I've been screwing around with the MN social service system for several days now. I must compliment them, however -- the workers are neither stupid or rude, as in Wisconsin, where I came from. They actually do stuff like return phone calls and know what they're talking about. Customer service -- imagine that!

I was on "medically needy Medicaid" in WI -- the version that is for people not certified disabled. My disability app is pending, but not yet complete, and the chances of my getting it are slim anyway. I got on MN's version of "medically needy Medicaid" right away, but I have to live here for a month before it kicks in, and it's not retroactive.

It is appearing more and more likely that I will have to postpone my dr.'s appt. at Mayo on the 11th. It turns out that it is actually 3-4 days' worth of tests, not just a 20-minute appointment with the hematologist. It's between $350-$550 for an initial appointment in the hematology clinic, and then goes from there depending upon what tests the dr. orders.

I have a call in to my old doc in Milwaukee to see if he thinks it will be OK for me to wait a couple more weeks to see someone.

I'm running out of meds, and because I can't see a dr. -- and because the dr. won't prescribe anything till he does his 4 days worth of tests -- I'm stuck seeing if my old guy will send me prescriptions to be filled here. The injectable blood thinner is $1500 for a 2 week supply, so no telling how I'm going to pull that one off.

May I just say ---- ARGH. I'm so frustrated by all this crap, most of all by being sick and nobody believing I'm still sick. 5 weeks in the hospital, almost died twice, but all I hear is "you look great!" and they think because I don't look like I'm on the brink of death anymore, that means I must feel fine, too. Which would be incorrect.

I know there's nothing anybody can do about any of this, just needed a place to vent. Thanks for reading/listening/etc.

Candy