Muscle Loss and Age

[Jibralta]

Well, it's not over yet. Shortly after I posted my update, I received a CC of the gym's lawyer's letter to the courthouse advising them that the matter had been settled and the case could be dismissed. This threw a wrench in my plan, which was to keep the case on the trial schedule as a contingency if they did not pay.

 

I wasn't sure if the defendant could have the case dismissed--and I'm still not sure, actually. I emailed the ombudsman and he contacted the small claims division. A woman from the small claims division contacted me. She was both helpful and unhelpful.

 

The unhelpful part was that she vomited information all over me and talked over my questions with assumed answers before fully listening to my questions. So, I was still confused at the end of the conversation, and still unsure of whether my trial date was still intact.

 

But I think I got the gist of what she was saying, which was: I don't have a settlement until I have a formal notice stating the amount that will be paid, the manner in which it will be paid, and the date by which it will be paid. All I have right now is an email with an amount, and that is not a formal notice.

 

So, I contacted the lawyer and requested the formal notice of settlement. I'll give him a week or so to respond. If I don't get the notice, I'll contact the court to have my trial date restored (or not restored? I really don't know the status!).

 

But that's the plan.

[Batya33]

I hope you get to the bottom of it soon! I hate that kind of thing (it's like calling insurance companies over a wrong bill -I know this is more serious just reminds me of those stressful type calls)

[dias]

Hope you get your money back Jib.

 

What's the amount that they should return to you? Isn't this whole ordeal more expensive? ( paying for the lawyer etc etc)

[Jibralta]

I hope you get to the bottom of it soon! I hate that kind of thing (it's like calling insurance companies over a wrong bill -I know this is more serious just reminds me of those stressful type calls)

 

Thanks. I'm dealing with insurance crap, too. My doctors assure me that I don't have to worry about it, but seeing the rejected precerts and EOBs come through is still alarming. Plus, the first and only time I spoke to my claims adjuster, she screwed up my car insurance by claiming that my boyfriend was an uninsured driver with access to my car. My insurance shot up by $1500!! Meanwhile, my boyfriend has a completely separate policy underwritten by the same exact insurance company. Totally brainless mistake. And what a struggle to get them to see their mistake!

 

Hope you get your money back Jib.

 

What's the amount that they should return to you? Isn't this whole ordeal more expensive? ( paying for the lawyer etc etc)

 

Thanks, Dias. They owe me a little over $1300. I'm not using a lawyer, so I don't have to worry about that expense. And I'm making up the time I'm missing from work by working extra hours during the week and on weekends. Between this lawsuit and the time I have to take off for the injections, I'm pretty much working every day of the week, including weekends! But I feel like it's worth it. I think I'm justified in my claim against my gym, and I wouldn't feel right about walking away from my money without a fight.

[Batya33]

I am so rooting for you and so sorry about the insurance crap!

[dias]

1300$? what the heck? Is CrossFit that expensive? I thought we were talking about 200-300$ not 1300$. CrossFit is about working out ( as far as I know) but I think it has become more like a heresy/sham if they ask 1300$. Did you pay upfront the whole amount?

[Jibralta]

The cost has more to do with the area where I live than it does with CrossFIT. That's actually the cheapest rate around here, believe it or not.

 

Yes, I paid it all as a lump sum in order to take advantage of a promotion: 14 months for the price of 12 months, but only if I paid in full, upfront.

[Jibralta]

Well, I finally got my flipping money. It seems the court somehow intervened on my behalf, even though the matter had been withdrawn without prejudice.

 

I don't know exactly what happened behind the scenes, but a couple of days after my next trial date (which had been cancelled), a clerk from the court called and asked if I'd received my money. I told her, "No." She said, "The judge told me that I dismissed the case prematurely. I'm going to contact the gym's lawyer. Give me until next Tuesday."

 

I was like, "ok...."

 

Never heard from her again.

 

But the following Wednesday morning, I received an email from the lawyer, "I have your check on my desk. What is your address again? We will mail it to you with a Release. Please sign the release and return it to us."

 

I sent him my address and waited with varying degrees of patience until the check finally arrived on Saturday.

 

The release (unsurprisingly) swore me to secrecy, made me promise not to badmouth them, etc.

 

I had trouble cashing the check. I didn't worry much when my phone didn't register it, but when the MAC machine rejected it, I started to get angry.

 

I thought, "Those MFers sent me a fake check! They probably thought I'd sign the release and send it back to them before the check cleared!"

