Chronic Rants

I was never one of the cool kids in school.  That didn’t bother me at the time, and it doesn’t bother me now.  It’s just a fact.  I had friends, and they weren’t considered “cool” either.  I studied and mostly got good grades.  I wasn’t athletic.  I didn’t participate in any of the “cool” clubs.  I didn’t act, and even worse, I did stage crew.  Yeah, I was one of those kids.

On the other hand, I was never bullied or subjected to peer pressure.  I didn’t drink, and no one ever tried to get me to drink.  I didn’t smoke or do drugs, and no one ever offered them to me.  I wasn’t teased or harassed.  Well, there was the boy who used to tease me and chase me around the playground when we were 8, but in hindsight I realize he probably did that because he liked me.  And anyway, he stopped doing it after I kicked him in the groin one day.  Someone tried to cheat off my work once, but there was no pressure.  I just noticed him looking at my paper during a test, and I guess I could have hidden the paper from him.  I hated that class and did really badly in it, so I didn’t bother to hide paper, and was sort of gratified when I got a C.  I never did find out his grade, but I gather it wasn’t so good.

I got through my entire life (so far) without being bullied in any of the standard ways, but now I realize that I’m being bullied after all!  I’m being bullied by the insurance companies.  This may not be the person-to-person bullying that others have experienced, but it still feels personal.  My life is horribly disrupted.  I think about it far more than I’d like to.  I may lose my home.  I have to be public about certain parts of my life that I’d rather keep private.  I’m being told they don’t believe me (essentially) and that they won’t give me what was promised to me.  I’ve spent hours brooding over the situation, trying to come up with nonexistent solutions.  I have enlisted the help of someone else, but still the bullying continues.  Standing up for myself only seems to prolong the misery.

I’VE HAD ENOUGH!

There’s no perfect answer.  All I know is that I am sick (no pun intended) and tired (again, no pun intended) of being treated this way.  I want to get the benefits that I deserve!

My appeal was filed a week and a half ago.  By law the insurance company must respond (even if it’s only to ask for more time) within 45 days.  That puts it right at New Year’s Eve.  I don’t know what the new year will bring.  I hope, I desperately hope, I achingly hope that it does not bring more fighting.  But if I have to fight for my rights, then that’s what I’ll do.  Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.