04/07/10: Have to laugh

I guess if I don't finish telling the story, then it doesn't make sense why I just laugh.

So to finish the story from yesterday, since I noticed a theme in the comments that doesn't really apply to my situation, here is what I should have said yesterday.  I'll tell the whole story from start to finish this time.  :)

I called my insurance company for a status check on Monday. I was told "we haven't received any paperwork for this claim. You still have to submit it if you want a pre-determination".

And the story goes on from here...sorry for not including this yesterday....

All I could do was laugh.  I mean, I'm sitting on the phone laughing cause really, I know this is a flat out lie and it's just comedy.  I also know, from my advocate, that these sheeple have specific lines they are supposed to feed me with each successive week/phone call.  And this is next on the list?  A flat out lie that is supposed to make me lose it?  So I laugh.  Cause it's funny.

I think my laughing caught the poor "customer service" rep completely offguard.  She had no idea what to do with me.  I think most people hear that and they do lose it.  But here I am laughing because I know it's a lie.  And she said a very meek, I'm sorry.

"Um.  Ok.  I don't believe you."  I told her that.  Straight out.

And now it's her turn.  She laughs.  Which makes me laugh.  Cause really...do they not think people are smart enough to put together that this is a snow job?

So finally, when she realizes I'm not buying her crap, she says, ok, now I see it.  Your paperwork was submitted on the 8th and we had it completely loaded on the 18th.  Ok, yeah, your case is still pending.

Now was that so hard?  To tell me the same song and dance you've been telling all along?

I still just laughed, said thank you and hung up before she could dispense with any pleasantries she didn't really mean.

I got proof of the scripting yesterday.  After hearing from my advocate that nothing has changed, it's still pending, I called.  I just wanted to talk.  I didn't want a status, I already knew.  And it's the last call I will make this week.  And right now I seriously doubt that I will call next week.  I'll get to why in a minute.

But on the phone yesterday I really just wanted to express my dissatisfaction.  I am a paying customer and they seem to have forgotten that.  What they don't realize is that I do have options and I don't have to remain a customer of theirs after this year.  I wanted to relay that there is a human being behind the file of papers and that it goes even beyond me but includes an husband, an employer, friends, even family who are all trying to figure out how best to support me in this endeavor.

And to each thing I said, nicely, calmly, even politely, all she could respond with was one of two things.  1) we have to ensure this is medically necessary and 2) we have 20-30 days to make a decision.

As of today it has officially been 31 days.  So go smoke that!

I have gathered enough info along the way to know that yes, they do count the day the paperwork was submitted as the official start date of the review process.

Why won't I call next week?  Because I don't care.  Because now my career is going to suffer with whatever choice I make.  If I choose to do this, my career suffers.  Primary reason is the training program I am in.  If I choose to not do this, my career suffers because the battle of obesity will also continue far longer than it has to, if I don't get into yo-yo'ing (like I always have before) which would also be bad.

With each passing day that surgery doesn't happen, the damage to my career gets that much worse. 

It may not sound like it, but I'm actually not a drama queen.  I do not present any of this for sympathy, empathy or even to solicit compassion.  I present this all factually.  I am a person with an engineering brain.  I tend to not stir up crap - although, as my sweet hubby says - we all do at times.  I know I have crap stirred up with this situation but I am not approaching this as anything other than X=Y +/- C 

My next option for a surgery date is next Weds.  We'll see what happens.  Beyond next Weds, I know that I cannot do this in April without causing unrepairable harm.  I can choose to push the notion but I will pay a price for that.  Today (because of days the actually do the surgeries in my providers clinic) was basically my deadline for no harm no foul and it didn't work out.

So at this point, I don't care when it happens.  Everything happens for a reason and maybe this is all happening because I'm not supposed to do this.  And I am coming to terms with that.

So that's the story.  I'm sorry for not finishing it yesterday.  Just because I knew the story didn't mean you did.  :)

In other news, doing my all liquid diet yesterday save about five bites of a ribeye and a piece of cheese, I lost three pounds from yesterday morning to today.  I have two more to get off before I am finally back on a downward slide.  I am doing the all liquid thing again today and won't do the five bites of anything this time.  I also drank a gazillion gallons of water yesterday.  I am still "backed up" and am working on that part - that may very well be my "two pounds" that still gotta go.

I am also not giving up on the pre-op diet quite yet.  If next weds turns out to be an option, I'll take it.  But if it gets to next weds and it won't be an option, I am going back to my normal eating and will do what needs to be done when the time comes.  I know that if I even get an approval, that approval is good for six months.  So maybe this doesn't happen in April....

But I know you all know the notion of just wanting to move on with this.  Just wanting to finally and officially implement my new life.  I am just so tired of being in a holding pattern - somewhere I've been since last September.  I am just so ready to move forward and onward and never look back at this crap!