Why are we paying doctors so much money. . .

for such poor quality service? We are hitting some dead ends with our doctors this week. Please pray for God to break down these hurdles for us. For several weeks, we have been having problems getting calls returned in a timely manner from our PCP. Even when Jason had an allergic reaction to his medication a few weeks ago, they called and left a message for us cancelling his doctor's appointment (with no explanation) and would not return our phone calls after that! They have also quit listening when we talk to them about our situation.

Case in point: We needed paperwork completed for Jason's work and it was due back by Oct 25th. It was not completed by the deadline, and when they finally did complete it and return it to Jason's work, they did not complete it correctly. We had discussed Jason's limitations with his doctor and told him that if Jason returned to work at this point, he could not complete two of his "essential job functions" because his pain was still too bad. Today we found out that the doctor sent paperwork to Jason's work saying that he could return *now* with *NO RESTRICTIONS*!! So, based on this information, his work has stated that he has until November 7th to return to work *full duty* or forfeit his job. Of course we had to find out this information on a Friday afternoon when it is difficult to get anything done!!!

Jason's PCP was supposed to send him to a pain management specialist a month ago. They were supposed to call us yesterday with the name of the doctor and an appointment time. Of course they did not call. Today, we call them. . . the person who handles that is not in the office today and they will have to call us back on Monday :-0 I wish I could be paid so much to do so little. . .

Also, we have heard about a wonderful diagnostic center down in Temple, Texas. We are interested in visiting this clinic to see if they can shed any light on Jason's condition. However, in spite of spending hours on the phone, we cannot get a definitive answer regarding whether or not our insurance will cover a visit to this center. We have contacted the center, and they will talk to our insurance company and get an answer to us--BUT, it will take 2 WEEKS :-0 This is very discouraging because we know that we cannot afford to go down there unless our insurance will pay for it.

We are praying that the Lord will move in these situations and make it possible for us to get some clear answers.

To Work or Not to Work. . .

that is the question. Jason is still trying to make a decision on what to do about his work. Last Thursday (Oct 16th), Jason went back to the hospital for another CT scan. The results indicate another suspected leak. I say suspected because there is a difference of opinion between the doctors as to what the results actually mean. One doctor thinks that it could just be tissue damage from the last leak and abscess. Very helpful, huh?

After getting these results, we headed out of town for a couple of days to camp down in Sulphur (we stayed in a park home in a private RV park--not in a tent for those of you who were wondering). The weather was beautiful and the kids had a great time playing outdoors. There were friends from our church camping down there, so they had plenty of playmates. Unfortunately, Jason fell when he was feeding the bonfire and strained his ribs. We thought they were cracked, but after getting an X-ray, we discovered that they were only strained. With his osteoporosis, he is at high risk for fractures and breaks, so we feel fortunate that things weren't worse. However, we did cut our trip short to head back up to the city for X-rays :-(

This week we were supposed to have some paperwork completed by the doctor for Jason's work. Because there are differing opinions between the doctors treating Jason, we are unable to get the paperwork that his work has requested. During our last conversation with the doctor's office, the doctor indicated that he was skeptical about whether or not Jason is or would be physically able to return to work. Of course, we have suspected this for some time, but this is the first time we have actually heard it from his doctors. This was especially hard for Jason to hear, as he has been very focused on his recovery and returning to work.

Up to this point, the doctors seemed very optimistic and convinced that it would simply be a matter of time before Jason was feeling better. Personally, I have never been this optimistic :-( Between the steroids that Jason takes and the fact that his blood sugars have been so high, I don't think he is a likely candidate for complete healing, aside from miraculous intervention.

So, at this point the doctors are trying to come to a consensus and Jason is trying to decide whether or not he feels like he even *can* return to work. Right now, his pain is still pretty intense if he tries to do much physical activity. He can do a limited number of things on pain medication, but of course he won't be able to go to work as a mechanic on pain meds. So, please pray for both Jason and his doctors to have divine wisdom regarding whether he should consider returning to work.

Jason started a new diabetes medicine this week. We are praying that there will be no negative reaction this time. He got very sick with the last medication he tried and we found out (after the fact) that he was lucky he was not hospitalized because of the reaction. Please join us in praying that his body would respond well to this medication and that God would ease his pain and give him the grace to persevere and the wisdom to make important decisions.

