Stress

[cjsmith]

I'm wearing two hats at work, either one of which is easily a full-time job. ("Full-time" means "if I worked eighty hours a week I'd still be kicking myself for not getting as much done as I should".) The two hats part of it is temporary, but...

I have had a brief blinding flash of social life, with two weeks wherein just about every lunch and dinner was claimed. Temporary, and fun, but...

It's November. Temporary, and useful, but...

I'm working on my BFR. I hate getting in situations where I know I won't do well. It won't take long before I'm doing well again, but...

I'll hear back from the IRS in maybe late December. Meanwhile I try not to worry ("don't think of a blue VW Beetle!"), but...

My insurance company just told me that my foot surgery was not medically necessary and was therefore ineligible for coverage. CRAP! THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY! I don't even know how much! I hope to appeal, but...

My doctor filled out my parking placard form wrong. Again. I can probably get another one, especially if I'm willing to keep faxing forms over until one comes out okay by random chance, but...

I'm on staff (half-time) for a square dance convention coming up. Two and a half weeks to go, and...

My feet hurt. OK, this one's probably permanent. I'm sure I'll get used to it some day, but...



...in the meantime, it's a little bit stressful around here.

EDIT: I just got the phone call from my doctor's office. Insurance is claiming the surgeon assisting was medically unnecessary. They've checked with billing, and insurance has paid their part of the rest of it. PHEW!! My doc(s) may wangle with insurance over this, but if for any reason I do get stuck with this portion of the bill at least I'm confident that I can pay it.

Comments

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

*stage whispers*

"Today, the part of cjsmith will be played by crazyladynocats"

*i come strutting on-screen and pretend i'm you while you go and take breather*

*sigh* if only it were that easy.

that really burns me up about your surgery... so your insuance doesn't think that walking is medically necessary, either? *fumes* i hope you can find the spoons to fight them, or at least argue your side.

*hugs*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Heh heh heh! :-) Yeah, I got a phone call (and edited the post) -- they're only disputing PART of it. Things could be far worse. I am (mostly) very relieved about that one now.

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

hooray!!! glad to hear at least part of your stressors aren't nearly as bad as you'd thought. Very Good News.

i second the motion that you need constant application of feline stress relief. the stuff does wonders.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Kitties are wonderful. Yay kitties!

Sorry you're going through all of this

[runeshower.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I feel for you. It's especially annoying (adding insult to injury) when they don't want to pay for an operation that also didn't quite fix the problem. Grrrr. I hope you can successfully appeal.

Re: Sorry you're going through all of this

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That's exactly how I felt! GRRRRRR, like I almost wouldn't have minded so much if the danged surgery had FIXED it.

Got the phone call though -- they're only disputing PART of it. I feel much much better.

Re: Sorry you're going through all of this

[runeshower.livejournal.com]

That's better. With a little push they might pay for the whole thing.

Re: Sorry you're going through all of this

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

From the sound of it the doctor's office gets stuck with it if insurance doesn't pay it... although I trust that about as far as I can throw my nearest insurance billing agent. ;-)

[ohhjuliet.livejournal.com]

*hug*

even temporary stressors suck huge.

love you

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

They DO! Yeesh. But it's nice to know that they're temporary! (And see my edit to the post -- the insurance thing isn't near as bad as I feared.)

[ambar.livejournal.com]

*hugs*
and we have a dinner date!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

We do! Most excellent!

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Bleah! *HUGS* In the meantime, hey, remember kitties are scientifically proven effects-of-stress reducers....

=^..^=

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Kitties are WONDERFUL. I swear, they keep me going.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Whew. Glad I read the post after you made the edit. Still, insurance companies. Bleah.

*hugs*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Don'cha just want to SHAKE them sometimes? Yeesh.

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

Your insurance company needs to have its ass kicked. It's not Wellpoint, by any chance, is it?

whew - just saw the edit.

