VERY IMPORTANT REVIEWS

I have the flu. The real flu. Diagnosed with Influenza A yesterday, and I'd been unable to get up from bed two days before that. I had actually been too sick to go get seen. The thought of having to get dressed, or, you know, stand up, brought me to tears. Today is the first day I've been well enough to move around even a little bit.

As such I've been on my feet since 6:30 a.m. and I honestly feel like I'm about to die.

So, why the heck am I blogging?

Because I'm fucking pissed. This day has been a nightmare, and I have some reviews (good and bad) to dish out. And don't think I'm not going to social media these to the people involved, either. I totally will. Don't freaking mess with me when I'm about to pass out from death.


REVIEW 1 - University of Florida: C

I don't know what their official policy is on the flu and I'm too sick to go look it up and argue about it, but I emailed my professor yesterday after my diagnosis, and while she was plenty kind and polite, she gave me a three-day extension on a 25-pg paper that I cannot fathom starting right now. Because words. And reading them. In order. To have meaning. She gave me no extension on today's assignment which I managed to complete before what we will henceforth call HELL AFTERNOON started. Thank God. She also expects me on class on Monday. The doctor told me not to return to life until February 4th. I'll still be contagious. So, yeah.

For threatening the public health, and clearly not understanding what flu means, UF gets a C.

REVIEW 2 - My Kid's School District: A

I brought my kids to school today because they were BEGGING to go. I knew one of them should not have been there (tho in my defense I didn't know she had the flu because she'd been vaxxed for it. Twice.) I told them the minute she started showing signs of illness fatigue or coughed at all, to call me and have her sent home, regardless of the tantrum she would throw about not being with her twin. They called me at 9:27 a.m. and I went and got her.

For following instructions and caring about human health and the spread of disease their district gets an A.

Which brings us to...

REVIEW 3 - FLU VACCINE (nasal spray): B-

I'm so pro-vaccine I cannot bring myself to give this below a B, but seriously, dudes, wtf. My kids got the mist TWICE this year (because it was their first year for the vaccination). I know strains are different and blah blah blah, and my whole family is going to get vaccinated next year even though this happened this year because it's not the vaccine's fault. But it still majorly blows that we got the mini-sick twice in the fall, and still all got the mother-effing flu anyway.

For failing to protect my kids this year, the flu vaccine gets a B-.

REVIEW 4 - Kids Doc Pediatric: D 

I'm really sorry to give this one out because I really, really love the main doctor and his wife and their business. But, guys, enough is too much. I called in the early morning for an appt (righ t after they opened), and got scheduled for 2:15 p.m. I got there on time, paid my copay, and we waited for 45 minutes in the waiting room. What's the big deal, right? Sometimes doctors are busy. Well, the big deal is it was packed  in there, and they don't have a sick waiting room and a well one. Just one waiting room. And I told everyone we had the flu and sat us as far away from people as we could, but kids still kept coming up and trying to touch the twins because they look like the same person and are therefore incredibly interesting to the under 10 set. Also, we ended up right next to a six year old just there for his yearly. I wanted to die of flu-guilt. They didn't even have masks.

When they finally put us in the room, it was another 45 minutes before the doctor saw us. The room had a sticky mess in the middle of it and our sneakers all got stuck. Gross. I mentioned that to the doctor, and she was like, huh. That's weird. Then my kid wanted water. The doctor's office did. not. have. water. They gave her a popsicle instead. She didn't want it. I also had to ask them to retake her temp because the first reading was 95.7. The second reading? 103.6.

On our way out, I reminded them to call in the scripts. They forgot. But I'll come back to that.

For giving countless children the flu, making my daughter wait for 90 minutes with an ear infection, the flu, a respiratory infection, and 104 temp, Kids Doc gets a D.

REVIEW 5 - United Health Care: D+

While I've received great customer service every time I've called them, I'm going to have to call them again because somewhere along the line they decided to start charging copays for well-visits, and not only that, but they back-issued payment for all of last year. So the doctor's office tried to charge me hundreds of dollars and I had to be like lol no. I don't like surprise charges or back charges.

