My unemployed hand

I didn’t expect to get any e-mail asking about my hand – but I’ve gotten more e-mail on that post than any other blog post I’ve put up!

I’ve had people chime in on the issue – which is, what does an unemployed chump like me do when faced with a potential medical emergency?  Definition of emergency to me now is anything that drains a few hundred dollars out of the bank account.

Here are some things I’ve learned from the feedback:

1.  Lot’s of people don’t have insurance – that is “just the way it is.”  One writer starts a new job and Monday and is super excited to get health insurance — after about a year without!

2.  I already knew this, but I forgot (it has been about 6 months since I had to think about it): COBRA is a joke.  Before I was laid off I always knew about this “safety net” called COBRA.  What I didn’t know is that it would require that I pay out the nose (more than before, I think it was what I already paid PLUS what my employer had paid) for the same crappy coverage I got when I was employed.  There are many other options available – in fact, knowing what I know now, I should have dumped my company health insurance long ago and gone with a local broker.  I know these local brokers are all over the place – be wise, prudent and make sure you find a good one, but I would have saved about $100 – $200 a month and had much better coverage if I would have found a broker before.

Also, my wife was a few months pregnant when we lost our job (actually, we are supposed to go in and have a baby girl on Monday… just 3 days from today!)  I learned that NO ONE would insure her.  In fact, even if I got a new job, she would not be eligible for insurance until after the baby was born!  How’s that for being between a rock and a hard spot!  I’d like to advice anyone to not get laid off when there is a pregnancy but… well, I guess that advice is a little impracticle 😉

And, since everyone is asking, here is an update on my hand.  I had been putting on lots of neosporin (the generic brand of course – when you don’t have money coming in everything is generic).  I looked up “cut & superglue” on google and found that, in general, it is common practice.  I applied it and found out that IT STINGS!!

But each application only lasts for about 3 – 6 hours.  You see, the cut is right in a seam so anytime I moved my hand wrong it would come apart a little.  Sometimes it was covered really nice, but sometimes I would see the wound exposed.

Yesterday morning it was tender and I thought it started to get infected – so I pulled out a check and hiked to my family doctor.  I’ve never been the patient but he knows me from when I took my son in a few months ago.  I sheepishly told him I used superglue, ready to get lectured – but he said that is an EXCELLENT solution.  He said “no infection, looks great, should heal just fine in 2 – 3 days”.  And he sent me on his way – no charge.

I did not ask for any special favors.  I didn’t even talk about not being employed (he brought it up half way through – he must have remembered from a few months ago, or read it on my paper I had to fill out).  Thank you “Doctor P.”  I’ve been amazed at how kind and generous people have been when they find out I’m out of work.  I certainly don’t solicit it, but people just find out and want to help.  I vow to not be as stingy as I was before I lost my job – thanks to the great examples that we’ve received from others.