It started one year ago today. I went to the doctor for a physical because I was feeling unnaturally worn down. I was tired. That’s it, that’s the only reason why I made an appointment.
The doctor took some blood for tests and then she did a physical exam. Almost immediately she found something unusual and insisted that I have an ultrasound the next day to explore further.
An Unnecessary, Yet Interesting Word About My Health Care
Because I am an enrolled member of my Native American tribe I receive free healthcare at our tribal clinic (they funnel a combination of federal funds and casino profits into community-building things like health care and education instead of straight per capita checks). And because I live on the reservation I am eligible for what we call Contract Health, which means that any procedure the tribal clinic isn’t equipped to handle I can have done at a local clinic or hospital that’s then paid for with those same tribal funds.
So when my doctor said I needed an ultrasound – a test the clinic was not equipped to provide – I went to the Contact Health office and received a referral to a local facility. When I get a bill from this local facility I will take it to the tribal clinic’s Contract Health office and they will pay it.
Just wanted to get the short explanation out of the way.
Patience Is a Virtue Except When Something’s Wrong
This entire process – seeing the doctor, getting a referral, visiting another doctor, getting tests done, and hearing the results – is incredibly time consuming. I guess it’s a blessing in disguise that I quit my full-time job a few months ago to work from home part-time and move to another city where I had free health care. Suddenly that decision seems more providential than I or my family had originally thought.
But I hate waiting.
I’m terrible at waiting.
I’m a control freak and have no patience.
What, exactly did my doctor find?
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