For trying to charge me for old money you weren't collecting at the time, United Health Care gets a D+.


REVIEW 6 - CVS CAREMARK: F

When my husband went to get vaccinated against the flu on Saturday (lol the day before I came down with it), they charged him $30. Flu shots are free. He called and the customer service rep told him it must have been an administering fee. Which it wasn't. He now has to call a bunch of different numbers to get the charge taken off.

When we paid for my tamilflu, we paid $100 deductible first, then the medicine. The next day, when I had to pay for my kids' tamilflu, they tried to charge me the deductible again. Calling customer service got a different person with a different answer each time. Now we have to call various numbers again to get the overcharge rectified. I do not have a million dollars for fake deductibles, Caremark, thanks.

On top of that, all of the CVS stores in town were OUT of tamilflu. Which wouldn't have been so bad, except that those stores weren't cool enough to tell the doctor when she phoned them in and waited for my sick-as-death ass to show up with my glassy, green kids to tell me, LOLSORRY. Not impressed. In fact, I actually cried at the fourth pharmacy to do this to me.

So, for failing every which way and making me hate them forever, CVS Caremark gets an F.

Which brings me to:

REVIEW 7 - Walgreens: A-

After running through my CVS options, I finally ended up at Walgreens, where, at first, no one was at the drive-through window. A man who was clearly off the clock and on his way out must have seen my stricken face, because he put his coat down and started my order for me. After that, a nice young man took over, and before filling all the drugs (which the Walgreens HAD) he told me they'd cost $70 a piece, which really sucked. I asked him why, and asked if it was because we had Caremark, and he smiled sympathetically and said yes. Then he filled our abx which was only $9, and instead of filling the tamilflu, he called every single CVS in the area until he found one that had it in stock. He transferred the order there, and I had my husband pick it up after work, (where he again had issues with Caremark.)

For being decent human beings, having medicine in stock and helping me even though you sold less drugs, Walgreens gets an A-.

Now, during this whole pharmacy debacle, my check-engine light came on and my car started shaking. Which brings me to:

REVIEW 8 - Honda of Gainesville: D+

After charging me $600 for new tires when I went in to check out a rattling noise a month or so ago, the dealership said I wouldn't need oil for another whole year because the oil was full and looked new. I'm too sick to go get the car checked right now, but without that rec, I'd have gotten the oil changed 1000 miles ago, bc that's when the sticker told me to get it changed. I'm willing to bet the $200 that Caremark is never going to give back to me that the problem with the car is the oil. Since I can't be sure, I won't fail them. But still.

For telling me my car was fine, and telling me to ignore maintenance stickers, Honda of Gainesville gets a D+.

And finally, we have:

REVIEW 9 - Grocery Mama: A+

After the day I had yesterday, just to be treated cordially and like a person was enough to inspire eternal gratitude in this small business. When I used it, I thought it was just a regular grocery service, which it is, but it's also way better than that. It's a local, one-family, business, and they are just doing everything right. I hope they have great, great success in everything. Here's what I left on their FB page review section:

Grocery Mama is amazing. I'm dead with the flu right now, and had to use a service for the first time in my life today. Within seconds of receiving my list online, the owner called me, clarified all concerns, and continued pertinent conversation throughout the trip to make sure she got what I wanted. Her understanding and humor was a breath of fresh air after a day of everything gone wrong. After the shopping she had to hand off the reins and called to make sure I was okay with a man dropping the groceries off. At every step, she ensured my comfort. When she couldn't find a brand I wanted she texted to see if another brand would be okay, and when it wasn't, she took time out to ask a store employee where the exact item was. My groceries were here within an hour of me ordering them. AND I FORGOT TO GIVE A TIP. They were so polite, they didn't even stick around in case I would remember. Please come back, Grocery Mama, bc I have all the monies to give you. It is unacceptable that such stellar service go tipless. I recommend that any and everyone use this service. They cater to all the local grocery stores too. I could not have had a better experience, and I was in a BAD MOOD, so that was hard to pull off. They're wonderful.

