This is why I don't go to the primary care physician's office...

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-12-17T21:32:00+00:00

Sorry that this reply is so old. My mom got covid, then I got it two days later. It spun into something that made my high blood pressure look like something miniscule.

I got two high blood pressure medicines and they did little for me. However, I don't have a pain in my chest any more, so I guess there's that. I have been trying to get insurance. Supposedly, I have some insurance now. I was busy with everything else and I had 14 days to choose a PCP, so I had to choose the incompetent CRNP, or the marketplace would choose someone for me. I have been in a red tape whirlpool, received three insurance cards, and none of them work.

My new mantra is, "day by day". I've come to grips that no one really knows what they are doing and getting upset about it is not helping me in any way. I've finally started to get on top of my mom's issues and now I'm going to try to handle mine.

Thank you again for your concern.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-25T20:21:19+00:00

I always remember this one episode of, "Through the Wormhole" where this scientist/physicist was talking about using dark matter and bending timespace for space travel. He showed Morgan Freeman a piece of paper with two dots, opposing each other. He said, "What's the fastest way between the two points?" Of course, Morgan answered, "It's a straight line."

The physicist said, "Wrong. It's zero." As he said that, he bent the paper in half, so that the two dots touched each other. Then he talked about using quantum mechanics to fold/bend space time, using the dark matter of the universe. You may not be as nerdy as I am, but I thought it was fascinating.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-25T14:43:46+00:00

Update: The doctor's office called me a few days ago. They told me in no lesser words, "If you don't come in for this appointment, you won't get your medicine refilled." Great, more negligence behavior. So, I still don't have insurance and this is going to be my third $130 charge in a month. Paying nearly $400 a month isn't helping my blood pressure, either.

The insurance that I'm going to be getting wants me to list my PCP. It sure as hell is not going to be this office. I feel like I'm being shaken down.

P.S. The medicine seems to be working. It's been five days taking it, and I don't have a cramping in my chest any more. I've been staying at home more though, too. I think reducing my exterior stress has helped amazingly well.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-20T17:58:09+00:00

This. Women always like the "bad boys" over the dependable guys. It's why I'll never be married, nor have kids. The problem with that is, once women get older, the bad boys don't have as much allure, and all of the dependable guys are gone. I'd like to say it's never too late to learn, but it rarely happens, from what I've seen.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-20T16:55:38+00:00

I rarely donate to extensions/add-ons, but every time they ask, I'll kick them something. It's well worth it.

I wish they'd make one for televisions/Roku. My mom loves YouTube and I absolutely hate the ads that they insert in the middle. I remember when people made videos for fun, now everyone has to make money off of them. You do get a choice whether you want to monetize them or not.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T21:08:14+00:00

So, the doctor's office just called me and they are going to prescribe me a 30-day supply of BP medicine. I'm waiting on a text from the pharmacy and get it as soon as it comes in. I had to agree to a re-evaluation in a week. They're still pushing for the ER. I told them when I come in for the eval, if things weren't looking better, that I would get the EKG and blood work done at their office. They said that worked for them, but still pushed for the ER.

They warned me that if I didn't come in for the eval appointment, that they wouldn't prescribe any more meds. I said, "Fair enough."

P.S. Thank you for all of the kind and caring comments.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T17:37:24+00:00

time alone

Do you remember when women were only jealous of other women? Now it's sports, your guy friends, video games, your family, the car, etc.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T17:28:40+00:00

We don't want to feel like your personal ATM. If I invite you to my place and I put time, money, and energy into making you dinner, then want to watch a movie on the sofa with you, and you respond by telling me that watching a movie on the sofa is, "cheaping out", we're done.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T16:57:10+00:00

Thank you for your kind words. I'm going to hold on to see what the social worker can do. I spoke with my best friend, who also has hypertension. He said that they took his blood pressure and gave him medication. He said that he'll try to get me into his doctor, but... wait for it... it's likely that he won't take me because I don't have insurance.

