Not Okay in OK

I really do not like to bring up certain hot button topics on this blog, because I am very much a non-confrontational type of person.  But when I read this post from Mel today, I just about fell out of my chair (for the second time in a week no less).

Seriously, this is out of hand.  The State of Oklahoma has tipped the slippery slope of abortion rights down into a hellish vortex.  Now, if you are a woman in Oklahoma choosing an abortion it carries two new perks.

1.  You will be belittled in front of medical professionals.
2.  You will be treated like a child and denied information about your pregnancy if a doctor sees fit.

And if you are wondering... there is no exception for rape and incest.  A state senator described the passing of this into law as "A good day for the cause of life..."

If this can happen in Oklahoma, it can happen in your state.

Scary beyond belief.

Petulant Monday

Some random and totally unconnected thoughts for this Monday.
Are you ready? I am about to do a little ranting.

The Mortgage Mess
No, I'm not going all political on you. Well, maybe a little. I just have to get this off my chest.

Husband and I are refinancing our mortgage. Mainly because (hello!) rates are freaking low, AND we have a home equity loan (used for the infertility medical expenses) which carries a pretty hefty payment. Responsible citizens that we are, we are restructuring our loans because it makes financial sense.

So, I am watching a news show last night, curiously... about The Mortgage Mess. Perhaps you saw it too. Anyway, I am watching this show with my husband, and my blood starts to boil. This show features a few families "caught up in the housing meltdown", now destitute with their homes foreclosed. They are all playing the victim... THE MORTGAGE COMPANIES failed ME they say. THEY APPROVED ME FOR A LOAN I could NEVER AFFORD they say. I DIDN'T READ the LOAN paperwork, they say. The GOVERNMENT OWES ME, they say.

And I hit the roof. I am so freaking tired of people putting their mistakes on the backs of others. Anyone heard of PERSONAL responsibility? Do these people NOT have a family budget? If you clear $1,600 a MONTH in salary and were approved for a mortgage of $2,400 a month do you not have the brain cells to DO THE MATH???

And now, begins the bailout of these people who have NO RIGHT to be bailed out. And who pays for these folks making bad decisions? ME. I might as well stand out on the sidewalk in front of my house and hand out $100 bills. I am so incensed.

Way to teach your children the fine art of blaming others, my fellow citizens.... ! Way. to. go.


The Annoying Soccer Moms
If I need to overhear one more conversation between ungrateful Moms complaining about their kids, I am just going to lose it. I was hoping a random soccer ball would fly up and knock some perspective into their small heads. The have no idea how fucking lucky they are.


...ok, rants done. Ooooh, I feel better.


The End of the World
I live between two major Air Force Bases. My house isn't on a direct flight path for the commercial jets so it's unusual to hear air traffic 'round these parts. When we do, it's military planes and helicopters. But not often. To me, they are distinct because they are so LOUD. Anyway, all weekend, there's been something going on in the skies above my town. Specifically, the last two nights I thought The War of the Worlds was outside my window. Do military planes do training at night? I swear it's so bizarre.

I know one of my blogging friends who have significant others in the military might offer up a comment on this. Please do... is it Training Week or something? Or should I be looking out for giant Octopus looking creatures? lol.

The scary side of free speech

Yeah, ok, I ripped this off of Perez Hilton.

This video makes me sick to my stomach. I am a firm supporter of free speech, but this kind of speech is ignorant.

This is the world we live in.

This and that

Well, one more day of freedom before I am back to work. The time went so, so fast. Even though it didn't turn out as I had hoped, it was a great 4 weeks off.

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I giggled and giggled at the SNL skit from Saturday. Did you see it? I just can't fathom the turn of events through this political circus (still trying to actually). If I was Hillary, I'd be in a seriously permanent bitchy mood. I don't like to talk politics on this blog (how many times have you heard me say that?) but let's just say the thought of Palin "one heartbeat away" from the Oval Office scares the ever-lovin' crap out of me. And that's all the political commentary you'll get out of me.

