Thursday, October 18, 2018, 11:10 a.m.
Today I had the scheduled hearing test. We got stuck in a traffic jam due to road construction, and were afraid we were going to be late. But we got there with just one minute to spare. The same friendly Filipina woman who had scheduled my appointment now checked me in.
“There is no charge for today,” she said. I wondered if the hearing tests don’t have any co-pay, being considered preventative care, or if my co-pay was covered by my Medical Financial Assistance benefits.
I sat down in the waiting area and was there for a full 60 seconds before a pleasant Indian woman called my name. I followed her into the hearing test area and sat through a battery of tests of various types. Afterwards, I sat in her office while she showed me a graph of the composite test results, which showed a hearing level of about 80%. Pretty much what I suspected.
“Hearing loss is very normal as we get older,” she said, not unkindly. “And it can also be caused by nerve damage.”
Nerve damage! The words echoed in my head for the rest of the day, along with Dori Schatell’s words, “Nerve damage begins to occur with blood sugars over 110 mg/dL.”
She had already looked my medical records, of course, so the first thing she told me was that my benefits (dental, vision, and hearing) for which I pay an extra $15/month, would pay up to $700 on the cost of hearing aids. Yes, I would need a hearing aid in both ears. The full cost of two hearing aids, even when buying them through Kaiser, ranged from $2400 up to almost $6,000.
“So, what’s next?” I don’t think I really wanted to know.
“You can have some time to think about it,” she answered. “You can talk it over with your significant other, and if you want to explore this option, we can schedule an appointment for hearing aid consultation.”
With Linda’s scooter still not working and nothing she has tried has helped, this is NOT the time to be thinking about an outlay of x number of thousands of dollars for hearing aids! On the other hand, I knew that Linda would not let me put off getting hearing aids. Well, I suppose if we’re going to have a humongous medical expenditure, it should be before the end of this year so, hopefully, it can be a tax deduction!
I’m back at the reception desk now, talking to my new Filipina friend, and working to schedule said appointment. We finally settled on Monday, November 19, at 11 o’clock. I had temporarily forgotten that I had scheduled my next physical therapy appointment with Francis for Monday, November 19, at 4:00 p.m.
San Leandro Pharmacy—Again
Linda was willing to drive me to the San Leandro Pharmacy where I would test whether or not what the pharmacy clerk told me was true or not. When I went in on Monday to pick up my prescription, only meloxicam and Flexeril were ready, even though my online pharmacy record said I could order a refill of all four pain medications.
“Why did my record say a refill was available?” I asked, in exasperation.
The young woman shook her head. “The online system is not smart enough to know which drugs are controlled substances,” she tried to explain. “The fastest way to get this particular refill is to come in here, in person, on the 18th and come through this check-in line and we’ll fill it while you wait.”
So I am here and I have done as I was instructed. The young woman was pleasant. She looked up my records and then gave me back my Kaiser ID card. “We’ll have your prescription ready in 15 minutes,” she said. “They will call your name.” So I waited to hear my name called. Instead, my name appeared on the LED screen, so I got into line and waited to hear my name called.
“Jacqueline Hay-GAR-tee, Window 3!” I hate it when they mispronounce my name! But I went to Window 3 anyway. I was asked to check the two vials, to confirm that they had my name and my prescription, which they did. The clerk scanned the vials, then put them into a familiar white bag with the paperwork.
“There is no charge today,” she said.
All is good.