A while back, I blogged complaining about our healthcare system. I talked about how great it would be to live in France and have free healthcare. Just yesterday, I realized I really take our healthcare for granted. I needed to take Ezekiel in to the Dr. and got in within an hour of calling. Then when we got home, the boys and I walked (well, I walked, Ezekiel rode in the stroller and Gavin rode his scooter) to CVS to get some prescriptions. We waited our 15 minutes and I was distracted as the pharmacy worker rang up the medication. She told me the total and I pulled out my debit card, ready to slide it when the number she spoke sliced through my distracted mind. $178.28. WHAT? I put my card down and asked her why it was so expensive. She got the pharmacist and he explained the single dose albuterol medication...yeah, yeah, yeah. I need to know why this medication is $120!! He had no idea and I mentioned that usually my prescriptions are $10. "Oh you have insurance??" Umm....yes. "Here is my card...I have been here before, why am I not in the system"...etc. etc. etc. Anyways. It was all sorted out and I paid my $30 and left. This experience left me grateful for our health insurance! I so take that for granted. What if I was a single mom who had a job as a waitress and I didn't have insurance, but my son needed breathing treatments? I would have to pay hundreds of dollars to keep my child breathing easily. Wow.
On another highway of thought completely, I have been convicted of how impatient I can be with the boys. Today my goal was to be patient. In all situations. In my tone of voice. Even when I am running late. See for me, I am impatient because of my own carelessness. I am running late and the kids are not moving as fast as I want them to, so I get irritated and start using a very impatient tone of voice. I hear myself saying: "come on Gavin! get in your seat - we're late! We have to go, Ezekiel - hurry!" Not in a sweet voice but in a voice that says GET YOUR ASS MOVING! Just being honest here. So I'm really working on it. Today was a great day. I gave us more time to do everything and I didn't rush the kids. Who cares if it takes them 8 minutes to get into their seats in the car. If I plan for it, its no big deal.
5 comments:
The disparity that you uncovered in your post is, in my humble opinion, why our emergency rooms are populated with the "poor," underinsured, or uninsured who have no other resources for their medical needs.
Young mothers, who fall within the confinies of these categories, with babies plagued with ear infections and bronchitis, use or abuse, as some might say, the emergency healthcare setting. Where else are they to go?
Really--who can afford insurance these days if they are unemployed and are not among the "privileged " who are covered under a corporate policy?
Oh thank you for being so honest about impatience! I feel like you were speaking directly to me!! I can't tell you how many mornings I'm nagging at the kids and my patience is short because of my inability to prepare properly. If only I planned a little better our mornings would run so much smoother and I could drop them off at school confident they know how much their mother loves them. Rather than feeling guilty about being a grumpy mom!! Thanks for your honesty Carrie...you're surely not alone! I'll pray for patience for us both!!
I'm in on the prayer for patience every day! Natalie takes the SAME beating....and in the end...she's the one YELLING..."I LOVE YOU MOMMY"...instead of I'm trying to Mommy...big guilt trip...I'm not a bad mom...I just need to do BETTER right!?haha !~ Seriously!
St. Jude operates a "free" clinic in Fullerton - staffed with doctors, nurses, dentist & assistants. There was an article in the Register about it just this week. They do an amazing work for the uninsured & poor. judy
ahahaha(impatience part was perfect)....i love you c!
love,
sally
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