About 2 weeks ago we had an especially busy day at the coffee mega giant. I had already gotten up that morning feeling a weird little tweak in the area of my right shoulder blade, so by the end of the day I was in great misery and pain. It ached like a toothache all the way down to my elbow. I was miserable. I had some muscle relaxers & pain medication from the previous year, when I had taken a nasty fall on the ice, so I took them. It was the only way that I could sleep! Then I worked for the following two days while taking them. I was stoned out of my mind!!
The folks at work were quite amused, but I knew that I had to do something because the codeine was making me nauseous. So I made an appointment to see a chiropractor that came with many recommendations. They took many x-rays on my neck and back etc. I thought that I had a pinched nerve and they pretty much confirmed that diagnosis, but not the rest of it!
You see the cervical spine that is your neck, should have a natural curve to it, but mine does not. It is totally straight up and down. That explains why I have headaches and am always feeling like I have a stiff neck. The reason why totally stupefied me...I have arthritis in my neck!! He showed me the x-ray and explained how the vertebrae are fusing together. I was floored. I know it is not cancer, but at my age I never thought about arthritis! I thought that it was something that old people got. Oh my god...I can't be old!!!
So, they put warm stuff and electrodes on me to help alleviate the pinched nerve and cracked me up to start the process of trying to break that up in there. I felt immediate relief and it felt good to actually be able to move my neck in ways that I had not been able to in a LONG time. Then the bad news came. As if arthritis wasn't bad enough!!
Seems that the coffee mega giant DOES have excellent insurance BUT.... they especially EXCLUDE chiropractic care! So I would have to pay the $800 + , for treatment, out of pocket. WTF!!!!! Well, that just isn't going to happen. I had to cancel all of my appointments.
You know it just blows my mind how crap can creep up on you. You work out and try to eat right and take care of yourself and there is still stuff that is just going to happen. I am so pissed off. Not at anyone in particular, but just that I feel like my body is betraying me. I just don't feel like I am old enough for this mystery shit to start happening. I am mad because it is forcing me to face things that I am not ready to look at or think about. I am not really ready to "own my age" as they say.
So now... I am going to cost the insurance company even MORE money, which makes no sense, because I am going to have to go see my regular doctor and then see specialists and get more x-rays. They will probably give me some kind of medication and all costing more time and money than if they would just cover the chiropractor! See how the medical community is all screwed up? Good example of how they would rather waste money than to pay for preventative care.
I hate filling out paper work and going to a different doctor means I will have to do that. Take time out of my day for more x-rays and more talking and further evaluations. My mom says maybe they will send me to an orthopedic doctor for therapy and evaluation. More money in to the system.
I wonder how long I can put it off? I was so stiff again last night that I broke down and took another muscle relaxer and even had a glass of wine with it as I soaked in a hot tub. Not smart I know. I could have drowned!! :-) But seriously, it was bad pain and I was miserable. So, I guess I will put my gear on and head to the gym. Maybe walking/running on the treadmill will help loosen me up a bit.
I hate falling apart! Maybe a glass of wine before I go...........
No comments:
Post a Comment