I guess I spoke too soon the other day, but at least Blue Shield seems to have gotten my insurance figured out, and it only took them 6 1/2 months! 

Last night, after another amazing night of dancing, I started feeling pressure in my left ear again.  I put some drops in, and it seemed to help, but the last run pretty much depleted my supply so I knew that if it wasn’t gone, I would have to schedule a doctor’s visit, and it’s a good thing I did! 

She described my right ear as “angry” and said that the pain in my jaw was a result of the infection in my ear.  So now, not only do I have antibiotic drops to go in the ears, but doxycycline to take as well.  Here’s hoping that this will knock all of the creeping crud out of my system for good!

One thing that puzzles me, though.  Around here, the doctor’s are all equipped with laptops and/or iPads these days.  If they can hook things up so you can see your insides on an ultrasound, why can’t they hook something up so what they’re seeing with their little scope thingie when they look in your ears and down your throat could show up on their tablet so you could see what they consider seriously infected?  Maybe I’m weird, but I really would like to see what it is they’re seeing.  If you think about it, there’s really no good way to see inside your own ear!  It’s kind of like trying to touch your ear with your elbow!  Nobody short of a contortionist could manage that feat!

Don’t get me wrong.  Compared to some of my friends, I consider myself very lucky to be dealing with something so relatively mild and treatable, while one friend is dealing with both pneumonia and kidney stones while another is about to evict some of her lady parts for bad behavior.    I have to say that I have all of the parts with which I came from the factory, save a small piece of meniscus from my right knee (and that hardly counts as a major component like tonsils or organs or reproductive parts, now does it?). 

Someday, the people who have put their hearts and souls into researching cures for so many things are going to get some real backing, rise up against the big pharmaceutical companies who see more profit in keeping people sick, and will bring those cures they’ve developed so painstakingly out for public consumption.  Then we can all stop putting chemicals into our bodies and just give them the healthy foods, herbs and minerals they were meant to thrive on.  In some ways, I think these nasty flu strains and infections are a result of toxins we unwittingly ingest and could be completely avoided if we knew what was giving them something in our bodies to feed upon! 

And from what I’m hearing, they’re going to have to kick the insurance companies where it hurts as well, since they seem to be running shows they have no business running. 

Yes, I am seriously considering building a network which would allow me to advocate for people who are being given the runaround by insurance companies.  Frankly, from my experience, and what I’m learning from the doctors, it isn’t the Affordable Health Care Act that’s the problem, or even the people trying their darndest to administer it.  The insurance companies themselves are doing everything they can to make it fail, though I’m really not clear as to why they are so against it.  The only thing I can think of is profits, but as they are even limiting what doctors can sign up for, they are narrowing their own scope!  What am I missing, here???

My gratitudes tonight are:
1. I am grateful for my relatively minor health issues.
2. I am grateful that I’m learning to seek help when I’m simply uncomfortable instead of waiting until I’m in excrutiating pain, and have already let whatever it is go way too far.
3. I am grateful for the kindness of people, and their willingness to share the challenges they’re facing.
4. I am grateful for healing energy, even if it needs a little boost from medications.
5. I am grateful for my nurse kitties who have been extremely attentive the last few weeks.

Love and light.