I'm functioning on just a few broken hours of sleep because Emerson did not sleep at all last night. She went to bed okay but she woke up crying and with a higher fever and she only wanted me. So I took her downstairs and rocked her for about an hour. (She would sleep in my arms). When I laid her down the crying started again. So Marcus took her from me and if I leave her sight eventually she'll calm down with Marcus.
He got her asleep and laid her back in her crib and that lasted about 10 minutes before she woke up crying again. She was still burning with fever so Marcus gave her some tylenol and handed her off to be in our bed which is the precise moment she puked all over me, herself, and our bed.
We changed the sheets, threw some laundry end and the rest of my night was spent holding an incredibly sick baby who just wanted her mama. Just like Eli yesterday we're having trouble getting her temperature to go down.
I really wanted to stay home from work today but there was no way for me to do that because I was meeting with several people. Marcus told me that she threw up again this morning after getting her antibiotics.
On the plus side Eli slept pretty well last night and seemed better this morning. He is also very worried about his sister and when she just cries you can tell he wants to know what's wrong.
Marcus said that Emerson was napping this morning and Eli kept going over to her crib to check on her. I really hope they feel better soon and that Marcus and I can avoid catching whatever it is they have.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Urgent Care Visit...
Eli and Emerson have had runny noses for the past week, then they developed a cough and then this morning Eli woke up crying and he just wouldn't stop. Which is really unusual for him, we could tell something was hurting and I feel so bad that he can't tell us what it is. I went to work and Marcus was home with them today and they both developed fevers. Eli's was 101.7 and it wouldn't go down even with Tylenol so we decided it was probably time for a doctor visit.
Which if you've been following my blog you know that we are having health insurance issues and the babies are not currently covered. We went to the urgent care near our house and when we told them we didn't have insurance their first reaction was to send us to an ER or to find another urgent care. (Which just made me angry). Finally, I told them we would just pay for them up front so she finally agreed.
Then the really fun part, she tried to run my card twice for the exact same amount, one for each kid. The only problem is that I have really tight fraud protection on my card which prevents the card from being used twice in the same place, within a certain amount of time for the same amount. (Why she didn't just add the cost together for both kids and run it that way I'll never know).
So my card went through once and then was denied the second time (for my protection) but she probably just thought we were uninsured and without funds. I hate this entire health insurance situation it makes me so incredibly angry.
The babies are both on antibiotics because they have the start of ear infections and for the infection in their chests. Hopefully they'll feel better soon.
Which if you've been following my blog you know that we are having health insurance issues and the babies are not currently covered. We went to the urgent care near our house and when we told them we didn't have insurance their first reaction was to send us to an ER or to find another urgent care. (Which just made me angry). Finally, I told them we would just pay for them up front so she finally agreed.
Then the really fun part, she tried to run my card twice for the exact same amount, one for each kid. The only problem is that I have really tight fraud protection on my card which prevents the card from being used twice in the same place, within a certain amount of time for the same amount. (Why she didn't just add the cost together for both kids and run it that way I'll never know).
So my card went through once and then was denied the second time (for my protection) but she probably just thought we were uninsured and without funds. I hate this entire health insurance situation it makes me so incredibly angry.
The babies are both on antibiotics because they have the start of ear infections and for the infection in their chests. Hopefully they'll feel better soon.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Early Intervention Update...
As many know the babies were both receiving Physical therapy and Occupational therapy through early intervention before me moved. We finally got around to having both babies evaluated last week to see where they're at and if they still qualify for services and we were somewhat surprised by the results. Although it's interesting because in CT they didn't use adjusted age for the evaluation and here they did. So instead of being measure at 16 months they were tested at 14 months.
Emerson has always struggled with gross motor skills but she is now totally caught up to where she should be in that department (she tested in the 13-15 month range). They will occasionally check in just to make sure she stays on track. She is however delayed in Language/communication, in both receptive and expressive language skills. Surprisingly she is also delayed in the fine motor skills but the therapists are confident that it shouldn't take long to catch her up in this area. Finally, she was delayed in Social and emotional. So starting next week she'll start being seen twice a week.