 

I had my boyfriend videotape me trying to deposit the check so that the world could see their corruption.

 

However, the check went through during that attempt because I'd removed a thin strip of paper from the bottom of the check before trying again!

 

So, crisis averted. Good thing, too, because my boyfriend ended up taking a picture of the ATM machine instead of recording a video!

 

The check cleared this morning. I signed the waiver and sent it to the lawyer.

 

Case closed.

[Batya33]

Whew - I'm sorry about all you went through and you must be relieved!

[Jibralta]

It's nice not to have that hanging over my head anymore! I was spending a lot of mental energy on building my case, and now I am free to think about other stuff. I can put that money into savings and start thinking about new ways to get exercise. Right now, I'm doing physical therapy three times a week, but I hope to start yoga some time in the near future (when I have more time!). I'm soooo out of shape. I hate it.

[Batya33]

It's nice not to have that hanging over my head anymore! I was spending a lot of mental energy on building my case, and now I am free to think about other stuff. I can put that money into savings and start thinking about new ways to get exercise. Right now, I'm doing physical therapy three times a week, but I hope to start yoga some time in the near future (when I have more time!). I'm soooo out of shape. I hate it.

 

One day at a time -you can do this! I hear you about the mental energy.

[Jibralta]

Things happen so fast in football that it's hard to understand what is happening. But the more I watch, the more I learn. After a while, it starts to sink in. It's actually a very interesting game.

 

I've been watching football documentaries. The ones that I watch are mainly about the Patriots, and I'm starting to rewatch them. I'm focusing on the Patriots because they have the game down to a science in a lot of ways.

 

The Patriots have this little receiver named Julian Edelman. Well, he's a normal-sized man, but he's little compared to the other players. He's a great athlete: strong, fast, coordinated. But what I think really makes him special is his athletic intelligence.

 

I'm just sort of making that term up. What I mean is, Edelman actively confronts problems that arise on the field.

 

Examples.

 

When someone grabs him and throws him off balance, he throws his own foot forward and counterbalances. Another athlete might stop there and take a breath, but Edelman will try to use that unlikely momentum to spin around and take off again.

 

He doesn't only run the ball and try to throw his opponent with a couple fast, zippy turns. He constantly makes decisions and you can see it in the continuously changing arc of his path.

 

And yes, he does throw in some fancy footwork here and there, but he almost always builds an unexpected move off of it.

 

He is a thinking athlete. He is always reevaluating and regrouping.

 

I like that and understand that. It reminds me of horseback riding. You have to think and act simultaneously, continuously, constantly. To do it well, you have to be completely present in the moment. It's cleansing.

[Batya33]

I am not a sports fan and I enjoy this NPR show called "only a game" -it concerns stories like these at times about athletes -check it out!

[Jibralta]

Sounds good, I'll give it a listen.

 

I never used to be much into watching sports either, but (weirdly) I really enjoy sports documentaries. I really liked the Bud Greenspan documentaries about Olympic athletes and I also liked one called Magic and Bird, about basketball. And now I've been watching all of these football documentaries.....

 

Now, playing sports is a different story--I always enjoyed the physical challenge and the competition. Individual sports, like gymnastics and diving were my favorites. With team sports I have always been more of an instinctive player. As a kid, I did want to learn about the rules and strategies of various games, but these lessons never reached me.

 

One day, just before we started a conference call at my old job, my boss Matt and my coworker Anna were talking about sports. Anna had played team sports and was very obviously knowledgeable about the games, and their rules and strategies.

 

Somewhat enviously, I sighed, "I always wished I knew more about that stuff when I played sports. I mean, I knew where I needed to be on the field and what I had to do. But I missed that overarching strategy, and I was aware of its absence."

 

Mark laughed to himself and said, "I can see Jibralta running right over Anna on the field."

 

Anna didn't like that image and said, "Hey..."

 

But I broke into a big grin. I knew I'd kill Anna, too. I have always been a ferocious competitor on the field. I can't help it.

[Batya33]

That's really interesting -I never thought about individual vs. team in that way! Did you ever see Hoop Dreams?

[Jibralta]

No, but I heard good things about it! Gotta add that to the list...

[Jibralta]

I have here a tale of a very smart person exhibiting inexplicably foolish behavior. It's a story about Dr. G, the anesthesiologist that has been present during the majority of the 13 or so prolotherapy facet-injection treatments that I have undergone since July.

