Hiccup

We've hit a bump in the road. It's purely administrative and John and I are certain we have grounds to dispute it, but things are a bit stressful right now. Suffice to say, I am growing really tired of people assuming they know what they're talking about regarding communicable diseases and ones that have not been present in this country for decades.

it's a fight I don't have the energy to fight right now. I just want it to go away. If you've ever birthed a baby in the hospital or had to take your child to urgent care or the emergency room, you know how it feels. The nurse or administrative staff comes up, wants your insurance card, wants to chat about when you first ate strained peas and which shade of yellow your urine was on your sixth birthday and you just want to scream "SHUT UP, GO AWAY, AND FIX THIS!" That is how I feel right now.

I'm done with talking about it, so I don't want to rehash everything at this time. It is far too emotionally exhausting for me and, truth be told, it doesn't matter what someone else's opinion is on the situation (much as I appreciate the commisserating and hugs). It only matters what the administrators think and demand.

Maybe in the future, maybe not.

I am, however, happy to report that Jackson is doing very well in his third cast. We had ZERO trimming issues and no hip bone problems. I spoke with the originator of ISOP (the infantile scoliosis outreach program) who plans these enormous training sessions with doctors. (The one we first attended in August in Chicago.) We are hoping that because this local physician does serial casting for club foot, he will also be open to early intervention serial casting for the spine. We will likely have him do the follow-up x-rays for Jack in January, and I will be armed with loads of studies, information, and data for him.

It would be tremendously hard to leave the connections we've made in Chicago. But, then again, maybe they're giving us no choice with this latest issue cropping up.

Hope this week finds you all well, and filled with the smell of baked goods and evergreen! Stop to look at the glistening snow and enjoy that crisp winter air. Since we aren't able to buy presents this year, it's really shifted our perspective regarding the holidays - and in a good way. I can't tell you how many times I ran out to get just one more thing for X or a gift bag for Y. And why? Sure, sometimes you come across that one thing that is just PERFECT. The thing they use all the time, that really personifies that individual. I can think of a few gifts like that in my lifetime (I hope). Giving presents is a love language for me. I enjoy doing it. I truly do. And, earlier this season I was so upset that we couldn't give gifts, I didn't even want to talk about it. I hated hearing about Christmas or the holidays because it pained me to not have two nickles to rub together. I felt like a failure - inadequate. But, you know what? Today I'm 100% at peace with it. I know that no matter what we have all the things in life that we need and that we are so blessed in so many ways. Not having one more *thing* to clutter up someone's home may end up being more of a gift to them this year than the opposite.