Taking care of business

At midweek, the theme for T.P. is T.C.B.

Ain't no time to wallow in the miserable medical news my doctors have been feeding me lately; I've got business to take care of.

Today I met with a benefits counselor at AIDS Project Los Angeles about applying for Social Security and disability benefits. I'm not quite ready to take that plunge yet but I know that the day is coming and this year has been full of surprises. Last week I made an appointment to discuss my options with APLA's Benefits team and today I walked out of APLA carrying 77 pages of forms to complete.

Yesterday I asked a friend to call Kaiser to get me an appointment to have my right arm looked at. Late last month, I twisted my arm in my sleep and the pain has been getting progressively worse ever since. The doctor I saw yesterday said that I sprained a muscle group in my arm, and I need to see a physical therapist to get it back in shape. As I wait for that referral, I'm allowing extra time to perform functions like buttoning my shirt and fastening my seat belt.

After the doctor looked at my arm, I asked him to take a peek at the bloody, pockmarked battlefield that used to be my chin. The cuts made during last month's biopsy remain murderously slow to heal and are prone to erupt blood at inconvenient times. Got a referral to a "wound care specialist," and in the meantime I'm stocking up on Johnson & Johnson products.

Next, Kaiser's Home Health Department booked a session with me at my apartment on Friday. Guess that means I can scratch "getting trampled at Toys R Us on Black Friday" off my list of worries. Getting home health services in place now will also allow me to access hospice services if that day arrives.

Finally, I'm having my first treatment of Erbitux tomorrow in Kaiser's chemo ward. My doc doesn't want me to get my hopes up but maybe this will give me the big break I've been waiting for.