The Clean Slate

Humble blogger with more demons than deities, but striving to keep a socially acceptable optimistic demeanor

[dankmemeuniversity]

[venezolanagringa]

I feel personally attacked by this

[bob-belcher]

louder for the people at the back

[hillbilly---man]

I feel like I should make a post about this because it’s not something that’s very well-known, and that Americans in particular may need to know about given the uncertain state of our healthcare system at the moment. I’ve wanted to write this out for a while, It’s kind of a long post, so sorry about that!

If you have an emergency and have to go to the hospital, you’ll owe the hospital a lot of money. (I got into a car wreck and broke my ankle and my arm. My hospital bill was around $20,000)

You’ll also owe the ambulance provider, if you need one. (My ambulance bill was about $800)

You may get separate bills from the anesthesiologist or surgeon. (My anesthesiologist bill was $1,700)

You may need follow-up appointments. (My orthopedic surgeon billed me for the appointments and his surgery together and it was about $1,000)

You’ve also got to pay for medical equipment you need afterward, like crutches or a walking boot. (Mine cost about $75)

Altogether, I ended up with almost $24,000 in medical debt from one car accident. That’s a really scary number for someone like me who makes $10/hr at a 12 hour a week job.

I got my debt down to $1075 by making some phone calls and submitting some paperwork.

The first thing I did was contact the hospital. They don’t make it easy to find, but many hospitals (perhaps most hospitals?) have financial assistance programs for people who can’t afford medical bills. I don’t make a lot of money, and I have bills to pay, so they were able to help me. I called the billing department and asked if they had any assistance programs for low income people who can’t pay their bills. I had to call multiple times, and I got transferred in circles by people who didn’t know what I was talking about. Finally, I got an appointment with someone in “Eligibility Services” (I don’t know what other hospitals call it, if it’s something different). I had to bring my pay stubs and copies of all of my bills. When I got to the hospital for the appointment, nobody knew what I was talking about so I had to wander a little to find where I needed to go. I spoke with the guy in Eligibility Services, and I waited for a decision on how much of the bill they would forgive. A month later, I got a call telling me it was totally forgiven.

I did the same thing for my ambulance bill and my anesthesiologist, but the process was a LOT easier. I just had to mail some paperwork and it was totally forgiven.

I didn’t bother with the medical equipment suppliers, since the bills came from separate companies and I didn’t feel like going through the process twice for $75. I was assured at the hospital that they had similar programs for debt forgiveness, so I could have probably avoided paying that too.

The only thing I couldn’t get taken care of was the surgeon/follow-up appointment cost, but they were able to put me on a no-interest payment plan.

Medical debt is scary because it’s something that can come from stuff that’s already really scary. I didn’t need the burden of $24,000 in debt on top of trying to get around on a crutch with a broken arm (it’s not easy, believe me!).. but I can’t imagine what it would be like with a bigger debt or a more severe medical emergency. I see lots of people in even worse trouble than I was in, both financially and medically. Please know that there are options for you when that GoFundMe doesn’t do enough. Even if your income is higher than mine, it’s worth a shot even for partial debt forgiveness.

[pyroteknich]

I am about 900% sure there are people who don`the know this. 

[aquadraco20]

PLEASE READ THIS IF YOU LIVE IN AMERICA AND HAVE MEDICAL BILLS

[wintermoth]

I had to do this once as well and I can ABSOLUTELY confirm that this is true.

Get in contact with the hospital. Don’t just…sit there and let the anxiety grow and panic and then ignore it in an effort to find peace.

[books-n-quotes]

“I have given away my whole soul to someone who treats it as if it were a flower to put in his coat.”

— Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

[venezolanagringa]

This makes me extremely sad on a very intimate level

[scarybrained]

It’s Second-hand Soup #18, “Fav Song”! Listening to the same song for days straight is pretty great, but for the sake of others, it’s best enjoyed with headphones. 😅🎶💖 

[venezolanagringa]

Headphones exist 😂😂😂😂

[scarybrained]

It’s Second-hand Soup #19, “Feeling Small”. It’s hard not to feel worthless sometimes, but remember there’s always some critter out there who loves you. 💖💕✨ 

[venezolanagringa]

This

[venezolanagringa]

What is an acrostic poem? Use our Poetry Glossary to find out what an Acrostic Poem is with examples

I absolutely love this website, and have been working on new poetry by making a type of poem from each different poem format.  It explains the poem formats so simply by providing understandable descriptions, diagrams and examples <3

[venezolanagringa]

Triolet

She holds herself together, barely

But he’s there, she’ll never be alone

He cares so much for her, loves her tenderly

She holds herself together barely

Can’t remember last time she thought clearly

But since her flee, she feels she’s grown

She holds herself together, barely

But he’s there, she’ll never be alone

[venezolanagringa]

Tanka

It began slowly

The feelings were surely there

But letting them out

Yes, that was a bit harder

But this is certainly love

[venezolanagringa]

