On 2014
I don't really know what to say about 2014 and what I was doing during that time. It was all a blur. A lot of slow changes and some good changes and some frustrating ones. I guess here are some summaries of my 2014...
Medical and Insurance - I think the sore issue for me for 2014 was "Obama Care." I prefer to call it ACA since I don't want it to sound like I hate Obama for it or anything. I am pretty frustrated with both Dems and Reps in the U.S. Having lost my job at the end of 2013, I had to sign up for ACA at the beginning of 2014.
According to the government, even as a freelancer and even though the government taxes freelancers more, I made "too much" to get assistance with buying medical insurance. So while I pay higher taxes, live in a ridiculously high cost of living area, and making $20,000 less than I was...my insurance would cost me twice as much as before and I was legally required to pay for it. The only reason why I could afford it was because I paid off my car in 2014 and the cost of insurance was equal to that as a car payment. The was only the start of my medical/insurance frustration.
I want to say Blue Shield of California is an absolutely horrible company and dear gods, I want to plaster the shit they put me through everywhere so people can avoid them. When I switched I had the unfortunate discovery that my new insurance didn't cover my antidepressant. The one that actually works for me. All of 2014 was a painful and hellish trip of trying different antidepressants again, getting horrific side effects, going off them to get on new ones, and it was it's own special hell. I finally made it onto one very similar antidepressant that just...isn't as good, but oh well. An annoying side effect of a constant ringing in my ears, but better than some of the other side effects I had from other ones.
Another disappointment for BSC was learning that no walk-in clinic accepted BSC. So one weekend when I was in some pain and suffering what I knew was a UTI, I had to wait to see a doctor because I wasn't going to pay $300 out of pocket. That UTI became early stages of a kidney infection and yeah. Not fun.
The other issue I had with Blue Shield was paying my insurance in the first place. My electronic payments wouldn't go through and their website would constantly break down on me. I tried mailing checks and I guess those checks wouldn't go through until a month or so later. I contacted them about the issues I had with electronic payments only to never get a response or anything helpful. Eventually, because I ended up "late" on so many payments because I simply couldn't pay them...they dropped me. I lost insurance for the last couple months of 2014 which was it's own brand of "fun." Best part of Blue Shield is eventually I did get an email from them...not anything about the emails I had sent only to never get a response, but a survey. I happily filled out their survey and expressed my frustration and hate for their company. They replied back saying a representative would call me to properly address these issues.
That call never came.
A new year means new insurance. They don't cover my preferred antidepressant, but as long as they aren't shit like Blue Shield California...I will still call it a win.
Moving in with Adem - Moving in with Adem back in April has gone very well. Definitely the high-light of 2014 for me. It has gone well. We do well living together. No real issues. As long as he doesn't use my toothpaste (as he squeezes from the middle instead of the end), I think we are all good! Ha ha ha!
Therapy - I had a lot of therapy in 2014. Much needed and a lot of help. I think the big thing I got out of it was some direction. He helped me start to make changes in my life and to recognize that I need to make changes I want slowly. I am super awesome at trying to take on too much at one time and giving up early one when I start to fuck it all up. So with that said...
Some good thing - I've been cooking more and eating healthier because of it. I've learned how and when I can eat fun things, candy, and other junk foods and remain healthy. I've gotten better about using food as a coping mechanism. Something I hadn't really admitted to anyone (let alone, myself) that since moving to California...I started to cling to comfort food a bit too much. Eat when I am sad or depressed or angry or just all the time. It's another reason why during the last four years I gained the weight that I did.
Now that I am getting healthier in that aspect, I also began exercising. Living in California means driving everywhere instead of all the walking I use to do. I knew I needed to get exercise in somehow and 2014, I finally developed a good rhythm. I took up kickboxing! It is a lot of fun too. On a regular week, I do it about four days of the week with one day doing regular exercises like lab work and such. I am even going to a kickboxing class once a week, while the other days I just do it in the comfort of my own home. He he he.
