There are days that I wonder if it is "baby brain" or "fibro fog". I wake up in the morning and forget what day it is in what season or month. Yes that bad.
At yesterday's ultrasound I had difficulty getting the right words out when talking to the tech. Could be the TBI too for all I know.
I did forget to mention what else was found in the ultrasound. I still have that scar tissue, cyst, growth or what have you that rests behind my left ovary. I was 4.5 cm before pregnancy and is now 9 cm across. It looks like it has been squished down to about 2.5 cm. I did ask about the length measurement but forgot to ask about the height.
If I remember I'll ask my doctor about it at the next appt. No sense in writing it down because my next appt isn't until Feb 11th and I'll probably lose the paper I wrote it on. I will write it in my calender book but that doesn't guarantee that I'll remember to look at it to ask that question either.
Too tired yesterday after the ultrasound and labs to go shopping for groceries so I went this morning. Thinking about food just pisses me off. I hate grocery shopping but right now I have another reason.
The reason is that I got an email from my spouse.
He said, " After that, there was time to find the chow tent, with rice, peas and carrots and some kind of beef strips in thick gravy. Just in time too, because SFC came to ME a couple hours ago looking for MREs, apparently the ones we were issued for movement have all been used up, and only now are they delivering real food, and that apparently only once a day, but at least we're eating."
Just lovely! Not only is he going through sleep deprivation but almost starvation too. I hope they find more food for them soon.
I love how Congress keeps proposing budget cuts to the military. The latest two are getting rid of the food allowance and housing allowance and instead forming some sort of COLA (cost of living allowance). The food allowance is so the soldier can go eat at the DFAC or have food money to get food, not for the family to spend. I always allow J's full amount of food allowance for his own food intake each month. It isn't for me.
The second thing Congress is proposing is cutting the Commissary budget so that we would end up only having about 24 commissaries and the food cost there would go up. Now how is that going to save the soldier's money when they have to pay more for groceries and they won't be getting a food allowance? I guess that 1% raise they got this year is going to pay for all the little things that the government is taking away from them?
Sorry but this just burns my bippy!
Showing posts with label Congress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congress. Show all posts
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Written Off Part 2
This morning my RE clinic called waking me from PTSD dreams. I'm thankful for that at least. I finally have a few answers.
J and I weren't imagining it yesterday when it seemed as though Dr. C. was overly concerned with the costs of my care. Our insurance is doing cut backs. The pharmaceutical companies are no longer donating extra medicines to our hospital. Tricare is trying to disallow anyone under the age of 65 from using it as their primary insurance coverage, which means we'll be forced to buy into another insurance program soon, and if you are using Tricare then when you need a prescription that the hospital pharmacy doesn't have you are going to pay out big. The formulary costs are now going to be raised to a modest $14 co-pay but the non-formulary are going up to $44 per script some time next year. So far this is just proposed but each time a hike in our co-pays has been proposed it has been passed.
My infertility clinic here has had most of their funding cut because of the government budget cuts. No wonder their score has dropped to a 41 out of 100.
Nurse S said that they will no longer be doing P4, E2, FSH, LH or any other blood draws because of cut backs except for betas on me monthly. I had requested a CD3 for next cycle but they can't afford it.
Nurse S told me that they will be able to continue to help me get pregnant through natural cycles and TI. Well um, do I really need them then? What are they going to be able to offer me?
This isn't my only clinic that has cut back on their services. I can't get appointments with rheumatology, neurology, or pain management within my hosptial. Actually I can get pain management outside of the hosptial if I don't mind driving 1.5 hours to get to the place that they offered me. But rheumatology and neurology services don't exist for me now with the budget cuts. When I first moved here I was due to see a neurologist because of a car accident I had been in two months prior. I got denied by my insurance for treatment. I was however able to get an MRI within a week of my doctor requesting one and at the MRI clinic on post next to the hospital. Now I have to wait for a denial letter from MAMC Tricare and a call from an imaging place off the installation to get an MRI. Mind you the nerve damage in my back and neck is not getting better and I'm dropping things more often.
Still Tricare is better than no insurance. Soon I won't have insurance when J no longer has his job. Congress has really tied the military's hands. We aren't getting the medical treatments for our soldiers that they desperately need even with taking away benefits from the family members.
Congress isn't opting to take a pay cut but they are saying our military is overpaid in comparison to the civilian sector. Hmmm, $25,000.00 a year for the average E-4 is too much? I beg to differ.
Back in the 1990's- early 2000 I would have received my dental care, though I was paying for the insurance for it, through the dental clinics on the installation. Now they only treat the soldiers. I go outside the fence for dental care and the costs out of pocket are crazy expensive even with my insurance.