A+







 

Thanks, Obama

Government shutdown? You can blame Obama. Sure. Many people do. There's a whole meme about it that I see daily. Thanks, Obama.

You can blame the Affordable Care Act. That nasty bill that provides women and children with the healthcare they need and deserve as a human right.

But the law isn't going away. Not even if every last tea-party Republican stomps around, throws shit, then holds his or her breath until they turn blue and pass out. Because that's what they're doing.

They cannot change the law doing this.

This would be like me wanting them to take all peanut products off the shelves, and they won't when I write them a letter, so I go into a grocery store with a gun and start shooting up the place.

Think about it. The analogy, as petty as it seems on first glance, works.

Innocent victims, no resolution, angry reactions, and no clear goal to the action itself.

Or, how's this one?

My kids have no power in their lives. They can scream about wanting soda at 9 p.m. until kingdom come, and they're not getting soda. We have a no-soda law, if you will. Yes, I love and respect my children, and I understand why they want it, but they're not getting it.

Now picture them flopping on the ground, pulling things off grocery store shelves, kicking, screaming and pitching a huge fit because I will not buy them soda.

What would you have me do?

Buy them the soda?

First of all, that's not going to happen. Secondly, if it did, who's the asshole? That's only going to teach them that they can tantrum whenever they want. (Not that I think you can teach these Congresspeople anything, but just imagine with me for a moment.)

Even if this shutdown could be remotely related to the healthcare law (which it isn't), having Obama gut it after this show of impotent toddleresque bullshit will only show Republicans that these terrorist tactics work.

Shutting the government down because you are in the minority about a law that has passed, its revision having been rejected by the Senate multiple times is not a solution to the problem you don't even have.

We live in a democracy. We voted. It passed. Time to buck up, kiddos.

Go back to my screaming kids in the grocery store. I don't give them the soda. They scream. Sure, many of you will look at me like I'm the asshole. As many people are looking at Obama like he's the asshole. Does not matter. At the end of the day, sure, maybe I could have trained them better, but you cannot train grown-ass adults, can you?

The long and short of it is, my kids' tantrum is going to inconvenience a lot of people. It's going to piss them off. It's going to annoy them. But it's not going to get them a soda.

The difference is, the "inconvenience" of a government shutdown because some people cannot face the reality of our democracy (Elizabeth Warren), is money lost, people out of work, the CDC, FDA, and other important organizations forced to stop live-saving operations, veterans without pay or medical assistance, an economic and stock market shutdown, children without WIC or Headstart, the list goes on.

And the Congress is going to sit back and say, "look what you made me do?"

I don't think so.

You did this. You own it.

Not getting your way doesn't mean you can throw a tantrum. It doesn't work for my kids, and it sure as hell shouldn't work for you.

If you don't straighten up, one can only hope your parents (ie: the American public), will put you in time out (ie: vote you out of office).

Maybe when you're not getting a paycheck, you'll feel differently about this incredibly awful, heartless, stupid show of messy power. But, luckily for you, by the time that does happen, at least WIC will be back in place, so you can, you know, maybe eat.

Thanks, Obama.



 

The War on Women Is Not about Abortion - My Story

Look, I wrote three entries here about the War on Women, and they all sucked. None of them will change anyone's mind. So, here. Have this. It's all I've really got that you haven't seen elsewhere and not cared about.

Here is my story.

In 2008, the economy crashed. I was pregnant with twins. We had just bought a house with 10 percent down-payment. It would cost us more than $235,000 all told.

Two weeks before I had my children, my husband lost his job. We went from a family of two making more than $120,000, to a family of four making $40,000.

