Now, now, you don’t really mean that. 
Best of luck with your problems.
Eve, you might want to look into Family Leave until you have a better picture of your mom’s predicament (and job prospects). I believe they HAVE to hold your job for you for X number of weeks or months. I think it would solve your insurance cost issues. Might want to talk to that hideous guy in HR to see what you’re entitled to.
[Eve coyly tucks in her Freudian slip]
I’ll talk to her about a visiting nurse “just till she gets over this,” and see how she reacts. She doesn’t want me to quit my job and uproot myself (probably because it means “I’m old and gonna die soon” in her mind; not far off-base, actually). So I just dunno. What kind of idiot would quit a job in this economy?
An idiot who loves her mother very much and wants to make sure she’s comfortable and well-cared for.
Eve,
My boss is a Philiadelphia area Rep and a hell of a nice guy, let me know if you’re going to need insurance and I’ll put him in touch with you. He can fix you right up.
No kidding. You should not be forced to make a choice between gainful employment and cariing for your mom. Is there a work-from-home option at your job? Telecommuting has helped a lot of people in your position. I’m just throwing out some ideas. I don’t know what I’d do if faced with the same problem.
“You should not be forced to make a choice between gainful employment and cariing for your mom.”
—Yeah, you’d think that, wouldn’t you? Nope, no telecommuting here. I could take Family Leave—but, basically, I either move there for good or don’t move at all. “Three months” wouldn’t do her any good.
Thanks, Ginger and Dave, you’re sweet. I hope if I do move back, I’ll be able to find some kind of job with actual benefits. I can do some freelance writing, but that’s very spotty and doesn’t pay muich.
OK, I just talked to her, she sounds a little better. Her doctor X-rayed her, says it’s a pinched sciatic nerve and prescribed painkillers/muscle relaxants. I told her she has to register for the local Senior Transport Service now and not wait till she needs it, and she says she will.
I also told her to save any left-over painkillers/muscle relaxants till my next visit . . . Off to Google and see what useless pseudo-information I can find on pinched sciatic nerves . . .
Suffering sciatica!
No need to Google. Sciatica is a shooting pain radiating along your hip and down your leg, usually stopping right behind your knee. Bed rest, flat on your back, and as many muscle relaxing drugs as you can stand are the cure (at least until you can get up and move again - then it is off to the gym to strengthen your erector spinae muscles and your abs so the muscles don’t spasm again and pinch the sciatic nerve. How’s your mother going to look in a spandex leotard and a pair of Reeboks?).
I received a delicious injection of demerol once. They shot it into my butt and hit my sciatic nerve. It felt like I was being shot in the ass with a flaming arrow for about 6 weeks. I feel very sorry for your mom. On the other hand, if she has any spare pain killers that YOU don’t have time to abuse…er…use, you can drop 'em in the mail to me!!!
Yes, plnnr, that’s exactly what her doctor prescribed. I tried to look up “sciatic nerve” online, and all I could find were sites for chiropractors, yogis and magnetic bracelets.
Six weeks? I am not going to tell her that, Kalhoun!! I think she’s hoping to be better by next week . . .
She’s HOPING to be better by next week, but I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of anyone completely healing in that amount of time. The drugs will help but I think it takes a while.
Here’s some interesting information (and it doesn’t sound as lengthy as my bout was):
Thanks, Kalhoun—I printed that out, and will read her the non-scary, encouraging bits tonight.
As others have pointed out you can enroll in COBRA but it is VERY expensive.
I don’t know if this’ll help you out at all, but if you need to travel between Philly and NYC in the interim the most affordable way is the Chinatown bus (called that because it only stops in Chinatown of that city). Unfortunately I don’t have much in the way of specific info (I have the # for the location in DC but they don’t have a website). It costs $15 one way/$25 round trip for DC/NYC so it might be cheaper for NYC>Philly, and the clientele is a LOT better than the greyhound.
Eve! I return to the board after, oh, a good year at least and find to my delight you’re still here, only to learn you may be moving even farther away. :smack: My own fault for not keeping in touch.
Sorry to hear about your mom. I’m sure she’ll feel better in a week or two.
Yeah, I’d leave out the part about the flaming arrow in the ass, if I were you. It just doesn’t give you that warm and fuzzy feeling.