Omamacare

Mamas stress out way too much when it comes the care of their Little Peoples. Well, except my one friend, Andi. She has this fantastic, ulcer-free way to be less than manic when her youngest had knot the size of Toledo on his forehead. But most of the other women I know tend to freak at each minuscule scrape and try to figure out ways to adorn our babes in bubble wrap.

As someone who had their first ulcer at 17, I definitely wish I lived by the "rub-some-dirt-in-it" mantra.

Hudson is having trouble with his ears again. They are plugged and essentially he is hearing at less than 50%. I know this because we went back on Friday to the much despised local ENT (whose office, by the way, was running 45 minutes LATE at 8:30 a.m. Grrrrr....)

So, Hudson needs tubes surgery, plus an adenoid roto-rooting, and tonsillectomy. Well, jeez.
Despite the fact that most kids in the United States have one of these surgeries they are far from run of the mill and not always the safest things. The recuperating time for the tonsillectomy is two weeks of nothing. No running, no jumping, no activity. (Yeah, that sounds like a 5 year old boy.) School is only permitted after day 8 if I "trust his teacher will keep him sedated".

For our recent Goodbye Sunday Service, Hudson and the
other kids dressed up like "Little Bills" to represent our
pastor who is retiring from TCC. Adorable.

For those that do not remember, two years ago next month, another dear friend watched her five year old's tonsillectomy turn into a two weeks jaunt at Riley Hospital for Children which included a ventilator. That memory is way too fresh in my mind's eye to take this lightly. I would like to get a second opinion. I have been told by other mamas that the new threshold for a tonsillectomy is multiple strep throats within a couple months. Hudson has NEVER had a strep throat.

Being proactive, I decided to go ahead and schedule a second opinion appointment (next week) and surgery with current doctor. The first surgery opportunity was TODAY.  Or after October 22nd. If he has it between October 22 and October 31, he can not trick or treat. Well, since he is FIVE and he already is going to have to be tied down to be sedated for the 10 days after surgery, I am opting for a first of November surgery date.

You think I am done? Well, not really. Because it is 2013 and we have this really great thing called health insurance. By some lucky twist of fate, we have had zero health claims for Hudson (or really any of us!) this year, which means surgery would cost us about $5000 out of pocket.

$5000. Yikes.

Knowing that fate can not keep us all healthy for another calendar year, there is very serious interest in pushing this surgery to the 2014 calendar year. Like January. Like when we will have the whole year to allow Hudson to break bones or need stitches or some other costly health procedure.

Then I pause. For real, this is a thought?!?! Doesn't that seem backward? Or just reality of this day in age?

If I think about this anymore, I am going to have an ulcer this year. And that would cost $5000.

And that my friends is Omamacare in practice.