What May Be Coming

First off, thank you to everyone who commented on my last post, congratulating me for the fantastic news I received in the mail yesterday. I really appreciate your kindness and support. You have no idea what my friends here mean to me. You're dear to my heart and always will be. I know that's an unSithly thing to say, but it's true, so there you go.

I called Don Pilzer's paralegal Angela this morning, returning her call from yesterday. She had left a message on our answering machine while Aunt Tudi and I were out running errands yesterday, calling to congratulate me on the judge's ruling. When I called her this morning, I began our conversation by stating that I was returning her call. She argued me down that she did not call me, but she could check the computer to see who had. While she waited on the computer to bring up the phone records, she speculated that actually Mr. Pilzer had called me. Before I could tell her that it was a woman who had left the message, the computer displayed the information and Angela had to apologise to me. It had indeed been her who had called. I commented that I didn't think the message was from Mr. Pilzer, unless he had a split personality and the personality who called me was named Angela. She laughed and said that she hadn't remembered calling me, but now she remembered that they'd gotten the ruling from the judge and she wanted to call to give me the good news in the event I hadn't received my copy of the ruling.

She then told me that Social Security would probably be calling me in the next few days to set up an appointment for me to come in and find out how much money I'll be drawing each month. At that time, I should be issued a Medicaid card. Not Medicare, Medicaid! That means I should be able to immediately start getting some medical attention. She said that the other letter I received regarding SSI had to do with Social Security looking into whether or not I could receive a Supplemental Security Income cheque in addition to my regular social security disability cheque. So I may be drawing more income than I initially expected. This is most excellent news, if it actually comes to fruition. If it doesn't, that's okay too. I'm just happy to actually have an income and, hopefully, immediate medical insurance.

After all this is finalised and I settle into my new routine, I can turn my thoughts 100% to my writing. I hadn't thought about that until this morning. It's heartening to know that I've been given the ability to do this. Despite myself, I can't stop grinning like a total idiot. Heeee!

A Visit to Dr. Pilch

So, my visit to Dr. Pilch went well. He listened to my account of the seizure, which was rather brief, since I'd been asleep when I had it, and he examined my tongue. Oh man, that was fun. He was so close to me, I could have leaned in a little and licked right up his cheek. Temptation was playing 1970s porn flick music in my naughty naughty brain. I overcame my baser inclinations, though, and remained still so Dr. Pilch could finish his examination. After he finished, he said that my bite was in a classic location for someone who had seized, and that the seizure sounded like your typical tonic clonic episode. He was altogether unconcerned with what had happened. I apologised for coming in early, but explained that all this was still quite new to me, so I wasn't certain if there was cause for concern or not. He immediately told me that I'd done the right thing by coming on in and that he completely understood why I was so worried about having had the seizure and how my tongue just didn't seem to want to heal at any decent speed. The good (looking) doctor explained to me the anatomy of the tongue and why it will take time to heal, and that I'd been doing exactly the right things to promote as fast a healing as possible. I'm supposed to continue washing my mouth after each meal, and using salt water and diluted peroxide on the wound. He answered all of my questions about the seizure and bite, then asked me about my disability ruling.

We talked about that for a few minutes and then Dr. Pilch surprised the hell out of me by asking me about when my second book was being published. I told him that I wasn't sure, although it might be in September. The doc asked to have his memory jogged on the title of my first book. I told him, and he wrote the name down and asked if I'd been published under my own name or a pen name. I told him my own name and he took note of that, saying he was going to look into buying a copy. Whaaa-aaat? My gorgeous neurologist is interested in reading The Chalice? I near about had another seizure right there in the exam room. I don't go back to see Dr. Pilch until November. If he gets the book and reads it before then, Great Goddess only knows what he'll have to say to me when he sees me again.

It was reassuring to get a completely nonchalant reaction to my seizure report. It said to me that the situation was not nearly as dire as I thought it might be, despite my gnawing on my tongue like it was a New York Strip steak. I was also relieved to find out that the knot that has developed on my tongue where the wound is healing will eventually go away. I told Dr. Pilch that I keep almost biting it because of where it is on my tongue, jutting out close to my back teeth (I need to take a picture of the horrid thing). His response was, and I quote - "You don't want to do that." Gee, Handsome, you don't say! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! But, yeah, he reassured me in addition to being the eye candy I so needed to see right now.

I owe him almost $300. It tickled me stupid to be able to tell the receptionist that I'd be back sooner rather than later to square off my debt to Neurology Centers of the Carolinas.