Adventures of the UNINSURED...

It seems like this month, we can't catch a break. One of us is always sick with something. Hacking up something. I guess that means it's my turn...


Robyn's cough has been getting worse. Poor little thing coughs until she throws up. Not fun. I have taken her off of milk while she's "sick" because I just can't clean up any more milk puke. (Sorry - too graphic?) And she has started saying "owey" when she eats, so I know her throat is hurting her. So yesterday I decided - INSURANCE OR NOT, I'M GETTING HER MEDICINE! I called the Heber Clinic to see if they will prescribe her some Amoxicilin because that's what they gave Tanion for his sore throat a few weeks ago. No go. They said I had to bring her in. I told them to make her an appointment and since we would be there, can they take a look at me because I have been coughing a lot too... No problem, there was an appointment in an hour and 1/2 still available.

So I packed a diaper bag, got the kids all in "presentable" clothing and headed to Heber City. We dropped off the boys at Jeremiah's parents house while Robyn and I went to the clinic. We hung out in the lobby for 45+ minutes waiting for our turn and Robyn entertained the other patients by running around and talking. When it was our turn to go into a room, the nurse was SUPER friendly - she's a Hardman Family Friend - and caring and great. She even made Robyn a balloon out of a latex glove. We waited for the doctor for a while and played in the room. At least it was easier for me in there! The doctor came in while Robyn was laying on the floor drinking her bottle so he checked me out first.

He checked my throat. Nothing. Told me how I probably just have a cold and maybe got the flu while I had it (which would explain the fever). Then he decided to listen to my lungs anyway. He listened and "didn't like what he heard" and told me that he thought I might have pneumonia! He would take a few x-rays and see if it showed anything.

Then he looked at Robyn who decided to go all "poltergeist" on the doctor. She screamed and cried and kicked and flailed. She did NOT want to sit on the table. And I guess I am used to Pediatrician's who let me hold my kids on my lap while they check their ears and throat - and my kids letting them! But he didn't want to do it that way. He wanted Robyn to lay on the table and she didn't want to. He managed to take a look in her ears and look at her throat and made the diagnosis of "she probably just has a cold" and left it at that. He didn't listen to her lungs. He probably thought she wouldn't let him. :)

SO, then I went back to get X-Rays with the nurse, who was so nice and sweet and held Robyn while still doing her job and taking the x-rays. We finished up quickly and headed back to our room. About 10 minutes later the doctor came in and said "Yep. You've got pneumonia. But I think we caught it pretty early." He told me how it only looked like a little in my lower left lobe.

He then saw my chart and said - "So you don't have insurance?" And I looked down, ashamed, and started rambling about how I don't for another 3 months and we can't afford COBRA and whatnot.... He just said - "Don't worry. Let me see if I can find some free samples somewhere" and he left the room. I sat there embarrassed until he returned. He came back with a 10-day supply of Avelox and told me to take one a day, probably with a meal and at the same time each day. He gave me the charts and told me to take them to the receptionist and to get better soon. Then he was gone. I sat there for a second and said a little "Thank you" prayer for doctors who understand that sometimes we don't have insurance and they try to help you out with "free" medicine. I'm sure he saved our family a good amount of money by doing that.

I went to the Receptionist expecting her to say something like "It'll be $400 and we'll need that today because you are uninsured." I tend to think the worst is going to happen... But she didn't. She was very nice and said "Oh no! You have pneumonia! You poor thing!" And talked about how us mom's ignore our health but worry about our kid's health... Isn't it the TRUTH! Then she told me the total was around $166 and some change - which was for both me and Robyn. She told me I could pay what I could today and the rest they would bill me for. I paid $90 and told her "Thank You" and I walked to my car (a little less embarrassed...)

And so, for now, I will take my free Avelox and keep giving Robyn water / juice in her bottles mixed with whatever version of kids cough and cold medicine I have on hand. I will bundle my kids up and play a little less at the McDonald's Playland and outside. I will start washing everything all over again to try and stop Archer / Tanion / Jeremiah from getting pneumonia or whatever Robyn has.

I guess that is one more adventure of our being uninsured.
One more lesson about humility.
And one more story about why I prefer Pediatrician's over regular doctors for my kids. :)