07.11.07

10:20 p.m.

Fuck HIPAA, I'll tell you everything

I finally got an appointment with the otolaryngologist last week and I'm having surgery tomorrow.

Quick recap: I had strep throat in April. My tonsils have been swollen to the size of golf balls since. I'm having issues breathing, I'm dizzy, I'm bitchy, and I'm tired all the time from lack of oxygen. Five doctor visits and three months later it's finally going to get resolved. Yay!

He also said I have an inordinate amount of polyps in my nasal cavity, down my throat and in my sinuses. He was quite amazed I can breathe at all. He said that there is a possibility that they are cancerous, but it's unlikely. He also said that they are caused by ongoing inflammation and irritation (most likely from my allergies). He can remove them, but without controlling the cause, most likely they'd grow back in 6 months. So, I've opted out of having them removed.

Because I don't have health insurance the doctor's portion of the surgery had to be paid in full before they'd even schedule it. They don't fuck around. $786 later, it's happening tomorrow. As I've found out, when you are in the hospital or have surgery, you get 12 bills from 8 different places for 4 different things. According to my doctor, I'll be billed by the anesthesiologist and charged by the hospital for the room. The entire cost of the surgery is around 2-3 times the cost of the doctor's portion, but I can't get any concrete answers as to exactly how much because they are going to bill me. Oh joy.

I wouldn't be too worried about the bill because I don't have a lot of regular monthly bills. However, I no longer have a job. The clinic was sold to another vet and the deal will be done by the end of this month. It was quite a shock, and I can't say I'm really that depressed about it. My allergies are horrible and I really need to get out of that environment. The people are insane, the new doctor annoys the shit out of me with her baby voice, and the clients are jerks lately. Also, I need to find a relevant internship to put on my resume.

So, I'm excited that I'll finally be feeling better. However, I'm really, really, really (REALLY) scared about surgery tomorrow. I have a feeling in my stomach that I'm not going to live. I know that sounds retardedly morbid for a fucking tonsillectomy, but I keep having dreams (read: nightmares) that I die under anesthesia or my sutures open up and I bleed out before I can make it back to the emergency room. It could have something to do with the doctor emphasizing how much more dangerous the surgery is after the age of 21. We don't heal as fast, and more likely that you'll bleed more when the scab falls off (IN MY MOUTH. ICK!), and blah, blah, blah.

I just feel uneasy about the whole thing and I'm really scared.

On the other hand, it will jump start some weight loss. I won't be able to eat for 3-4 days, and only soft foods for 2 weeks. Maybe I'll lose a few pounds. Or a lot. I hope a lot.

It's an outpatient surgery, so I'll update again tomorrow night if I'm feeling well enough.

Now, here are some random pictures I've taken in the past few days.

I baby-sat last week and it thoroughly reinforced my decision not to reproduce.