*offers you chocolate and a shouder-rub*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

As a matter of fact... :-) (Blue Cross of CA)

Gratefully accepted! And I offer you a... hrm... heating pad and your favorite beverage!

Socializing...

[the-ogre.livejournal.com]

...now that my life is hopefully not throwing big surprises at me for a while, perhaps we could schedule dinner and hanging outness?

I'm thinkin' Thursday evening...

Re: Socializing...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thursday's my writing thingy throughout Nov. Friday also taken. Monday's taken (sort of). How's mid next week?

Re: Socializing...

[the-ogre.livejournal.com]

Tuesday or Thursday? Lemme know!

Re: Socializing...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thursday's my writing thingy throughout Nov. Plus, sadly, I'm *really* freakin' overextended. How's this: are you willing to accept a conditional for Tuesday? That is, I can go to dinner on Tuesday if I'm caught up on word count? I should know for sure by Sunday evening. If that feels too much like flaky-person-yanking-your chain I understand, and we can pick a time when I'm less of a crank.

Re: Socializing...

[the-ogre.livejournal.com]

Sure!
If Tuesday does'nt work out, we'll just reschedule.

Re: Socializing...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Muchas gracias!

Re: Socializing...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I better bail. 1) sick, sicksicksick, you do NOT want this. 2) my dad is in town starting tomorrow morning -- he may actually brave the sick and drop by my house. Mainly 1) though. No fun stuff for the CJ until at least the fever's down.

*sigh*.

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

Whew, glad to hear about the insurance company!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I was SOOOOOOO relieved.

Thank you so much for dealing with me when I was wigging, yesterday. I'm sure that wasn't easy. :-/ I appreciate it.

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

No problem :-) You have a present waiting for you when you get home.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I hope it's not from the kitties!

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

Jackie got locked in my office while I was out. I'm surprised she didn't use the computer to make a journal entry. She didn't appear to leave us any gifts.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh good. :)

I may not get home by the time you have to leave. :-/ See you after, if not before!

[hot-turkey.livejournal.com]

I'm working on my BFR. I hate getting in situations where I know I won't do well. It won't take long before I'm doing well again, but...

Wow--what's with the multiple flights per BFR? I stopped flying power years ago, a few years before I stopped flying gliders (well, maybe some day...), but it was always just a single flight. Were you not current, have they gotten a lot harder, or what?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

WAY not current. :)

[hot-turkey.livejournal.com]

...and, hang in there. I got stuck with an unreasonable medical bill once, panicked at first, but in the end, they were happy to accept a small fraction of the insane amount that they first tried to squeeze out of me.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I will never understand the haggling bit, which I suspect puts me at a disadvantage. :-(

[hot-turkey.livejournal.com]

I've never been much of a haggler myself. It was more like "uh, I'm a grad student, this is not covered by my student insurance, and you're asking me to pay half my yearly income for one restless night in your 'sleep' clinic? Impossible!" To which they replied "ok, how about one-tenth that amount?" Argh.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh yowza. See, I'm so damned naive, I figure if I owe some amount I owe it. I'd ask about a payment plan and start scrabbling and scrounging. :-(

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Yike! What a scare, with the surgery cost!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I about peed my pants. That would be a LOT of money.

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Wow! About a month ago I got the last notice from last year's health plan that they FINALLY settled on covering everything they were supposed to cover. They'd fussed about extra charges for my late Sunday night ER visit, and other stupid little bits, trying to make me pay somethimg like $384 here and $249 there. Annoying. But at least they never fussed about the big stuff. But, still, I can't believe it took that long! Including them threatening me with bill collectors while they were still wrangling between the medical group and my insurance! Bastards!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Well of COURSE they'll threaten you with bill collectors while they're still arguing. After all, if you just grin and pay it, they don't have to keep arguing.

We could sure use a bit more clarity about who really owes for what. Not sure how to get there given our current system, but gawd, the manpower WASTED on that question alone...!