When I came home today, I was SO happy to see lil' Monkey. Even though I was only gone for two and half days, I really missed him. However, while I was away, I partied like a non-Mommy (the wedding was open bar so you do the math). It was fun to dance and whoop it up with my cousins because let's face it, that's probably the closest I'll come to my clubbing days ever again. Of course, I was the only one partying that needed to stop periodically to pump and dump (special thanks to the wedding planner who let me use the office at the reception hall). So when we arrived home and it was my time to take over the baby responsibilites, I felt very out of place at first. Could I remember how to DO THIS? Did Monkey still love his mama? He was definitely a little apprehensive at first, perhaps because I was too. We'd smile at each other but something was definitely OFF. It took a little while I think for both of us to get back into our groove.
Still there were days even before I left this past weekend that I just didn't feel like a mommy. Almost as if I were pretending. I felt this way at my first "dress up" job as well -- as though I were wearing my mother's suit and heels and playing office. Somedays I either couldn't believe the amount of responsibility or begrudingly accept whatever I had to do. I didn't want to pump before going to bed, I'd think, "I WANT TO SURF FOR SHOES!" I didn't want to get up at 6 am when Monkey got up (of course, I did). I'd feel like the world was going to end or social services would come because I forgot his gloves and a good mommy, one that wasn't pretending to be a mommy, wouldn't have forgotten!
But as it turns out, I'm not the only one. Thank God.
Gray Matter Matters has an excellent post on her site about how sometimes she feels like a "Poodle in a tutu". This was her analogy to how she doesn't always FEEL like a mommy.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one and that post came just at the right time.
SIDENOTE: Seems like I always get an appropriate song in my head after posts like this ...
And you may ask yourself
How do I work this?
And you may ask yourself
Where is that large automobile?
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful house!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Politics Wed -- The Issues: Healthcare
HEALTH CARE IN THE U.S (FROM WIKIPEDIA)
The U.S. is one of the few industrialized nations that do not offer access to healthcare.
84% of Americans have health insurance.
59% receive that insurance through their employer.
9% purchase health insurance directly.
27% are covered by government resources.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, since 2001, premiums have risen 78% while wages have risen 19% and inflation has risen 17%.
Certain publicly-funded health care programs help to provide for the elderly, disabled, children, veterans, and the poor, and federal law ensures public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay. U.S. government programs accounted for over 45% of health care expenditures, making the U.S. government the largest insurer in the nation.
HEALTH CARE POLICY TYPES (FROM WIKIPEDIA)
Health care can be financed in combinations of four basic ways. Provision can be public or private. Finance can be public or private.
A. Public Provision / Private Finance -- example: Private insurers can buy services from publicly owned hospitals
B. Public Provision / Public Finance -- example: health can be provided by publicly financed staff in publicly financed hospitals
C. Private Provision / Private Finance – example: A private hospital which is financed by private health insurance schemes is an example of private finance and provision
D. Private Provision / Public Finance -- example: A self-employed doctor working for the National Health Service is an example of private provision with public finance
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
Definition (FROM WIKIPEDIA): Universal health care refers to government programs intended to ensure that all citizens, and sometimes permanent residents, of a governmental region have access to most types of health care. Patients may pay for some portion of their care directly, but most care is subsidized by taxpayers and/or by compulsory health insurance.
The major argument surrounding this issue: The level of health care provided will suffer if we have a Universal Health Care system.
