Yesterday...

...all my troubles seemed so far away...

Actually, that would be several days ago. Let me tell you about my last couple days, shall I?

So on Thursday, I got a thing from my health insurance company saying that one of the claims from my surgery had been denied. According to the thing they sent, it was denied because it wasn't submitted with a primary procedure code. But when I called the insurance company to find out what exactly that means, they told me it was because they didn't have a location code. So I called that doctor's billing office to ask them to resubmit it. They said that the location code was right at the top of the claim they submitted. We'll see what happens with this.

I just don't understand what the problem is with the insurance company. The date is the exact same date as my surgery, the referring physician is my surgeon. It's not like I said, "Gee, as long as I'm at the hospital, I think I'll have some random nerve monitoring!" It's not like it was a luxury thing. I kind of like the fact that I retained the ability to speak, swallow, and breathe. Call me crazy.

The bill is almost $1900 if I can't get the insurance thing worked out. I'm pretty much screwed if that happens.

So then yesterday I was on my way to work. I had three proposals to get out, so I left sooner than usual. Well, I debated about taking the surface streets so I could stop and get breakfast, but I decided to take the interstate and have pretzels for breakfast. Big mistake.

I pulled on to the S. Acadian onramp onto I-10, where wouldn't you know, the Baton Rouge Police had set up an inspection sticker checkpoint. During rush hour. Yeah, I have an expired inspection sticker. I didn't get an inspection last time it was due (two years ago) because I had less than perfect brakes. Then it was my transmission, then the brakes again, then struts, then ball joints...well, you get the idea. Now, I'm pretty sure it won't pass emissions - I think I need a new thermostat, and possibly some other things. I just don't want to invest the money if I'm not keeping the car much longer.

So the cop pulled me over, said they were checking inspection stickers, insurance, and seatbelts. Of course I didn't have my seat belt on. I wear it all the time, but I had taken it off to wind down the window (the handle is down by the floor, and I can't reach it with the seat belt on), and I didn't put it back on. And naturally, I couldn't find my current insurance card or my registration card. I took my registration card out to renew my insurance and I don't think I put it back in.

So I'm looking through all the papers in my car (a considerable number), crying, shaking, and hyperventilating, and the cop keeps telling me to calm down, that it's a non-moving violation, that it won't hurt my insurance, etc. He took my old insurance card and worked with that, while I tried to keep from passing out from hyperventilating. Basically, I had a panic attack. I've had them on a few occassions before, but this was the first time in a long time.

So he only wrote me up for the expired inspection. I have the priveledge (I NEVER spell that right, so I'm not going to try) of paying Baton Rouge City Court $97.

I've decided that my car is under a curse. I'm thinking of going to the diocese and asking who the resident exorcist is here. Actually, I know the priest who does that sort of thing in this diocese. He's a little scary, and I'm pretty sure I couldn't ask him anyway.

I just need to bite the bullet and get a new car. I'm just not ready. Plus, car dealers scare me. I don't want to go there alone.

Sigh.