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

6 Tips When Your An Incubus of Viral Plague

First off, major kudos to you if you caught the reference in the title. But in case you haven't heard or experienced there's two strains of the flu going around among other annoying infections of the sort. As I'm writing, I've called into work because my compromised immune system is now battling an actual disease. Thankfully, don't think it's the flu, but I won't go into the gross details but I figured, since we're here. Let's make it not gloomy and depressing as possible.

I know this is easier said than done. 

So here's some nice pick me ups that have worked for me and that I even need to work on to get through this round of viral plague.

1. Soup - first and foremost you need something in your system to help it along and if you can't keep it down at least it's there to keep you from dry heaving. I don't care what anyone says, dry heaving when you have nothing to vomit is the worst bodily experience. So if you don't have a recipe or roommates or someone to make you any, always keep a few in the pantry.

2. Water - room temp is the best - I'll admit that I'm bad at this normally but I'm trying to pick it up today while I'm constantly losing moisture. Don't go ham because it's heavy and it'll definitely revolt but keep sipping.

3. Tea - now if you've read back a ways to my remedies - there's no tea shortage at my house. Chamomile is my go-to but I'm currently babying a lemon ginger tea. It's definitely different but it's hopefully doing it's thing.

4. Feel good movies - When I'm sick, I tend to abandon my strong independent senses and become a whiny mess. I hate sitting in miserable silence so on goes the movies. Personal favorites: The Holiday, Phat Girlz, and Disney movies of course...right now of course it the live action Beauty and the Beast on the Netflix. Because who doesn't need the Beast singing in their life? I can't tell you how many times I've listened to Evermore. (also if you need a good cry during said movies, just let it out)

5. Rest - I'm terrible about napping but it's really not good to be stuck on the phone all day or in this case on the computer and it's definitely something to work on because let me tell you I. AM. DRAINED.

6. Pj's - Being sick is already uncomfortable and you aren't going anywhere. So whether it's your old college sweats and a t-shirt or some actual pj's do what feels right and add some fuzzy socks to the feet that you've already lathered some Vicks on.

What I forget, still, is to listen to my body and I'm sure others do the same. I've already felt guilty this past weekend because I didn't do much of anything. But my body has. So in the name of the better you this year (yes I'm also kinda saying this to myself), let your body heal! I've already made a deal so that if my symptoms don't get better I'll call the Dr asap. ***update - I went to the doctor and definitely not the flu, bad stomach bug***


How are you feeling? What do you do when you're sick?



Need a little something something else to read?

Best of 2017 - http://bit.ly/17BestYa
Blue Mascaras - http://bit.ly/2wnrtRc
Bra Talk - http://bit.ly/2ezvzOM

(Lol I promise - I didn't plan on all of those starting with a B)

Life Said I'm Sick

Ok, I can't say that I've been just spastic with posting or even my social media presence and I've gone back and forth on whether to go into this topic. When it comes to my health, I tend to be a lot more reserved and it tends to make me a bit of a hermit. But with a bit of debating, here I am putting myself out there on the interwebs where nothing is ever really deleted.

Now that my dramatic moment has passed, here's the sitch. My last couple posts were vague about what is going with my health. There's been a lot of pain, a lot of medications, and a two week stay in the hospital to get some answers about what has been going on. My diagnosises: lupus and blood clots. Neither of these run in my family on either side, and definitely can't be cured with my typical remedies, so this was a big surprise but after looking for answers for a couple months with no real path, getting this information was a huge relief.

Sadly these aren't all of my meds

I've still been out of work because I've lost so much strength and the side effects of my meds aren't exactly a walk in the park either. I've got a couple specialists that I'm working with to get me back to as normal as possible but it's a hard pill to swallow (pun intended) knowing that my previous normal will never happen again. I know lupus is more manageable now than it used to be, but it's still a lot that needs to be watched and researched. The blood clots just suck. Thankfully they haven't moved to my lungs or heart, but from what I was told, my legs are "covered" in clots which doesn't help my swelling or pain and was more than likely caused from my birth control that I was taking for my PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) for the last ten years.

