People always tell me that I will make a great dad. I always questioned those people's judgment as I am opinionated and hate, pretty much, everything.
Today, I left the job site because I needed some lunch, a broom and a rake. So I went to Fred Meyer because we all know it's your on stop shopping place. I had my trailer hooked to my truck so I parked kinda of far out in the parking lot away from the store. I have to do that so I can pull through and use two spots for my truck and my trailer. Anyway, I was walking across the parking lot and without even thinking, I put both my arms out straight and started alternating them back and forth while making airplane sound. A girl passing me gave me a funny look and I stopped. Not because I cared what she thought. To quote Adam Carolla, "there are two things people really need to know about me: I don't care and I don't care." But that lady's funny look made me realize I was actually doing that.
And then I cracked a little smile because I realized at that moment that those people are right. I'm going to make a pretty awesome dad. All my pessimism and negativity doesn't matter because I'm fun and I have the mind of a child so at least when the kid is little I'll be a good dad. They'll still hate me when they're a teenager, but what teenager doesn't hate their parent. I can live with that. My hatred of all things 'idiot' will still be there, but I think it will be overpowered by my imaginative nature. We'll see.
Friday, June 26, 2009
9 Weeks 5 Days: Business as Usual
This is one of those lulls where not much new is happening. Things are business as usual. In a week or two Krystal will have another doctor's appointment in which case she'll be able to hear the heartbeat. But until then, not much has changed.
The Oregon Health Plan guy had asked for extra paperwork because, of course, we make too much money to qualify, even though Krystal doesn't make that much and I'm running a company that's going out of business, but whatever. He said that we were close though so if he gets more info he might be able to use different calculations to make us qualify. It just seems ridiculous. I'm making up a bunch of postcards this weekend to send out to all my Senators, House Reps, ect telling them to give us some god damned healthcare. We have a constitutional right to an education, but not a constitutional right to healthcare? You may be dying, but you'll be smart while you're doing it!
The Oregon Health Plan guy had asked for extra paperwork because, of course, we make too much money to qualify, even though Krystal doesn't make that much and I'm running a company that's going out of business, but whatever. He said that we were close though so if he gets more info he might be able to use different calculations to make us qualify. It just seems ridiculous. I'm making up a bunch of postcards this weekend to send out to all my Senators, House Reps, ect telling them to give us some god damned healthcare. We have a constitutional right to an education, but not a constitutional right to healthcare? You may be dying, but you'll be smart while you're doing it!
Monday, June 22, 2009
9 Weeks 1 Day: Heart Monitor
My blood pressure was 170 over 110 when I left my doctor's appointment last week. I checked it a couple time since then and it went down a little. Then today I got myself I nice little portable blood pressure checker that goes right on your wrist. When I came home and checked it, it was 142 over 87. Not bad. The doctor said I would noticeably feel better. I didn't notice any symptoms because my blood pressure had gotten higher so gradually, but having it come way down really fast, I do notice my head feels clearer. I feel less light headed and it seems like my eyesight is a bit better. Like the doctor said, I didn't notice these things before, but now I do now that they're getting better.
Krystal and I have had a few conversations about changes to the baby names we picked out long ago. We always just end up back at the same names. I haven't told anyone what they are or asked anyone what they think of them because, frankly, I don't care. I don't get people who ask everyone they know if they like the name they want to name their upcoming child and then get disappointed if even one person says something negative about it. I've heard people say they actually picked a name other than their first choice because some of their friends didn't like it. Are you out of your mind? I'll name my kid whatever I want. If I want to name him Hannibal Lecter O'Neal I will. Those people that named their kid Adolf Hitler Campbell and their other kid something Aryan Nation Campbell, as stupid as they are, have all the right in the world to name their kids that. Just as much as I have a right to think they're stupid. You are more than welcome to not like my kid's name, but I'm just telling you now, I don't care.