I want to continue to make routines and add in things into my life. I want to get back to doing the things I love.
Medical and Insurance - I think the sore issue for me for 2014 was "Obama Care." I prefer to call it ACA since I don't want it to sound like I hate Obama for it or anything. I am pretty frustrated with both Dems and Reps in the U.S. Having lost my job at the end of 2013, I had to sign up for ACA at the beginning of 2014.
According to the government, even as a freelancer and even though the government taxes freelancers more, I made "too much" to get assistance with buying medical insurance. So while I pay higher taxes, live in a ridiculously high cost of living area, and making $20,000 less than I was...my insurance would cost me twice as much as before and I was legally required to pay for it. The only reason why I could afford it was because I paid off my car in 2014 and the cost of insurance was equal to that as a car payment. The was only the start of my medical/insurance frustration.
I want to say Blue Shield of California is an absolutely horrible company and dear gods, I want to plaster the shit they put me through everywhere so people can avoid them. When I switched I had the unfortunate discovery that my new insurance didn't cover my antidepressant. The one that actually works for me. All of 2014 was a painful and hellish trip of trying different antidepressants again, getting horrific side effects, going off them to get on new ones, and it was it's own special hell. I finally made it onto one very similar antidepressant that just...isn't as good, but oh well. An annoying side effect of a constant ringing in my ears, but better than some of the other side effects I had from other ones.
Another disappointment for BSC was learning that no walk-in clinic accepted BSC. So one weekend when I was in some pain and suffering what I knew was a UTI, I had to wait to see a doctor because I wasn't going to pay $300 out of pocket. That UTI became early stages of a kidney infection and yeah. Not fun.
The other issue I had with Blue Shield was paying my insurance in the first place. My electronic payments wouldn't go through and their website would constantly break down on me. I tried mailing checks and I guess those checks wouldn't go through until a month or so later. I contacted them about the issues I had with electronic payments only to never get a response or anything helpful. Eventually, because I ended up "late" on so many payments because I simply couldn't pay them...they dropped me. I lost insurance for the last couple months of 2014 which was it's own brand of "fun." Best part of Blue Shield is eventually I did get an email from them...not anything about the emails I had sent only to never get a response, but a survey. I happily filled out their survey and expressed my frustration and hate for their company. They replied back saying a representative would call me to properly address these issues.
That call never came.
A new year means new insurance. They don't cover my preferred antidepressant, but as long as they aren't shit like Blue Shield California...I will still call it a win.
Moving in with Adem - Moving in with Adem back in April has gone very well. Definitely the high-light of 2014 for me. It has gone well. We do well living together. No real issues. As long as he doesn't use my toothpaste (as he squeezes from the middle instead of the end), I think we are all good! Ha ha ha!
Therapy - I had a lot of therapy in 2014. Much needed and a lot of help. I think the big thing I got out of it was some direction. He helped me start to make changes in my life and to recognize that I need to make changes I want slowly. I am super awesome at trying to take on too much at one time and giving up early one when I start to fuck it all up. So with that said...
Some good thing - I've been cooking more and eating healthier because of it. I've learned how and when I can eat fun things, candy, and other junk foods and remain healthy. I've gotten better about using food as a coping mechanism. Something I hadn't really admitted to anyone (let alone, myself) that since moving to California...I started to cling to comfort food a bit too much. Eat when I am sad or depressed or angry or just all the time. It's another reason why during the last four years I gained the weight that I did.
Now that I am getting healthier in that aspect, I also began exercising. Living in California means driving everywhere instead of all the walking I use to do. I knew I needed to get exercise in somehow and 2014, I finally developed a good rhythm. I took up kickboxing! It is a lot of fun too. On a regular week, I do it about four days of the week with one day doing regular exercises like lab work and such. I am even going to a kickboxing class once a week, while the other days I just do it in the comfort of my own home. He he he.
I want to continue to make routines and add in things into my life. I want to get back to doing the things I love.