The Snafu: Patience With Practice

I've been going through a very hard time with my legs swelling severely and pain and breathing difficulties the last two or three months. Added to that was another big worry which shouldn’t be there. My health insurance company made an awful mistake and rejected two years worth of claims saying some other insurer was responsible. Problem was I didn't have and never had the other insurer. Well their response was that, someone manually went into the system and entered that incorrect insurer. So 4 months later it still is not totally corrected and many health care providers are billing us. It's all the insurer's mistake.

They've sent me on to their issues resolution team and I have a person on the team who works with me. It's gotten to be a huge mess now because they let it grow to involve my claims since May 21st too. This involves more than one-hundred physician’s claims, more than two-hundred physical therapy claims, and dozens of lab claims and durable medical equipment claims over the last 1 ¾ years. Fortunately this type of thing happens infrequently. My employer says it’s one of the largest snafu’s they have seen.

Oh well, I’ve been given a “very special” lesson in patience and in letting go of things and not worrying. This student has learned it much better than ever before and GOT IT this time. I've finally learned to set this aside and work on it every few days. My psychologist calls this compartmentalizing. But, the good “Steamship Frank” has been in danger of losing his compartments many times. It’s just hard not to think about this a lot. I've called my employer and they are helping me now too. They’ll call me back this week (a two-week follow-up with me to see how my insurer is doing with this.) I’ll have to tell them it still hasn’t been cleared up and I’m getting more bills. The folks in the benefits department will get after this “health insurer” ha, really, are they?… Support is coming all over again.

Well, it took me a long time, almost 3 1/2 months to get myself into a frame of mind of making a call or discussing an issue and then letting it go. Did that ever drag my life and emotions down. Oh well, it will work out and it will get corrected, but it's because of my constant pursuit and asking questions and not letting them off. I still have my doubts. I can only do my part of this. I sent in all my coordination of benefits forms correctly year after year letting them know what other health insurer we have and I’ve called problems to their mistake as they arise. They are now calling my providers for me to explain what’s happened and that it’s their mistake and that it will take some time to correct. Folks got so they wouldn’t believe me. As I said, I’ve got the university benefits department working on it for me too and they are taking it VERY seriously too. So, I’m asking the Lord to help me to stay calm and not worry about this. Take care of an issue as I need to and then let it go after writing careful notes of substance, time, and who I talked to and their direct phone number. I’m finally learning how to do this well after practice and practicing. You might say I've finally gotten good at homework. Geez .... did that really happen? I'm good at this now. Many notebooks are full of the Big Snafu. It's us "chronics" version of that show "Amazing Race" on CBS.

I hope to get back to reading Carepage Msgs soon and even writing some too. My energy level is low and stamina is limited. Just a little bit at a time and just about an hour a day is all I can handle. My difficulties are not anything like what some of you have been dealing with; I know that. Many of you too are examples to me of people who have kept their spirits up and stay in touch with many others and me too. You are all just so kind and full of a joy that is hard to express. All this contact with folks from carepages and kind people elsewhere has been a blessing that I would have never guessed possible. You know it's really too bad that illness and injury and all those kinds of things are what it takes to bring a group of people together. Maybe it will all change to this kind of sharing being much more common in the future. I hope so. I really believe that our Lord and God would want this kind of openness and sharing to be much more common. Here we share our lives, our hopes, our physician and health care stories, our wisdom, and our funny stories and our jokes. Hey, here’s a short one from last week; I thought it was funny. Why are math books so sad? Because they have so many problems. Put a smile on ok and pray for all of us.

May God inspire our doctors to help us recover and be healed and may he inspire medical scientists to do the research that will help us more. May all of us help each other by sharing our wisdom, experiences, and humor. P. S. I’ve added another nice picture of Amber here today. She's a really smart little female cat who we rescued four months ago. She loves our Velux blankets and office chairs. She jumps over Charley in a single bound. What a character. She’s a lifesaver who lays on my lap and then lays on her back and chews me and then touches her nose to my hand. Despite The Snafu and many chronic illnesses, I am so fortunate thanks to all of you.

