Bad Habits and Bloodwork

[DarkMeister]

Hello. My name is Darkmeister and I'm an idiot addict.

I smoke. I drink coffee by the gallon; in fact I'm stunned until cup 3. I get my java ready the night before, so that all I have to do is stumble around in the morning and hit the on button.
I live in the sticks, 40 minutes from the city.
I'm an early riser.
With me so far?

Been putting off FASTING bloodwork forever. Man I hate that! But time ran out and the last thing I want is showing up without it and pissing off Doogette Howser.
So, I stagger out of the house. Thought about riding the Valk in - nice morning for it - but decided that I'd likely get killed, esp. hitting the city in rush hour.
Found the lab by 7:30 - and it doesn't open till 8:00! What kind of lab opens at 8:00? Idiots.
Off to the other, bigger one that I know opens early.
Woo-hoo! Open... and packed with fellow addicts! Yup, here's around forty of us. All bleary-eyed, all in as early as possible. No eye contact. Every one of us has this faraway look in his eyes, like a dog gets when he's taking a dump.
Almost an hour there before my turn to bleed and get the heck back to my truck. See, this super-addict picked up a java on the way and parked it in the cupholder so it's ready.

Just trivial venting - but I know there have to be fellow sufferers here, judging by the crowd in the waiting room.
 

[Bob E.]

I hear ya.  I was recently at the doctor for my back problems...I need to get an MRI.  Well, it had been a while since I had been there, so they ordered me up a blood test.  Well, I'm in the middle of changing insurance co's and my old insurance paid 100% for blood tests, while the new insurance has a big deductible that I would have to pay out of pocket.  Coincidentally, my wife also needed a blood test, so we went out on 5/31 the last day of the old insurance.  On my way to work, I stopped at a lab that I had been to before (over a year prior with different insurance)...gave them my insurance card...they drew my blood, and I was on my way.  Later that morning after my kids got up, my wife packed them up and headed to the same lab.  When she gets there and hands them her card, they tell her they don't take our insurance!!  Come to find out, they don't have a contract with United Health Care.  Well, I was then going to have to pay for my lab work out of pocket a couple hundred dollars!!  And they never even said anything.  Luckily, I was able to call in and cancel the lab work and was told I won't be charged...we'll see if they send me a bill.  But now, I'll have to get another blood test, and I'll have to pay for it out of pocket, but at least it will apply towards my deductible.  I was so pissed that they didn't even say anything to me.  It was only by chance that my wife went to the same place later that day.  Otherwise I would have just received a bill in the mail.

Oh yeah...and I'm a coffee addict too.

[musclehead]

"like a dog gets when he's taking a dump"   

thanks for the laff 

[michaelyoung254]

I guess it's what you're getting your bloodwork done for. I have to have bloodwork done to check my cholesterol (always sky high), and I too can't function 'til I've had my morning coffee, but both my Doctor, and the lab where I get my blood drawn say that I can have my coffee as long as I don't use any types of cream or sugar in it. They told me that  just plain ol' black coffee (no cream or sugar) won't have any effect on the results. I sure was glad to hear this 

[John Schmidt]

"like a dog gets when he's taking a dump"   

thanks for the laff 

Hmmm....I must be part canine. 

[..]

I had blood work done for my yearly physical.

United Health Care HRA. It cost my insurance $660 for 10 results.

ps

No java or nicotine dependency here. I've never liked coffee and am nicotine free for just over 17 years. Could still kill a pack of Camels - damn you nicotine.

[Strider]

My doctor knows how much I like my coffee and let's me know..."Ok, you can go have your coffee now" when we reach a point in a physical when it's OK to have it.  There is a pot in his clinic - yes, I know EXACTLY where it is.

[G-Man]

I'm not addicted to coffee,....I just drink it to get rid of the headaches!   

[DarkMeister]

Michaelyoung: that crossed my mind too. Black coffee? What can be the harm? Well, naturally, I Googled it. And all answers to that question are...nope. I suppose it boils down to which tests. Mine include cholestorol, too, and java is no go. Or tea, for that matter. Ask Mr. Google.

Strider - that is SO cool! Because I was thinking just that, this morning. The bloodsuckers MUST know, from experience, who their early morning clients are! A pot of java, cleverly placed just out of sight in order to avoid injury, would be a great touch. Sit, wait, stare, bleed, pour a cup right there.