Krystal and I have had a few conversations about changes to the baby names we picked out long ago. We always just end up back at the same names. I haven't told anyone what they are or asked anyone what they think of them because, frankly, I don't care. I don't get people who ask everyone they know if they like the name they want to name their upcoming child and then get disappointed if even one person says something negative about it. I've heard people say they actually picked a name other than their first choice because some of their friends didn't like it. Are you out of your mind? I'll name my kid whatever I want. If I want to name him Hannibal Lecter O'Neal I will. Those people that named their kid Adolf Hitler Campbell and their other kid something Aryan Nation Campbell, as stupid as they are, have all the right in the world to name their kids that. Just as much as I have a right to think they're stupid. You are more than welcome to not like my kid's name, but I'm just telling you now, I don't care.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
9 Weeks 0 Days: Speaking of Retards
I know I'm going to get a big backlash for my title, so I want to explain that I don't think handicapped people are idiots. When I say retard, I don't mean anyone with any sort of legitimate disability, I mean someone who is just an idiot with no diagnosed mental handicap. They're just stupid for no good reason. I will give you an example:
A while back there was a young woman named Louise Ogborn, 19, who worked at McDonalds. She was called back into the manager's office and told there was a cop on the phone who accused her of stealing. As the man on the phone requested, she was strip searched, made to run in place naked, do jumping jacks naked, the managers boyfriend spanked her for a while and then, because the "cop" on the phone told her she had to, she gave the manager's boyfriend a blowjob. And I watch her in an interview, when she was asked why she did it, say "I was always told to obey adults and do what I'm told." WTF?!?! What about when a stranger pulls up in a van and asks you to get in? Did your parent's never teach you about that? I belive they meant "do what you're told, WITHIN REASON!" And the guy on the phone wasn't really a cop, surprise, surprise. Then she was awarded 6.1 million dollars! For being an idiot! That lady is a retard. I'm sure she could go through all the testing in the world and find no mental or physical deficiency whatsoever, but that was still her decision making process. That makes her a retard.
The other creepy thing about that girl is there was a picture of her in court, the caption said it was right after testifying, and she has the biggest smile on her face. Wouldn't you be upset after recounting what happened to you? It was because she was originally suing for 200 million and she knew this was her big payday.
And my big fear is that our kid will do something stupid like that. I'm sure she just inherited her parents' stupidity, but what if they really were good parents? What if they wanted her to do what she was told (what parent doesn't) and figured she would follow that request with some sort of discression. I mean, who in their right mind would think that a cop, on the phone, is asking you to get naked, let some dude spank you and then telling you you have to give him oral sex? What legal standing is there in any situation that would require a blow job? How is it that a little signal in her head didn't go "hey, I don't think we should do this." And let's say there is really a cop on the phone, wouldn't you just say, "screw you, arrest me. I'm not giving you a blowjob." I just can't wrap my head around that whole situation.
I just really hope my kid develops some sort of street smarts. I already told Krystal, especially if we have a girl, our child will eventually know a lot of self defence. I can teach our kid how to get out of any sort of hold if someone grabs them. I am going to either make them safe or make them extremely paranoid...
A while back there was a young woman named Louise Ogborn, 19, who worked at McDonalds. She was called back into the manager's office and told there was a cop on the phone who accused her of stealing. As the man on the phone requested, she was strip searched, made to run in place naked, do jumping jacks naked, the managers boyfriend spanked her for a while and then, because the "cop" on the phone told her she had to, she gave the manager's boyfriend a blowjob. And I watch her in an interview, when she was asked why she did it, say "I was always told to obey adults and do what I'm told." WTF?!?! What about when a stranger pulls up in a van and asks you to get in? Did your parent's never teach you about that? I belive they meant "do what you're told, WITHIN REASON!" And the guy on the phone wasn't really a cop, surprise, surprise. Then she was awarded 6.1 million dollars! For being an idiot! That lady is a retard. I'm sure she could go through all the testing in the world and find no mental or physical deficiency whatsoever, but that was still her decision making process. That makes her a retard.
The other creepy thing about that girl is there was a picture of her in court, the caption said it was right after testifying, and she has the biggest smile on her face. Wouldn't you be upset after recounting what happened to you? It was because she was originally suing for 200 million and she knew this was her big payday.
