Recovery Week

We got home from the hospital late on Monday night.  I tried to take it easy this week. 

I got a letter in the mail from our home health company asking us to write to our Texas representatives about cuts to Medicaid.  Most home health agencies operate on about a 4% profit margin - that’s not a lot.  If they were to cut Medicaid compensation rates by 33% (as has been discussed), these agencies would shut down.  I started thinking about the implications of this – nursing homes, kids like Bella.  All those people.  Think about it for a second.  What will families do with their loved ones that no longer can stay in nursing homes?  There is so much to think about!  Imagine the implications!  Of course, I selfishly think of my life without nurses.  Basically my life, as I know it,would be over.  We would have to travel by ambulance again (3 to 4 thousand per trip).  She would be in the hospital a lot more often.  I wouldn’t by able to do anything.  I remember one day Bella wasn’t doing well, I didn’t have a nurse, and one of the kids got sick at school.  My neighbor had to pick her up.  On a bad day for Bella, you can’t just throw life support into the back of the van and go.  That was a very stressful couple of days as I thought about my kids, my poor kids who always seem to get the short end of the stick.  We are watching all of this very closely and we’ll see.  Fortunately, there do seem to be some people with clearer heads up in Austin that realize that keeping her home is much cheaper than having her live in a hospital.   We’ll see how it plays out.  Cuts have to be made and no one wants the cuts to effect them.

My beautiful babies – cute Lizzy and Jessi with the shirt that Sammi made for her

Jessi had to go back to the ortho again – more brackets off.  He has decided the top set just didn’t bond well – 6 brackets in two weeks, I think I agree.

And the smudges under Jessi’s eyes?  Well, the school put war paint on them for TAKS.  This week was TAKS.  Sounds like everyone did well.  We’ll see.  That was another reason I wanted to be out of the hospital this week so that things could be as normal as possible for the girls.

They finished painting our house – it looks really nice.  They even re-stained the front door!  Yea!

Bella the beautiful started to feel better!  Wahoo!!  So very grateful for that!  Sweet bug – you worry your Mama so much.  You are worth every sleepless night and stressed out thought!

Becca headed down to Corpus Christi for an Orchestra competition.  They got 1’s (very good).  They will receive two trophies.  She is rooming with five LDS girls and their chaperons are LDS.  That makes my heart a little calmer.  From her texts, she is having a good time.  I am glad.  And look at Joy in that picture – she is getting so big!  Four, she is going to be four years old in one month.  I can’t believe it!                 My poor Sammi.  She has been sick this week.  Fever, sore throat, severe headache.  Thankfully not strep, just something viral.

Playing around

Sweet Joy – whenever people are leaving, she runs and grabs shoes – she wants to go so badly.  She hates being left behind.                  And that massive pile of green used to be the Sugar Gum trees in our backyard.  We had them removed – no more prickles and because they were right in the middle of the yard, it has really opened up the area.  It’s still weird for us.  I feel like I’m missing the roof.

Our weekend was topped off with two wedding receptions and one birthday party. 

It’s May 1st.  Here’s to a  new month.  I hope it’s wonderful!