Ok, I am the first to admit that I really don't know a great deal about this whole healthcare reform thing. I watch the news from 6-7 or rather have it on in the background while I feed and bathe Isaac. But that's about it. It's my own fault, and I could educate myself. I realize this is a hot topic and big issue that will effect not only me, but my son.
I don't know how to fix the system. But I do know that it needs fixed. Here's my take on what I do know.
First, we have health insurance. We have coverage through my husband's employer. It's not the best plan or the plan I would choose, but it isn't the worst either. When I first got pregnant we had an independent policy that was paid by our personal business (that we no longer have, but that's another story). For my husband and me it started out at about $550 a month for the premium. I chose this plan because when I worked for a certain large corporation, it was the policy we had. It was great. And that was why, because it had a price tag. Over the course of a year and a half that monthly price rose to almost $800. Then my husband got his corporate gig and we started weighing out our options and we thought it best to end my husband's coverage and put him in the corporate plan. We kept me on the independent plan until Isaac was born, and then we switched over. All in all it cost us about $1400 to have the baby buy the time you figured in the premiums and the copayment for the actual delivery. I thought that was pretty good, especially since the whole price tag came to about $19k.
Anyway, after Isaac was born, we switched to the company plan. It's not bad. The coverage is ok, and we have an HRA that the company gives us x dollars for a year. HOWEVER...I hate having a deductible. Last year, I went to the ER for ruptured ovarian cysts or kidney stones (take your pick...they never figured out what it was). Between that and all Isaac's well baby exams and the 2 times he was sick, we pretty much hit our individual deductibles. My ER visit came to about $650 that I had to pay. The cost of three days in the hospital for me and Isaac, labor and delivery, etc had only been $800. I was in the ER for 5 hours. Sigh. Still, I wasn't that upset about it, and was glad w had insurance.
HOWEVER.
My husband went to the ER back during the swine flu pandemic. He had his vitals taken and then sat for an hour while the entire staff watched the World Series. TRUE STORY. So he left. And I called the insurance company and told them. We filed a complaint against the hospital and waited to see what happened. In the meantime, I scheduled my husband annual FREE well adult visit to his doctor. He went and filled out his paperwork, including a paper that said "list three or more issues with your health or questions you have to discuss with the Dr." So he did. And all of a sudden, the FREE well adult exam turned into a serious diagnostic visit that was no longer FREE. In fact, it required a blood panel. The actual appointment was 20 minutes. 20 MINUTES! When the bill for the office visit came, guess how much it was? $350. I was MAD. I called everyone and their brother and filed complaint after complaint and so on. Their response? Sorry about your luck! My mother is an insurance coder. I sent her the claim and she was horrified that they coded the visit they way they did. According to the office coder, it was totally justified and blah blah blah. They used a code for a serious diagnostic visit used for very sick and ailing or injured patients. FOR A WELL ADULT EXAM. Now, unless my husband is lying about what they discussed, it was totally bogus. So I got the doctor's notes. And I got madder.
What is even worse is that while I was trying to resolve the issue, I was only making payments on the bill in increments of $25. Why? Because I had this hope that it would be downgraded and I wouldn't have to pay the whole bill. Therefore, I didn't want to wait for a refund from the Dr, should that happen. I did exactly what the accounts payable representative told me, and yet I still got threatening messages about collections. Seriously? I finally got so sick of it, I paid the whole damn thing. Their representatives lied to me and I was just tired of dealing. And then I wrote a letter to 7 on your side, just to express my opinion. I HATE SUTTER MEDICAL FOUNDATION. They said that if I wanted to make payments, I wasn't allowed to make more than 2. Like I had to pay the whole thing in 2 months.
And then, we got a statement from our insurance saying that they got the hospital claim. It was $179 for my husband crappy ER visit to take his vitals. SERIOUSLY? Come on! it wasn't even a doctor who took his vitals! However, I haven't received a bill from the hospital. I can't pay things that I don't get bills for. And I have no idea what the insurance company actually paid.
With all those issues, we met our family deductible, but it was DECEMBER. So when January rolled around, we were back to $0 toward our deductible.
I will say this much. I do like our insurance company. They are helpful. And they don't pick our plan for us, my husband's company did. And we are lucky we have insurance. And they are nice to us. I like my doctor and Isaac's doctor. I like our dentist and eye doctor. But I think they charge too much. And I know they do it because of the insurance companies. And I know insurance companies charge more because doctors do and because not everyone has insurance. Its a double mandate.
So here's what I think. It doesn't really appear the healthcare bill will have a huge impact on our situation. Maybe if more people buy insurance, the premiums will go down. I think that people need to see exactly what this bill is going to do before they whine about changing it. Do I think it is good that people will be required to have insurance? Heck yeah. You can't drive in CA (legally) without car insurance. So yes, I think people should have insurance. And I don't think sick people should be denied insurance. And if more healthy people buy insurance, there will be more money for the insurance companies to pay for care for sick people.
Sigh. Talking about this made my head hurt. But there is most definately a flaw, many flaws in our system. And the bottom line is, no matter how it changes, someone will always have a problem with it.
Showing posts with label dentist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dentist. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, December 21, 2009
Ache
I got spoiled.
For two weeks, I was with my baby almost all day, everyday. I haven't had that since maternity leave. It was absolutely WONDERFUL. We played, we took naps, we tried new foods, we did Christmas type things....
And then I went back to work and things got busy. Work is jammed packed everyday up to Christmas Eve. Oh yeah, and it's Christmas, so that automatically means everyone is on edge and stressed out and feel the need to pack ten million things to do into 24 hour days, myself included. Every year, I try to space things out and plan, plan, plan so I don't feel the stress and anxiety shoot up, but only the happy hustle and bustle. It just never seems to work. Last week was not so fun. I had something that needed to get done almost every single night during the week...a haircut, the ballet, a trip to Wal.mart...and I worked all 5 weekdays, last week.
I missed my baby. I just wanted to cuddle up on the couch with my boy and enjoy the holiday. But there just was not time. I know, I know. Make time, right? I do too much and blah, blah, blah.
I have to work. And I have to get presents sent off. And trust me, I majorly cut back on everything this year.
I missed Isaac so much, it ached. And sitting on the couch, listening to him cry it out in his crib just seemed unfair and wrong to both of us, and made me cry. I cheated a little bit, and cuddle him in his room for a few minutes.
He is still down to 10 minutes of crying so, it didn't hurt, right?
So thankfully, with the exception of a teeth cleaning that I have to get in before the end of the year for insurance purposes (don't eve get me started on the evils of dentists). I am able to enjoy this week with my baby. It's his first Christmas. I know he won't remember it, but I will.
For two weeks, I was with my baby almost all day, everyday. I haven't had that since maternity leave. It was absolutely WONDERFUL. We played, we took naps, we tried new foods, we did Christmas type things....
And then I went back to work and things got busy. Work is jammed packed everyday up to Christmas Eve. Oh yeah, and it's Christmas, so that automatically means everyone is on edge and stressed out and feel the need to pack ten million things to do into 24 hour days, myself included. Every year, I try to space things out and plan, plan, plan so I don't feel the stress and anxiety shoot up, but only the happy hustle and bustle. It just never seems to work. Last week was not so fun. I had something that needed to get done almost every single night during the week...a haircut, the ballet, a trip to Wal.mart...and I worked all 5 weekdays, last week.