And my big fear is that our kid will do something stupid like that. I'm sure she just inherited her parents' stupidity, but what if they really were good parents? What if they wanted her to do what she was told (what parent doesn't) and figured she would follow that request with some sort of discression. I mean, who in their right mind would think that a cop, on the phone, is asking you to get naked, let some dude spank you and then telling you you have to give him oral sex? What legal standing is there in any situation that would require a blow job? How is it that a little signal in her head didn't go "hey, I don't think we should do this." And let's say there is really a cop on the phone, wouldn't you just say, "screw you, arrest me. I'm not giving you a blowjob." I just can't wrap my head around that whole situation.
I just really hope my kid develops some sort of street smarts. I already told Krystal, especially if we have a girl, our child will eventually know a lot of self defence. I can teach our kid how to get out of any sort of hold if someone grabs them. I am going to either make them safe or make them extremely paranoid...
9 Weeks 0 Days: Stare Hard Retard
I am going to teach my kids, as all of you should be doing, to not stare. Why do all kids stare at everyone as they're passing by? It's not even a stare. It's a slack jawed gawk. I've decided that I'm going to name my child Bobby DON'T GAWK O'Neal. That'll learn him.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
8 Weeks 6 Days: The Rules
Krystal wanted me to post some list of rules for how to act around a pregnant woman. I didn't quite agree with the whole list, plus I want people to know my opinion, not someone else's. So I'm writing my own list.
THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU'RE AROUND AN EXPECTING COUPLE:
1- Don't tell us what we "need" to do. I know you have children and you've been through it all before and you're just trying to help, but you have to realize that EVERYBODY is telling us how to do things. Some of us get joy out of life by learning as we go. And since you are an experienced parent, you will be the first person we ASK for advice.
2- Don't forward me a bunch of emails that start off, "This is a true story, it happened to my friend. She let her son eat a potato that was imported from Canada and blah blah blah, he got really sick, blah blah blah." We are a nation of paranoid freaks and 99% of what is forwarded in emails is untrue. Just because you're a sucker for every paranoid delusion created by the media and forwarded to the entire population doesn't mean I am.
3- Don't touch my wife! What is up with people thinking they have some god given right to rub the belly of a pregnant woman. I'm assuming that a woman's protectiveness kicks up a notch when she's expecting, so having a stranger approach her belly probably adds a lot of anxiety. I read some article where this lady said that people are fascinated by pregnancy so they should be allowed to touch a pregnant woman's belly and the women who don't want people to should get over themselves. Well, I'm fascinated by a guy with a giant tumor on his face but I don't go up and start poking at it. And doesn't it seem like the woman who thinks her fascination is so important that strangers should let her fondle them should get over herself? I mean, if its someone you know, it's mildly forgivable. But if a stranger sticks his hand on my wife's stomach while she's pregnant and I'm around, something bad is going to happen. As long as I can ever remember, the part of my brain that recognizes consequence is MUCH slower than the part of my brain that tells me to do stuff. You do the math.
4- Don't use the term Preggers or Prego... It's not cute. And don't say, "we're pregnant" or "you guys are pregnant." I'm not pregnant and neither is your husband. I know there are a bunch of feel-good hippies out there who want to prove how involved they are in the pregnancy, but I'm a realist. I have nothing to prove. Pregnant is a medical term for what happens to the WOMAN when her egg is fertilized. It doesn't mean I've left her all alone to go through the pregnancy on her own. It just means that I am not pregnant, she is. And no, there is no pregnant man in Oregon... That man is not a man. If my wife chopped off her boobs and glued a silly putty penis to her crotch, it doesn't make her pregnancy a medical miracle.
5- I don't care if you don't like what we've chosen to name our baby. It's our baby, not yours.
There you go. Those are the things that drive me crazy and if you follow those simple guidelines around any expecting parent, you'll be fine.
THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU'RE AROUND AN EXPECTING COUPLE:
1- Don't tell us what we "need" to do. I know you have children and you've been through it all before and you're just trying to help, but you have to realize that EVERYBODY is telling us how to do things. Some of us get joy out of life by learning as we go. And since you are an experienced parent, you will be the first person we ASK for advice.
