Stupid circular phoning
Today was a day for the less explosive head. This is a good thing, since it means that I was able to aggressively track the circle of idiots who each claimed that the person to talk to regarding billing for the orthopedic work was the next person in line, and who alternatively claimed that I was uninsured, that my insurance from the contract a while back only covered catastrophic damage - IE, broken bones and major injuries - and that my insurance had expired. That took most of the day, much of it while I had guests in the house - and then there was the determination that as a family of one, I’m actually below 1.75 percent of the poverty line in Maine and qualify for free care.
I do? Hmm, very cool. Let’s avoid looking closely at matters of barter, shall we? Between trading work for work and work for product in legally non-taxable exchange and having monies go directly into write-off as a result of various INS and foreign crap, I think I’m a lot better off than they do, but hey - free care is bloody amazing, and it makes me think that there are some pretty nice benefits to being a consultant. As in, literally anything that happens to me which is cared for in a hospital or under the umbrella of Maine General Health Associates - my orthopedist, for example - is totally covered.
Now, a good portion of that I was informed of on Sunday when I went to the ER and to Express Care and whatnot - but what got under my skin was the orthopedist first screwing around with my maybe-yes, maybe-no insurance and then denying that they had any coverage under Maine General Health Associates. Hours later, I have much evidence in hand that what’s really going on is that whenever someone approaches then on issues of Maine General Health Associates care, they give that person the run-around and attempt to screw them.
Needless to say, instantly unfriendly mode engaged. I’d have been willing to pay cash, actually, had they been willing to provide any form of “Yes, we’ll stop working at dollar amount X.” But they refused to commit. “You might need more, and once we start treating a person, we go all the way.” Heh. Right. Target acquired.
More phone calls, ranging from their billing department to several other clinics under the Maine General Health Associates umbrella, and it appears that even if these idiots won’t follow the law, there are others who will. However - now it’s my duty to see that the ones who tried to cheat get nailed to the wall. Care Partners, enter the department of human services, and enter a very efficient woman whose name I’ll leave unwritten, on the off chance that someone tries to remove her for doing her job.
Now, at the end of Friday business hours, it looks like I have one more hoop to jump through - and then I’ll be civilly and politely demanding full service with frills as opposed to what I’d initially wanted, a straightforward, “Is this a break, can you check my x-rays?” During this process, I’ll be having a word with the doctor who checks my leg, an all around good guy whom I’ve seen before, and I’ll be making him aware that his office has essentially been made liable under state law for fraud, and that I’d like him personally to back-check. He’s a bloody good doc, and he’s got a vested interest in his employers not screwing with clients.
In any event, now I’ve got an appointment lined up for nabbing a primary care physician - my old primary had a bunch of micro-strokes after a nasty bacterial infection - and will be seeing them in early August. I’ve got DHS checking a Maine General Health Associates member for fraud, and I’m guessing I end up getting more treatment than the “Broken or no?” That I actually need.
Bottom line here is that while something for nothing leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I’m certainly of the opinion that if you’re supposed to do your job, and that job entails following a set of laws instead of running people through hoops, you’d damn well better do your job. I’d guess that if I didn’t know how to deal with foot injuries as a result of running and so on, I’d be in a lot worse shape right now, and that the delaying tactics regarding insurance might have cost me partial use of my leg. That puts me in an unfriendly mindset, and results in my duty as messenger: “Don’t screw with clients, and don’t try to cheat. Someone will eventually catch you out and make you pay for it.”
In the meantime, given the progression of the injury, I’m guessing that it’s either a very minor break - one I could get healing with only a splint, or even by careful non-use of the leg - or that it’s a slight sprain complicated by crushed ankle tissue. I hate not knowing, but old injuries keep making me think one thing or the other, and now I’m just to the point of saying, “OK, who cares. Toss a cast on it or not, just so long as I have some sort of recovery pattern to follow.”
Already did the usual unwrapping and changing of splint material, cleaning of leg, and so on. Already did the basic bone check tests that runners are used to, especially where I’ve got a pretty firm background in sports medicine. Now it’s just a waiting game, during which I’m treating it like a broken bone from a weight bearing perspective, and like a mild sprain from a PT perspective. Here’s the process.
1) No sudden shock weight on the leg, ideally no weight at all, but I’m clumsy.
2) Unwrap leg twice a day since I’ve got very limited splint supplies and therefore must keep it clean.
3) Apply tea-tree oil - a topical antifungal and mild antibiotic as well as circulation aid.
