*because the owner of the small company my husband works for is an IDIOT, that’s why.

I talked her out of about half the tests she wanted to do, so that only the bare essentials were done.  I got out of there for just under $200.  Not too bad.

Tuesday I noticed my back starting to hurt.  Oh shit.  Not this again.  Fortunately, I still had some celebrex samples leftover from my last adventure, so I popped one of those in the afternoon.

Didn’t do a thing.

Huh.

Wednesday morning I took another celebrex, just in case the other one was a dud (that happens, right?) and went to work, noticing that the pain wasn’t in the same spot as it was the last time - it was higher and on the right side of my back.  Weird.  I enjoyed our Thanksgiving luncheon at work…but halfway through started to feel…not nauseous…just…weird.  Like, maybe it would be best if I stopped eating, right…NOW.

I took some Tylenol, the only other pain med I could take with celebrex still in my system, and after about an hour or so felt good enough to pick slowly at the plate of yummy desserts I had brought back to my desk.  That night I took it easy and popped some more tylenol.

Thursday morning I woke up and didn’t feel good at all.  The pain had spread around my side and front on the right side.  I took more tylenol and started to get ready for work, but a wave of pain hit me so hard I buckled over.  I had chills.  Then I was hot.  Then I was chilled.  I took my temperature.  I had a slight fever, but I couldn’t tell much by that because I had been taking so much tylenol.  Was that a bad thing?  I didn’t know.

I couldn’t do it.  I couldn’t go to work.  I stripped and crawled back into bed…crying.  Because this was not good.  This was very serious.  And it was MORE serious in that I was going to have to see my doctor again, and more tests would have to be done, and there was NO WAY I was getting out of there for under $200.  And Kev held me and took the morning off work and we just lay in bed together until the Tylenol kicked in and I could fall back asleep.

Later that afternoon I made it to the doctor’s office and they saw me pretty quickly.  She poked and prodded my belly and found the spot that was tender.

Doc: hmm…pain there is associated with the gall bladder.

Me: I don’t have a gall bladder anymore

Doc: hmmm…

I was given two choices.

1. She could draw blood for tests.  Give me antibiotics.  And send me to get a CAT scan.  Bloodwork and scan results would be in some time the following week.

2. ER.

She wanted me to go to the ER, because then they could do all the tests immediately and I could find out quickly what was wrong with me.

ER = $$$$  At least $2000 out of pocket, between the deductable and the 20% we’d be responsible for after that.  AND if I don’t get real health insurance by the time my 6 month temp insurance runs out, I wouldn’t be able to reapply for it again.

I chose to stay and have the bloodwork done in the office.  I could always do the ER if things got worse.  So they drew blood.  They gave me a shot of antibiotics.

nurse: soo…umm..this is going to hurt.  but it will hurt WORSE tomorrow, ok?

me: ok…

nurse: *jab*

me: IIIII’m henry the 8th I am!  King Henry the 8th I am I am!  I got married to the widow next door!  She’s been married seven…TIMES before! *weeeeeeeep!*

FUCK THAT HURT.

The office manager gave me paperwork for a CAT scan.  With the price written on it.  $750.  And that was at the CHEAP place.

Doc visit + bloodwork + shot: $358

one week’s worth of augmentin (antibiotic): $44

Total medical bills for the week: around $600

There would be no CAT scan for me. Sorry Doc.

That night I dosed myself with some old percocet we had (though doc had written me a script for them - 60 of them!  they apparently give them out like candy!) and stayed off my right side.

Praise Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and Casper the Friendly Ghost, I woke up Friday feeling so much better.  No more fever.  No more chills.  Pain on right side faded to a dull ache.  For fear of risking my future job prospects there, I needed to get to work.  I got there an hour late and made it through the rest of the day.

Today the pain is faded even more, but I’m still getting tired easily. Just taking it a day at a time.

Hopefully, the bloodwork will shed some light on what happened, but I might never really know.

But do you see this?  These choices I had to make?  And how much it cost, even with just the bare minimum of care?  And we are LUCKY!  LUCKY that we’re both currently employed…though for how much longer is anyone’s guess.  I took a GIANT risk with my own life because I was afraid of wracking up medical bills that would have bankrupted us fast.  It was LUCK that the minimal of care ($400!) seems to have solved the problem.  Already because of this, plans have to be scaled back, finances adjusted.  So it’s Happy Birthday to me and Merry Christmas to us when I get my bloodwork results back, because that’s what it’s come to.  But it could have been so much worse.  And I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if had been worse.  Or if it’s not over yet.  I still have some pain - whatever it is that’s inside me is not gone yet.  I have to hope that the next 5 days of antibiotics will kill it off for good.