“The United States is famously the world leader in medical innovation--in part, it would seem, because we spend like a drunken sailor when it comes to medical care. Today, we devote 16 percent of our gross domestic product to health care, by far the largest proportion of any country in the world. (The highest spending country in Europe, Switzerland, devotes just 12 percent.) That huge, largely uncontrolled spending translates into large profits for health care companies, offering an incentive for them to do research and development ... While the United States is a world leader in cancer care, other countries, such as France, Sweden, and Switzerland, boast overall survival rates that are nearly comparable. For some variants--such as cervical cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and two common forms of leukemia--the U.S. survival rate, although good, lags behind at least some other countries. You may also have heard critics complain that universal health care inevitably leads to long lines for treatments, as it sometimes has in Britain and Canada. Again, the facts just don't back that up. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, France and Germany don't have chronic waiting lines. … None of which is to say a universal coverage system couldn't have a chilling effect on innovation while severely pinching access to medical care … All it would take was a system that had both a rigid budget and very low funding. The British have such a system, or something approximating it. Even after some recent spending increases, they still devote just 9 percent of the gross domestic product to health care, less than many European nations and a little more than half of what the United States spends. And that shows up in the availability of cutting-edge care. Relative to other highly developed countries, Britain is one of the last to get the latest cancer drugs to its patients. And that probably helps explain why British cancer survival rates generally lag, too.” (FROM The New Republic – PERSONAL NOTE: This article is very good at presenting both side of the issue if you want to read on about it.)
U.S. ranks 23rd in infant mortality, 20th in life expectancy for women, 21st for life expectancy for men, 67th in immunizations (behind Botswana). (FROM Connecticut Coalition for Universal Health Care – PERSONAL NOTE: This site is obviously slanted and I didn’t double check these figures)
This is all I had time to come up with but it’s good to digest at least the figures at the beginning and make your own assessment. I really wanted to break it down further and explore Medicaid/Medicare, perscription drugs and cost to employers. Perhaps I will revisit this one after the primaries once we've covered more of the other issues. I highly recommend the article from the The New Republic site as I didn't find it very biased (even though the entire site is deemed biased by some).
Here are some other good links:
http://www.familiesusa.org/issues/uninsured/coverage/ (has articles on local legislation in regard to health care)
http://www.nchc.org/ (has survey on health care issues – doesn’t show results or how you compare to others, it just informational for them)
http://www.kff.org/ (has a lot of information the multiple health care topics)
SOAPBOX AREA!
It seems to me that the Universal Health Care option isn't really the "end-all-be-all" solution. But what IS the solution!! I like the idea that the TNR article presents -- "Ultimately, whether innovation would continue to thrive under universal health care depends entirely on what kind of system we create and how well we run it." Can our bureaucratic, red-tape laden government run such a system?
The U.S. is one of the few industrialized nations that do not offer access to healthcare.
84% of Americans have health insurance.
59% receive that insurance through their employer.
9% purchase health insurance directly.
27% are covered by government resources.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, since 2001, premiums have risen 78% while wages have risen 19% and inflation has risen 17%.
Certain publicly-funded health care programs help to provide for the elderly, disabled, children, veterans, and the poor, and federal law ensures public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay. U.S. government programs accounted for over 45% of health care expenditures, making the U.S. government the largest insurer in the nation.
HEALTH CARE POLICY TYPES (FROM WIKIPEDIA)
Health care can be financed in combinations of four basic ways. Provision can be public or private. Finance can be public or private.
A. Public Provision / Private Finance -- example: Private insurers can buy services from publicly owned hospitals
B. Public Provision / Public Finance -- example: health can be provided by publicly financed staff in publicly financed hospitals
C. Private Provision / Private Finance – example: A private hospital which is financed by private health insurance schemes is an example of private finance and provision
D. Private Provision / Public Finance -- example: A self-employed doctor working for the National Health Service is an example of private provision with public finance
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
Definition (FROM WIKIPEDIA): Universal health care refers to government programs intended to ensure that all citizens, and sometimes permanent residents, of a governmental region have access to most types of health care. Patients may pay for some portion of their care directly, but most care is subsidized by taxpayers and/or by compulsory health insurance.
The major argument surrounding this issue: The level of health care provided will suffer if we have a Universal Health Care system.