2- Don't forward me a bunch of emails that start off, "This is a true story, it happened to my friend. She let her son eat a potato that was imported from Canada and blah blah blah, he got really sick, blah blah blah." We are a nation of paranoid freaks and 99% of what is forwarded in emails is untrue. Just because you're a sucker for every paranoid delusion created by the media and forwarded to the entire population doesn't mean I am.
3- Don't touch my wife! What is up with people thinking they have some god given right to rub the belly of a pregnant woman. I'm assuming that a woman's protectiveness kicks up a notch when she's expecting, so having a stranger approach her belly probably adds a lot of anxiety. I read some article where this lady said that people are fascinated by pregnancy so they should be allowed to touch a pregnant woman's belly and the women who don't want people to should get over themselves. Well, I'm fascinated by a guy with a giant tumor on his face but I don't go up and start poking at it. And doesn't it seem like the woman who thinks her fascination is so important that strangers should let her fondle them should get over herself? I mean, if its someone you know, it's mildly forgivable. But if a stranger sticks his hand on my wife's stomach while she's pregnant and I'm around, something bad is going to happen. As long as I can ever remember, the part of my brain that recognizes consequence is MUCH slower than the part of my brain that tells me to do stuff. You do the math.
4- Don't use the term Preggers or Prego... It's not cute. And don't say, "we're pregnant" or "you guys are pregnant." I'm not pregnant and neither is your husband. I know there are a bunch of feel-good hippies out there who want to prove how involved they are in the pregnancy, but I'm a realist. I have nothing to prove. Pregnant is a medical term for what happens to the WOMAN when her egg is fertilized. It doesn't mean I've left her all alone to go through the pregnancy on her own. It just means that I am not pregnant, she is. And no, there is no pregnant man in Oregon... That man is not a man. If my wife chopped off her boobs and glued a silly putty penis to her crotch, it doesn't make her pregnancy a medical miracle.
5- I don't care if you don't like what we've chosen to name our baby. It's our baby, not yours.
There you go. Those are the things that drive me crazy and if you follow those simple guidelines around any expecting parent, you'll be fine.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
8 Weeks 4 Days: Public Display of Crowning
I was looking at information about various birthing centers last night. I wanted to give some of them a call and schedule a time for Krystal and I to go take a tour and get a consult so we can decide where we're gonna have the baby. One of the birthing centers had some link to other people's "stories" of having a baby at that particular facility. So, being the curious minded fool that I am, I click on one and take a peek. The first one was accompanied by pictures and I started reading. As I scrolled down the pictures started getting more and more graphic. First there were shots of the pregnant lady topless, then it starts showing her laying on the bed full frontal, then she gets in the tub and she has the baby. These photos are like crash zoom shots of close up crowning. I'm no prude, but a few overall pictures of the lady using the facilities amenities would have been fine.
And that leads me to my next observation. This has been on my mind for a while, since back when there was a big stink over Facebook taking down pictures of mothers breastfeeding. I don't understand why some people want pictures of themselves breastfeeding or giving birth or having surgery posted on the internet. I know so many people see the internet as means of connecting to family, but to me it seems the same as tacking those pictures up on the bullitin board at your local Fred Meyer. And I understand that the birthing center is using those pictures as a means of education, but when they asked if they could take pictures of their birth and post them on the INTERNET, what woman in her right mind says yes? And it's one things to be like, "oh I just thought I'd post it for my family to see," but these people who are aggressively fighting for their right to post picture of themselves breastfeeding seem to have something wrong in their heads. I think because I grew up in a time where their was no internet I see it differently then some younger people who don't know any other world then one with the internet readily available. You know, it is just a giant mass of random strangers where there are probably 100,000 idiots for every one of your family members that will see your personal shit.
And I know, I'm a big hypocrit because I'm blogging. But I have no problem with books published about birth. You will never see a picture of Krystal giving birth or of Krystal pulling up her shirt to show her belly size. I have no intention to even post a picture of the baby. Not publicly. Those things can easily be emailed to individual people VERY easily, so this "I'm sharing these pictures with my family" argument is BS. Those are just voyeristic people. Which is fine, just stop lying to yourself.
