No Pain, No Gain

WHEW!  What a week!  I know that's how I started my last post, but this week has been a doozie too.  Little Sister is in the throes of teething and it ain't pretty.  Her bottom incisors are coming in and those razor sharp little peggies are giving her a fit!  I'm so distressed because until these recent episodes, Little Sister has shown remarkable resiliency, even when faced with uncomfortable situations.  She rarely cries or complains, except when she's hungry or left alone in her crib (and we all know what that's about).  So, it has been very difficult to see her suffer and be so miserable because of the teething.

With these new teeth coming in, she'll have sprouted eight teeth in under 10 months.  At this rate, she will be the newest patient of Auntie Robin at Astoria Dentistry any day now.  When I called her pediatrician for advice, his sage wisdom was that there is not a lot that can be done, I just have to "ride it out."  I wonder if "ride it out" is an official CPT code.  Of course I've tried all the tried and true measures...Tylenol, cold teething rings, and cold washcloths, but all provided very temporary relief.  It seems as if the good doctor is right...time will take care of this situation.  I have had friends share interesting home remedies, including using catnip, writing the baby's name on an egg, putting turpentine on her foot, etc...  Now what did Arsenio used to say?  "Things that make you go hmmmm..."  It may have worked back in the olden days, but I think I'll pass on writing her name on anything and stapling it over her door.

But, now I have become a big advocate of the Tooth Fairy.  I wholeheartedly agree, kids do deserve a little something when their teeth fall out after going through all this grief and strife when they're coming in.  :-)  But, in the meantime, I guess we'll have to ride it out as I'm sure we'll have to do as she experiences all the different stages of growing pains.

What advice do you moms and dads have out there to relieve teething discomfort?

Upheld!

WHEW!  What a week!  Last week started off on a stressful note as Little Sister came down with an awful bug on Sunday night, which ended up in a trip to the pediatric emergency room.  Luckily, it wasn't anything that time and Piadalyte couldn't resolve. But, as I sat in the ER that night and as I spoke to her doctor who called to check on her a few days later, I couldn't help but be thankful to God for the fact that we have insurance coverage, which allows us to seek medical attention any time we need it.  Unfortunately that's not the case for millions of Americans and countless other citizens of the world.  After the Supreme Court upheld the key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, I had every intention of writing a blog about the ramifications of the decision.  But, of course, life sucked up all my free moments.  However, as I reflect on my first stressful experience of having to care for a suddenly ill baby, I would be remiss in not acknowledging how blessed my family is for having insurance and what the Affordable Care Act can mean for millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans.

The initial passage of the Affordable Care Act resulted in an immediate lift for lots of families in that it established the maximum age at which a parent could cover a child on their insurance to age 26.  Prior to that, there was no regulation and insurance companies typically stopped covering a dependent child once they hit 18 or when they were no longer a college student.  Now, of course I'm hoping that by the time Little Sister turns 26, she will be independent and standing on her own two feet, but in today's economy, this was welcome news for families with adult kids who have "boomeranged" back home for various reasons and haven't quite made their way in the world. In addition, the new law includes provisions that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to children under the age of 19 because of a pre-existing condition.  And most recently, on August 1, new provisions took effect that expanded preventive health services for women.  Now, many preventive services that women used to have to pay a co-pay to receive are mandated to be provided without cost sharing (NO CO-PAY!) on the part of the patient.  This means Well Woman visits, contraception, breastfeeding support, domestic violence screening and support and a whole host of comprehensive preventive health services will be available for women at no cost.

With the Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the law's constitutionality, states can move forward with developing Affordable Insurance Exchanges, which will allow individuals and small businesses to compare and enroll in a health plan that meets their need.  This means that come 2014, folks, like many of my family members and friends, who are employed but cannot afford their company's insurance or who are unemployed, will be able to turn to the exchange to find affordable coverage.  And unlike the old adage, "you get what you pay for," to be certified and offered in an exchange, the plan has to provide at a minimum Essential Health Benefits, which is a comprehensive range of services.  So, consumers can rest assured that whatever plan they select, there is a pretty good minimum level of coverage that can be expected.  While health reform is a political hot potato, the significance of getting this legislation passed and upheld by the Supreme Court is historic.  American legislators have been grappling with this issue since 1915 and until now, no president has been able to broker a deal between the powerful lobbies, special interests and constituencies that previously could not successfully come together to craft a solution.

