The Year of Many Doctor's Appointments

This year was an interesting year medically for me.  I had surgery in February.  Because of that surgery, I met my yearly out-of-pocket maximum amount that I had to pay for my insurance.  Which I believe was either $2,500 or $3,000.  I’ve already forgotten (more like I’ve tried to block it from my memory ha ha).  Which, all things considered, is not that bad.  My surgery (without insurance) was almost $30,000.  And my E.R. visit that led to my surgery (without insurance) was almost $8,000.  The cost of health care is just unbelievable. 

Because I paid my yearly out-of-pocket maximum, that means everything else for the year is free.  EVERYTHING.  I don’t have to pay co-pays, I don’t have to pay for meds, I pay NOTHING.  Until January 1^st. 

So I started making appointments like crazy.  

I got a mammogram, which would have been free anyways (preventative).  My next one will be in January.

I got a colonoscopy, which would have been free anyways (preventative).  My next one will be in 5 years.

I saw an allergist for the first time in years.  I knew I had seasonal allergies, but I didn’t take anything for them other than Benadryl (which is ineffective long-term).  So they did a bunch of breathing tests (I also have mild allergy related asthma) and then they did skin testing on my back, and THEN they did skin testing on my forearm (for the allergens I reacted to on my back).  I ended up being allergic to a bunch of New Mexican weeds, as well as cats AND dogs.  Lovely.  Anyways, he put me on a prescription for my allergies, renewed my inhaler, and gave me a bunch of samples for Xyzal (similar to Claritin, Zyrtec, etc, except this one actually WORKS).  I’ve been sleeping much better, and my allergies are finally under control.

AND EVERYTHING WAS FREE.

Then I got myself established with a new General Practice doctor.  I don’t go to a ‘regular’ doctor often.  I saw my former GP maybe once every 2 years, but then his practice stopped taking my insurance.  So I had gap where I didn’t have a GP.  However, this wasn’t really a problem, because I used a combination of my gynecologist (who once prescribed me seasick patches before we went to Alaska ha ha) and a family friend who is a physician.  He gave me antibiotics once and also put me on an inhaler (we were over at their house for dinner and he heard me wheezing ha ha).  But I figured it was time to get established with a new provider.  So I did!  She did a physical and asked all about my past medical history.  I don’t have to have a PAP smear done EVER again.  But she’ll do a physical and blood work each year. 

Then I went to the dermatologist.  I have not seen one in years.  My skin is kind of all over the place (I have combination skin…it’s either super dry or super oily).  But mostly I wanted to get a full-body mole check.  I’ve never had one.  And since I’ve been living in the land of 300+ days of sun each year for almost 9 years now, I figured I should get checked.  I wear a facial sunscreen every single day, and during the summer when I’m outside I wear sunscreen (plus a hat).  But still…better safe than sorry.  And there were 2 moles that looked funny to me that I wanted her to check out.

She was SO NICE.  And of course she’s leaving the practice, so that stinks.  But anyways, she did a full body check (and warning…if you’ve never had this done….they check pretty much everywhere.  You can keep your underwear on, but there’s really no point ha ha.  I mean…she checked between my toes).  And all of my moles were just fine, including the two I was worried about.  She was very thorough.  Then she talked to me about my skin care routine.  She was no-nonsense and said that all of those super expensive products do not work.  She recommended Panoxyl 4% (for mild acne…can be found over the counter at Walgreens for $12) once a day, Cetaphil daily wash at night (you can get a big bottle at Target for like $8), and Neutrogena Hydroboost moisturizer for night.  The most expensive thing was the Neutrogena Hydroboost.  It was $14.99 at Target.  She said fair-skinned people should have a full-body mole check once a year.  Done.

AND EVERYTHING WAS FREE.

I have an eye appointment at the end of the month.  And I’m going to try to get in to see my therapist (yes, I see a therapist, actually she’s a psychologist…she prescribes my depression/anxiety meds) before the end of the year.

BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS FREE.

I feel really, really good about my health this year.  I mean…I still have a long ways to go, but I feel like I’m finally in control and in charge of my health.  I'm glad I got these appointments out of the way, and I'm especially glad I didn't have to pay for most of them.

I already have appointments set up for next year:  mammogram, allergist follow-up, dermatology follow-up (which may not be necessary, but they wanted to get me on the schedule because they’re super busy), and my yearly physical.  

