm so happy to hear you are both home and Moe is on the mend!!!

Ann, I am just seeing this now. How frightening it must have been . Thank goodness you took him directly to emerg.

Glad to hear he is on the mend and suspect with your cooking his appetite will soon return

Wishing Moe a speedy and complete recovery. I think he's in the best hands ever.

Annie, what you wrote is shocking. Here in Israel it's much like in Canada. When I first heard about health care in the US - and it was many many years ago - I just couldn't believe such a great country could have such an abysmal scandalous healthcare system.

ann_t -' How scary for you and for Moe. I'm so glad you took him to emergency and that he is on the mend. I've never heard of this type of aneurysm, giving up running will be a tough one.

My best to you both. PS I didn't realize you were on the island. What a beautiful spot you live in.

Ann, so glad Moe is home and doing well. I envy the rest of the world their health care systems that cover all and drive no one to bankruptcy. Most US bankruptcies are because of medical bills, and most of those are people who had "full" insurance and had been paying for insurance for years. Perhaps some day Americans will have a great health care system too. Then there's the cost of pharmaceuticals in the US--Oh Boy!

How's he doing? Is he resting, like advised? Your fantastic cooking will have him feeling so much better. Best of luck with the follow-up app't.

Thanks again for all the well wishes.

Blfenton, It was scary and you aren't the only one that had never heard of this type of aneurysm or even the Popliteal artery for that matter. The worst part is that he has an aneurysm in the same place on his right leg that will need the same surgery when this one is healed.

We are going back into Victoria on Tuesday to see the surgeon. He will be removing all the staples then.

Laceyvail, I have trouble understanding why the US hasn't figure this out by now. It would probably cost substantially less to everyone if your health care was covered by tax dollars rather that out of pocket to insurance companies. And everyone regardless of income would have the same health care.

Jasdip, thanks for asking. He is resting, but he doesn't have much choice. He is being a good boy and using his walker and goes for a couple of short walks a day. Accompanied either by me or by Matthew when I'm at work.

He is eating, but substantially less. Just not overly hungry. He has lost 10 pounds in the last 3 weeks. Which is good. The surgeon believes one of the best things he can do for this problem is to be "skinny". His words.

I hope to find out from the surgeon on Tuesday if there is a diet that we should be following. Although when I asked him about diet in the hospital, his immediate response was, "it isn't diet". (Did I mention the surgeon has no bedside manner?).

I hope your appointment on Tuesday can answer all of your questions for you both. Let us know how it goes. And I know you'll push for answers.

AnnT, I'm glad to hear that Moe is doing well, although his appetite has not recovered entirely. Like blfenton, I hope you get answers on Tuesday, although with Moe having the other leg compromised that's got to be worrisome.

As far as the bedside manner, I guess I'd take an abrupt surgeon that does a great job over a nice smiling one that isn't as good at what he does. Too bad more people don't possess both of those qualities.

Politicians have health care all figured out. The drug companies give money to the politicians. The big corporations that run the hospitals give money to the politicians. The insurance companies give money to the politicians. The politicians then do whatever is good for the people who are giving them money. So although a change would be better for the consumers, the politicians/pharmaceutical companies/insurance companies/corporations wouldn't make nearly as much, and so they fight it, tooth and nail. We really don't matter to any of them at all.

Annie

If Moe has to give up running, ask if he can cycle? More fun anyway (cool stuff to buy!) and saves your knees and hips (joint replacements are no fun, I'm told).

Just look up "MAMIL" . . .

Swimming?

So glad he's mending! Love it :)

Oh, and I meant to ask you how they found the second one. Did they check while dealing with the first one, is it just usual to have both legs be affected? Or is poor Moe just one of those "lucky" people that managed to have both?

Annie

Annie, We assume it was when they did the emergency Cat Scan at the Duncan Hospital. But we didn't find out until the surgeon told him that he was going to do the left leg first. I immediately jumped on the word "first" and asked what do you mean first. Not what we wanted to hear.

Moe said that apparently if you are a man, and you have it in one leg you have a 50% change of having it in both legs.

Hopefully we will be smarter after his appointment tomorrow.

So glad that you are getting taken care of. So sorry that Moe and you have to go to through this. Prayers being said. Hopefully you will have excellent news at your appointment tomorrow.

Well, I'm just glad they found it, so they must have been looking for that second one, thankfully. And they found it before it caused problems for Moe, so that's a good thing.

Good luck tomorrow, hopefully you will get a lot of questions answered, and get some good news about prognosis and recovery. Maybe the mentioned biking or swimming might be an option later, if the doc wants him "skinny" and running is out.

I'm also happy that Matt is there to help while you are at work, just having someone there "in case" is a good thing.

Annie

Wow

So glad Moe is on the mend, and you can breathe again.

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year

Ann T.. Glad that Moe is on the mend. Sending you some virtual scones to cheer you up ( your recipe of course! ). I just got back from visiting my mom who had a stroke 5 years ago and became wheelchair bound - not something I would wish on anyone.. Quick thinking on your part.

We went back to see the surgeon on Monday afternoon, to have the staples out. They fit Moe in at the end of the day.

Apparently it wasn't as bad an experience as I was imagining. Moe said that about 10 out of the 60 pinched or stung a bit, but other than that it wasn't bad. And it was a relief to have them out. They had started to pull as they healed and that was making him uncomfortable.

The doctor was happy with his progress. Apparently good blood flow and a strong pulse in his foot. Still going to be another 7 or 8 weeks for recovery.

I refuse to drive home through the Malahat Mountain in the dark and rain so we stayed the night in Victoria and came back early yesterday afternoon. It was the right decision as it was already a tiring day for Moe and he really didn't need another hour or more in the car.

Apparently good blood flow and a strong pulse in his foot.

The best possible news!

Wow! What an ordeal! So glad that so far it's all working out well and that he is on the mend. Sending you & Moe thoughts of strength and healing.

what great news. here's to being back puttering in the shop soon.

Great news Ann...did you manage some fish and chips while you were there !