Hooray!!! We have a doctor!

I just had the best experience with the new doctor we saw this morning. She is wonderful. She is a Christian and is so genuine and caring. I absolutely loved her. We discussed several issues about medical care and our philosophy on medical care for our children. She was very understanding and agreed to work with us. She is even willing to take my other children when so many doctors we've visited with just accept newborns :-) At one point during our conversation, she asked me if I homeschooled my other children. I asked her how she knew I homeschooled and she replied, "You just look like you do." and you could tell that she meant it as a compliment. When I was leaving the office, she bent down and kissed the top of the baby's head and told her how precious she was. I am so happy!!! She also takes Soonercare which means that we can go to her office without paying anything! With Jason possibly losing insurance, this is such a relief! Praise God!

Trying a new doctor for the baby. . .

We go tomorrow morning. Last week, we saw the pediatrician that I used when I was younger. He is a very good doctor, but we during our consultation, I realized that our philosophies are different. We would like to look around a bit and see if we can find someone more compatible. I am very parent-driven as far as my children's medical care. I like to call the shots and I do my homework. I do not blindly follow recommendations, because I have learned the hard way that doctors do not always know better than mom :-( Please pray that this appointment goes well and that we find the doctor we are looking for.

Well. . . things are on hold for now

The doctor's office called and cancelled our appointment for today, so we still don't know whether or not Jason will be returning to work next week. They rescheduled for next Thursday, so I guess we will see. Maybe this is just giving him the added time he needs to get back on his feet.

Since we could not get a consult with the doctor, we decided on our own for Jason to quit taking the new diabetes medicine. He is already feeling a little better, so it is probable that this medicine was making him feel worse, even though it was helping his blood sugars be better. Next week, they will probably give him a different medication to try, and hopefully that one will work better for him.

Prayer Requests

It's been awhile since I posted an update on Jason, so here is the scoop:

He is SLOWLY improving, however, he has had a rough time since the baby was born. He has been weak, shaky, having sweats and stomach upset almost constantly for over a week. We were hoping it was something that he ate, or else a mild stomach virus, but it has not gone away. Due to how badly he feels, he has been in bed a lot and not up and rebuilding his strength as we had hoped. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find a root cause of these new issues, although one of the things we are suspecting is his new diabetes medicine. His sugars have been better since starting the medication, but he quit taking it yesterday to see if these new issues were being caused by this pill. So, we will see what happens. He is supposed to go back to the doctor on Thursday this week (he couldn't get in any sooner). He wants to ask for a full release to go back to work on Monday, because he feels that time is running short as far as his job being held. Please pray for the following:

1. That he would see miraculous improvement in his health this week, allowing him to go back to work on Monday.

2. If he goes back to work on Monday, it will start the time over again as far as receiving disability. Right now, he could be eligible for LTD as soon as February. If he goes back and can't stick it out, not only will this probably be his last chance as far as keeping his job, but time will start over again on his disability and he probably would not receive any payments until mid-April at the earliest. Pray for him to have wisdom and discernment and that we would not make our decisions based on fear but on what is truly best.

3. Continue praying for our finances. Barring any major disasters, it looks like we will probably be OK through the end of October (I am so thankful for this because it is allowing me to enjoy baby more and worry less). After that, we will have three more months to get through before disability can kick in.

Praises:

1. We have had several groups do paper poundings for our family, so we have a decent supply of many non-food items such as toilet paper, detergent, etc. Our expenses here should be minimal for the near future.

2. Our food stamps more than supply our needs. They have been approved for one year unless our income exceeds a given amount. We are stocking up on food because, once we have income again, we will need to start figuring out how to pay all of our medical bills :-0

3. God continues to lead and direct people (even those we don't know) to give to our financial needs. I pray that God will bless everyone who has given to us and meet each and every need they have. It takes courage to give to someone else in need(especially with the economy so bad right now).

4. We had quite a large sum collected for baby needs at our shower a few weeks ago. I will have a diaper fund for quite awhile :-), plus we have received several packages of diapers.

Baby Pictures :-)

As you can see, big brother and sisters are very excited to have a new baby sister--they keep arguing over who gets to hold her. I know that when the newness wears off the "help" will decrease, so I'm enjoying it while I can. God has filled our hearts with joy this week in spite of all of our difficult circumstances.