Odds and Ends

Haven't had anything big to post, but lots of little tidbits so I thought I'd just put them all together.

I'm officially no longer taking any pain medicine, even to sleep. I've been off of all the narcotics for about 4-5 weeks now. I'm in less pain now than I was before the surgery. I don't have much pain at all, just stiffness and what I think is my body getting used to moving around the two titanium rods in my back. I'm feeling good and I can't wait for my neurosurgeon appointment in NINE days when I hopefully get out of my brace and off of my restrictions.

I did get an explanation of benefits regarding my hospital bill. Not only am I blown away by the total cost (it was more than my hospital bill post car accident where I spent 10 days in the ICU). And I agree that Blue Cross (my network) deserves SOME savings. By making UT Medical Center an in-network hospital they bring them a lot of business. However, a 124k discount??? If the hospital can take only $37,240 of a $161,260, why do the uninsured have to pay so much??? I feel like something is wrong with our health care system.

Also, I was assured by my financial advisor at the hospital at my pre-op appointment that I'd have to pay my maximum out of pocket, $2,000. So I went ahead and paid that much on check in. Notice that I should only have paid $200! (Which I've known for 2 months now and the hospital wouldn't refund it until my insurance paid the bill.) They quoted me the out of network amounts, not the in network amounts. And how could they NOT know that they were in network for BCBS?? So today, UT medical center's financial department called me. I got really excited thinking I was getting my $1800 back until the lady started talking about my CT scan next week (for the neuro appt). She said she'd 'talked with my insurance' and that I still had $300+ to meet my deductible and the scan costs over 1000 bucks. I stopped her there and let her know 1) Your hospital already owes me $1800. 2) I've had 2-3 CT scans already, and I don't pay a dime. They're covered 100%. I was shocked that they made the SAME mistake again. Lesson learned, NEVER pay ahead of time for medical care. Ever.

So Keely is awesome. She never stops talking. She's had some pretty interesting comments lately.

• In church on Sunday she knelt with us to pray after communion and I leaned over and whispered to her that we were praying to say Thank You God for a good week, and please let me have another good week. She clasped her little hands and said "Thank You God". I teared up.
• I ask her a lot of days what the best part of her day was. She never really understood the question. One night she said to me "Mommy you're the best...part of my day." Another tear-jerker.
• Today Keely asked what I was doing and I told her that I was doing my laundry. She asked why and I told her cause I had no more clean underwear. She said "you got poopy on them?" When I told her know she thought and then asked "you got pee on them?" After I stopped laughing I explained that I like to change my underwear everyday, but I don't poop or pee in them because I'm a big girl. Love that kid. 

I'm loving the people we've met here in Knoxville and I'm so glad for the friends I've made here. On the Friday before my birthday we had a nice dinner here with Kerri, Sophia, and the Bostroms. Keely is so adorable with her friends. She really wants friends at her house all of the time. Its a bit pitiful. Since I've been slacking on the pictures, here are pictures of her with the Bostrom boys (Max and Cooper). The first is from a day we went for dinner and they had popsicles after. Since she was wearing a nice dress, I made her strip first. We figure this will only be socially acceptable a bit longer.

Two weekends ago Keely and Daniel went camping in the Bostrom's back yard with Jeff, Max and Cooper. They had a new shed built and thought they might as well before they filled it with stuff. Keely did GREAT and loved it. Despite the fact that she tells everyone that she slept in a "fireplace". She's now obsessed with camping and Daniel and I bought a tent so we can try it out. Hoping to squeeze in a one night trip to the nearby mountains before it gets too cold. Here are some pictures from that.

Lounging with the boys 

She was kind of creeped out by the texture of the s'more.

Her in the morning. See the carefully covered babies? Daniel woke her up getting this picture.

Reflecting

So I sit here in the last 15 minutes of my 29th near looking back and thinking about the changes in my life over the last year. This past year has been pretty intense.

Our road trips in the past year:

• Charlotte - 3 times (i think)
• Georgia - ~4-5 times
• Raleigh - once 
• Myrtle Beach - once!
• Columbus, Ohio - once
• Asheville - once!
• Illinois - once (though that was a plane ride!)

I finally got my dream of being a stay at home mom, only to realize maybe it wasn't my dream after all. I felt really guilty about that but I hope I've found my happy medium with my part time job with an online high school.

I developed and strengthened some friendships with some wonderful women (and their families) here in Knoxville.

Medically this was an exhausting year. At the end of September last year I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. (after a renal ultrasound, an abdominal CT and a endoscopic check of my bladder lining). This was just the beginning as over the past year I've had 38 bladder instillations as part of my treatment. These were done in two different groups, twice a week for 8 weeks starting in October and twice a week for 6 weeks starting in May. A bladder instillation is when they dissolve my medicine in saline, put a catheter in me and put the medicine directly in my bladder. Let's just say I've gotten a whole lot less embarrassed about people poking around down there. I'm even seeing a male OB/GYN for the first time in my life!
I also FINALLY (after 3 tries here in Knoxville) found a neurosurgeon willing to DO SOMETHING to fix my spine and end my pain. We're closing in my 3 month post-op visit where I will hopefully have all my restrictions lifted (I cannot wait to pick up my girl again) and be allowed to toss the hated back brace. This surgery has been a miracle to me as I'm already in less pain than I was pre-surgery. Its a life changer.

And of course this big number, reaching my 30s, makes me reflect back on my 20s. I realize that the whole of my 20s have been centered around Daniel and I's life together, including our amazing daughter for the last quarter of it. I know I am lucky to have quickly found the person I'm meant to be with and I'm so blessed to have him in my life. Even though he drives me INSANE sometimes I doubt anyone else would put up with me. And damn did we make an awesome kid together. What two year old says "I noticed you helped me wash my hands twice tonight papa"? Almost every night we lay in bed talking about something amazing/wonderful/adorable she did that day. We're so in love with her. Despite our different views on some parenting issues I think we're doing a good job with our girl, and with each other.

I look at my life and my beautiful family and think...its a good life. Happy Birthday to Me! I hope the next decade is full of just as many beautiful friends, love, and laughter.