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Posted: 02.28.2002
So how was your day dear?
Today completed phase one (of two) of the hell that is my life.

I'm actually too sick and tired to bother typing up a recap all over again, so instead I will just paste in the one I sent to my mom... Is that ok with you? Good. But if boring medical reviews bring you down, here's your chance to run away! I don't do these often...but... Go. Now. You've been warned!

Today was my SSDI four-year review medical exam. This is where I have to prove my life is still the same chapter, different verse. You'll be happy to know your taxpayer dollars funded approximately $150 for the following visit -- when the last time my specialist's report completely overturned the state-appointed doctors' findings because those reports didn't give enough weight to my diagnoses and medical history. Yeah, color me happy to be doing this all over again. And I still have their stupid psych review to go next week...

That place was SO scary. It was a public "non-insurance" clinic -- cash only. We could not for the life of us figure out why Social Security picked THEM to do the review. Todd and I were literally thanking God I have strep so I'm already on anti-biotics. We were afraid to sit in the chairs it was that gross. I don't think the place has ever seen a cleaning solution. The ceiling tiles were half-hanging from their supports, with water damage all over them. One of the walls ran out of sheetrock -- so no joke -- they took 2-4" pieces of wood and nailed them up like tiled shingles and then painted white over them as a make-shift. This was NOT, I repeat, NOT for decorative purposes. I turned to Todd in the waiting room and whispered, "This is why I refuse to like NASCAR," with a wink. (Just kidding Christi!) I thought he was going to fall off his seat he was laughing so hard. We showed up for a 12 o'clock appointment at a "first-come-first-serve, go sit in a chair and wait 75 minutes, at not even remotely close to a doctor's" office...

The waiting room was full of people that obviously just did NOT care or even want to know the meaning of self-pride. The freaky Marlboro man from hell next to me had on so much cheap Wal Mart cologne I could barely breathe. We decided he was there for OG'ing. ("I'm Gonna Get You Sucka" reference.) He got up to fill out forms and I punched Todd and made him move down a chair so I could scoot further away, too, and try to catch some real breaths. There were two looked-like-teen moms with tiny babies that had bursting-dirty diapers (you could see it), and they were tag-team chain-smoking outside and didn't seem to care about the kids inside with baby food smeared on their faces. We didn't want to feel like snobs (and these were obviously blanket-quick-observations and not true judgment calls), but even at our poorest -- when we were literally selling CDs to eat and were living in roach-infested apartments -- we weren't like that. As Todd pointed out, you can at least get decent clothes at Goodwill if you try. And you can wash them for a quarter. They were all just dirty, smelly and gross. People that could help it, but didn't want to. And every single one of them was coughing, wheezing and sniffling god-knows-what into the air that I had to breathe. I was so relieved they didn't try to use any oral Q-tip swabs in my throat during the exam because I wouldn't have wanted anything in my mouth that had touched the counters or containers located there.

I feel like hell today...so the visit went well from your mom perspective in that regard. They got to see "the real me". I'm running a fever (although they didn't check it), my throat is obviously red and swollen since I have strep (started anti-biotics yesterday), I feel like crap, look like crap and only slept 3 hours last night. Add to that...the fact the low was 31 here last night...which has left me pretty much crippled up and barely able to walk faster than a shuffle. He did all sorts of mobility tests like how high can you raise your legs/arms, how hard can you push back with force -- and I kid you not -- how long can you hop on one foot. The doctor literally had to support me during the standing and hopping tests -- and when he didn't, I was bracing on the table so I didn't tumble over. Todd said you could visibly watch my energy-tank hit empty. Then the doctor wanted me to go down the hall for an eye test, and he was down there a good 30-45 seconds before I made it down to join him. So if he finds me healthy, he can kiss my *bleep!*... Now, I need a nap. Like until May. Am I having fun yet?



Hey boy take a look at me...let me dirty up your mind...



Robyn, hope you feel better soon.

¤ ¤ credit: munin | 02.28.02 at 05:56 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Get well soon!

¤ ¤ credit: Geri | 02.28.02 at 06:15 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

My goodness, hoping on one foot? you poor girl...
Your very vivid description of the waiting room almost makes me able to smell the room - ewwie!
Does the cold really make you sorer? I think that may have been my problem the other morning with my joints.

Get a nice long nap and don't leave the bed - that's why you have a laptop, right? If you want to check your email do it from there!! I'm bossy-krissy tonight! :) :) :)

{{gianthugs}} for getting through this stupid intrusion in your life.

¤ ¤ credit: kristine | 02.28.02 at 06:43 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

What a drag! Get well soon. I feel you pain..sort of. I had to go to a hospital for an outpatient exam a few weeks ago. It wasn't that it was a dirty place either. I had to check-in where the emergency room was. Very strange. The exam went great, but the next day I was sick! Ugh. Germs. Hospitals :-(

¤ ¤ credit: Kevin | 02.28.02 at 06:44 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

oh jeez, what an awful experience. i guess the only thing positive about it, is that it's over. i hope you don't have to go thru that again, or at the very least, another four years. i know you have a lot on your plate, robyn -- and i really admire you for how you handle it all! hope you're doing better soon!

¤ ¤ credit: susannah | 02.28.02 at 07:29 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

damn girl! and I thought I had miserable doctor experiences! sorry you had to go through all that... :-( hope you're feeling better soon!

¤ ¤ credit: erika | 02.28.02 at 07:59 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Robyn, I am so sorry! How horrible!!! I hope you are getting some rest tonight. I worry about you sweetie. Oh and that Nascar thing?!! I'd only let YOU get away with that! LMAO!! ;)

¤ ¤ credit: Christi | 02.28.02 at 08:18 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Thanks for the well-wishes everyone! It's nothing a brand new box of Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies didn't cure...god bless my hubby! ;-) I'm doing muuuuch better now!

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 02.28.02 at 08:20 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Oh man. What is it whenever we have to do things for the state, we have to go to the most grotesque or faraway places? I had to do all these stupid tests to get state support for my college education ($500 a semester... PLEASE). I even remember a psych test! I'm deaf not nuts. It sucks you had to go to a place like that. Thank goodness for cookies to make us feel better. *Hugs*

¤ ¤ credit: meryl | 02.28.02 at 09:00 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

And I thought waiting at the DMV was bad enough to see the scary cross-sections of society possible, I'm sorry you had to go through all that! :(

¤ ¤ credit: Nikki | 02.28.02 at 09:36 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Hope you get better soon. You've made me appreciate the provincially-sponsored healthcare in Ontario a lot more.

¤ ¤ credit: Jason | 03.01.02 at 12:17 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

Girlfriend I feel for you :( hope you get on your feet good and soon

¤ ¤ credit: cheyenne | 03.01.02 at 04:29 AM | link--this ¤ ¤




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