A lot is on my mind because today has been relentlessly difficult. 1. My car wouldnt start. 2. The first phone call of the day was from a long-term friend telling me that the sample chapters from my mss I had asked her to read were confusing to her. No matter how much I acknowledged her feedback, she insisted on repeating it many times, wanting me to agree to the specific changes she proposed. If I could have jumped out of the phone and strangled her, I probably would have. 3. The days mail included an unexpected bill for hospital tests performed 2 months ago. I have received results on only one of the tests. Im on Medicare, as I am retired and over 65. I have paid into Medicare/Medicaid programs for many years through payroll deductions. In addition, $103.00 is deducted from my SS retirement check every month for Medicare health coverage. And I have to pay more for routine tests my doctor ordered? But I dont receive any report from the hospital about the results...! But it gets worse. The bill wasnt large (under $100), but it was totally unexplained. How the hospital arrived at a precise figure of $55.51 was a complete mystery. The descriptions of the tests themselves and the amounts charged for each bore no relationship to amount I was billed. The tests were described as DX-X-RAY ($1142.60), SCRN MAMMOGRAPHY ($1023.55), DIAG MAMMOGRAPHY ($795.35). Nothing indicated how much Medicare had been billed or how much they had paid. I also had routine blood tests, but so far, Ive received no bill for them. Im wondering if they will be billed separately. None of the charges for any of the tests were revealed to me before I had them. And we wonder why medical expenses in the US are out of control!!!!??? 4. I try to take a break from frustration by checking FaceBook. I find literally dozens and dozens of photos from friends documenting their weekend exploits in tediously repetitive detail, along with notices that so-and-so changed her/his cover photo for the umpteenth time this month. Im beginning to wonder if anyone can actually be there for an event and the people involved, as opposed to snapping pictures of it and posting them on Facebook as soon as technologically possible. 5. And then there are the dozens of posts asking me to sign petitions or contribute financially to the favorite causes of the day. Frankly, if I see another post about the Bucket Challenge, I may be moved to come to your home and barf on your keyboard! Cmon folks, if you really care about ALS, donate money and forget about taking pictures of yourself having entirely expected responses to getting hit by a bucket of ice-cold water or discovering that styrofoam coolers cant bear the weight of several gallons of water and ice. And, if you really want to raise serious money for a cause, hit on people who have money. I know that takes research, thought, and targeted appeals--its so much easier to repost a stock appeal to all your Facebook friends and feel youve done your bit for a worthy cause. 6. Before I let go of the topic of annoying Facebook posts, let me mention one more kind--posts that announce, Im feeling angry or Im feeling frustrated or Im feeling hurt or Im feeling down or Im feeling thankful or Im feeling content followed by an emoticon. Period. Whats up with that? Either address these remarks privately to the person/people they concern or explain them and let me know whats going on and what sort of response would be helpful. Dont tease me with cryptic statements expressing strong, often negative feelings and then brush me off when I respond. If you dont want responses, dont post these kinds of provocative statements for all your Facebook friends to see. Im not being nice, and Ill likely regret this post in the morning. But at least its honest, and Im not asking you for admiration, envy, or money.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 06:17:05 +0000
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