To say that my life is changing is understatement. The great thing, and I'm super proud of myself to see this, is that I have an actual diagnosis and something to research. I'm that person that has to know what I'm into and it turns out that I know people who know people who have experience especially since I can't turn to family. And maybe through writing and adding this to my blog life, I can help someone else who is just finding out as well and is starting the journey too. So if anyone has any ideas, or tips, or resources in handling and managing lupus, please please please let me know.






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Check out some of my other posts that are not medically related
Tag! You're It - http://bit.ly/ThisorThat17

Fall Faves - http://bit.ly/FallTFaves16

Tales of the Tank aka my purse - http://bit.ly/TOTT50Cal

My Hispanic Remedies Explained

0k, I’m alive!!

It’s definitely been a trip. I’m not sure what is worse: being sick enough to have to miss work and just hate life or not being technically sick enough to have to go to work because you already have time off planned the next week. This past week has been a mess of everything. I’ve gone through so much stuff to keep me functioning as a human and more so as a human with a job in customer service. It’s not that I was contagious or anything, just felt like an incubus of viral plague.

Now, as a Hispanic woman, there are a few stereotypes that flow with being sick that society tends to mock but to be perfectly honest, there are a few reasons that they are home staples besides the fact that it works. Allow me to elaborate a tad:

Vicks vaporub, it’s creamy/gelly/absorbing and yes it has to be Vicks brand (and no, of course it's not sponsored, it's just brand loyalty). I don’t misplace this jar of amazingness. Sinuses backed up and now your throat is screaming from the dry air. Some people will go and buy a humidifier. Don't get me wrong, they are great, and even Vicks has their own line of humidifiers from cheap to people-spend-that-much-on-that? But when you’re at home and not wanting to encounter people in general, you do what you can.

Pop the biggest soup pot on the stove full of water and pop a spoonful of Vicks in it and let it simmer. Remember to check it every now and then so that it doesn’t end badly but the dry throat and nose will thank you no matter which room you are in. I have a relatively small place so it gives moisture to the air and even after I turn off the stove at night, because duh, I'm still able to save my throat and my voice. I've also been that person that's had it all over my chest, on the bottom of my feet with socks, and around my nostrils to one sooth my nose from the boxes of tissues and two, to smell it allll in. I had it a lot as a kid and it just reminds me of home. I'm not at home anymore and it sucks a lot when you have no choice but to take care of yourself, but it's stuff like this that helps you physically as well as mentally.

Manzanilla/Yerba Buena – Hot tea is a hot trend but it’s never been a fad when you consider the benefits of herbal tea. Now myself, I prefer Manzanilla (chamomile). Any stomach issue on down can be soothed with a steamy cup of tea. My bf prefers the good herb, mint. He is also the type who is not a fan of medicines, doctors, chemical compounds that are not included in car parts, etc. He’d rather drink some tea and tough it out. A lot of our culture is like that. If you aren’t holding your intestines inside your body then you’ll be ok. I don’t have that kind of patience but again, it works.

Sprite and/or 7up. The two are interchangeable really. Not saying that they taste the same but whichever you can get first, go for it. Anytime you get sick, you know to keep the fluids going but who likes being sick and waterlogged? Sometimes the bubbly goodness of Sprite doesn’t feel as heavy after a while and it gives your taste buds a break. And as a woman who’s had countless UTIs, mixing the Sprite to tone down the super tartness of straight cranberry juice helps keep the goodness going. You get some flavor and have the fluids to move things along

Caldito aka soup – it goes back to the keeping the fluids going but it also makes sense that especially if something is making you feel bleh, you have to eat something that is easy on the stomach and will be homey especially when you’re in an empty house taking care of yourself. Some people use chicken noodle soup. My family has a secret family chicken soup recipe that is easy to make and to eat. I’ve never not felt better after eating a bowl because then I’m warm, I’m full and I’ve given my body something that can help it fight whatever is keeping me down.  And if you make a big pot, then it lasts for days. 

Now I would have had pictures of my wonderful soup and Sprite, however comma, I ate and drank it all. But trust me, it goes back to the home feeling. I may not be at home or have someone to take care of me all day, but when you have a better attitude when you're sick, I think it helps so that way you won't be as miserable. So call your parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents who may have some home remedies but of course, be smart and go to the doctor too.




Read my previos post?
Operation Ducks in a row - Savings

My New Best Lash Friend