Medical Guide Part 2 - Making the Appointment

If you're new to me, Hi and welcome to the new roaring twenties. Not going to bombard you with new year new you shiz, the algorithm will do that for you. Instead I'm here with another entry into my medical guide to hopefully help someone out there to go to the d@mn doctor be it, medical, eye, teeth, etc. What I do when I go the doctor is in Part 1 but then it also occurred to me that not everyone is comfortable talking to people in phone or in person and by some, I mean a lot.

Social anxiety is a thing for tons of people to varying degrees and if you're like me living in a rural area where you're lucky if you can find your doctor's office online let alone book an appointment. Sometimes it's inevitable that you have to talk to a person and I understand that is uncomfortable, but it must be done so I hope this lays some details out for you in order to get it done in the least amount of time/ slash conversation possible.

1. Preparation is key. Why are you calling? What symptoms do you have or do you recognize a sinus infection that you get every season that you know you'll need antibiotics? This is why part one is up first. The more you know and have written (or typed) the better you can spout it off when you're on the spot.

2. When do you have time to go? Everyone is busy with life and work but strep throat doesn't care if you have a final or a business meeting. So find out how soon you need to make an appointment. If you're already home sick, you want to get in asap. If you're not home yet maybe you need to plan on your lunch break. I know with my general 9 to 5, it was easier to set it for the morning then go to work late and stay if necessary than try to get off at a certain time to not be late. But that depends on your schedule.

3. What insurance are you using and is this office in your network to hopefully get a smaller copay and overall a smaller bill. There's 2 ways for this to go. You can do the research, beforehand, in your prep to talk to your insurance and they will find an office in your network or for lack of better words, someone they prefer to work with. Or you can talk to the doctor's office you're wanting to go to and they will run the info from your insurance card to let you know the details so keep it on hand.


4.This brings us to the moment of truth and the best thing you can do is to be nice to the receptionist and everything will be smooth. They will ask you questions and chances are you'll have the answers because you wrote them down in step 1. If this is your very first appointment to this office or doctor, you can say something like this:

"Hi. My name is ____. I'm needing to set up an appointment as a new patient." or if you already go to that office just drop the "as a new patient" and add " with Dr. _______."

There will be questions they HAVE to ask you and 98% of the time are also handling people in person as well as stuff going on behind the scenes on their end, so be nice and they'll move you right along and get you in a good spot. I've rarely run into a rude receptionist or nurse but it may happen, just get the information you need and be done as quick as possible. And remember to say thank you no matter what.

QUICK NOTE: ALWAYS GET THEIR NAME. It's always good to get a name so if you talked with them and clicked, had chemistry, made a good connection, etc. It means that you have a point of contact to ask for in the future. On the other hand if, they aren't for you or you just don't like them, you know who to avoid. Write It Down! That's the same for the office staff and especially the nurses.


This helped me get into the swing of things when making appointments especially in the beginning of my spoonie journey. Take the new year into a new decade to be your best self and that includes your health so please cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, wash your hands, and go to the doctor.


In the meantime, here's some other posts that aren't medically related...

Good Reads and the Like - http://bit.ly/Yareads22

Planners Gonna Plan - http://bit.ly/HLPlanner

Adulting Win - http://bit.ly/Adultwin



And follow me if you please...

Instagram...  http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

Bloglovin...  http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

Good Reads and the Like

Is there an age where you’re too old to read Young Adult books? There’s a good part of me that says you’re never too old for Disney so why should books be limited? I had to verify with my BFF this morning with that. He, an author going for his Masters and if he feels feisty possibly a PhD, assured me that reading YA is perfectly fine because obviously the people who wrote them enjoy it too and chances are they aren’t actual young adults either.

I really enjoy fantasy more than anything as I think that every Twilight fan has. Yes, I admit that I am part of that fandom that was created back in high school. It was the first book I read for fun that was unprovoked by a movie and really started my love with books and I fell hard. (I’d quote the part about being “irrevocably” in love but hey copyright – I see you) I did the midnight releases at Hastings (RIP) for Eclipse. Then I was completely Team Edward...down the blanket on my dorm bed to his poster on my dorm ceiling freshman year...of college. Oh yea, I was that person. Don’t get me started on the movies…different can of worms entirely.

But so my whole point of that little confession is that’s where I started. Young adult fantasy stories. And from there, I tried different ones. Eragon, Eon, House of night, Hunger Games, City of Bones, the Grey Wolves Series, Throne of Glass, etc. I did a lot. There was a sprinkling of other, arguably age appropriate, works in there, and one even made it to my favorites a while back here.