So for those of  you out there that think there is nothing wrong with our current health care system in the country, FUCK YOU.  No one should have to make a choice between their health and paying their bills that month.

I am so lucky.

OH WELL!

I did it.  I joined Facebook.  I caved to peer pressure, really.  Too many of my friends were on it for me to refuse for too long.  I’m not going to link it here, because I don’t really “go” by my real name here.  BUT if you know me well enough to know my real name, and you are also on the facebook, friend me!  And I will send you FLAIR!  And I promise it will not be vampire or Jesus themed.

*damn kids on teh internets!*

I made one substitution: instead of regular italian sausage, I used chicken italian sausge.  My office mate was raised mixed muslim/christian and doesn’t eat pork, and I wanted to make sure she could partake.  I know all too well how frustrating it is when food restrictions limit the kind of yummy food one can eat at potlucks!

It smells like Thanksgiving in my home now.  Be jealous.

arrowhead lace shawl

I can help, yes?

oops.  sari.

Just fine, it turns out.

Finished plying - 8oz of corriedale roving, purchased at SAFF from Shepherd’s Corner.

Wait a half hour.  Wash asparagus, cut bottoms, arrange in baking dish, drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper.  Put in oven.

REEEEELAAAAAAAXXXX….

Kev gets home.  Is it done?  Is it done now?   Maybe it’s done now?

NOT DONE YET!

Kev: did you make iced tea?

Me: no.

Kev: well why not?

Me: because I made CHICKEN!!!!!!!!

Kev is making iced tea.  Chicken is not yet done.

We get a good start heading to the park n fly and arrive somewhat on time.  However the shuttle taking us to the airport hits traffic.  Competent and friendly driver finds another way, we make our flight on time.  Hooray!  We are stuffed like sardines inside the plane.  Booo.

My brother is supposed to pick us up from the airport.  He is not there.  He is running late.  WHERE IS MY BROTHER IT IS LATE AND I WANT TO GO TO BED!!!

There is a weird detour around construction.  He picks us up at the curb.  On the way to our parent’s house, he gets a confusing text and then a phone call from a friend who is drunk and passed out behind my brother’s shop.  Great.  Another detour to bro’s shop.  I send Kev out with brother to explore back yarn of shop to try to find friend while I wait in car.  As they search, I see legs sticking out of clump of weeds.  They are moving, at least.  It is drunk friend, who is VERY drunk and also embarrassed.  Duh.  Dude, you are too old for this.  Brother opens shop to let drunk guy sleep it off in piercing room.  I hope he sterilizes it before the next piercing.

We arrive at parent’s house.  Mom is still up, and she goes to get my father, who has gone to bed.  But he is surprised!  Success!  Everyone was able to keep a secret for months.  It’s a miracle.  We all pat ourselves on the back over cider and pumpkin cake, and then go to bed.

Saturday

Doorbell rings after only 3 and a half hours of sleep.  Dad’s recliner has arrived - we are the first delivery on their list!  Mom and I try to suppress our…zzzzzzz….

Dad doesn’t even wake up.  He finds chair later in the morning, after being up for a half hour.  He is quite the observant man.  Sits down in chair and doesn’t get up for several hours, until he and Kev tackle the insane amount of leaves that cover the yard for the afternoon.

Mission: buy me boots.  I want boots!  Knee-high, brown, with small heel.  For work.  There are sales going on and also PA has no sales tax on clothing, so this is perfect chance to buy.  However, there is not a single pair of boots that fit me in any shoe store within a 10 mile radius.  It is a long day, but I do find some cute heels and some body lotion.  Then everyone goes to Primanti’s for dinner.  I send picture of my angus beef steak sandwich, topped high with cole slaw and fries, to Julie.  She replies “you SUCK”

Sunday

Mom and I try one more place for boots.  Strike out, but find another deal on cute shoes too good to pass up.