I missed my baby. I just wanted to cuddle up on the couch with my boy and enjoy the holiday. But there just was not time. I know, I know. Make time, right? I do too much and blah, blah, blah.
I have to work. And I have to get presents sent off. And trust me, I majorly cut back on everything this year.
I missed Isaac so much, it ached. And sitting on the couch, listening to him cry it out in his crib just seemed unfair and wrong to both of us, and made me cry. I cheated a little bit, and cuddle him in his room for a few minutes.
He is still down to 10 minutes of crying so, it didn't hurt, right?
So thankfully, with the exception of a teeth cleaning that I have to get in before the end of the year for insurance purposes (don't eve get me started on the evils of dentists). I am able to enjoy this week with my baby. It's his first Christmas. I know he won't remember it, but I will.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Bargain Baby
There is no questioning that a new baby costs moolah, and a lot of it at that. Since I really grabbed the reigns of our financial situation in the past few months, I have been all about looking for ways to save some dollars in anticipation of Peanut's arrival and for once Peanut gets here. I gave my husband a run-down, and he was quite impressed with what I have done.
1. I transferred our cell phone bills to automatic bill pay on our AmEx. This gave us 2 $25 statement credits. Our AmEx is paid off every month, and they give us triple points for automatic bill pay through our wireless carrier. It just made sense to do this. On Saturday, I will be transferring our separate plans into one family plan, and this will save us $75 a month. Since my husband is no longer using his phone number for work related calls, he can reduce his minutes way down. And I rarely use all mine. Plus with this new plan, there is a roll over option.
2. I transferred our credit card balances to other cards. I played the shuffle game, and we now only have about 1500 on a card that is above 10%. I am going to call that card this weekend, since I haven't had a balance transfer offer from them in quite some time. We will see what they can do. I have heard this is sometimes very effective, especially since this is the card that we use every month and have had for 10 years now. And when I say it is the only one that is above 10%, it is actually at 13%, and all the others are now less than 6%.
3. I have massive baby coupons. I created an email account just to filter online offers. I get about 5 coupons in the mail per day and get online offers. We have already talked about what kind of diapers and stuff we want to use so I have been prioritizing those coupons. Last night I totalled my coupon savings that can be used until next June and it is almost $100! We have also gotten free diapers (the brand I want), free samples of ointments and creams, free bottles, and free spoons.
4. We started shopping with our online points through AmEx. We have been saving our points up for almost 4 years now, so we have tons. Originally we planned to use these points for airline tickets to Europe this fall. Once we learned about Peanut, we decided to postpone. Next summer is out, and it would only be feasible to go the following summer for our 5 year anniversary. We still may do this. However, last night we redeemed Ben's proshop points for our bouncer, an electric screwdriver (which we decided may be helpful in putting together furniture and hanging stuff, plus Ben has always wanted one), and a family size electric griddle (that I have always wanted)....so we each got something. I have been scouring the online AmEx catalogue and to my delight, the majority of our "big-ticket" items on our registery are available with our points. In theory, if no one bought them as gifts, we could get our crib, changing table, breast pump system, swing, and gym for free. I am still looking for other items. I have found alot of similar ones, so I have added those to our maybe list. I am also going to check for other stuff we need, like a new dresser for us and a surround sound system. :) Those things are very important for a baby, you know.
5. I finally got a hold of my dentist and discussed my "overpaid" root canal and office credit. It turns out that I overpaid by over $500! Since then I had one "emergency" visit when I broke my tooth and needed it filed (and we all know those visit are more $$$), one comprehensive exam including 4 x-rays, and one bacteria scan and purchase of a mouthwash treatment that tastes like sewage. My credit is down to $21.90, but they are issuing me a refund. I did tell the billing woman that I would have appreciated knowing about the credit in um, February when I had had the work done and was stressed about how to afford this massive root canal. She said nothing.
6. Yesterday at my doctor's appointment, the insurance billing woman told me that my current insurance plan would cover my labor and delivery costs 100% other than my co-pay of $20 per day for the o/p and hospital. It pained me not to be able to sign it since we may switch carriers. She also told me that the two potential carriers we are looking at would most likely cover the same amount, so I have a call into the new potential company to verfiy coverage and costs. If it doesn't meet the coverage we have now, my husband thinks we should swing the premium ourselves for 4 months, which is about $750 a month. Ouchie. I am learning lots about the healthcare system in this process though...I will spare you my soapbox for now. :)
7. We are getting massive hand me downs. We have already gotten a Baby Bjorn that was never used! The people that gave it to us got too many as gifts, so they passed it on. No objections from me! Those things are pretty pricey! I also told them that we don't mind hand me down clothes or anything. Ben's best friend had a baby boy about a year ago, and they have said they will be sending us tons of stuff too. :) Seriously, the baby will never know the difference. I have also scouted a few baby consignment stores to look for stuff we are going to be washing the heck out of anyway, like play yard sheets and bumper covers,etc. No need to buy everything full price. We have some stuff on our registery that we would like, but we really aren't expecting this baby to have all brand new stuff. Nor do we want him too.
I think that is pretty much it. We have also decided to make our own baby food. For our wedding we received an ultimate chopper and a magic bullet (the blender thing ;) ) and both make wicked purees. We are pretty stoked at the idea of being able to control what goes into our baby food. One of my friends did this and it worked really well. We just need to get a bunch of those itty bitty tupperware containers.
My doctor's appointment yesterday went well. He ok'd my change in prenatals. I have gained 4 pounds, which is about what they wanted. My next target is 2-3 for the next month. He says I am doing well with weight gain thus far. Peanut's heartrate is strong. And the doctor measured my belly! This is the first time he has done this. He said everything looks right on track and gave me the order for my follow up ultrasound, which I scheduled for next Friday. I also have to do my 28 week bloodwork, which includes the infamous glucola test....yum.
Thank goodness it is Friday! I am going to pick up my car tonight and drop off my husband's reimbursement requests and hopefully get a check for them. I am soooo looking forward to sleep tomorrow.
1. I transferred our cell phone bills to automatic bill pay on our AmEx. This gave us 2 $25 statement credits. Our AmEx is paid off every month, and they give us triple points for automatic bill pay through our wireless carrier. It just made sense to do this. On Saturday, I will be transferring our separate plans into one family plan, and this will save us $75 a month. Since my husband is no longer using his phone number for work related calls, he can reduce his minutes way down. And I rarely use all mine. Plus with this new plan, there is a roll over option.
2. I transferred our credit card balances to other cards. I played the shuffle game, and we now only have about 1500 on a card that is above 10%. I am going to call that card this weekend, since I haven't had a balance transfer offer from them in quite some time. We will see what they can do. I have heard this is sometimes very effective, especially since this is the card that we use every month and have had for 10 years now. And when I say it is the only one that is above 10%, it is actually at 13%, and all the others are now less than 6%.
3. I have massive baby coupons. I created an email account just to filter online offers. I get about 5 coupons in the mail per day and get online offers. We have already talked about what kind of diapers and stuff we want to use so I have been prioritizing those coupons. Last night I totalled my coupon savings that can be used until next June and it is almost $100! We have also gotten free diapers (the brand I want), free samples of ointments and creams, free bottles, and free spoons.