“The United States is famously the world leader in medical innovation--in part, it would seem, because we spend like a drunken sailor when it comes to medical care. Today, we devote 16 percent of our gross domestic product to health care, by far the largest proportion of any country in the world. (The highest spending country in Europe, Switzerland, devotes just 12 percent.) That huge, largely uncontrolled spending translates into large profits for health care companies, offering an incentive for them to do research and development ... While the United States is a world leader in cancer care, other countries, such as France, Sweden, and Switzerland, boast overall survival rates that are nearly comparable. For some variants--such as cervical cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and two common forms of leukemia--the U.S. survival rate, although good, lags behind at least some other countries. You may also have heard critics complain that universal health care inevitably leads to long lines for treatments, as it sometimes has in Britain and Canada. Again, the facts just don't back that up. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, France and Germany don't have chronic waiting lines. … None of which is to say a universal coverage system couldn't have a chilling effect on innovation while severely pinching access to medical care … All it would take was a system that had both a rigid budget and very low funding. The British have such a system, or something approximating it. Even after some recent spending increases, they still devote just 9 percent of the gross domestic product to health care, less than many European nations and a little more than half of what the United States spends. And that shows up in the availability of cutting-edge care. Relative to other highly developed countries, Britain is one of the last to get the latest cancer drugs to its patients. And that probably helps explain why British cancer survival rates generally lag, too.” (FROM The New Republic – PERSONAL NOTE: This article is very good at presenting both side of the issue if you want to read on about it.)
U.S. ranks 23rd in infant mortality, 20th in life expectancy for women, 21st for life expectancy for men, 67th in immunizations (behind Botswana). (FROM Connecticut Coalition for Universal Health Care – PERSONAL NOTE: This site is obviously slanted and I didn’t double check these figures)
This is all I had time to come up with but it’s good to digest at least the figures at the beginning and make your own assessment. I really wanted to break it down further and explore Medicaid/Medicare, perscription drugs and cost to employers. Perhaps I will revisit this one after the primaries once we've covered more of the other issues. I highly recommend the article from the The New Republic site as I didn't find it very biased (even though the entire site is deemed biased by some).
Here are some other good links:
http://www.familiesusa.org/issues/uninsured/coverage/ (has articles on local legislation in regard to health care)
http://www.nchc.org/ (has survey on health care issues – doesn’t show results or how you compare to others, it just informational for them)
http://www.kff.org/ (has a lot of information the multiple health care topics)
SOAPBOX AREA!
It seems to me that the Universal Health Care option isn't really the "end-all-be-all" solution. But what IS the solution!! I like the idea that the TNR article presents -- "Ultimately, whether innovation would continue to thrive under universal health care depends entirely on what kind of system we create and how well we run it." Can our bureaucratic, red-tape laden government run such a system?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Which is fine.
Monkey has been a very needy little boy. Which is fine considering what he's been through.
Ever since his hospital stay last week, lil' Monkey has been VERY needy. I can't put him in his crib to sleep at night unless he's completely Milk Drunk (which now takes 20 minutes instead of the usual 7-10 minutes). Which is fine since I really just want him to get a good night's sleep and for US to get a good night's sleep. He also nurses more often than he did prior to getting sick. Which is fine, since the breast milk should help with his diarrhea.
We've regressed to napping together in our bed like we did when he was 3 months old. Which is fine because at least we're napping which was hard in the hospital. I can't put him on the floor to play while I check email like I used to do and he doesn't even like sitting in his brand new exersaucer or jumper things anymore (that was short lived as they were Christmas presents). I had to take him into the bathroom with me and put him in his bouncer (which he's getting a little too big for) in order to pee or poop. This is not so fine and driving me crazy quite frankly.
At his follow up appointment today with his doctor, I asked if this could possibly be PTSD from the hospital stay. She said it could be, in combination with the teething (he's got one trying to break through currently) and possible separation anxiety since he's nearing that age.
Now I don't mind this too much and I know he'll eventually go back to his usual self, however, there are two things that worry me at this moment. One, my nipples. They are SO sore because they're not used to this much activity and because he's decided they are a good teething ring. I realized today during one nursing session that he wasn't really drinking anymore and was just sucking with a little toothiness thrown in there. Two, I'm going away this weekend and if Monkey is experiencing separation anxiety from his mommy, my poor DH will have a real tough go of it while I'm gone.