 

Before I start the story, I have to say that the medical staff at this surgicenter, including Dr. G, are some of the most pleasant medical people I've ever dealt with. They are friendly and chatty and I always feel comfortable whenever I go there.

 

Now back to the story.

 

On my very first visit, in an effort to reassure me about the upcoming procedure, Dr. G told me that she had undergone numerous prolotherapy and epidural treatments for her herniated disc. She added, with some degree of pride, that she always undergoes the injections without anesthesia. "I have a high tolerance for pain," she bragged.

 

Based on her appearance, I suspected that Dr. G was probably a body builder (a pretty lady, though, not a behemoth). I could also tell, from the marked stiffness of her walk, that she suffered from back pain. And to be absolutely honest, I've always sensed a certain degree of sadness, pain, or loneliness about her. She gave off a vibe of being single or maybe just alone.

 

Dr. G wasn't around during the months of November or December, but I didn't think anything of it. When she came in today, she looked a little thinner, prettier, and more refreshed. She didn't recognize me at first--probably because I've grown so fat over the holidays, lol.

 

Well, it turns out Dr. G was on medical leave because she had to undergo multiple emergency spinal fusion surgeries. Her herniated disc had ruptured. She said it caused excruciating pain and that one of her legs went totally numb. Her husband, an orthopedic surgeon, scheduled an emergency MRI for her and she was in surgery that night.

 

Incidentally, today was the first day I noticed the wedding band/ engagement ring assembly on her ring finger, and the immense, dazzlingly bright diamond that was situated atop one of them. I am not sure if she wore those rings before. Wedding rings and such do not usually catch my eye very long, but today they sure as hell did and I imagine they would have in the past, as well.

 

Anyway, since I have a sh*t-ton of herniated discs, I asked Dr. G, "How did you rupture your disc?"

 

She said, "Well, I'm a body builder [no surprise there]. And I've caused a lot of damage to my back over the years by lifting. When I told my husband about my back pain, he just blew it off. So I ended up taking pain medicine before my workouts, which of course masked the pain signals, and I ended up doing more than I should have."

 

Upon hearing this last sentence, I thought, How can this medical doctor, who is surrounded at home and at work by other medical professionals, make such a rookie mistake?

 

Dr. G went on, "My husband felt so guilty... he was really generous for Christmas!" I laughed and nodded and immediately thought of her ring. But then I thought, The ring couldn't have been a Christmas present.... Surely the Wedding ship sailed years ago...?

 

But the more I write this out, the more I wonder. For some reason, I hope the 'generous' gift was something other than the ring. It's a lovely, gorgeous thing, but it's just a thing.

 

Maybe that's why she seemed lonely to me?

 

At any rate, Dr. G didn't seem lonely now, she was radiant. She said, "I asked him what he would have done if a patient came to him with my symptoms, and he said, 'I would have prescribed physical therapy and an MRI.' So why couldn't he do that for me?"

 

I didn't want us to entertain any ideas of neglect, so I said, "Well, that's the thing with people and their professions. Take mechanics, for example: they rarely fix their own cars." She smiled and nodded in agreement. Then she went on to tell me that she chose to come back after only 5 weeks.

 

The nurse who was present gave her a hug and said, "You're tough." Then the nurse said to me, "She's always asking me for pain medicine!" As Dr. G walked away, she turned and said, "Just Tylenol, though."

 

I asked the nurse, "How long should she have been away?" The nurse told me, 90 days. I said, "Wow, she should really giver herself time to recover." The nurse agreed. She said, "It's her job to recover now."

 

Another example of how Dr. G's preoccupation with being tough actually eclipses her medical knowledge and better judgment.

 

Anyhoo, I think there may be a couple lessons to be learned here. Not exactly sure what, but I know they are there.

[Batya33]

You told that story so vividly! I agree- a lot to take in (I hate the term unpack when it's overused but---- unpack??). I am often keenly aware of how hard I am on myself and that is because I am concerned that even though I do my best not to expect that of others my child of course is a sponge so who knows what he is absorbing watching me live my life (and perhaps trip up and have unrealistic expectation of him). I wonder -out of curiosity -if she shares all her superwoman efforts on social media on any regular basis - I've seen that kind of thing bragged about. If she does I'd start to question her authenticity, her motives. If not and she shared this with you then it shows that she trusts you despite not even knowing you well (and even if she does it would simply tell me it's information she's comfortable sharing broadly).

