The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

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Windigo said:
It's not if you use it right. You get addicted if you abuse the substance and go over the presctibed dosage, at least thats the view of doctors here.
I know that in America chronic pain sufferers rarely get opioids anymore because chronic usage is labeled as addicition no matter what the reason is for chronic use.
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I had it when I came out of hospital years ago, I used it sparingly as I was warned.

Russ
 
TastyReuben said:
I love passing on my health insurance tribulations, especially for those who have some kind of national health service, just so you know what you're missing. The latest:

Last year, I went to CVS (national drug/chemist chain and my pharmacy) to get my shingles vaccine. This is a two-part shot, and not covered by insurance because I'm under 60yo. No worries.

While I was getting that, the pharmacist asked, "Do you want your pneumonia vaccine? It's covered by your insurance, so no cost."

"Let me check with my doctor first, I don't know when I had it last."

That was September. Checked with my doc's office in November, they couldn't find my pneumonia shot.

Back to the pharmacy for shingles part two, now December, and she asked me again whether I wanted my pneumonia shot, and that it was covered by insurance. I again declined until I had a chance to meet with my doctor in person and ask about.

I did that this week. She was able to track down my shot and said I was definitely due. Great!

Back to CVS. Waited a bit, finally got seen:

"I'm here for my pneumonia vaccine."

Tappity-tap-tap on the computer...

"This isn't covered by your insurance, so if you want it, it's $145."

"That's weird. Before, it was covered."

"Let me call it in, just wait a bit."

Tick...tock...tick...tock...

"No, they're telling me it's definitely not covered. Maybe call your insurance and see what's up?"

So home I went, on the phone with the insurance company:

"Hi. Does my plan cover a pneumonia vaccine? That seems pretty basic."

"Let me check..."

Tick...tock...tick...tock...

"Yes, it's covered, 100%, that's a basic service."

"Thanks. I went to CVS today, and they said it wasn't covered. They checked twice. Any ideas?"

"Yeah, most likely, they're reading as out-of-network. Let me get you a list of in-network providers near you, and that should work."

Now, I should point out that CVS is hardly out-of-network. They're either the first or second largest drug store in the US, and I get all my prescriptions there, have done for years, and they're associated with my employer for all my prescriptions, like a preferred vendor/supplier.

"Ok, Mr. Tasty, I'm showing the closest walk-in clinic to you is... 123 Main Street, Next-Town-Over, Ohio. Does that work for you?"

"Yep, that's about 20 minutes from me, that's fine. Thanks for the help!"

Got off the phone, plugged in the address, and...it's the freaking CVS the next town past mine! It's going to be the same issue when I go there. 😒
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I was surprised how efficient the system is here. I get my meds once a month. I email the doc she then inputs it into the computer. I then go into any chemist near where we are shopping and collect them. I get both flu and pneumonia vaccine free because of my age.All our medical bills are sent direct to the NHS in the UK for payment.
 
medtran49 said:
I broke a rib in my 29th year. Cracked it at first and then felt and heard the snap when the full break happened a few hours later when I sat down on the toilet of all things. The pain lasted a LOT longer than a few days. It was weeks before I was comfortable doing most things and months before I stopped having sharp twinges if I moved the wrong way or tried to lift something heavy or stretched to reach something, etc. You don't realize how much you use your torso to move about until you break a rib. We had a waterbed at the time. Craig had to help me into and out of bed, especially out.
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Broken ribs are one of the more painful broken bones in the long run. It is made worse if you are someone, like me, who rolls over many times during the night. Sleeping with broken ribs really sucks.

CD
 
Burt Blank said:
I was surprised how efficient the system is here. I get my meds once a month. I email the doc she then inputs it into the computer. I then go into any chemist near where we are shopping and collect them. I get both flu and pneumonia vaccine free because of my age.All our medical bills are sent direct to the NHS in the UK for payment.
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Same system here. We're blessed to have it
 
I've found a new ice cream shop on instagram that looks really good, and they do home delivery. But on their home delivery platform, the names of all the ice cream flavors are written in Italian with no translation. I had to google everything and one of the flavors seems to be something custom made and exclusive to this brand because I cannot find a translation online. This is too much hassle just to buy ice cream. The ice cream does look very good and I'm a hardcore ice cream lover which is why I'm making the effort but I can imagine a lot of people visit the online store, realize they don't understand the names of the flavors and turn away.

Actually I've seen other ice cream brands doing the same in Portugal, they claim to be using Italian recipes or they want to look Italian so they have all ice cream names in Italian without any translation, as if everyone in Portugal understands Italian (we don't). Back in the day when we would go into ice cream shops to eat this would be easily fixed by simply asking staff to translate the names for us, in the era of online shopping I can imagine potential customers turning away when they realize they can't understand what flavors they will get.
 
LissaC said:
I want to ask a question to all our UK members here. Did Boris Johnson ever comb his hair?
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medtran49 said:
I broke a rib in my 29th year. Cracked it at first and then felt and heard the snap when the full break happened a few hours later when I sat down on the toilet of all things. The pain lasted a LOT longer than a few days. It was weeks before I was comfortable doing most things and months before I stopped having sharp twinges if I moved the wrong way or tried to lift something heavy or stretched to reach something, etc. You don't realize how much you use your torso to move about until you break a rib. We had a waterbed at the time. Craig had to help me into and out of bed, especially out.
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I've cracked my ribs so many times I lost count. In fact I cracked one a few days ago by simply twisting awkwardly when placing something on the table. They take about 6 weeks or more to heal. Currently it keeps going into painful spasms (or rather the muscles around it do). Its horrible at night when I move in bed. In my experience its about 10 days before it stops hurting badly.
 
Thank you Bank of England, your fiscal governance has been spot on as usual. I have resisted changing my monthly £ to HRK since January. I the pound carries on growing at this rate it will be worth 10% more at the end of this month against the HRK. The Pound-to-Euro exchange rate jumped to new eight-month highs at 1.1425 following the decision, the Pound-to-Dollar exchange rate recovered back to 1.3676, having been under pressure owing to the broadly stronger Dollar.
 
My experience of broken ribs is that they take a long time to stop hurting. But I did break 10 ribs in a total of 11 places (confirmed with bone scans, there were more suspected but) . The floating fracture was in the lowest left rib and that has been re-broken a number of times since. It is not hurting any less each time.
It wasn't too bad if you kept still, but getting in and out of bed was murder and I needed help for months. Hubby and I also ended up switching sides as well. Rolling was the worst. If I've hurt that lowest rib again on the left side, I very quickly know about it. .

I should have been hospitalised for that many but did my usual, I'll give it a few days to see if it stop hurting... a few days btw is around 10 or so. Sleep was virtually impossible until my morphine dose was increased considerably. Plus I was only very recently out of an icu stay and didn't want to go back quite so quickly...
 
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