Timmy had an absolute blast at Kid Junction. I was able to nurse my cold and relax while he ran and played for nearly four hours with likeminded active buddies. By the time we were ready to go home he was a sweaty (and happy) little raggamuffin.
This morning I still feel crummy, although I think there is some improvement over yesterday. Fridays tend to be busy so there will be little opportunity for me to relax. Most of my afternoon will be spent driving Robby to and from classes and taking Timmy to doctor appointments. I'm glad I took advantage of the opportunity to rest yesterday because I'm going to need my energy today.
We have no real plans for the weekend, other than my resting and hopefully kicking this cold for good. I have stacks of boxes ready to be filled with my clutter purge, but I don't know if I am going to be up to the task this weekend. In reality, I will probably spend a lot of time watching Grinch (again) on the couch with Timmy.
On an unrelated note, last night Dave and I recorded a new podcast. This week we discussed the #AblesAreWeird movement. Check it out!
What started out as seasonal allergies have grown into a full blown cold. I'm not sick enough to pay for a babysitter to help out, but I definitely considered the possibility. Instead, I am going to take Timmy to his favorite indoor playground. He has a lot of energy and I'm not feeling up to being his playmate today.
I'm hoping that the strong rain throughout the day will drive other parents to the same idea and Timmy will find some buddies. If he is busy playing, I will be able to sit and relax. It isn't quite the same thing as staying in bed under the heated blankets, but it may be my best option today.
Despite my efforts, I didn't move the needle on obtaining my liners. Today I am forced to elevate, which I detest. I wish that receiving my necessary prosthetic supplies could be easy, or at least relatively noneventful!
The constant battle with insurance is exhausting and frustrating. Perhaps more infuriating is the knowledge that I am not alone. Navigating delays and red tape have become the norm for amputees who are constantly fighting to receive basic care. Insurance has turned into an exercise in gotchya, where the adjuster will use any uncrossed t as a reason to withhold services. The system needs to change.
I spent hours making calls, or rather leaving messages because nobody seems to pick up the receiver anymore, and sending emails. Today I am limiting my efforts to calling the attorney before logging off the computer. It is going to be the last nice day for the week and I want to play outside with the boys. The insurance company can force a battle, but I refuse to allow them to take time away from my kids.
Yesterday was an exercise in frustration.
I spent the early morning on the phone, trying to gather the necessary documentation required for me to receive the new prosthetic liners. After crossing the last item off my list, I felt confident that I would be walking in comfort by the end of the week. One terse call completely sidelined my hopes and derailed my entire day.
On the other line of the receiver was a representative from my Workman's Compensation carrier. My insurance adjuster will not approve the new liners until I undergo an x-ray to confirm my "continued medical need for a prosthesis and associated supplies." It took me a few moments to realize the true absurdity of her new requirement. My doctor's prescription and associated medical notes, the binders of records detailing my amputation in 2003 and the stacks of documentation from my prosthetist which have been accumulated in the nearly 16 years of daily prosthetic use were suddenly insufficient. Now I am being required to prove, again, that my leg did not suddenly reappear.
I became so outraged by the request that I began to shake. I was infuriated to the point of tears. I was sad that this is the reality of living with a chronic medical need. The revolving door of constant documentation and the spools of red tape have become accepted standards in today's insurance driven climate. I am furious that my ability to ambulate is being held hostage by the delay tactics of my insurance adjuster.
For fear of my words or actions worsening the situation, I disengaged from the battle for the remainder of the day. I was fairly certain that had I continued with my calls my demeanor would have derailed my efforts. Today I am ready to fight again. Wish me luck!
Because Timmy had a nightmare and was crying, I slipped my liner on in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday so I could walk to his room. Still in the dark room, my liner felt odd so I quickly felt it so I could verify that it was positioned correctly. I noticed a small hole in the fabric at the bottom, and I knew that the next few days were going to be frustrating.
I am currently in the process of getting new liners, but that was not going to help me in the short term. My insurance adjuster is versed at manufacturing red tape in an effort to delay my treatment. Despite the fact that liners are a necessary item for a prosthetic user, my adjuster may drag out the approval for another few weeks. In the meantime, I am going to struggle to walk and to maintain limb health.
After Timmy was soothed I went back to bed, slipped off my leg and liner and wracked my brain to come up with a solution. When we woke up in the morning Scott helped me cut a silicone patch which I placed on the inside of my liner, over the hole. It worked, but as the day wore on each step became more uncomfortable.
Taking off my leg, my suspicions were verified. The hole was growing, and the patch was not going to keep me mobile. I needed to come up with another idea. After doing some digging through the closet, I found an old seal-in liner. I knew it was going to be too small, but with my options limited I decided to give it a try.
Thankfully I was able to don the liner. I couldn't slip into my leg with the seal-in liner, but I was able to slip into my water leg, which has a slightly roomier socket. Scott swapped the foot on the water leg to a lighter weight, more responsive foot to help me through the days. Although it is tight, I think it will be manageable until my liners are released from the web of red tape.
Sometimes being an amputee is frustrating, but I am grateful that I have the spare parts to make a solution when things go wrong!
