Cystic Fibrosis Fatboy — Page 10 — The daily quest to gain weight

Social Media Trumps Big Healthcare

March 2, 2012

Our insurance battle appears to be over! For those who haven’t been following on Facebook, I started a huge stink on Twitter on the 28 using my primary Twitter account, which has over 1600 very connected followers who have even more of a reach than I do. Several of my followers have over 100K followers, so I knew this could go viral with the right tweets.

It’s sort of funny that it was just Sunday’s newspaper in Tampa that had a story about company-run social media departments and how effective (almost too effective) social media is. Below is how things went down. ^JP denotes my tweets while ^CR denotes Aetna’s tweets. Read and learn.

^JP – @AetnaGlobal Your “customer service” staff are among the lowest form of life. If you’re interested in providing support, touch base w/ me.

^JP – @AetnaGlobal Your “customer service” people have done nothing but block my access to my meds in 2012 – I will wear you down. Calling again!

^JP – @AetnaGlobal Hi, it’s me again. Ready to practice “reform” or are you too busy killing people w/ cystic fibrosis? #cysticfibrosis

^JP – @AetnaGlobal Contact me before I contact them. Our appeal process is almost exhausted. You can stop this nonsense.yfrog.com/h0xhlvp (That’s a link to our local news investigative team who really gets results in the area.)

19 minutes later…

^CR – Hi, I’m Chris w/Aetna. Can I help you with any specific questions you may have? ^CR

[Read more…]

American Idol: Top 24 Predictions

March 1, 2012

Last night was the second show of the main competition with the Top 24 (plus wildcard guy) done and votes cast. I’ve been watching American Idol since Week 2 of the Chris Daughtry season (Season 5) that Taylor Hicks won. Admittedly, I was so ticked to see Daughtry go that I skipped the next show and just tuned in to the finale. The next year was the first year I watched auditions and Hollywood week. I was hooked. I’ve also been blogging my predictions for several years on another site, but I decided to move that feature over here because this is where all of my friends are now. Without further ado, I bring you my Top 24 predictions for tonight’s results show.

Guys

Wow, what a disappointment. I really thought this was going to be a strong year for the guys this year, but more than half of the guys forgot how to sing, half of them sang female songs, and Deandre… where do I start with you, girl?

Reed Grimm – I really liked Reed in the auditions, but I hoped he’s get some ADHD meds after his Hollywood night when he changed his song with 30 minutes left, had to stop rehearsing to call his mommy and cry, and then looked like Animal from the Muppets behind the drum set. It was clear he didn’t get those meds in time Monday as he moved like he had to pee and played the drums with a face of a man who had just been shot in the kneecap. I could see you go – wildcard 1.

Adam Brock – If I hear the phrase “white chocolate” on the show again, I’m going to have an aneurism. No, you’re not a large black woman trapped in a metro white man’s body. You’re a nice guy, but the crying has got to end, as well as trying to sing the great Aretha Franklin. [Read more…]

Running Update: No Hemoptysis

February 29, 2012

Lone runner Like anyone with CF who is “advanced in years” or “late-stage,” my biggest fear regarding running is hemoptysis. No one wants to feel that gurgle followed by an unknown period of red splatter (or worse). It happened the last time I took up running, so that thought is never far from me.

So far, I’ve slowly jogged one townhome building length. Then two lengths. For a week at a time before progressing. Saturday, I slowly ran 200yds and was really feeling it. Not so much my lungs as my heart. It was really pounding and I briefly wondered if it was possible for a 33yr old CFer to have a heart attack. I slowed my walk to a crawl until my pulse and respiration rate were under control again and then resumed a normal “mall rat” pace back home.

I did the same thing Monday, only I ran like a normal person that time. I made it about 2/3 as far as Saturday – only my heart wasn’t about to explode and I continued walking normally without a major slowdown. Monday afternoon was weightlifting (yes, my arms are really sore now) so I didn’t run yesterday. Instead, I took a very slow walk with my camera and took photos all along the way, 1.3 miles in all. We had to go out in the evening, but my car was in the driveway (we drive the Sorento together) so I drove it down to the parking spaces in the cul de sac two townhomes down.

Thinking we were behind schedule, I casually jogged back home and… I didn’t even cough! I think I’m going into this running thing the right way after all.

The hardest part

Maybe this is just me, but the hardest part for me is remembering my days in track and in PE in high school when we had to meet certain physical feats to pass or get a certain grade. [Read more…]

A Support Network Is Crucial to Success

February 28, 2012

Barbell I originally intended to write about a CF support network. However, after I named this post, my mind flashed through a dozen different networks that assist people in succeeding.

Businesses need a customer network and a sort of mentor network.

Doctors need a network of specialists to refer to or people referring to them.

Parents need dozens of networks because it takes a village to raise a child.

People who want to get out of debt and change their lifestyle need support to minimize falling back into old patterns.

Most definitely, people attending AA or any of the 12-step programs need a network to have the strength to change.

You need a network

Yesterday, I was reminded of how incredible my friends and family are. Undoubtedly, my greatest cheerleader is Beautiful. She’s always looking out for my (and our) best interests with a perspective that makes me evaluate situations better. When it feels like no one else understands me, if I spend enough time using 3,000 words to dump everything that I feel onto the table, she can sort it out and still loves me when I am a walking mental contradiction of myself from one day to the next.

She was in support of every healthy move I’ve taken in the last 2 years: being compliant, gaining weight, crafting my schedule around taking care of myself, and the list goes on and on. [Read more…]

Social Media Trumps Big Healthcare

March 2, 2012

Our insurance battle appears to be over! For those who haven't been following on Facebook, I started a huge stink on Twitter on the 28 using my primary Twitter account, which has over 1600 very connected followers who have even more of a reach than I … [Read more]

American Idol: Top 24 Predictions

March 1, 2012

Last night was the second show of the main competition with the Top 24 (plus wildcard guy) done and votes cast. I've been watching American Idol since Week 2 of the Chris Daughtry season (Season 5) that Taylor Hicks won. Admittedly, I was so ticked … [Read more]

Running Update: No Hemoptysis

February 29, 2012

Like anyone with CF who is "advanced in years" or "late-stage," my biggest fear regarding running is hemoptysis. No one wants to feel that gurgle followed by an unknown period of red splatter (or worse). It happened the last time I took up running, … [Read more]

A Support Network Is Crucial to Success

February 28, 2012

I originally intended to write about a CF support network. However, after I named this post, my mind flashed through a dozen different networks that assist people in succeeding. Businesses need a customer network and a sort of mentor … [Read more]

Guys

The hardest part

You need a network

Time Elapsed Since IVs