Make a list of questions for your doctor(s).  Don’t let them get away with rushing through your visit.  And, I cannot stress this enough, ASK FOR SAMPLES.  My allergist gave me a bunch of samples of Xyzal.  It’s over the counter, but it’s pricey.  They over-ordered their stock and guess who benefited????  ME!  I asked for samples of the Neutrogena Hydroboost at the dermatologist, and they gave me four little bottles, the perfect size for my gym bag.  ASK FOR SAMPLES.  They have them.  And they usually will hand them out willingly IF YOU ASK.

Take advantage of your health insurance!  You pay for it!

(Oh, and the picture at the top of this post?  That is me.  After watching 15 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy multiple times, I feel like a doctor.  Just kidding.  Kind of.)

Black Friday

I was solo at Black Friday this year.  Because of this, I got done earlier than usual (usually we don't get started until about 9:30).  This year I started at 5:00 and was home by 8:30!!

On Thursday morning, hubby and I have the tradition of going to Village Inn for breakfast (it's the only thing open).  We first buy a newspaper, then go to the restaurant and go through the ads during breakfast.  I make a list.  

This year was a bit different.  A lot of the stores are starting their Black Friday ads deals online.  So...on a few items, you can order online starting at a certain time on Thursday.  This is good and bad.  Good, if you're aware of the process.  Bad, if you expect to go the store and find a hot ticket item in the ad and it's no there because the store's stock has been sold out online.

This year, there was an exceptional deal on Playstation 4's.  It came with a Spiderman game and was more than $100 off the original price.  It was at Target and Walmart and I believe Best Buy.  I KNEW this would be an item I would have to get in line for.  So I read the fine print on the ad, and saw that it was available for order online.  I checked Target...sold out (both online AND in stores).  So (while we were sitting there at Village Inn), I ordered it online at Walmart for store pick-up.  I had to wait about a week before I was able to pick it up, but I got the exact unit that was advertised for the exact price.  And I didn't have to stand in line.

While I was at Target, I overheard a few people asking about the PS4 in the ad and the employee said they had sold out of those before the store even opened.  Which is really not fair.  I mean...they should reserve SOME to keep in stock.  But oh well.  I was just glad I didn't have to wait in line for it, ESPECIALLY at Walmart.  Ugh.

And my husband's PS4 broke down like 3 years ago and we haven't replaced it until now.  I'm glad it all worked out.

Then, I noticed a great deal on Dyson vacuums in the Target ad.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE my cordless Dyson stick vac.  LOVE it.  But, it's a few years old and is temperamental sometimes.  It still works great, but I just have to clean it a lot more (like, take it apart, wash the filter, etc.) than usual.  So when I saw Target was having a sale on Dyson stick vacs, I ordered one of those online as well.  It was delivered a few days later.  Of course, husband checked Consumer Reports on all cordless stick vacs first.  And guess who won....Dyson!  

We're going to keep the new one for upstairs use.  The current one is mounted on the wall in the laundry room.  The plan for the new one is to mount it in the small storage room located in our library.  But there's no electricity in that little room at the moment.  So for now, it's hanging out in my closet.  (and yes, we have a mini fridge in my closet):

So around 5:00 I headed out to the actual stores.  First I went to Gamestop and got husband two video games he's been wanting.

Then I went to Target (my biggest haul).

Pyrex!  Couldn't pass this up, especially since I hate plastic storage.  $18 for this boxed set.

A few movies/TV on DVD.  I haven't seen the 3 movies, but I HAVE seen the 2 TV series.  :)  The TV seasons were $10 and the movies were $6 and $4.  Not too shabby!  They are all movies I've been wanting to see too.

Usually I get sheets each year at Walmart, but this year, Target had them.  1200 thread count sheet sets for $25 (any size).  We got a King size bed earlier this year and I only have 2 sets of sheets for it, one of which is not in great shape.  Animals are HARD on sheets!!  Anyways...I got 2 new sets of sheets for our bed and one full-size set for the guest room (Amy's Room). 

Some little lotions. They were BOGO.  I like the little ones for my gym shower bag.

One sweater.  They had loads of sweaters for $10!

A throw.  $10!  It's super soft.

Then I moved on to Walmart. 

Slippers for hubby.  I get him new slippers almost every year.  These were $7, marked down from $20.

