Even champions get tired

Linda woke up tired this morning. She predicted that she would cry in PT, and she did. Overall, it was a really good sessions though. She told me tonight that today was the first time she walked all the way around the track with her 4-point cane. She's always had two canes before. "If I can do it when I'm tired, I can do it any time."

I used the time to get a bit of grading done. Linda asked if I would stick around since she had a substitute therapist today. She is so unconfident about her speech.

Around lunch I decided I should make some phone calls. I started by calling the collection agency. I admit, I have put it off a little bit because I don't like to talk to them. But they owe me money, and there's no sense in that, so I called. I asked for 'Donna' my usual tormentor. I would have been transferred to her eventually anyway.

She did something today that she has never done before. She verified that my address is 3190 Rt Hwy H. My heart sank. They got that address from Apria. I explained that and told her that have never been my address. The fact that Apria can't figure that out is the whole reason I've had to deal with her (the collector) in the first place.

I told her my correct address. She asked me why I had given her the incorrect address before. I told her that I hadn't. She explained that she has a protocol of verifying addresses for every incoming call, to which I replied that she hadn't done that. When she insisted that she always does, I told her that I checked by transcripts and she has never asked my address. I've learned to expect what came next, "Look, I'm not going to argue about this." This is what she responds with if you confront her with facts.

I quietly asked to be transferred to a manager, who actually didn't seem to think that every word I uttered was a lie. He verified that they are going to cut me a check and said he would put a rush order on it. It will be for 10 cents less than I should get because the insurance company paid $100 on an item instead of the correct $100.10. I laughed and told him he could keep the $.10.

But I've been tired ever since. Miss Donna-I'm-not-going-to-argue-about-it just galls me. Like Apria, she has bungled my account, and I'm the one suffering for it. Then she has the temerity to lie about it to Don-who-records-everything-and-knows-what-he's-talking-about. They have no idea how close I have come to filing a complaint of dishonest collection practices with the FTC over it (the whole thing, not just today). I've been collecting my transcripts and tapes to submit with my complaint. The only thing that saves them is that in the end, the appear to be refunding my overpayment to me correctly.

The fine for dishonest collection practices can be $1000. That would make my $62 look pretty small.