bobquasit: (Default)
bobquasit ([personal profile] bobquasit) wrote2009-10-27 12:06 pm

Status

Lots to tell about.

My hand still hurts, so I'm taking a regular dose of ibuprofen twice a day. The bruising has faded somewhat.

I still can't put pressure on it in the direction I fell; it hurts too much. I called the urgentcare clinic where I had it x-rayed, and they confirmed that it's not broken. I may call my doctor if it doesn't feel a lot better soon.

Incidentally, here's how it happened: I was out with Teri, walking on a sidewalk. I had had to tell her not to spend money on something, I don't remember what. Then she suggested that we upgrade our phones. We can't really afford to do that right now, but there's another good reason not to: our carrier is AT&T, and they're having serious network problems. The iphone is appealing, but the network problems make it questionable to upgrade.

I'd rather switch to a Google Android phone anyway. AT&T will be upgrading their network next year, and probably losing a LOT of iphone subscribers (they're losing exclusivity for the iphone), which should also improve their network performance. So I'm hoping for a network improvement AND that AT&T will start offering Android phones, which they've apparently said they will do.

I'm probably going to stay with AT&T because I get a 19% employee discount.

Anyway, I was trying to explain all that to Teri; she was a little angry that I'd stopped her from spending money (although we're broke), so I was working extra hard to mollify and distract her. She angled towards the car, I angled with her but was concentrating on her rather than where I was putting my feet. I stepped half-on the edge of the curb and fell forward hard, onto my hands and knees. My left hand took the worst of it - it was like a huge flash of light and pain. I think the top of my head hit the pavement last, but fortunately my hands and knees had soaked up nearly all the impact, and my head was fine.

But the pain was really bad. I sat on the ground for a while. A security guard came over, took some information, and called some others. One gave me an ice pack for my hand. I was in a great deal of pain.

After a while we went to the car. I called my doctor's office; they said to go to the emergency room. I really hated that idea, although I was sure that my hand was broken. It always takes hours and hours, and we had to pick up Sebastian fairly soon. So I asked if I could go to the urgentcare facility nearby. They were a bit dubious, but said I could - but I should check with my insurer to see if it would be covered.

I called and confirmed that (although of course they were, since they saw Sebastian for his broken growth plate last month). They looked at my hand and x-rayed it; there were no obvious breaks, which surprised me. They splinted me and told me to stay in the splint for at least a week. A radiologist would examine the x-rays and call me if there was a break.

So I guess it's not broken, but it still hurts quite a lot sometimes. Certain movements are too painful to do. My elbow (the one that I broke last year) makes cracking noises and hurts a lot once in a while. My knees still hurt, too.

But I'm alive and getting better.

So to tack back to the telecommunications thread: Cox Communications, our cable/net/phone provider, just increased our monthly bill by $40 without explanation. FIOS should be available in our area within two or three months (they're putting up the new wiring on our street right now), and they're promising a locked-in rate that will be considerably less, so I'm going to switch. We're paying WAY too much right now! I was a loyal Cox customer, but they've been screwing us lately.

Watched The Sting with Teri recently; she'd never seen it. I'd forgotten how much I loved the music! When I was a boy, must have been nine or ten years old, I got the soundtrack for my birthday. I remember we played it over and over, and me and my friends danced to it. I thought I had the soundtrack on CD, but I can't find it; I have to get a new copy!

[identity profile] graceysbane.livejournal.com 2009-10-27 07:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Glad it's not broken. It'll take time to heal. Of course, you know this, but sometimes hearing someone else say it helps!

As for Cox, I dropped them for Verizon. I was paying $248 a month and no one there could give me a straight answer about why my bill was so high until I called to cancel my service. Fios isn't ready in my neighborhood, but seeing that I am saving $140 a month, I was more than happy making the switch.

[identity profile] bobquasit.livejournal.com 2009-10-28 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
The thing is, I still can't use any real strength in that hand for most movements. If I try, it hurts really badly, and the pain lasts for a day or more. I don't know exactly what's wrong with it; a sprain? something else? It feels like the muscle at the base of my thumb, in the hand itself, is totally shot.

The instructions that the urgentcare center gave me said that I should be re-checked if there wasn't 100% improvement in one week. It's been one week, and my hand is nowhere near 100% better - more like 20% at most. So I suppose I should call my doctor.

As for FIOS, I'd guess that the chances are good that they'll start wiring your neighborhood soon. One of the other fathers in Sebastian's cub scout troop is a technician for AT&T; I think he supervises the wiring people, actually. If you tell me your street, I can ask him about it next time I see him.

Re: Cox Issues

(Anonymous) 2009-10-28 01:17 pm (UTC)(link)
I apologize for any difficulties you have had in dealing with Cox. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your bill or any other Cox matter please feel free to email me at hrd-hsi.newsgroups@cox.com

--CoxTech1

Re: Cox Issues

[identity profile] bobquasit.livejournal.com 2009-10-28 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Just in case anyone's still reading this thread, here's my emailed reply:
Thanks for your comment on my journal. I do not understand why our monthly bill was increased by approximately $40 last month.

The increase is particularly mystifying because my wife eliminated Showtime from our cable lineup at the instigation of Cox; a Cox representative had called her last month, asking how he could help lower her bill. I was also shocked to see that I am still being billed for premium internet access, considering that I had asked to be returned to the regular access speed after the free introductory trial expired more than a year ago.

Frankly, given that when we signed up for the three-service bundle our bill was $99, and now five or six years later it is now TWO hundred dollars with no concomitant increase in service, I am virtually certain to switch to FIOS when it becomes available - as it apparently will be, quite soon. They wired up our street last week. I've been assured by an acquaintance who works for AT&T that they'll be considerably cheaper with a locked-in price, and will offer considerably faster internet access.

An improvement in speed will be convenient. But the simple fact is that in this economy, it would be insane for me to continue to pay $200 a month to Cox if I can pay roughly half that price for equivalent service!

->Peter

Re: Cox Issues

[identity profile] unquietsoul5.livejournal.com 2009-10-28 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Its the same with all the cable companies. The bundle offers are only for a year and then your bill doubles or more. Thats why we dropped TV entirely and only have internet and phone (we don't have cell phones so we need the land line).