A Quick Note About Healthcare

Last summer I got Swimmer's Ear, which I get quite frequently in the summertime because I dive funny and also, my friends and I still like having handstand contests in the ocean even though we are all in our early to mid 20s. I visited my family practitioner after trying many home remedies (wax, Demerol, Q-tips) that did not work. I still was deaf in one ear and half deaf in the other, which actually resulted in some hilarity at a job interview (a story I'll tell at a later time).

At this time I was insured by Cobra. I would not call this ear cleaning a really invasive procedure. Basically, my doctor took what looks like a giant steel needle, filled it with water, and used the force to flush the wax buildup out of both my ears. It did involve the help of one of his assistants--someone had to hold the little receiving bucket, right?

I filled out the insurance forms and payed the co-payment and a month later received a giant package in the mail. There were dozens of forms and questionnaires wanting to know about this pre-existing condition. They wanted to know my history. They said they wouldn't pay for the procedure.

All for fucking swimmer's ear. Imagine if it was something real?

I don't have insurance anymore. I'm real careful about my health, too, now that I'm living on the edge. For one, I don't have handstand contests in the ocean anymore--too dangerous.