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I have my RE consult next Tuesday with Dr. Nerd and Nurse T (they coordinate the donor program). The IVF Nurse called me on Friday to let me know that my file was reviewed, and the consensus was to try another IVF cycle with a slightly tweaked protocol. No, really? I asked her if the subject of donor eggs was spoken, and yes, she said... it is an option... Then she tiptoed into the conversation about it, as if she has been waiting for ME to mention it. I picked up on the bizarre boomerang in the conversation and she confided that it was suggested, but they are instructed to "tread lightly" when approaching the conversation with patients. Apparently, there is a subset of infertility patients that freak the hell out when the subject is brought up. I understand that it is a very rickety bridge, and I also understand that for some it is a deal-breaker of sorts. You know that's not me.

To put Nurse B at ease, I gave her one of my famous analogies... "Pretend I'm a dog, and there's a delicious bone in the corner, but I have to break my leash to get to it. As I pull on the leash you move the bone out of the house, down the street, and throw it into a storm sewer. I break the leash, chew out the door of the house, run down the street, and squeeze my body through the storm sewer opening. I want that bone, and nothing will stand in my way to get it."

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The bills have started to roll in from my recent cycle. Those pesky billing clerks pulled a fast one on me. Usually, my RE bills two months in arrears. For instance, I am supposed to just now get my bill for services delivered in July. I thought I wouldn't have to dish up major $$$ until October. But you guessed it, they sent me the bill for retrieval and transfer which I received over the weekend. The biggest one of course, and skipped over all my u/s and blood work charges from July/August. Losers. I'll probably get the other bill today, and can promptly sob on my credit card statements.

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David is doing much better with the new routine. He loves his classmates, and is getting really fired up about school. Yesterday was his first soccer game with the Township. Tuesday he starts school soccer. He's just learning the game, but having a lot of fun. It's funny to watch a bunch of five year-olds running on 1/4 of a soccer field. Half of them lunge for the ball, the others kind of run around in circles not sure what to do. Yesterday it was 92 degrees here in Jersey... way too hot to focus. Poor kids guzzled Gatorade in between each break. Hopefully the heat is over for the summer, and some cooler air is around the corner.

Greed vs. you and me

The bills are starting to trickle in from my December and January cycles with the RE. I really am shocked at how much money The Insurance Company makes on patients.

While I am very lucky to have insurance at all (I know some of you have paid out-of-pocket for many A.R.T. cycles with no insurance which boggles my mind... ) I am a bit miffed that my working for one of the largest IT companies in the world does not guarantee decent insurance. There was a time, oh, about 10 years ago when I had a plan that paid for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. In fact, when I gave birth to David in 2003, I was on the hook for $20 in total for the entire pregnancy and delivery. Man, I had it good.

Then the economy started to change, and insurance companies got greedy, and corporations starting paying exorbitant premiums for employees and the bottom fell out. Each year, my medical insurance got more expensive for my portion (and more for my company), and "the great insurance plan that was" got worse in terms of coverage, deductibles, and coinsurance. Don't even get me started on medications. I once paid $5 for a prescription back then (any prescription!) and now I pay ridiculously high co-pays on that too, with some drugs not covered.

Large companies have drained their resources to provide decent insurance to their employees.

Small companies are put in an even worse spot being charged premiums that are crazy huge, and end up having to pass the buck to their employees.

My Dad is a small business owner (10-30 employees), and although my Dad picks up a portion of the premiums for his people, his employees STILL pay $900-$2000 A MONTH out of their paychecks to insure just themselves or their families. Can you imagine working just to pay for your healthcare? Many people are forced to do it... and when they absolutely can't, they just decline insurance altogether.

I currently have an 80/20 - 75/25 plan which means I fork out 20-25% of everything in-network (40% out of network). My maximum out-of pocket is pretty high (before the plan pays 100%) so I sweat out expense every year. If said pregnancy moves along on track, it is possible, however, that I reach that limit but I will be piss poor by then paying out the co-insurance.

And you know what? After all of my pissing and moaning I am still a lucky one. Because there are so many people who have no insurance at all.

I don't like to talk politics on my blog. For that matter not in my house either. (S. is Republican straight down the line, and I am the polar opposite).

Universal health coverage has always been a very difficult issue to discuss and engage which is why only lip service has been paid to it thus far with current and prior administrations. But I am fully expecting our next President to have a vision, a plan, and outright passion to get this topic on the front burner.

You hear that Hillary and Obama? I am counting on you to put actions to words. Don't make me waste my vote.