We were also somewhat surprised with Eli's results. He's really really delayed in the language and communication department testing in at the range 6-10 months. They want him to have a hearing test just to double check that. When he was being evaluated they ask me if he responded to his name (and he wil sometimes) but most of the time he just ignores me which he demonstrated while being evaluated and ignoring me. Marcus and I have always assumed this was a personality quirk but apparently babies his age don't ignore. I know he can hear though so I guess we'll see what the hearing test shows.
He's also delayed in Fine motor skills which is not really a surprise he's always struggled with this. Finally he's delayed in the self-help/adaptive area this is due in part to his continued issues with eating. He doesn't chew his food, he doesn't drink from a sippy cup or straw.
Additionally because of the feeding concerns we're going to talk with a nutritionist and also start seeing an OT to see if we can move the eating thing along.
So that's the update they still qualify for services in different areas but they're continuing to make progress.
Emerson has always struggled with gross motor skills but she is now totally caught up to where she should be in that department (she tested in the 13-15 month range). They will occasionally check in just to make sure she stays on track. She is however delayed in Language/communication, in both receptive and expressive language skills. Surprisingly she is also delayed in the fine motor skills but the therapists are confident that it shouldn't take long to catch her up in this area. Finally, she was delayed in Social and emotional. So starting next week she'll start being seen twice a week.
We were also somewhat surprised with Eli's results. He's really really delayed in the language and communication department testing in at the range 6-10 months. They want him to have a hearing test just to double check that. When he was being evaluated they ask me if he responded to his name (and he wil sometimes) but most of the time he just ignores me which he demonstrated while being evaluated and ignoring me. Marcus and I have always assumed this was a personality quirk but apparently babies his age don't ignore. I know he can hear though so I guess we'll see what the hearing test shows.
He's also delayed in Fine motor skills which is not really a surprise he's always struggled with this. Finally he's delayed in the self-help/adaptive area this is due in part to his continued issues with eating. He doesn't chew his food, he doesn't drink from a sippy cup or straw.
Additionally because of the feeding concerns we're going to talk with a nutritionist and also start seeing an OT to see if we can move the eating thing along.
So that's the update they still qualify for services in different areas but they're continuing to make progress.
Friday, September 24, 2010
A TMI rescue mission...
Today I stuck my hand in a "used" toilet bowl. I'm only sharing because it was one of those really ridiculous moments that you want to forget and yet at the same time it's so ridiculous there's a compulsion to share.
At work I went to the bathroom stood up, turned around to flush and my bracelet broke and fell right into the toilet. My first instinct was to leave it there, because I simply don't stick my hand in toilets. End of story. Bye-bye bracelet.
Then my senses came back because it's a bracelet that has a lot of significance to me (and was my mother's day present this year). So it turned into Operation Rescue.
Plan A) Stick my bare hand into toilet... this plan was quickly eliminated no way, no how, not happening.
Plan B) Tell our custodians... again eliminated for two reasons. It's embarrassing for me and they should not have to deal with something like this. Operation rescue is not in their job description.
Plan C) Get Eli. He has no issues what so ever about putting his hands in the toilet bowl. In fact he rather enjoys it (much to my dismay). Then I came to my senses as he doesn't even respond to his name, he probably won't be much assistance in a rescue mission that involves grabbing a tiny silver object and bringing it back out. He mostly just likes to splash in the toilet (again much to my dismay).
Plan D) Disposable Gloves. Yes! Gloves I even know where to find some in a storage closet... only problem they will not totally keep all of the content of the bowl away from skin as they're not very long. I don't trust them to protect me on their own.
Plan E) Flash back to basketball camp 1999 when a member of the team bravely used a grocery sack and unclogged a dorm room toilet (and trust me that toilet was in worse condition content wise than mine TMI yes I know, what do you expect I'm trying to figure out how to put my hand in a toilet?)
Final result Plan D + E = Rescue mission success.
