Monday, March 5, 2012

Elective Surgery

Boy needs a medical procedure done.  His doctor has determined it is elective rather than necessary.  Thanks doctor.  Although it is elective I found a like-minded doctor in the medical system who would figure out some way to make it necessary.  Unfortunately getting from doctor A to doctor B can't be done with the insurance that we have.  Too bad for my wallet.  I've checked around here in our fine state and found the procedure to be quite expensive.  It will cost several months salary. 

One of the people I spoke to told me to contact someone in New York.  What?  That's all the way across the country.  My contact said the price would be much better.  I ended up contacting the person in New York.  It is true.  The price is so much better.  Is it subsidized by the state?  I do not know as I don't know the ins-and-outs of the New York medical community.  All I know is I can buy three super cheap airline tickets, we can stay with relatives who live just outside the city, and we can get boy taken care of.  The cost of our "vacation" will be about 1/3 of the cost of the procedure here in California. 

I just purchases the tickets.  Off to New York City we will go - in one week.  I hate big cities.  I hate being more than a gas tank drive away from home.  The grand kids will have a great time.  We will visit the Statue of Liberty, ground zero, central park, and who knows what else.  They will get to ride the subway and trains. 

This trip is different than my trip to North Carolina last summer.  In this case we will not have a car rental to make us self reliant.  We will be in New York City rather than in the towns written about in the book One Second After.  This is not a gun friendly state, nor is it a self protection friendly state.  Each of  us will have a carry-on and I'll have one large suitcase.  My question is what should be in our get-home bag other than lots of cash, a water filter, and calorie laden food?

4 comments:

  1. An atlas or maps. It's hard when you are across the country, there is very little you can do when in a large city with silly laws.
    That's why we can only hope things don't happen while we are away at our most vulnerable.

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  2. oh boy, the city. if you have a smartphone, make good use of it. it's much easier to find your way on the trains with the free downloadable maps and GPS than having to deal with a map in a crowded station with 600 people knocking into you. people here can be very unhelpful so don't depend on them, either, not that you would (meaning that as a compliment). wear comfortable shoes, lots of walking and stairs here. the weather has been pretty good lately so shouldn't need any crazy winter clothes. not that you'll probably be out at night on the train but if you are, talking on the train is the best way to attract unwanted attention to yourself from the crazies/drunks. just keep to yourself and it shouldn't be a problem. been in brooklyn for three years. we'll see how much longer i last.

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  3. Mr. Manifesto. Thanks for the good advice. Perhaps we'll run into each other as the procedure is in Brooklyn. I'll be the one with two grandkids who definitely looks out of place!

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  4. haha, that's the city for you. we all look out of place here. those that don't, they are the scary ones.

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