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So first the BAD NEWS: that camera that went for a walk around my bladder?
Not covered by my insurance.
Now, now, you just have to trust me on this. I know you are lively and smart and outraged and I love that about you. But it is true.
It’s true for various reasons that are way too boring to get into here at Jenny’s Fun Medical Fact Farm and TMI Museum. I can appeal, yes, but basically chances are good that I will still have to pay for the cystoscopy, and THAT WILL NOT BE CHEAP.
So now would be an AWESOME time for you to scroll down the right sidebar and put a tip in the donation jar, if you have recently inherited random cash from Aunt Dotty, or if you just like it when I’m a potty-mouth. I will write back and thank you personally (and talk dirty to you, if that’s your thing, notmentioninganynamesSimon). Don’t do it if you’re short on cash! But if you’re long on it, and you want some of that disgusting green stuff to go toward my medical bills, click on DONATE and you will be upgraded to first-class on the Rapture Flight to Heaven. $5, $10—no amount is too small for the First-Class Rapture Upgrade.
I can make it even easier for you scroll-haters!
CLICK HERE TO HELP JENNY PAY FOR HER BLADDER PORN!
But no worries if you’re screwed too, financially speaking.
Okay. Whew! That was the BAD NEWS. Isn’t that good? That’s all I’ve got so far, for BAD NEWS. Which leads me to the OKAY NEWS:
OKAY NEWS:
They still don’t know why I can only pee while standing on my head, can only seem to eat at random times, and why various other bad stuff is going on in my midsection. But that’s OKAY NEWS, because
1) I’m not dead yet and they can keep testing a nice warm live patient
2) Insurance covered $1200 of SOME of the We Still Don’t Know Tests
3) There’s a toilet at the supermarket AND at Walmart
GOOD NEWS:
2009 sucked.
I don’t think it sucked any worse for me than for the other folks who are nodding their heads and pumping their fists and saying, “Yeah! It sucked for me, too, you know!”
It was just my own personal suckage, my own necessary grieving, looking like what it had to look like.
I was not easy to be around. I knew that, and I politely and not so politely removed myself from the World At Large from time to time.
I tried to be a good mom. That was the one constant I aimed for. Didn’t always succeed, but for the most part, pulled that off.
Was definitely not always a good daughter. Was definitely not a terrific friend.
I didn’t have too much to give.
So the ball dropped on 2009. I didn’t know what 2010 was going to look like.
I didn’t have real high hopes for this year. You guys know how I feel about the word “hope.”
As if on cue (and I mean, January 1st, 2010), my chronic odd abdominal symptoms kicked in. They kicked in hard.
The writer in me, constantly surveying the scene for meaning, shut up and took notice.
Last year, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to stick around. I didn’t much care. My heart was what hurt.
Along comes 2010, and my gut is screaming, HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO ME! NOW!
So I am listening.
And suddenly, I find that I very, very, very much want to stick around.
This is GOOD NEWS.
This is VERY GOOD NEWS, indeed.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
* BIG SMILES *
xo
HUGE YAY for Jenn sticking around!!!!!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxo
I just donated! It’s not much, but maybe it’ll pay for 1/15th or so of the cost? Can you talk to the doctor and ask him to lower the rate, considering that he didn’t tell you it would not be covered? Doctors are getting more and more flexible on what they charge – and it sounds like, as nice as he was, he could have been more honest with you about whether it would likely be covered or not.
I encourage other readers to donate as a thank you to Jenn for the wonderful words and thoughts she brings to our lives…I know I’d really miss you if you were gone, so I am thrilled that you want to stick around. I want you to, too! xo
Sorry, I am HORRIBLE at math. Should have said maybe it will pay for 1/150th of the cost. Gah.
Wanting to stick around- that’s really good news.
Okay first the good news: I will add to the tip jar!
Semi-bad news: Payday is tomorrow, can IOU until then?
RE: your good news…I offer up a completely nonironic Hip Hip Hooraaaaaaaaaaay!!!!
RE: Your okay news…I can’t believe they still don’t have a diagnosis! You are seriously a trooper. I’d be all up in their grill, writing my own prescriptions and shizz, signing them Dr. WebMD.
Jenn, that’s awesome news! So glad to hear it! Wish I could help and donate. 2009 kicked my butt, too. You are such a fighter and you should be soooo proud!!!