And that leads me to my next observation. This has been on my mind for a while, since back when there was a big stink over Facebook taking down pictures of mothers breastfeeding. I don't understand why some people want pictures of themselves breastfeeding or giving birth or having surgery posted on the internet. I know so many people see the internet as means of connecting to family, but to me it seems the same as tacking those pictures up on the bullitin board at your local Fred Meyer. And I understand that the birthing center is using those pictures as a means of education, but when they asked if they could take pictures of their birth and post them on the INTERNET, what woman in her right mind says yes? And it's one things to be like, "oh I just thought I'd post it for my family to see," but these people who are aggressively fighting for their right to post picture of themselves breastfeeding seem to have something wrong in their heads. I think because I grew up in a time where their was no internet I see it differently then some younger people who don't know any other world then one with the internet readily available. You know, it is just a giant mass of random strangers where there are probably 100,000 idiots for every one of your family members that will see your personal shit.
And I know, I'm a big hypocrit because I'm blogging. But I have no problem with books published about birth. You will never see a picture of Krystal giving birth or of Krystal pulling up her shirt to show her belly size. I have no intention to even post a picture of the baby. Not publicly. Those things can easily be emailed to individual people VERY easily, so this "I'm sharing these pictures with my family" argument is BS. Those are just voyeristic people. Which is fine, just stop lying to yourself.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
8 Weeks 3 Days: The Heart Gets Demoted
I had a regular doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon. It was actually with a Nurse Practitioner. This appointment reinforced my desire to not use conventional (ie. giant corporate owned) medical facilities. I don't want to say the actual Nurse or Nurse Practitioner did a bad job, they didn't. It was just the way it was done. First, I call to get an appointment and one of the opening questions is: Do you have medical insurance. Of course the answer is "no" so I'm told that I have to give them a $150 deposit before I can even go in to see a doctor. Fine, I put it on the Care Credit card. Then the nurse is real nice and takes my vitals and weight and temperature and all that crap. Then this Nurse Practicioner came in and it was as if she was bored out of her mind the whole time she was talking to me. I'm not even kidding, she let out a big yawn right in mid sentence. It was like she was just so used to the routine: patient in, check vitals, dole out meds, patient pays, NEXT! Then all over again. It was just such a cold, impersonal environment, I wish I had the extra cash to see my regular doctor.
So ultimately They gave me a pill that would reduce my blood pressure right there, waited 15 minutes and took my stats again and of course it didn't really do much. So they gave me a daily Ace Inhibitor that I have to take for a month and then go back for a check up and the whole time I'm supposed to lose some weight (which I'm already working on) and reduce my sodium intake. So my heart should be working less hard here soon. Plus today I get a partial payment from a client so I can pay some bills and get everything back on track. Everything will be A-OK.
So ultimately They gave me a pill that would reduce my blood pressure right there, waited 15 minutes and took my stats again and of course it didn't really do much. So they gave me a daily Ace Inhibitor that I have to take for a month and then go back for a check up and the whole time I'm supposed to lose some weight (which I'm already working on) and reduce my sodium intake. So my heart should be working less hard here soon. Plus today I get a partial payment from a client so I can pay some bills and get everything back on track. Everything will be A-OK.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
8 Weeks 2 Days: A Rush of Blood
So, the high blood pressure study I was going to be in wouldn't take me because my blood pressure is too high. That's not a good sign.
I have a doctor's appointment at 4:00pm to get a checkup and get on some sort of blood pressure medication. It has always run a little high but with the added stress I have these days its way worse. It's like heart attack bad. And this morning was probably that much worse because right now things have gotten pretty low financially. I will be putting this doctor's visit on our Care Credit card since we have about $30 to our name. I have a few clients that owe me money, but it won't be a huge amount. Not enough to save any. It just seems like the harder I push to increase my income, the lower it gets. I'm supposed to be saving money to pay for the baby but our savings is getting smaller (or non existent). It's pretty frustrating.
This must be the provider instinct making this harder. We had our ups and downs before and we made it through but this time it feels worse. It feels like I can't provide for my family.
