Still here!

One of the grandmothers has told me that I've been bad about posting Meggie pictures lately. So see below. Sorry I've been remiss in posting. We've been kind of busy!

Alan has been really busy at work. Me too. I've been writing a lot more. Plus one of my co-workers had a family emergency, so I'm going to be working more to help cover her shifts.

Also, I've been dealing with the insurance company about Meggie's ear tubes (they seem to be working fine, by the way). Sometimes I wonder: Do they want to insure people or not? I didn't realize that when you get your initial bill, that's not it. All these other people involved in the procedure throw in unexpected charges. The prospect of having to pay a large claim prompted the insurance company to check whether Meggie had had a lapse in coverage (she hasn't ... ever) and held up paying claims until we provided them proof. Sheesh. The claims guy and I ended up having a long, tearful conversation about life, death and the state of health care in the United States today. Quite depressing, actually. Excerpt:

Me: So, this is kind of unfair, don't you think? Families are told what the bill will be, and then they get the bill and it's NOTHING at all like the number they were told when they agreed to the procedure. I mean, that could really break somebody, couldn't it?
Insurance guy: Oh yes. And it does. I've been there. And the way it works is: Everybody who can slip in a charge ... does. And there's no legislation or anything to cap how much they can charge, so sometimes you don't know what the anesthesiologist is going to decide it cost.
Me: That's wrong!
Insurance guy: I know!
Me: So, can I slip in some charges? How about mileage to get her to the surgery center.
Insurance guy: Well, you could try...

Anyway, we did get it figured out (thanks be), and they're moving forward with the claim. Here's another way to get rich -- become an ear nose and throat doctor. Did you know the doctor got $100 a minute to put in the tubes? A minute! Geez, that ought to put a dent in those medical loans. But then of course, they all claim that they need to pay oodles in malpractice insurance. And then you get into tort reform. (So nasty even though it sounds very tasty!)

Anyway, I know this is a no-policy blog, but I had to vent a bit! I spent so many hours on the phone. Also, the surgery center tacked on a charge that was totally bogus. The doctor's office dealt with them, and they took the charge off again. The nerve.

But enough of that. Overall, we're doing great and couldn't be happier. Meggie's godmother Sylvette is coming to visit the little rabble-rouser in May. It'll be a short visit, but it should be lots of fun.

Love to you all!