So, yeah, weekend after next we're heading to Chicago for a very brief weekend. Paul's nephew, Paul, is getting christened and, as I understand it, Big Paul holds Little Paul or something during the event. I've never been to a christening/child baptism before (my religion believes/ed in adult baptism) so its all a bit new to me. Regardless, I'm sure I'll cry the whole time.
Paul can't miss any work so we will be there less than 48 hours, getting there late on Friday and leaving early evening on Sunday. Sunday will be taken up with family and christening, but Saturday we are thinking of going into the city (Paul's family lives in the burbs) and doing something. We don't have the money to shop, and I'm not much of a shopper anyway, but all of the other suggestions you guys had sounded good. Upon thinking about it though, I think we're going to try the Natural History Museum. Now, I looked that up and there seemed to be some weirdness with the name. Is the Museum of Natural History the same as the Field Museum? Chicagoans, please help? I have wanted to go to that museum since I read Lois Lowry's books as a child. I read most of her books but now, for the life of me, can't remember which book it was that referenced the museum. I'm pretty sure that it was The 100th Thing About Caroline or Us And Uncle Fraud. I would look it up, but all of my precious, precious children's books are still in my parent's apartment. Wah! ( Do you have kids? You MUST go out and buy some Lois Lowry books...Taking Care of Terrific, without exaggerating, shaped the person that I am today )
So, yeah, I think we will try (Paul's parents willing) to go to the museum and then maybe get some deep dish pizza or go to some hot dog place that Paul has been drooling about.
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Nothing else is really new in our little lives. Paul is working very hard, I'm working on the CURSED IMMIGRATION PAPERS which is currently involving dealing with the IRS who have been remarkably helpful but we still don't have what we need and we need to get it done, like, yesterday.
We are insured! We have car insurance, renter's insurance and now health insurance. RELIEF! I have located a doctor nearby who is accepting new patients with our health plan and have scheduled an appointment for next week. I'm fascinated by health care in Canada vs. the US. Obviously there are problems with American health care; people get sicker or even die sometimes because they can't afford health care. Health care here is tremendously expensive and insurance is also painfully costly. However, I tell ya, it was nice finding a doctor. The receptionists that I called were all anxious to help me and find me an appointment in a time slot that was good for me and they all answered my questions politely. In Canada finding a new doctor was sometimes literally impossible. There is a chronic shortage of doctors there. The doctor that I had for years was nice enough, I suppose, but it would take a month to get an appointment (a physical was a 6 month wait), I sometimes had to wait for 3 hours (THREE!) and when I would get into the appointment, she would rush me through to the point where I wouldn't even mention all that was wrong. But, and its a big but, it was all free. And I think we Canadians sometimes take for granted how awesome and amazing that is.
So, universal health care doesn't seem ideal to me because the doctors are rushed and overworked and don't always seem to care enough. But, obviously, its not good to have to pay vast amounts of money for every service either because that means that richer people get better health care. I wonder what the solution is? Paul and I were discussing it and thought of two things that seemed reasonable (as if we have any idea!). One way may be to have doctors partially subsidized by the government so they can charge small and reasonable fees to their patients. Or, maybe, limited coverage; like children get a free physical twice a year and adults once a year or something. Its an interesting dilemma. Thank God we have health care now!
Not too much else going on. I'm super frustrated and stressed because I have like 40 things on my to-do list and none of them are things that I can just DO and then cross off the list. I spent over 4 hours yesterday on the phone with immigration and the IRS and, in essence, got nothing accomplished. This makes me DEEPLY FRUSTRATED! But, eventually it will work out like the rest has. Right?
7 comments:
I hope you have a wonderful time in Chicago.
I don't even wanna go into the whole health insurance thing. I'm very bitter about it, and it would get ugly.
I'm sure the Immigration/IRS thing will get settled out eventually. Wish I could help somehow.
Health Insurance here is not as rosy as you might think. I too, MANY times , have felt rushed by my doctor and it has been an issue here in the U.S. for years, another reason leading to the creation of the Patient's Bill of Rights.
Right now neither Beau and I have health insurance (*desperately missing wonderful insurance in NYC*) and it feels like a constant game. You pray you don't get too sick or have an accident, because if you do, you can expect THOUSANDS of dollars in bills and we're already a bit swamped as it is.
Reform is definitely needed, but as is always the case, if you have a lot of money, you'll get really good care. For us poor schmucks, alas!
Let me just clarify that I certainly don't think health insurance is that rosy. It costs a fortune and we still have to pay a co-pay. Also, I had a horrendous hospital experience that I wrote epic poetry about last year. However! I still maintain that, in my limited experience, you at least get treated with slightly more respect with this system.
And, I totally hear you about it feeling like a constant game when you don't have health insurance. Paul and I have been like that on and off for two years. More than once we have lain in bed with one of us in horrible pain trying to decide if the pain is bad enough to risk a $1000 hospital charge. And in that type of case is where universal health care is a winner hands down. NOBODY should ever have to weigh their pain against the cost of care. Ever.
Amen.
Your problem getting time with your doctor is at odds with mine. Was your doctor in Niverville? Small towns often have trouble holding onto enough doctors.
My doctor only works Wed-Friday, but I usually get an appointment that week if I call on Monday. And if for some reason my doctor was unavailable, the walk in Clinic in Norwood rarely had more than a 90 minute wait.
Seeing a specialist can be a diffferent matter, and emergency rooms are in a sad state.
That's weird, Chris. You should consider yourself terribly lucky. When my doctor retired about 6 years ago it took me months to find someone who was accepting patiens. In fact, I never did find one who was technically accepting patients, my sister just begged her doctor to take me on. And no, this was in Winnipeg, not Niverville.
And as far as small towns having trouble holding onto doctors, that is very true...but big cities have a whole lot of trouble too. Winnipeg is in a constant crunch looking for more doctors and more nurses.
Again, I'm not claiming that that makes our system inferior, not at all. I just think that each system could learn from the other.
I also have a really great doctor that has no trouble slipping me in, sometimes the next day. Usually if I need to be seen that urgently it's because Drew needs care but there's been a time or two. However, I started seeing her right when she started up practice in Winnipeg, like, that very week. So she's probably not overloaded with patients as it sounds like yours was. You're not the first person I've heard of who has to wait like that either, so clearly it just depends who your doctor is and what their policies on double-booking are etc.
As for Chicago!! and I'm very excited and jealous that you get to go, because I love love love Chicago: Field Museum = Museum of Natural History. I'm guessing Field Museum is the real name but I've only known it by the latter one. I never did get to go there :( It's on my big list. I would do Field Museum and deep dish pizza somewhere recommended by a Chicagoite, and call it a day at that. Trying to cram too much into one day will leave you unsatisfied. Do a couple things really well, and drive around the city is my best advice.
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