It's all good.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Brand new day

Yes, this Wednesday night grocery thing is taking a while to get used to. At least I managed to escape the grocery store without buying any clothes this week. Not that it's a bad thing to buy clothes at the grocery store, but it was becoming a dangerous habit.

I'm really happy to be getting settled into my new fall routine. I am super-loving my choirs, and am trying not to feel too busy by having two rehearsals a week.

AND, fall tv is back! Heroes! Grey's! ER! Woot!

I'm really looking forward to going home this weekend. I was totally craving some ocean a few days ago, so I can't wait to see my Island. It's the last weekend of Anne until next season. My Anne dreams are already happening again...

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Happy New Monday

I have decided that Wednesday is the new Monday.

Old Monday used to be grocery day. Michelle and I mostly always get our groceries on Monday evenings. We've been doing this for two years. Holy cow, we've been doing this for two years!!

However, this year my Wednesday choir rehearsal has moved to Monday evenings (that's right, Emily! Choir is on Monday!). I don't know if you all can fully understand how much this has radically changed my world. Monday is a splendid time to get groceries. Wednesday evening? Not so much. It's the middle of the week. Who can plan meals when you get groceries in the middle of the week?

However, I'm trying to be a little more lenient towards "change", so I'm willing to give Wednesday night grocery shopping a chance. Tonight I rewarded myself by purchasing a snazzy new tshirt at the grocery store. It will go well with the comfy hoodie from last week's grocery trip. Must not let this become a habit.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

The sun will come out tomorrow

I'm feeling a lot better than I was on Friday. Note to self: Lynda's do not like large crowds of people. Nor do they enjoy loud jazz music. Or being manhandled by jazz festival staff.

Thank goodness for weekends, where there is no work.

I am also thankful for retail therapy, especially RW&Co. 20% off sales. I think I have enough skirts now to do me for a while. I also now own lots of snazzy black tops. Now all I need are some more work pants and some sweaters. Mmm... sweaters!! :)

Friday, September 12, 2008

You take the good, you take the bad...

So this sort of happened to me again this week. Several times. Why can I not keep my mouth shut??

It's been a bit of a trying week. I'm in need of a hug. And possibly some therapy.

As my mother says, this too shall pass.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Two of my favourite things...

I love it when the worlds of my favourite things collide...

Elections and audiology, united.

Did you know that Stéphane Dion has hearing loss?

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/ctv-national-news/ctv-national-news-sept-8/#clip90960

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=777961

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080910.LDION10/TPStory/?query=dion+and+hearing+loss

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/496345

It's so interesting to read how journalists try to make sense of something I deal with every day. Some of the descriptions of hearing loss in these articles are accurate, and some of them are off by just a little bit. Yay for audiologists!

As a follow-up to my sinus woes/Medicare card rant:

I called the Accounting office for the health region, and they told me not to worry about the bill. When my new Medicare card comes in, they will resubmit the bill and I should be covered.

All is good.

Except my face is still sore.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

My face is sore.

Today my face is sore.

Last October I went to see my family doctor about my recurring sinus problem. I've had nasal congestion and post-nasal drip for several months (a few years, really). She advised me to irrigate my nasal passages frequently and to reduce allergens in my environment (like DUST). She gave me a prescription for antibiotics in case I needed it down the road, and she said if I didn't get better soon, she'd send me to an ENT. Good plan, I thought. I was very satisfied.

Several weeks later, I had sinus pain. I don't remember having sinus pain before. No problem, I thought, I would just take my antibiotics, and all would be well. And it was, for a little while, until the sinus pain came back a few weeks later. Nothing too serious, nothing life threatening, just a constant, moderate, aching sensation in my cheeks and forehead. It lasted a few days, and then I felt better.

Except it kept coming back.

So finally, in February, I decided to try and see my doctor again. When I phoned to make an appointment, I was informed that she had closed her practice. Great. Do you know how hard it is to get a doctor in Freddy? I had to wait a year and a half to get this one. And she was awesome. Apparently they were finding new family doctors for all of her patients, so I had to wait to be contacted by my new doctor.

So I waited.

In April, I found out my new doctor's name. Fantastic, I thought, now I can go see him and get my ENT referral. But no, I had to wait for a "meet and greet" appointment. No service until then.

So I waited. Meanwhile, my sinus cycle of pain kept on presenting itself. And really, at any time, I could have gone to the ER or to the After Hours clinic, but it seemed like such a long time to wait for such a minor concern. All I had to do was take some ibuprofen for a few days, and I would get through it.

In July, I got the call for my appointment. Woot! They scheduled me for August.

Three days before my appointment in August, they called to reschedule me because my doctor was going to be out of the office that day. Never mind that I had to jump through hoops and cancel patients so I could attend this appointment. Never mind that my new appointment was on a day I had scheduled as vacation. Who wants to go to the doctor on a vacation day????

Anyway, the day of my "meet-and-greet" appointment arrived. As I checked in, I discovered that my Medicare card had expired. In November 2007. Apparently they are supposed to send you a new one in the mail, but I don't remember getting one. The receptionist told me that I would be billed for this long-awaited appointment.

As the nurse was taking my history (in front of another nurse and patient, no less!), I was also informed that I was not to expect my doctor discuss any current health concerns. That would require another appointment.

Gah.

I tried not to be upset. After all, on that particular day, I wasn't really symptomatic. Did it really matter that I had had sinus pain for two weeks straight that ended just the week before? Apparently not, and I had a lovely, albeit brief, chat with my new doctor.

That was last week. Work has been utterly insane these past two weeks, and I didn't have a chance to straighten out my expired Medicare card issue until this past Friday. Meanwhile, I have gotten a bill in the mail for my "meet-and-greet" appointment.

It was $215.

I don't even know what the point of this story is. All I know is that my face is sore again, and even though I now have a doctor, I can't go see him again until I get this silly card business sorted out. Who knows what he charges for a real appointment.