Last post Thu, May 22 2008 1:23 AM by conejoblas. 8 replies.
Are these things made of gold? My doctor faxed the information over to the medical supply place three months ago for me to get a gel pad that would fit either chair and nothing yet! They know I've battled a pressure sore, one severe enough the bones in my spine were trying to make a hole through the skin, and that I'm either in one chair or the other or bed. But they are still dragging their feet on this. I'm of the school "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and you'd think they'd prefer to avoid a pressure sore altogether, yet it seems they are fighting my doctor on this. Am I the only one who's gone through such bull or is this common? I have state aid insurance, Medicaid.
If you've gone through this, please tell me what you or your doctors did to hurry them up. It's getting so I don't want to sit in either chair. Thanks!
Shimas
I can relate to your situation, and most of the time it doesn't be the company in which your are seeking procurement. It be the insurance providers, medicaid. I went through it when waiting to recieve my wheelchair. I was tired of the hospital issued chair. However, I had to find away to deal with my own pressure sores. And I thought that maybe I could share somethings that I used. I don't know how much moving your disability allows you but movement is a major way to avoid pressure sores. For the most part we spend alot of time on our rear ends. so when laying on my bed I either lay on my sides or my stomach. To take the pressure off of my rear.
I had a pressure sore for about 1 year after leaving the hospital and by utilizing these tips which came from my therapist. I have been pressure sore free. I really hope you got it taken care of because it sounded really serious.
By the way my name is Calvin Lamb
Hi Calvin and thank you for your reply. I did put in a call to my doctor after I posted this, and she's appalled that I still don't have a cushion. While I agree with you it's probably my insurance that's holding it up, I can't believe it takes this long. I had my power chair in a much shorter length of time.
I'm either in one of the chairs or in bed. Yeah, my butt takes a beating. The skin is very thin at the base of the spine and I've already had one fissure start. It was my first one and I freaked out. I do get off the sore as quickly and as much as I can, a cushion would provide more theraputic action for the many times I can't lay down on my side. I've also figured out which clothing I own makes it worse, tight jeans are out. as well as any underwear that's not made of 100% cotton. I found out men's cotton boxers are best, there isn't a seam down the middle of them to add to the pressure.
My doctor gave me some foamy cusioning "band aides" to help relieve them too, but sadly where the sore is, the adhesive often lets go of my skin so it just balls up. I have to be really careful to avoid moving in ways that make the stuff ball up, but it's not easy.
I do appreciate your reply. Thanki you!
ShimasChild: Are these things made of gold? My doctor faxed the information over to the medical supply place three months ago for me to get a gel pad that would fit either chair and nothing yet! They know I've battled a pressure sore, one severe enough the bones in my spine were trying to make a hole through the skin, and that I'm either in one chair or the other or bed. But they are still dragging their feet on this. I'm of the school "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and you'd think they'd prefer to avoid a pressure sore altogether, yet it seems they are fighting my doctor on this. Am I the only one who's gone through such bull or is this common? I have state aid insurance, Medicaid. If you've gone through this, please tell me what you or your doctors did to hurry them up. It's getting so I don't want to sit in either chair. Thanks! Shimas
Well I know from working at a wheelchair company that Medicaid has gotten ridiculous when it comes to paperwork and aproving wheelchairs and parts. It can take up to 6 weeks if not more if they find problems to get an approval from them. It isn't your company that is trying to hold it up. Trust me, they want the money...lol. They just can't get Medicaid to aprove it. If you haven't already, you might want to call them to make sure they have what they need. Like I said Medicaid's paper work is awful.
SHIMAS, I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHEN I GOT OUT OF REHAB. MY THERAPIST WANTED TO GET A VARILTE GEL CUSHION, BUT MEDICAID WOULD NOT COVER THAT CUSHION BECAUSE OF THE COST. LUCKILY THE COMPANY THAT WE ORDERED MY CHAIR FROM KNEW THIS AHEAD OF TIME AND THEY CONTACTED MY THERAPIST AND DISCUSSED GETTING ANOTHER CUSHION. I ENDED UP WITH THE SYNERGY SOLUTIONS GEL CUSHION AND IT'S A GREAT CUSHION. YOU MAY WANT TO CALL THE COMPANY THAT IS ORDERING YOUR CUSHION AND SEE IF IT IS MEDICAID THAT IS HOLDING YOU UP, IF IT IS YOU MAY WANT TO CONTACT THE DOCTOR AND GET ANOTHER ONE THAT IS JUST AS GOOD AND THAT MEDICAID WILL COVER.
AS FOR YOUR SORE I HAVE BEEN RECENTLY TREATING ONE ON ABOVE MY TAILBONE THAT STARTED FROM A SCRATCH. I WAS LAYING IN BED ALOT AND IT TURNED INTO AN OPEN SORE. I DID ALOT OF RESEARCH ON THEM AND FOUND SEVERAL ARTICLES THAT SAID TO EAT OR TAKE ZINC WITH YOUR DIET. SO I FOUND BALMEX ( THE BABY DIAPER RASH CREAM) IT HAS ZINC OXIDE IN IT AND IT IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT. IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE IN IT EITHER. SO I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE IT A TRY. I USED IT EVERY OTHER DAY, ONCE A DAY AND THE SORE STARTED HEALING IMMEDATELY. I HAD THE SORE FOR ABOUT 4 WEEKS BEFORE I STARTED USING THE BALMEX AND IT WAS GETTING BAD. THREE WEEKS AFTER USING IT, THE SORE HAS SCABBED AND IS ALMOST TOTTALLY HEALED. NUTS ALSO HAVE ALOT OF ZINC IN THEM. I TRY TO SNACK ON THEM THROUGH THE DAY. I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU!!
GOOD LUCK!!
Thanks everyone! I see my doc tomorrow, but she called me earier this week and told me FINALLY the TAR for the seat cushion was approved. Now all I have to worry about is when it's delivered. I cannot believe it taken three months to get it approved. My power chair didn't take that long, and there was none of this shuffling of paperwork back and forth.
Teiko, thank you especially for the information about the Zinc. I'm on that like white on rice. My sores start in the same area, right around the base of the tailbone. I thought I had it covered, since there is also a lot of scar tissue there as well, but it's not right where I need it!
What REALLY gets me about this whole thing concerning seat cushions is that an ounce of prevention (the cushion) is worth a pound of cure (bedsores) and the insurance companies seem very unwilling to help people get the ounce of cure! I've yet to have a bedsore get really infected, but now I understand WHY they can, lack of prevention by making it so hard to get cushioning agents. I wanted an air-type twin bed matress topper, but Medicaid flat out said no. I don't get it? They'd rather pay a hospital to cure me of a bedsore to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars, but they won't put out a few hundred so I can avoid one altogether? Just HOW dumb is that anyway? Geesh!
Thanks for letting me rant too! ;-)
SHIMAS, YOUR VERY WELCOME!! I HOPE IT HELPS!! TAKE CARE!!
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