Spo-fans will be happy to know Someone found my List folder. He located an old copy in the office PC. He sent the contents (clever man!) via email this afternoon. The lists are only up to 2010, but this is better than trying to recreate them from scratch. I am quite relieved – and I’ve learned my lesson: back things up!
21 January is St. Agnes’ Day, traditionally the coldest day of the year. It is all ‘uphill’ now. Every year I reread Keat’s poem “The Eve of St. Agnes”. However it is hard to feel frozen, residing where I do. Today it was in the mid-70s; at 930PM it is 64 – hardly the ambience to freeze your wrists off. Back East I hear it is rather snowy and inclement, which is much better for St. Agnes day. Lucky people!
I am thrilled to discover Renee Fleming will be singing a live concert aria on national TV, two Sundays hence. Apparently there is a football game afterwards or something.
This month I am inudated at work with prior authorization forms. This happens every year; people change insurance and the new providers start faxing a fury of paperwork demanding to know why am I prescribing such and such to so and so. I have to be keep calm and politic and explain patiently “such and such” has kept so and so stable for years; if you f-ck around with their meds you are asking for trouble. Most insurance companies seem satisfied with this, but a few are peristent in their demand I change my patient’s medications to something cheaper. The difference between me and Dr. Lector is I generally choose not to, but when it comes to prior authorization reviews I get in touch with my inner-Hannibal. This monstrous Muse allows me to write bone chilling letters saying in acrimonious and menacing prose if they dare deny this Rx it will lead to chaos and (if all goes well) to murders and suicide. If this doesn’t work, the ultimate trump card to use is to point out their proposal will cost them more money in the end than if they just left things alone. There is a certain delight in composing these letters, despite the tedium to do so.
It’s late. I need to knock off and start that Keat’s poem. I promise to get caught up with blog reads this weekend.
Spo-Reflections 
15 comments
January 21, 2014 at 9:52 PM
David Jeffreys
Some years ago in my sleep disorders clinic, one of the pulmonologists could not convince the insurance company to pay for CPAP which he had ordered. He kept going up the ranks until he reached the medical director at the insurance company, who also denied the claim. Our doctor asked the insurance doctor for his name. Then he said that he was going to put the medical director’s name on the death certificate as the cause of death, should the patient die. The claim was suddenly approved. I actually heard the phone conversation as it was occurring.
January 21, 2014 at 10:55 PM
anne marie in philly
10-14 inches (of snow) out there right now; it finally stopped at 2a. and it’s 15F temp. SNOW DAY WEDNESDAY! 🙂
YAYZ for someone finding your lists; good old chap!
health insurance companies are a PITA. WHO appointed them judge and jury?
January 22, 2014 at 3:45 AM
DG
I once told an insurance company to “stop arguing with a trained professional arguer.” It worked.
January 22, 2014 at 4:41 AM
Mitchell is Moving
We are grateful for doctors like you who stand up to those insurance companies… and who have Someone to find their lists.
January 22, 2014 at 6:39 AM
Laurent
All I can say is Thank God for Saint-Someone, he is sort of like St-Anthony of Padua who find lost things. Now go light a big candle and pray to his Altar.
January 22, 2014 at 6:43 AM
Urspo
He also makes alovely blood mary, so he’s a keeper indeed.
January 22, 2014 at 6:46 AM
Laurent
Yes I remember that, not just a pretty face.
January 22, 2014 at 7:08 AM
truthspew
Fantastic, now I know who to curse when the temps drop into single digits. Fuck you St. Agnes!
January 22, 2014 at 7:09 AM
truthspew
Oh and do I need mention, St. Anthony (St. Anthony of Padua) is the patron saint of the lost. Really.
January 22, 2014 at 8:06 AM
Urspo
no!don’t do that! She’s a good woman! She can’t help it ifthepope placed her day on this day!
January 22, 2014 at 8:19 AM
truthspew
Oh come now. First of all the whole sainthood thing is highly overrated. Secondly it’s all based on so much woo and nothing more.
January 22, 2014 at 11:16 AM
Old Lurker
I think it is still worth running some undelete programs on your Mac to see whether you can get a more current version of the Lists. I posted links to a few undeletion programs but either you deleted the comment or WordPress munched it up.
January 22, 2014 at 11:26 AM
Urspo
Right now I don’t trust the Mac laptop to do anything; it is up to no good that’s for certain. No doubt it is planning some outrage as I type.
January 22, 2014 at 1:16 PM
Willym
Saint Agnes is also the day when the good sister of the Convent at St Agnese fuori le mura present two sheep at their patronal mass normally attended by the Bishop of Rome. He blesses the sheep and then the wool is used to make pallia for newly elevated archbishops. An interesting event if made somewhat noisy and noisome by the less than pristine lambs.
January 22, 2014 at 4:21 PM
justajeepguy
If you have seen it already, you should Google Renee on David Letterman singing the Top 10 Opera Lyrics Translated. Too Funny plus she’s been an entertaining guest several times and those are also available.