At least we found a solution for the soy formula switch -- he's supposed to avoid milk-based formula for the next few weeks because the lactose might irritate his stomach more. The doctor gave us some free samples of regular lactose-free formula today which he gobbled up at bedtime. Which is more than fine because if DH runs out of frozen breast milk this weekend he has a suitable back-up.
So my questions to the other parents out there are:
1. As they got bigger and more mobile, what did you do to keep them safe while you did your business, got dressed, checked email?
2. If you kept breastfeeding until your child got teeth, how did you prevent the biting or scraping of the nipples? I've tried the loud "Ouch" without the smile and the prompt breakaway (as prompt as I could pry him off) but he just doesn't seem to get it.
3. Has anyone had to deal with the separation anxiety when going away on a trip and what did you do to help it?
Can you tell I'm trying to remain on that positive note I had Sunday night but finding it hard?!
Ever since his hospital stay last week, lil' Monkey has been VERY needy. I can't put him in his crib to sleep at night unless he's completely Milk Drunk (which now takes 20 minutes instead of the usual 7-10 minutes). Which is fine since I really just want him to get a good night's sleep and for US to get a good night's sleep. He also nurses more often than he did prior to getting sick. Which is fine, since the breast milk should help with his diarrhea.
We've regressed to napping together in our bed like we did when he was 3 months old. Which is fine because at least we're napping which was hard in the hospital. I can't put him on the floor to play while I check email like I used to do and he doesn't even like sitting in his brand new exersaucer or jumper things anymore (that was short lived as they were Christmas presents). I had to take him into the bathroom with me and put him in his bouncer (which he's getting a little too big for) in order to pee or poop. This is not so fine and driving me crazy quite frankly.
At his follow up appointment today with his doctor, I asked if this could possibly be PTSD from the hospital stay. She said it could be, in combination with the teething (he's got one trying to break through currently) and possible separation anxiety since he's nearing that age.
Now I don't mind this too much and I know he'll eventually go back to his usual self, however, there are two things that worry me at this moment. One, my nipples. They are SO sore because they're not used to this much activity and because he's decided they are a good teething ring. I realized today during one nursing session that he wasn't really drinking anymore and was just sucking with a little toothiness thrown in there. Two, I'm going away this weekend and if Monkey is experiencing separation anxiety from his mommy, my poor DH will have a real tough go of it while I'm gone.
At least we found a solution for the soy formula switch -- he's supposed to avoid milk-based formula for the next few weeks because the lactose might irritate his stomach more. The doctor gave us some free samples of regular lactose-free formula today which he gobbled up at bedtime. Which is more than fine because if DH runs out of frozen breast milk this weekend he has a suitable back-up.
So my questions to the other parents out there are:
1. As they got bigger and more mobile, what did you do to keep them safe while you did your business, got dressed, checked email?
2. If you kept breastfeeding until your child got teeth, how did you prevent the biting or scraping of the nipples? I've tried the loud "Ouch" without the smile and the prompt breakaway (as prompt as I could pry him off) but he just doesn't seem to get it.
3. Has anyone had to deal with the separation anxiety when going away on a trip and what did you do to help it?
Can you tell I'm trying to remain on that positive note I had Sunday night but finding it hard?!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
A New Day!
I must say I'm not the biggest Celine Dion fan. However, the one song of hers I do like, A New Day Has Come, is pretty much what I'm singing in my head and hoping for this week.
Sure. I have a ton of work to catch up on. And I could use more rest to catch up on my sleep deficit. But I'm hopeful that I can make headway in both areas. Plus, at the end of the week, I'll be traveling to sunny Tampa for my cousin's wedding! Sun, sand and relaxation! And hopefully a glass of wine or perhaps a mimosa!
I feel blessed that Monkey is home finally and that it was just a virus. I couldn't imagine what it must feel like to be one of those families with a child who has to be in the hospital for a chronic disease or disorder. Must be heartbreaking and tremendously stressful. I'm extremely thankful for his recovery, the prayers of our family and friends, and for the people at the hospital who helped us through this.