4) Test range of motion very gently.
5) Do 20 minutes of low resist work using a towel to keep the ankle strong.
6) Check position of swelling, check for new swelling.
7) Re-pack the leg
8) I.C.E, more E and C than I at this point, since the swelling’s way down.
9) Monitor intensity and location of pain, as well as type of pain.
For what it’s worth, I’m totally off naproxen sodium now and the leg is mostly cramping. If this is a break, it’s the least painful break I’ve ever heard of. Needless to say, I’m keeping track and won’t be loading the leg in terms of drills or anything else for at least five and a half more weeks, since that’s the typical bone healing time-frame.
Now, some questions to my medical friends out there.
1) Heard an interesting rumor that bones didn’t heal when a person was awake. Now, I can see an increase in healing when sleeping, but not a total lack of it when awake - and idea what the differential is, or if that’s just a nutty idea?
2) Does anyone know the law as regards possession of x-rays? I want mine in hand, and the hospital claims I can’t keep ‘em. Damnit, that’s primo art material, that is.
3) Anyone know where to get no-name/no-trace x-ray film? I’ve been doing India ink work regarding skeletal structure, and really could use some film to keep stuff active in my mind.
* * *
Re-watched the four Pride GP elimination fights in Japanese with a friend - finding that I’m a lot better at picking up stray words in Japanese that I was last year at this time, and very amused by it. A lot of that has to do with exposure to the language, and I certainly don’t claim any detailed knowledge, but I’m endlessly fascinated with accent positions, methods of speaking, and - in MMA in particular - the way I can pick out meaning from the inclusion of English words, MMA specific Japanese words, and what appears to be an osmotic effect from watching… Anime. Migod, and I thought learning Russian via TV and films before total immersion occurred felt strange. This is stranger, and much more fun.
* * *
If anyone visits my house, be aware that with the fans running, I may not be hearing the dog. Please feel free to honk your horn in groups of three, but not as an SOS. Then be prepared for the fact that it’ll take me at least a couple of minutes to carefully navigate my way to where I can let you in.
On a similar note, thunderstorm means I unplugged stuff upstairs for a while. Looks like I’ve missed a couple phone calls. Crap and apologies. Calling you three back as soon as I can. (Got one of you! Yay!) Hmm, modem online. Phone’s plugged back in now, feel free to call me again and let me know how foolish I am, eh?
* * *
Those of you who’ve been loaning me books - you’re all my heroes. Thank-you! Still needing = book needing, and the supply has been absolutely fabulous.
I do? Hmm, very cool. Let’s avoid looking closely at matters of barter, shall we? Between trading work for work and work for product in legally non-taxable exchange and having monies go directly into write-off as a result of various INS and foreign crap, I think I’m a lot better off than they do, but hey - free care is bloody amazing, and it makes me think that there are some pretty nice benefits to being a consultant. As in, literally anything that happens to me which is cared for in a hospital or under the umbrella of Maine General Health Associates - my orthopedist, for example - is totally covered.
Now, a good portion of that I was informed of on Sunday when I went to the ER and to Express Care and whatnot - but what got under my skin was the orthopedist first screwing around with my maybe-yes, maybe-no insurance and then denying that they had any coverage under Maine General Health Associates. Hours later, I have much evidence in hand that what’s really going on is that whenever someone approaches then on issues of Maine General Health Associates care, they give that person the run-around and attempt to screw them.
Needless to say, instantly unfriendly mode engaged. I’d have been willing to pay cash, actually, had they been willing to provide any form of “Yes, we’ll stop working at dollar amount X.” But they refused to commit. “You might need more, and once we start treating a person, we go all the way.” Heh. Right. Target acquired.
More phone calls, ranging from their billing department to several other clinics under the Maine General Health Associates umbrella, and it appears that even if these idiots won’t follow the law, there are others who will. However - now it’s my duty to see that the ones who tried to cheat get nailed to the wall. Care Partners, enter the department of human services, and enter a very efficient woman whose name I’ll leave unwritten, on the off chance that someone tries to remove her for doing her job.
Now, at the end of Friday business hours, it looks like I have one more hoop to jump through - and then I’ll be civilly and politely demanding full service with frills as opposed to what I’d initially wanted, a straightforward, “Is this a break, can you check my x-rays?” During this process, I’ll be having a word with the doctor who checks my leg, an all around good guy whom I’ve seen before, and I’ll be making him aware that his office has essentially been made liable under state law for fraud, and that I’d like him personally to back-check. He’s a bloody good doc, and he’s got a vested interest in his employers not screwing with clients.