But it’s hard sometimes because the girls at work don’t really read, and my friends are teachers and/or parents and not close to my location. The local library has started a book club type deal but the last thing they read was Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine…I haven’t heard of this book so it’s a sample sitting on my Kindle whereas for next month, the book it To Kill A Mockingbird….I remember reading it in school and absolutely hating it. Could it be different now reading the beloved classic as an adult, quite possible but I have no desire to read it.

So again, here I am totally in a puddle of isolated meh. Maybe I’ll try and branch out and I’ve been trying to with my current reading challenge that I found in a different book club Facebook group for a podcast I listen to and I think it’s going well…Still got a couple to find that fit the criteria but I think that’s part of the fun.

What are you reading? Let me know below!!


Check out some of my other thoughts...


Planning Away - http://bit.ly/HLPlanner

Adulting Win - http://bit.ly/Adultwin

Sick Tips - http://bit.ly/SickTips18



Follow me too while you're here

Instagram - http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

Bloglovin - http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

Hello, I'm Shrill Too

So Shrill has hit the Hulu and I had no idea. I was on the Instagram as one does after the Grampocalypse that, at least was, for me, just slightly annoying but some people really lost they shiz. But one of the peeps I follow, Marge Hudson aka @areyoutheregoditsmemarge, opened my eyes to what is happening on the interwebs and I had to be apart of it.

Thankfully, I have a day off of work and was planning on totally and completely taking advantage of it. So I had to see what was going and oh my sweet eleven pound baby Jesus, this was phenomenal! The main character is Annie, Aidy Bryant, and she is the me and the many others who have gone through anything similar who doesn't fit in a sample size. It was shocking and beautifully done. I also want so much to have a Fran, Lolly Adefope, in my life just FYI. 

From episode one, the story is on the move and things are moving very quickly. But I could relate to this show if you haven't figured that out. Now, I don't know if her wardrobe was modestly chosen on purpose because she likes it but feels the need to 'cover up' or what. I just watched the season and here I am so don't @ me. However comma, I felt it because I know in high school, I drove my bff and my mom crazy because my standard wardrobe were jeans and a t-shirt of darker tones. I upped my makeup and accessory game where I could but always double guessing affections from the opposite sex. I mean, hell, who hasn't been called a flipper when your supposedly bisexual boyfriend cheats on you with a guy friend? (For the record, I was the last girl he had as a girlfriend and there's no confusion about the intentions in hindsight and in true Ariana fashion, I'm thankful for him because I now have my ride or die, my person, my best friend for life who is also his ex.) 

I've had the thoughts where I've thought that a going-on-the-back-door-better-than-nothing feeling was as good as it was going to get. And the mental change that Annie has starts to resonate as the season goes on and that is something that some people have at different times in life and if someone hasn't, I have a feeling that it will help someone get to that point to where they can start loving themselves and stop apologizing for taking space in the world.

Even now with my new position, I'm again the biggest person in the building of about a dozen-ish and while it's not intentional most of the time, it's noticed that one does not belong or one does not mesh. Even our personalities are quite a bit different and I've seen clients do a double take for crying out loud. 

So it's there, it's not just a show catering to the plus sized community about empowerment but it's also shows the ugly parts that come with it. It happens and people on the internet are cruel but confronting enemies in person, you find how much they hate themselves because you don't have to hate you and they can't handle it. Let that sink in, they, who hate you, can't handle you loving yourself because the standards of the world have always said that you shouldn't, so they don't. Can it still hurt? Abso-f*cking-lutely. Can it suck that your crush in school calls you a hog to your face and your choice is to cry or pull it together and attack verbally because you are not about to be suspended? Hell to the yea. But here we are, being represented anyway on the internet in a show that will definitely take off because in case you haven't been bombarded, the average size of a woman in the US is 14 or 16, can't remember at the moment but it's not a 2. There are more of us than they know what to do with so someone has decided that if you can't beat them, because let's be honest they can't keep us down if they tried, join them and realize that we are human and we are not going away. We are gorgeous. We are fashionable and stylish. We can and deserved to be loved for who we are regardless of our size. We will stand and bring each other up more than those who are determined to bring us down. 

So I will add that this to a couple other faves in my book that remind me that I'm here and need to live my best life with the good and bad because it's all I got:

Also a book - Just saying...

Gumption - nuff said

And it's a book. You can bet your butt I'm buying and reading!

