As I've posted about before, I am going to be transitioning to part-time work in August so that I can go back to school. Hopefully it will be with my current employer, but they are lazy asses about telling anyone anything so I still don't have official confirmation that they will let me do this. I've had several vague assurances of "it should be OK" but no real proof. Anyway, I'm going to school come what may, so it's either going to be part-time here or at Starbucks or somewhere.
Which brings me to the subject of health insurance. I won't be working enough hours to qualify for health insurance any more, so I am going to have to get individual coverage. I think I have found a plan that I like, although of course need to do a bit more shopping around to see if it really is the best fit out there. But, being as it's individual coverage and I'm cheap so don't want to pay a fortune for all the bells and whistles, it's not going to give me as much as I get now from my work plan. So, from now until the middle of August is officially designated as health-care frenzy time. I will be trying to get in as many routine visits and well person checks as I possibly can before the current insurance runs out. Just to make sure that I'm in the clear on everything, you know. And then if I decide that I'm going to alternate years with some of these things, it won't be such a big deal.
I've already had my eyes checked. My yearly dermatologist check for skin cancer is tomorrow. At some point I'll do a home cholesterol check to make sure the number is not sky high and then make an appointment for a regular physical (if the cholesterol is sky high, I will be living on oatmeal and almonds for a month to try to get it down before getting it officially checked - I definitely don't want any pre-existing conditions going on!). I've got a dental appointment booked for some time in early July.
And then I need to book a pap smear. It's been about a year since my last one so I really should get it done. But I'm dreading it. Even though I'm all "evolved" and "at peace" now, the thought of sitting in that waiting room with a bunch of pregnant women is seriously scaring me. I've been having them done over the last few years at the RE's, which has been lovely. No interminable delays waiting for the doc because he/she is off delivering babies. No watching pregnant women come and go from the waiting room in a constant stream while I sit there feeling folorn. No cheery questions about what I'm doing for birth control. So going back to the regular OB/Gyn is not something I'm looking forward to. What if I can't handle it? What if it just turns me right back into that bitter place, and I get stuck and can't get out? I guess I could keep getting it done at the local RE's (he did offer, as he said he does that for some of his infertility patients who don't want to go back to the OB/Gyn), but then I'd have to pay out of pocket as my insurance won't touch anything that comes from anywhere with a name beginning with the initials IVF. And paying out of pocket kind of defeats the object, doesn't it?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Dreading
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7 comments:
Hope your job lets you go part time. Just wanted you to know that pap guidelines have changed. No need to go every year: http://www.drdonnica.com/today/00006953.htm
http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/3rduspstf/cervcan/cervcanrr.htm
PLEASE everyone still go every year. Those guidelines are done with insurance companies breathing down necks. My mother died from cervical cancer and hadn't had a pap in 3 years or so. Another friend in her 30's was just diagnosed right after pregnancy, having been papped at the beginning. PLEASE. Get a pap!
Some of the OB/GYNs around here are switching to being just GYNs because they didn't like the OB hours. Maybe there is a straight GYN in your area?
Mrs. Bri suggested what I was going to - see if you can find a plain GYN to have your pap done. My OB does OB/GYN and his father does just GYN in their second building across the street, and in his father's office there are usually a bunch of older women in there and rarely are pregnant women seen there.
I'm a relatively new reader here - I apologize for asking about what I'm sure is old news, but what are you going back to school to study? I hope this transition period goes smoothly for you!
Without wanting to alarm you, I'm not sure what state you live in, but unless it's one of the few that provides pretty extensive guarantees about allowing individuals to buy health insurance policies I'd be absolutely astonished if you have a choice of policies and quite startled if you can buy an individual policy at all. I'd really quite strongly recommend that you go ahead and get approved for any policy you're considering; see, e.g. http://www.healthinsurancecolorado.
net/blog1/2008/02/12/health-insurance-
when-youve-had-infertility-treatment/ for an example of this problem.
...oops, sorry, my comment above should have indicated that my concern about the willingness of companies to sell you health insurance is a function of your having had infertility treatments -- the link probably makes that clear(er), but without that info. it probably seems like I'm making some rather wildly sweeping unsubstantiated statement (still possible, but less likely, with this qualifier).
Sarah, stop seeing an OB/GYN and just go to a GYN. You will never have to sit amongst pregnant ladies, you will never have to wait for your doctor to return from hospital and a delivery. You will be at a doctor's office no different from all the others (until your legs are in stirrups, of course).
It was the best thing I did years ago. If/when I get pregnant, I will see an OB/GYN UNTIL delivery and then right back to my GYN.
Amy
Another option is going to a general practice doctor. Some of them will do a pap for you.
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