First off, thanks for all of the concern and support from so many people over the past few days WRT my surgery. It seems I’m telling people things and repeating myself and I hate to bore anyone, so I’m putting this together to give folks the details and use my own experience as a personal example of why change:healthcare does what it does.

Why change:healthcare Does What It Does:

The business end of things…My doc will bill my insurer somewhere around $6,124. However, the allowed amount with my insurer is $2,904. Per the FANTASTIC staff at Dr. Bonau’s office, “double check with [insurer] to be sure and I don’t even know if they will tell you an exact number but you can try… The procedure codes are 36478/36479″

They also pointed me to the insurer’s financial counselor complete with the phone number.

Had I been uninsured, the amount would have been $6,124. On a different insurance, the cost would most assuredly been something OTHER THAN $2,904. And had my surgery not been Medically Necessary, and I had simply done self-pay without submitting a claim, I may have been expected to pay $6,124. Keep your eye on the peanut, now which shell is it under?

change:healthcare helps people sort through all of that.

My Status:

I’m doing well. 48 hours out of surgery the wrap is off, I have to wear a support sleeve on the leg, but I got on my bicycle on the stand in my home office. Rode for an hour at a moderate pace on an easy gear. Felt great to move again. Doing well.

So well in fact that I failed to take the prescribed ibuprofen today (day 2 post surgery). Should have taken some on waking up at 6 AM. After lunch, I started to feel it a bit, and finally got the anti-inflammatory into my system at around 2PM (Kids, do NOT try this at home).

The Procedure:

The procedure I had is called laser ablation or a phlebectomy. It beats the living crap out of the other option which is the traditional vein stripping I had done 25 years ago (I describe the traditional method below).

With laser ablation, they do a local anesthesia and then they insert a catheter into the leg near the vein. they run a fiber optic cable into the vein and use a laser to cauterize the vein closed. I literally stood up from the procedure and walked out the door. The other method would have left me bed ridden for several days and as much as 6 weeks from any significant physical activity (Boooooooooo).

The degree of discomfort during the procedure was less than that of getting some ink. Post-op, the discomfort is minimal and far less than the discomfort that I used to live with on a day to day basis. I did not realize how much pain I was living with day in and day out.

History:

I have a long-running history of varicose veins. My first surgery was at age 16 on both legs. Had a second surgery at 18 on the right leg. That would have been 1983-85 time frame. There was no ultrasound in those days to see what was going on inside, so they did what they thought was best, but in fact it turned out to create future problems. So here I am today some 25 years later dealing with it again.

I went to Doctor N., Head of Vascular Surgery at a large academic hospital which shall remain nameless. I told him the procedure I wanted - laser ablation. He told me the veins were not big enough and that the method would be the traditional vein stripping.

In vein stripping, they put you under general anesthesia and make numerous small (1-2 inch) incisions all down your legs, tie off the veins at those spots, cut them and pull them out. Bad news. Long recovery times (6 weeks) and severe bruising of the legs all along the path of the veins. That’s what Doc N. wanted to do to me. I declined.

A good friend of mine I ride bikes with had the same condition and recommended Dr. Bonau instead. My buddy told me that he did not realize how much pain he was living with until after surgery. Pre and post, the relief is hard to believe. I am ever so grateful to my fellow cyclist.

Had a bit of outpatient surgery done on my legs today. Laser ablation on my legs to eliminate varicose veins. Basically they numb the site, locate the vein using ultrasound, insert a fiber optic cable and cauterize the veins closed at the faulty junction. I was awake and on no drugs for the whole procedure. Opted out of the Valium to calm my nerves. And I “tweeted” (used twitter) the entire experience in real-time. Some of those who follow me suggested I post the tweets. So here they are. For the twitter-savvy, the order is in chron order - went thru the trouble so it would read from top to bottom.

Alrighty now. Get ready for live tweets from surgery. Getting laser ablation on my legs this am.

Got some great paper shorts. Then they french cut them up the side. Gr8!

Pre-op ultrasound.

I’ve got 10mg valium just in case I get nervous. So far no drugs.

Betadine on the legs. Damn this room is cold.

Ah, the joys of medicine. All dignity is sacrificed

Enter the rockstar…erm…doc

Oh crap. The ultrasound is running thru a laptop running windows platform.

To clarify. Having laser ablation to remove varicose veins.

First stick. Little bit o lidocaine. No biggee. Laser in.

2 lasers in top part of left leg. Little bit of sting not bad. Getting a tattoo is worse.

Doc explaining procedure and pointing out what’s going on on the screen.

Looking at ultrasound, doc says,”That’s the sheath and this is the laser” blown up to several times actual size this looks painful. But its not.

Lydocain and sodium bi-carb going in around site for laser. Provides better contact and numbs. Extreme laser heat next.

Head down to make vein smaller. First shot of laser stings a bit. Getting more numbing med.

Getting a bit of a burning taste in the back of my throat. Normal perdoc. No pain now from laser.

2 veins down. 2 to go. 1 lower left leg. 1 lower right leg. Top left leg done.

FYI there will not be pix of this one. Will bring cam next time. Back of the legs in a couple of weeks.

“Lower leg harder to anethesize” yeah thanks doc. Noticing that.

And lasering the lower left. Much quicker set up.

Dr. Bonau rocks! Gr8 sense of humor about all of this. He’s not sure what twitter is but he’s indulging me.

Feels like a bad windows program – searching…searching…searching. Looking for something on left leg. Left is all in back so will get it in 2 weeks. Done.

Now its time for cleanup. Wiping down the betadine from my freshly shaved legs. Maybe I’ll b faster on the bike now.