I have a doctor's appointment at 4:00pm to get a checkup and get on some sort of blood pressure medication. It has always run a little high but with the added stress I have these days its way worse. It's like heart attack bad. And this morning was probably that much worse because right now things have gotten pretty low financially. I will be putting this doctor's visit on our Care Credit card since we have about $30 to our name. I have a few clients that owe me money, but it won't be a huge amount. Not enough to save any. It just seems like the harder I push to increase my income, the lower it gets. I'm supposed to be saving money to pay for the baby but our savings is getting smaller (or non existent). It's pretty frustrating.
This must be the provider instinct making this harder. We had our ups and downs before and we made it through but this time it feels worse. It feels like I can't provide for my family.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Vigilante Justice Insurance Movie
People keep recommending vigilante justice movies to me and it made me remember a movie that combines parental vigilante justice with health insurance frustrations...
John Q: Starring Denzel Washington. I thought it was an underrated movie. Not a blockbuster hit, but definitely work watching. Denzel's kid needs a heart translate and due to having some of his hours cut at work, he doesn't qualify for his medical coverage. So in order to get his son a heart transplate, he takes the hospital hostage. Yeah, take that Kaiser Permanente!
John Q: Starring Denzel Washington. I thought it was an underrated movie. Not a blockbuster hit, but definitely work watching. Denzel's kid needs a heart translate and due to having some of his hours cut at work, he doesn't qualify for his medical coverage. So in order to get his son a heart transplate, he takes the hospital hostage. Yeah, take that Kaiser Permanente!
8 Weeks 1 Day: Insurance Update
So I got a letter from the guy reviewing our application for the Oregon Health Plan saying that he needs more paper work from me to prove my self employed income. Not surprising. Then he said he needs all of Krystal's pay stubs for June... But we turned the application in June 8th. So apparently, we were expected to turn in the application with paperwork that doesn't exist yet. I guess four months of paystubs that show virtually the same amount of income each month isn't enough for that guy to put 2 and 2 together and guess how much she's gonna make in June.
So if you're going to sign up for the Oregon Health Plan, make sure you bring your paperwork from the FUTURE!
So if you're going to sign up for the Oregon Health Plan, make sure you bring your paperwork from the FUTURE!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
SUGGEST A BABY NAME
To your right, there is link where you can suggest a baby name. We have names in mind for each sex, but you never know, you might give us something better...
Saturday, June 13, 2009
8 Weeks 0 Days: Vigilante Justice
The News: If you touch my baby, I'll hurt you.
The Truth: I'm not that violent, but I can be.
The Plan: Try not to be over-protective.
The Due Date: 01/26/2010
The Sex: In the not too distant future.
The Status: Still growing.
Maybe my protective side is taking over but I've been in the mood to watch movies dealing with vigilante justice. Which I was a fan of before, but now I'm really interested in movies that feature someone hunting down and dealing with the person that hurt or killed their child.
A few nights ago I watched Taken. Liam Neeson plays and ex spy type who's daughter is kidnapped on vacation in Europe by sex traffickers. So he goes over there, hunts them down and takes care of business whilst shooting many a bastard in the face. Oh and in one part he jams large nails into a mans legs, hooks them to electricity and flips the switch. Now it may seem overly violent, but I get it. I have found myself repeatedly thinking, "Man, if anyone even touches my kid I will hunt them down and destroy them." No cops, none of that BS.
Not too long ago I saw the Kevin Bacon movie Death Sentence where he hunts down and kills the hoodlums that murdered his son. Not that I want that to happen, of course. the idea just gets me worked up and all these crazy stories in the news don't help either.
I think I'm turning into the Rottweiler who is real sweet until the owners have a baby and then he starts growling at everyone who looks at them crooked.
The Truth: I'm not that violent, but I can be.
The Plan: Try not to be over-protective.
The Due Date: 01/26/2010
The Sex: In the not too distant future.
The Status: Still growing.
Maybe my protective side is taking over but I've been in the mood to watch movies dealing with vigilante justice. Which I was a fan of before, but now I'm really interested in movies that feature someone hunting down and dealing with the person that hurt or killed their child.
A few nights ago I watched Taken. Liam Neeson plays and ex spy type who's daughter is kidnapped on vacation in Europe by sex traffickers. So he goes over there, hunts them down and takes care of business whilst shooting many a bastard in the face. Oh and in one part he jams large nails into a mans legs, hooks them to electricity and flips the switch. Now it may seem overly violent, but I get it. I have found myself repeatedly thinking, "Man, if anyone even touches my kid I will hunt them down and destroy them." No cops, none of that BS.
