Why part one you ask? Because I'm sure this will be the start of a long frustrating process.
I still haven't heard from the specialist for K's leg. I called her ortho doc back and he hadn't even sent the consult yet. He is waiting for his dictation to return!? WTF! Why do you need a typed up piece of paper to call a pediatric orthopedist and tell them they need to see my daughter. I let my feelings be known but I don't think it got very far. The crappy thing is this office is only open Monday and Wednesday. So, with next Monday being closed for the 4th of July holiday, it will most likely be next Wednesday before anyone is even called about K's leg.
I can already tell this is going to be a fun ride.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Finally An Answer?
OsteoidOste*ma : a benign, bone-forming tumor that occurs most often in the long bones of the lower extremities. The femur (thighbone) is the most common location of occurrence, although it can emerge in the bones of the hand and it sometimes occurs in the lower part of the spine. They are very small tumors that do not grow larger that half an inch in diameter. They usually emerge sometime during the teenage years or early adulthood. The condition seems to occur more often in males than females.
This is what K has. She never broke her leg. This was what was causing her pain and limping, and what caused her bone to be inflamed and grow scar tissue, which is that is usually seen around a fracture. This is why she never had pain relief and why she would wake up frequently in the night crying. Poor thing has been suffering with this for months now.
In addition to pain, her calf and thigh muscles have started to atrophy. As a result of her thigh weakness, her knee has also started to give out at times. I hope this is fixed before any long term damage occurs.
We are now waiting for a call from the Children's Hospital to schedule and appointment and then surgery. I just hope this is truly what we are dealing with and once it is removed, my little girl is once again pain free.
This is what K has. She never broke her leg. This was what was causing her pain and limping, and what caused her bone to be inflamed and grow scar tissue, which is that is usually seen around a fracture. This is why she never had pain relief and why she would wake up frequently in the night crying. Poor thing has been suffering with this for months now.
In addition to pain, her calf and thigh muscles have started to atrophy. As a result of her thigh weakness, her knee has also started to give out at times. I hope this is fixed before any long term damage occurs.
We are now waiting for a call from the Children's Hospital to schedule and appointment and then surgery. I just hope this is truly what we are dealing with and once it is removed, my little girl is once again pain free.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Getting Excited
It is almost July. In July we have lots of fun things planned!
One weekend we will be headed to my parents cabin. While I know this adventure won't be the most relaxing event for me, the twins will have a blast. They had a great time last year and now that they are a year older, I think there potential for fun is even greater! The biggest drawback is this 2 bedroom cabin will house my parents, me and my brood as well as our close family friends. This makes for a total of 13 people!!! Yes, 13 people. 7 of these will be kids who I hope will be agreeable to sleeping in a tent on the deck, but I'm sure we will all be smooshed.
The P family is also visiting us again this July. You'll remember my good friend J and her brood of 5 from this time last year when she visited. She actually came with me to my gender US and was with me when we found out Max was a boy - wow how time flies! - While here we will be visiting a theme hotel with an indoor water park and many other activities for the kids. Another friend of mine just visited this place and had a BLAST so now I am even more excited to go :)
Include working, 3 scheduled appointments so far, a baby shower and a pampered chef party and July is already pretty booked up. Month like this are so exhausting, but I think in this case, it will be worth it!
One weekend we will be headed to my parents cabin. While I know this adventure won't be the most relaxing event for me, the twins will have a blast. They had a great time last year and now that they are a year older, I think there potential for fun is even greater! The biggest drawback is this 2 bedroom cabin will house my parents, me and my brood as well as our close family friends. This makes for a total of 13 people!!! Yes, 13 people. 7 of these will be kids who I hope will be agreeable to sleeping in a tent on the deck, but I'm sure we will all be smooshed.
The P family is also visiting us again this July. You'll remember my good friend J and her brood of 5 from this time last year when she visited. She actually came with me to my gender US and was with me when we found out Max was a boy - wow how time flies! - While here we will be visiting a theme hotel with an indoor water park and many other activities for the kids. Another friend of mine just visited this place and had a BLAST so now I am even more excited to go :)
Include working, 3 scheduled appointments so far, a baby shower and a pampered chef party and July is already pretty booked up. Month like this are so exhausting, but I think in this case, it will be worth it!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Ugh...Thanks for the Education
My mom watched the kids this past Sunday while I worked. While watching them she watched one of her true crime shows. You know the Dateline, 48 Hour Mystery ones where the wives kill their husbands. Well I guess the twins were with her because they started asking about 'killing' and my mom gave them a whole lesson on death. She included a lot of stuff like everyone dies; you get buried in a box; you die when your older, etc. This was not a good thing.
K has been worried since. She has asked me a few times if she's getting older. She worries that she will die before she can get a job or be a mommy. She said today that she needs to find a husband because if she doesn't, there will be no one to bury her when she dies. Many of these concerns are expressed while she is tearful and visibly worried.
I told my mom today what has been going on and my mom has the nerve to say that K has an anxiety problem and maybe needs counselling or medication! WTF? She's four and was given way too much information on a subject she can't process right now. I asked my mom not to do that again. She stated she wasn't going to lie to the kids. I told her I didn't expect her to lie, but the information she provides needs to be age appropriate. My mom just didn't understand and said I was shielding the kids from reality.
What is even more aggravating is the last time she watched them, my mom watched one of these shows involving a pregnant woman who was abducted and her baby stolen from her womb. How do I know this? K told me in vivid detail the story, peoples names, who went to jail etc. I talked to my mom after this incident and expressed some concern. K is a very smart little girl and is very aware of what is said around her. She sucks up everything like a sponge and I don't want her little head filled with this crap.
Sigh...why are mothers so difficult. I don't remember watching this kind of stuff when I was four?
