Hooray 2008
One of my last well-meaning caregiver efforts for 2007 was to help my sister and brother-in-law register Dad-Jack for Medicare drug coverage. By now I've made it clear in other blog postings that 2007 ranks among the worst for me and my family. When the clock struck 11:59 PM on New Year's Eve, my husband and I raised our glasses and toasted the END of 2007. I gleefully proclaimed, "2007, you can kiss my okole" - which you understand if you've spent much time in Hawaii. A favorite Hawaiian toast is "Okole maluna," or "Bottoms up." Then we toasted to a great 2008.
Turns out that last big caregiving gesture included a HUGE error on my part. Mistakes are great moments when you learn from them, right? I've been saying that since I was 30 and started making more mistakes per week than I did when I was three. Apparently when I wrote Dad's Social Security number in an email to my sister, I managed to combine it with Mom's number, undoubtedly because they are listed together in my PDA, which has a tiny font the size of nano-printing legible only to twenty-somethings.
Thank goodness Medicare told my sister someone would call her back when she couldn't register by phone before midnight on the 30th. When nobody called back on the 31st, her husband went ahead with online registration, but he used the erroneous number I sent him. When a Medicare representative called yesterday to follow-up with my sister, she referred the woman to the online registration, whereupon the woman said, "That's not your father's Social Security number." OOOPS. A quick cell phone call to Saint Norma the Caregiver (because I was unavailable and they didn't want to talk with me anyway, at that point) revealed the correct number. The Medicare rep was able to correct everything and Jack will have his insurance, albeit a month later than we hoped.
I tell you all this because we all make mistakes. We beat ourselves up for them, but that only leads to depression. We must acknowledge our mistakes, figure out the lesson they bring to us and move on. After a short period of self-flagellation, I decided that I must take the time to check all names and numbers in my electronic communications at least twice before clicking the send button. I'm still happy this unfortunate incident happened in 2007 so that wretched year can share some of the blame with me.
Things are great in 2008.
Turns out that last big caregiving gesture included a HUGE error on my part. Mistakes are great moments when you learn from them, right? I've been saying that since I was 30 and started making more mistakes per week than I did when I was three. Apparently when I wrote Dad's Social Security number in an email to my sister, I managed to combine it with Mom's number, undoubtedly because they are listed together in my PDA, which has a tiny font the size of nano-printing legible only to twenty-somethings.
Thank goodness Medicare told my sister someone would call her back when she couldn't register by phone before midnight on the 30th. When nobody called back on the 31st, her husband went ahead with online registration, but he used the erroneous number I sent him. When a Medicare representative called yesterday to follow-up with my sister, she referred the woman to the online registration, whereupon the woman said, "That's not your father's Social Security number." OOOPS. A quick cell phone call to Saint Norma the Caregiver (because I was unavailable and they didn't want to talk with me anyway, at that point) revealed the correct number. The Medicare rep was able to correct everything and Jack will have his insurance, albeit a month later than we hoped.
I tell you all this because we all make mistakes. We beat ourselves up for them, but that only leads to depression. We must acknowledge our mistakes, figure out the lesson they bring to us and move on. After a short period of self-flagellation, I decided that I must take the time to check all names and numbers in my electronic communications at least twice before clicking the send button. I'm still happy this unfortunate incident happened in 2007 so that wretched year can share some of the blame with me.
Things are great in 2008.
posted by Shannon Ingram | 6:21 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home