Pain in the abs, Part 4

After Mom and Dend had left following my surgery, I went back to work. I had to go to the doctor for him to remove the stitches. When he did, it hurt like crazy! But it was real quick. He said I was healing quite nicely. However, I told him that if I coughed or sneezed, I could still feel it bulging out like it had done before the surgery. He said that was normal.

I did not engage in a lot of strenuous activity during the next two weeks. It still hurt a bit when I walked, but that started to subside. One day, I was crossing the street and the light turned yellow. Without thinking about it, I immediately started running to make it across in time. I realized after I'd gotten to the other side that I didn't feel any pain when I ran, so that meant I was definitely getting better.

I never had any more trouble with the hernia after that. After awhile, I found I was able to lift things again. I also noticed that the area stopped bulging out anytime I coughed or sneezed.

I decided to look into getting health insurance. My employer didn't offer any. However, I was a member of ASCAP and I thought I would call them to find out if they had a group insurance. It turned out they did. They sent me a brochure. They had one plan I could sign up for that would cost $50 a month. I recall there being a rather high deductible, but figured it was the best plan I could afford. I sent in the application and a money order.

A few weeks later, I got a letter from the insurance company. The envelope included my money order. My application for insurance had been denied because I had a pre-existing condition. That was the hernia. However, the insurance company indicated I could apply again in six months. (Where was Obamacare then?)

I went to get a refund on the money order. Because it was still made out to the insurance company, I had to pay $8 to get my money back!

It turned out that I wouldn't get insurance for two more years. This happened when I got a new job with benefits. I would not go the rest of my life without health benefits again.

Many years later, Loyd got a hernia and had to have a surgery. He had told the doctor about my hernia and that Grandma Ogolon had a hernia years earlier. The doctor told him that we likely had a genetic disposition that made us vulnerable to hernias and that it had little to do with the fact that he was moving furniture the day before his breach.

I've never had a surgery like that since. I've had to spend the night in a hospital, but that's a story for another time, way off in the future.