I'm beginning to think that if the military went back to using its own clinics we might have less available appointment but a better use of our funding. When we go outside the fence for medical care we pay extra. It's like paying contractors to do the same jobs that the military is capable of handling. But we are paying more out of our budget to support the local economy.
My husband explained it to me the other day. When his office runs out of the paper and ink supplies they need to create imagery they aren't allowed to go to the Express Supply on post which is run by the government for the government workers, instead they have to go outside the fence and support the local economy which does cost more. But they have rules they have to follow. Nothing like tying the hands the military with more stipulations.
Hope that this long post helps unravel the confusion. I'm thinking it won't but I tried.
J and I weren't imagining it yesterday when it seemed as though Dr. C. was overly concerned with the costs of my care. Our insurance is doing cut backs. The pharmaceutical companies are no longer donating extra medicines to our hospital. Tricare is trying to disallow anyone under the age of 65 from using it as their primary insurance coverage, which means we'll be forced to buy into another insurance program soon, and if you are using Tricare then when you need a prescription that the hospital pharmacy doesn't have you are going to pay out big. The formulary costs are now going to be raised to a modest $14 co-pay but the non-formulary are going up to $44 per script some time next year. So far this is just proposed but each time a hike in our co-pays has been proposed it has been passed.
My infertility clinic here has had most of their funding cut because of the government budget cuts. No wonder their score has dropped to a 41 out of 100.
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
- Gamete Intra fallopian Transfer (GIFT)
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- Embryo Cryopreservation
- Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- Blastocyst Transfer
- Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
Nurse S said that they will no longer be doing P4, E2, FSH, LH or any other blood draws because of cut backs except for betas on me monthly. I had requested a CD3 for next cycle but they can't afford it.
Nurse S told me that they will be able to continue to help me get pregnant through natural cycles and TI. Well um, do I really need them then? What are they going to be able to offer me?
This isn't my only clinic that has cut back on their services. I can't get appointments with rheumatology, neurology, or pain management within my hosptial. Actually I can get pain management outside of the hosptial if I don't mind driving 1.5 hours to get to the place that they offered me. But rheumatology and neurology services don't exist for me now with the budget cuts. When I first moved here I was due to see a neurologist because of a car accident I had been in two months prior. I got denied by my insurance for treatment. I was however able to get an MRI within a week of my doctor requesting one and at the MRI clinic on post next to the hospital. Now I have to wait for a denial letter from MAMC Tricare and a call from an imaging place off the installation to get an MRI. Mind you the nerve damage in my back and neck is not getting better and I'm dropping things more often.
Still Tricare is better than no insurance. Soon I won't have insurance when J no longer has his job. Congress has really tied the military's hands. We aren't getting the medical treatments for our soldiers that they desperately need even with taking away benefits from the family members.
Congress isn't opting to take a pay cut but they are saying our military is overpaid in comparison to the civilian sector. Hmmm, $25,000.00 a year for the average E-4 is too much? I beg to differ.
Back in the 1990's- early 2000 I would have received my dental care, though I was paying for the insurance for it, through the dental clinics on the installation. Now they only treat the soldiers. I go outside the fence for dental care and the costs out of pocket are crazy expensive even with my insurance.
I'm beginning to think that if the military went back to using its own clinics we might have less available appointment but a better use of our funding. When we go outside the fence for medical care we pay extra. It's like paying contractors to do the same jobs that the military is capable of handling. But we are paying more out of our budget to support the local economy.
My husband explained it to me the other day. When his office runs out of the paper and ink supplies they need to create imagery they aren't allowed to go to the Express Supply on post which is run by the government for the government workers, instead they have to go outside the fence and support the local economy which does cost more. But they have rules they have to follow. Nothing like tying the hands the military with more stipulations.
Hope that this long post helps unravel the confusion. I'm thinking it won't but I tried.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Military Retirement Plan On Chopping Block
I'm not sure why Congress thinks that we military families can afford to contribute to our own retirement. Federal employees will still get their entitled retirement benefits without change so why is it that the military will have to suffer yet again?
I guess J and I are "lucky" to not have children on his pay. If we had children like many of my friends with the same pay grade we'd not be able to contribute a single dime to the proposed changes. I know of a few families that can barely afford to feed and clothe themselves on their wages.
Just yesterday J comes home from work and tells me that his co-worker is having to sell his wife's engagement ring because money is tight that month due to a bank error. They are also selling the game systems and anything else they can afford to part with just to make sure that there is food on the table this month and gas in the tank.
So if they are the normal, a family of four or five on the same pay that J gets, how, just tell me how are they supposed to find money to contribute to their retirement fund?