In any event, now I’ve got an appointment lined up for nabbing a primary care physician - my old primary had a bunch of micro-strokes after a nasty bacterial infection - and will be seeing them in early August. I’ve got DHS checking a Maine General Health Associates member for fraud, and I’m guessing I end up getting more treatment than the “Broken or no?” That I actually need.
Bottom line here is that while something for nothing leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I’m certainly of the opinion that if you’re supposed to do your job, and that job entails following a set of laws instead of running people through hoops, you’d damn well better do your job. I’d guess that if I didn’t know how to deal with foot injuries as a result of running and so on, I’d be in a lot worse shape right now, and that the delaying tactics regarding insurance might have cost me partial use of my leg. That puts me in an unfriendly mindset, and results in my duty as messenger: “Don’t screw with clients, and don’t try to cheat. Someone will eventually catch you out and make you pay for it.”
In the meantime, given the progression of the injury, I’m guessing that it’s either a very minor break - one I could get healing with only a splint, or even by careful non-use of the leg - or that it’s a slight sprain complicated by crushed ankle tissue. I hate not knowing, but old injuries keep making me think one thing or the other, and now I’m just to the point of saying, “OK, who cares. Toss a cast on it or not, just so long as I have some sort of recovery pattern to follow.”
Already did the usual unwrapping and changing of splint material, cleaning of leg, and so on. Already did the basic bone check tests that runners are used to, especially where I’ve got a pretty firm background in sports medicine. Now it’s just a waiting game, during which I’m treating it like a broken bone from a weight bearing perspective, and like a mild sprain from a PT perspective. Here’s the process.
1) No sudden shock weight on the leg, ideally no weight at all, but I’m clumsy.
2) Unwrap leg twice a day since I’ve got very limited splint supplies and therefore must keep it clean.
3) Apply tea-tree oil - a topical antifungal and mild antibiotic as well as circulation aid.
4) Test range of motion very gently.
5) Do 20 minutes of low resist work using a towel to keep the ankle strong.
6) Check position of swelling, check for new swelling.
7) Re-pack the leg
8) I.C.E, more E and C than I at this point, since the swelling’s way down.
9) Monitor intensity and location of pain, as well as type of pain.
For what it’s worth, I’m totally off naproxen sodium now and the leg is mostly cramping. If this is a break, it’s the least painful break I’ve ever heard of. Needless to say, I’m keeping track and won’t be loading the leg in terms of drills or anything else for at least five and a half more weeks, since that’s the typical bone healing time-frame.
Now, some questions to my medical friends out there.
1) Heard an interesting rumor that bones didn’t heal when a person was awake. Now, I can see an increase in healing when sleeping, but not a total lack of it when awake - and idea what the differential is, or if that’s just a nutty idea?
2) Does anyone know the law as regards possession of x-rays? I want mine in hand, and the hospital claims I can’t keep ‘em. Damnit, that’s primo art material, that is.
3) Anyone know where to get no-name/no-trace x-ray film? I’ve been doing India ink work regarding skeletal structure, and really could use some film to keep stuff active in my mind.
* * *
Re-watched the four Pride GP elimination fights in Japanese with a friend - finding that I’m a lot better at picking up stray words in Japanese that I was last year at this time, and very amused by it. A lot of that has to do with exposure to the language, and I certainly don’t claim any detailed knowledge, but I’m endlessly fascinated with accent positions, methods of speaking, and - in MMA in particular - the way I can pick out meaning from the inclusion of English words, MMA specific Japanese words, and what appears to be an osmotic effect from watching… Anime. Migod, and I thought learning Russian via TV and films before total immersion occurred felt strange. This is stranger, and much more fun.
* * *
If anyone visits my house, be aware that with the fans running, I may not be hearing the dog. Please feel free to honk your horn in groups of three, but not as an SOS. Then be prepared for the fact that it’ll take me at least a couple of minutes to carefully navigate my way to where I can let you in.
On a similar note, thunderstorm means I unplugged stuff upstairs for a while. Looks like I’ve missed a couple phone calls. Crap and apologies. Calling you three back as soon as I can. (Got one of you! Yay!) Hmm, modem online. Phone’s plugged back in now, feel free to call me again and let me know how foolish I am, eh?
* * *
Those of you who’ve been loaning me books - you’re all my heroes. Thank-you! Still needing = book needing, and the supply has been absolutely fabulous.