Monday, May 25, 2009

7 years!

Happy anniversary to the most wonderful husband, daddy and friend in the whole world!

Also, remember the real meaning of Memorial Day. Thank you to all of our military personnel - past and present. May God bless you and your families and keep you forever safe. You are true heroes.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Counting Down...

Days 'til my insurance starts paying for medical costs again... 8.
Days 'til I see my neurologist... 17.
Days 'til I have surgery... 26.

These have been the longest 6 months of my life. And its almost over!

Don't you know the insurance company is going to poop their pants when they see my June totals! Surgery will likely be 6-digits, and my max out of pocket is 7 grand. Eat it and like it Great-West/Cigna!!!!!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Brushing

Add this to the list of things-I-thought-wouldn't-work... Only it DOES work. For JT at least.

Its called brushing therapy, and its kind of a deep pressure brushing with this special brush (pictured). The input from brushing actually calms JT down.

I gotta be honest... I love the OT, but I thought this was just a bunch of phooey... Until I started doing it at home.

JT started kissing us the week after brushing was started. He likes it, too (I don't blame him, it feels pretty good).

Who knows how long it will be effective for... But I am glad I was wrong! Sweet!

JT is done with the regular school year. We all went to his ice cream sundae party yesterday for his last day of school. He got a sweet award - for "Making me smile every day!". How precious! ESY is the 2-3 week of June and then again in July.

Oooo - and Bob's gone 4 weeks from tomorrow!

YAY!!!

Swingin' in the Sun

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Wow!

We're down to five weeks and two days until Bob is gone! (That's 37 days if you're counting like I am). Only four weeks til my neurology appointment, and cardiology is soon after (hey, after my hysterectomy scare, I am making sure I am going to wake up from this one!).

I am still in shock that in our wonderful country, health care is not guaranteed to those who need it. I'm even paying for it, and not getting it. Private health insurance companies are out of control, and we, as Americans need to make sure that it stops.

Here are some crazy thoughts for you:
Your medical tests depend on approval from a non-medical person based solely on their (non-medical school) judgement.
They don't know you, your doctor does, but their opinion determines what you can or can't have done.
In order to get a medical doctor to review a rejection, you have to request it thru the insurance company (and they don't have to do it).
Insurance companies can write anything in their clauses (such as my case - a first year max even though none were pre-existing conditions) and you don't have a damn thing you can do to fight it.
To them, you are a number. It's all about their bottom line. There is no way they can be working for you AND trying to make a profit. It doesn't make sense. They have a HUGE conflict of interest, and you will ALWAYS lose to them making more money. They are a business.

As soon as I am recovered from all my medical drama, I am going to start volunteering for organizations interested in health care (specifically insurance) reform or complete overhaul. It is rediculous that this is what we accept. Did you know that America is one of the only developed countries in the world where health insurance is NOT guaranteed? We lived in England for two years... And we used the health care there. I didn't see a difference. Private health care wants to scare us all into thinking we won't receive care if we turn it over to the government... But of course they do... That's where they make their money!

Anyway... Just thought I'd share some of the rediculous discoveries I've made during my time with Bob. I hope you learned something ;)

Love to all!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day!

Love to all my wonderful mommy friends!

Thank you to my own mom and stepmom. How lucky was I to have not one but TWO awesome moms!?!

Happy Mother's Day!

Here's the daisy bouquet I got (planted by Audrey and me last year, and they picked them for me today!)

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Friday, May 8, 2009

JT at School

His class had a western theme for the past 2 weeks... He's a handsome cowboy!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Wow... This is Amazing

If you have a child with special needs, READ THIS.
If you don't, READ THIS.

This is exactly what it feels like. Exactly. Beautiful.

http://jesswilson.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/welcome-to-the-club/

Friday, May 1, 2009

Yay for Distractions!

My mom and nanny (aka 'Nanny' and 'Miss Great Big') were in town Tuesday thru Thursday of this week. We enjoyed seeing them so much - especially Audrey... Who now misses them a whole lot :(

I am now down to 7 weeks (a little less, it was 7 weeks yesterday) until the tumor is gone. I am so ready to get this sucker out...

JT is making incredible progress at school still... His teachers stop me at least once a week to tell me they see him doing something - playskills, language, etc - that he wasn't doing the week before. What an awesome, awesome feeling!!!

I hope everything is going well for everyone!