Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Pissed.


Pissed.
Originally uploaded by buffpuff.
So you know before how I wasn't cool enough to say that I had ever been to the emergency room? Well I'm cool now!

Reed has been sick since Saturday with a fever and a runny nose, and on Monday I spoke to the nurse at his doctor's office twice. Both times she said that his 102.7 degree fever wasn't any reason for him to come in, as well as the fact that he wasn't eating, as well as the fact that he wasn't drinking as much as he usually does.

As the afternoon wore on, his fever stopped responding to the Tylenol, and he stopped drinking altogether, and he stopped responding to us when we talked to him. It took THREE PHONECALLS to the after hours service and an hour-and-a-half later they finally called back and said we should PROBABLY take him to the emergency room.

When we left the house his temperature was 103.7. When we got the emercency room it was 105. They gave him some Motrin, took a chest x-ray and told us it was just a viral infection and sent us home (after only five hours).

We took him to his regular doctor and he did more tests and said that it is a viral infection. The exciting part is that now I have it, so Reed and I are both writhing about the house in perpetual pain, high fevers and snot rockets to boot. This is the sickest I've ever been, the absolute worst that I've ever felt, and I feel so awful that my baby has to be feeling the same thing that I'm feeling. There were moments on the car ride to the emergency room when I feared that something really bad might happend to him, and it made me feel like my life was over, that I was a total failure and nothing else I had ever done mattered.

But then I got the anger, so it's okay now.

The phlegm icing on this snotty cake is that we currently don't have health insurance. Mine lapsed at the end of February, and Jason's won't pick up until he's worked 800 hours. So we get the added joy of owing a hundred million dollars to the emergency room.

I'm just glad that he's okay and that he's recovering. Now if I can just get better, all will be right with the world again.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nothing witty to say about that...

Regarding health insurance... you can look into ALLKIDS, but they have some really goofy rules. For instance you must be without insurance for atleast 6 months to qualify. I don't know maybe Jason will have insurance by then. It still may be a good idea to look into because it is supposed to help cover dental, eyecare, etc. as well and it is retroactive (helping to pay some...note some...of prior medical costs).

I'm glad to hear Reed is generally o.k., but sorry to hear you two are sick. Maybe you could make a game out of who could shoot their snot rocket the furthest? Make the most bubbles? Or who can get daddy sick first?

Anonymous said...

You can usually work out a deal with the hospital too. Just be sure to call them when you get a bill and let them know your situation. Brian and Melody's insurance didn't fully cover the birth of the twins and they supposedly owed thousands and thousands of dollars. They didn't end up paying nearly that much. Maybe some lawyer-type person could help too...

Anonymous said...

Buffy, I'm so glad Baby Reed is better. Hope you and Ramey are better soon. What an ordeal you have all been through. It's true that you can usually work a deal with the hospital. Andy had to go to the emergency room once when she had no insurance. After she got the bill for many thousands of dollars, I called them and got it cut in half. I think now that I could have persuaded them to go even lower but I didn't know what I was doing. Talk to somebody who knows about these things.

Anonymous said...

ALLKIDS might help, calling the hospital might also, and most hospitals have financial aid that you can apply for if you owe a lot. Plus most are willing to put you on payment plans as long as you're paying at least $25/month. Depends on the hospital, but I used to do collections for hospitals (no please dont shoot me!!) and they're very flexible as long as they think you're trying.

Anonymous said...

wow, honey.. I'm glad you are pulling through. It doesn't sound like a good time. I'll call you later! Stephanie

L. said...

My mom suggested you guys look into All Kids, too, so at least Reed could be insured.

PS: I'm glad you guys didn't die. Keep moving in that direction, and call me if you need anything. Obvs.

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