Medical Stuff
Thursday, August 2, 2007
One of the most difficult things about a season of unemployment is living without medical insurance. When Rich was laid off last October (2006), we checked into COBRA and the possibility of coverage through State Farm, and quickly realized that financially we were way out of our league. We had no choice but to forego coverage for the next six months and pray that no one would become critically ill or injured. Thank goodness we made it through winter without any flu bugs, ear infections, bouts with bronchitis, or what not; for our family that is a miracle in and of itself!
But, when summer hit, we faced a whole onslaught of medical conditions. Summer! Go figure! Jennifer and Ryker came down with nasty sinus infections that presented with high fevers and nausea. Diagnosis of the infections included expensive x-rays, and of course antibiotics. And then more antibiotics when the first round didn’t quite do their butt-kicking job. Then, Rich came down with a random ear infection that burst his ear drum. He tends to deal with medical issues by trying to "tough them out" so as not to contribute to our mounting bills. But, I insisted he go to the doctor when blood and ooze started coming out of his ear, and he was spending a lot of time on all fours, yelping in pain. Then came the bad tooth that required a root canal. Rich chose to have it pulled rather than "saved" because it was cheaper.
Funny thing is, the point of worry for me about all this does not come when medical bills arrive in the mail. My stomach is in knots primarily when medical conditions first appear. Because I never know what to do, especially when it comes to the kids. I’ve never been a high-maintenance mom when it comes to medical stuff. I don’t run to the doctor with every cold, fever, bump or bruise; I believe that most of the time our bodies heal on their own. But, when the kids are really sick, knowing that I "shouldn’t" go to the doctor because we can’t afford it makes me feel more vulnerable. I question whether I’m putting them at risk, holding off on visits only because my judgment is impaired by the fear of what it might cost. I wrestle more than normal with the "what if’s." What if I don’t take them in and this turns out to be something serious that I’ve avoided, just because I was worried about money?
Case in point: Yesterday afternoon, Ryker and Sean were roughhousing in the living room. Normal for boys, I know, but it drives me crazy. I told them to "stop it." Their play just escalated into a game of cat and mouse. Ryker had a blanket over his head (playing monster? who knows) and was chasing Sean until Sean tripped over his own feet. Then the screaming started. Sean's hearty cry alerted me to the fact that he was truly hurt and not just trying to rope his brother into trouble (as is usually the case). He said his foot hurt. And then he refused to walk on it for the rest of the night. Something sank in my chest like a cement brick. Was my youngest child simply "milking" it? Did he twist something, bruise something, or worse yet, break it? And then the dreaded question: Should I take him to the doctor?
Rich and I talked about the unfortunate timing of this fall. Medical insurance from Rich’s new job doesn’t kick in for another four weeks. We decided to wait until morning to see how Sean felt before calling anyone. When I woke up today without the familiar sound of pitter-pattering feet, running up and down the hallway, I felt sick. Scooting out of bed, I found Sean in the kitchen. Crawling.
So, obviously I called the pediatrician and scheduled an appointment. Even in the clinic’s waiting room, I studied Sean, looking for some sign that I had exaggerated his symptoms and that this visit was completely unnecessary. I nearly got up and left two or three times before our name was called. My mom (who had driven us there) convinced me to stay. I’m glad she did. The visit included x-rays that revealed nothing. Which is good news, but for the fact that the doctor said that "toddler breaks" (which are fairly common and happen most frequently when a child "trips" ) don’t show up on film until they start to heal. If Sean continues to favor this foot for the next four or five days, then we’ll need to bring him back in for a second set of x-rays. If there’s a break, he’ll need a cast.
I hope and pray that Sean’s leg is fine, and that he starts bearing weight on it soon. But, days like this stress me out. I need to pray that Rich and I will find a way to bear the weight of so many bills without losing sight of what's important.
But, when summer hit, we faced a whole onslaught of medical conditions. Summer! Go figure! Jennifer and Ryker came down with nasty sinus infections that presented with high fevers and nausea. Diagnosis of the infections included expensive x-rays, and of course antibiotics. And then more antibiotics when the first round didn’t quite do their butt-kicking job. Then, Rich came down with a random ear infection that burst his ear drum. He tends to deal with medical issues by trying to "tough them out" so as not to contribute to our mounting bills. But, I insisted he go to the doctor when blood and ooze started coming out of his ear, and he was spending a lot of time on all fours, yelping in pain. Then came the bad tooth that required a root canal. Rich chose to have it pulled rather than "saved" because it was cheaper.
Funny thing is, the point of worry for me about all this does not come when medical bills arrive in the mail. My stomach is in knots primarily when medical conditions first appear. Because I never know what to do, especially when it comes to the kids. I’ve never been a high-maintenance mom when it comes to medical stuff. I don’t run to the doctor with every cold, fever, bump or bruise; I believe that most of the time our bodies heal on their own. But, when the kids are really sick, knowing that I "shouldn’t" go to the doctor because we can’t afford it makes me feel more vulnerable. I question whether I’m putting them at risk, holding off on visits only because my judgment is impaired by the fear of what it might cost. I wrestle more than normal with the "what if’s." What if I don’t take them in and this turns out to be something serious that I’ve avoided, just because I was worried about money?
Case in point: Yesterday afternoon, Ryker and Sean were roughhousing in the living room. Normal for boys, I know, but it drives me crazy. I told them to "stop it." Their play just escalated into a game of cat and mouse. Ryker had a blanket over his head (playing monster? who knows) and was chasing Sean until Sean tripped over his own feet. Then the screaming started. Sean's hearty cry alerted me to the fact that he was truly hurt and not just trying to rope his brother into trouble (as is usually the case). He said his foot hurt. And then he refused to walk on it for the rest of the night. Something sank in my chest like a cement brick. Was my youngest child simply "milking" it? Did he twist something, bruise something, or worse yet, break it? And then the dreaded question: Should I take him to the doctor?
Rich and I talked about the unfortunate timing of this fall. Medical insurance from Rich’s new job doesn’t kick in for another four weeks. We decided to wait until morning to see how Sean felt before calling anyone. When I woke up today without the familiar sound of pitter-pattering feet, running up and down the hallway, I felt sick. Scooting out of bed, I found Sean in the kitchen. Crawling.
So, obviously I called the pediatrician and scheduled an appointment. Even in the clinic’s waiting room, I studied Sean, looking for some sign that I had exaggerated his symptoms and that this visit was completely unnecessary. I nearly got up and left two or three times before our name was called. My mom (who had driven us there) convinced me to stay. I’m glad she did. The visit included x-rays that revealed nothing. Which is good news, but for the fact that the doctor said that "toddler breaks" (which are fairly common and happen most frequently when a child "trips" ) don’t show up on film until they start to heal. If Sean continues to favor this foot for the next four or five days, then we’ll need to bring him back in for a second set of x-rays. If there’s a break, he’ll need a cast.
I hope and pray that Sean’s leg is fine, and that he starts bearing weight on it soon. But, days like this stress me out. I need to pray that Rich and I will find a way to bear the weight of so many bills without losing sight of what's important.
