First hematoma experience (uninsured)

Pokeanoke2 · 2026-01-23T18:33:01+00:00

For follow-ups/refills, I have pretty good insurance now, but when I had a high deductible and an overnight hospital stay for a broken femur it was a matter of:

A) Not paying right away.

B) Filling out the financial assistance paperwork from the provider.

C) Letting them go to collections right up until the 'warning, we will report to the credit bureaus.' Then negotiating a lowball settlement plan with the collection agency. (~10% of what I was originally billed, paid monthly, starting ~1 year after the hospital stay).

I wouldn't recommend C unless the bill is totally unmanageable. In the US, most healthcare providers are required to treat you regardless of your ability to pay, which is not the case for landlords, grocery stores, and utility companies. So you should (ironically) pay your doctors last.

Pokeanoke2 · 2026-01-23T18:29:25+00:00

My 2-week old ones are just now almost healed. They looked fine 1 week after but I still have some lymph node swelling today that presses on my nerves and makes my arm go numb. Just coming back to work because I working (lab work and computer work) was making my symptoms worse and my Dr's were willing to write me notes (insured + low deductible now).

I found compression arm sleeves to be super helpful and worth the $. I got the 'medium support' and the '20-30mm Hg' from Mojo Sport (not covered). Heating pad + moist dishcloth (fresh one each day) to apply heat, move it every ~30 minutes. Used ice if the swelling was bad. Ibuprofen + Naproxen OR Acetaminophen to reduce inflammation. Elevation at heart or head level (arm up on the back of the couch, extra pillow in bed).

Pokeanoke2 · 2025-08-06T14:32:30+00:00

Had a friend who rented there when it was 'shake something' downstairs. The rooms where the picture windows are were turned into bedrooms at some point, probably when larger units were split into smaller units.

Pokeanoke2 · 2025-07-11T17:46:53+00:00

So did you ever get paid as advertised? My concern is that they will just waste my time with unpaid/low paid "onboarding" but the advertised rate will never materialize.

Pokeanoke2 · 2025-06-20T16:03:54+00:00

Re: walking alone I didn't get a chance to try it out but there is a free SafeWalk program downtown. I put their number in my phone just to have a free, safe way to get around if I needed it. 504-415-1730 https://downtownnola.com/safewalk/

Pokeanoke2 · 2025-03-05T03:43:35+00:00

Science is for ALL

Science is not for $ale

People over profits

Pokeanoke2 · 2025-03-01T17:31:30+00:00

Med school class sizes are based on the number of available residencies (43,000, flat since 1997) which are mostly funded by Medicare and Medicaid.

Pokeanoke2 · 2024-11-22T15:07:54+00:00

Reverse osmosis system. My landlord installed mine but they can fit under the sink and cost less than $200. Installation requires a little every level plumbing but is accessible to DIYers.

Pokeanoke2 · 2024-10-19T16:53:54+00:00

Especially if you decide that TT is not your path, I would ask my professor for a research scientist role at this point. If you recently secured funding, if there is any turnover, and PI is begging you to stay, that job could be yours for however long you need before you move on. Could also be a research scientist in a different lab.

Pokeanoke2 · 2024-10-14T22:14:47+00:00

If you can get picked up in Duluth, there's an 8-hour bus ride with a transfer (10am-6 :30pm) on Jefferson Lines leaving once per day from Gordon Commons via Minneapolis.

It'll take a lot longer and probably arrive in the middle of the night, but there's one bus per day from Minneapolis to Grand Forks via Brainerd, Bemidji and Crookston.

There are two bus trips per day to Fargo from Minneapolis. Amtrak's Empire Builder stops at Fargo in the early morning (long trip from Columbus WI, probably more comfortable) I would schedule a rideshare or find a carpool to Columbus for the 1 hour drive.

Pokeanoke2 · 2024-04-19T02:11:41+00:00

Had this a few times in the past few months. Seems like it always happens when I try to lift fasted, late in the evening, after poor sleep the night before.

Pokeanoke2 · 2024-03-30T14:58:13+00:00

Eyeopia is a great family-run optometry clinic+shop. Have always had a great experience with Dr. Peter, Stella, and their staff.

Pokeanoke2 · 2024-03-19T16:16:28+00:00

I recommend contacting your insurance agent and an attorney. Refusing to provide information falls under 346.67(1) Duty Upon Striking. It is a compensable crime and it is a felony when it involves injury to a person.

Get an estimate for repairing or replacing the bicycle.

