It's always disappointing when dreams go on hold. I rode through the SC farmland back from the inlaws last weekend, and dreamt of our little patch of land. I want 5+ acres, enough room to rotate my sheep and have a nice-sized garden. I make plans in my head for the chicken coop, the sheep shelters, raised beds vs. flat rowed planting, bee hives and strawberry plants and an herb garden near the kitchen.....
When we last tried to move, our credit wasn't good enough and we got turned down at an apartment in Columbia. We quickly saw that that would be the case anywhere we tried to apply, and so the idea was shelved. Dad passed a month later. Everything happens for a reason.
Fast forward 3 years later, and you'd think we'd be in a better position. Alas, thanks to my crummy job and Les's crummy health (I'm not being mean when I say that about him; it's just the nature of the beast), our financial sitch is no better...in fact, it may have just become substantially worse. It's not that we don't know how to save. But with the combination of Les's inability to work and the damn economy, we literally live paycheck to paycheck. Still examining how to remedy that.
He and I try to take care of our respective health. He goes to a specialist for his migraines, and his intestinal pain earlier this year took him to a gastroenterologist. Turns out he has diverticulosis, thanks to his meds. Got an abdominal CAT scan to acquire that diagnosis. Meanwhile, I hadn't been to my cardiologist since Dad passed, and since I was no skinnier and had turned 40, seemed like a good time to get myself checked out. I had an echo, nuclear stress test, and sleep study; then the stress test showed a shadow, so they ordered an angiogram. Thankfully, everything's fine...no apnea, no blockages, no signs of aortic wear and tear. Actually, thankfully doesn't cover it where my relief is concerned, since they can't tell you if aortic dissection is caused by injury or genetic defect. Or maybe they can, but those tests would be too expensive for insurance to cover at all...who knows...anyway, the echo and stress tests should occur annually for me from now on, and I'm working on my weight.
I like to think I'm good at reading the fine print. I was frickin' pre-law, for gosh sakes! Everything I'd read on my insurance company's website indicated that diagnostic testing was covered 100%. Turns out I wasn't reading in the right place. About 2 weeks ago, Les went to his follow-up with the gastroenterologist, and they presented him with a bill for about $800. Blew our minds. I vowed to get to the bottom of it, but Memorial Day weekend hit, we went to SC for the holiday, and I'm just now investigating the issue.
The news isn't good. There's a separate section of our policy dealing with major diagnostic testing, such as CT scans, nuclear medicine, and the like ::sigh::...80% covered after the deductible is met ($750 apiece). Adding to the good news is the fact that they misdiagnosed me for the sleep study, so the insurance company denied it completely...I'm going to have to get in touch with United and possibly my cardio office to hash that out.
As I mentioned in my main blog, our apartment complex is offering us a $20 reduction in rent if we sign on for another 14 months. The timing is serendipitous. While the idea of staying in that smoky, cluttered abomination of an apartment for another year-and-then-some makes me rage inside, I also know in my heart it's the smartest course of action. There's no way we'd be in good shape credit-wise by March 2011 (my latest original plan for our move); hell, if I get pregnant in the next year, October's going to be a stretch. Les and I will talk this weekend about our choices, but I already know which way I'm leaning.
Our finances dictate a certain level of realism; it's probably why I'm not more upset about this. Subject line aside, my anger is mainly at myself, for not researching the fine print more carefully. I don't like being surprised to the tune of hundreds of dollars, not when every damn paycheck is squeezed til it squeaks these days. I hate the idea of having to set aside another $25 here, $25 there to keep the billing offices at bay, when it's hard enough to keep us in fresh vegetables. But I make my lists, adjust our budget, and push forward. I wanted to go to Charlotte for my birthday, but I'll toss all unnecessary travel to the back burner for the rest of the year, declare moratoriums on fast food and Starbucks, and get financial advice from my Lil Sis, who's so anal with her finances, she never lets her accounts get below $1K. There's gotta be a way out of this, if we're diligent and patient enough. I have to believe my little patch of land will happen when we're ready.