We weren't married at the time, so I wasn't on his insurance, which would have been the ridiculously expensive and not-helpful-at-all COBRA anyway. My pregnancy was a pre-existing condition when I had gotten my new job months before, so it wasn't going to cover it. You bet your life I applied for Medicaid, and I will thank God every day that they took me. They saved me.

I had premature twins, and a ten-day hospital stay. A cesarean section. All told, that bill was tens and tens of thousands of dollars. Paid.

Thank you, America. I'm so serious right now. Thank you.

Meanwhile, my husband got in line for unemployment (it was so bad there was a line. A long line. For real.) He couldn't find work. He applied to hundreds of jobs every week in the beginning, then dozens of jobs, then a few jobs.

Not because he was giving up or lazing about.

Because there were no jobs left.

He would check the job boards. No new postings. No. New. Postings.

Medicaid covered the home visits I had to have twice a week for my three-pound children. It covered the girls' health needs for the first two years of their lives, ie: the twenty two months it took my husband to find employment.

I had the option of taking six weeks maternity leave at full pay or three months maternity leave on half pay. My babies weighed three freaking pounds. We had to feed them via tubes attached to our pinkies. I took the three months. And, can I just say, my employer was amazing. That's an amazing maternity leave here in the States. Few are so lucky as I was.

It was still awful. Half of my paycheck each week, combined with the small amount my husband brought in through unemployment, coupled with the massive mortgage that just months ago we could have easily afforded plunged us into poverty and despair with a quickness unmatched by the Flash.

This was supposed to be a joyous time, right? A beautiful time where new life entered our worlds. For me it is marred by stress, disappointment, shame and tears. And I'd look at those gorgeous babies day in and day out and think, what have I done? What have I done? I can't provide for you. I am a failure. We are failures. You deserve so much more.

We went on WIC. Why? Because we couldn't fucking afford food. And it was so amazing to have to stand in the check out line and sign those coupons as everyone else watched me, judging me. There's another one, they thought. There's another freeloader. Probably a single mom, just pulling the strings, using my tax dollars. Mooch.

Well, I wasn't a single mom, but what if I had been? Everyone deserves to eat. Everyone deserves a chance. These welfare queens, you show me one. Because I've never seen one. I'm not saying they don't exist, but I am saying that being a single mom, or being poor, doesn't make you one.

I took a job closer to home. For the Catholic Church. I needed something. Anything. I looked to God. I did not find him there. What I saw there was greed and power struggles. Emotional abuse and meanness. I'm not accusing the Catholic Church of being alone in these things. This is the world. Unfortunately, even religion cannot escape humanity.

I had to pay out of pocket for birth control because Catholics don't believe in birth control. I never faulted them that. I chose to work there, I chose to pay for my own coverage. Because I was sure as hell not bringing any more babies into my world of poverty and desperation. But it did add up. My health services cost me $100 a month that I didn't have. Awesome.

And you could say, well, why didn't you just stop having sex then? Legitimate question. And in my opinion, the legitimate answer is that I didn't want to. But, if you want to get more in depth, how cruel is it to tell two married people that they cannot have intimacy because the economy collapsed? Pretty cruel. And with everything against us, my husband and I were strong and depended on each other throughout. And we deserved the whole package. Just like rich people.

By the way, if I had gotten pregnant on the Church's dime? No maternity leave program. I could apply for unpaid time off through the federally funded FMLA program.

When my husband finally found work, we moved to where the job was. With two kids who needed daycare and a market that would pay me $9 an hour for my ten years of experience, the clear choice was for me to stay at home with them, saving on childcare expenses.

Thank goodness I already had a credit card, since women who choose to stay home with their children usually can't get one these days.

I had no car, no means for making money, nothing left but my family.

And you know what? Little by little, we claimed it back. We paid tens of thousands of dollars into a mortgage at a home where we were no longer living before the banks allowed us to sell it back to them for a fraction of what we paid for it. We were able to do this before we stopped paying our monthly dues, and they foreclosed on us. Obama's policies allowed us that reprieve.

