The ICI Experience:

Great Scott! Charlie Brown, not diabetes too!!!???***### No, but I might have PRE-diabetes. Dr. Cuddapah at the FFC has prescribed a half-dosage of Metformin for me because my triglycerides are high, my HDL is at the lowest of the acceptable range, I'm overweight and I'm old(er). After doing my follow-up research I see that no one recommends medication on the POSSIBILITY of pre-diabetes. You have to take one of two tests to get a glucose level before you can be properly diagnosed. And of course the medication has it's own side effects which I would just as soon avoid... so I'm going to ask the doc about getting properly diagnosed before starting meds and if I'm not actually pre-diabetic I'll suggest using diet and exercise to control the situation for now. Of course my first course of specially-formulated-for-me Metformin has already been ordered from the FFC's compounding pharmacy, and paid for. Ugh. Why is everything so difficult? Or as two members...

Here's my complete receipt from the FFC. Click on the individual page to see it full size. Page 1 of the receipt shows tests I was given and their costs, and my diagnoses. Page 2 details the "Intraveneous Infusion." I'm going to ask more about this IV drip at my next appointment. I think it might have helped me to feel better but I was totally wiped out for the rest of the day of the infusion. The majority of the cost of the drip is for the administration of the infusion. Huh. Must have been to cover the private room they set Mom and I up in - she got her own recliner. She liked that. She read for awhile then took a nap. I sat in my recliner for two hours trying to hold my arm in the right position for the drip to keep on drippin'. I'm supposed to be having these infusions weekly, but it's not possible since I live so far away. I will ask if a local doctor's office could administer this IF I decide that it's really helping. And next t...

A lot of people have expressed interest in learning more about the FFC and what they do there when they found out I was going to go there, and it hasn't been easy for me to find first hand accounts or unbiased reviews of the Centers (one exception: Fibromyalgia Diaries on Kitten's Scratching Post) , so maybe my postings on this subject can save some of you some time in that respect. Here's all the scoop on my first appointment. I did a lot of research before deciding to go to the FFC, but I haven't posted on that yet because I've been sick... I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease in August. Yeah, just what I need, one more diagnosis. Anyhoo, there seems to be some kind of connection between FM and Hashimoto's - more on that to come, I'm sure, but this new diagnosis is one of the reasons I decided to bite the bullet and go to the FFC now - that and the new package price program described below. I'm just getting over the second in as many week...