A Doctor!

Since we've moved down here a year and a half ago we have not been able to find doctors in the area. No one here takes our insurance. Well, that isn't entirely true. There is a Spanish speaking clinic and a free clinic in a terrible part of town that will take us, but that is it.

I spoke with the insurance company and they said that we could go pretty much anywhere as long as the office was willing to bill our insurance. I found one in our town that listed the insurance on their website. When I called them though, holy cow! You'd think I had asked them to part the sea! Talk about rude and nasty. The woman on the phone was absolutely offend that I suggested that they take the insurance. I told her it is on their website. Hmm, as for her answer...the gist of it being that I must not be able to read. Customer service must not be high on their list. I wouldn't go there even if they did accept our insurance.

I would check the insurance site once a week in the hope that a new one would pop up. Then one week I got a shock. New doctors! Only 20 minutes from our house! I immediately called Mark with the info so he could call for an appointment. He was in the most need of going. He called and yes, they just started taking the insurance. Mark would be the first one signed up. He went in and liked the doctor, the office and how things were handled. We decided to sign the kids up, too. Unfortunately, I have a different insurance plan then Mark and the kids, so I didn't get to sign up. Still, happiness for a doctor nearby!

We took the kids in for a well child check-up. The office was easy to get to and nice. They even have a big room that is all play area for kids. The doctor we saw (the same one Mark saw) was excellent and easily handled my three monkeys.

Thankfully, we found this office. At the appointment the doctor found that Irene had a very swollen lymph node on her right side. Since she had been sick two weeks before the appointment we all figured it was from that. The doctor said to keep an eye on it. About two week later she told me her neck hurt. The huge gland was still there, but a hard, marble-like node had popped up lower down her neck. A day later another one popped out between the marble one and the huge one.

We went back to the doctor. This time it was the other doctor in the practice. He was also very good with her. He measured the lymph nodes and also found that her tonsil on that side is swollen. Since she has no other symptoms he couldn't give a definite diagnosis. We are on a 'wait and see' for six weeks. It is possible that the infection she had back at Christmas just settled in those glands and it is taking a while for them to go down. If they go away and no other symptoms or problems appear then all is good. If they don't go away or if other symptoms appear then we'll do the invasive tests. The ultrasound and blood draws. Of course, he mentioned the dreaded c-word. Still, he'd rather go with the simple infection idea. Frankly, so would us all.

Now we wait. While I worry and am nervous, checking her neck every day, she runs around like a normal little girl. Loving life and school and being especially dramatic.

Another Holiday Finished

 Another Christmas finished in the Williams Household. The weeks leading up to the big day was full of picking the tree off the floor and cleaning up broken ornaments. One morning I got up and discovered the tree on the floor. As I stared at the broken pieces I felt an overwhelming desire to toss it all out the door.

 Instead, I left it on the ground and got the kids ready for school. Once they were in school I tackled the mess. I had some moments of tears as I picked up broken pieces of my tree topper. It was a limited edition Waterford made to look like Christmas past. I cannot get another and I admit I just loved the look of it. It made me think of the 30's and 40's tree toppers. It invoked memories of my grandma.

 Also lost was the Northwood University ornament. The lovely blue ornament in the pic above. My brother gave it to me and there are so many special memories wrapped into that one ornament. Among the broken bits were Polish ornaments, another Waterford special edition, and ornaments we had just bought. My 'Nicole' ornament, that lived on my mother's tree for 3 decades, also met its end.

 I cleaned up the mess, took apart the tree and waited for Mark to come home from the road. I put the tree back up, tied to the window this time, and decorated it for the second time. A few hours later the damn thing fell over. This time it fell toward the window. Nothing was broken, but it was clear that the tree was not going to remain upright. Once again, the ornaments came off and the tree was sent on its way. We bought a tree at Walgreen's for $30. Ornaments put on...for the third time.
Our plan for next Christmas is to buy a better made tree. One with a metal stand. It'll cost more so money is being saved. Still, I do not want another year of smashed memories.

 Christmas arrived and poor Irene spent 12 hours of the day throwing up. She managed to get up and open gifts. After, she was back on the couch sleeping. She didn't play with anything until after dinner.

 Mark and I made a Christmas brunch. We had coffee from Madagascar that I had given to Mark. If you have ever seen the show Dangerous Grounds you'll know the coffee. The rest of our day was spent relaxing and playing and watching movies.

 Poor Irene spent the rest of the week with a fever although, thankfully, the throwing up stopped.

 The rest of the week was spent having lazy days. Mark was off for the week and we just relaxed.

 The new tree and the new tree topper. Below is a pic of some of our decorations.

The kids had two weeks off from school. It was a nice break from the hectic mornings. Of course, the adjustment back into school was a little rough. Another holiday season is finished and I am looking forward to spring.