“It’s always something. If it’s not one thing, it’s another”…

My sister Julie often reminds me of the humor from Rosanne Roseannadanna from “Saturday Night Live” when Gilda Radnor said, “It’s always something! If it’s not one thing, it’s another.” See the video here for a chuckle.

It’s so true. None of us are exempt from life’s unexpected turns, which can result in serious situations requiring an enormous amount of time and effort to resolve, all the way down to minor annoyances that may only need a few minutes of our time and little effort to resolve.

Ironically, we get angry and upset over minor annoyances when most of us handle life-changing issues with resolve and determination. That’s where we are right now. We’re leaning into accepting whatever health situation I am presented with over these next few months, but we are annoyed with the small things we encounter along the way.

The only annoyance we encountered associated with our experiences at Cleveland Clinic was on Wednesday when I appeared for the first round of tests in the cardiac unit when my Medicare number couldn’t be entered into their system for some reason. The night before my appointments, I had tried dozens of times to enter my Medicare number into “My Chart,” the medical information system available for doctors and patients.

In “My Chart,” appointments, notes, test results, and communication with medical staff are readily available promptly. Many medical facilities use this system for their patients, which most patients find helpful in reviewing their care processes.

Two days ago, I felt compelled to complete my file before my upcoming appointments on Wednesday. The app kept reminding me to accept my insurance information but to no avail. On Tuesday night, when we went to bed, I worried about why my Medicare number wasn’t accepted into their system.

Awake early on Wednesday morning, I tried again, but to no avail. I called and spoke to tech support for My Chart at Cleveland Clinic, and the rep said, “No worries. They’ll enter the number when you check in for your first appointment at the desk.” That was a significant relief.

Once we arrived at “imaging” for my first appointment, the rep at the desk couldn’t get the system to accept my Medicare info either. After 15 minutes of trying, even with the help of other staff members, we were sent to a different office where a particular tech support person, 15 minutes later, somehow managed to get the Medicare number into the system. We hurried back to imaging for my appointment.

Fortunately, we are always the “early birds,” and we made it to the appointment on time. Since we had three appointments, one after another, we were concerned. If we missed the first one, we could be late for all of them. After all, we waited for these appointments for four months. It would be a fiasco if we missed any of them. Whew!

From there, everything went smoothly at Cleveland Clinic. But in the past week, another medical insurance-related issue cropped up. A week before we left Minnesota, I received a bill for $1300 from Park Nicollet from my recent stay at Methodist Hospital when I had that horrific blood pressure event requiring me to go to the hospital by ambulance. Why did I get a bill for $1300 when I purchased the zero deductible supplement Plan G with Aflac, along with Medicare Part B?

I’d already paid the annual Part B deductible of $240 when I went to the cardiologist in Nevada in March. I ended up on the phone with Pak Nicollet’s customer service for at least 20 minutes to resolve the $1300 bill, and then, a few days ago, I got another bill for $83.32 from that hospital visit. Today, I called again and discovered they had no information on my Aflac supplement, which I’d provided at least twice during the hospital stay.

Plus, they had my name wrong, using only my first and middle name along with the wrong phone number, again, which I provided on several occasions. The customer service rep retook my Aflac information this morning, and the bill is gone. Such an annoyance!

Now, I discover there is nothing wrong with my valves. Whatever is wrong with my heart is not related to my valves. I had three tests in different countries, all stating I desperately needed valve surgery immediately. The echocardiogram I had here at Cleveland Clinic took twice as long and was more thorough than any of the three previous tests. Go figure.

Last night, I received the results of yesterday’s nuclear EKG that stated, in part, the following, as quoted:

‘EKG  reviewed from stage 2 of Cornell 0% and consistent with exercise-induced type 2 second-degree AV block. This is a very abnormal stress test.”

I’ve researched this comment, but the answers are unclear. I guess I have to be patient and let the professionals determine a proper diagnosis and treatment, whether it’s surgery or other treatment. By Tuesday (due to the holiday weekend), I have more appointments scheduled for next week, with more diagnostic tests, including an angiogram, the test I’m dreading the most. Ugh!

So, I’ve handled some annoyances hanging over my head right now. We’ll see what pops up next. Tomorrow, we’ll share where we’ll be over the next three months as we work through this medical process.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, August 30, 2014: