Today we officially reached Devon's maximum out of pocket expenses with our insurance. That means any claims he has for the next ten months will be paid in full and it means we know exactly what we owe for his hernia emergency. I like knowing exact numbers. It makes my box-checking, planning ahead brain very happy.
Anyway, I'm thinking about removing all bodily parts that he can live without. It would be free, so why not? We could just do one big operation and get rid of adenoids, appendix, tonsils and anything else he doesn't really need. Maybe we could even put in new ear tubes, just for kicks. Donate a kidney?
What do you think?
Showing posts with label hernia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hernia. Show all posts
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
GOD'S PROVISION
I know a lot of people are stressed about money these days, so I just wanted to share what's going on with us as a reminder that God doesn't always do things the way we expect him to.
Devon's hernia repair at the end of October was expensive. Obviously insurance will cover some, but we'll have to cover a chunk too. Emergency hernia repairs are chunks of money you don't typically budget for. God totally covered the thousands of dollars that Silas' drowning cost, so I knew he could handle this one too. But this one was going to be more costly. We figured we'd make small payments until our tax refund came, then pay off the balance with that money. We've never had to make medical payments before, but sometimes that's the way life goes.
Well, we still haven't received an actual bill, but the EOBs have started coming in. We know there is at least one more EOB that will arrive in our mailbox, but we know some of what we'll owe. We'll call that amount "X".
Here's the cool part. We have over 80% of X in our bank account already, though an actual bill hasn't even arrived. Part of that 80% is a gift someone contributed to the "Will The Ws Ever Stop Having Medical Emergencies" fund. But the other parts are total God things. Not that a gift isn't a God thing, but you know what I mean.
One chunk is from our insurance. Remember that mammogram I had back in July? Well, I'm technically too young to have insurance pay for it. However, because my mom died in her 30s of breast cancer I'm considered high risk, which means my insurance should pay for it. Now, I'm willing to pay for it if I have to. It's important for me to get them and I'm willing to pay for them until I reach the insurance's age for payment, but if insurance will pay, then I'd be happy to let them. So I've spent the last four months sorting out mixed messages between the insurance company, the imaging place, and my doctor's office. Everyone has been nice and helpful, but things weren't getting straightened out. Until last week, that is. We received a refund for part of the money we paid for my mammogram. Woo hoo for perseverance that paid off!!
Then we spent six weeks with furnace troubles. First the furnace didn't work at all. Then it put out heat ... along with major gas fumes. Then our power blew in all rooms except the kitchen and living room. It was a mess. Well, our landlord just refunded us a large portion of our rent for November to compensate for the hassle and the extra use of electricity while we used space heaters. Woo hoo for our landlord!!
That means 80% of X has been paid off because I have a mom that died of breast cancer at a young age (which led me to pay for a mammo, which resulted in getting some money refunded) and because we lived without heat and power (which led our landlord to refund some of our rent to us).
How's that for some silver linings? So, just remember that the way God provides for your needs may be a little random, but he will provide.
Devon's hernia repair at the end of October was expensive. Obviously insurance will cover some, but we'll have to cover a chunk too. Emergency hernia repairs are chunks of money you don't typically budget for. God totally covered the thousands of dollars that Silas' drowning cost, so I knew he could handle this one too. But this one was going to be more costly. We figured we'd make small payments until our tax refund came, then pay off the balance with that money. We've never had to make medical payments before, but sometimes that's the way life goes.
Well, we still haven't received an actual bill, but the EOBs have started coming in. We know there is at least one more EOB that will arrive in our mailbox, but we know some of what we'll owe. We'll call that amount "X".
Here's the cool part. We have over 80% of X in our bank account already, though an actual bill hasn't even arrived. Part of that 80% is a gift someone contributed to the "Will The Ws Ever Stop Having Medical Emergencies" fund. But the other parts are total God things. Not that a gift isn't a God thing, but you know what I mean.
One chunk is from our insurance. Remember that mammogram I had back in July? Well, I'm technically too young to have insurance pay for it. However, because my mom died in her 30s of breast cancer I'm considered high risk, which means my insurance should pay for it. Now, I'm willing to pay for it if I have to. It's important for me to get them and I'm willing to pay for them until I reach the insurance's age for payment, but if insurance will pay, then I'd be happy to let them. So I've spent the last four months sorting out mixed messages between the insurance company, the imaging place, and my doctor's office. Everyone has been nice and helpful, but things weren't getting straightened out. Until last week, that is. We received a refund for part of the money we paid for my mammogram. Woo hoo for perseverance that paid off!!
Then we spent six weeks with furnace troubles. First the furnace didn't work at all. Then it put out heat ... along with major gas fumes. Then our power blew in all rooms except the kitchen and living room. It was a mess. Well, our landlord just refunded us a large portion of our rent for November to compensate for the hassle and the extra use of electricity while we used space heaters. Woo hoo for our landlord!!
That means 80% of X has been paid off because I have a mom that died of breast cancer at a young age (which led me to pay for a mammo, which resulted in getting some money refunded) and because we lived without heat and power (which led our landlord to refund some of our rent to us).
How's that for some silver linings? So, just remember that the way God provides for your needs may be a little random, but he will provide.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
U - U - U - U - U - U
Unsurpassed, Unbeaten, Unbelievable - That's the kind of customer service we get from Sonlight. Not only do they treat their customers well when it comes to ordering, but they truly care about their customers as people. Devon received a personal card last week from the co-founder and head of Sonlight letting him know that they were praying for him during his hernia crisis and in the days following his surgery, as he recovered. We're thankful for such an awesome company to do business with!
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
2 T. plus 1c. all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. fennel seed, crushed
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. salt
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese, (optional)
In a saucepan, cook the sausage, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour, basil and fennel; mix well. Add tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Place the remaining flour in a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, milk, oil and salt until smooth; stir in Parmesan cheese if desired. Pour over casserole. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until browned.
Notes: I always use way more that ½ t. of basil and I often replace it with Italian seasoning. I never use fennel, as there is already some in the sausage. I frequently use whole wheat flour because it’s healthier and people who aren’t crazy about it can’t really taste a difference due to the strong flavor of everything else in the dish. I think the Parmesan is a must, and more than 2 T. You can never have too much cheese! I always make a double batch of the base and then freeze the extra in quart-sized freezer bags. You can pre-grate and freeze the cheese too.
Upside Down Pizza - Just thought I'd share a favorite recipe around our house. There are few things that all 5 Ws are equally fond of and this is one of them. It's on my recipe blog too, in case you want to give feedback on it over there.
~ Country Magazine, Aug/Sept 2000
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
2 T. plus 1c. all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. fennel seed, crushed
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. salt
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese, (optional)
In a saucepan, cook the sausage, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour, basil and fennel; mix well. Add tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Place the remaining flour in a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, milk, oil and salt until smooth; stir in Parmesan cheese if desired. Pour over casserole. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until browned.
Notes: I always use way more that ½ t. of basil and I often replace it with Italian seasoning. I never use fennel, as there is already some in the sausage. I frequently use whole wheat flour because it’s healthier and people who aren’t crazy about it can’t really taste a difference due to the strong flavor of everything else in the dish. I think the Parmesan is a must, and more than 2 T. You can never have too much cheese! I always make a double batch of the base and then freeze the extra in quart-sized freezer bags. You can pre-grate and freeze the cheese too.
Urban Camping - That's the term that Becky used to describe our lifestyle lately. We've been without a working furnace for several weeks, but we've had space heaters to keep us warm. Then our electrical panel blew last week and we've had no power in our hall, bedrooms, or bathroom. We've been peeing and showering with a flashlight for several days. However, we will have a new electrical panel tomorrow and a new furnace on Tuesday. Woo hoo!!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
DEVON AT DOERNBECHER
Devon was discharged on Friday about 8:00pm. He's doing well, though his recovery has been different than Silas' recovery from a hernia repair. Devon's surgery was the result of an incarcerated hernia and Silas' wasn't. Devon's surgery was bilateral and Silas' wasn't. Devon's surgery was laproscopic and Silas' wasn't. I think the fact that Devon's belly button, which is one of the places they went in, was involved is why he's been moving a little more slowly. You can't ignore sore belly muscles! Anyway, he's doing well - went to church, is playing around the house, etc.
Just thought I'd share some pics of the adventure. Some were taken by me when I took Silas, Naomi, and my grandma up to see Devon before surgery on Friday. Some of them were taken by Devon. I told him we'd do a blog about his hospital stay like we did with Silas, so he took a bunch of pics of his room to share with all of you. One picture is the "photo shoot" taken during his surgery. I'll save it for last and give you a warning, in case pics of internal stuff gross you out.
* Devon thoroughly enjoyed having the ability to control the lights, TV, and bed movement from his own nifty remote control.
Just thought I'd share some pics of the adventure. Some were taken by me when I took Silas, Naomi, and my grandma up to see Devon before surgery on Friday. Some of them were taken by Devon. I told him we'd do a blog about his hospital stay like we did with Silas, so he took a bunch of pics of his room to share with all of you. One picture is the "photo shoot" taken during his surgery. I'll save it for last and give you a warning, in case pics of internal stuff gross you out.
* Devon thoroughly enjoyed having the ability to control the lights, TV, and bed movement from his own nifty remote control.
* The view from the bed. In case you were wondering, that's a scale to the right of the TV. Devon found that to be noteworthy.
* Nurse Kelly, who I'm sure would love this picture.
* The smoke alarm, track for the privacy curtain, and sprinkler ... all in one picture!
* Cool pictures and design bordering the wall.
* The super cool, glow-in-the-dark moon and stars above Devon's bed.
* Devon was being a little bit solemn and grumpy. It had nothing to do with medical problems and everything to do with copping an attitude. So, while everyone else went to hunt down the cafeteria, Devon and I did a photo shoot. He absolutely loves getting kissed by me. Loves it! Can you tell? The fact that I have him in lockdown is coincidental. I assure you that he was not trying to escape. And his hand by my chin? That's a stroke of affection and not a defensive push.
* Little case of the giggles.
* I specifically told Devon to be serious. He's so defiant.
* Abs of Shrek, which is way cooler than abs of steel for any boy. The top one is for the belly button entry, the other two are the hernia sites. In case you missed it, when they pushed the incarcerated hernia back they discovered a mild hernia on the other side. So, he had both repaired. Did you notice how nicely his iodine skin matches his orange sheets?
* The next pic is of his insides, so feel free to be done reading if you have a wimpy tummy. The pics are small and aren't particularly gross or anything, but I know some people can't handle seeing anything internal under any circumstances. So, I'm just trying to be thoughtful. Nice of me, isn't it?
* Nurse Kelly, who I'm sure would love this picture.
* The smoke alarm, track for the privacy curtain, and sprinkler ... all in one picture!
* Cool pictures and design bordering the wall.
* The super cool, glow-in-the-dark moon and stars above Devon's bed.
* Devon was being a little bit solemn and grumpy. It had nothing to do with medical problems and everything to do with copping an attitude. So, while everyone else went to hunt down the cafeteria, Devon and I did a photo shoot. He absolutely loves getting kissed by me. Loves it! Can you tell? The fact that I have him in lockdown is coincidental. I assure you that he was not trying to escape. And his hand by my chin? That's a stroke of affection and not a defensive push.
* Little case of the giggles.
* I specifically told Devon to be serious. He's so defiant.
* The loot! Devon came home with all sorts of goodies from the hospital and his visitors. We didn't get it all in this pic, but you can see how fruitful his visit was. They even had a bag of candy for him, since his surgery was on Halloween.
* Abs of Shrek, which is way cooler than abs of steel for any boy. The top one is for the belly button entry, the other two are the hernia sites. In case you missed it, when they pushed the incarcerated hernia back they discovered a mild hernia on the other side. So, he had both repaired. Did you notice how nicely his iodine skin matches his orange sheets?
* The next pic is of his insides, so feel free to be done reading if you have a wimpy tummy. The pics are small and aren't particularly gross or anything, but I know some people can't handle seeing anything internal under any circumstances. So, I'm just trying to be thoughtful. Nice of me, isn't it?
.
The two pics on the left are where his incarcerated hernia was. See how there's a darker red area on the top left of the top picture? That was the hole the intestines, which are on the bottom left of the pic, went through. So, if you'd been watching the hernia happen, then you'd have seen the back of the intestines as they went away from you through that hole. In the bottom picture on the left you can see how they tightened the hole up so no more intestines can try to escape.
.
The two pics on the right are where his mild hernia was. I think those pics are harder to "read". The top picture has a dark spot in the upper center. That's the escape hole. The bottom picture has a spot that's obviously been tightened up, but I have a hard time matching it up with the first picture. It's just not as clear as the first set of pics.
Friday, October 31, 2008
2:10 UPDATE
I took Silas, Naomi, and my grandma up to see Devon this morning. He showed us all the tricks his bed could do, he and I took a bunch of pics while everyone else hunted down the cafeteria, and then we headed downstairs to surgery. We headed home right before they drugged him up. Then I came home, ate lunch, and konked out. I just called and talked to Tim and Devon. The surgeon took some before and after pics that they showed Tim (wish I could have seen them!) and said everything went well. I spoke to Devon briefly and he was quick to tell me he's had two popsicles since getting out of surgery. He should be heading home soon!
IT'S SURGERY DAY
They secured an operating room! His surgery will be at 11:30. It will be laproscopic surgery, which is not what Silas had. They'll go in through his belly button, do the bad side first, then the mild side. Devon has had an umbilical hernia his whole life that's never been a problem and they're going to take care of that too. Hopefully he'll get discharged today, but there's a chance they'll keep him another night. Getting a room so quickly is a huge blessing!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
ANOTHER HOSPITAL ADVENTURE
This time the star of the show was Devon.
We've had an interesting 4 1/2 hours. We were at a rummage sale earlier in the evening when Devon suddenly started crying and screaming in pain. Tim took him out to the car to try and figure out what was going on. I kept shopping with the other two kiddos. Brandon and Becky were also there and knew Devon was having a hard time. A few minutes later Brandon came and told me that Tim had called Becky from the car and said to send me out, that something was seriously wrong with Devon. While I gathered things up, Becky and Brandon went out to the van. As I crossed the parking lot I asked Becky, who happens to be a nurse, if I was going to spend the evening in the ER. She said yes. Devon was going to need an emergency hernia repair.
Well, it turned out that I dropped Devon and Tim off at the hospital, then took the other two kids home. Our worst case scenario was emergency hernia repair and the loss of a testicle. Thankfully that didn't happen. The hospital called in the only surgeon who is qualified to do both the hernia repair and the testicular surgery. He evaluated everything and decided to try and push the hernia back manually. Surgery on an inflamed area that's all twisted up is not exactly ideal. Operating on a non-twisted, non-swollen area would be much easier. I'm sure that doing it manually was excruciating for the Devs.
Anyway, it worked!! Awesome! And as the hernia went back, the portion that was in the scrotum retracted. Even more awesome!! He still has to have surgery, but not tonight.
In the process of pushing that thing back they realized he has a mild hernia on the other side too, so that will have to get fixed. They're going to keep him overnight and watch things while all the swelling goes down, etc. They also want to try feeding him a little to see if it causes any pain or discomfort. Tim's going to call surgery in the morning and schedule a repair asap, as the surgeon wants it done in the next few days.
Here's what you can pray for - good sleep for Devon & Tim in the hospital tonight, that the hernia stays put until surgery, and that Tim can schedule something in the next couple days. The scheduling is going to be a little tricky since no one wants to come operate on the weekend, but the fact that he was in the ER should help our cause.
We'll keep you posted on the latest episode of "Medical Crisis - "W" Style" as we get new information.
We've had an interesting 4 1/2 hours. We were at a rummage sale earlier in the evening when Devon suddenly started crying and screaming in pain. Tim took him out to the car to try and figure out what was going on. I kept shopping with the other two kiddos. Brandon and Becky were also there and knew Devon was having a hard time. A few minutes later Brandon came and told me that Tim had called Becky from the car and said to send me out, that something was seriously wrong with Devon. While I gathered things up, Becky and Brandon went out to the van. As I crossed the parking lot I asked Becky, who happens to be a nurse, if I was going to spend the evening in the ER. She said yes. Devon was going to need an emergency hernia repair.
Well, it turned out that I dropped Devon and Tim off at the hospital, then took the other two kids home. Our worst case scenario was emergency hernia repair and the loss of a testicle. Thankfully that didn't happen. The hospital called in the only surgeon who is qualified to do both the hernia repair and the testicular surgery. He evaluated everything and decided to try and push the hernia back manually. Surgery on an inflamed area that's all twisted up is not exactly ideal. Operating on a non-twisted, non-swollen area would be much easier. I'm sure that doing it manually was excruciating for the Devs.
Anyway, it worked!! Awesome! And as the hernia went back, the portion that was in the scrotum retracted. Even more awesome!! He still has to have surgery, but not tonight.
In the process of pushing that thing back they realized he has a mild hernia on the other side too, so that will have to get fixed. They're going to keep him overnight and watch things while all the swelling goes down, etc. They also want to try feeding him a little to see if it causes any pain or discomfort. Tim's going to call surgery in the morning and schedule a repair asap, as the surgeon wants it done in the next few days.
Here's what you can pray for - good sleep for Devon & Tim in the hospital tonight, that the hernia stays put until surgery, and that Tim can schedule something in the next couple days. The scheduling is going to be a little tricky since no one wants to come operate on the weekend, but the fact that he was in the ER should help our cause.
We'll keep you posted on the latest episode of "Medical Crisis - "W" Style" as we get new information.
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