Here's to a more positive, more productive and more pleasant upcoming week!
Sure. I have a ton of work to catch up on. And I could use more rest to catch up on my sleep deficit. But I'm hopeful that I can make headway in both areas. Plus, at the end of the week, I'll be traveling to sunny Tampa for my cousin's wedding! Sun, sand and relaxation! And hopefully a glass of wine or perhaps a mimosa!
I feel blessed that Monkey is home finally and that it was just a virus. I couldn't imagine what it must feel like to be one of those families with a child who has to be in the hospital for a chronic disease or disorder. Must be heartbreaking and tremendously stressful. I'm extremely thankful for his recovery, the prayers of our family and friends, and for the people at the hospital who helped us through this.
Here's to a more positive, more productive and more pleasant upcoming week!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Funny Quote -- Week of 1/6/08
Stephen Colbert from The Colbert Report:
"Did the pundits not make ourselves clear? ... If you keep voting the way you want, rather than the way we tell you you want, well, then we pundits are just going to stop telling you how to think!"
Good stuff! South Carolina's primary is coming up! Too bad they wouldn't let him on the ballot. So much for the "any American citizen born in the U.S. can be President" line we all heard growing up.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1573288/20071101/id_0.jhtml
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1107/6674_Page2.html
"Did the pundits not make ourselves clear? ... If you keep voting the way you want, rather than the way we tell you you want, well, then we pundits are just going to stop telling you how to think!"
Good stuff! South Carolina's primary is coming up! Too bad they wouldn't let him on the ballot. So much for the "any American citizen born in the U.S. can be President" line we all heard growing up.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1573288/20071101/id_0.jhtml
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1107/6674_Page2.html
My tired little baby ...
... do you need a kiss?
This is how his favorite book begins. And Monkey received plenty of kisses this past week.
Thursday morning, shortly after my mother arrived to help out, DH and I decided that lil' Monkey should go to the hospital again. His diarrhea diapers just weren't diminishing in number, he still hadn't peed and the test where you press the fatty part of their toe to see how quickly the color comes back wasn't satisfactory for us.
So mom and I took him in while DH headed off for work. It took the ER nurses another 3 tries to get a vein for the IV again (that's 3 on Tuesday, 3 on Thursday). This time I wasn't so brave. I didn't cry but the stress of it was getting to me because this time Monkey knew what was coming and cried harder and longer than last time. I felt my chest tightening.
Because he hadn't been urinating very well and had lost a POUND in the past week, they decided to admit him for the night. Not good news for me since I had put off all of my work for the week due to the previous hospital visit. I had something due the next day and knew now that it would be nearly impossible to get it done. Plus, I wanted to call DH to let him know the deal. Plus, I was feeling bad because mom drove 2 hours to help me out around the house and with Monkey but there we were in the hospital. So I had all of this in my head floating around and I could barely think due to the lack of sleep in recent days. So the stress of all of it was weighing in pretty hard. At one point during the day, it took all I had not to either punch something or break down and cry (I did eventually have a moment on Friday where I cried a bit). I don't think my brain has quite recovered yet so I'll apologize now for the scattered nature of this post.
The crib at the hospital
Monkey's bandages from IV and blood tests
This is how his favorite book begins. And Monkey received plenty of kisses this past week.
Thursday morning, shortly after my mother arrived to help out, DH and I decided that lil' Monkey should go to the hospital again. His diarrhea diapers just weren't diminishing in number, he still hadn't peed and the test where you press the fatty part of their toe to see how quickly the color comes back wasn't satisfactory for us.
So mom and I took him in while DH headed off for work. It took the ER nurses another 3 tries to get a vein for the IV again (that's 3 on Tuesday, 3 on Thursday). This time I wasn't so brave. I didn't cry but the stress of it was getting to me because this time Monkey knew what was coming and cried harder and longer than last time. I felt my chest tightening.