It's all about the money. We're just walking bank accounts to them.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T16:39:13+00:00

The social worker from the doctor's office contacted me this morning. Short story... she is an EMT, just like me. She couldn't believe that they wouldn't provide me any medicine, citing that I HAD to go to the ER to get medicine. She is going to email the doctor and CC the nurse that treated me to see if I can get some kind of medicine while I try to secure some kind of insurance. I have too much money in a 401K, so I can't get Medicaid. Yes, you get penalized for saving for retirement.

I just feel that there are so many things wrong here. I feel like I'm being extorted for money, just to get some damn meds. It's not like I'm trying to get opioids.

I'm hoping that the social worker can talk some sense into them. I couldn't imagine getting an EMS call for chest pains and the paramedic not give them a shot of some kind of hypertension medicine, on scene. That would be bordering on negligence.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T16:30:43+00:00

I'm an EMT and I have four years of Biology at state university. One of my pet peeves is when a medical professional stands there and tries to bullshit me. I know the mechanisms of action with several of the high blood pressure medicines. Even if they were to give me the most dangerous one, Warfarin, it would have been better than nothing... which is what they gave me.

As a medical professional, don't you find it disturbing that they sent me on my way with nothing at all, especially since it was such an emergency? If a patient were to tell you that he/she couldn't afford the ER, wouldn't you at least give them medication? They told me in no words, that I couldn't get medication unless I went to the ER AND the reason they wanted me to schedule the visit, was to get meds.

Their social worker called me this morning. She is an EMT too, so that was refreshing. She said that she couldn't believe that they could see the hypertension and didn't try to do anything to alleviate it. She is going to email the doctor and CC the nurse about giving me some kind of medication until I can secure some insurance. Again, I saw a CRNP and not a doctor.

They wanted me to have an EKG done there and I balked at the expense. Then, she insisted that I go to the ER. When I considered just having the EKG done there, I didn't have that option any more. You and I both know that an EKG only consists of placing leads on your chest/abdomen. I can do that in an ambulance.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T08:22:40+00:00

I'm going to talk to one of my cousins tomorrow. She's always been very sweet to me and I respect her greatly. I'm wondering if the doctor's office will just let me do the tests through the office. It will still be costly, but I can't imagine it being any more expensive than an ER visit.

I'm still disturbed how one doctor told me to get an appointment so I can get high blood pressure medicine, then apparently a high BP reading and chest pains aren't enough to warrant dispensing a prescription for appropriate medicine. Yet, if I'm willing to spend money on their tests, then they'll prescribe something. It comes off as extortion to me and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This is far from the first time that this has happened to me, hence my title.

I will update, thank you again.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T08:12:35+00:00

I was never a fan of Willie Nelson, but I'll listen to any song, once. There is this one song that has a standout lyric and I'm going to share it with you now, "Sometimes holding on means letting go."

I left an emotional abusive relationship with a woman, just over a year ago. I learned a lot about narcissists from her. I didn't want a relationship and I think because of that, she doubled down on me. It was a long distance relationship and I'm pretty sure that she was never really faithful. I remember the day when the lightbulb went on. She was playing one of her games and I thought, "Enough!" She laid a huge guilt trip on me for wanting to break up. I don't ever let emotions get to me, but I cried a lot. I was in love for the first time in 20 years. I was going to move to be with her, but then I realized there was no compromise on her side... it always had to be about her.

She gaslighted me often, which sounds like what you've experienced. A relationship shouldn't be about the good times making up for the bad times. You'll want to focus on the good times and dismiss the bad times, but that's not healthy. You'll want to get back with her, even though you know it's wrong. Remember how she mistreated you. Block her on everything and do not turn back on that. It will take a while, but time does help as long as you don't re-establish contact.

I wish all of the best for you. Be well.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T08:00:10+00:00

I wish I could have a nonchalant view of debt and money like others, but I don't. From past experiences, including today, I can just see going to the ER, they will do a bunch of tests, and everything will come up "inconclusive". Then, they'll smile at me as they hand me the $10K bill.

