As you all know, I have been bitching about various medical conditions that have been plaguing me since… I don’t know. They’ve been with me so long, it feels like forever. I have been suffering from swollen feet for long enough that they’ve stopped swelling up to the size of small loaves of bread. They just occasionally get puffy at night.
The issue that dare not speak its name continues to be an issue. But fine. I’ve even learned to live with that.
The thing that still annoys me, though, is that I can’t breathe. Still. I can’t breathe during the day. I’m pretty sure I’m regularly not breathing at night. And, even when I’m awake, if I’m tired, I make noises like I’m snoring. Also, I sometimes fall asleep right after lunch.
Though, in all honesty, even that’s improved somewhat in that I’m not automatically falling asleep right after lunch, but just growing so tired that I daydream about sleeping.
Anyway, back in June, I knew this whole breathing thing was an issue I needed to have taken care of, because it was totally out of hand.
Well, I had to switch doctors, because my previous doctor was kind of a stupid ass and his approach to the things that were wrong with me is my approach to the things that are wrong with me, which is, let’s see if we can wait them out.
And then my insurance was fucked up, so I couldn’t get that straightened out until I got back from Boston.
So, I get back from Boston, I get my insurance straightened out, and I call to make an appointment with the new doctor I’ve been assigned to. This is in mid-July. My choices for when I can come in are immediately, which I could not do, in early September, when I’m in Canada, or October 1st.
I know there are lots of good reasons why socialized medicine is not the panacea I imagine it to be. But if I hear one more person talking about how we’ll all be waiting months to do things like go to the doctor, I will punch that person.
Granted, it won’t hurt them, because I’ll probably fall asleep mid-swing, but it’s the thought that counts, right?
Tiny Cat Pants 
Yeah, I hate it when the doctor makes me wait until ‘right now’, but my spoiled little self can’t free up my schedule.
The problem is definitely with the healthcare industry.
The Market hath spoken: “swollen feet are normal and breathing is optional”. Why do you hate freedom? :)
Last time I was sick in a place where they had socialized medicine, the manager of the hostel asked if I wanted the doctor to come to see me. That’s right, they still make house calls. Oh, the evils of socialism.
Exador, please. If your doctor were a half an hour away and you were on the phone at 2:20 and the receptionist said, I can get you in if you can be here by 2:30…
Oh, never mind. I’m sure you have some way to bend the space time continuum so that you can go back and repair all your mistakes before you make them so that you can sit around being all perfect while the rest of us fuck up like normal people.
Boy howdy, yes. Going on a business trip for the job that provides the health insurance is certainly an illegitimate excuse not to be thrilled to a doctor’s appointment proffered SIX WEEKS IN ADVANCE for a respiratory problem that is impairing one’s breathing now. Very immature of you, B, to think that this might indicate some mess-up on the doctor’s part.
Hell, Exador, you insist on good prompt medical care for your dog. Why do your human friends deserve less? (Does this mean you’re becoming a liberal and like puppies better than teh baybeez?)
I’ve always liked puppies better than babies.
The more people I meet, the more I like my dog.
Aunt B, why do you hate America? Everyone knows that we are the bestest at doing everything! To look at how other countries do things like healthcare is nothing more than dirty hippie commie welfare “blame America first”-ism! Geez!
Seriously, my sister had to wait 3 months before her neurologist could schedule her to remove a pituitary tumor. And that just ain’t right. But don’t look under that rock, peeps, everything is just hunky dory here in America.
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To bad you mother did not feel the same way.