4. We started shopping with our online points through AmEx. We have been saving our points up for almost 4 years now, so we have tons. Originally we planned to use these points for airline tickets to Europe this fall. Once we learned about Peanut, we decided to postpone. Next summer is out, and it would only be feasible to go the following summer for our 5 year anniversary. We still may do this. However, last night we redeemed Ben's proshop points for our bouncer, an electric screwdriver (which we decided may be helpful in putting together furniture and hanging stuff, plus Ben has always wanted one), and a family size electric griddle (that I have always wanted)....so we each got something. I have been scouring the online AmEx catalogue and to my delight, the majority of our "big-ticket" items on our registery are available with our points. In theory, if no one bought them as gifts, we could get our crib, changing table, breast pump system, swing, and gym for free. I am still looking for other items. I have found alot of similar ones, so I have added those to our maybe list. I am also going to check for other stuff we need, like a new dresser for us and a surround sound system. :) Those things are very important for a baby, you know.
5. I finally got a hold of my dentist and discussed my "overpaid" root canal and office credit. It turns out that I overpaid by over $500! Since then I had one "emergency" visit when I broke my tooth and needed it filed (and we all know those visit are more $$$), one comprehensive exam including 4 x-rays, and one bacteria scan and purchase of a mouthwash treatment that tastes like sewage. My credit is down to $21.90, but they are issuing me a refund. I did tell the billing woman that I would have appreciated knowing about the credit in um, February when I had had the work done and was stressed about how to afford this massive root canal. She said nothing.
6. Yesterday at my doctor's appointment, the insurance billing woman told me that my current insurance plan would cover my labor and delivery costs 100% other than my co-pay of $20 per day for the o/p and hospital. It pained me not to be able to sign it since we may switch carriers. She also told me that the two potential carriers we are looking at would most likely cover the same amount, so I have a call into the new potential company to verfiy coverage and costs. If it doesn't meet the coverage we have now, my husband thinks we should swing the premium ourselves for 4 months, which is about $750 a month. Ouchie. I am learning lots about the healthcare system in this process though...I will spare you my soapbox for now. :)
7. We are getting massive hand me downs. We have already gotten a Baby Bjorn that was never used! The people that gave it to us got too many as gifts, so they passed it on. No objections from me! Those things are pretty pricey! I also told them that we don't mind hand me down clothes or anything. Ben's best friend had a baby boy about a year ago, and they have said they will be sending us tons of stuff too. :) Seriously, the baby will never know the difference. I have also scouted a few baby consignment stores to look for stuff we are going to be washing the heck out of anyway, like play yard sheets and bumper covers,etc. No need to buy everything full price. We have some stuff on our registery that we would like, but we really aren't expecting this baby to have all brand new stuff. Nor do we want him too.
I think that is pretty much it. We have also decided to make our own baby food. For our wedding we received an ultimate chopper and a magic bullet (the blender thing ;) ) and both make wicked purees. We are pretty stoked at the idea of being able to control what goes into our baby food. One of my friends did this and it worked really well. We just need to get a bunch of those itty bitty tupperware containers.
My doctor's appointment yesterday went well. He ok'd my change in prenatals. I have gained 4 pounds, which is about what they wanted. My next target is 2-3 for the next month. He says I am doing well with weight gain thus far. Peanut's heartrate is strong. And the doctor measured my belly! This is the first time he has done this. He said everything looks right on track and gave me the order for my follow up ultrasound, which I scheduled for next Friday. I also have to do my 28 week bloodwork, which includes the infamous glucola test....yum.
Thank goodness it is Friday! I am going to pick up my car tonight and drop off my husband's reimbursement requests and hopefully get a check for them. I am soooo looking forward to sleep tomorrow.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Baby Day #6
First off, Happy 24 weeks to me! :) 24 weeks marks another important infant viability milestone. Not that you want a baby to be born at 24 weeks, but if it is, it has a greater chance at survival.
Today is also my monthly doctor's appointment. I have much to talk to him about and we have to go over my ultrasound results. Here's my topic list:
- Insurance: since my husband switched employers, we may be switching insurance plans. We agree that we like our doctor and want to stay with him, so we have to find out if he is covered in either of the new plans.
- I want to switch my prenatal vitamins. I pay a butt load for the ones I take now, and while organizing my coupons, I found an offer that covers almost the full cost of a different one. I checked online and they are basically the same. Now, given that my blood work has all come back normal and I am not anemic or anything, this should be feasible.
- I want to schedule my 3 and 4D ultrasound and I know his office gives a referral discount with a company in Santa Rosa.
- I want to make sure that my due date is not going to be adjust back at all, because my mother and Ben's mother are buying plane tickets soon.
- I want to start my maternity and disability leave paperwork so I can plan when my baby dedication and such will be.
I think that is all. :)
I also have to get another referral for another ultrasound because they couldn't get the picture of all four heart chambers together last time. Baby kept moving and such. :) Yay! I will get to see him again!
Ok, so last night was our first Lamaze class. I think it went really well, alot different than I expected. It was kinda long, and we were really tired from long work days. I was definately a talker...I asked any and every question that came to mind, which the instructor told us to do. I wanted my money's worth! :) There were just two other couples there, and they knew each other, but they were really nice. I was telling my husband that I felt more comfortable around these people because they are more like us. In my yoga class, there is only one other girl that I really mesh with. The others are all stay at home Sonoma type moms who took yoga all the time during the week and take the other prenatal yoga class during the day together and some pregnancy water aerobics class. They always come in all made-up and with perfect hair and yoga clothes. And they are all like perfect body types and the only place they are pregnant is their bump. They are really nice people, don't get me wrong. I just always come in ragged from a work day in my lounge pants and t-shirt.
Anyhoo, class went well. We talked alot about body changes through the different trimesters and preterm labor. We talked about signs of labor and watched a birth video. Let me tell you, I cried. Not out of fear or anything, but when the baby was born...I cried. And...I was the only one. Thank goodness it was dark. I was very interested in the shower that helps during labor. I had never heard about this before, a laboring woman getting a shower. The instructor said that alot of women who do the shower then feel they don't need an epidural. Interesting. We also learned some stretches and exercises to help during birth. Most of them were yoga positions, so I felt ahead of the game :) I was interesting to see Ben attempt a child's pose though. :)
Sidenotes: My car still is not done. It should be done tomorrow. Correction: It BETTER be done tomorrow.
And I had my first bizzarro craving last night. Grape jelly and Ruffles. No joke. I made a bagel with grape jelly and Ruffles. :)
Today is also my monthly doctor's appointment. I have much to talk to him about and we have to go over my ultrasound results. Here's my topic list:
- Insurance: since my husband switched employers, we may be switching insurance plans. We agree that we like our doctor and want to stay with him, so we have to find out if he is covered in either of the new plans.
- I want to switch my prenatal vitamins. I pay a butt load for the ones I take now, and while organizing my coupons, I found an offer that covers almost the full cost of a different one. I checked online and they are basically the same. Now, given that my blood work has all come back normal and I am not anemic or anything, this should be feasible.
- I want to schedule my 3 and 4D ultrasound and I know his office gives a referral discount with a company in Santa Rosa.
- I want to make sure that my due date is not going to be adjust back at all, because my mother and Ben's mother are buying plane tickets soon.
- I want to start my maternity and disability leave paperwork so I can plan when my baby dedication and such will be.
I think that is all. :)
I also have to get another referral for another ultrasound because they couldn't get the picture of all four heart chambers together last time. Baby kept moving and such. :) Yay! I will get to see him again!
