Appointment for Raoul, and getting a Credit Card **BLEH**

[LewisLegion]

So my first appointment with the OB/GYN surgeon is tomorrow afternoon, wherein we will discuss Raoul (my dermoid) and a solid date to evict him from the premises.

And, with much fit-throwing, I have decided to get a credit card. I loathe credit cards with a passion. I only have one, a CareCredit card, which I got to pay for vet bills and to have a revolving line of credit for my home loan application. However, with my new position at work, overtime is harder to come by and despite my fabulous insurance, medical bills are piling up. I CAN pay them, just not in one lump sum immediately like the hospitals and doctors want. And while my doctor will take my CareCredit, the hospitals and surgeons will not.

So, I am getting the card strictly for my medical bills (0% APR for the first 15 months and no monthly fee), so I can get through the next several months without starving us all to death.

[Andara Bledin]

If possible, get one that comes with rewards. Mine accrues enough movement that about once every 10 months I use the reward points to pay $100 towards the bill.

^-.-^

[TheSHAD0W]

If possible, get one that comes with rewards.

Sounds like she's planning to carry a balance for a while, and rewards cards have MUCH higher interest rates. I recommend shopping for rates, and always ALWAYS check the fine print to make sure they can't suddenly hike it on you.

[Sapphire Silk]

So, I am getting the card strictly for my medical bills (0% APR for the first 15 months and no monthly fee), so I can get through the next several months without starving us all to death.

Just don't fall into the trap of using the credit card for other things. It be an alluring temptation when cash runs short. The balance adds up before you know it.

I would ask the hospital/doctor if they have a medical financing option available. I used this to cover the costs of my gallbladder surgery that my insurance wouldn't cover (I checked out costs before the operation). It covered everything my plan didn't cover at only 4% interest. Because it was essentially a loan, I couldn't be tempted to use the plan to spend money on non-medical things. I paid more than the minimum amount and paid off the whole thing in one year.

[LewisLegion]

Just don't fall into the trap of using the credit card for other things. It be an alluring temptation when cash runs short. The balance adds up before you know it.

Absolutely. With as anal and paranoid as I am about credit cards to begin with, I doubt that I will...but this is always a concern which is why I never wanted a credit card to begin with.

I will talk financing options with the hospital...that would be ideal.

The card I was looking at has cash-back rewards, but nothing like miles or points. I honestly didn't see a card that had NO rewards at all and didn't have an annual fee.

[Teskeria]

And if you are paying by mail with a check allow MORE time than you think the Post Office will need. I can't tell you how many idiots I deal with that insist we should have received their check before their due date, they mailed it 2 days before. More often than not it takes the PO at least 5-7 days to deliver, even in the same city or state (no I am not kidding, yes I speak from personal knowledge). If you pay by phone, check and see if they charge a fee if you have to speak to a rep to make the payment (if,for example, the vr system is down). A lot of the companies that do Visa or Mastercard charge around $20-25 if you pay with a live person.

[LewisLegion]

So official news from my gyno about the tumor removal: he wants me to talk to my ortho when I go and see him on the 16th, and coordinate getting both surgeries done at once. That way, I only have to be knocked out once, have one recovery, will already be in the hospital for a few days in case they have to actually open the abdomen rather than go laproscopically, etc.

He also said there's no real risk at the moment for torsion or rupture. Apparently Raoul is only 3 1/2 centimeters and he'd have to be twice that for torsion or rupture to be a real risk.

[Bardmaiden]

I currently have two around 2cm cysts on my right ovary but at the moment they are too small to really warrant surgury and are not growing fast (two ultrasounds, six weeks apart showed very little growth.) So I'm getting another ultrasound in six months to see whats going on with them. Since my sister had one the size of a cricket ball/small grapefruit I'm glad they are at least keeping an eye on them.

[LewisLegion]

Yikes, thank heaven Raoul isn't so big!

And...my ortho just called me to reschedule my appointment to the 22nd....

That sound you hear is me beating my face on my desk.