Billie, It's so "not right" that parents should have to worry about insurance, when they have so many other important things to think of. I'll be praying that the Lord will bless you on the financial side of things, too. The pics of the girls are always so sweet. It's nice to be able to visit your blog and share their lives with you and John.
Tue Aug 09, 01:18:00 AM EDT
Anonymous said...
hi guys!
glad to hear the MRI went well, and see miss holly sitting up and doing her thang! i had so much fun with you all the other night...can you email me some of the pics? i will see you soon. love, lisa
Tue Aug 09, 02:01:00 AM EDT
Anonymous said...
Billie-
I read the blog of "Odin" another Micro Preemie and according to his blog several months ago (I found the entry after reading yours) he claims that babies who are in the NICU for more than 30days are automatically enrolled into Mediciad regardless of income; I just wanted to mention that you just in case maybe there is some option for you there... here is the link to his entry.
Kacy, I used to read Odin's blog too. We had heard the same thing about Medicaid, but we applied while in the NICU and were rejected because of our income.
Kate, I am going back to work after labor day and planning to work part-time, 2 1/2 days a week. I hope I can handle it! Billie
Tue Aug 09, 11:03:00 AM EDT
Anonymous said...
Hi Billie and John, I have been reading your website alot lately. I am sorry about the whole insurance issue. Do the girls get SSI? I am sure that you have researched this and probably got it if it is available. I have twin preemies on my caseload and they get some $$ from SSI due to being premature as well as other service providers coming into the home to assist if this is needed. I know that you guys have exhausted all avenues with the girls, but I thought I would ask about the SSI? The girls are soooo cute and adorable and you guys are great parents. Take care, Terri Fair P.S. Sorry my sis and I could not get to your house on the 30th. We really need to visit with one another soon!!
Tue Aug 09, 11:15:00 AM EDT
Anonymous said...
Hi! I've been looking forward to a new post. The girls are growing up fast, aren't they? Thanks for keeping us updated.
I do need to look into SSI. I don't know what the requirements are, but I do know that some of the kids I have worked with in school are able to get it because of various disabilities. Thanks for reminding me about that! Will add it to my neverending to do list...:) Billie
Hey Billie: Wow...its so great to see Holland sitting up like that! :) I got to cootchycoo her at Sabrina's shower, and she smiled so big at me! :) Sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you there.
I will be praying for your insurance situation...I hope you don't have to pay anything. We've had to deal with lots of medical bills as well with Meredith, and I know how frusterating it is to worry about them.
I love you lots. Take care of yourself.
Tue Aug 09, 02:43:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...
Holland looks like such a big girl sitting all by herself. I don't think Eden will ever be tired of her tongue! I know how insurance companies are and how big of a headache they can be. If you don't get everything covered we'll just have to put together some fundraiser's. If even just some of the followers of your Blog attended we could raise some big bucks for sweet little Eden. Luv Ya Lots Liz
Your girls are lovely and so is your smile. I see love radiate from you when you look at them. Somehow you will get through all of this with the insurance. I know you appreciate all the advice and encouragement people are giving you with their comments. God bless you all.
Sun Aug 14, 12:03:00 PM EDT
[Image][Image]Look at Holly sitting up playing like a big girl! The girls had their one-year check up with the pediatrician on Friday. Holland weighs 15 pounds 3.5 ounces and is 27 inches long. Eden weighs 13 pounds 7.5 ounces, and is 26 inches long. Their head circumferences are the same at 42cm (if I remember correctly). The pediatrician charts the girls growth on a normal curve based on their actual age of 12 months. Their head circumferences are actually on the chart now, around the 3rd percentile. Their lengths are approaching the curve. We still have quite a ways to go on weight, but they are still showing an accelerated growth pattern which is good. I remember one of the neonatologists at St. Joe's saying that we should give them one year for each month that they were premature before expecting them to "catch up" with their same age peers. This means that around age 4 they should be about the same size as other full term 4-year-olds. Of, course, genetics also plays a huge roll in how big they will be and with John and I as their parents, I doubt they will be very big girls, even if they had been born full term:)
Eden had her MRI today and it went pretty well. She had to be poked 3 times before they got the IV in, which of course I hated. I held up pretty well for the first attempt, but had to sit down to keep from passing out during the next two tries. It's so hard for me to see her in any pain. No matter how much I think I have it together, I always end up in tears. The rest of the procedure wasn't bad. She did better with the sedation and didn't choke on the medicine. Also, she woke up a lot easier and stayed awake playing through the evening. She even finished a couple of bottles before going to sleep.