Not too long ago I saw the Kevin Bacon movie Death Sentence where he hunts down and kills the hoodlums that murdered his son. Not that I want that to happen, of course. the idea just gets me worked up and all these crazy stories in the news don't help either.
I think I'm turning into the Rottweiler who is real sweet until the owners have a baby and then he starts growling at everyone who looks at them crooked.
Friday, June 12, 2009
7 Weeks 5 Days: The Insurance Debate
The News: The heart is beating.
The Truth: I honestly don't think we need health insurance.
The Plan: Learn as we go.
The Due Date: 01/26/2010
The Sex: It would be like trying to find a penis on a blueberry.
The Status: Still growing.
The Story: So we turned in the paperwork for the Oregon Health Plan. Now what that does, is get you a medical insurance plan through various providers (you have to pick two, one of them is Kaiser Permanente) and depending on your financial situation, it can be free or low cost or could not qualify. And I've searched online A LOT at health coverage plans and they all suck. If I want to pay around $100 a month, I could get coverage for JUST KRYSTAL that would cover 75% of maternity costs after I pay out a $5,000 deductible... Well, what's the point of that? Or I could pay $200 - $300 a month, again JUST FOR KRYSTAL, and have the plan cover 75% of maternity costs after a deductible of anywhere from $250 to $1,000. Better, but with the $200 a month, still not the greatest option. And my question regarding the Oregon Health Plan is this: are they going to give me a low cost option at a Kaiser health plan with a $5,000 or even $10,000 deductible? Because then I don't want it.
And I'm comparing all of that to this: Since we have no health insurance and we have no idea how long it will take the bureaucrats to make a decision on the Oregon Health Plan, Krystal just went to the Natural Medicine Doctor that I go to. He does prenatal care and is set up with a bunch of midwifes. So for a checkup and a sonogram he charges $60. And he says to come in once a month. Then using a midwife usually runs $2,000 to $3,000, which is less than the deductible of any reasonably affordable health insurance.
I really do think that most people mindlessly pay for health insurance because society hammers into our heads that we "need" it without doing the math and realizing that their premiums + deductibles + copays are making them pay more than if they just found an affordable doctor and paid out of their pocket for each visit. Of course people are worried about some horrible illness that will cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars when the chances of that happening are so low. I actually would prefer to use my natural medicine doctor even if we do get approved for the Oregon Health Plan because he's not a big corporate machine. The hospitals and corporate doctors make you pay for their expensive high tech machines even if they aren't using them on you, where as Dr. Sisco has older machines that are in good shape that do the job just fine. I don't need to pay for Dr. High-Roller's Multimillion dollar full body scanner that he will never use on me, my wife or my baby.
I think $60 a month plus the cost of a midwife is reasonable.
The Truth: I honestly don't think we need health insurance.
The Plan: Learn as we go.
The Due Date: 01/26/2010
The Sex: It would be like trying to find a penis on a blueberry.
The Status: Still growing.
The Story: So we turned in the paperwork for the Oregon Health Plan. Now what that does, is get you a medical insurance plan through various providers (you have to pick two, one of them is Kaiser Permanente) and depending on your financial situation, it can be free or low cost or could not qualify. And I've searched online A LOT at health coverage plans and they all suck. If I want to pay around $100 a month, I could get coverage for JUST KRYSTAL that would cover 75% of maternity costs after I pay out a $5,000 deductible... Well, what's the point of that? Or I could pay $200 - $300 a month, again JUST FOR KRYSTAL, and have the plan cover 75% of maternity costs after a deductible of anywhere from $250 to $1,000. Better, but with the $200 a month, still not the greatest option. And my question regarding the Oregon Health Plan is this: are they going to give me a low cost option at a Kaiser health plan with a $5,000 or even $10,000 deductible? Because then I don't want it.
