Some progress has been made on a few different fronts. Then there have been some steps backward. I know that's the nature of life, but it still stinks. I'm just not into sugar coating things most of the time. BUT there are so many good things going on, so I am going to END with the good things. And trust me, there are more good than bad.
On the health front, pain, fatigue and nausea are still there. All of the time. Medications help take the edge off, but not much else. I have a feeling this will be an ongoing battle. That's OK with me, as long as I don't get overwhelmed by it all. But we'll see. Bladder spasms are a nightly thing, but they are also getting more frequent during the day now too. I finally got a call into Urology, and the nurse did call me back after two days (it really isn't that long, but you have no idea how much of an eternity it is when you are dealing with issues like this every single day, and I am). Dr. Lee wants to do the cystoscopy in the OR, which I already gathered. He wants me to have a pre-op appointment with him tomorrow afternoon, so I scheduled it and will be traveling to the town where my mother and stepfather live for that appointment and the appointment I have with the Nurse Practitioner I see that specializes in Occupational Health. It looks as though exactly a week from today I will be back in the saddle at the Home. I'm crossing my fingers and toes on that one, trust me. My hope is that we can get this cystoscopy done sooner rather than later, but I would like it to be during Christmas break if at all possible. I will have to see how everything goes. If I can get in sooner for the procedure and I have to miss class, more than likely I will say so be it. I'm getting very frustrated with these bladder spasms, especially when the keep me up for hours at night. They are getting more frequent and worse as time goes on. But other than that, things are as stable as possible on the health front. I am looking into getting a couple of minor things checked out with Dr. P when I have a chance, but they are not pressing issues right now, so I will allow them to rest.
However, Mayo did call me. And I was not at all prepared for what they told me. First off, I owe an approximated total of 18,000 dollars in medical bills between Mayo and Gold Cross. When the lady from the business office called me, she told me that they needed at least ten percent of my total now! I almost burst into tears right there. I told her that I have been out of work for three months and am barely surviving on what I have. I don't even make the total I owe in medical bills in a year. I'm a full time student, and I have bills to pay. She told me I have to include my parents' financial information on an application for hardship assistance with medical bills. When I looked at the application, it said that you needed to include your parents information if you live with your parents and are under the age of 21. For starters, I have not lived with my parents for almost four years. Furthermore, in just three months I will be 21. So, I did not see the reason to put them in. I didn't. Then they want my denial letter from MN care. Well, guess what, I don't have it. I was under the impression that MN care and Blue Plus would take care of it when my insurance was reinstated. So, lesson learned I guess when something like that is happening, I need to keep every single scrap of paper until I know what exactly is going down. Ugh. My hope and prayer is that even though my application will not be as thorough as it should be, that I am approved for this assistance. In the past I have had excellent credit, and I do not want that messed up. Please, if you have moment, pray for me. I need this assistance.
On the BRIGHT SIDE.....
Tomorrow after my Western Civilizations class officially marks the beginning of Thanksgiving break. I couldn't be happier about it. I need a break from school!! It will be really nice when Christmas break is finally here, because then I will have time to focus on getting back into the swing of things at work and making a little extra money. After three months of almost no income, you can imagine how panicked I am regarding financial issues. Especially with all of these medical bills. Not to mention every other bill I have to pay. Things are pretty overwhelming. What's really sad is that as I typed that last sentence I realized I have to pay my phone bill! :o
I will be taking the next few days to RELAX. And I will enjoy it. Tomorrow I have appointments, then I will be watching my nephews and niece. I will be staying away from home for both Wednesday and Thursday nights. I will be watching my niece Friday morning for Black Friday so her mama and daddy can go Christmas shopping. I'm pretty excited!
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