The MRI was pretty much the last thing we had to finish before getting a surgery date scheduled for Eden's cochlear implant. All that is left now is to get approval from the insurance company and find out how much they are going to pay. We recently learned that our insurance usually pays 80% of the costs, which could leave us responsible for about 20K. If that is the case, we will apply for Children's Special Health Care Services, which will cost just over 7K for the year and will cover whatever the insurance doesn't. The BEST case scenario would be that MY insurance, which will go into effect when I go back to work, will pick up whatever John's insurance doesn't cover and we won't have to pay anything out of pocket. It's all very confusing. Luckily the people at the Cochlear Implant Program have been very helpful in navigating the whole insurace issue with us. Frankly, the whole thing gives me a headache. We're still working on straightening out the 10K worth of hospital/doctor bills that we've accumulated over the past year! Oh well, it's just money, right? And look at what I have to show for it...two beautiful healthy babies!
"Sitting Like a Big Girl"
11 Comments -
Billie,
It's so "not right" that parents should have to worry about insurance, when they have so many other important things to think of. I'll be praying that the Lord will bless you on the financial side of things, too.
The pics of the girls are always so sweet. It's nice to be able to visit your blog and share their lives with you and John.
Tue Aug 09, 01:18:00 AM EDT
hi guys!
glad to hear the MRI went well, and see miss holly sitting up and doing her thang! i had so much fun with you all the other night...can you email me some of the pics? i will see you soon.
love, lisa
Tue Aug 09, 02:01:00 AM EDT
Billie-
I read the blog of "Odin" another Micro Preemie and according to his blog several months ago (I found the entry after reading yours) he claims that babies who are in the NICU for more than 30days are automatically enrolled into Mediciad regardless of income; I just wanted to mention that you just in case maybe there is some option for you there... here is the link to his entry.
GOOD LUCK!!
Kacy (Harding)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowdeal/4232035/
Tue Aug 09, 06:41:00 AM EDT
Good luck with the insurance.
You are right it is only money and you have the best gift anyone could ever hope for two healthy happy little girls.
When do you go back to work?
Tue Aug 09, 10:32:00 AM EDT
Kacy,
I used to read Odin's blog too. We had heard the same thing about Medicaid, but we applied while in the NICU and were rejected because of our income.
Kate,
I am going back to work after labor day and planning to work part-time, 2 1/2 days a week. I hope I can handle it!
Billie
Tue Aug 09, 11:03:00 AM EDT
Hi Billie and John,
I have been reading your website alot lately. I am sorry about the whole insurance issue. Do the girls get SSI? I am sure that you have researched this and probably got it if it is available. I have twin preemies on my caseload and they get some $$ from SSI due to being premature as well as other service providers coming into the home to assist if this is needed. I know that you guys have exhausted all avenues with the girls, but I thought I would ask about the SSI?
The girls are soooo cute and adorable and you guys are great parents.
Take care, Terri Fair
P.S. Sorry my sis and I could not get to your house on the 30th. We really need to visit with one another soon!!
Tue Aug 09, 11:15:00 AM EDT
Hi! I've been looking forward to a new post. The girls are growing up fast, aren't they? Thanks for keeping us updated.
Love, Amy C.
Tue Aug 09, 11:46:00 AM EDT
I do need to look into SSI. I don't know what the requirements are, but I do know that some of the kids I have worked with in school are able to get it because of various disabilities. Thanks for reminding me about that! Will add it to my neverending to do list...:)
Billie
Tue Aug 09, 01:59:00 PM EDT
Hey Billie:
Wow...its so great to see Holland sitting up like that! :)
I got to cootchycoo her at Sabrina's shower, and she smiled so big at me! :)
Sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you there.
I will be praying for your insurance situation...I hope you don't have to pay anything.
We've had to deal with lots of medical bills as well with Meredith, and I know how frusterating it is to worry about them.
I love you lots.
Take care of yourself.
Tue Aug 09, 02:43:00 PM EDT
Holland looks like such a big girl sitting all by herself. I don't think Eden will ever be tired of her tongue! I know how insurance companies are and how big of a headache they can be. If you don't get everything covered we'll just have to put together some fundraiser's. If even just some of the followers of your Blog attended we could raise some big bucks for sweet little Eden. Luv Ya Lots Liz
Tue Aug 09, 07:52:00 PM EDT
Your girls are lovely and so is your smile. I see love radiate from you when you look at them. Somehow you will get through all of this with the insurance. I know you appreciate all the advice and encouragement people are giving you with their comments. God bless you all.
Sun Aug 14, 12:03:00 PM EDT