A Wild Goose Chase

Today would have been a totally wasted day except we had fun, got to eat at a new restaurant, found a really cute denim jacket for Addie for next to nothing at Goodwill and was able to spend a whole day with Vince without interference from the TV.

The morning started with several phone calls back and forth between the medical device place in Brady and the doctor here. Vince was going to Brady to get his new CPAP but wanted to be sure they had the report and all the paperwork they needed, as well as having gotten approval from the insurance company before we drove down to Brady (about 50 miles).

Wait . . the crazy part is . . I had filled up my car a couple of weeks ago when I had to go to Abilene to get my knee injection. I hadn’t driven it til Tuesday when I went to the dentist. I rarely let my tank get below half full (or half empty . . depending on how you look at it!) but it was down to 1/4 tank. I don’t pass any gas stations going to the dentist so I figured next time I was in town, I’d get gas. I didn’t know I’d be going to Brady, with Vince, in my car today. We got in the car this morning and I said “I need gas!” Vince said “We’ll get it in Brady.”  I always start squawking about needing gas before it ever gets to half a tank so I guess he was thinking I’d have at least half a tank. Vince started the car and he said “You have LESS than 1/4 tank!” I said “Where’s the closest gas station?” Vince said “In Brady!” I said “Can we make it to Brady?” He said “I hope so!”

We weren’t too far out of Brady and the gas light came on. Vince said “Has your gas light ever been on before?” The car is 11 years old and nope, I don’t think the gas light has ever been on before. We made it to a station and then Vince said “Don’t ever let your car get that low again because it’s so far to a station!” I didn’t say anything but . . he’s the one who drove to Abilene and back. He’s the one who came home and parked it with 1/4 tank left. The dentist office is probably 12 miles from the house. Don’t blame me!

Anyway . . before we left and before we knew about the gas issue, Vince was calling the medical device place. They still needed one report. He called the doctor’s office. They said they would fax it. He waited about an hour and called the device place back. Nope, still don’t have it. He called the doctor’s office. They faxed it 15 minutes ago. He called the medical device place back. Nope. Did not get a fax.

Vince said “Let’s just go. It will be there by the time we get there.

We drove down there and got there about 11:45. They close at 12 and she said she had something she had to do so she had to leave at 12 and she still didn’t have the paper from the doctor’s office! Vince called the doctor’s office but we left, went and ate lunch, got gas, went by Goodwill and by then it was time for the medical device place to open so we went back there. Yes, she had it. Yay! NO! Wait . . the way she read the report from the doctor who read the sleep study results . . to her, she thought Vince needed a BiPAP machine. No . . she could not get him a BiPAP because (1) they don’t sell them and (2) the PCP ordered a CPAP.

Back to Brownwood. Back to the PCP who conferred with the doctor who read the report and yes, they both agreed he should have a BiPAP instead of a CPAP but wait . . there were no titration numbers for a BiPAP . . only for a CPAP so he has to go back to Brady and have a third part of the sleep study done. He went once and had the sleep study; went back and the titration for the CPAP, now he has to go back and have the titration for the BiPAP. How crazy is that?

Anyway . . we’re home. Still no PAP of any kind, no idea when he’ll get it. But, what else would we have been doing today.

On the good news front, I had the bill in my car from the knee doctor in Abilene and it showed what they inject into my knee so I asked our regular doctor if they could do that here. Yes! Saves me a trip to Abilene plus, when Vince retires and I have to go on marketplace insurance or whatever you call it, the doctor I use in Abilene doesn’t take that but the doctor here does.  I’m happy not to be having to go to Abilene every three months, especially if we’re going to have Rita’s eyes removed and I won’t be having to take her to the vet over there every month.

I’m ready to kick back in the recliner and knit (even though I was knitting in the car on the way to and from Brady).