 Loungewear...pants and hoodie set for $12.

An oil diffuser set for the man cave.  It came with 6 little bottles of oils.

And some fun little slipper socks.  :)

And that's it!  It was fun, and it was nice to be home at 8:30.  It put my husband and mother-in-law's mind at ease, especially because I was by myself amongst the crazies.

Now to start putting away a little bit of money each month for next year!

November Reads (13)

One star = did not like it at all

Two stars = eh, it was okay

Three stars =  liked it

Four stars = really, really liked it

Five stars = absolutely loved it

1-Star (0)

2-Star (0)

3-Star (2)

***The Way Life Should Be (Fiction, C. Baker Kline)

A nice, easy read about a woman who gets fired from her job in NYC and moves to Maine to figure out what she should do next.  Not a lot of depth here, but the story was nice.

***The End of Your Life Book Club (Non-Fiction, W. Schwalbe)

I don’t know why I keep reading depressing books like this.  This is the story of Will’s (the author) mother’s battle with cancer and they form a book club with just the two of them.  They read and discuss books during her chemotherapy infusions.  L 

4-Star (9)

****Fahrenheit 451 (Fiction, R. Bradbury)

I was never required to read this book in school.  Although I’m thinking it was a banned book at one time?  I don’t recall.  It’s dystopian/sci-fi (although the sci-fi portions were VERY few) about a fireman named Guy Montag.  In this time, firemen START fires.  They’ve never been known to put them out.  When they get a call, they hustle and race and START a fire.  And what do they burn?  Books.  Why?  Knowledge is power.

This book has been analyzed TO DEATH so I’m not going to do that.  I enjoyed it.  A lot.  It made me want to read everything I own and throw out my TV, iPad, and cell phone.  And TIM ROBBINS narrated the audiobook.  Phenomenal.

****The Nature Fix (Non-Fiction, F. Williams)

I think this book may have been a tad better if it was a tad shorter.  But regardless, I learned a TON about how beneficial the outdoors can be.  This book was chock full of scientific studies and facts (presented in an understandable way) about the health benefits of spending time outside (whether it be in a national park or just your backyard), unplugging, and noise pollution (both inside and outside).  I really liked it. 

****Bridge of Clay (Fiction, M. Zusak)

Marcus Zusak wrote the phenomenal book ‘The Book Thief’ years ago….13 years ago I believe.  Or maybe it was 10?  Anyways.  His new book, Bridge of Clay, had very high expectations and a lot to live up to.  And I have to say, it lived up to the hype.  It was excellent.  The story focuses on Clay Dunbar and his 4 brothers.  They are teenagers, they live on their own with no parents (that’s all I’ll say for now), and trying to make it through each day without killing one another.  Oh, and they also have various animals living with them.  Including a mule. 

It’s hard to describe this story without providing spoilers immediately.  Clay is the 2^nd to the youngest Dunbar brother and he is a bit different than the most…he has secrets that no one except his father knows.  He has a gift for running.  He falls in love with a girl named Carey, who is an exceptional horse jockey.  And he builds a bridge. 

It’s a story of loss, family, illness, reconnecting, and a mule.  And it’s heartbreaking and delightful at the same time.

****The Hand That First Held Mine (Fiction, M. O’Farrell)

Maggie O’Farrell is my new favorite author.  I’ve read four of her books now, and 2 have been 4-stars, and 2 have been 5-stars.  This one was slow in parts, but the writing was so great and it picked up at the end and had the finish that I like…not too neat and tidy, but still satisfying.

****Winter (Fiction, M. Meyer)

The final in the 4-book Lunar Chronicle series.  It did not disappoint.  However, I REALLY think this book should have been split into two.  It was 800+ pages!  I listened to it on audio, so I flew through it, however I feel like I didn’t get to know Winter’s character very well, because at least ¾ of the book focused on ALL of the characters and then of course the grand finale.  I’m so glad I read this series.  It was out of my comfort zone.  It was the best YA series I’ve read since the Hunger Games!

****Stars Above (Fiction, M. Meyer)

This is a collection of short stories about the Lunar Chronicles.  Most of them are prequels so it was really nice to get some backstories.  The last chapter, however, is 2 years AFTER the Lunar Chronicles, which was a nice surprise.

