An update and a box of soap

Dearest Friends and Family!

Good news:
Received my Sandostatin injection yesterday. My vitals are good. I am maintaining my weight, staying active, and eating well. Hard to believe, but the school year is coming to a close. It has been a good year!

Box of Soap:
Or a soap box....
When I arrived yesterday for my monthly appointment with Dr. Zu, the nurse informed me that, due to changes in insurance protocol, I could no longer see Dr. Zu on the same day I received my treatment. I now have to get my blood work on one day, see Dr. Zu on another day, and then get my shot on another day. I mean, really? Can you say money! As if the shot I get isn't enough of a pain in my ______________! The insurance company has dictated this change in protocol. Rather than benefit from the relationship I have with Dr. Zu - going on four years -, I will be unceremoniously ushered from one appointment to the next. The bureaucracy of the health care industry keeps rolling people over with little regard for what is best for people.

Okay, I feel better now.

More good news (just got this):

I called Dr. Zu's assistant this morning to seek clarification and to express my dissatisfaction with the change in protocol. Dr. Zu agreed that is was unnecessary for me to make an additional visit. He made an exception. While this is good news, it bothers me that the insurance companies steamroll people who don't ask questions and don't make a stink, and that, even if they do, it won't make a difference.