Shakespearean Sonnet

Fingertips graze one another

Eyelashes kiss and breath intertwines

Laying in the early morning with her lover

Her walls are down, between them, there are no lines

His rough hands graze the softness of her skin

Pressed up against, it’s almost as if they were one

She’s so stubborn, she never lets him win

But just being with her, he knows he’s the lucky one

Trying her hardest, she engraves this in her memory

Recording every smell, feeling and sensation as it is

She was so afraid to love, and is still afraid to claim victory

But with a warm and gushing heart, she feels bliss

They lay like this and enjoy being on cloud nine

Maybe this wasn’t luck, maybe this was fate’s beautiful design

[venezolanagringa]

Riddle

It comes in all shapes and sizes Depending on the day, it can be heavy or nearly weightless

It gets awoken by the most random things It thinks, lurks and remains a mystery Haunting the hallways of your mind No memory is safe from it  Clouding your present Replaying your past What is it?

[venezolanagringa]

Pantoum

He hides it, but he knows he loves her oh so very, very much Some would say it’s a bit of a fix, an addiction Not just because she’s beautiful and smart and such But it’s because of the person she is that he has this fixation

Some would say it’s a bit of a fix, an addiction That he shouldn’t fall for someone so broken, so hurt But it’s because of the person she is that he has this fixation He can see who she truly is, deep in her heart

That he shouldn’t fall for someone so broken, so hurt She’s been wounded for years on end He can see who she truly is, deep in her heart Underneath her wounds and scars that may never mend

She’s been wounded for years on end Not just because she’s beautiful and smart and such Underneath her wounds and scars that may never mend He hides it, but he knows he loves her oh so very, very much

[venezolanagringa]

Kennings

Energetically-happy Over-enthusiatic High-energy Always-active Constant-smile Funny-times Worth-everything Precious-soul Irreplaceable-baby Never-second Always-priority

[venezolanagringa]

Epic

His riffle was ready His aim was trained to be sharp But his heart was innocent Never had he taken a life Today he would “You have my six?” his fellow soldier called “Always”  Then the time came, and they jumped out Moving quickly, his core tightened and his focus cleared His eyes searched his surroundings The enemy was hiding here His finger twitched over the trigger as he croutched Like a panther, he began to slink Constantly watching over his shoulder  Checking to make sure their backs were clear as well His comrade moved ahead toward the building He lingered behind, watching their backs and their sides at a wider angle Suddenly, he was bit A bullet broke through his sleeve There was no pain He whipped and shot at the source Two shots The enemy was hidden again Moving faster now, they continued their mission His eye remained on the hideout Movement As a head peaked on a corner, his bullet hit the target One down They slinked faster, his partner further ahead than he should be His feet didn’t seem to move fast enough Adrenaline pumped faster Sweat mixed with blood on his arm

He pushed on, but his daze was blurred He was compromised The heat, the sweat, it was all so much “Almost there” he heard from ahead Then, another shot flew by his ear Dazed, and confused, he shot up toward the source Another miss Pressure built on his shoulders Pink mist The soldier in front of him collapsed He turned, spotted, aimed and shot But it was too late Rushing to his fellow soldier, he knew he was too late He lost him He was responsible for watching his back His breathing grew shallow and his eyes widened This was his doing He did this Fuck

[venezolanagringa]

Cinquain

He is

The best of me

My rock during a storm

Light at the end of bad long days

He is

[venezolanagringa]

Ballad

She lay there across his chest

Sighing and relaxing, feeling her best

But there was a question on her tongue

A wonderment from her heart that is young

“How can it be?” she began

“I just, I don’t seem to understand”

He rustled slowly, and turned to her

“You have a question to ask?” he infered

“I suppose you could call it that”

And so, they began to chat

She wanted to know why he was alone

Was it love he has wanted to postpone?

Was it a scar he could not heal?

Or maybe there was something he was afraid to feel?

“Listen” he slowly began, his heart heavy

“My life and mind are not very steady

And to all the women I’ve ever loved

That made me someone who must be unloved 

Though I’ve tried time and time again

I always end up alone and drunk in my den”

“But,” she began, but couldn’t say it yet

“It’s not something that makes sad, or brings me regret”

He told her, and held her tighter to his side

“And it’s something from you, that I won’t hide”

Her heart grew heavy and bled for him

Poor soul who lay next to her, who’s fate was so grim

Yet she could not understand how

Maybe she was blinded by the love she felt now

But she couldn’t see someone turning his heart away

Turning away who he was and what he had to say

Over a simple problem that he could not solve

Something that would never be absolved

But once she recognized she had no say

She settled herself and pushed her stress away

Her mind was clear, except for one thought

She loves him.  Yes, she loves him a lot

[venezolanagringa]

Double Tetractys

She

Did not

Know what was

Right in her hands

When she chose to treat you the way she did

And he did now know what he had right there

At an arm’s reach

When he chose

To break

Me