Also thank you Marge, I sent you a DM about it, but I wanted to do it again because I've also not posted on my blog since, like, August and my first thought was to do this. I'm going to ride this euphoria as long as I can. Until I can get more up, look at some of my older stuff.

B3 is my motto - http://bit.ly/The3BBBz

Adulting - http://bit.ly/Adultwin

Follow me on Blogloving if you wanna - http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

OR

on the Insta since it's back up - http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

 

Operation Ducks in a Row - Relationships and Life.

The question is not do you like or love him, the question is do you like yourself with him.

So I've been out of commission for the last few weeks and it's given me too much time to think and ponder. Sadly, I didn't get much writing done but I had done a lot of reading and a bit of coloring. (Major shout out to my sister who found the coloring book that I was looking for from my faves post - LOVE YOU!)

Check out my masterpiece that is SFW lol

Check this out on my Instagram - Check the sidebar -->>

Like I said, I've been doing a lot of reading. Blogs, articles, books oh my! It's been great to hold my focus and ignore the state that I was in. My most recent book is one that I picked up on a whim since Hastings has gone belly up, the sales have been phenomenal so I perused the rows and found 10 Girls To Watch by Charity Shumway. 

I won't lie when I said that the cover caught my eye, but picking it up and reading the summary helped say YES FINALLY A BOOK ABOUT SOMEONE MY AGE! Don't get me wrong, I like reading books about people who are younger and older but to have a book about a twenty something struggling through life was something I definitely needed to read.

I'm almost done and I don't want this to turn into a book review just yet, mainly because I haven't finished it and also because there was a thought that popped up a couple times and it struck a cord. In terms of like, love, and relationships, the main character, Dawn, was told by her woman of wisdom that it's not so much about who you are with romantically, it's more important as to how you like yourself when you're with them.

It reminded me of a post I did a while back about thinking positively. My boyfriend is a happy-go-lucky type of guy and is constantly looking at the brighter side of things. Me....not so much. You can read up on that here but it gets me thinking about relationships with people and with life. Not to boast, but thinking over the course of my relationship, I've liked myself more and more in terms of looking for and thinking more positively and for that I thank my beb. But from there, it makes sense to look at the other relationships in life.

So my recommendation to you guys is:

1. Find this book and read it. I think it's wonderful and something that us twenty somethings, who haven't quite led the life that we pictured or planned out, can relate to.

2. Look at your relationships, friends, significant others, jobs, life situations. Do you like who you are in these relationships?

I've been going over some of the relationships in my life and some are going great and there's definitely some areas that I need to break up with....just need some time and this duck will get in line.




Check out some of the other ducks I'm determined to get in a row

Saving - http://bit.ly/ODIARsave
Cutting My Store Card Losses - http://bit.ly/ODIARccards
Stop Complaining - http://bit.ly/ODIARwomp

Maybe the beauty route is more your thing
How much is my face worth? - http://bit.ly/MyFaceis


Check out my Bloglovin page

http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

Hey June - Monthly Favorites

It's that time of the month already and part of me is excited and another part of me is so not ready. Im sure it's been said, but holy shiz on toast, where in the world has this year gone?! I was so excited to do my May favorites and have been planning on future en devours when I looked at the calendar and had to check two other electronic calendars to say, woah!

Moving On, I've gotten together a few things over the month which have been working just swimmingly.

Makeup - Sephora Fine Line Felt Tip Eyeliner

Now if you've seen me write it once, you've seen me write it a thousand times and if you know me, it's a million more times...I'm oily. There are countries planning on invading my face because damn. And sadly my eyelids are no exception. This eyeliner may not stay allllllllll day without a primer but it generally lasts me a work day before transferring or smearing or disappearing and this is waterproof enough. 

Book - The Charley Davidson Series by Darynda Jones - Dirt on the 9th Grave and The Curse of the 10th Grave

I've got a lot of New Mexico pride and this series is no different because I will continue to tell everyone and their dog about it. My amazing AF friend, Kim, turned me onto this series about a supernatural P.I. who shares the same love for coffee and sarcasm and I do. I don't want to ruin it but if you like some mystery, some supernatural, a lotta wittiness and some lovely steamy scenes, then give it a go. The first one is the 1st Grave on the Right. Darynda Jones in a New Mexico writer so if you've ever been to Albuquerque, you may recognize quite a few places.

