Nekkid, Clueless and Feelin' Good: June 7, 2001

Thursday,
June 7, 2001

Just wake me up in the next millennium, okay?

Blech. I feel like I just went ten rounds with Mike Tyson in a chewing mood. And to make it worse, I can't figure out if this is due to depression over the ever-decreasing bank account and the marked lack of positions for technical writers in the DFW metro area, or if there's something wrong with me. Right now, I'm leaning towards the "something wrong" option -- depression usually doesn't cause leg cramps, twitching toes, an aching arm (all on the same side, by the way), dizziness and sore glands.

Go to the doctor, I hear you say. And I say in reply, "No medical insurance." Well, no, that's not totally true -- I do have COBRA through TBS, and they've even been generous enough to pay the premiums through to the day before my birthday. However, I don't have the faintest idea how it works -- the instructional sheet they send with the signup forms is a masterpiece of nonsensical sentence construction. I know I'm reading English, and yet it doesn't mean a damn thing at all. Frex, I'm supposed to send my first premuim payment in within 45 days of election, but they don't define what election is. Is it the day I sign up for COBRA? Is it the day I'm eligible for COBRA? In which case they're screwed, because there's no way I can cough up a $410 payment before June 15.

The one thing I really want to know is, how do the docs get paid for their work? If they want me to pay for things first and then get reimbursed (which is probably how it works, this being a government-run project and all), I'm screwed. Also, when another TBS layoffee went in to get a prescription refilled, they told her that she wasn't covered by any insurance. This, after applying for COBRA well in advance. Great.

*sigh* I can probably cover a visit to the doctor right now, but any sort of lab tests are gonna be a real drain. And there's no effing way I can pay for a hospital stay right now, in case it's something cheerful like heart failure or blood clots (hey, I did have that flight from hell two weeks ago). Of course, it could have something to do with my generic thyroid tablets and how they're not supposed to be as strong as the name brand type, or maybe I'm diabetic. Or maybe I have cancer. Or MS. All of which are going to fuck over my medical history with my next job.

Of course, my one big fear is that I'm essentially on my own here -- if something bad happened to me, nobody would know about it for at least 24 hours. Not the most reassuring thought in the world.

So all this, in addition to the money crunch and the lack of employment, is not making for a stress-free life. Oh, and TBS is continuing to fuck Lyndon over due to pigheaded stupidity and an inability to take the long view, so he's almost as miserable as I am. If I haven't been the most regular of journalers, well, now you know why.

TOP