Ok, so last night was our first Lamaze class. I think it went really well, alot different than I expected. It was kinda long, and we were really tired from long work days. I was definately a talker...I asked any and every question that came to mind, which the instructor told us to do. I wanted my money's worth! :) There were just two other couples there, and they knew each other, but they were really nice. I was telling my husband that I felt more comfortable around these people because they are more like us. In my yoga class, there is only one other girl that I really mesh with. The others are all stay at home Sonoma type moms who took yoga all the time during the week and take the other prenatal yoga class during the day together and some pregnancy water aerobics class. They always come in all made-up and with perfect hair and yoga clothes. And they are all like perfect body types and the only place they are pregnant is their bump. They are really nice people, don't get me wrong. I just always come in ragged from a work day in my lounge pants and t-shirt.
Anyhoo, class went well. We talked alot about body changes through the different trimesters and preterm labor. We talked about signs of labor and watched a birth video. Let me tell you, I cried. Not out of fear or anything, but when the baby was born...I cried. And...I was the only one. Thank goodness it was dark. I was very interested in the shower that helps during labor. I had never heard about this before, a laboring woman getting a shower. The instructor said that alot of women who do the shower then feel they don't need an epidural. Interesting. We also learned some stretches and exercises to help during birth. Most of them were yoga positions, so I felt ahead of the game :) I was interesting to see Ben attempt a child's pose though. :)
Sidenotes: My car still is not done. It should be done tomorrow. Correction: It BETTER be done tomorrow.
And I had my first bizzarro craving last night. Grape jelly and Ruffles. No joke. I made a bagel with grape jelly and Ruffles. :)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Silver Lining
You know that expression "when it rains, it pours?" Well, that seems to be a very fitting theme for this week. It has been a stressful week, starting on Sunday night. This was the evening that my husband took a friend to bail his girlfriend (the friend's, not my husband's :) ) out of jail. My husband is always about the "fastest route" so he decided to take this windy mountain road. I should add this is only a faster route during the day when traffic is backed up on the highways. I called him at about 10 to find out where everything was at, and he says "I wrecked my car." Now, when you hear this, don't flashing red lights go off in your head and your stomach plummets?
It turns out that he swerved to miss a deer. Remember how I said it was a windy MOUNTAIN road? Well, he went off the road and hit some rocks or something.
So this week has been mostly about fixing the mechanical aspects (which is hella cheap since he works for an automotive shop and gets parts at cost and doesn't have to pay most labor costs). However, the body work was the biggest concern. On Monday night, he tried to demostrate on some foil what his car looked like. It was not good. He is working on getting the estimates for repair and we could possibly have to take out an insurance claim. Also not good. I have been stressing over this all week.
He brought the car home last night because the mechanical work was done. Since he has today off, I finally got to see the car this morning.
THE DAMAGE IS NOT BAD AT ALL. Yes, it is a bit dented in some areas and the paint is scrapped. It looks like he hit some rocks/small trees and maybe not the BOULDER he made it sound like. I totalled the front end of my car and needed about $6000 of body work alone. There is no way that doing the body work on his car will cost near that or anywhere near to that. I am guessing $1000 at the most and even that seems generous. Now, I am no car expert, but seriously. I am not taking out an insurance claim for that. No way. The silver lining in this situation? Hmmm....the fact that my husband exaggerates the extent of damage and needed repair finances. And that when I discover the exaggeration, I feel a ten thousand pound weight fly off my shoulders.
So in addition to that, there has been the dental stress. I still have not gotten a hold of the woman who can verify the amount of my "credit" from overpaying. Oh, she did call me back. But not on my cell phone as I asked, and she called to talk about "payment options for my upcoming dental work." Silver lining? Calling the office after hours to cancel my appointment and reschedule it, but alas...no one is there. Bub-bye dentist.
There's also the stress of tracking down my bridesmaid dress. I spent the better part of an hour on the phone with the J.Cr.ew peeps. They are being very helpful. Now, I ordered the largest size available in the dress in order to accomodate for Peanut's expanding belly condo and the burgeoning twins above it. Technically, do I need this size? Probably not. But I figured I could alter it in easily. The better news is that I got a dress for the rehearsal dinner that at the present moment fits me quite nicely and is a much smaller size than the bridesmaid dress even if by a different maker. Silver lining? I am a smaller size than anticipated and hopefully this will get me a dress if not the one I ordered. I will have faith in J.Cre.w until then I suppose.
I have also had headaches with credit cards. I played the balance transfer game to minimize finance charges way back in February. One of the offers just expired, which is no biggie cause the balance is small and I will pay it off this month. The big headache came from a card whose bill I paid online and somehow got reverted to my old bank info, bouncing back the payment which defaulted my special interest offers. I spent a good chunk of time on the phone with them, and got the late fee reversed (the payment was technically on time and they did not inform me of the situation until after the pay by date had passed) and the interest rates reinstated. This was enough time spent on it at this point and once the statement comes, I will call to reverse the finance charges from the 2 default days. Seriously, that is all it was. Silver lining? I have had almost all of my credit cards for 10 years now (coming up in 09) and rarely default on them. Because of this, I feel I have a bit of power when I call the companies to reinstate things. Fingers are crossed for the finance charges call.
Oh, and my health insurance sent me a letter saying that our premium is going up $100 per month in October. Nice. We can't even begin to think about switching until after Peanut is born. I had to explain this to Ben, that no company will willingly take on a new client when they know in a few months they will have to shuck of thousands of dollars. Silver lining: We don't pay our insurance premium, his company does. However, we may pay this increase. They also sent me information on Lamaze classes. That was nice I guess.
It just seems like it has been one of those weeks. It is just one thing after another. I haven't been sleeping well because of everything, so I am exhausted. And somehow I can never get into bed early, like I plan to. Something always comes up.
The best silver lining for this week? I am feeling Peanut move now. It happens quite frequently. Most often when I am laying down or sitting on the couch. It is such a wonderful, wonderful feeling.
It turns out that he swerved to miss a deer. Remember how I said it was a windy MOUNTAIN road? Well, he went off the road and hit some rocks or something.
So this week has been mostly about fixing the mechanical aspects (which is hella cheap since he works for an automotive shop and gets parts at cost and doesn't have to pay most labor costs). However, the body work was the biggest concern. On Monday night, he tried to demostrate on some foil what his car looked like. It was not good. He is working on getting the estimates for repair and we could possibly have to take out an insurance claim. Also not good. I have been stressing over this all week.
He brought the car home last night because the mechanical work was done. Since he has today off, I finally got to see the car this morning.
THE DAMAGE IS NOT BAD AT ALL. Yes, it is a bit dented in some areas and the paint is scrapped. It looks like he hit some rocks/small trees and maybe not the BOULDER he made it sound like. I totalled the front end of my car and needed about $6000 of body work alone. There is no way that doing the body work on his car will cost near that or anywhere near to that. I am guessing $1000 at the most and even that seems generous. Now, I am no car expert, but seriously. I am not taking out an insurance claim for that. No way. The silver lining in this situation? Hmmm....the fact that my husband exaggerates the extent of damage and needed repair finances. And that when I discover the exaggeration, I feel a ten thousand pound weight fly off my shoulders.
So in addition to that, there has been the dental stress. I still have not gotten a hold of the woman who can verify the amount of my "credit" from overpaying. Oh, she did call me back. But not on my cell phone as I asked, and she called to talk about "payment options for my upcoming dental work." Silver lining? Calling the office after hours to cancel my appointment and reschedule it, but alas...no one is there. Bub-bye dentist.
