Party in the Emergency Room

The Saturday night of the Folsom Street Fair, I had my own party. ...at the emergency room. Nope, it's not a new nightclub. I mean the real hospital emergency room.

Saturday night, I had this back pain that felt like there were big weights on my back and it was hard to breathe.
I had the same pain about two days before, but I just slept it off and it went away, I thought it was 'cause I didn't sleep enough or something.

I went to Magnitude with Jeff, Fabrice and DJ and every step I took hurt so much. I am not one to just mosey on over to the doctor for just anything, it's got to be bad. I think I have been to the doctor two or three times in the last three years and once to the emergency room (...for my own well being.) in the last 10 years.
Saturday night, at Magnitude, I made my way around so that I could see the set-up and make some mental notes for HustlaBall as to what worked well for them and what I thought we might be able to make better.
I managed to sneak out of there after about 30 minutes and went back to the hotel I was staying at.
I didn't want to tell Jeff and all the boys that were poised to have a good time something like, "I don't feel good." and bring them down, so I let them go quietly.
After about 20 more minutes there, I could not bear the pain anymore and went down to the front desk and asked for the nearest ER. The front desk guy did not know, but he said he'd ask the operator. I went to the front and asked a taxi driver and he took me. ...about 5 blocks away. can you believe that? I mean, it's wonderful that it was so close to the hotel but a damn shame that the front desk of the hotel did not know that. I mean really...
I also can't help but think that when the taxi driver said, "Do you need me to call 911?" I answered back, "They wont' get me there any faster than you will." and I thought and would have said is "Hell no, I can't imagine what the insurance is going to cost as it is, so just drive please."

Upon arriving at the ER, I fortunately went to the front of the triage line and the nurse put me in a room for the doctor to see quickly.
They put an IV into me so that the delivery of the medicine they were giving me after all the tests was absorbed by my body as quick as it could be.
The nurse asked, "Do you have a history of cardiac problems in your family?" I just shook my head in the movement of yes.

The nurse said, "Do you eat a lot of spicy food?" followed by "Do you drink often?" and "Do you smoke?" The only thing I could say no to was the last question. Who knew? I can't believe that of all the bad things I do to my body, spicy food is one of the first downfalls. I mean, seriously? Are you kidding me?

The way I figure it, isn't your body is designed to fight off illness and stuff, so I think, "Let it do it's thing." most of the time.
I mean, a fever is your body raising the temperature to kill a germ, a scab is your body's way of keeping something out, so I try to just let my body do what it needs to, etc.
...not so much this night, I was ready for an intervention.

The doctor discharged with me with a packet of papers that I am sure is going to cost my insurance thousands of dollars that says "Gastritis versus Ulcer." that I am now just pissed off at and want to light on fire.
She said it seems like "Gastritis" but has many of the symptoms of an ulcer, so I needed to check with a general doctor when I get home.

The clock said 4:15am and I walked back to the hotel in the cool San Francisco weather and got two hours of sleep before heading to unload the car on Folsom Street at 7:30am.

Thank goodness for insurance, I can't imagine what it would have been without it.

Now I have to figure out what I am going to do next besides get this medicine, eat some blander foods and be upset.

High Priced Health

Wow.
I want to say, "That's all I have to say."
...however, it's not.

Yesterday was a first.
It was the first time I had some prescriptions filled. I mean, as an adult. My mom had precriptions filled all the time for me.

I have had my insurance for a year now in October and I haven't had to use it.
I used it last week (...actually, it was a couple of weeks ago.) to get these crazy bumps on my arm checked out.
The doctor said it was stress related Excema.
It's never going to go away. She also said it's going to be flare up when I am stressed. GREAT! I don't have stress, so I should be just fine.
...not so much.

• First of all, that sucks, 'cause I have been very fortunate to not have many things go wrong with my body. (Fabrice and I just got an HIV test last week at 'The Spot' in West Hollywood and both of our tests came back negative.)
• Second of all, I think it's God's way of saying, "Fine, you won't share your feelings with people. I will put them on your body." I am just kidding about that one. I don't think God does that type of thing in reality.
• Third of all, "WHAT THE FUCK?!" WITH insurance, the total for the four prescriptions came to $309.31. Without insurance, I can't imagine what it would have been.

Rusty had to pick up a prescription as well, so when he came home he said, "I was going to pick yours up as well, but it was like $70.00."
I thought, "ARGH!" as I went to pick up mine later that day.
He didn't know I had five more waiting to be picked up.

I asked the pharmacist about one of the bottles and she said it's normally $309.99 and with my insurance, I don't have to pay any portion of that one.
One of the other bottles cost me $76.70 and without insurance it would have been $107.79. YIKE!

I am thankful I have that insurance today.

What's my point here? (Do I ever really know?)
a) Medical shit is expensive. I didn't realize just HOW expensive until it hits close to home.
(People can tell me stuff until they are blue in the face, I hear. I listen. ...most of the time I understand or find out more. However, the severity of any situation affects me most when I have to deal with it personally.)
b) Get insurance. Escorts especially.
Go to http://www.bluecrossblueshield.com/ and start there.
Let me know if I can help you make a better decision.
My insurance is really a good deal. It didn't take long to find. Anyone that comes across it from the people in my office I consulted, to my parents, to the pharmacist yesterday are like, "WOW, that's a good deal. How did you get that?"

I did find out from the internet and Rusty that a new prescription at CVS gets a $25.00 gift card.
When I checked out, (...and almost fell out.) I had a gift card for $75.00 from getting three of the five picked up and paid for them.
...that was more than expected.
The next day when I picked up the other one, I got another $25.00. *whew* ...that's like one of the health solutions free. YEA!