Your entire life is an open book: childhood, teenage years, marriage, children's lives, past and current drug or alcohol use, relatives health, past jobs, finances, and so much more will be investigated. I promise.
How do they investigate? Web searches, bank records, phone records, listening to cell phone and home wireless phone conversations and a GPS system hidden on cars. Yes, they also follow you. All day. Every day for months.
In January 2006, I had begun working out at the other hospital three days a week and had to bring my own oxygen with me. Going up and over the pass, I noticed that my portable tank felt light. Oops! I had forgotten to fill it. As it is a dangerous pass, I waited until I reached the top of the hill, got into the left turn lane and pulled into a huge parking area to turn around to head back to the house to fill the tank. As I prepared to pull out into traffic, a new white pickup truck came screeching to a halt and a young white guy just stared at me. Neither of us moved for about 15 seconds. It felt like a long time. I took off with him following behind me.
After this episode, I became an expert in finding my shadow in traffic. I also made a game of losing them. I got so good, in fact, that I said to my mom on our wireless phone for their listening benefit, “They all look alike: all young white boys in trucks. If they put an Asian woman in a fancy car, I wouldn’t spot her.”
The next morning, I didn’t notice a Mercedes station wagon fighting to get behind me at a stoplight to go over the pass until people began honking their horns. Funny, it was an Asian woman. She clearly was not a pro. After we cleared the pass, I was over a ½ mile ahead of her on the 2-lane freeway. I moved to the right lane, she moved to the right lane. I moved back, she moved back. This happened four times. Finally, I knew that there was an off ramp just at the end of a large curve in the road and a truck would block her view of my exit from the freeway. Worked like a charm.
Often, I would drive in the left lane and make a quick, last minute right turn. They would expose themselves by following me. I would then pull over and they would have to pass me. Sometimes I even waved as they passed by.
It was really creepy and I soon became angry. I am not faking an illness! This went on for months. I told the nurses at rehab and they told me not to do or change anything, I was how I was, continue on with my life and ignore them. That was easier said then done. I noticed that they were finally gone in April of 2006 but we always watched what we said on the phone until we finally settled the claim in February 2009. That is a long time to be looking over your shoulder.
Next: Dealing with Bad News
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