Just One Day without DRAMA!

Please, that's all I ask--one day without everything turning into major problems. I haven't had a day like that in a long, long time. This past month I've had major problems with Mr. Fixit's insurance company, his cardiologist's office, our internet service provider (a Major and long-standing communications company), my new computer with Windows 10 (which stinks), a local computer repair company, and most of all just the standard aggravations of everyday life. It's also so freaking hot I can't take it!!! I am woman, hear me whine.

After being notified that Mr. Fixit was due for his yearly cardiology appointment, I used the patient portal online to make the appointment. The next day Mr. Fixit received an email saying that there was a message on the portal. The message wasn't there. I waited one day before I called the office to get the details of the appointment. The phone is answered by the computer offering several options, such as requests for meds, appointments, etc. When I pushed the appt. button, I was told by the computer that it would be more efficient to make the appt. through the patient portal. Irony? It just made me angry. Finally I talked to a real person who gave the details of his appt. and was told that a stress test had to be done before seeing the doctor. She said she would send a letter with the details. I gave Mr. Fixit a detailed note so that he could put the information on his online calendar. (For some reason, his calendar no long syncs with mine.) I then let the appt. date and time to slip away. I often do that with info that is recorded. I don't memorize phone numbers. They are there on my phone. I don't try to remember the details of appts. because I usually get email or telephonic reminders days before. About a week later, I asked Mr. Fixit about the date scheduled to see the doctor. He said it was "a week from tomorrow." I got in a tizzy because no one had called or sent a letter about the test. I called the office again to see if it had been scheduled. I left a message. No one called back. I waited one more day, checking the patient portal, email, text messages, and our snail mail. Nothing. As I walked by Mr. Fixit's real calendar in the kitchen I noticed that his appt. was near the end of this month. You might say that I was a little put out--all that worry for nothing.

Yesterday I received a call from the doctor's office saying that when trying to get pre-certification for the test, she was told by the insurance company (another major business organization) that Mr. Fixit's patient I.D. number wasn't active. The woman asked me to call the insurance company to straighten out the problem. I called. It took me some time to get a real, live person on the phone. Then after explaining the problem I was shuttled to several of their reps. I was also prodded into agreeing to respond some sort of questionnaire about Mr. Fixit's general health. Then I was prodded to agree to talking to someone else about his meds (a half-hour conversation according to the rep). I begged off when asked to do it that day explaining that I had an immediate problem that needed to be resolved. (I have that little chore now scheduled for Monday at 8 am.) At last I thought I had found someone who knew their business. She agreed that his ID number was active and she couldn't explain why the doctor's office had been given the wrong info. Then she said, "I don't have a record of your having received a new card at the beginning of the year. Tell the doctor to try his number from last year." I said, "He did receive his card; I just read the number to you from that card." She said, "Well, I don't have a record of that card." I said, " I am holding the card in my hand." Again she said, "Call you doctor and tell them to try the last year's number." I gave up. I called the doctor's office and explained what I was told. I still don't know if the insurance company will pay for the test or the time of the appt. for the test. We are not sure that the test is necessary because there was a test done at the end of April when he had the little problem and went to the emergency room. The cardio guy and the hospital where he had the test done are all part of the same huge medical entity. They should be sharing info.

Also yesterday I had to deal with having no internet and waiting for the ISP tech to install our new service. But that's a "whole 'nother' story" but just a frustrating that the foregoing tale of woe. I'll get to that one later. It's a cautionary tale of corporate greed, blackmail, and plain bad manners.

While there is all this crap going on, occasionally something comes along that makes me laugh:

Mr. Fixt and ESL

Mr. Fixit is no longer young, and some of his senses have lessened as they do for most of us. He doesn't hear well, his eyes aren't what they used to be, and his sense of direction has diminished alarmingly. As a result, I get very nervous when he drives by himself. I have become a backseat driver in the worst way. I know it annoys him, but it's better than ending up in Georgia when just going to the local Wal-Mart. Since it does annoy him, I try not to say too much, even though his driving does scare me sometimes.

We stopped at the stop sign to wait for traffic to pass so he could leave our neighborhood and enter a main road. I think he realizes his abilities and reflexes have waned a bit, so he is extra cautious about pulling into traffic. Finally, he turned onto the road quite quickly. The wheels gave a little squeal. I didn't say one word, but I could tell he was waiting for my perhaps "gentle" criticism of his driving. I kept mum. He said, "Babe, did you hear that? Just like "Sparky and Hutch."

I laughed, no, I guffawed, I had tears rolling down my face. He said, "Whut, Whut? What did I say?" I laughed that much harder. Right now, I'm laughing just thinking about it. He's such a good sport. He doesn't get mad when I tease him.