It’s Official! Last-Minute Shopping is Here!
Some years ago, before the age of computers, I was in so much pain from my juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, I had to get a cortisone injection in my ankle to go Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, the injection didn’t work and I was left with going Christmas shopping in extreme pain. That is definitely not a time that I want to re-live.
The wonderful thing we have today is technology. Hooray! We can shop for gifts from the comfort of our own home at any time of the day! I love it!
So, for those of you with arthritis that have been putting off buying Christmas presents due to flare-ups, pain, stiffness, or just plain procrastination, never fear…online last minute-options are here.
Purchase gifts online and choose overnight shipping
According to USPS, the last day to ship via overnight Express Mail shipping is December 23rd by 5pm. Your package will arrive on Christmas Eve. Now, this option is still a bit risky considering your merchant has to ship it by the deadline.
Purchase online and pick-up at local store
Some stores (such as Best Buy) offer the option of purchasing your items online and picking them up at their local brick-and-mortar location. Your order is ready to go when you pick it up. No shoving your way through the crowds and aisles to find that must have product. It’s great!
A word of caution though: make sure you check the policy of the pick-up service first. Some stores prepare your order within 24 hours; however, others can take 2-3 days. Make sure you know before you purchase.
According to BestBuy.com, you can order online up until Christmas Eve at 3pm for in-store pick up. You may even be lucky enough to live close to a Best Buy with reserved parking spaces for order pick-ups! What a bonus!
Purchase gift cards that can be sent via e-mail
Some online stores (such as Amazon.com and HomeDepot.com) offer the option of sending gift cards via e-mail. No shipping necessary! You can even select the date you want the recipient to receive the e-mail. HomeDepot even allows the recipient to print the gift card e-mail out and use it in the brick-and-mortar store or it can be used online.
If you’re not sure what type of store to get a gift card at for that special someone, then go to GiftCertificates.com. They offer the e-SuperCertificate. The recipient receives it via e-mail and can redeem it for a gift card of their choice. For instance, I receive a $25 e-SuperCertificate. I can redeem it for a $25 Macy’s gift card. It’s that easy.
Purchase Visa gift cards from your local participating bank
Some banks offer a Visa gift card. Just go to your local bank to purchase. This is an easy way to get your gift and have the recipient choose where to spend it. It’s a win-win!
What are you waiting for? Get comfortable, get your fingers limber and finish that shopping!
Merry Christmas to all!
Black Friday Deals Start Mon, Nov 23rd!
Buying Christmas presents does not have to drain you physically. Instead, save your arthritic body from the pain, limping, swelling and stiffness, by shopping for gifts online. It is so much easier to click your way through the deals than fighting the crowds, especially on Black Friday!
If you are an avid Black Friday shopper, then get ready to shop now! No waiting for Black Friday to arrive. Amazon starts their Black Friday deals on Monday, November 23rd. Each day brings new deals!
Some of Monday’s deals include a KitchenAid Pro 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer for 40% off and a LG 37LH55 37-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV for 54% off!
Check out Amazon’s Deal Calendar for a glimpse of this week’s specials. You won’t want to miss out!
Since quantities may be limited, get to the sale quick! Have fun shopping!
Join the Keep Moving Program & Get a Free Bonus!
The makers of Tylenol Arthritis Pain have created a program to help you manage mild to moderate arthritis. The Keep Moving program offers “tips, exercises and tools to help you reduce arthritis pain and improve strength & flexibility”. Right now, they have information regarding exercises (including strengthening), healthy choices, active living, and much more.
The program is free. You can register at justkeepmoving.com to get started. For a limited time, they are offering a free exercise dvd and pedometer when you register (while supplies last).
Check it out and add this resource to your arthritis pain management regimen!
Are Medical Bills Drowning You in Debt?
When you have arthritis, medical expenses can be costly. Paying for rheumatology visits and procedures, lab work, prescriptions, surgery, physical therapy, etc., can be an enormous task and that is just for your arthritis. We know that if you have arthritis, you are at risk for other conditions and being more susceptible to becoming sick if you are taking an immunosuppresant drug. So what do you when you are drowning in debt from your medical bills and finding it difficult or next to impossible to pay them off?
eHow has some great suggestions you should go through first. Some of their suggestions are that you should detail review your bills, hire an expert if necessary to analyze your medical bills, and even ask the medical provider(s) to reduce your balance. For more details and suggestions, see eHow’s “How to get help paying medical bills debt“.