@bobcoffield @matt_mueller @georgesibble and others. Thanks for all of the support. @caparks. Thanks for the ride.

Leg wrapped tight. Stays bandaged for 48 hrs. No bath. Hmmmm.

Kroger pharmacy - healthcare consumer shout of the day! They have $4 generics but 3x 10mg valium generic only $2.63.

@jenmccabegorman I’m sure its even cheaper in the netherlands.

@bobcoffield had this done at ages 16 and 18. Now at 41. Have watched options evolve. Laser ablation is best imho.

@georgesibble Yep. Normal routine. Movement is good for circulation in lower leg. No heavy lifting. Ibuprofen o’ plenty.

Transparency: Dr. Bonau has performed this surgery 2500 times. 2 cases w complications. Both successfully resolved.

The Daily Herald featured a story on change:healthcare, My Healthcare Is Killing Me, and Christopher Parks.

The PDF of “My Healthcare Is Killing Me Teaches Consumers Smart Healthcare Tips” can be downloaded here.

Ran across this neat concept that has started here in Nashville as an offshoot of St. Thomas Hospital. The idea is that those who are in need of prescriptions but are unable to afford them should still have access. The Dispensary of Hope accomplishes this by partnering with pharma to collect unused samples and drugs as they near the end of their shelf-life. Instead of allowing these drugs to run to their end and not be utilized, they distribute them out to the less fortunate. It’s a noble cause and one well worth taking a look at.

Check out Robert’s story and My Healthcare Is Killing Me featured on CNN’s Empowered Patient.

(Click on the story title in green to view the video!)

Many humble thanks to Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Medical Correspondent. In the latest edition of her Empowered Patient segment, she was kind enough to include us in the article on “6 Ways to Save Money on Drugs and Doctors.” And we’re slated to be included in the  “House Call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta” at 830 a.m. Saturday and Sunday ET.

As a result, we’ve seen a bit of spike in traffic (and a small amount of smoke issuing from the back of the servers). They also featured our recent book, and we’re getting loads of folks downloading the free PDF version of My Healthcare Is Killing Me.

It’s a wonderful compliment, and let’s be sure the credit goes where it is due. We have a great team that supports change:healthcare. THEY make it happen, while CP and I get the handshakes and backslaps that they all deserve (we’re supposed to just look good, so if you’ve seen the book cover, you know we’re not holding up our end of the deal very well).  And a special shout out to our PR Director, Frank Limpus whose own personal PR is some of the most understated you’ll ever see.

CNN has posted 6 ways to save money on drugs and doctors and change:healthcare and My Healthcare Is Killing Me are included!!!  Check out the short list below, or the full 6 tips on their site.

1. Discount Dental Care

2. Cheaper Contact Lenses

3. Discount Drugs

4. Lower Hospital Bills

5. Even Lower Hospital Bills - “Whether your bill is big or small, it pays to negotiate, negotiate, negotiate with doctors and hospitals. Click here for a free PDF version of the new book “My Healthcare is Killing Me,” which offers tips on negotiating as well as other hints on saving money on health expenses.”

6. A Great Tax Deduction - www.changehealthcare.com can help you “keep track of your expenses, and when they get big enough, the site automatically gives you a report ready for submission to the IRS.”

Download a PDF of the CNN article.

My Healthcare Is Killing Me has been getting a little bit of buzz lately, and it’s good to hear that people are finding the content useful.

Bernard Farrell from the Diabetes Technology Blog says, “While I’m talking about reading, here’s a free book that may be really useful if you’re dealing with the US healthcare system. I just started reading My Healthcare is Killing Me! earlier today and I’ve already got some ideas for better handling myself within our (sometimes challenging) system.”

Thanks Bernard!! We are happy to hear you are finding some useful tips. We would love to hear from other readers (like you), suggestions and criticism are always welcomed as well.

You can find the FREE PDF download at www.myhealthcareiskillingme.com under the heading “Read it”

Looks like we have taken a giant leap into the world of print.  Yes– we have actually done something on paper!!! The crew at change:healthcare has published a book, “My Healthcare Is Killing Me: A Survival Guide for the American Healthcare Consumer.”

You can purchase the book for $16.00 (includes shipping) from www.myhealthcareiskillingme.com or better yet, download the FREE ebook!!

Written by Robert Hendrick, Christopher Parks and Katrina Welty, a trio of authors with a wide background of healthcare experience, the book provides an easy to read, straight-forward guide to navigating healthcare in its current state of confusion and chaos.

“We just want to see consumers take the book, implement its lessons and really help their families live a better life,” Hendrick said.  “Seeing more transparency in this industry and consumers taking greater personal control of their healthcare as a result is all the satisfaction we need.  Because then, we’ll know we’ve truly changed healthcare.”

The book is also available through all major book retailers including Amazon.com, Borders and Barnes and Noble, and others.

Let us know your thoughts… write a rant, review, or tell us your story!!  We look forward to hearing from readers like you!

Visit MyHealthcareIsKillingMe.com for more information!

The proof of our book is in and people have already started to latch onto the free downloadable PDF version at My Healthcare Is Killing Me.

Seems like we might have struck a bit of a nerve.

Thanks so much to Bob Coffield for the shout out on the book. Can’t wait to catch up with him at Health 2.0 in just a few weeks. Bob is a master of Twitter. If you don’t know him, he’s @bobcoffield.

We’ll probably catch a lot of hell from Steven Krein at OrganizedWisdom for not calling it change:healthcare, but we’re working on that as another title and hope to have it out before November .

And many thanks to the others like Frank Hone and “Why Healthcare Matters” and Zane Safrit who have started to pick up on the book.