Since the ward that Ed is on does not permit any visitors, we spoke on the phone. He was doing physio and sitting up in a chair at that time. He sounded good.
Ed has been dealt a triple whammy in the last little while. In December his back, which hasn't bothered him his entire life except during one flight to Europe, on xray has a couple of fractured vertebrae. That really started to limit him and I really should have started the bed purchase much earlier. We were busy helping him and then the PSWs and home nursing came in and the time evaporated. The OT assessment though two weeks ago showed the need for a hospital bed for him was paramount.
The second whammy was his eyes which were becoming cloudier and fuzzier as the year passed and at his annual eye exam we discovered that he had huge cataracts that need to be operated on.
Then of course the first whammy he is dealing with cirrhosis secondary to sarcoidosis of the liver and sarcoidosis of the lungs although for the most part the drugs that he is taking are providing a measure of control and a reasonable life style.
The cost of all this business has been quite reasonable considering he never really had a prescription for anything through the years. I myself have seldom had a prescription other than my eye glasses and my ventolin puffer which I use for mild asthma and perhaps purchase one per year and generally pay most of the cost because I do not have any other prescriptions. The drug that Ed uses for sarcoidosis is not totally covered so he pays a large amount for that one during the year and the others are covered by the Ontario Drug Plan for the most part (he in actual fact doesn't take a lot of drugs). We do buy vitamins and the best that we can find - great believers in vitamins for good health particularly when one is old and that is not covered at all; we pay more for that than we pay for prescription drugs.
But certainly one should always be reimbursed by our medical/dental plan for legitimate expenses which are covered by a prescription and an invoice. For instance the cost of renting a hospital bed (which Ed will need the rest of his life) is huge compared to the cost of purchasing one. The bed has a rental of $400/month which amounts to $4800 for the year whereas purchasing it is the same as paying ten months rent. I did submit the invoice and prescription and the doctor sent in a letter but they did not pay anything. A complaint has been submitted and we will see where that goes. Perhaps I should have waited for six months and then submitted but that doesn't seem entirely fair. When Ed comes home from the hospital and builds up his strength then we will sort that out but I am not going to tell him that they didn't pay yet because they count the number of months you survive before they will pay! Whatever do people do one wonders if they can not scrape together the money to pay their bills?
I will surely need that hospital bed myself if I outlive Edward and I would actually be saving them money since I will keep this one to the end of my days in my living room.
Did hear back from the Insurance Company and two more forms to fill in. Will see how that goes. I shall have to wait until Ed returns home as I need his signature and I can not go and see him in the hospital. Really one wonders how people manage; I shall find out I expect.
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