But, having health insurance is only part of the equation to maintaining good health.  Having good health is influenced more by the decisions we make on a daily basis, such as what we eat, how physically active we are, and whether we are emotionally healthy than whether or not we have a primary care physician.  Unfortunately, in many pockets of the U.S., chronic and infectious diseases are taking a heavy toll.  However, my hope is that with the Affordable Care Act, with increased access to preventive care and tertiary care, all Americans will have access to the information and services needed to live long and productive lives.

By the way, Little Sister was fine after a few days.  Mama and Grandma, on the other hand, didn't fare so well.  The week ended up being a total bust for me because I caught what she had and ended up laid up unable work.  And I knew we were in big trouble on the morning I woke up and Grandma had been taken out by this bug.  Sadly, even Skip, the pup, got sick.  Needless to say, we were a sad, sorry bunch.  But, this week is a new day and we are all happy, healthy and well!

Food for thought...

Just Call Me Bob Vila

So, this weekend I had to face one of my biggest fears about becoming a parent.  I had to tackle those three dreaded words that strike fear in the hearts of most moms and dads...SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.  The time had come (actually the time was long past) for Little Sister to get a highchair.  I had put it off because I could not find one that I liked.  I had seen the one that I knew that I would want, but I saw it while I was pregnant and thought, "Oh, I won't need that for a while, so I will worry about buying that later."  Of course, as EVERYONE has told me, the time has flown by and lo and behold, she's crawling, sitting up and eating solids.  When I drug Daddy-O to the big box store to buy it, it was gone!  The store no longer carried it!  What I was left with were highchairs that bore an uncanny resemblance to Old Sparky (NEXT!) or vinyl and plastic monstrosities that had zero style and panache.  So, I was left to my last resort...order from the Internet and put it together myself.  Actually, the plan was to have Daddy-O put it together, but when it arrived, Grandma chided me for being a wuss and not tackling this myself.  Of course no one likes being called a wuss, so I rolled up my sleeves, put on my internal soundtrack of "I am Woman" and got to it.  Amazingly, it only required 7 screws (which were included) and within 2 hours we were in business!  Just kidding, actually it took about 15 minutes to put together.  So hey, I am ready to tackle putting together bikes and dollhouses at Christmas (to help out Santa, of course) and I think I'm ready to try building a cordwood house!  Bob Vila ain't got nothing on me!  :-)

U-S-A!

U-S-A!  On Tuesday night I stayed up until the wee hours watching NBC’s tape-delayed broadcast of the Women’s Gymnastics All Around finals.  No, I’m not here to complain about NBC’s Olympics telecast (although I was thoroughly disgusted because I found out the results several hours before the event was broadcast).  I’m just here to wish them well.  As Kyla Ross said on The Today Show, those young ladies “rocked the house.”  I can’t wait until tonight’s broadcast to see how Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman fare in the individual all-around competition.

Like many parents, as I watch Gabby and Cullen and Maya, I have Olympic dreams for Little Sister.  While I doubt that she’ll be a 4’11’’ pixie powerhouse that flies through the air on the gymnastics apparati, in my mind’s eye I can see her excelling in swimming or tennis or maybe rowing.  Or better yet, if bouncing was an Olympic sport, she’d be a gold medal winner without a doubt.  Now that she is crawling and pulling up, her favorite pastime is bouncing up and down NON-STOP.  One thing is for sure, she has A LOT of energy, so I know as she grows older, Daddy-O and I will be challenged to find creative ways for her to burn off all that energy.  But, whether she tries for Olympic gold or is more interested in academic pursuits (or both), she’ll always have me in her corner cheering her on.