There's also the stress of tracking down my bridesmaid dress. I spent the better part of an hour on the phone with the J.Cr.ew peeps. They are being very helpful. Now, I ordered the largest size available in the dress in order to accomodate for Peanut's expanding belly condo and the burgeoning twins above it. Technically, do I need this size? Probably not. But I figured I could alter it in easily. The better news is that I got a dress for the rehearsal dinner that at the present moment fits me quite nicely and is a much smaller size than the bridesmaid dress even if by a different maker. Silver lining? I am a smaller size than anticipated and hopefully this will get me a dress if not the one I ordered. I will have faith in J.Cre.w until then I suppose.
I have also had headaches with credit cards. I played the balance transfer game to minimize finance charges way back in February. One of the offers just expired, which is no biggie cause the balance is small and I will pay it off this month. The big headache came from a card whose bill I paid online and somehow got reverted to my old bank info, bouncing back the payment which defaulted my special interest offers. I spent a good chunk of time on the phone with them, and got the late fee reversed (the payment was technically on time and they did not inform me of the situation until after the pay by date had passed) and the interest rates reinstated. This was enough time spent on it at this point and once the statement comes, I will call to reverse the finance charges from the 2 default days. Seriously, that is all it was. Silver lining? I have had almost all of my credit cards for 10 years now (coming up in 09) and rarely default on them. Because of this, I feel I have a bit of power when I call the companies to reinstate things. Fingers are crossed for the finance charges call.
Oh, and my health insurance sent me a letter saying that our premium is going up $100 per month in October. Nice. We can't even begin to think about switching until after Peanut is born. I had to explain this to Ben, that no company will willingly take on a new client when they know in a few months they will have to shuck of thousands of dollars. Silver lining: We don't pay our insurance premium, his company does. However, we may pay this increase. They also sent me information on Lamaze classes. That was nice I guess.
It just seems like it has been one of those weeks. It is just one thing after another. I haven't been sleeping well because of everything, so I am exhausted. And somehow I can never get into bed early, like I plan to. Something always comes up.
The best silver lining for this week? I am feeling Peanut move now. It happens quite frequently. Most often when I am laying down or sitting on the couch. It is such a wonderful, wonderful feeling.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
I Will Fight You, You Know
This morning I went in for the funfilled bacteria scan that was only going to take "5 minutes." It took 1 hour and 5 minutes. And I fought with my dentist. As a disclaimer, I tried really hard to bite my tongue and remind myself she was a professional and very knowledgable. She pushed me over the edge.
To make a long story short, I told her what my husband and I had decided on in terms of my dental work. This is fixing my broken tooth and calling it a day. It involves about $400 this year, plus a crown next year. This did not please the dentist. She re-explained what the grouping priorities were on my treatment plan (which I refer to now as my bankrupcty plan), and said that she had group that tooth with others so she would only have to numb my mouth once to do all the teeth in need of some kind of repair. However, the work needed on these teeth is not as extreme as the broken tooth, just really a matter of convenience. I continued to protest, as $2000 for the work in discussion is money I don't have to spend right now (kind of a lie, but all monies are being saved for maternity care, leave, and Peanut).
At this point, the dear dentist then brought up the idea of the Care.Cre.dit for funding the dental work. I do appreciate knowing my options and the thoroughness in which she explained it. I understand the process. And it is good to know that I could use it in the future for Las.ik, which I do plan on doing. However, this is not the point, and I told her that that wasn't something my husband and I really wanted to do at this point (we are looking to clean up our credit because we want to buy a house in the near future...I did not tell the dentist this because I felt it was not her business).
When I said, again, to just schedule the work for the broken tooth and NOTHING ELSE, she started to tell me how if I don't do this work, stuff can go wrong with the pregnancy and began throwing around scary terms. Now, again I appreciate knowing all the information and if she was genuinely concerned for myself or my unborn child, I appreciate that as well. However, using scare tactics to bully a patient into dropping the extra money didn't seem very professional. It could have been handled differently, and far more appropriately. I had said no at least 3 times at this point. I was beyond annoyed, as my doctor cautioned me against large amounts of dental work. So this is what I said:
"Look, no offense to you because I do value your opinion as a professional care provider and realize you are highly qualified to construct reccomendations on my oral care, but I am taking my treatment plan to my OB in order to get an ok on the procedures you have recommended. You have done your part in detailing the work that needs to be done. While I am sure you have treated pregnant women before, I am not apt to taking prenatal advice from a dentist, just as I would not ask my OB for recommendations or a diagnosis on teeth. Furthermore, I feel as though you are trying to scare me into agreeing to the more expensive work at this point."
I should add that I said this very politely and did not raise my voice.
I tried very hard not to over react, as I tend to do, but seriously. I was mad. And it did not seem as though this conversation took place out of concern for my and my child's health.
Anyhow, I went to pay for today's work. I expected it to be about $100, as my insurance is maxed. Also, I have not been billed for the past two times I have been in the office as expected and I did have xrays done. I was figuring my total dental bill should be pretty hefty, to the tune of $400+. X rays aren't cheap. I come to find out that I owed nothing because I had a credit. Where did this credit come from? Apparently I overpaid for my $2700 root canal, and rather than issuing me a refund, they just kept the money. Whatever.
I think I am switching dentists. No joke. What can it hurt?
To make a long story short, I told her what my husband and I had decided on in terms of my dental work. This is fixing my broken tooth and calling it a day. It involves about $400 this year, plus a crown next year. This did not please the dentist. She re-explained what the grouping priorities were on my treatment plan (which I refer to now as my bankrupcty plan), and said that she had group that tooth with others so she would only have to numb my mouth once to do all the teeth in need of some kind of repair. However, the work needed on these teeth is not as extreme as the broken tooth, just really a matter of convenience. I continued to protest, as $2000 for the work in discussion is money I don't have to spend right now (kind of a lie, but all monies are being saved for maternity care, leave, and Peanut).
At this point, the dear dentist then brought up the idea of the Care.Cre.dit for funding the dental work. I do appreciate knowing my options and the thoroughness in which she explained it. I understand the process. And it is good to know that I could use it in the future for Las.ik, which I do plan on doing. However, this is not the point, and I told her that that wasn't something my husband and I really wanted to do at this point (we are looking to clean up our credit because we want to buy a house in the near future...I did not tell the dentist this because I felt it was not her business).
When I said, again, to just schedule the work for the broken tooth and NOTHING ELSE, she started to tell me how if I don't do this work, stuff can go wrong with the pregnancy and began throwing around scary terms. Now, again I appreciate knowing all the information and if she was genuinely concerned for myself or my unborn child, I appreciate that as well. However, using scare tactics to bully a patient into dropping the extra money didn't seem very professional. It could have been handled differently, and far more appropriately. I had said no at least 3 times at this point. I was beyond annoyed, as my doctor cautioned me against large amounts of dental work. So this is what I said:
"Look, no offense to you because I do value your opinion as a professional care provider and realize you are highly qualified to construct reccomendations on my oral care, but I am taking my treatment plan to my OB in order to get an ok on the procedures you have recommended. You have done your part in detailing the work that needs to be done. While I am sure you have treated pregnant women before, I am not apt to taking prenatal advice from a dentist, just as I would not ask my OB for recommendations or a diagnosis on teeth. Furthermore, I feel as though you are trying to scare me into agreeing to the more expensive work at this point."
I should add that I said this very politely and did not raise my voice.
I tried very hard not to over react, as I tend to do, but seriously. I was mad. And it did not seem as though this conversation took place out of concern for my and my child's health.
