You Can Tell Who Your Friends Are

Last week we received some news that has the potential to be horrible. It is not horrible, yet, but the sun isn't quite as bright as it was before the telephone call, if you know what I mean. BRE, who is 12, has been complaining about joint pain. Now, adolescents complain about many, many things. Additionally, adolescents are still growing and are a tad awkward, so joint pain is not unusual. Being a tad paranoid, when she went to her annual physical, we mentioned the pains, and, upon hearing that blood work would be done, I asked that an ANA be added to the list of blood work.
For the uninitialed, the ANA-' Antinuclear antibodies are a unique group of autoantibodies that have the ability to attack structures in the nucleus of cells. The nucleus of a cell contains genetic material referred to as DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).
There is an ANA (antinuclear antibody) test which can be performed on a patient's blood sample as part of the diagnostic process to detect certain autoimmune diseases.' http://arthritis.about.com/od/diagnostic/a/ana.htm

The pediatrician called on Thursday. My beautiful 12 year old had a high ANA titer. That means that she could potentially have systemic lupus erythematosus.

SLE was the cause of death of her aunt, my older sister.

I immediately called my two 'sisters', only one of whom is related by blood. The other is related by something stronger than blood...almost 30 years of love. Oddly enough, she has also tested positive, but is asymptomatic.

As for now....we wait. The best thing, though, is that I know I don't wait alone.

What Was McCain Thinking?

First, please be aware, I know very little about Sarah Palin. This is not a slam against HER. This is about the choices candidates make.

The stereotypes of the two political parties are legion. Some are that the Republicans are predominantly racist, Christian and fundamentalist, whereas the Democrats are godless, liberal socialists. Neither stereotype is even remotely true, but there are those who will try and convince us that they are. Out in the media and pretend media (sorry, fellow bloggers, we are not journalists) there are some pundits who have made comments that make me question McCain's choice of Sarah Palin.

1) Barack Obama is too young and has no experience as a leader, having served for only 4 years at the national level. Obama chooses an experienced running mate in Joe Biden, but McCain picks Palin, who is 3 or 4 years younger than Obama, and has no national experience, and only 2 years as governor.

2) Much was made of Michele Obama working and of Hillary not being a stay at home Mom. Additionally, there are those in the fundamentalist Christian area who believe that women who work are destroying the nuclear family. Mrs. Palin has 5 children, the youngest, a child with Down's syndrome, is not even a year old. Is McCain that secure in the vote of the Christian right.

3) Palin is under investigation for abuse of power. Okay, if my sister were married to an abusive man, I would do more than have him fired. But I am not running for VP.

4) Obama has been accused of being a celebrity. Palin's children's names sound like an actor chose them The Palins have five children: Track, 19; Bristol 17; Willow 14; Piper, 7, and Trig, who was born in April. Additionally, Alaskans have bumper stickers saying how hot their governor is.

Please, please tell me this was not a misguided attempt to draw the Clinton voters to an NRA supporting, Choice-denying person simply because she is a woman.

Finale

Campfire in our own backyard

Summer drawing to a close

Waiting for the s'mores

Too good to toast


Nice end to a summer night!

Swim Lessons

And I HAVE insurance

I am grateful that I have a job. My union has fought long and hard to make sure that we keep good insurance beneifits. My surgery earlier this year was billed in the thousands of dollars. I paid out of pocket less than $600. The major medical is wonderful.

The dental is...nonexistant.
There is no coverage for orthodontics. None. The allowable for cleanings and fillings is equal to what Medicaid paid, and we are still wondering if the oral surgery will come under major medical or dental. My Knight needed to have a growth removed and biopsied. It is not cancer, which is wonderful, but the lack of a catastrophic diagnosis may mean that it was medically unnecessary to remove the growth. Dentally necessary pays a lot less. Of course, until it was removed, we didn't KNOW it wasn't cancer. The growth caused dental issues which will take $500 above and beyond the $225 we paid last week. And The Magpie goes for a cleaning tomorrow.

Vision care is insanely low.
They will pay 24 dollars a year for eye exams. They will pay $14 for frames and $24 for single lense, 48 for bifocals. BRE and I went to get our eyes examined yesterday. Out of pocket, $206.00. She and I needed new frames and new lenses. Her frames were 99 dollars. Her lenses were 129. Yep, 228, and I will be reimbursed 38 dollars. MY glasses, for which I do not have the money right now, will cost me 406 all totalled. And I will be reimbursed 62 dollars

Dear heaven, what do people who DON'T have insurance do!

Who goes to heaven - a good joke

A man dies and goes to heaven. At the gates he meets St. Peter who welcomes him and shows him inside. "This is beautiful!" the man says as he is shown around the pool, the golf course, the night clubs, the hiking mountains and camping forests, the cruise ship, the zoo and menagerie, everything everyone could ever want or like. St. Peter introduces the man to God. "You're exactly what I thought you'd be like!" the man said. "Everyone says that," smiled God. God began to introduce the man to all the people in heaven. "This is my son Jesus," he said and the man nodded. "And my son Muhammed," and the man blinked. "And my son Buddha, my daughter Brigid..." God went on and the man stopped him for a moment. "I thought you had only one child." God smiled. "You are all my children. Now, over here are the Catholics," God continued pointing out peoples. "And the Buddhists, and the Jews, and the Pagans, and..."
"God, wait... you didn't say what's through this locked door."
"Oh, shh," God hushed the man and gestured him to come on. "Those are the people who think they're the only ones here."