[old2soon]

When i go to my V A doctor for my fasting blood work they bring me in early and git r done. Only problem with that is-right there in the waiting room they have a big old pot of coffee going while i do my little wait. Mama works the midnite shift at a handy mart right here where we live. She usually brings me a quart cup of java with her when she comes home.Soooo on most days life is good. On the days she don't work-well gotta make the java meself-or drive to where she works and get it. That wait for the coffe combined with me having to drive before i have my hot cup of java-why that right thar be cruel and MOST unusual punishment. Could be lots worse though-at least the doctor ain't told me to quit coffee entirely-yet. Iffin she do dat-trust me-ya'll WILL hear about it right here. Nice ta know there be other caffeine freaks here besides us. So get your coffee fix-put on your game face or what ever face pleases ya get the old heart apumpin and RIDE SAFE.

[bogator]

  Years ago my DR, at that time, told me to cut my coffee in half, I said ---OK ---next time I saw him he ask? I said yes I cut it in half-- to 1 pot--he had a hissy fit----he told me that he ment a half a cup----I looked him rite in the eye--and said----I been drivin trucks tooo looong to live on a half a cup-----I changed  DRS.     

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I lost my Dad and one son to doctors screw-ups. I try to stay away from them and pay an extra $5 a week on my insurance because of it. Seems like money well spent to me.

I've got a buddy with back problems that are 100 times worse than they were before he started getting treated for them. My opinion, he should have went to a good chiropractor. My chiropractor saved me from getting discs fused in my neck 15 years ago and all is still good. It was a top "sports medicine" place that recommended the fused disks too.

[DarkMeister]

Speaking of addiction... Sitting here, going into day two of power outage. (Again. This is getting old; fourth or fifth time this year). So - my trusty generator is running: sump pump, coffee pot, computer.
Priorities, see...

[Jabba]

I'm not addicted to coffee,....I just drink it to get rid of the headaches!   

That is FANTASTIC!!!  I will be plagiarizing that.

I drink 5-6 mugs of coffee a day.  It takes about 2 days for the headaches to start. 

I gave up coffee 1 time and my blood pressure went UP.  The doctor told me to start drinking it again.  I have read that there is apparent benefits to diabetics as well.  Plus, I have also read that coffee drinkers have better oral health as well.  Something about the coffee killing plaque building bacteria.

I have no idea if'n its true or not, but i know I likes me coffee.

Jabba

[x]

60 year old gent goes to the doctor and says, "Doc, will I live to be 80?"
 
Dr. says, "Do you smoke?"

"Nope."
 
"Do you drink good single malt scotch, sometimes to excess?

"Nope."
 
"Are you having unprotected sex with beautiful young women?"

"Nope."

"Then, why the hell would you want to live to be 80?"

[musclehead]

"like a dog gets when he's taking a dump"   

thanks for the laff 

Hmmm....I must be part canine. 

yeah John I pegged you as a golden retriever, not one of those fancy breeds with an overbite

[musclehead]

60 year old gent goes to the doctor and says, "Doc, will I live to be 80?"
 
Dr. says, "Do you smoke?"

"Nope."
 
"Do you drink good single malt scotch, sometimes to excess?

"Nope."
 
"Are you having unprotected sex with beautiful young women?"

"Nope."

"Then, why the hell would you want to live to be 80?"

you gots to have some quality with that quantity 

[bigguy]

Oh DarkMeister. You just got the test where they took a little blood. Wait till you get the one where they come out with a flash light strapped to a fire hose. You ain't gonna believe where they stick that sucker.
Not only will you not get to drink coffee, but the night before they want you to consume about a gallon of snot. (Mine was flavored with lemon.) And you'll be doing that, sitting on the can.
Yessir. You be sitting on the can, drinking snot, and anticipating having a fire hose run up your wazoo in the morning.

Let me tell ya. Them's some memorable times.     

[DarkMeister]

  Been there, done that, pooped pink stuff for two days.

Still without power. 

[Jabba]

Been there, done that, pooped pink stuff for two days.

Still without power. 

You wouldn't WANT to poop pink stuff WITH power would you?

Sheesh!!

I know... I am a smart ass.  Hope you get the juice back on soon.

Jabba

[DarkMeister]

Valid point, Jabba. Being on a well, I can't figure out how to connect my generator to the water-pump wiring. There is no "plug-in". Just some wires coming through the basement wall to a small distribution box, from there to the pressure tank.

So yeah, pink or not, with no running watter...it's an issue. I'm just glad I filled up the dogs' kiddie pool before this outage. 

Now they say back by 2200. I'll just tell my rectal aperture to hold on tight till then.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

I'm not addicted to coffee,....I just drink it to get rid of the headaches!