Then it’s on to my father’s birthday dinner…er…late lunch.  At Davio in Beechwood, which I really can’t say ENOUGH about.  It’s a small family place, and they opened early just for us.  The staff was on the BALL and very friendly, the food was OUT OF THIS WORLD.  Everyone who can should go.  You won’t regret it.

Everyone back to my parent’s house to sit and chat and try to digest some of the food so as to make room for birthday cake and ice cream.  Dad opens his gifts and is thrilled (we went halvsies on a gift with bro - a nice leather jacket).  A nice time had by all.  Except the Steelers lose.  Booo.

Monday

Packed and cleaned up.  Left a little early so as to enjoy lunch at Quaker Steak and Lube (warning: site has annoying noise).  Sent another pic to Julie (her response: you SUCK!) and then on to the airpor where we got through baggage check and security in just enough time to make the start of boarding.  Much better seating arrangement, but flight takes longer than expected.  And when we get to atlanta, we find that only one of our two small suitcases has made it.  The one full of dirty clothes and poppy seed filling (long story) is missing.  File claim and grab shuttle to parking, then drive to pick up a VERY happy to see us dog - who is clean and also exhausted, and plops down immediately in the back seat of the car and doesn’t move much until we get home, when she finds her bed and passed out.

Order pizza and relax.

Wake up Tuesday with headache, tummy troubles and a leg that won’t stop throbbing.  I stay home to sleep it off.  Feeling much better now, thanks 

It’s a bright, glorious day!  And friday night I leave the land of the red to go to the home of the blue!  Pennsylvania!  My dad is turning 60 and for a surprise, my mom is flying us up for the family party.  Woohoo!  Hopefully when my brother takes us to their house from the airport, we don’t surprise my dad TOO much and he comes after us with a baseball bat.

In crafty news, I am taking a break from spinning, as two weeks of doing little but spin has aggrevated a weirdo pain in my leg that usually comes and goes but has now just set up camp and is bugging the crap out of me.  Soooo I’m laying off the spinning and knitting instead.

I have a lace scarf that isn’t blocked yet, and since unblocked lace looks like boiled ass, I’m not going to post pics here*.  I am knitting an adorable hat pattern that my two favorite knitters at Knitch - mom and daughter super-team Nell and Haley - turned me on to.  Sadly the first hat turned out a little too small:

So I gave it to Olivia tonight at Knitch because it fit her so nicely.  I’m knitting the next one MUCH looser and it should fit better.

Catch you guys next week!  GO STEELERS!

*OK, I lied.  Instead of packing, I blocked my scarf.  Here it is in all it’s pinned up sadistic glory:

I have never been so proud to be an American in my entire life.

We are the savy consumers, yes?

Except now we are TOTALLY COMMITTED to doing this kitchen remodel.  Either that or we carry around a 130lb sink with us for the rest of our lives.  No thanks.

Walking around Ikea did have one nasty side effect: a blister on my heel.  Waaah!

epsom salts: my favorite home remedy

While my foot soaks, I occupy my brain and my fingers, because otherwise I will go CRAZY NUTS over anticipation of election day.  MUST PREVENT PRE-ELECTION MELTDOWN!!!

It’s a Felicity hat, knit out of a tiny bit over a half a skein of Shepherd’s wool, knit on needles one size up but still a little on the small side.  I purposely knit tighter than I usually do because I was afraid they’d turn out too big (gauge swatch?  what gauge swatch?).  I plan on making a couple more as quick and easy christmas gifts (shut up, I can change my mind about knitting christmas gifts!), and maybe I’ll make another stripey one using the leftover colors for me!  This one may go to a kid…if only I knew a little girl who would appreciate one…hmmmmm…

GO VOTE TOMORROW, PEOPLE!!!  I don’t even care who you vote for.  Mickey Mouse!  Bugs Bunny!  Bob Barr!  Any fictional character who doesn’t stand a chance! *heh*  Just vote.

BUT before you vote, ask yourselves if you want to vote for someone who has done everything he could to inspire hope and change with his campaign…or vote for someone who has based his entire campaign on negativity and fear.  If your candidate has filled you with TERROR AND DREAD over the possibility of the other guy winning, then maybe you need to consider a different candidate.  This is an election between two good men with different ideas.  Not an election between WARRING ISLAND CANNIBAL TRIBES.  Let’s all keep things in perspective, mkay?  Vote with your eyes closed and your EARS OPEN.

That’s all I ask.