It is with much joy, and enthusiasm I announce that I am finally fully on board with Bay Pines VA Community Care! As anyone who has ever dealt with insurance, (Optum in this case) and any bureaucracy knows, it was a long and arduous undertaking. Still one very worth my efforts. This means I will now be able to offer care, without charge to veterans who have gotten a referral from their primary care physician at the VA. I have had this privilege in the past, at other locations, this is for my new office in Gulfport.
To help you better understand my unbridled joy let me share some of my experiences in the recent past. Worked with a female vet who came initially for shoulder pain. During the course of care she disclosed debilitating PTSD, we addressed this along with care for her shoulder pain. She told me at our next appointment her sleep was greatly improved, saying “I didn’t wake up standing by my bed” a few weeks later she informed me she was able to discontinue taking Xanax for anxiety! (with her Primary Care Physicians approval). Another beautiful young vet came to me for low back pain, he was also an ‘above the knee amputee’ and dealt with terrible phantom limb pain, which he thought would never go away. And, PTSD, which caused terrible sleep issues. We alleviated the low back pain, and for the first time ever he said the phantom limb pain was greatly reduced! and, his sleep was much better!
These brave men and women have done so much for us, I cannot tell you how honored and privileged I feel when I am able to help them in any way I can, and I love the fact that Optum covers their care 100% usually for twelve visits, and more if needed! Please call me or text me if you have any questions about this great program.
Tuesday evening I was in a favorite place, the kitchen, slicing and dicing veggies for what I hoped would be a delicious dinner, as is my custom, happily listening to NPR. There was a story about recognizing the need to care for women who were pregnant, or recently post-partum dealing with depression. Given the fact that in a past life, (pre-Masters in Oriental Medicine and current beloved career path), I had been certified as a psychiatric and mental health RN, I listened up and hand cut the onions rather than allow the Cuisinart to compete for these words.
Yesterday afternoon found me a little tired, and ready to call it a day when my last patient arrived. We chatted briefly about her upcoming vacation, and her excitement about that. She then volunteered that her last period was the BEST period of her life!
Yesterday afternoon found me at Costco, and like all other Big Box stores, Costco has aisles that seem to go on forever, the pharmacy is no exception. While looking for Vitamin D I found myself in what must have been the gastro-intestinal aisle. There had to be a hundred different items there, something to address every segment of the alimentary canal. At least a half dozen offerings for heartburn, or gastric reflux. Further down the aisle there were pills, tablets, and liquids promising relief from bloating, gas or distention. Then, those for constipation, or diarrhea. When I finally reached the end of the aisle, I laughed to myself, and wondered if it was a wise pharmacist who had designed this area, because there at the end were items specifically for the tail end of our wonderful alimentary canal, hemorrhoid creams and ointments, suppositories which promised quick relief!
Sometimes a break during the day can be a really good thing. My first inclination is usually one of disappointment, as I am in the most fortunate position of really loving the work I do! However, today during my ‘downtime’ I came across an article published by HealthCMi, dated 6/11/2015 titled ACUPUNCTURE BENEFITS ALZHEIMER DISEASE PATIENTS. It was a perfect article for the day, as I’d just learned an hour earlier that a patient I’m quite fond of has just been diagnosed with this dreaded disease!
A patient told me once I should be canonized! Which for those of you unfamiliar with the Catholic faith means to be made a saint! I’m sure there are at least a few of the good nuns I had in my 12 years of Catholic school who might beg to differ. Still, there was a part of me that was tickled at the notion.