Navigating the medical system (Part 0)

Almost exactly three years ago–shortly after getting back from my stint in DC–I got a physical. I wrote about it at the time “because I found out I had a hernia”:/2004/11/by-my-body-betrayed.html. As I said in that article, the doctor didn’t think it was a big deal, and so as much as it freaked me out, I didn’t worry about it much.

A couple of months ago in a conversation, the subject of a friend’s hernia came up, and I commented that I had one and it didn’t seem to be that big a deal. A long discussion that made me feel more than a little green ensued, and I ended up convinced that I needed to get it fixed. But it’s been a crazy couple of months, and I just haven’t gotten around to it.

But I am now.

This is going to be the first time I’ve braved the wild world of serious health care, well, pretty much ever. I intend to document the process as I go. Maybe, just maybe it will go smoothly. I’m not holding my breath.