Rachel's Adventures in Healthcare

courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/

Two Fridays ago, during the big snowstorm, our youngest, Leah, developed a very high fever. 104 to be exact. When we consulted her doctor via telephone, she advised us that it may be "that virus that's going around" and told us how to proceed.

The new trend in general medicine is towards not prescribing antibiotics unless there is an actual infection. In the past, a fever was evidence of an infection. Now they want to see swelling, redness, or something else; because in the era of swine flu, viruses cause fevers also. Best course of action is to treat the fever with Tylenol and force fluids and get as much sleep as possible, so that the virus can run its course.

So we did, eventually, we got some prescriptions from the doctor, and it was a terrible couple of days, but Leah got through it. Until Tuesday. That's when Rachel got it. Now, Leah hated taking the medicine, but we made her and she did pretty well. Rachel, on the other hand, threw up every Tylenol, Motrin, Antibiotic and steriod. And she kept getting worse. When we finally switched to Tylenol suppositories (Rachel's now embarassed. Or at least she will be later in life.) the fever went down for the few hours that it lasted, but then, spiked back up. Finally, Saturday, we had had enough. We took her one more time to the doctor, and he recommended the hospital.

We took her to Good Samaritin Hospital in West Islip, and they were AMAZING there. They took her right in, IV'd some antibiotics, and started bringing her fever down, and finally admitted her. As soon as the fever went down, we got our little Rachel back, For the four days prior, she was more like Reagan in the Excorcist; puking up weird stuff, nasty, saying our mother does things in Hell; you know, typical sick child stuff. She mellowed out, while the doctors and nurses drained her lungs with a nebulizer, gave her medicine both intravenously and orally. And finally yesterday, they released her. We're still treating her at home, but she's happier. Thank God.

As I sat with her, watching WAY too much Disney channel - I mean, how much Hannah Montana can you take? It got to the point where Rachel and I were watching the same TV shows, and I'm LIKING 'EM! I'm Losin' it! (NAME THAT MOVIE) - I thought about the healthcare debate, the bill, and the whole situation going on right now. Maybe it was because it was all over the news and C-Span, or maybe because I had had an arguement... I mean discussion... I mean lecture... I mean summarization of everything Fox news ever reported, with my father the day before.

Leah had 2 doctor visits, Rachel had 3, and Paula and I each had one. Each visit resulted in 1 or 2 prescription medications plus a home nebulizer and two more medications after the hospital. Then the ER treatment, IV anitbiotics and saline with Dextrose to rehydrate my daughter, and the 3 day, 3 night hospital stay including rounds of albeuterol, rounds of anitbiotics, and steriods. How much is that bill do you think?

I imagined what would have happened if I wasn't working, or if I was working in several part time jobs, like for churches, or self employed, like the music god I wish to be. If for whatever reason, I didn't have, or couldn't get medical insurance. Making too much money for Medicare, but not enough to realistically afford Blue Cross. I imagined being one of my student's families who can't afford to take a day off work to stay home and care for a sick child. Who can't go to a hospital, because the bill for the stay would financially destroy their family. My daughter had trouble taking the medicine we got her. Imagine your circumstances forbidding you from even getting that first dose of steriods that clears her lungs, or that first doctor visit where they tell you HOW to care for her, let alone the IV antibiotics in the hospital.

So, anyway, I'm not ranting about healthcare again. At least not in THIS entry. Rachel's home, she's well, and she's happy. Life is slowly returning to normal. Paula and I were sick, too, but we're treating with Augmentin. (Zithromax didn't work for me.) Thanks to everyone for the well wishes, and prayers. Thanks to Marie, and all my teaching colleagues for picking up the slack at work. And thanks to our doctors and the entire staff at Good Sam for being awesome. Best healthcare system in the world? At Good Sam, yes, probably, IF you can afford it.