Anyhow, I went to pay for today's work. I expected it to be about $100, as my insurance is maxed. Also, I have not been billed for the past two times I have been in the office as expected and I did have xrays done. I was figuring my total dental bill should be pretty hefty, to the tune of $400+. X rays aren't cheap. I come to find out that I owed nothing because I had a credit. Where did this credit come from? Apparently I overpaid for my $2700 root canal, and rather than issuing me a refund, they just kept the money. Whatever.
I think I am switching dentists. No joke. What can it hurt?
Monday, August 25, 2008
Seriously, I would have to sell MY BABY to pay for that.....
So was my qoute of the day. Allow me to to explain before anyone gets the idea that I would pawn off my baby for extra cash.
I had a dentist appointment this morning. As you may recall, I have had some dental mishaps this year, including a root canal and a broken tooth. As to not reiterate those stories, let's just say that both mishaps led my dentist to schedule a comprehensive exam in order to determine if there were any pressing issues in my mouth that would need to be taken care of while I was pregnant and what could wait until after Peanut's arrival. Now, being that I was a little shaken up having to have a tooth filed down with no drugs, and being that I was still early on in my first trimester, I agreed to this exam. I should add that I had already canceled this type of appointment as my dental insurance is maxed for the year.
Well, I woke up before my husband's alarm went off this morning, about 5 am. I do not have to get up until 7, but I was so worried about how this exam was going to go and what it was going to cost, that I could not fall back asleep. It was therefore an early morning.
The exam itself was not so bad. I knew I had some problems in mouth, as I had not been to the dentist in about 6 years. (yes, yes, I know this is bad....but after college I did not have dental insurance and when I did, certain employers made it damn near impossible to maintain any type of appointment.) I knew the broken tooth would need to be fixed soon, most likely asap, and I was aware of another bad cavity from the time of my root canal. Regardless, I was not aware, nor prepared of exactly how many problems this woman would unearth in my mouth.
Let's just say this....THEY WANT ME TO DO OVER $6,000.00 IN WORK OVER THE NEXT YEAR. Upon entering all the information from my gum exam, minimal x-rays, and other poking and prodding (um...yes, it does hurt when you stick that sharp needle-like thing into my gum line, thanks for checking though), they produced a treatment plan. And upon reviewing the plan with me, the dentist announced the price.
My immediate reaction was to start laughing. I mean, seriously. That is the cost of a used car! That is 6 months of rent!
My next comment was the title of this post "It isn't even going to cost that much for me to have this baby! Seriously, I would have to sell my baby to pay for that!"
Sensing my reluctance, I was then informed that the office could pre-approve me for a credit line for the dental work. Again, you want me to take out a line of credit at the DENTAL OFFICE?!
The receptionist, who is my neighbor, was a bit more understanding and went over the plan with me, outlining how the priorities were grouped and options I had in scheduling them. She completely understood when I said that before I scheduled anything, I needed to speak with my husband and my doctor. I did schedule a bacteria scan for next Tuesday morning, which will allow a better idea of how likely I am to develop abcesses or other infection type things that sound like a riot, and it is only $40. Plus the dentist will then be able to give me a special mouthwash that will prevent the further spread of bacteria/decay in my mouth.
I thought about it the entire way to work. I think I am just going to have the work done that fixes my broken tooth, and then maybe the bad cavity. That itself will be about $600 without any insurance. I will ask next week exactly which elements of the treatment plan are necessary in order to do these two things.
A high point of the day: my first prenatal yoga class started today, and I loved, loved, loved it. It felt so good to stretch among other things. It is not too pricey, but I am only going to be able to go once a week as there is only one evening prenatal class. And there is no class next Monday due to Labo.r Da.y. Boo.
Oh, and I have been craving rice kispies like no other. So much that Ben and I had to run to Saf.eway last night at 9 to pick some up, and I have eaten half the box already. :)
I had a dentist appointment this morning. As you may recall, I have had some dental mishaps this year, including a root canal and a broken tooth. As to not reiterate those stories, let's just say that both mishaps led my dentist to schedule a comprehensive exam in order to determine if there were any pressing issues in my mouth that would need to be taken care of while I was pregnant and what could wait until after Peanut's arrival. Now, being that I was a little shaken up having to have a tooth filed down with no drugs, and being that I was still early on in my first trimester, I agreed to this exam. I should add that I had already canceled this type of appointment as my dental insurance is maxed for the year.
Well, I woke up before my husband's alarm went off this morning, about 5 am. I do not have to get up until 7, but I was so worried about how this exam was going to go and what it was going to cost, that I could not fall back asleep. It was therefore an early morning.
The exam itself was not so bad. I knew I had some problems in mouth, as I had not been to the dentist in about 6 years. (yes, yes, I know this is bad....but after college I did not have dental insurance and when I did, certain employers made it damn near impossible to maintain any type of appointment.) I knew the broken tooth would need to be fixed soon, most likely asap, and I was aware of another bad cavity from the time of my root canal. Regardless, I was not aware, nor prepared of exactly how many problems this woman would unearth in my mouth.
Let's just say this....THEY WANT ME TO DO OVER $6,000.00 IN WORK OVER THE NEXT YEAR. Upon entering all the information from my gum exam, minimal x-rays, and other poking and prodding (um...yes, it does hurt when you stick that sharp needle-like thing into my gum line, thanks for checking though), they produced a treatment plan. And upon reviewing the plan with me, the dentist announced the price.
My immediate reaction was to start laughing. I mean, seriously. That is the cost of a used car! That is 6 months of rent!
My next comment was the title of this post "It isn't even going to cost that much for me to have this baby! Seriously, I would have to sell my baby to pay for that!"
Sensing my reluctance, I was then informed that the office could pre-approve me for a credit line for the dental work. Again, you want me to take out a line of credit at the DENTAL OFFICE?!
The receptionist, who is my neighbor, was a bit more understanding and went over the plan with me, outlining how the priorities were grouped and options I had in scheduling them. She completely understood when I said that before I scheduled anything, I needed to speak with my husband and my doctor. I did schedule a bacteria scan for next Tuesday morning, which will allow a better idea of how likely I am to develop abcesses or other infection type things that sound like a riot, and it is only $40. Plus the dentist will then be able to give me a special mouthwash that will prevent the further spread of bacteria/decay in my mouth.
I thought about it the entire way to work. I think I am just going to have the work done that fixes my broken tooth, and then maybe the bad cavity. That itself will be about $600 without any insurance. I will ask next week exactly which elements of the treatment plan are necessary in order to do these two things.
A high point of the day: my first prenatal yoga class started today, and I loved, loved, loved it. It felt so good to stretch among other things. It is not too pricey, but I am only going to be able to go once a week as there is only one evening prenatal class. And there is no class next Monday due to Labo.r Da.y. Boo.
Oh, and I have been craving rice kispies like no other. So much that Ben and I had to run to Saf.eway last night at 9 to pick some up, and I have eaten half the box already. :)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Back to Good
So Peanut and I are officially out of the first trimester. Or, I think so at least. According to the ticker above, I am almost to a full 14 weeks. However, on various other pregnancy websites, I am told I am in my 14th week of pregnancy. This kind of simple calendar math makes my head hurt trying to understand that 13+ weeks of development is actually equivalent to being in the 14th week of pregnancy. Whatever. I am not a common sensical gal...more of a science geek type.