Congress is making a big mistake by messing with the military benefits. They are going to have a lot of the young troops refusing to stay in the military because its just not worth what they are willing to risk.
I would rather see my commissary and exchange hours cut or possibly disappear than to have to lose the retirement program that is in place right now. Much as I don't like to shop off post, because shopping at the exchange means that the money I do spend goes to fund MWR projects in my community, I would go off post if it means that the retirement plan would be kept in place.
I have no voice. My opinion counts for nothing. Congress and the President will do as they see fit. But I have yet to see anything good come of this particular presidency. We are further in debt, our gas prices and food prices are higher and more benefits have been cut. Foolish spending by our government in the big company bailouts have caused more poverty.
I'm just a handicapped person with no job, no children, and no retirement plan. I have no voice.
But I'm still pissed.
Friday, April 8, 2011
No Pay, But Yet They Work, They Fight, They Love
Congress has let me down yet again. I'm not sure what they have ever really done for me except to make sure I'm not allowed to do stuff.
The world will continue on with its fighting.
Babies will continue to be born.
Our military will continue to go to work each and every day without fail and without pay. They will continue to love their country, flag and family.
Congress and President Obama will continue to do their jobs but with pay. I'm thinking that this is just isn't right. Maybe we should send Congress and Obama to the front lines since they are continuing to collect their pay checks? I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this but I'm saying it to the world right now. I'm not happy with my government.
Military, when paid, are paid at the poverty line. Many a military member of E-4 pay grade has a family which includes more often than not a child or two or three or more besides a wife. Most live pay check to pay check. Most are struggling with credit and trying to establish themselves. Many will fail if not paid. Many will go without food. Eventually with fuel being a priority over food so that the military can continue to go to work, since they are required to do so, the funds for fuel will run out. Picture the military walking mile after mile after mile just to go to work on an empty stomach and a mind full of grief. Grief because they have starving family members at home. But still they will go to work.
Congress is protected under the 27th Amendment. They will continue to get paid while my husband will go without pay. Often the pay check is the only reward and recognition a soldier will receive for all his or her sacrifices.
Here's to our heroes! I applaud you all in our struggles for freedom.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
No Pay, No Infertility Treatments, No Extras, No Necessities Either
I'm an Army Wife so my ears have been tuned to the news that the government will be shutting down as of tomorrow if a budget isn't passed. Will I think it will happen? Well I didn't before but now I think its a distinct possibility.Here is a link to a news article from USA Today on that very subject. I am reading in this particular article something that really shouldn't surprise me but somehow it still does. Congress and Obama will still get paid if the government gets shut down. How is this fair? If the rest of the government won't get paid why should they?
No pay for J would mean that we'd not be able to continue to afford those out of pocket infertility treatments. They aren't cheap and with our budget being slashed to only essentials its something we'd have to go without. Forget about saving up for the IVF treatments which run about eight thousand dollars.
No pay would mean that J would not receive his clothing allotment this month. Its a yearly stipend of a really small amount that the US Army pays to its soldiers so that they can afford to replace worn out gear. Its so small that it means he can barely get one pair of combat boots, a pair of trousers, jacket, a pack of t-shirts and possibly a pack of socks.
No pay would mean that there would be no more date nights, though of late their haven't been many of those with his schedule. It would mean we'd eat at home and those meals would be trimmed of all extras too.
No pay would mean that J wouldn't be able to come home after morning PT for breakfast. He wouldn't be able to come home for lunch. Gas is way too expensive to be wasting it on such things as going home for food.
I'm sure this couldn't last too long. I mean how would Obama deal with all the guilt he has to obviously feel knowing that his government employees are going without food. Or did he forget that the majority of the government employees now live pay check to pay check.
I wonder if we could cut our government budget if we made Mrs. Obama cook the food for the entire family and visiting diplomats? I wonder if we could cut out President Obama's vacation fund? Ooh I wonder if we could make him pay for his own travel expenses?
I think I'd pay a small admission fee just to see the Obama's live off a welfare food allowance for four people for one month and entertain on that allowance. Do you think they'd get tired of eating spaghetti with no meat sauce?
I'd like to see President Obama pay the utilities bills for a month on his wages. I'd like to see President Obama pay for the fuel for his transportation for one month out of his own pay. He obviously needs his pay to do those things, right? Seriously what does he pay for that he feels he needs to have his income not stopped? Is he afraid his credit rating will plummet? Is he so deeply in debt that he owes creditors? I doubt it.
The President could have volunteered to not get paid until the budget gets passed. He knew he had nothing to risk knowing that he and Congress will always get paid because its in the 27th Amendment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)