Friday, August 31, 2007

Jealous Much?

My sis' had her daughter, a beautiful baby girl weighing in at 7 pounds 13 ounces. Due to her boyfriend/common law hubby (they've been together longer than most people have been married and if half that time had been here in Texas, the law would agree) not being here, I was the birthing coach.

She had a really cool spacious room with a DVD player, wood floors, attentive nurses and a great doctor. After she had the baby, she was moved to her own private room that was still pretty spacious. The nurses kept the baby in the nursery and let her sleep all night! She got the absolute best care Texas can provide.

And by Texas, I mean the taxpayers 'cuz my sis' didn't pay a dime.

Now, don't get me wrong, I sure as hell didn't want her having the baby in some back alley or homeless hostel where afterwards the ambulance would drop her and the baby off on some street corner where all the drug addicts and mentally insane hang out.

But why...WHY couldn't I have gotten some of the same kind of treatment where I had my kids at a military hospital? Whenever I read the news about how shocked everyone is about the appalling state of military hospitals and the sub-standard care they have, I just have to say where the hell have you been? With my son, I didn't get an epidural. I got some kind of generic drug that did shit for me then made me puke my brains out a few hours later. Did I have a choice to be guinea pig? Nope. By the time a friend of mine had her baby a few months later, she got the epidural, thanks to yours truly. I didn't even get $20 for my services for their little drug experiment. When I had my daughter, the doctors blew off a cyst I had on one of my ovaries until I was too far along in my pregnancy. When I finally got sent to a high-risk doctor ( at an Air Force hospital, mind you, which are far more superior than Army hospitals but are getting closed down so all that are left are the Army hospitals), I had to wait til after I had her, then they had to take my whole ovary out along with the cyst. And the nurses...my GOD....they look at you like some kind of negligent monster if you ask for a little sleep time. No nurseries for healthy babies, baby stays with you the whole time. I was positively dying to leave the hospital. I got better care at home, caring for myself!

And its not me either. Whenever I talk about my nightmare stays at a military hospital, someone usually has a story of their own about a family or friend. Problem is, they are all still green. They all still have to pull out their trusty medical book or consult someone who has a couple of years on them but not much more.

I still don't make enough to have my kids on my medical plan. It would take too much out each month, so they are still on my ex's military medical plan. Which means, in our area, it's a military hospital. I used to always go to the Air Force one here, but now, we have to go to the Army one. Thankfully, my kids are never sicker than the common stuff that a green doctor or nurse or whoever is there sees pretty much every day and knows the standard Tylenol or Amoxicillan treatment. Now that my ex finally got a job though, maybe the kids can go on something his job offers or he can give me some extra support to make up the difference on my jobs' medical plan. All I know is, I sure don't want them to get in some car accident and go to a military hospital. I cringe everytime I hear in the news the person went there, 'cuz I know the kind of treatment they got. I hope one day soon, I can get them to someone who really does know what they are talking about. A real pediatric doctor and not someone who has to do this part as part of their training, or still trying it out to see if this is the field they want to really get into to. Or having nurses still working on their bedside manners or, otherwise, really don't give a damn either way 'cuz its a miliary hospital after all and they get paid according to rank and patients come and go and don't have a choice either.

Since we're talking about being jealous about stuff.....

Someone I work with is a really rich girl from the Chicago area and for some reason is determined to show her family she is not Paris Hilton and can make it on her own. So, she got married recently and is now definetely not running back home anytime soon, at least. So her parents finally gave in and bought a summer home here in SA to be near her....at the DOMINION!

Who does that?

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Top of the World Ma!

Well, I did it!

I got a promotion and made Processor 1. I'm pretty excited. I got the highest raise (9%) and, of course, bragging rights! Of course, now the pressure is on to know my stuff and maintain the high expectations. Yes, it can and will all be taken away from me if I slip. Which is why I hadn't really wanted it in the first place so I didn't really ask or push for it. Pressure and stress happens to put, well, a lot of pressure and stress on me. So, we'll see what happens, and hopefully I can hang on to it long enough so it wouldn't be too embarrassing if they took it away from me. I know, the cup is always half empty from where I sit. I need to work on that, but I'm a big worrier and I'm always afraid if I get too much of a big head, something horrible will happen, so I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop. My life has always had some kind of chaotic mess or disaster befall me just when I start getting comfortable, so let's pray I don't get cancer or something!

On a side note, I finally met Kristen! She looks absolutely fabulous! We work just a floor away from each other and she finally came by to say HI ! She is super sweet, and although I never saw her before she lost all the weight, I can say if she loses any more she will disappear! I have a lot of respect and admiration for her determination to lose the poundage!

On another side note, does anyone know how to potty train a dog? I have a minature pincher who we got when he was already 2 yrs old and now he's 3 yrs old and has always been an outside dog from what I understand. He's also a runner, which is how we got him ( he was too much trouble for a friend of mine). He's run away too many times and in order to avoid the drama of upsetting my kids, I've decided to leave him in the house. He stays in one of the bathrooms with a doggy potty mat, and he's going on it (and a little on the floor too!). I thought I was supposed to be teaching him to hold it, but I think I'm just teaching him to go on the mat! I take him out before we leave in the morning and a couple of times when we get home. He doesn't go at all throughout the night, so what am I doing wrong? Every evening when I get home now, the first thing I have to do is mop the bathroom floor! It's getting more than a little frustrating. Any tips are welcome!