Anyhoo, Peanut is rougly the size of a clenched fist and can make facial expressions now. My mother can not get past the time when I told her that Peanut was the size of a lime and had all its little tooth buds formed below the gum line, and now thinks of my baby as a lime with teeth. I have another doctor's appoint next thursday, and I have already begun my list of questions for this visit. I really want to hear Peanut's heartbeat again, and hopefully see him/her. I read updates on the baby's growth (generically of course, not specifically my baby) every day. It is amazing to me what is going on in my body, and I often catch myself staring at my stomach, trying to envision where my child is and what it looks like and what it is doing at this moment. I can't wait to feel my son or daughter kick me. :)
In terms of myself, I am feeling more like myself these days. My fatigue has started to fade a little bit. I am gaining a little bit of weight, but for the overal pregnancy, I am still in the negative for the weight gain due to the 12 pounds I lost initially. I am mostly gaining belly. While I was shopping on Sunday (which I will get to in a minute...it was an experience, let me tell you.), someone I worked with many moons ago actually said "Oh my god, look at your cute pregnant belly!" It is nice to know that I look pregnant and not just fat. I will post the belly pic as soon I can (you know me and pictures). In addition to that, I can tell I have a baby belly or at least an expanding belly because last night I had to untie my sweatpants to get them on comfortably (I used to just tie them on the slightly loose side and pull them up and down). My acne outbreak is starting to subside a bit. It is mostly along my hairline anyway, so it is not extremely noticeable, but I have gotten the occassional one (or five) on the forehead. Nice.
And this may not seem like a big deal, but I followed the recommendation of my dentist and got a new tooth brush. In my irrate state in describing my dental experience, I may have neglected to mention that she told me to get a soft bristle brush. I kinda blew it off at first because I have had soft bristle brushes (on accident) and never liked them much. I always preferred the medium kind. However, I told her my gums had been a little more sensitive and I had had a bit more "pink in the sink" after brushing. I went out and got one of those new 360 brushes (I think it is Col.gate, but I don't really remember), and it is a wonderful, wonderful purchase. It seriously feels like the brush is massaging my gums, and I really like how it cleans the inside of my cheeks and tongue too.
Ok, so the shopping. I went into the city (SF) on Sunday in pursuit of maternity jeans with the aid of my little friend G (she needs to be referred to as little G, as she is tiny and I have another friend G who I may talk about one day. Just to clarify.). After leaving the retail industry, I don't go shopping that much as I am not in the mall everyday. Herego, I had a list of things I needed. Anyhoo, the first stops were easy as they were just to makeup counters. We always stop into VS to say high to the crew and Boo D. Plus I had a free panty coupon. Now, after having worked this industry for 5 years, I have to say that it is pretty irritating to have people come in just for the freebie, but in all fairness I did intend to attempt to use the bra discount. However, I know the girls have grown. I notice it, my husband notices it, and probably other people to. I let our old pal A measure me, and to my dismay, I have gone from the 36C I have been for the past 3 years to a 38C! Needless to say, I am anticipating more um...growth in the next few months, so I did not try anything on. How am I wearing the wrong bra size comfortably right now? Well, thank god for the miracle of the BBV microfiber. Bless the stretchiness.
After that we proceeded to J.Cr.ew to get my bridesmaid dress for Z's wedding. They did not have the style in the store, but I kinda expected that. The helpful sales girl took my measurements and told me what size I should try in some other dresses. Now, I should say that I have ordered this same dress in a different material and color for another wedding, so I know what size used to fit me. I told the girl this and that in 2 months my stomach and various other parts will most likely be larger than the measured size that fits now. My strategy: Order the biggest size and have it tailored down. I don't think the girl really understood what I was saying, but the dress got ordered (or I got put on the waitlist for the dress anyway) and I didn't have to pay shipping charges as I ordered and paid through the store.
So began the pursuit of maternity jeans. Can I just say how freakin hard it was? A. I am short, so I usually get ankle length jeans, that most often have to be hemmed anyway because B. I have the wonderful Latina curves that make me a wierd short size. My legs fit into a completely different size than my behind and hips. It was pretty frustrating, because I know I am most likely going to have to purchase a larger pair of maternity pants in the upcoming months. And as I said before, I don't want to shell out the big $$ for that until I can get alot of use from them. I don't know. I am being really wierd about this. Anyway, I finally found one pair hidden in Ol.d Na.vy that are seriously the next comfiest thing to sweats. I put them on and didn't want to take them off. SO FREAKIN COMFY. It was a bit odd to see myself in maternity jeans, and they are probably the ugliest jeans I have owned in a while (I can't say ever because I am pretty sure I had stonewashed jeans that zipped at the ankle at one point in my life). I guess the mission was accomplished because I did get jeans...even though they still need to be hemmed. I thought that buying pants with a stretchy waistband would mean it would be easier to find a pair that would fit perfectly. Whatevs.
ok, I have written a novel here and I am thinking it is time for lunch. :)
Lastly, my list of things to get done:
1. Call doctor and ask if my prescription eye drops are still ok to use because my eyes are getting poopy again
2. Update pregnancy calendar
3. Buy plastic bins to house the presents Peanut has received
4. Sign up for my online traffic school
Anyhoo, Peanut is rougly the size of a clenched fist and can make facial expressions now. My mother can not get past the time when I told her that Peanut was the size of a lime and had all its little tooth buds formed below the gum line, and now thinks of my baby as a lime with teeth. I have another doctor's appoint next thursday, and I have already begun my list of questions for this visit. I really want to hear Peanut's heartbeat again, and hopefully see him/her. I read updates on the baby's growth (generically of course, not specifically my baby) every day. It is amazing to me what is going on in my body, and I often catch myself staring at my stomach, trying to envision where my child is and what it looks like and what it is doing at this moment. I can't wait to feel my son or daughter kick me. :)
In terms of myself, I am feeling more like myself these days. My fatigue has started to fade a little bit. I am gaining a little bit of weight, but for the overal pregnancy, I am still in the negative for the weight gain due to the 12 pounds I lost initially. I am mostly gaining belly. While I was shopping on Sunday (which I will get to in a minute...it was an experience, let me tell you.), someone I worked with many moons ago actually said "Oh my god, look at your cute pregnant belly!" It is nice to know that I look pregnant and not just fat. I will post the belly pic as soon I can (you know me and pictures). In addition to that, I can tell I have a baby belly or at least an expanding belly because last night I had to untie my sweatpants to get them on comfortably (I used to just tie them on the slightly loose side and pull them up and down). My acne outbreak is starting to subside a bit. It is mostly along my hairline anyway, so it is not extremely noticeable, but I have gotten the occassional one (or five) on the forehead. Nice.
And this may not seem like a big deal, but I followed the recommendation of my dentist and got a new tooth brush. In my irrate state in describing my dental experience, I may have neglected to mention that she told me to get a soft bristle brush. I kinda blew it off at first because I have had soft bristle brushes (on accident) and never liked them much. I always preferred the medium kind. However, I told her my gums had been a little more sensitive and I had had a bit more "pink in the sink" after brushing. I went out and got one of those new 360 brushes (I think it is Col.gate, but I don't really remember), and it is a wonderful, wonderful purchase. It seriously feels like the brush is massaging my gums, and I really like how it cleans the inside of my cheeks and tongue too.