A Wonderful Way of Fundraising: The Story of Ricochet

Today I'm going to tell the story of a wonderful way of fundraising. It combines love and patience along with the creative discovery of purpose. We all know how our hearts melt with the energy and antics of a beloved animal. This is the story of a golden retriever who was supposed to be a service dog. In that purpose she failed. Failure led her to a new purpose, perhaps even more valuable than the first. Even though she loved to chase birds too much to become a service dog, she exceled in the unusual sport of "canine surfing". Here is the story of Ricochet. It's a good name as you will see.

The video's and sites listed here tell the story of Surf dog Ricochet’s (Rip Curl Ricki's -- a Golden Retriever) inspirational journey from a failure at service dog training that leads to a joyful new direction.

She surfs in contests and also surfs with quadriplegic surfer, Patrick Ivison, Her fundraising for charitable causes is portrayed in this set of videos on youtube and on other sites. Many other videos of Ricochet can be found on docchat's channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/docchat Another informative location is Ricochet's web page at: http://www.ripcurlricki.com.

She has raised over $10,000 for Patrick Ivison's physical therapy and a grant from WebMD has provided Patrick with an additional three-year grant for physical therapy. Her fundraising activities have also provided the funding for Patrick's service dog.

Also follow Ricochet on Facebook. Search for "Surf Dog Ricochet" or paste: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-Dog-Ricochet/178108649370 into your browser's window.

This is an excellent example of turning disappointment into success. After all, we learn from and build on our mistakes. Our purpose in life is discovered often in a long series of trial and error efforts. This effort combined with patience and love teaches us what our true calling is in life. There are many ways we can serve others. Even with disabilities and limitations there are an infinite number of ways to help. All of us can learn from Ricochet's inspirational journey. She loves what she does with all her heart. If only we could follow her and her owners lessons. What purpose do we have here that opens our lives to empowering others with our love?

Your Example Is A Model For Me My Friend

You've put me in the mind again to learn to accept things as they are at this moment. As you've said, it causes us so much stress to rail against what is rather than to live in the best possible way even with it all. I notice that when I'm calm and accepting of each moment of time, I'm able to observe much better what's going on. I can even listen to my body and relate its condtion to how various treatments are working better or not. Today it seems like I am backing out and away from many doors and closing them behind myself. The many daily ebbs and flows in this struggle make is so hard to see whether we are improving or declining. It's so uncertain and as I watch myself calmly, my minds eye reveals the inner core of our being. Sometimes, there's a lot of fear. For me especially, I don't know how this will end, and I'm afraid. Sometimes, I see that never ending caring and deep concern which you have shown. There's also your humor in the wonderful graphics of children playing and happy animals which you use. Generally these illnesses, as I see them through your writing, make me think that each of us is drawn together through a deep and caring love which has no bounds in time or space. God's eternal face is revealing itself in the constant care and love we show each other.

You know, I struggle with the weakness and pain from my illness. Depression finds us to be easy prey sometimes, doesn't it? Still, just at the right time for me, I watched a wonderful program this weekend about a neurologist living with ALS. I realize that although he has lost all motion, a wonderful new brain wave detection system has enabled him to keep communicating. He is able to read and write journal articles and continue his research with slight eye muscle movements and measures of his brain waves. He lives with a respirator like Stephen Hawking the famous physicist, but he retains that core of hope, love, caring, and the ability to communicate, publish, and do research. When I think of you, I'm amazed at your mental strength and stamina. I think Yes, you are retaining that essential core of being described as Love.

Stay strong and keep reaching out, writing, sending your wonderful message out, and being an excellent example and teacher for so many of us. I think of you and pray for you many times per day. God Bless You, your Husband, and Family. Keep up with those docs and make sure they help you all they can. We have to be hard taskmasters don't we? Ha.... In this time of disillusion many doctors need your example. Many are easily discouraged and need to meet more folks like you with your humor, caring nature, and ability to reach out. You continue to be the best mentor I've ever met. Your Friend Frank from the cold Northland.