If you find that some of your expenses should have been covered under your health insurance policy, but your health insurance provider refuses to cover it, there is something you can do. Contact your health insurance provider first. If contacting your health insurance provider via telephone gets you nowhere, then write a letter to them indicating why you believe the charges should be covered under your benefits coverage. If the situation still remains unresolved, then contact your state insurance board. Document all of your efforts in writing to the state insurance board including why you believe the health insurance provider should be honoring your benefits coverage (i.e. your benefits coverage indicates…). Note in your letter that you are copying the letter to the insurance company and make sure you send a copy to the insurance company. You should hear back from both organizations fairly quickly.
If you were incorrect in what you thought your benefits were, then you will still be responsible for the bill. If you were correct and the insurance provider should have covered some of your medical expenses, then you should receive an adjusted bill from them after the state insurance board is involved.
If you decide to contact a debt service to help you manage the overwhelming bills, then please beware. Not all debt assistance companies are reputable. Make sure you check them out with the Better Business Bureau and RipOffReport before doing business with them.
After you have a plan of how you are going to resolve your medical debt, then you should write to your Congressional representatives. Be brutally honest with them and let them know how you struggle to pay for your medical expenses. Let them know that you have arthritis and how the disease affects you financially. Our Congressional representatives are our advocates. They can only help you if they know what you are going through. The more people that contact them, the more they will be willing to listen to and act on health insurance reform, change income tax regulations as it relates to medical expense deductions, and vote for more arthritis research funding.
Mounting medical bills can be very stressful. Take a look at all of your options to reduce your bills, then decide on which options are best for you. Just remember, that whatever you decide to do, you must keep your providers in the loop as to what you are doing before collectors come knocking!
Good luck!
Can I Take Self-Injectable Meds or Syringes on an Airplane?
Summer is upon us and with that brings summer travel and vacations. If you take injectable medications to treat your arthritis, can you bring those with you when you fly to your destination?
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), “All medications in any form or type (for instance, pills, injectables, or homeopathic) and associated supplies (syringes, Sharps disposal container, pre-loaded syringes, jet injectors, pens, infusers, etc.) are allowed through the security checkpoint once they have been screened.”
TSA also indicates that medications do not need to be labeled. However, in order to prevent any hold ups, I would recommend labeling your medications or keep them in their original containers that contain prescription labels.
Medications and supplies are usually screened via x-ray. However, TSA allows you to request visual screening instead. If you prefer the visual screening option, TSA offers these guidelines:
- You must request a visual inspection before the screening process begins; otherwise your medications and supplies will undergo X-ray inspection.
- If you would like to take advantage of this option, please have your medication and associated supplies separated from your other property in a separate pouch/bag when you approach the Security Officer at the walk-through metal detector.
- Request the visual inspection and hand your medication pouch/bag to the Security Officer.
- In order to prevent contamination or damage to medication and associated supplies and/or fragile medical materials, you will be asked at the security checkpoint to display, handle, and repack your own medication and associated supplies during the visual inspection process.
- Any medication and/or associated supplies that cannot be cleared visually must be submitted for X-ray screening. If you refuse, you will not be permitted to carry your medications and related supplies into the sterile area.
Now that you know the rules for flying with your meds, go have a great vacation! But don’t forget to keep your injectables at the proper temperature during travel!
Are Your Fingers Too Swollen To Hold Hands?
When your arthritic fingers swell, it is often too painful to hold hands with someone else. So, what do you do when you need to hold a child’s hand when crossing the street or when in a busy, crowded place? Or what do you do when your loved one wants to hold your hand as a display of affection?
It really just comes down to what you are comfortable with. Here are some suggestions.
