Crohn's Chronicles Update #crohns #colitis #crohnscolitis #ibd

I am seeing red. Worse, I was so angry yesterday I burst into tears on the drive home. I'm using my space as a venting platform today. I cannot imagine what possesses these people. It must be nice to live in a world where everyone is perfectly healthy, perfectly educated, and perfectly perfect.

Well, they are not.

I started the day off with a cold. A miserable nasty thing that plugs up my ears as I go up and down the mountain to my office. Of course I work up the mountain which plugs up my ears all day until I go down the mountain. I've tried everything to clear them and they are getting better, just not so good yesterday.

Urgh....

And my old buddy Crohn's is flaring and I can't take my Humira shot because I have this crappy cold. It was freezing yesterday, too. They are slowly adjusting my thyroid meds because I react to them with raging heart beats and cold sensitivity. So, on top of feeling miserable, I was freakin' cold. And, I had to work. No calling in sick for people like me.

On Wednesday, I received a letter from my corporate office telling me that I could get 'discounts' on my medical insurance if I go to this 'special website' for people just like me who have problems that affect blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol, and IBD, that I discovered referred to irritable bowel syndrome which is NOT my problem.

Like the good little person I am, I head over to this WONDERFUL NEW WEBSITE for people JUST LIKE ME.

Grrr

To begin with this wonderful website started out asking me if I knew what fresh fruits and vegetables are. I'm thinking: Are you freakin' nuts?

Then it proceeds to ask me how many fresh fruits and vegetables I am eating per day. I'm thinking: I have Crohn's disease you idiot. I am flaring. If I eat a fresh fruit or vegetable right now I'll end up on the hospital!

Of course there is no option to say I can't eat those things. So, I flunk the test.   I FLUNKED THE TEST!

No discount for me!

It was the same with the vegetables so I moved onto stress. (We only get 3 things to work on at one time.) First question: You feel stressed out over the loss of a loved one, the loss of your job, a major illness.

Hummm.... Major illness. Does Crohn's count?

Of course it does. No wonder I'm stressed. And now I'm really stressed because I have to play this game to get my discounts. My other choice is to lie....

BUT I DO WANT HELP WITH MY DIETARY NEEDS. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO EAT A LOW/HIGH RESIDUE DIET WITHOUT KILLING MYSELF?

My last dietician told me the low residue diet wins. Crohn's will get me before the high cholesterol will.

By this time I'm pissed and ready to throw the computer out the window. Here's an example of some questions I had to answer:

How much fruit makes up one serving?
Is a banana high in fat?
How many servings of fruit should you eat?

And on and on and on... Like I do not know. Seriously, this computer program was created for a two year-old. OK, five at best.

Then I had to choose my 'health coordinator' oh yeah, this ought to be good. I have to 'message' her and she will call me back.

I sent her this e-mail:

Dear Coordinator:

Since Crohn's is covered under the American Disabilities Act, I would appreciate it if the system you are forcing me to use to get medical discounts could be re-programmed to fit my needs.

Heh, heh. That ought to get their attention.

Of course, I can't call them, they have to call me, and I didn't receive a phone call AND when I got to the office today, I can no longer access the site. I am shut down.

Guess that means I don't get my discounts.

*facepalm*

Tomorrow I'll post my weekend reads. Just can't do it today.
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Update:

Here's the response I received:

Thank you for comment.We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you. There is no way to adjust the readings outside of you doing a retest at your own expense. Any updates you submit will be received and processes. I'm sorry the food tracker cannot be adjusted to fit your needs. Blah blah blah blah.

No discounts for me!