I found ways of making money at home. We were able to keep barely above water during the hard times because Obama's policies extended unemployment benefits time and again when we, personally, were in need.

Many look down on the extensions. Let me tell you something, it wasn't about allowing people to lose motivation for work. Have you ever received unemployment? Trust me, it's not a lifestyle choice people want to make. Extending those benefits was a real-world recognition of the hardships normal citizens were facing when the economy crumbled beneath them through no fault of their own. I will never understand someone who scoffs at those extensions. Those extensions saved us.

You may say, well, thanks for that little narrative, but you've barely touched on the War on Women.

Well, maybe not. I definitely interwove all the democratic policies that helped us. Know why? Because I am a person.

Women. Are. People.

But we struggle more. That $9 an hour I could make? Because I'm a woman. The cost of birth control? Because I'm a woman. In fact, being a woman increases the cost of health care as much as being a smoker does. Great. Because women have total control over their sex.

We need to protect the rights that others have worked hard to achieve for us. This is a real thing. If any one of the programs I used was not in place, I'd have failed. If I had been considered a second-class citizen, I'd have failed. If basic female health care had been denied to me, I'd have failed and my babies would have died.

Women are people.



 

Rights Clashing with Rights is Wrong

Arizona's Senate Judiciary Committee has voted six to two to endorse a bill that would allow employers in that state to deny women birth control if it is used to prevent pregnancy. This opens the door further so that should employees use birth control to prevent pregnancy, they could lose their jobs.

Before going any further, can we just look at what I just said: They don't want women using birth control to prevent pregnancy. Guys. It's called BIRTH CONTROL. Just saying.

Anyway, supporters of the bill say it is not about birth control but about freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Sorry, nowhere do I see stripping a woman of the ability to plan her family as akin to speech. I'm not making the connection.

As far as freedom of religion goes, Father John Muir says, "It's about the right to live out your beliefs and principles without interference from the state."

Where is the state interfering with your beliefs and principles? They are placing the onus of the whole birth control problem on the insurance, and last time I checked, insurance companies weren't all that religious or morally devout. So, you don't even have to worry about it.

You have the right to practice your religious beliefs. You do not have the right to impose them upon other people. You furthermore do not have the right to tell women what they can do with their bodies. You also don't have the right to discriminate against them for their personal health choices and family planning methods.

The Bill of Rights versus human rights. Interesting.

"I believe we live in America. We don't live in the Soviet Union," says the bill's founder, Debbie Lesko, R-Glendale. "So government should not be telling the organizations or mom-and-pop employers to do something against their moral beliefs."

First of all, hello, wacky, out-of-place reference. Not relevant. Secondly, the government is not asking anyone to do anything other than provide health care to their employees. What their employees do with the health care provided does not infringe upon the employer's rights because it has nothing to do with the employer. Your female employees are not going to be giving the birth control to your wives, I promise. Even with insurance, that stuff is expensive.

Most importantly, if we can't tell organizations to do something against their beliefs, why ever would it be okay for those organizations to force their employees to do something against their beliefs? Not using birth control is against my beliefs, and you are now hindering my freedom of religion. There. Does that satisfy you? If beliefs are so much strong than individuals and their bodies, let us just reword.

If employers are allowed to force employees to show proof that their use of the pill is for some other reason than birth control by showing their prescriptions, getting notes from their doctors, what have you...that violates medical privacy.

You don't want the state to meddle with you. We get that. It sucks to have someone telling you that you can't live your life the way you deem acceptable, especially if your decisions pertain only to you and yours and puts out no other people. Oh wait. No. That's us. We don't want you to meddle with us.

Taking away other people's rights does not equal protecting your own. You have become what you are fighting against. And I, for one, am really sick of the fight. Tell your freedom to leave mine alone.

Here is an article to read that you would hope is exaggerated. But it's not. Women and Their Whore Pills.
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