Holding a Child’s Hand
If you need to hold your child’s (grandchild, nephew, niece, etc.) hand when your hands are in a great deal of pain, then ask the child to hold your arm just above the wrist. Or have the child hold a piece of your clothing, jacket or purse. If you are pushing a cart or stroller, you can even have the child hold that. Praise them when they do it and let them know that they must hold on until you tell them that it is okay to let go. Once the child (or children) get into the habit of holding something other than your hand, it will be second nature for them.
Of course, if your hands do not hurt, go ahead and hold their hands to let them know that you still enjoy it. Children, often times, do not understand why adults do certain things and they may assume you do not love them anymore. Just be honest and let them know that you would love to hold their hands all day long, but some days it is just too painful. It may take some time, but they will understand. Just shower them with love in other ways. Hugs and kisses work great!
Holding a Loved-One’s Hand
It is common for your spouse, girlfriend, or boyfriend to show their affection for you by holding your hand. So, if your loved one wants to hold your hand, be honest about how it affects you. Your loved one should understand. He/she certainly does not want to inflict pain on you. After all, the intent was to show their affection for you.
Once you share your concern, it is the perfect time to think of another way to show your mutual affection for each other. Maybe an arm around the shoulder or around the back. If you are sitting, maybe place your hand lightly on top of his. Hugs and kisses work great too!
Good luck!
Tips for a Bad Flare Day – Part 2
In Tips for a Bad Flare Day – Part 1, we went over various tips to help you deal with an arthritis flare up. Those tips primarily concentrated on various hot or cold treatments.
Here are even more tips to help you get through the day:
Reschedule priorities: If you have plenty of tasks scheduled for the day, but you feel terrible and know that you will not be able to manage it, then the first thing you should do is reschedule your priorities for the day. Postpone what you can and only complete the tasks that are absolutely necessary or make arrangements for someone else to perform those tasks. If you do this early in the day, you will not feel guilty that you could not accomplish what you originally planned on.
Hot tea: Try warming up your body by drinking hot tea. Green tea provides antioxidants and traditionally has less caffeine then coffee. There are also many different types of herbal non-caffeinated teas that will warm up your body and help you to relax.
Relax: Do something that helps you relax. Listen to music, meditate, etc. Everyone is different. Just do whatever works for you.
Rest: Try taking a nap or lay down for a while. You may just find that you feel a little bit better after resting for a while.
Use assistive aids: Use a walking aid, such as a cane or walker, to help you move with less pain through the day.
Enlist your family: When dealing with arthritis pain, many daily routines can seem monumental. For instance, doing laundry, making dinner, shopping for groceries, shuffling children to and from school, activities, etc. On these days, enlist your family to take on some of your daily routines. Talk about it ahead of time and let them know that you desperately need some help on those painful flare days.
Independent play for younger children: If your pain is too much to deal with and you just need some time to regroup, have a list of activities your children can do independently. For instance, quiet time in their room, watch a movie, art activities, etc.
Easy dinners: Keep some frozen food on hand for easy dinners. Save those for days you just can’t bear to cook. Choose from family size casseroles, pizzas, individual frozen dinners, etc. There are many healthy options to choose from. Have a salad on the side by using the pre-made salad options in your local grocery store.
Get moving: You may just want to curl up into a ball when your flare hits, but at some point in the day, you need to get up and get moving. Keeping your joints stiff is not the answer. Try some tips to warm you up and then take advantage of that by moving around a little bit.
Hopefully, these tips will help you get through your day with a little less difficulty than normal.
Good luck!
Tips for a Bad Flare Day – Part 1
As arthritics, we all have those bad flare days, weeks, years, etc. It is just a part of life. But some days just seem to be unbearable. What do you do on those days?
Here are some tips that may help relieve some of the pain:
Take a hot bath: This sounds like a no-brainer, but in today’s world most people would rather take a shower due to time constraints, busy lives, etc. Taking a hot shower can help because of the heat. However, when you take a bath you receive two benefits. First, your body soaks in the heat which helps your joints feel better. Second, due to the buoyancy, your joints are not weight bearing which relieves the stress on your joints.
Epsom salts: If you have tried hot baths and they do not quite relieve some of the pain, then try adding some epsom salts to your bath. Epsom salts tend to reduce inflammation and relax muscles.