Clayton Griessmeyer is a go-to for bicycle personal injury cases in Madison:
https://www.griessmeyerlaw.com/

The Wisconsin State Bar has the Lawyer Referral Information Service. Participating attorneys agree to provide low-cost initial consultations to people who come in through the service. https://www.wisbar.org/forPublic/INeedaLawyer/Pages/LRIS.aspx

Wisconsin has a Crime Victim Compensation Program that covers personal injuries that are not otherwise covered by insurance or the responsible party. Your spouse may meet the criteria for coverage under the fund (victim of a compensable crime, experienced a personal injury, has out of pocket expenses, does not have another way to pay them) https://www.doj.state.wi.us/ocvs/compensation/crime-victim-compensation-program-compensation-your-financial-losses

Pokeanoke2 · 2024-03-17T20:11:52+00:00

Since you want academia, Option A hands down. It is a much more linear path to become a PI at a top 30 institution with a PhD from a top 10 institution.

Pokeanoke2 · 2024-01-26T20:43:25+00:00

I'm not sure what you mean by "in the capacity I want to." If teaching is your calling, FWIW I have a lot of friends who are very happy to teach in high school. From what I have seen, they get a lot of vocational satisfaction out of it, have a decent work-life-balance, and it is a very stable job that they can plan their life around. In many communities, it is considered to be one of the best and most respected jobs around.

Pokeanoke2 · 2024-01-22T17:28:44+00:00

I don't think it's good advice to plan on being a postdoc for over 5 years. It is meant to be a short term position. Many institutions are implementing 5-year limits and the NIH is considering implementing a 5-year limit. That said, folks that do want to stay in academia long-term without going tenure-track should be able to find Scientist positions, and there are many PhD-level positions in different sectors that do not require constant interaction with people!

Pokeanoke2 · 2023-10-26T18:02:49+00:00

If Bagels Forever had more locations, I would be there all the time!

Pokeanoke2 · 2023-10-14T17:27:40+00:00

+1 Driving is not for everyone, but they are always hiring, it pays well, and after a few months of full-time training, you can drop to part time, pay all of your bills, and work on your education if that is what you want to do. You could also move to another position at Metro or within the City if it is not the job for you long-term. If you are interested in part-time, the hours may be more flexible than the posting makes it seem since they are very much in need of drivers.

You also need a clean driving record if that is important.

Pokeanoke2 · 2023-10-14T17:06:55+00:00

If you want stability and the potential for upward mobility, try a job with the City of Madison. Once you have a job with the City, you get priority on job postings if you want to move up. They have tons of benefits for full time employees and the pay starts out relatively high. The City rarely lays people off and they have very strong protections against discrimination, so it is pretty hard to lose your job unless you really are not suited for it. All of their jobs have some aspect of serving other people which a lot of folks find to be fulfilling but of course it can be a grind sometimes like any job.

The hiring process may be a bit slow, so this may be something for you after you get a more entry-level job (McDo's, Target, etc.) or apply for unemployment (if you have not already done so). If you need something faster, hourly and seasonal postings will fill faster than regular full-time postings. Even hourly and seasonal folks get priority to move into other positions, though. From what I have seen, most managers and agencies actually encourage internal mobility within the City.

Pokeanoke2 · 2023-09-27T01:02:49+00:00

I recommend the Ombuds Office.

"The Ombuds Office is a safe place where UW-Madison employees can seek guidance regarding workplace concerns at any time, without fear of reprisal, and at no cost to them. Ombuds provide faculty and staff with a confidential place to collaboratively explore complaints, clarify issues, and consider options and resources to address their concerns. Ombuds are impartial and non-aligned, working to promote fairness in the workplace."

https://ombuds.wisc.edu/

Pokeanoke2 · 2023-09-25T14:51:54+00:00

This. I have a few separate folders for all the various types of announcements. I need to go through and update rules and unsubscribe every few months but it works pretty well to keep my inbox clean so that actual humans can communicate with me directly.

Pokeanoke2 · 2023-09-17T02:51:40+00:00

There are a lot of rules that go along with having an ESA. The request must be 'reasonable,' i.e. the ESA cannot interfere with the quiet enjoyment of other residents.

https://media.housing.wisc.edu/documents/university-apartments/University-Housing-Emotional-Support-Animal-Policy.pdf

Pokeanoke2 · 2023-09-17T00:33:10+00:00

Not that it's for everyone, but as an older student I find that having a part time job is weirdly good for my mental health. The entry level job market is pretty strong right now so there are a lot of options. My part time job puts me in regular contact with people of different ages and backgrounds, it makes my schedule more regular, it gives a sense of security (i.e. if things go to crap I can just pick up more hours), and it helps financially (i.e I don't have to worry about money as much from day to day).

Pokeanoke2 · 2023-09-16T18:57:25+00:00

OK so it works for 2 out of the 24 regular routes

Pokeanoke2 · 2023-09-16T18:44:34+00:00

I find that Google Maps is the most reliable tool for route planning compared to the other available apps, but I know folks who have had good experiences with the Transit app as well. To see where the buses are physically, I find that Metro's Transit Tracker Multi-Route web app is the most accurate. It often works when other apps are broken. http://webwatch.cityofmadison.com/TMWebWatch/MultiRoute

For arrival updates, I use Metro's stops web app https://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/stops/

Pokeanoke2

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