And I'm comparing all of that to this: Since we have no health insurance and we have no idea how long it will take the bureaucrats to make a decision on the Oregon Health Plan, Krystal just went to the Natural Medicine Doctor that I go to. He does prenatal care and is set up with a bunch of midwifes. So for a checkup and a sonogram he charges $60. And he says to come in once a month. Then using a midwife usually runs $2,000 to $3,000, which is less than the deductible of any reasonably affordable health insurance.
I really do think that most people mindlessly pay for health insurance because society hammers into our heads that we "need" it without doing the math and realizing that their premiums + deductibles + copays are making them pay more than if they just found an affordable doctor and paid out of their pocket for each visit. Of course people are worried about some horrible illness that will cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars when the chances of that happening are so low. I actually would prefer to use my natural medicine doctor even if we do get approved for the Oregon Health Plan because he's not a big corporate machine. The hospitals and corporate doctors make you pay for their expensive high tech machines even if they aren't using them on you, where as Dr. Sisco has older machines that are in good shape that do the job just fine. I don't need to pay for Dr. High-Roller's Multimillion dollar full body scanner that he will never use on me, my wife or my baby.
I think $60 a month plus the cost of a midwife is reasonable.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
7 Weeks 4 Days: The Beginning
The News: My wife, Krystal, is pregnant.
The Truth: We weren't trying to have a baby... But we weren't really trying not to.
The Plan: Learn as we go.
The Due Date: 01/26/2010
The Sex: You can't tell the sex of the baby yet.
The Status: Krystal saw the heartbeat on a sonogram today.
The Story: The End of last week, Krystal was late and feeling nauseous so she took a home pregnancy test. It was positive, so she took a second one when she got home from work. It was also positive. So the next day she went to Planned Parenthood to get a confirmation. They confirmed and gave her a due date. We have no health insurance (God bless the USA) so I spent 3 hours filling out the application for the Oregon Health Plan, a plan through the DHS that is given to a select few who don't have medical insurance but need it due to certain circumstances. My friend said his wife got on it when she got pregnant with their first kid. So that is going to take who knows how long to process.
Otherwise, now I'm living in a house with my emotional, pregnant wife and three unruly dogs, waiting for a baby to come in and make life more chaotic. Oh and I'm self employed in an unstable industry so I'm studying to get my insurance agents license. Plus trying to get in at least better shape for when the kid comes. And I start a six month medical research study of high blood pressure on Tuesday. Basically in order to get six months of free blood pressure medication (I run about 180 over 110). So I have about 7 months to:
1. Get licensed and established as an insurance agent (while continuing to build stuff).
2. Train at least our youngest, least well behaved dog.
3. lose 25 pounds.
4. Get my blood pressure under control.
5. Clean and bay-proof our whole house.
6. Oh and learn how to take care of a baby.
The Truth: We weren't trying to have a baby... But we weren't really trying not to.
The Plan: Learn as we go.
The Due Date: 01/26/2010
The Sex: You can't tell the sex of the baby yet.
The Status: Krystal saw the heartbeat on a sonogram today.
The Story: The End of last week, Krystal was late and feeling nauseous so she took a home pregnancy test. It was positive, so she took a second one when she got home from work. It was also positive. So the next day she went to Planned Parenthood to get a confirmation. They confirmed and gave her a due date. We have no health insurance (God bless the USA) so I spent 3 hours filling out the application for the Oregon Health Plan, a plan through the DHS that is given to a select few who don't have medical insurance but need it due to certain circumstances. My friend said his wife got on it when she got pregnant with their first kid. So that is going to take who knows how long to process.
Otherwise, now I'm living in a house with my emotional, pregnant wife and three unruly dogs, waiting for a baby to come in and make life more chaotic. Oh and I'm self employed in an unstable industry so I'm studying to get my insurance agents license. Plus trying to get in at least better shape for when the kid comes. And I start a six month medical research study of high blood pressure on Tuesday. Basically in order to get six months of free blood pressure medication (I run about 180 over 110). So I have about 7 months to:
1. Get licensed and established as an insurance agent (while continuing to build stuff).
2. Train at least our youngest, least well behaved dog.
3. lose 25 pounds.
4. Get my blood pressure under control.
5. Clean and bay-proof our whole house.
6. Oh and learn how to take care of a baby.
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