Can I whine? | Arthritis Information

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I have had trouble finding a job lately, so when I got this one to sample products, I jumped on it.  I actually enjoy it very much....except for days like today.  Today I was handing out coupons for a line of beef and my table was set up in the cooler aisle -- meat on one side and cheese on the other.  I was freezing for 5 hours!  And standing up.  I was even chilled in my car driving home -- even though it had been sitting in the sun and was really warm.  Now I am back to mostly being warm, but my hips really ache and my left knee hurts (sympathetic pain not arthritis) and my hand hurts.

I really hope I don't have more events like that.  I'm not sure how much I can stand.  It's difficult trying to do a normal person's job when I'm not normal anymore. 

Waw!
OK.  Done ranting.
New ranting!
I am so frustrated with Kaiser, my insurance company.  The scheduling department is such an obstacle to receiving care!

I saw the ortho surgeon in December and he said, "ANy time you're ready, let me know and we'll schedule surgery."

In March, I was ready. My primary sent in the referral.  They were supposed to call me within 7-10 business days, which, of course, they didn't.  So I called them, and they said they couldn't schedule beyond 6 weeks before surgery, and right now my wait time looked like the end of July or early August.  They would call me in June.

Then they sent me a letter asking if I wanted to cancel the surgery. I replied immediately, that of course I still wanted the surgery.  I can't sleep at night b/c of pain.

No reply.

I saw my Primary again for new pain meds, and he suggested calling them in June.  Which I did and today they say that I will have to wait until July to talk with a scheduler about an appt.  I explained that I need to put in a request for a leave of absence for my job and that I need to know how long I can work, and my family needs notice so they can buy plane tickets from the East Coast..... and the person on the phone said that I could always turn down whatever appt was offered.  That's not the SAME as working with a scheduler, that's handing down a pronouncement and if I don't take it, it might be another several months before I get surgery.

My husband's boss was on a waiting list for a year.  My own primary care doctor was on the waiting list for 8 months and then had only 1 week to prepare his life for surgery.  I'm not even getting advanced, minimally invasive surgery!  I'm getting the traditional, slice-em-up and saw out that bone surgery which requires more recovery time -- which means more planning, esp. in the economy.

Grrrrrrrr. !@#$%%^^@!


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