Then much hand-washing ensued, bracelet was scrubbed, and aside from this post I will try to never think or speak about this experience again.
At work I went to the bathroom stood up, turned around to flush and my bracelet broke and fell right into the toilet. My first instinct was to leave it there, because I simply don't stick my hand in toilets. End of story. Bye-bye bracelet.
Then my senses came back because it's a bracelet that has a lot of significance to me (and was my mother's day present this year). So it turned into Operation Rescue.
Plan A) Stick my bare hand into toilet... this plan was quickly eliminated no way, no how, not happening.
Plan B) Tell our custodians... again eliminated for two reasons. It's embarrassing for me and they should not have to deal with something like this. Operation rescue is not in their job description.
Plan C) Get Eli. He has no issues what so ever about putting his hands in the toilet bowl. In fact he rather enjoys it (much to my dismay). Then I came to my senses as he doesn't even respond to his name, he probably won't be much assistance in a rescue mission that involves grabbing a tiny silver object and bringing it back out. He mostly just likes to splash in the toilet (again much to my dismay).
Plan D) Disposable Gloves. Yes! Gloves I even know where to find some in a storage closet... only problem they will not totally keep all of the content of the bowl away from skin as they're not very long. I don't trust them to protect me on their own.
Plan E) Flash back to basketball camp 1999 when a member of the team bravely used a grocery sack and unclogged a dorm room toilet (and trust me that toilet was in worse condition content wise than mine TMI yes I know, what do you expect I'm trying to figure out how to put my hand in a toilet?)
Final result Plan D + E = Rescue mission success.
Then much hand-washing ensued, bracelet was scrubbed, and aside from this post I will try to never think or speak about this experience again.
Health Care Woes Continue...
I've been going back and forth in my mind about posting about our quest for health coverage for the babies. Mostly because I feel a little bit like a failure about the whole thing. It's frustrating to me that I have a masters degree from an Ivy League school and yet I can't provide my children with health coverage because I don't have an extra $20,000 a year. Not to mention I'm now going on month two of this nonsense and in the meantime my babies are without a pediatrician and without coverage. It's an incredibly scary situation to be in.
I mentioned before that we applied for a state run program that's for children without coverage. The application process was fairly straight forward, the premiums and coverage seemed reasonable. Flash forward to a few weeks ago we received a letter saying we were denied this coverage because we "might" qualify for medicaid.
Ok fine whatever I guess. Then on Monday I received another series of letters in the mail from some caseworker who then wanted an insane amount of information. Originals of birth certificates for all four of us, plus another means of identification verification. (Fun with one year olds who don't have need for identification on a regular basis). Then the extra challenge was getting them originals plus I'm 99% sure that we don't qualify for medicaid.
Tuesday I call the office, was on hold for 12 years, and then finally spoke to one of the most unpleasant people in the universe. I first wanted to know the guidelines for qualifying for medicaid because frankly it's a complicated process and I don't want to waste my time. I was told that she was not authorized to give that information and only "representatives" know.
I then wanted to speak to a representative, that was a no go. According to this lady the guidelines are super top secret. I also asked about the need for original copies. We learned that we must locate a welfare office take our originals there have some one view them, copy them, and then stamp and sign them. Okay awesome...
So Wednesday my day off the babies and I set off for our very first visit to a welfare office. Holy, the place was so busy and disorganized with a line stretching to the door.
Finally, after about an hour we get to the window where I begin to pull my original documents from my file when the lady asks, "Did you make copies of those?" Seriously?! What the heck? I was specifically instructed to bring originals not copies.
So we get out of line locate a copy machine and make the required copies. Then we get back into the line and repeat the above. The lady looks at my originals and then stamps and signs the copies.
Great some progress. Except after she does that she sticks them somewhere and says okay bye.
Um... what? More confusion sets in as my paperwork says to get the stamped copies and submit them with the rest of my life story (pay-stubs, a form that must be filled out by my landlord, and a million other things).
