Monday, December 11, 2017

Update...

Things are mellowing out....... I think :-)

This whole proces has been an adventure of no information......
No news from the surgeon, no check ups into how the healing is progressing, no indication what should be happening, or when. There was no indication when he should start physical therapy, but after we asked when the stitches were taken out 2 weeks after surgery, we were told he should have been doing physical therapy within 5 days of surgery!
The only answer we got without asking was from work..... The day after he got out of hospital we got a letter stating that his claim for work comp was denied because the employer contested the claim. No explanation, no nothing, just a "you're on your own, and have a nice life"  I was sooooo mad, it took me a day and a half to simmer down enough to organize my thoughts and make a plan of attack.

First we went to base, only to get an email address from the regional HR person, no other information was provided.
So we asked what the problem was, because
a) it happened at work  
b) there were witnesses, including his supervisor AND her boss
c) he filled in a mountain of paperwork....
and what else was needed to make this a workmans compensation issue?

Mind you, that was October 25, and we still don't have an answer from her! Not a "got your message, but fU!"...... nothing at all. Although we did figure out the answer to be just that. We sent all information we received by way of diagnosis and prognoses to the company we got the paperwork from, telling us work was contesting the claim, in hopes that all they were waiting for was that, but since no-one is getting back to us from work, we don't know what they need. We're guessing!  Still haven't gotten ANY of the dokter bills paid for that we sent on, but no further information whether they ever will, or when, if they are..... Meanwhile, every couple of weeks, we get a whole new set of bills, with collection charges added to it, because they really don't care what is going on, they just want to get paid.
My problem is....... we don't have the money to pay them, and we hope that if they ever decide they're going to pay us, they'll include all the late fees. If not, be it that they don't pay at all, we'll be selling everything we own, to make the payments after all, and if they don't pay the the difference, I hope they'll take installments.

Wednesday we're taking a dear friend to the station to fly back to the US. He's selling the house he's had here for going on 20 years, so we're thinking he won't be making too many more trips back for visits......  He's been in de same boat as all none refugees that live here in that he can only stay 3 months at a time. He has had the good fortune to be able to come and go every 3 months, so we cram 6 months of visits and socializing in  the 3 months that  he's here :-)

Thursday Mike goes in for Physio, after which we have to "fly low" to Maastricht, so I can give blood and wait 2 hours to hear that I'm OK and Friday Mike has Pre-Op for his cataract surgery, which is to take place on the 19th. Plans after that include: healing, healing and working to get range of motion and strength back for Mike and for me getting my website figured out, again (Did I mention that I broke it? LOL) and work on my presentation for the castle. I'm doing a presentation on archeology in April.  So there is some fun to be had, a lot of "have to's" and I'm quietly dreading the stuff we didn't plan for, and are going to hit us out of left field........but the optimist in me keeps thinking that we have everything figured out as best as we can, and we'll cross any treacherous, rickety bridge when we get to it!

Mike is healing ok as far as the Physical Therapist is concerned, and way too slow for the patient. I'm hoping that after his eye surgery, the climbing the walls will be replaced with being able to read, since his computer/tv time will be drastically decreased for a bit, that he will be more up to "doing things" and enjoy himself a little more than he has been.  Please keep him in mind on the 19th and send good thoughts his way?

I think you're all caught up, or at least got the highlights, LOL, so I'll sign off, and see if I can straighten out my code a bit :-)

Don't forget to hug a loved one?

Love and hugs,
Pauli