Technology - Two Dots

This app was an impulse download I'll admit but wow. It's almost like a mix of candy crush and bejeweled. the puzzles get harder and its a bit addicting but what saves me is the limited lives. So when I get super into it and run out of lives, I don't have to buy them or bug the living crap out of people on social media to send me one, it just takes time. So I have to rejoin the real world after a while but it's enjoyable. There's options for free little extras every now and then and of course the actual in-ap purchasing options, BUT if you use the Google rewards that I mentioned in last month's faves, you don't have to use your own money.

Bathroom - Facial Cleanser

I know that skin care has been around for a while and with summer here, routines are changing up and everyone and their dog's gerbil has a Clarisonic spinny brush type thing. Well I don't know about you, but I wish I had that kind of money to spend on one. With my skin being sensitive on top of being oily AF, I get a bit nervous when trying new products for skin care so I couldn't and still can't quite afford the name brand so I found this little thing at Big Lots for about $8. In my mind, I still keep thinking that you get what you pay for however comma, the brush is actually decent and it feels pretty freakin' good. It has two speeds but there isn't much of a difference between them but overall it's a good feeling for a facial massage. I have just been using my regular cleansers but careful enough not to use the brush everyday because yea, don't want to risk that going bad when it feels so good.

Movie - The Intern

I thought about this section because I could easily put on Orange is the New Black or Grace and Frankie from Netflix but I haven't finished them and couldn't in good faith put them down as favorites when this movie has been on a lot in the last month and I HAVE TO WATCH IT EVERY TIME!!! It's a simple movie with a simple plot but I enjoy Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro, can you say no to a classic? It's great seeing a movie with a awesome female lead getting some great insight from someone wise and awesome who's had the life experiences on screen and life. Also the music reminds me of The Holiday, which is one of my all time Favorite feel good movies like I've mentioned here, and it makes sense since the director, Nancy Meyers, made it so I have a feeling that The Intern is quickly making it's way up to fave of life status.

What were your favorites of the month?

Had you read my last post?
Getting Fancy With the Juicy Shaker

Do you follow me on Bloglovin?
http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

It's Gonna Be May! - Monthly Faves

First time of me doing a favorites segments and it's pretty exciting and a little scary because going through the month, some things are instant and some I really had to think about. So here I have a few things that have made life awesome this month.

Makeup -Lancome Juicy Shaker

I could write a whole post on why these are a-freakin-mazing. Granted the $21 price tag is a lil bit of a splurge for me but it is totally worth it. Once I get my words together on this wonderful piece of heaven, I'll link it here.

Book(s) - Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

I don't get to read as much as I would like but Lawd have mercy, when I get going....I get going. One of my best friends recommended this series, hey Kim hey. According to the little tag, it has some feels on Game of Thrones while keeping a 'young adult vibe'. Now lemme be honest with you, I am big into fantasy and the world of magic. I love an easy read and this really started out that way. Typical characters and an interesting little plot and young adult yada yada. But trust me, make it to book 3 and it explodes into amazingness and I couldn't put them down. I even have the new book pre-ordered that comes out in September so my Kindle is waiting with bated inanimate breath.

Shower - Tree Hut Sugar Scrub in Coconut Lime

This was a bit of an impulse buy at the hands of my BFF. He uses the hand cream and I almost got it but looked at this instead. I tried making my own sugar scrub and it definitely did not turn out like I wanted or how my mom's did. I have sensitive skin so I can't exfoliate often but when I do, I just melt. So smooth and if you could smell it through my words, you'd melt too. I have a love/hate relationship with coconut and I've encountered some terrible variations of the lime combo. Just stop by a Walmart or Target, and look it up and smell it for yourself.

Show - Game of Thrones (duh)

Another addiction at the hands of my BFF. He got me in at season 3 and I've watched and rewatched and currently diving into season 6. He's read the books more than once and I am still trying to get through book 2. Great series but it just moves a bit slow whereas the show has you hanging on every second. I'll get through the books....eventually....and maybe he'll finish the next book. Until then, I will continue to endure the winter on Sunday nights/Monday mornings. lol

Technology- Google Opinion Rewards App

To be perfectly honest, I don't quite remember who turned me onto this, but I'm so glad they did. I made the switch from Apple to Android a couple years back and haven't look back. They're just little surveys to do randomly that will give you credit to use in the Google Play Store so hey paid-extensions-for-apps-that-I-don't-want-to-spend-money-on.


Not bad for a first month of faves, and even though I'm a total Backstreet Boys fans, Justin got it this month.

Keep up with my last postings on living alone.
Here's a few perks
and here's a few things to consider