Sticker-shock Aftershocks

A short while back, our family experienced something that we all shared together. Although we all participated, it wasn’t one of those favorable bonding experiences either. To this date, we are still paying for it.

The strep bug came knocking – probably brought to us from our oldest, who surely caught it from someone else at some public meeting place – church, our house – the donut shop. We don't believe it was school because the previous week, prior to diagnosis, was spring break.

After visits to various shaped and sized clinics (and the ER, simply because they knew how to deal with one of the more delicate cases of one of our streps) we were all administered antibiotics of some sort. We took our doses and survived the strep, all five of us – we’re still kicken’.

These various clinic and ER visits were lengthy, uncomfortable experiences. Having to wait in line is not pleasant, especially when ill, but at least these days there are quick strep tests, which are capable of testing and diagnosing strep within about 15 minutes… essentially while you wait and perhaps shop (just to look, don't touch anything). Then you go and get your medicine and let it start taking its course.

All in all, we took one for the global team, we could have carried this strep with us until it went away (or gave us scarlet fever evidently), perhaps infecting many many others then we probably already infected.

And we paid for it, well not completely yet, or shall I say we are currently paying for it. The bills have now come - a couple weeks after our visits, sticker-shock aftershocks. Here are the facts:

• Wife’s health insurance coverage (for the family) is through her company and was changed this year (and not to our families' financial benefit).

• Total cost to treat our strep episodes - (that is, out of our pocket) over $1000.00.

• If this would have happened last year, the overall cost would have probably been below $250.

• Priceless and this stings as we try to save up to pay to finish our basement. (And hire contractors, plumbers, electricians – also code inspector visits; rather than doctors, nurses, ER techs).

So, the cost monetarily was over $1000.00 for us to get well, or at least better from various stages, forms and dare I say... locations of streptococcus.

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Hopefully we prevented worldwide catastrophe to humanity - to some extent - by paying our monetary share to get us better, so that many others wouldn’t catch it (although some folks probably did - if only these bugs glowed some neon color, so we could see which doorknobs not to touch.)

As we come away from this, I am really surprised at the cost of health care. Overall, I am not sure why the price is so high and it bugs me – the ER visit alone cost $800 – and it wasn’t a life threatening visit, there was no ambulance ride. There was no IV or other fancy machine hookup. Three people, two nurses and a doctor looked at one of our boys… over the course of an hour.

For a middle class family in America, this stings – and almost makes it understandable why folks wouldn’t take themselves, or loved ones in to the clinic or hospital to get better.

Overall, the market, private enterprise, the government, labor groups have failed us common citizens in this health care regard - the high financial price is proof. At this point in time the system does not work. Are we paying higher prices because of the lack of competition for medicines, equipment, clinic and hospital staff? Are we paying higher prices to cover the costs of some expensive new hospital wing? Are we paying higher prices for drugs to help folks in Africa? Are we paying higher prices to cover the expense of a doctor or nurses schooling?

It doesn't seem right. Health care seems like a huge, hulking, dark cloud with no beginning or ending. Its a bitter pill - something you need, or have to have, if you want to continue being a factor in society, yet the financial cost is over the top. Here in the U.S., I think an attempt was made at change, to benefit a vast majority of people. I am not sure if it works/worked (for some probably more than others) or if it will get shot down - but at least an attempt was made - rather than languishing in some quagmire.

For our family, the strep is gone, we paid to have it removed - and we are extremely lucky/blessed/fortunate compared to many others. But now, if I was you, I would go wash your hands – and that includes the health industry. It's time to come clean, ‘cause this could get old real fast.

Iced Tea Impetus

Ice cold, iced tea, the drink that breaks a sweat so that we don’t have to. The drink that goes down slow, in the shade – essentially forcing folk to stop and associate together. Make it bitter, make it sweet, but make a big old pitcher and share it because the summer calls for it.

In this northland, in the winter, it seems easy to offer hot coffee in -

ex. “Come in, where it's warm, would you like some coffee?” 

That’s fine, but in the summer it could be keen to offer iced tea out -

ex. “Since we’re both out, weeding the garden, I’m gonna bring you a glass of iced tea.”

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And if you don’t like it, drink it anyway. Don’t refuse the gesture, times like these call for more direct connection and this may be one that cracks the shell.

Somehow we need to find that medium to get everybody on the same page and feeling like useful cogs in the machine - riding that horse off into the western sunset, perhaps with a glass of iced tea in hand.