So I simple request to have the stamped copies so I can submit all of my documents together. (Call me crazy but I'm not overly trusting that my documents will get to the appropriate person by the deadline, in this overly busy, understaffed welfare office).
So instead of leaving I instead ask for my copies so that I can file the entire thing together. This is when I learn that once you make a copy in the welfare office it becomes government property and I can't take it off the premise!! What kind of a rule is that? This office and random lady now has copies of my children's birth certificates, mine and Marcus' passports, my SS #, etc. etc. Again call me crazy but I'd rather be responsible for the sending and sharing of all of that information. Plus their brilliant solution was to fill out the rest of the paperwork while sitting in their office and they would then submit the whole thing. Um... yeah except that it requires things like a third party verification of who lives in our home, and how we pay our bills, plus pay-stubs and more private information (seriously).
So again I request the documents so I can handle this whole thing on my own. This prompts the need for a discussion with a supervisor, and eventually the best I get is a copy of my copies.
I'm still not really satisfied with this and frankly the whole situation just makes me angry and annoyed. Plus like I said I'm 99% sure we don't even qualify for medicaid so we're jumping through hoops, being treated like second class people, giving out a lot of personal information, for probably no reason.
Ph.D and university insurance is looking like a better answer every single day.
I mentioned before that we applied for a state run program that's for children without coverage. The application process was fairly straight forward, the premiums and coverage seemed reasonable. Flash forward to a few weeks ago we received a letter saying we were denied this coverage because we "might" qualify for medicaid.
Ok fine whatever I guess. Then on Monday I received another series of letters in the mail from some caseworker who then wanted an insane amount of information. Originals of birth certificates for all four of us, plus another means of identification verification. (Fun with one year olds who don't have need for identification on a regular basis). Then the extra challenge was getting them originals plus I'm 99% sure that we don't qualify for medicaid.
Tuesday I call the office, was on hold for 12 years, and then finally spoke to one of the most unpleasant people in the universe. I first wanted to know the guidelines for qualifying for medicaid because frankly it's a complicated process and I don't want to waste my time. I was told that she was not authorized to give that information and only "representatives" know.
I then wanted to speak to a representative, that was a no go. According to this lady the guidelines are super top secret. I also asked about the need for original copies. We learned that we must locate a welfare office take our originals there have some one view them, copy them, and then stamp and sign them. Okay awesome...
So Wednesday my day off the babies and I set off for our very first visit to a welfare office. Holy, the place was so busy and disorganized with a line stretching to the door.
Finally, after about an hour we get to the window where I begin to pull my original documents from my file when the lady asks, "Did you make copies of those?" Seriously?! What the heck? I was specifically instructed to bring originals not copies.
So we get out of line locate a copy machine and make the required copies. Then we get back into the line and repeat the above. The lady looks at my originals and then stamps and signs the copies.
Great some progress. Except after she does that she sticks them somewhere and says okay bye.
Um... what? More confusion sets in as my paperwork says to get the stamped copies and submit them with the rest of my life story (pay-stubs, a form that must be filled out by my landlord, and a million other things).
So I simple request to have the stamped copies so I can submit all of my documents together. (Call me crazy but I'm not overly trusting that my documents will get to the appropriate person by the deadline, in this overly busy, understaffed welfare office).
So instead of leaving I instead ask for my copies so that I can file the entire thing together. This is when I learn that once you make a copy in the welfare office it becomes government property and I can't take it off the premise!! What kind of a rule is that? This office and random lady now has copies of my children's birth certificates, mine and Marcus' passports, my SS #, etc. etc. Again call me crazy but I'd rather be responsible for the sending and sharing of all of that information. Plus their brilliant solution was to fill out the rest of the paperwork while sitting in their office and they would then submit the whole thing. Um... yeah except that it requires things like a third party verification of who lives in our home, and how we pay our bills, plus pay-stubs and more private information (seriously).
So again I request the documents so I can handle this whole thing on my own. This prompts the need for a discussion with a supervisor, and eventually the best I get is a copy of my copies.