[Jibralta]

You told that story so vividly!

 

Thanks :) Maybe it's the anesthesia wearing off lol!

 

I wonder -out of curiosity -if she shares all her superwoman efforts on social media on any regular basis - I've seen that kind of thing bragged about. If she does I'd start to question her authenticity, her motives. If not and she shared this with you then it shows that she trusts you despite not even knowing you well (and even if she does it would simply tell me it's information she's comfortable sharing broadly).

 

I don't know. But I do think it's an integral part of her identity in some way. I think it's probably her coping mechanism.

[Batya33]

Thanks :) Maybe it's the anesthesia wearing off lol!

 

 

 

I don't know. But I do think it's an integral part of her identity in some way. I think it's probably her coping mechanism.

 

Yes! Fascinating. You should write a short story about it.

[Jibralta]

Interesting idea....

[Jibralta]

Uggh! I just yelled at a pain management doctor and I am half pissed and half pumped and all the way repulsed!

 

My pain management guy retired abruptly on April 10, and I was left completely in the lurch with treatment.

 

The pain management treatment is for injuries sustained from a car accident that I had in 2018.

 

I've been to 15 - 20 treatments so far: four or five cortisone epidurals and a slew of prolotherapy facet injections.

 

Prolotherapy is considered an alternative medicine and I went in to the procedures with some skepticism. But it's been amazingly effective.

 

I had one more appointment to go and was then scheduled for a reevaluation.

 

Two chiropractors have also treated me on this case, and the second of these recommended that I now go see a pain management guy in the neighboring town.

 

I went to that appointment today. It was located in the courtyard of an office building complex.

 

There was one storefront in the whole complex: a pharmacy. The pharmacy was adjacent to the doctor's office.

 

I figured that wasn't a good sign. I was right.

 

The receptionist handed me a cup to pee in along with my intake paperwork!

 

I said, "What's this for?"

 

The receptionist said, "To test for medications."

 

I said, "I'm not here for medications."

 

She said, "It's just our policy. We test all of our patients, even if they aren't here for medication."

 

The staff was really nice. The intake nurse seemed very organized and efficient. But the doctor was a boor.

 

Right off the bat, he took the wrong tack with me. His approach was aggressive and critical and I guess he thought he could pressure me with his 'doctorly authority.'

 

The very first thing he said is, "So your last doctor milked your whole insurance policy and then retired, huh?"

 

He told me that my neck required surgery, and that I needed to be medicated for my pain.

 

When I told him that I was trying to avoid surgery, he said, "And how long do you think you can do that?" as if I was making the most ridiculous statement.

 

Meanwhile, every doctor I've been to has told me to leave surgery as a last resort--even the spinal surgeon!!

 

I said, "As long as I can." What could he say to that? Nothing. It's my effing body, my effing pain to manage.

 

When I said I don't use medication, he prescribed an herbal anti-inflammatory.

 

He tried to convince me that my previous doctor was a quack. That's when I yelled at him. Well, I just said, "I don't think he's a quack." But I said it with authority and he backed down.

 

He said, "We don't do prolotherapy here. I have traditional training..." and went on about his supposed training, and even described his education as "Ivy League type," which it isn't. His college is listed on his website and it ain't Ivy League!

 

At the end of the appointment, he left the room in a huff.

 

What a moron. He didn't even bother to do a physical examination. He just sat on his stool and pontificated.

 

This was a drug-pusher. I would never entrust the care of my health to someone like him.

 

I read a couple reviews for him right before my appointment. He scored about 2.5/5. I was disheartened by this rating and reluctant to believe it because I really need a doctor.

 

When I got home I re-read the reviews. About 50% were 5-star ratings and 50% were 1-star ratings.

 

The 1-star ratings had similar complaints to mine. I'm guessing the 5-star reviews were drug addicts.

 

I remembered how I didn't want to believe the 2.5/5 rating and it made me realize how dangerous it is to be desperate.

[Batya33]

I'm so sorry this happened.

[Jibralta]

Well, at least it makes it an easy decision for me -- this guy is definitely off the list of options! LOL!

 

Still gotta search for someone though. Bleh.

[Jibralta]

The very first thing he said is, "So your last doctor milked your whole insurance policy and then retired, huh?"

 

And by the way, this isn't true at all. I know because I discussed it with my last doctor's medical biller.

 

This doctor was talking out his ass.