Because he hadn't been urinating very well and had lost a POUND in the past week, they decided to admit him for the night. Not good news for me since I had put off all of my work for the week due to the previous hospital visit. I had something due the next day and knew now that it would be nearly impossible to get it done. Plus, I wanted to call DH to let him know the deal. Plus, I was feeling bad because mom drove 2 hours to help me out around the house and with Monkey but there we were in the hospital. So I had all of this in my head floating around and I could barely think due to the lack of sleep in recent days. So the stress of all of it was weighing in pretty hard. At one point during the day, it took all I had not to either punch something or break down and cry (I did eventually have a moment on Friday where I cried a bit). I don't think my brain has quite recovered yet so I'll apologize now for the scattered nature of this post.
The crib at the hospital
The nurses at the Pediatrics wing LOVED Monkey. He can be quite the charmer even under stressful circumstances apparently. He had the splint thing on his arm again with the IV tightly wrapped so he couldn't pull it out. He enjoyed playing what I can only describe as jump rope with an invisible leprachaun using the IV tubing. He'd just swing the tube round and round.
The room he was in did have a bed for me to sleep in overnight (not comfortable but better than a chair). They had free little soda and juices for the parents and did send up one meal tray at dinner, breakfast and lunch time. DH came up after work and took mom home with him so they could sleep in something other than a chair. I forgot Monkey's favorite book but think I did a pretty good job remembering it while kissing him goodnight. Not quite the same without the book but he did go to sleep and slept well until the techs came in for their routine temperature check (which happened every 3-4 hours).
The next day mom came to keep me company while we waited for news about whether Monkey's bicarbonate numbers had improved (this would indicate his system was keeping up with the diarrhea).
Monkey's bandages from IV and blood tests
All in all, we're both glad to be home. Unfortunately, my mom caught it yesterday and had to stay another night at our house to recover. She's feeling better and headed home this morning so she could do the rest of her recovery in a more familiar place.
Monkey expressed his pleasure of being home last night by breastfeeding for 17 minutes (he's usually done in 7 max) and falling asleep at the breast. When I put him into his crib I realized that he still needed some pants. He woke up a little cranky while I put them on but when he realized where he was he promptly fell asleep again.
BTW, this turned out NOT to be the dreaded Rotavirus like we thought (which is good since he's been getting the vaccine for that!). The doctor thinks it might have been the Norovirus ... you know, the one from the cruise ships.
Also, in case anyone was actually wondering, my deadline was extended to Monday. Guess I better get off of here and do some work!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Politics Wed -- The Candidates
This is only the second installment of my "Politics Wednesday" posts and it's going to be a disappointment. At least, it is for me.
Straight out of the gate, I was going to take on one of the major issues the media covers constantly. But after some consideration, I figured it might be a good idea to get a run down of each of the candidates' platform. Then as I was trying to put the list together of all of them I realized it was just too much information (probably why most of us just use what little the news sound bytes give us). Then I was going to do only the front-runners.
But due to the kind of week I've had, I'm only going to point you in the direction of WashingtonPost.com's candidate breakdown which seems more in depth than most of the other news sites I used while researching. I do apologize. I had great hopes for this week's post but lil' Monkey's virus just isn't getting better. Also, if you go to the home page of my web site, I have a nifty little widget on there from WashingtonPost.com that does a brief run down of each of them with the latest news headlines on each.
Will try to do more next week.
Straight out of the gate, I was going to take on one of the major issues the media covers constantly. But after some consideration, I figured it might be a good idea to get a run down of each of the candidates' platform. Then as I was trying to put the list together of all of them I realized it was just too much information (probably why most of us just use what little the news sound bytes give us). Then I was going to do only the front-runners.
But due to the kind of week I've had, I'm only going to point you in the direction of WashingtonPost.com's candidate breakdown which seems more in depth than most of the other news sites I used while researching. I do apologize. I had great hopes for this week's post but lil' Monkey's virus just isn't getting better. Also, if you go to the home page of my web site, I have a nifty little widget on there from WashingtonPost.com that does a brief run down of each of them with the latest news headlines on each.
Will try to do more next week.
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