****A Series of Unfortunate Events #1:  The Bad Beginning (Fiction, L. Snickett)

This young reader series came out when I was 22.  So obviously I never read it as a young reader.  I vaguely remember my oldest nephew reading a couple of them (maybe?).  Anyways…I’m intrigued.  There’s 3 orphans who get sent to live with a distant cousin (a horrible man) and things just go from bad to worse.  And it doesn’t get better!!  So why the four stars?  Because the writing is great, I laughed out loud (as well as gasped) at least once every single chapter, and it’s one of the most original things I’ve read.  So will I continue with the next book?  Most definitely.  I already have it!

****Educated (Non-Fiction, T. Westover)

An almost unbelievable memoir from a 32-year old woman raised in a ‘survivalist’ family in Utah.  No doctors.  No birth certificate.  And NO education.  At all.  This woman had never heard of the Holocaust.  She didn't know what a fraction was.  She didn't know that it was common practice to wash your hands after using the restroom.  The list goes on and on.  But somehow, she managed to escape, go to college and write this book.

****Fairest (Fiction, M. Meyer)

This is a prequel of the Lunar Chronicles.  It tells the story of Queen Levana.  I have to say that after reading this…I do have a *tad* bit of sympathy for her.  Which I NEVER would have thought was possible.  We learn why she becomes so evil.  I LOVED this series.  It was just so fun! Plus...these beautiful books and their beautiful covers!!!

5-Star (2)

*****Cress (Fiction, M. Meyer)

Book 3 of the Lunar Chronicles.  Cress (Rapunzel) is a prisoner of the queen and has been trapped in her satellite orbiting the earth for 7 years.  She has had no contact with other people, until she intercepts a communication from another ship.  From there, she ends up helping Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf, Thorne and others in their attempt to overthrow the Lunar Queen.  They are all torn apart in different directions (and paired off not how you would expect).  It was cool to see how they interacted with each other in different settings (earth, space, the moon, etc.).  This was my favorite one of the series.  Loads of action.  Plus, I listened to it and it just flew by (it’s a huge book).  And it was fun to hear Scarlet’s accent (she’s from France).  It’s just such a fun series!  I loved it.

*****Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation (Non-Fiction, A. Folman)

I saw this at Barnes and Nobel and am SO GLAD I picked it up.  This graphic novel is an absolute masterpiece.  The beautiful illustrations are both humorous and haunting.  Anne’s feelings and fears about life and war and her relationship with her parents are portrayed in a way we’ve never seen before.  This book is a gem.

Total Books Read: 13 (4 non-fiction, 9 fiction)

Formats

Kindle: 

Audio: 10         

Real Books: 3

DNF (Did Not Finish) 2:

Small Wonder (B. Kingsolver) – again…too preachy. We are ruining the earth.  I get it.

Emma in the Night (W. Walker) – too dysfunctional and not interesting  

October Reads (9)

One star = did not like it at all

Two stars = eh, it was okay

Three stars =  liked it

Four stars = really, really liked it

Five stars = absolutely loved it

1-Star (2)

*Picnic at Hanging Rock (Fiction, J. Lindsay)

This is a ‘classic’ book about a group of girls in boarding school in Australia who go for a picnic at ‘Hanging Rock’.  4 of the girls wander off.  1 comes back, in a petrified state, unable to recall anything that happened.  The other 3 girls never come back, as well as their ‘headmistress’ (who has also disappeared).  This book had so much promise and a very ‘creepy’ feel to it (which I like).  However, the good people in the book were pretty and thin.  And the bad people were ugly and fat.  ?  I realize this book was written many moons ago, but still.  It just left a bad taste in my mouth.  AND…there’s no resolution.  Which I knew.  And I’m okay with.  But I at least have to have someone to root for.  And I hated almost every character in this book, and I had no one to root for.  I’m glad I got this one for free through the library.

*Girl, Wash Your Face (Non-Fiction, R. Hollis)

Written for privileged white women BY a privileged white woman. 

2-Star (1)

**Unsheltered (Fiction, B. Kingsolver)

Soooooo disappointed in this one.  If you read the book jacket, it looks promising.  But it was nothing but lectures about the environment, climate change, social issues and politics.  At times it felt like I was reading transcripts of a debate.

