I decide to go and see a doctor!

I decided that in view of my worsening medical condition (my leg is swollen worse than ever and I am now having to take constant pain killers to allow me to function not to mention that I have had a fever on and off for a couple of days) that is is best for me to go and see a doctor.

So given that I still have my mind, my fingers, my voice, and am able to call out through Skype I started in on researching California medical care to see how I might go about seeing a doctor, renew a subscription to effective pain killers (just took my last pill a few minutes ago), and do it all while paying the least possible.

Going straight to an emergency was out of the question cost wise. I would have been saddled with untold thousands in debt for little more than just walking in.

Fortunately I found out, after a great deal of calling around and pulling information out of public employees, beaurecrats, and others as though pulling teeth sometimes, that I qualify to be seen by a doctor under a homeless category of the Public Health Clinics here.

Which was quite surprising to me given that I am not really homeless only considered so in a technical sense.

Given that I rent a fifth wheel trailer in someone's back yard and work off the rent when I don't have it (or have done so for some of the months I have been here).

As I've said before I am so poor on paper that I honestly don't think there is a category that defines someone so poor since, in California at least, it is considered nothing short of a miracle to be able to survive on twice or three times what I have ever made in a month here.

The fact that I have survived and and am improving my lot in life overall on as little as I still make (relative to the cost of living here and how much one should make to live here normally) is a testament to God's divine grace and help of me.

I have had absolutely no help from social welfare connected agencies, any agencies at all for that matter, and otherwise. It's been all God, me, and the occasional person willing to cut me a deal for rent in exchange for work or willing to actually give me money that I never ask for when they hear of my situation.

In the six months I have been here I have not asked one single person for a penny! Never.

Anyway here's the scoop...

I will be heading downtown to see a most wonderful case manager (among the people I talked to this morning, she is a godsend in that she is understanding, kind, and respectful in how she spoke to me) at a clinic.

At the clinic a doctor will first make an initial assessment of my health.

If they cannot handle it there...they will give me bus tokens to go to the emergency room of a hospital where I will then receive further care.

All, if I understand things, at no cost to me at all.

Unreal!

It is a sad state of affairs for me that the cost of my care will be borne by the taxpayer of California but at this point there is nothing else that I can do.

Other than roll over and slowly ebb away and die I suppose.

But I don't think God would have me just roll over and die or perhaps more likely, end up with a permanently crippled and disfigured right leg, simply because I was too proud or obstinate in not getting medical care when it was provided for me on a silver platter so to speak.

Which it is being provided for me on in that it will cost me nothing and it should be sufficient to allow me to get the best medical care possible or at least that is needed to help me get my body back on the road to recovery.

And my one friend (the one who ended up lost on the hi-way a while back and who was subsquently found ) will be giving me a one way ride to the clinic.

And I have the crutches that another Christian friend lent me a couple of days ago.

I'm happy!

Praise God for His continued mercy and grace extended to me not only through the kindness of good friends but now, also through California Community Health.

Maybe California is not such a bad place to live after all...well...it's still got too many rules I think

Now if only my landlord doesn't decide to take his trailer, in which I live, up into the mountains this next month and let's me stay in it another month.

Maybe I can get back to staring at the Hummingbirds, the flowers, walking to my favorite store...the Dollar Store, writing more interesting blog posts, and otherwise get back to my version of "normal" living once all this is behind me. God willing of course.

If I die on some operating table, am wracked with cancer, experiencing liver failure, or any other number of terrible possibilities...well heaven here I come!

I just pray and hope that if it is time for me to go that it happens quick and is not some slow, painful thing.

Just think...one of the benefits to blogging here is that if I die, my posts will remain to be seen by all as long as city-data remains.

If I had my own independing blog...well...it would shortly disappear after any such death.

I guess a praise God for city-data is also called for.

So...praise God for city-data as well!

Hip hip hurray! Hip hip hurray! Hmm...I wonder if the codeine in my last Tylenol might be starting to take affect on me. (just kidding!).

Time to go watch that hilarious video I posted about yesterday again. I keep watching that thing and getting a huge laugh out of it.

May the Lord do what is pleasing in His sight.

Carlos

PS. Thanks for sharing your additional thoughts yukiko. Sorry I have not responded but...I've been kinda busy trying to sort all this out and otherwise prep myself for going to see a doc.

My mom brought me up right I think in that her constant encouragement to make sure I always had on a clean pair of underwear in the event of having to go see a doctor or some such motivated me to wash a pair of my underwear to make sure I had a clean pair on today.

Given that I have not been able to really do my laundry, have run out of deoderant, and have not been able to take a proper shower in almost a week...well...washing a pair of underwear was the least I could do. Will make my mom proud I think .