The American Horse

As I took my middle son to preschool the other morning, I noticed the sermon title upon the church building sign - “Chaos, Fear, and Faith”. I don’t attend this church, but wished I could have attended this sermon – I like the title, I guess it’s got my recent line of thinking written all over it.

This chaos, fear and faith has indeed been on my mind quite often lately. I relate it to Chaos being the economy and politics and the divergence of both from the middle; Fear being the tactics used to cause this Chaos, which may actually be grounded in Fear… of change; and finally Faith – my faith is questioning nonstop – why? why? why? I surely don’t know why, but still find that my faith always remains, though I question it yearly, monthly, daily, hourly, minutely, secondly… faith in what? Faith in whom?

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To me all this stuff is encapsulated in the American Horse. The American Dream, Machine, Movement, Enterprise, all under the umbrella of liberty – liberty and justice for all...

I love horses. Though I have literally ridden probably two in my life – so much of my love for horses is grounded in fantasy – but here is what I envision: An American spotted pony (a mustang?) riding across the Great Plains, riding west to some distant destination, free as can be to wander at great speed to a local watering hole or something.

And who can tame the American Horse? Or.... is the US going to get caught in a health insurance or European economy mess (chaos)? Or... is the US losing ground in the worldwide competition to lead and influence (fear)? Or.... what of these amendments and Brotherhoods and values (faith)?

Liberty and justice for all - according to whom? Doesn't it seem many decisions made lately favor certain party's or organizations or corporations? Is there still space to run free and open or are we becoming compartmentalized by political districts and corporate cubes? Can the crust hold the American Pie or will it spill out?

We will never completely overcome chaos – homelessness, labor riots, weather events - it's how we deal with chaos that matters (ie. Duluth, MN).

We will never completely overcome fear – fear of the unknown – it is a natural instinct and those nefarious folk who use fear will get their karma eventually.

We will never completely overcome faith – I seriously question those who have all the answers from any religion or belief system and think this is the reason truly wise people turn other folks' questions back on themselves.

Somewhere on some plain the American Horse gallops – on the interstate, perhaps off towards Denver, be it boom or bust. How do we fight the fear, burst through the chaos and find the faith to ride it?

Away From It All - Utter Rotation

Getting away is new territory for little ones and a superfluous snare for older ones.

The brilliance of getting away from it all. To experience new inventions, new places, foods and people. Not always a time of complete refreshment but something different nonetheless.

With kids everything is new and there isn’t the realization that the parents really need (and simply want) some time away from it all.

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They view it on a macro level (“why is it taking so long to get there?”; “the water in the river is really deep!”); while we grasp the little things (“do you taste honey in this beer?”; “did we really just spend that much on dinner?”).

  

Going away and coming back is too often like the tides and the moon and not often enough like the seasons and Earth’s ellipse around the sun.

Walk Don't Walk

Some folks count when they walk – “One, two, three, four; one, two, three, four.” Others walk more haphazardly, as if deep in thought about something kinda important. Some, do both.

My dad was a military man, I am proud of his service. When he was out of the Navy and had his family he used many quips that he brought back from his military days. He would lob them at us (his three sons) with the nonstrictest discipline– on his days off we boys would be lying in bed in the morning and suddenly hear this booming –

“Hey there all you good strong men, Uncle Sam’s gonna do it again, got himself in a terrible jam, way down yonder in Vietnam.” 

– which pretty much meant he was in a good mood and was ready for us to get up and go on some sort of excursion with him perhaps to run some errands, which often involved getting donuts at the local donut shop.

With three boys he would also have us “march” when he needed us to get going – as in calling us to order, directing us in some direction, attempting to herd cats. He would have us line up and call “hup, two, three, four; hup, two, three, four…” and it would work, we would start marching… though haphazardly to the beat of his call. Fond memories for me, thanks for that Vietnam War.

Others walk a bit more haphazardly – perhaps not in a straight line even, not drunk by any means, but not walking the line at strictest attention. Is lackadaisical the word? Maybe.

Order doesn't seem to be their most important goal or outcome. In fact as they walk on, allowing their mind to seemingly wander off to some other place - it seems they are thinking up ways - methods - means to circumvent order, or maybe even new rules for Robert. Getting to the destination, just doesn't seem to be their most immediate purpose.

Of course there are drivers like this as well.