I'm still not really satisfied with this and frankly the whole situation just makes me angry and annoyed. Plus like I said I'm 99% sure we don't even qualify for medicaid so we're jumping through hoops, being treated like second class people, giving out a lot of personal information, for probably no reason.
Ph.D and university insurance is looking like a better answer every single day.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Happy Birthday to Me!
Yesterday I turned 26! It was a fairly uneventful day. I worked all day and then came home for a bit and the went back to work until 9pm fun times. The babies got me a card...
Isn't it cute?
Marcus also made me a cake. In my family growing up it was always a tradition to put something on the cake and I always looked forward to seeing what my mom came up with. So I have insisted that Marcus carry on this tradition and every birthday for the last 7 years this "tradition" has caused him a great amount of stress. This year was probably his most "Creative"....
Me with my cake. He put small Reese's which are among my favorite candy but then he put my amazon gift cards on the cake. Amazon gift cards that I already had in my possession. He sent me a text at work yesterday asking where they were, now I know why. haha but to his credit he also added a gift card to Borders so he didn't reuse everything.
And me with my babies. I look as though I'm attacking them but they both kept trying to destroy my cake.
I insisted on pictures this year before I went back to work because I don't have a single photo from my 25th birthday. Which is probably due in part to having tiny babies and the start of my third and final school year plus an internship.
We also took a family picture but I'll spare you those because they really did not turn out well. Eek...
Sunday, September 19, 2010
So frustrated...
about so many things right now and unfortunately they're things I probably shouldn't discuss on a public blog on the off chance that someone from work happens upon it, but arggggggggggggg.
I'm also incredibly frustrated with our health insurance situation. Why is health insurance so ridiculous? Seriously, something must be done. There must be a viable option for those who don't have insurance through work (I'm covered but to add the babies to my health insurance would cost us $20,000 a year, and the coverage sucks. How is that even realistic?) I've been working on getting them covered through the state but it's taking months, there are ridiculous and frankly insulting hoops to jump through, and trying to talk to someone on the phone about it is pretty much an impossible task. More Arrgggggggggggg (it's talk like a pirate day at least I'm with the times in my frustration).
Onto more health issues I need to find doctors but I have no idea how to even go about doing so. Most importantly I need a GI for my Crohn's stuff but I'm wondering if they'll require a referral? Arrggggggg. I think I should just go back to school. Perhaps a Ph.D? That could take a good long time. My university's have had great health coverage and options. Never mind this real life stuff.
***ETA***
So to let out some of my frustration and anger I thought it would be a good idea to go for a run. This is what I learned. When one decides to go for a run in a new neighborhood it might be wise to consult a map, because the there may be lots of dead ends and winding blocks which don't all go in squares.
My run was much longer than anticipated because I had no idea where I was going and the blocks in our neighborhood make no sense. (Plus we live at the top of a hill).
I'm also incredibly frustrated with our health insurance situation. Why is health insurance so ridiculous? Seriously, something must be done. There must be a viable option for those who don't have insurance through work (I'm covered but to add the babies to my health insurance would cost us $20,000 a year, and the coverage sucks. How is that even realistic?) I've been working on getting them covered through the state but it's taking months, there are ridiculous and frankly insulting hoops to jump through, and trying to talk to someone on the phone about it is pretty much an impossible task. More Arrgggggggggggg (it's talk like a pirate day at least I'm with the times in my frustration).
Onto more health issues I need to find doctors but I have no idea how to even go about doing so. Most importantly I need a GI for my Crohn's stuff but I'm wondering if they'll require a referral? Arrggggggg. I think I should just go back to school. Perhaps a Ph.D? That could take a good long time. My university's have had great health coverage and options. Never mind this real life stuff.
***ETA***
So to let out some of my frustration and anger I thought it would be a good idea to go for a run. This is what I learned. When one decides to go for a run in a new neighborhood it might be wise to consult a map, because the there may be lots of dead ends and winding blocks which don't all go in squares.
My run was much longer than anticipated because I had no idea where I was going and the blocks in our neighborhood make no sense. (Plus we live at the top of a hill).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
