In other news, last thursday I went up to Q-town for a meeting with Workman's Comp folks at the Plumas NF supervisor's Office. It was to get my reimbursement and medical billing issues straightened out. Mrs. Cotter (Raced against her sons on the high school ski team) and Mrs. Rice (Her stepson packs a saw for Tahoe IHC) who are the comp liasons on the Plumas were very helpful, and are now aware that there is a big disconnect in the whole OWCP / ACS way of doing business. I presented the facts and bills to them, and they are working on the issues.
During that time we put in a conference call to a Mrs Morris in Washington (DC), who is the federal liason to OWCP. We told her of the "providers not getting paid" problem, and she immediately asked "Well what form are they filling out? It should be a something something 1500." Now I have no idea what form(s) they're using. I don't think it's my job to tell them how to do theirs. I would think being a workman's comp providor that they would know, but since I don't work for them in their billing office I really don't know. Seems to me that when 6 of 7 providers have not been paid, are they ALL not submitting the right paperwork?
So she continued with this "must have been the wrong form" attitude, and seemed to deny the idea of "ACS not being willing to pay anyone" outright. Now I've been hearing this wrong form wrong time didn't have the right code in the right place song-and-dance for about two years now, so hearing it again pissed me off almost immediately. I found myself biting my tongue at first, and then starting to yell, so I gathered up my stuff and left. I don't know waht happened in the rest of the meeting. Mom stayed.
So it didn't go as well as I hoped, but at least there are some folks on the Plumas who are willing and able to help. We'll see what happens.
Also, after asking Senator Feinstein's office to check on what's going on with my reimbursements, I did recieve a check for $3,221.25 last week, which (they say, but I have no way to check) is the last of the outstanding reimbursements, with the exception of the $900 and some they owe me for travel to Craig Hospital last May. It was amazing how fast that check appeared when her office started asking questions.

Updated at 3.10, Just called the local urologist here in town and apparently he doesn't think this bleeding is very exciting either. Sigh. Guess I'm just paranoid, but I haven't felt this bad in quite a long time.

In other other news, I've been just a bit depressed lately. Nikki leaving may have a little to do with it, but a very small part I think. Mostly it's "being in a wheelchair" type issues. How I am precieved by the rest of humanity bugs me a little, but what can I do. Alot of people see the chair and immediately assume a broken mind is at fault, not a broken body.
Getting around. I cannot cary anything it seems without it falling off my lap and spilling all over the place.
I can't lift heavy things anymore. My can of propane when it's full is about all I can do, then I have to roll around with it in danger of falling off my lap and slicing off a toe or two when it hits my feet.
Taking a shower. What a bitch that is. If it's a "standard" shower then I cannot reach the head to adjust it, and it's not like I can scoot my bench around underneath. When it's one of the "showerhead on a hose" type things that works better, but it's get wet, put it down while I soap up and freeze, then pick it up again and try to wash the soap off with one hand. Lots of fun.
UTI's every couple of months. They're great.
Spasms, especially the ones who keep me awake at night. I don't get much sleep in the first place, and when I cannot because myself is jumping on the bed while the rest of myself is trying to sleep...
pain. I am always in pain. "Central pain" they call it. Here is a good article if you'd like to have a read. There are very few times that I find myself completely pain free. Sometimes I hurt more when I wake up than when I went to bed. makes one want to keep waking up, believe me.

I managed to talk to the receptionist at the urologist's office, and apparently bleeding for 5 days and vague burning in the kidney area isn't very exciting. We'll see if I get better on my own, end up in the hospital, or end up planted.
If I do have to go up for a kidney transplant, I don't think I'll take it.

I've eaten another percocet, and I think I'm going to try to sleep now. If the worsening spasms don't keep me awake.