3-Star (2)

***There There (Fiction, T. Orange)

I have so many feelings about this book.  I ultimately gave it 3 stars because of content.  This was a book I put on hold at the library months ago and it finally came through on my Kindle. It almost feels like a short story collection at the beginning, because each chapter introduces a new character (unrelated to the last one), their history, and their current situation.  There are two things that each character has in common with one another:  they are all Native American, and they are all heading to a big powwow in Oakland, California. 

The book tackles how difficult modern Native Americans still have it today living here and why.  It tackles alcoholism, drug use, obesity, sexual assault, poverty, and more.  Each chapter is told from a different perspective. 

It’s one of those books that I think everyone SHOULD read (especially if you live in an area with a heavy population of Native Americans like I do, but really, everyone should read it).

But it’s an incredibly difficult read.  Especially the prologue, because the prologue is kind of a history lesson and it’s 100% true.  And it’s incredibly violent and horrifying because these things actually happened.

So…lots of mixed feelings.  But I’m really glad I read it.  And it will stick with me for quite a while.

***The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Fiction, A. Barrows)

I enjoyed this book.  I will admit, the only reason I read it was because I want to watch the Netflix series and wanted to read the book first.  I listened to it on audio, but I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I had read it.  I have the ‘real’ book at home though, so I’ll keep it (in case I love the Netflix series).  Anyways, in a nutshell, it’s about a secret book club in England post World War II.  There are various members of this club, one of whom is an author herself and wants to write a book about the book club and its members.

4-Star (3)

****Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat (Non-Fiction, M. May)

I read this as part of an 8-week workshop offered for free at work.  It’s basically intuitive/mindful eating.  The book was really good though and an easy read.  I learned a lot!

****The Trouble With Goats and Sheep (Fiction, J. Cannon)

My second Cannon book (her first ha ha).  I’m a fan.  This was a somewhat dark mystery about 2 girls on a mission to find out what’s happened to a disappearing woman in their neighborhood.

****Scarlet (Fiction, M. Meyer)

This is the 2^nd book in the Lunar Chronicles series (Cinder was the first). This book picks up exactly where Cinder left off (on a cliffhanger of course).  We are introduced to Scarlet, a young lady who lives on a farm in France and tries to keep it going when her grandmother mysteriously disappears.  Cinder is also in the story quite a bit and their stories intertwine as we find out their connection and find out why Scarlet’s grandmother disappeared.  We’re also introduced to Thorne, Cinder’s…friend (?) as well as Wolf, who is a very surprising character (and no, he’s not an ACTUAL wolf, he’s a human, that’s just his name).  Anyways, it was really good and I enjoyed it better than the first book.  And during the last few chapters I could NOT put down.  It’s just a fun series!  Cress (Rapunzel) is up next.   

5-Star (1)

*****Virgil Wander (Fiction, L. Enger)

Lief Enger is an author that only writes a book every 10 years or so.  I LOVED his last book, Peace Like a River, so when Virgil Wander hit the shelves I got it right away. 

Virgil is recovering from a traumatic brain injury due to his car flying (literally) into the Lake Superior.  He runs (and lives above) the only movie theater in town, The Empress.  The movie theater is failing, and the small town is failing in many ways.  But the eccentric townspeople rally around Virgil and help him along with his recovery.  This is a slow read, but I believe it’s intentionally slow.  Because Virgil speaks slowly.  He thinks slowly.  And he’s telling the story. 

Total Books Read: 9 (2 non-fiction, 7 fiction)

Formats

Kindle: 2

Audio: 3           

Real Books: 4

Books I read for FREE via the library e-book/audio book system:  6

Books I paid for (actual books/Kindle books):  3

DNF (Did Not Finish) 5:     

Howard’s End (couldn’t get into it)

Being Mortal (life’s too short to read more books about death)

The Lifeboat (made it about halfway through and got bored)

In Pieces (the Sally Field memoir).  It wasn’t because I didn’t like it….I made it about 75 pages and then other books were calling my name.  So I set this one aside.  And it was a library book.  So I had to return it.  I’m not sure if I’ll attempt checking it out again.  I got enough ‘into’ it that I saw glimpses of Sally Field’s troubled childhood.  And it was difficult to read.

The Good Neighbor (the Fred Rogers memoir).  So this was a free audio book.  I think if I would have read this BEFORE I watched recent documentary ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ I would have enjoyed it more.  But the book kind of felt like a recap of the documentary and the documentary was SO GOOD.  So it just felt repetitive to me.  I made it about halfway through.