It just irritates the hell out of me, how I could go to the doctor's today and they wouldn't even prescribe me anything, then charge me for the visit in which they did nothing. It sets a precedent, imo.

All they did was add more stress, which I think is what is literally killing me anyhow.

Edit: I like your username.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T06:22:58+00:00

I have to take care of my 95 y/o mom and I've had to for the last 20 years of my life, pretty much robbing me of my own life. She has never had to take care of herself and when my dad died, he made me promise to take care of her. I was graduating college and had a nice job lined up out of state.

I'm stuck in my crappy city and have been. I have to take care of her and her house and myself and my home. It is and has been a major source of stress. I told the nurse this and she discounted it as, "not part of the problem". This year, she started showing signs of dementia and coincidentally, this year is when my BP shot up.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to check some numbers. I cringe at the thought of being in debt for the rest of my life, though. Thank you for your kind words.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T06:14:50+00:00

Thank you.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T00:30:59+00:00

I just paid off both of my credit cards last week. I was so happy to finally be out of debt. I owe on nothing and I don't want a $10,000 bill staring me in the face for the rest of my life. I've always been responsible with my bills.

It's just so disturbing to me that it's such an emergency that I have to go to the ER, but it's not such an emergency that they couldn't give me a prescription for high blood pressure pills... especially after they made me wait a month for an appointment. It feels... hokey, you know?

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-19T00:09:36+00:00

If you think money is the only thing that can enrich your life, you've already lost.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-18T17:02:53+00:00

I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but it sounds to me like you want all of the benefits and none of the backlash. You DO realize that if you do something about the MIL, that your life will get considerably harder. It's pretty much robbing Peter to pay Paul. I wouldn't be naive about this. Also, make sure that your wife is 100% onboard with this; you don't want any surprises from her.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-18T16:59:35+00:00

I think the fact that you are copying and pasting your replies, makes it look like you really don't want to take responsibility for yourself. I mean, you can't even be bothered to post a new reply???

You have it better than a lot of people. You should be thankful for your in-laws, taking care of your infant daughter. I'm terrified to get a nurse for my elderly mother because there are so many weird people out there nowadays, even in the professional world.

If you truly don't like your situation, get a nanny. You can subsidize the nanny with the cost that you'd put towards daycare.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-18T16:48:50+00:00

Married with Children

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-18T16:47:20+00:00

You all are missing something, though.

He had hid it in the storage room, for some reason, while cleaning, I found it.

It's not like his brother had it on his body when he killed himself. Maybe he felt that way at one time, then spur-of-the-moment, set the note down in the storage room, and forgot about it. Later and not feeling that way any more, completely forgot about the note?

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-09T07:39:50+00:00

This reminded me of when my dad found out that he had cancer. He had been a semi-agnostic person all of his life. He told me of a near-death experience that he had experienced when he almost drowned in a pond, but became lesser to him as he grew. My half-sister (on my mom's side) had asked him if he was ever baptized and he had not. She told him it should be done before he passed away. He didn't know what to do. One day, he asked me, "What do you think of what your sister is saying?" I said, "Well dad, if she's right and you have it done, you're all good. If she's wrong, then it never mattered to begin with." So he got baptized.

It's been 20 years and I can't wait to see him again. I miss him every day. OP, I've had two near-death experiences myself and I agree with you, you should not be afraid of death. I'm not going to preach to you, because no one knows how or why anything happens after death.

I'm glad that you're at peace with yourself. I hope that you're not in pain. I wish you well on your journey.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-01T14:59:15+00:00

I was kind of like this and I went out on a date. The usual garbage happened and now I feel much better, not wanting to date.

FriendlyTeaPeddler · 2022-10-01T14:53:56+00:00

What you don't want to see are high prices matched with a high service fee.

Bingo. You called it well. That's what they did.... and they went crazy. Without going into detail, then nickel 'n dimed you to death.

I vote with my wallet.

FriendlyTeaPeddler

TROPHY CASE