In the late summer, I began treatment for my fibro at an office quite a distance from where I live. At first I didn't mind the idea of the drive - the weather was good and I was pretty familiar with the roads. Years ago, when I was working as a consultant, it was not unusual for me to rack up thirty-five thousand miles in a single year. I love to listen to music while I drive. I remember one very early morning, on my way to work, driving down a highway, singing at the top of my lungs, to a great rock and roll song. It helped energize me and it made the drive more fun. When the police officer pulled me over for speeding, he mentioned that he was not pleased with the fact that he had been following me for two miles, lights flashing while I was bouncing around in the seat, car dancing to the music. I didn't argue - I took my punishment and my points, as well as the hike in my car insurance rates for the next three years.
Since I love driving, I put the thought of not having the energy to do the heavy driving out of my head. I figured my music would help keep my energy up. Once I realized the music couldn't possibly energize me enough to get back home, I would leave my appointment and take a nap in my car before I got back on the road. After a while, I dreaded the drive, even with a nap, my favorite music playing, the sun shining and the leaves changing. It took an hour and forty-five minutes (without traffic) to get to the doctor's office and up to four hours getting back home. No matter what time I scheduled my appointment I had to deal with commuter traffic, heading one way or the other, through the boroughs of New York City. The Cross Bronx Expressway was just named one of the ten worst roads in the USA. That road backs up if somebody sneezes. And when it backs up, every road that leads to it gets backed up too. That was the most direct road to my doctor's office. The alternate to the Cross Bronx still had tons of traffic and was much less direct, so what I made up avoiding the bumper-to-bumper traffic I lost in distance. There was no way to make it easier. Heavy stress.
I was very upset when the fibro center I was going to, out on Long Island, unexpectedly closed. I was thrilled that I could stay with the same doctor but her office is in Manhattan, so I am still not thrilled with the effort it takes to get comprehensive and excellent treatment. Granted, it is easier to get to my appointments when I don't have to do the driving, but it is still a very full day when I go in for an appointment. And, although it is less stressful taking the train and I can nap if I need to, compared to driving, my trips to the doctor have turned into a really expensive commute. My trip to the doctor today cost $66.00 between the cabs and the train, and that doesn't include having to buy lunch and a small snack on the way back home. I am in a protocol that involves six visits in a row - that's six weeks at $75.00 a week. This is all on top of the cost of my treatment. I keep telling my hubby that it makes me nervous that this is so expensive and he keeps saying it's worth it. I hope it is. I guess I have to invest in these weekly trips - whether by car or train, recovery is no easy trip.
Since I love driving, I put the thought of not having the energy to do the heavy driving out of my head. I figured my music would help keep my energy up. Once I realized the music couldn't possibly energize me enough to get back home, I would leave my appointment and take a nap in my car before I got back on the road. After a while, I dreaded the drive, even with a nap, my favorite music playing, the sun shining and the leaves changing. It took an hour and forty-five minutes (without traffic) to get to the doctor's office and up to four hours getting back home. No matter what time I scheduled my appointment I had to deal with commuter traffic, heading one way or the other, through the boroughs of New York City. The Cross Bronx Expressway was just named one of the ten worst roads in the USA. That road backs up if somebody sneezes. And when it backs up, every road that leads to it gets backed up too. That was the most direct road to my doctor's office. The alternate to the Cross Bronx still had tons of traffic and was much less direct, so what I made up avoiding the bumper-to-bumper traffic I lost in distance. There was no way to make it easier. Heavy stress.
I was very upset when the fibro center I was going to, out on Long Island, unexpectedly closed. I was thrilled that I could stay with the same doctor but her office is in Manhattan, so I am still not thrilled with the effort it takes to get comprehensive and excellent treatment. Granted, it is easier to get to my appointments when I don't have to do the driving, but it is still a very full day when I go in for an appointment. And, although it is less stressful taking the train and I can nap if I need to, compared to driving, my trips to the doctor have turned into a really expensive commute. My trip to the doctor today cost $66.00 between the cabs and the train, and that doesn't include having to buy lunch and a small snack on the way back home. I am in a protocol that involves six visits in a row - that's six weeks at $75.00 a week. This is all on top of the cost of my treatment. I keep telling my hubby that it makes me nervous that this is so expensive and he keeps saying it's worth it. I hope it is. I guess I have to invest in these weekly trips - whether by car or train, recovery is no easy trip.
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