Lost in referral land

Dh recently had his long awaited appointment with the "expert" neurologist at the University.  Well, it was a big fat 3 month wait and waste of time at a nearly 3 hour appointment.  NEVER going back there again. We said that back in 2004 but I think we really mean it this time!  His primary care physician's referral back to this neurologist was specifically for pain management.  After a 3 month wait, then almost 3 hours of poking, prodding and questions by the intern, the neurologist comes in and says she doesn't do pain management and wants to refer him to a different doctor at the University. No thanks - please refer us to someone close to our town, so we aren't driving 2 hours each way, using $15 in gas and $10 to park.  Of course they messed up and didn't get the referral taken care of.  Sigh.....  It was so disheartening to wait 3 months to get some advice on managing his pain.  Waste of time and money when this neurologist could have told us from the beginning that she couldn't help him. After the 2 hour drive up there in rush hour traffic, $10 to park, 3 hours of letting the student intern get in his "studying"  and then an hour and a half back home (traffic was better then) I ended up having to take the whole day off work.

So, now I am waiting for the new referral to get to the pain management doctor/clinic this is in our town. They actually have their main office in the city next to ours, but from their website I see they also have a new office in our town that they see patients at 2 days a week.  That sounds so much easier for us!  Hopefully it won't take too long to get an appointment.  The medicine combination Dh is currently on is barely helping.

I also spent half the morning today filling out the online application for social security disability. I'm sure he'll be denied as he was back in 2003 or 2004 or whenever it was that he appealed and was told he could work 2 whole hours a day so he wasn't eligible! Ya, I'm sure Dh could have found a great paying job for 2 hours a day.  This time Dh is willing to get an attorney, so I'm sure he'll eventually get disability or SSI.  I'm not even sure he has enough work "credits" anymore, since he's hardly worked the last 10 years and what little work he did he was self employed, working enough to keep the business afloat but not enough to actually show a profit those last 8 years or so, so nothing was paid into Social Security.  Anyway, at least I got the ball rolling and maybe down the line we'll get something to help our monthly expenses.

Friday night we get a "free" night out. My employer is having a big 25th anniversary party for our company, customers and manufacturers.  Big shindig with lots of foods, desserts, a band, gifts, etc.  I really don't want to go, but pretty much have to make an appearance, so we'll go.  Hopefully Dh will feel like going, he's had a pretty rough week pain-wise and I might have to end up going by myself.  When I switched his prescriptions to Target pharmacy one of the pills must use a different manufacturer. They are same size and shape, but Targets pills are white instead of blue, as Walmart's where. Dh says since he started taking the white ones he doesn't feel like they are helping him very much and he hasn't been getting as good of sleep.  Is this in his head?? I guess when his next refill comes up I'll switch this one back to Walmart.

I've been so tired myself lately.  It seems I get woken up several times during the night, almost every night. I'll get woken up by one of Dh's friends calling late at night or Dh talking loud (he has a loud voice), then I'll get woken up when he comes to bed at 2am or whenever it is, then shortly after he's snoring.  Then later either the dog or cat wants outside! No wonder I'm so tired during the days.  I need to get something figured out. I need to buy some more ear plugs, that's for sure.