July 21 – “Nauseously nauseating”

Yesterday turned out to be a yard work day.  Actually this was last week’s yard work day.  We skipped one.  The grass wasn’t really all that out of control.  We haven’t had enough rain for that.  It did need the trim, though.  I managed to get a little more of the 40 Steps backyard cut.  For the uninitiated, 40 Steps would be the name of the vacant lot next door to us.  I have to officially declare that Chris wasn’t very happy with me.  It was pretty hot out there.  She even got a little nauseated.  Is that the proper word?  That’s another one that I have always wondered about.  Do you say “nauseated” or is the correct terminology “nauseous”?  I looked them up and they appear to be synonyms for each other, but … why?  I guess the bigger “why” has something to do with why do I care. 

So we quit a little early and came inside to cool down.  When I came out of the shower Chris was on the phone.  We had just been invited out to lunch … by Cailyn.  Mexican food at Salsa’s.  That gave us the clue that her Mom was probably involved at some point in the discussions.  April likes Salsa’s.  Cailyn had, indeed, included her parents in the invitation, so we met them at Salsa’s for lunch.  Good stuff.

Speaking of being nauseously nauseated, I have started the process of transferring over to new doctors who are “in the system” after we got “Obama-cared.”  Who knew that would become a verb?  It is no easy task to get an appointment with a specialist when your insurance is an HMO.  Any promises about keeping your own doctor are most assuredly empty rhetoric.  I finally managed to score an appointment with a rheumatologist  in September and a neurologist in November.  Good thing I’m not having any serious issues right now. 

Well, here’s the latest.  I received a message in their online My Chart system that I no longer had a neurology appointment.  Now I would instead be contacted by a neurosurgeon and a pain management doctor.  What?  After a slight medication adjustment, my pain is under control.  And I certainly don’t need surgery.  In fact I have already seen a neurosurgeon just a few months ago, before the Obamacare switch.  He told me I wasn’t a good candidate for surgery.  At least not at that time. 

So yesterday I got a call from a patient affairs specialist.  I haven’t had an affair with a doctor as far as I can remember, and I’m pretty sure Chris hasn’t either.  It wasn’t about that, though.  She just wanted to know how my last visit went.  Then she made the mistake of asking if there was anything else she could help me with.  I unloaded.  I guess she was taking notes, because when I finally finished with my “story,” she assured me someone would be calling me later in the day.  Even told me the person’s name. 

Believe it or not, I did get that call.  She informed me that I already had an appointment with a neurosurgeon at the end of August.  Never received a call about that one.  And with my PCP.  That would be in September.  OK, that was a follow-up from long ago.  And with the arthritis doctor.  Also in September.  Finally, one that I expected and had on my calendar.  And finally she told me she had reinstated my visit to the neurologist to get established with him.  And the appointment was in November, two weeks before the one they canceled.  Phew.  I think I have it all straight now.  I noticed last night that I have another message waiting on My Chart, though.  What wonders do await me in the magical medical realm today?

Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Father, thank you for the commitment of those specialists to get  where they can help people like me.  And thank you for people like Dee and Vicki, those patient affairs specialists who helped me get connected to them.  Amen.