Rants and Rambles

I mentioned a compression stocking (also known as support hose). Supposedly I could just go down to a pharmacy and they’d figure out what I needed. WRONG!

I went to 3; all of which had some on shelves but they had instructions that if the thigh diameter was over (I think) 25″ then these off-the-shelf ones were not to be used. Well my measurement was over 28″ so this wasn’t going to be simple. One of the pharmacists came out to talk to me. He confirmed that nothing they had would fit my purpose and he asked me a couple of other questions. I’d measured myself after visiting the first place but this was a new question. What compression did the Doctor want me to get? I hadn’t a clue.

So I was then directed to a medical supply house; Lebanon had one conveniently close to the hospital. But when I got there, I found they had moved. Once I found the new location (they didn’t have very useful signage on the new building) and waited for them to open (not until 9:00) they informed me they didn’t stock the kind of supply I needed either. But they did have a referral to an orthopedic fitting and supply place. So I went there. Now remembering that “feature” of the leg swelling decreasing when reclined (like overnight while asleep?) and the measurement being important, they only do fittings by appointment and only in the mornings. But here my luck begins to change. They could fit me in about a week from then. No, really, it did change. It was the end of the week and they called me back with an opening from a cancellation that could get me in the following Monday. Before then they called me back again asking about the prescription. Remember, they needed to know how much compression was needed. Well, I called back to the clinic and of course the Doctor who saw me wasn’t there. But they managed to get a different Doctor to look at the charts and send in a prescription (another consulting fee?) so that I could get the stockings when I went for my fitting. Oh, it’s a real deal; I only need it for one leg but they come as a pair. But they’re universal (no angle on the toe) so each fits either leg so I can wash one while wearing the other.

They’re still working on trying to bill the insurance.