Saturday, November 12, 2011

From Which Angle?

[Note: Even though this is written as if it happened today, it is from a previous date.]
I almost called this post “Ricki’s Bad-Mood Morning” (in contrast to my previous post on her “good-mood morning”- see HERE).
Ricki woke up, it seems, in a bad mood. That’s not surprising, as she has a bit of a cough. Seeing that she was on the argumentative side, I straight away gave her the daily dose of her psychiatric medication. She didn’t want it, but when I said that I would not speak to her until she took it, she acquiesced. Her hair was one big tumble of tangles, and I told her that SHE would have to brush the majority out; I would do a touch-up job at the end. She said that she didn’t know how, and only agreed to try when I locked the door and informed her that if she wanted to go to school she would need to look decent. Eventually she tried, and got out at least 85% of the knots on her own. By this time her medicine was kicking in, and she stopped her aggressive “trying to egg me on” behaviors.
I walked with her to school, and after a short aerobic walk headed home. I was in a hurry as I had several tasks to do. First and foremost I needed to take care of getting a “tofes 17”. I have a minor medical procedure in a hospital clinic coming up in about two weeks. The health fund’s doctor’s recommendation of the procedure, as well as the “invitation” (to an appointment date) from the hospital, need to be filed with the health fund in order to get a “tofes 17” (agreement of the health fund to pay).
Now the hospital had mailed me an “invitation” and a list of tests they want me to do, but it had not arrived. I phoned them again several days ago, requesting that they send a second copy, but it had also not arrived. So since I REALLY need to get started on organizing the requested tests, as well as to obtain a “tofes 17”, I had decided that TODAY was the morning I would obtain a copy of the invitation and file a request for payment from the health fund. I was so determined that I had decided that I would go to the clinic if necessary, to get a copy of the invitation.
Besides getting an invitation in the mail, one can receive it by fax. The problem is that I have email, but no fax. But a store nearby does have a fax machine, so I went over there to get their fax number:

“Sorry, but we are out of ink.”

So I called the health fund, and obtained THEIR fax number. I just prayed that they would print out the list of tests for me. I spent the next 20 minutes trying to get through to the hospital clinic, and finally succeeded. I requested that they send the “invitation” to the health fund IMMEDIATELY, as I would be going over there straight away.
I was about to dash out (Planning to eat breakfast on my return home), when Ricki’s school called. They were sending her home as she had apparently had a bathroom accident. So I ran to the grocery store (knowing that it would take 15-20 minutes for her to arrive), afraid that with things going as they were, I might not catch the store open later. On my return, seeing that Ricki had still not put in an appearance, I ate a few almonds to stave off my hunger. It might well be 11:00 until I would finish with this whole saga, if not longer.
Half an hour later Ricki had still not arrived. I tried to call the school, but couldn’t get through. After about 15 minutes of this I was wondering if I was going to have to walk over to the school, but then the phone rang. It was the secretary of the school, saying that in the end it seems that Ricki was clean (or clean enough), and they had not sent her. I quickly said thanks and dashed out the door. I was going to walk across town to the health fund (only about a twenty minute walk), to get some more aerobic steps in. Reaching downstairs I realized that I had forgotten my MP3 player, which makes aerobic walking all that more easy, but I certainly wasn’t going to return for it. I knew that if the health fund had for some reason NOT been faxed the “invitation” or if they didn’t get the list of needed tests, I would need still to go to the clinic, which could easily be an expenditure of two hours or more. I started up the incline near my house, and near the top suddenly remembered that I had forgotten to bring the doctor’s recommendation that I have the procedure (needed in order to file a request for a “tofes 17”)!

“Boy oh boy”, I muttered to myself, “did I get out on ‘the wrong side of the bed’ this morning!”, and I turned around to fetch the letter from my files at home.

In the end, the lady at the health fund was VERY nice. She searched carefully until she found the “invitation” that had been faxed to her from the hospital. She printed out the tests for me as well, so I did NOT have to go to the clinic.
Going home, I decided that I had gotten up on “the right side” of the bed this morning.
-Ricki had combed her hair fairly well
-Ricki was not dirty
-the invitation reached the health fund
-I had the MP3 player for my aerobic walk, as I had also grabbed it when I went back for the doctor’s letter
-the lady in the health fund had printed out the list of tests for me.

You see, it all depends on the angle that you take to look at things………

1 comment:

mikimi said...

Of your kediri edits is where I spent 46 days and go frequently I am happy to hang with you if you want. My next aptmt is on S 27/11-so please let me know if you want/need my company as I don't mind such environments.
I am thrilled for your efforts in positive outlook on moments that can be frustrating.