even more so (less so?)
October 02, 2017, 9:02 P.M.

If you thought last weekend was uneventful, you ain't seen nothing.

So I went with him on Tuesday for moral support. Made one stop on the way to the doctor's office; I cashed in on my free flu shot voucher from work. Then it was his turn. I didn't go in with him, but he seemed to be glad I came along.

This doctor seems to be actively trying to find a diagnosis; he's ordered tests for a number of things, and each of them has a list of symptoms very much in synch with what Spouse is dealing with. Most of them are pretty benign, too--and I would be overjoyed if it turned out to be nothing more than an easily remedied vitamin deficiency.

I made him go straight to the lab after the appointment, in order to get the bloodwork started. I'm not thrilled that it has to be Quest, though--but the bottom line is, we have to go where it's cheap. We can no longer afford the ridiculous lab charges at Aurora.

I gave him a lecture while we were waiting for the paperwork, and I kind of pounded on him.

I explained that for all practical purposes--at the moment, there is no "insurance".

That he'd already blown through the paltry $1000 per year (for both of us) my employer kicks in for the year, but still hadn't met his $1500 deductible, and that after he did, there would still be at least 20% that I--ME--HIS WIFE have to pay.

That the account behind that debit card we use to pay medical bills isn't some magic fountain of money--it's a savings account I pay into every paycheck, and the balance is only a few thousand, which took me nearly two years to build up, and which he's breezing though at an alarming rate.

I could have slipped him a few more home truths as well, but I held off. I think he understands the situation better now. (I also went up the the check-in with him when he signed in, and finally--I think--convinced them to stop charging him copays, which they keep doing even though we no longer have a PPO plan with copay, and haven't since 01/01/16.)

So we went to Quest, and they siphoned 8 vials of blood out of him, and we went home.

The 8 vials convinced him he was going to die of blood loss, until I flat-out told him he was a big pussy and that even if they took an entire pint, instead of the MAYBE half-a-cup they drew, he would feel next to no ill effects, and if he did feel something, it would be short-lived and mild. People donate blood all the freakin' time, and they go righ back to work after! Damn, he's a hypochondriac milly sometimes.