K has been worried since. She has asked me a few times if she's getting older. She worries that she will die before she can get a job or be a mommy. She said today that she needs to find a husband because if she doesn't, there will be no one to bury her when she dies. Many of these concerns are expressed while she is tearful and visibly worried.
I told my mom today what has been going on and my mom has the nerve to say that K has an anxiety problem and maybe needs counselling or medication! WTF? She's four and was given way too much information on a subject she can't process right now. I asked my mom not to do that again. She stated she wasn't going to lie to the kids. I told her I didn't expect her to lie, but the information she provides needs to be age appropriate. My mom just didn't understand and said I was shielding the kids from reality.
What is even more aggravating is the last time she watched them, my mom watched one of these shows involving a pregnant woman who was abducted and her baby stolen from her womb. How do I know this? K told me in vivid detail the story, peoples names, who went to jail etc. I talked to my mom after this incident and expressed some concern. K is a very smart little girl and is very aware of what is said around her. She sucks up everything like a sponge and I don't want her little head filled with this crap.
Sigh...why are mothers so difficult. I don't remember watching this kind of stuff when I was four?
Freaking Out a Little Less
So I called the insurance company and the reason they aren't paying is because this doctor is out of network! WHAT!? He came to me in the Emergency room of the hospital. I didn't have a choice in the matter!
Once I explained this, the insurance company will pay the $1200 bill since it was part of the ER visit, but will not pay for the 3 subsequent visits because I guess I was supposed to make sure he was in network before I took K to him. Whatever. I have no idea how much the visits will be but we have had three of them, so I hope not much.
We are supposed to see him again Monday but K is not getting any better, and I'm not paying out of pocket for an office visit just so he can refer us out. I will call tomorrow and see if he will either just go ahead and send us for the referral and/or schedule an MRI of her leg to see whats going on. Of course, if I do get that referral I will need to check and make sure it's covered.
It's sad...right now I should really only be thinking about K and getting her leg better, but I am consumed with worry about money. How screwed up is that?
Once I explained this, the insurance company will pay the $1200 bill since it was part of the ER visit, but will not pay for the 3 subsequent visits because I guess I was supposed to make sure he was in network before I took K to him. Whatever. I have no idea how much the visits will be but we have had three of them, so I hope not much.
We are supposed to see him again Monday but K is not getting any better, and I'm not paying out of pocket for an office visit just so he can refer us out. I will call tomorrow and see if he will either just go ahead and send us for the referral and/or schedule an MRI of her leg to see whats going on. Of course, if I do get that referral I will need to check and make sure it's covered.
It's sad...right now I should really only be thinking about K and getting her leg better, but I am consumed with worry about money. How screwed up is that?
Monday, June 21, 2010
I AM FREAKING OUT
Ugh...I can't stand money stress. It sends me into panic. It ties my stomach into knots. It makes me a very uneasy person.
I have already paid over $200 in co-pays for K's broken leg. I know that I probably have about another $50 to $100 left in addition to an $80 bill I got yesterday. Well today I get a insurance statement in the mail stating that they are not paying for the Orthopaedic Doctor because it's part of my $4000 deductible...WTF? My deductible is $400....not $4000. The only thing that could account for this, is they think K had surgery, because this Doc is a Trauma Surgeon.
I know what you're thinking...well call the insurance company tomorrow and let them know and they'll fix it. I am not at all confident that they will.
About 3 years ago K put her bottom teeth through her lip and needed 5 stitches. This was performed while I held her down in a doctors office. I got bill almost $800 because the doctor's office was also a surgical center and he billed for a surgery. So apparently surgery has a wide range of definitions. I fought this and lost.
You'll recall S's teeth debacle last year where I ended up owing $700 because insurance wouldn't cover baby teeth.
So, I have no confidence at all that this will end reasonably. There is no way I can afford $1200 right now. Especially on an injury that is not healed; one that K keeps complaining of hurting and still causes her to limp most of the day. Right now the 'talk' is sending her to a specialist in the next town over for further work up. I can't even imagine what the bills will amount to if this happens.
How is it that a person with insurance, who works for one of the largest medical facilities in this state, can't afford to treat her daughter for something as simple as a broken leg. So what...should I stop feeding, clothing, providing shelter for this child just so we can get her some pretty simple medical intervention. I hope not.
I have already paid over $200 in co-pays for K's broken leg. I know that I probably have about another $50 to $100 left in addition to an $80 bill I got yesterday. Well today I get a insurance statement in the mail stating that they are not paying for the Orthopaedic Doctor because it's part of my $4000 deductible...WTF? My deductible is $400....not $4000. The only thing that could account for this, is they think K had surgery, because this Doc is a Trauma Surgeon.
I know what you're thinking...well call the insurance company tomorrow and let them know and they'll fix it. I am not at all confident that they will.
About 3 years ago K put her bottom teeth through her lip and needed 5 stitches. This was performed while I held her down in a doctors office. I got bill almost $800 because the doctor's office was also a surgical center and he billed for a surgery. So apparently surgery has a wide range of definitions. I fought this and lost.
You'll recall S's teeth debacle last year where I ended up owing $700 because insurance wouldn't cover baby teeth.
So, I have no confidence at all that this will end reasonably. There is no way I can afford $1200 right now. Especially on an injury that is not healed; one that K keeps complaining of hurting and still causes her to limp most of the day. Right now the 'talk' is sending her to a specialist in the next town over for further work up. I can't even imagine what the bills will amount to if this happens.
How is it that a person with insurance, who works for one of the largest medical facilities in this state, can't afford to treat her daughter for something as simple as a broken leg. So what...should I stop feeding, clothing, providing shelter for this child just so we can get her some pretty simple medical intervention. I hope not.
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