Ok, so the shopping. I went into the city (SF) on Sunday in pursuit of maternity jeans with the aid of my little friend G (she needs to be referred to as little G, as she is tiny and I have another friend G who I may talk about one day. Just to clarify.). After leaving the retail industry, I don't go shopping that much as I am not in the mall everyday. Herego, I had a list of things I needed. Anyhoo, the first stops were easy as they were just to makeup counters. We always stop into VS to say high to the crew and Boo D. Plus I had a free panty coupon. Now, after having worked this industry for 5 years, I have to say that it is pretty irritating to have people come in just for the freebie, but in all fairness I did intend to attempt to use the bra discount. However, I know the girls have grown. I notice it, my husband notices it, and probably other people to. I let our old pal A measure me, and to my dismay, I have gone from the 36C I have been for the past 3 years to a 38C! Needless to say, I am anticipating more um...growth in the next few months, so I did not try anything on. How am I wearing the wrong bra size comfortably right now? Well, thank god for the miracle of the BBV microfiber. Bless the stretchiness.
After that we proceeded to J.Cr.ew to get my bridesmaid dress for Z's wedding. They did not have the style in the store, but I kinda expected that. The helpful sales girl took my measurements and told me what size I should try in some other dresses. Now, I should say that I have ordered this same dress in a different material and color for another wedding, so I know what size used to fit me. I told the girl this and that in 2 months my stomach and various other parts will most likely be larger than the measured size that fits now. My strategy: Order the biggest size and have it tailored down. I don't think the girl really understood what I was saying, but the dress got ordered (or I got put on the waitlist for the dress anyway) and I didn't have to pay shipping charges as I ordered and paid through the store.
So began the pursuit of maternity jeans. Can I just say how freakin hard it was? A. I am short, so I usually get ankle length jeans, that most often have to be hemmed anyway because B. I have the wonderful Latina curves that make me a wierd short size. My legs fit into a completely different size than my behind and hips. It was pretty frustrating, because I know I am most likely going to have to purchase a larger pair of maternity pants in the upcoming months. And as I said before, I don't want to shell out the big $$ for that until I can get alot of use from them. I don't know. I am being really wierd about this. Anyway, I finally found one pair hidden in Ol.d Na.vy that are seriously the next comfiest thing to sweats. I put them on and didn't want to take them off. SO FREAKIN COMFY. It was a bit odd to see myself in maternity jeans, and they are probably the ugliest jeans I have owned in a while (I can't say ever because I am pretty sure I had stonewashed jeans that zipped at the ankle at one point in my life). I guess the mission was accomplished because I did get jeans...even though they still need to be hemmed. I thought that buying pants with a stretchy waistband would mean it would be easier to find a pair that would fit perfectly. Whatevs.
ok, I have written a novel here and I am thinking it is time for lunch. :)
Lastly, my list of things to get done:
1. Call doctor and ask if my prescription eye drops are still ok to use because my eyes are getting poopy again
2. Update pregnancy calendar
3. Buy plastic bins to house the presents Peanut has received
4. Sign up for my online traffic school
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Dentist Woes
Earlier this year I had to have the most expensive dental work of my entire life (I am not including orthodontia as I did not have to pay for that). I needed a root canal. Now, I have dental insurance, and it covers up to $1000 a year, which I am told by my mother is fairly standard. This root canal needed to be done on a tooth which a filling cracked out of, let's say...2 weeks before my wedding in 2005. Why did I not get it take care of before this year, you may ask? Well, I didn't have any dental insurance, and then when I did, the a-holes running the Limi.ted Brands empire made it impossible for me to use it. Finally, around early February, the nerve got infection and my mouth was instantly filled with pain. Needless to say, the dental field is unlike the medical field, and whatever your insurance won't cover, you have to come up with. Herego, I had to fork over an extra $1600 dollars to end my misery. That's right, the total bill was about $2600 for ONE TOOTH.
When I went back to get my diamond platinum crown (it was really just porcelein, i tell myself it was equivalent to jewelry to ease the empty bank account shock), the dentist so kindly pointed out that the decay had spread to a neighboring tooth, however; she couldn't fix it until I had a complete x-ray and comprehensive workup done and all this was going to cost about another $500 because my insurance was maxed out. I kindly pointed out that I had another chipped filling that I would like taken care of first. She said the same thing....that I need the x-rays and exam, blah blah. I said I would check my schedule and get back to the office when I coudl figure out a time (could I help it that this time may be early January of the next year?)
So on the morning of Fourth, my husband decided to wash all three of our cars and left me to lay on the couch. Being in the delicate condition that I am, I am only able to eat certain things that sound good at the time, and I have to eat them fast because when my stomach realizes what I am giving it, I have to run to the bathroom. This morning, I decided on Fritos with cottage cheese. I ate a bit and then was letting what little was in my tummy rest, when I felt something wierd in my mouth. Upon spitting it in my hand, I discovered that it was part of my chipped filling tooth! A quick running of my tongue along my teeth confirmed that there was indeed a hole in my tooth, and it was quite jagged.
This sucks for many reasons. First, it obviously needs to be fixed somehow and this means I will have to re-budget the money yet again to find the extra cash to cover it. Second, I can't have novacaine. SUCKO. And third, I have to feel like a redneck hick in the mean time with a small gap in mouth (granted it is in the back, but I know it is there). Upon several calls to family members, the general consensus is that I should have the dentist file the edge and fill it in on a temporary basis, until Baby Lahman is safely screaming in her waiting room with his father who is waiting to drive my drugged up, numbed face self back to our one room shack to eat ramen noodles, which is all we can afford since we will most likely have to pay for another root canal.
Oh, and given the nature of my mouth, I could not really enjoy the corn on the cob to the fullest, which was all I was really looking forward to eating. Like I said, I have to eat what sounds good, and I have to eat it fast.
When I went back to get my diamond platinum crown (it was really just porcelein, i tell myself it was equivalent to jewelry to ease the empty bank account shock), the dentist so kindly pointed out that the decay had spread to a neighboring tooth, however; she couldn't fix it until I had a complete x-ray and comprehensive workup done and all this was going to cost about another $500 because my insurance was maxed out. I kindly pointed out that I had another chipped filling that I would like taken care of first. She said the same thing....that I need the x-rays and exam, blah blah. I said I would check my schedule and get back to the office when I coudl figure out a time (could I help it that this time may be early January of the next year?)
So on the morning of Fourth, my husband decided to wash all three of our cars and left me to lay on the couch. Being in the delicate condition that I am, I am only able to eat certain things that sound good at the time, and I have to eat them fast because when my stomach realizes what I am giving it, I have to run to the bathroom. This morning, I decided on Fritos with cottage cheese. I ate a bit and then was letting what little was in my tummy rest, when I felt something wierd in my mouth. Upon spitting it in my hand, I discovered that it was part of my chipped filling tooth! A quick running of my tongue along my teeth confirmed that there was indeed a hole in my tooth, and it was quite jagged.
This sucks for many reasons. First, it obviously needs to be fixed somehow and this means I will have to re-budget the money yet again to find the extra cash to cover it. Second, I can't have novacaine. SUCKO. And third, I have to feel like a redneck hick in the mean time with a small gap in mouth (granted it is in the back, but I know it is there). Upon several calls to family members, the general consensus is that I should have the dentist file the edge and fill it in on a temporary basis, until Baby Lahman is safely screaming in her waiting room with his father who is waiting to drive my drugged up, numbed face self back to our one room shack to eat ramen noodles, which is all we can afford since we will most likely have to pay for another root canal.
Oh, and given the nature of my mouth, I could not really enjoy the corn on the cob to the fullest, which was all I was really looking forward to eating. Like I said, I have to eat what sounds good, and I have to eat it fast.
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