Use a heating pad or electric blanket: Try a heating pad on the worst offending joint or an electric blanket if you have multiple joints in pain. Just make sure to not leave them unattended or sleep with them on.
Hand gloves and socks: If your hands hurt or are cold, then try wearing gloves to keep the heat in your body. That goes the same for your feet. Wear thick socks or socks with shoes or slippers on. Keeping the heat in your body assists in relieving the pain.
ThermaCare heat wraps: Try ThermaCare heat wraps on your joints if you need a portable heat source. They are designed to provide heat for about 8 hours once activated.
Cold treatment: If you have tried the tips above and you still do not experience relief from pain and stiffness, then try some cold therapy by placing an ice pack or cold pack on the painful joint. You may even want to try alternating between cold and hot therapies.
The overall message here is for you to find the treatment that works best for you. Everyone is different. When you find the combination of treatment that works best for you, jot it down so you know what to do the next time.
Tomorrow, we will give even more tips for those unbearable flares in Tips for a Bad Flare Day – Part 2.
Ways to Save on Prescription Drugs – Part 2
In Ways to Save on Prescription Drugs – Part 1, you were given some options of saving money on prescription drugs. The options included various organizations and tips to lower your medicine costs. Let’s go over even more options to help you afford your medication.
The County Rx card is a program that is available based on the county you live in. You register for the discount program online. It is FREE. After registering, print out your County Rx card and give it to your pharmacy the next time you need a prescription filled. You can even look up the price of the prescription drug you need and participating pharmacies online. This card is great if you are uninsured. You may even be able to use it if you do have health insurance, but have a deductible to satisfy before prescription drugs are covered.
PatientAssistance.com has a database of more than 1,000 prescription assistance programs. It is a non-profit organization that primarily helps uninsured Americans. Simply search for your prescription drug name and find the available programs. Then, register for a free PatientAssistance.com account and manage your program application from their site.
Patient Advocate Foundation Co-Pay Relief program provides assistance with copayments for insured Americans. You must meet their medical and financial requirements in order to be eligible for the program. Check their list of diagnoses to see if your disease or condition is covered. All types of arthritis may not be covered.
HealthWell Foundation provides assistance for prescription drug copays, coinsurance and deductibles as well as health insurance premiums and other selected out-of-pocket health care costs. Eligibility for assistance is dependent on medical, financial and health insurance status. Check their list of illnesses to see if your disease or condition is covered. All types of arthritis may not be covered. Their list may change so check back if your condition is not initially included.
NeedyMeds.org provides a database of assistance programs. They also provide information on state-sponsored programs. Just select your state and the results will show you state programs with links.
In closing, please be cautious when looking for prescription drug assistance. Some prescription assistance programs may charge a small fee, but you should not have to pay any organization to find prescription assistance programs for you. The information is out there for FREE.
Ways to Save on Prescription Drugs – Part 1
If you are struggling in today’s economy to purchase necessary prescription drugs, you are not alone. The economy is tight for most people nowadays requiring us to be more frugal with our money.
I am sure some of you have thought of just not taking your medicine period. However, there is a reason your doctor prescribed it. Before you ditch your medicine, keep reading.
CNN has reported on 10 different ways you may be able to save money on prescription drugs. Check out their article, Ten Ways to Save on Prescription Drugs. It is a great first step in reducing medicine costs! I highly recommend reading it.
In addition to their tips, try some of the following:
Drug discount program provided by the National Association of Counties. You do not have to pay a fee for the program. It is FREE. You have access to the program if you live in a participating county. Check to see if your county participates in the program. Just go to http://naco.advancerx.com or call (877)321-2652.
Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) provides a list of prescription drug programs by pharmaceutical manufacturers and state. It provides information on products covered, eligibility requirements and program contacts. This is an extensive list. Don’t miss it!
RxAssist.org has a database of available programs by prescription drug or company name. Simply enter the drug name in the database search bar and receive results on the available program. It provides information on program eligibility, application requirements, and program contacts.
These are great resources to get you started. Check back for Part 2 of this series for even more options to save money on prescription drugs!