That is wonderfully good news. Truly. 2009 was pretty painful for me as well…..here’s to the future….
Oh yes, wanting to stick around is awesome news.
I’m so glad. Not about the not-insured stuff, of course. That sucks. But the other part is great news. I sure wish you could pee.
so glad for that last bit.
(and i donated a couple of weeks ago. hope you got it.)
Very nice news indeed! I really do need to get just one lucky lottery ticket–you’ll be on my short list when I win.
Definitely negotiate with the business office on the fee.
I’d just set up the payment plans now. (having been through the appeal process, which took months and months…long enough to kick the bills into collections. which was supposed to not be legal?)
2009 did suck…it was the worst year ever. That is a fact. I read it on Huffington Post.
The staying? Awesome. Next thing you know, you’ll be hoping for things.
Much love.
2009 did kinda suck. 2010 will be better! So many people have been saying they feel it.
Probably totally unrelated, but a few years ago when I was on too much prozac I COULD NOT PEE! Did every nasty uro test in the book before we figured out it was drugs, not my plumbing. Huh.
don’t get scared even if the bills go to collection agencies. i would write to the provider (the urologist) in this case or their accts payable department and write simply that b/c this was not covered by insurance, and b/c your insurance company did not adequately inform you that this procedure would not be covered, that you are in no financial shape to pay for the total. most providers have a sliding scale fee that they don’t advertise. the other thing i would do is contact the Patient Advocate Foundation, b/c they can help provide guidance in terms of what aid is out there or how to handle medical bills. We can talk more offline about this, since sadly, i have lots of experience in this area and am happy to share info. hugs, t
If I contribute an entry fee to the TMI Museum, can I get some sort of guarantee that I won’t be obligated to take the guided tour? I’ll just stand respectfully behind these fine, burgundy velvet ropes and observe the displays with a sort of detached-yet-intellectually-stimulated demeanour, mmm’kay??
“And over here we have the sweet, undulating curves of my inflamed and engorged…” NO! DO NOT WANT.
I mean, really, I am TOTALLY going to donate just as SOON as this comment is done. I’m going to march right back up to the top of this post (no scrolling hater here, no ma’am!), click on that CONVENIENTLY PLACED link, and think to myself, “Well boy howdy! Isn’t it just convenient that today is pay day AND January is, for me, a THREE PAY DAY month — one of only two in the year! Ain’t that just a bloody SIGN FROM GOD or something?! I absolutely LOVE months with five Fridays in them, and I get paid on three of them!! Yippee-ki-yay and all that.”
That is exactly what I am going to do, and that is exactly what I am going to think. And I am going to go and do and think those things RIGHT NOW!
And I don’t even want any dirty talk as a form of reciprocity because.. you know what? That prospect sort of REALLY SCARES ME right now! You keep your hope packaged neatly in 2010 right where it belongs, thankyouverymuch.
Hooray for the good!! And the bad, oh that sucks. Jenn, we’ve been laid off for a few months, so I can’t donate money (though I’d much rather give it to you than all of our debtors). But how about a Project Bladder Porn fundraiser/auction? I would donate some of my handmade jewelry. No one wants to buy it for real, but maybe for a good cause . . .
Glad to hear that 2010 is gonna be a good year, except maybe for the first week. I don’t know what the issue is, but I would not just write a polite letter to the insurance asking for an appeal. You are a writer with a blog. You should name names HERE to embarrass this insurance company for not paying for such a necessary test.
Donated because I love you. (even though I’ve never met you – that is the power of the written word baby)
cue sweet, sappy music.
For 6512 and growing:
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone’s shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can’t take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all
Just donated Jenn, ‘cuz you’re my BPD idol. Will say Dinah on the PayPal thingy.
xox, dede
That IS good news.
Well that sucks your insurance doesn’t cover it. Two things about that… 1st- APPEAL that stupid insurance company! Sometimes it makes a difference. 2nd- You know that lower, negotiated rate the insurance companies get for services from doctors? (haha that sounded dirty… and illegal) well, you should try to negotiate something with the doctor’s office for that procedure. There is NO REASON you should be punished so severely because insurance companies are sometimes (cough cough) greedy and don’t pay for something you NEED!!!
p.s. I can’t donate now… but I WILL (soonish)! Because I hear ya on crap unexpected medical bills. the end.