Surely someone with a working dinghy will give me a ride off this boat!
When Hans and I arrived back in Florida we already had seven doctors appointments scheduled. We are both believers in preventative medicine but since our insurance coverage is basically an HMO and good only in Florida and we'd been in PA for a few months we had no choice.
So, now, in addition to taxi-ing Wilbur ashore for his preventative therapy (i.e; just us avoiding poopy revenge attacks aboard the Knotty Cat in our absence), and when we aren't trying to figure out why the dinghy motor has become a huge stinker leaving us adrift in the mooring field, we sit in doctors' offices filling out paperwork. Unfortunately though, it seems like every appointment we keep just spawns itself into yet another one. Colonoscopy? An office visit first, then the procedure, then a follow-up. Cataracts? Office visit, possible PCP visit next (even though you were there for a physical last week), then hopefully surgery and of course another follow-up. Mammogram? Office visit first... ad nauseum. Our original seven appointments have morphed into thirteen so far and I expect that number will grow.
Oh, and after you finally figure out which lab your insurance covers for blood work just try to make an appointment. The other day I sat in our car on my phone for an entire hour while Hans was at one of his doctors appointments (and trying not to worry about what might be happening to the groceries we'd gone and bought that were sitting in our trunk). After a half hour on hold with our insurance carrier I finally got the number of a lab. And then the fun really started. My entire transaction with the lab involved me 'talking' to a woman's computer generated voice and while I'm not a fan of this kind of service I admit I did get an appointment rather quickly. It was only after I hung up that I realized I'd gone and committed to an afternoon appointment when my blood-work was supposed to be done in the AM.
I googled the lab and dialed their local number. I then hit the number 0 on my phone in that old tried and true method of bypassing the 'voice' in order to speak to a real person.
The following is our dialogue.
Voice (far too cheerful because she knew she held the cards): You've indicated you'd like to speak to a person. I'm sorry (no she wasn't), that option isn't available. Please visit our website at www.wereallydontgiveashit.com.
I'd already been to that website and it hadn't helped at all so I called the original number back in order to talk to the voice who'd been so helpful the first time around.
Voice: How can I help you? (She kindly gave me a list of options. I chose 'reschedule an appointment', SIMPLE!)
Voice: Would you like to reschedule a date, time, or location?
Me: Date and time.
Voice: You'd like to reschedule a date and time. Great (really? that's great?)! What day would you like?
I chose the same date. I just wanted morning instead of afternoon.
Voice: You chose February eighth. What time would you like?
Me (getting all excited because this really was simple after all): 10:00!
Voice (dramatic pause): Ohhhh, I'm sorry! That time isn't available. Let me tell you what times I do have. I have 2:45 and 4:30.
Me: NO!
Voice: Okay. Let's pick a different day. What day would you like?
Me: February ninth.
Voice: You chose February ninth. What time would you like?
Me: 10:00.
Voice: (dramatic pause): Ohhhh, I'm sorry! That time isn't available. Let me tell you what times I do have. I have 1:15 and 2:30.
Me: NO!
Voice: Okay. Let's pick a different day. What day would you like?
Me (in addition to getting really tired of Voice's phony sympathy and ready to tear my hair out for fear I'd have to go through an entire calendar month): You **%#ing bitch!
Voice (dramatic pause and then quite primly): I'm sorry, I don't understand that request (oh yes she did!). Voice (continuing in a wounded tone): What day would you like?
Feeling bad now that I'd offended Voice, I picked another day and she finally gave gave me my 10:00 appointment.
Now I just have to hope for a calm, non-windy morning in order to get ashore without the dinghy motor failing and getting soaked in order to pass out while getting my blood drawn.
But before that happens Wilbur will want to go ashore because he knows the other marina dogs have marked his spots from the previous day and the marina employees are just dying to see him...
Multiply this times thirteen and you now have an idea of what life is like for us here on the waters of Florida.
Noooo! Don't make me get back on the boat! I have to piss on that tree that Harry just pissed on!
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Ha, I feel your pain! Now that Ken & I are 50, we've been busy getting our Shingles vaccination & colonoscopy. (I see "We", but really should be "I" .. Ken has orders for both, but I think he's chickening out).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, add a flu shot, Tetanus shot, mammogram, pap smear, skin cancer screening & lab work for me .. all in the last couple of months. Oh, and a dental cleaning too! Luckily, all came back with good results.
Ken's dealing with labs, visits to the dentist, and several visits to the orthopedist for a bad shoulder. After several visits, he had an MRI last week .. hoping he doesn't need surgery!
Gotta do what we can while we can afford insurance .. LOL! The appointment, insurance verification, and waiting over an hour for the doctor to actually see you .. I swear it's a full-time job!
Good luck with your visits .. and finger crossed you get there on time and dry! =)
Cheryl, so far so good. But I have to tell you I couldn't buy a tetanus shot when we started out a few years ago, absolutely everyone acted like I was nuts. I never did get one. Tell Ken not to skip the colonoscopy! We have friends our age who've missed finding colon cancer that the colonoscopy would've caught!!
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