Jeffree vs the Jury System
Don't faint, yeah, another post just a couple of days after the one about spring. I know, not my usual pattern. For some reason, it just kinda felt like I should get a few things off my chest. Not necessarily bad things, just stuff I've been holding in; I'm sure you've gone through it, too.
So, I've had a few health issues that have been a real burden and have impacted my ability to live normally for several years. Never mind what, you really don't want to hear the details. The good part is that the doctor I've been seeing for a couple of years, who has given me every medication out there, none of which did a darn thing, told me there's a surgery that will fix the problem; at least, it will for 91% of patients.
"Whattttt?" I almost screamed. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"
"Because insurance requires me to see if any of the meds would work because they're much less expensive than the cost of the surgery."
'Of course,' I thought. 'Why in he-- are the insurance companies still managing our healthcare? America's healthcare system is still as broken as it ever was.'
"Fine," I told my doctor. "How soon can you schedule the surgery?"
Turns out they couldn't schedule me for over two months. I think I groaned. I took the date they offered me because two months out was better than living with this forever. I'd already been dealing with it for 10+ years, though it had only become really bad in the last two years. What's a few more months? A few weeks before the surgery date, I received a jury summons to report two days before my surgery. I felt a rage boil up inside. I was on the cusp of screaming so loud that people coulda heard me six blocks away. The next morning I called the jury office and tried very nicely to tell them I could not report for jury duty.
"Why not?" the uber efficient woman who answered the phone asked. "You have to report or you'll be arrested."
"Gimme a break," I retorted. "I'm having surgery two days later, and if I get put on a jury, and it goes more than two days, I'm gonna play hookey on surgery day."
"You can't do that!" she said. "You'll be arrested."
"What are you gonna do, send the deputies into the operating room to arrest me?"
She backed down. "Well, no." Silence. "When will you be able to report for jury duty?"
"Not real sure," I answered a bit smugly. "I don't know how long it will take to recover."
"Do you think if I postpone your jury date that you can report two months later?"
Silence on my part. Finally, I thanked her because I recognized she was obviously making an effort. The funny part about all this is that I've never ever sat on a jury and I've really wanted to. I've been called for jury duty several times in three different states, and in every case, either the defense or the prosecution throws me off.
Long story short, I had my surgery, and it turned out to be 100% successful. Honestly, I didn't expect it to work, simply because nothing else has why should this be any different? Oh me of little faith. It didn't just work, it worked brilliantly. And life has returned to normal or whatever normal is.
Till next time,
Jeffree
