Canada is a good place, yes we have our issues with government. But who doesn't??? I might disagree with what is going on politically, but there are great things about our country too. No war here, we don't have natural disasters here in Newfoundland (well except for that Tsunami, but that was back in 1929) One thing I'm most thankful for is universal healthcare.
Due to not knowing about Rhys until so late in my pregnancy, I wouldn't have been able to pay for a hospital delivery (as it was my in-laws were kind enough to pay for the private room that I couldn't afford) because I had just switched jobs two months before he was born and my insurance never kicked in in time.
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| last belly shot with Rhys |
How could I in 4 weeks save enough for a hospital delivery on top of getting ready for a new baby? I was thankful for the family support, and the size of our families for the support so that we had everything we needed in those 4 weeks, but I couldn't expect them to foot a hospital bill on top of that. Matthew was in school full time and working full time. He was already working on next to no sleep, using 20 hours a day between school and work, he couldn't work overtime for more money to take care of that. And I was taken off work a week and a half before he was born due to his position in my pelvis.
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| little Ninja baby |
I don't know how anyone with a Ninja baby can do it.
With the girls, we had two years of trying so yes we were saving for them (not knowing it was going to be twins) I was seeing my OBGYN monthly, and on meds for 3 months. I had blood work done 4 times a month for 9 months. That would have eaten into our savings if each was out of our pocket.
Matthew had just switched positions so while I was pregnant I did have to pay for my morning sickness meds. I couldn't believe how expensive they were for only one month but they were worth every penny to be able to care for Rhys during that time. But would it have been doable with all the appointments? During that same time I was seeing my OBGYN and she sent me for an early ultrasound due to bleeding, and for a lot of blood work.
And then bedrest...
Because it was deemed a medical necessity I was given a private room when I wasn't in the case room. But due to a mix-up I was given the bill for it one month after the girls were born. $1500 just for the room. Thankfully it was resolved, but if I had to pay for all the procedures, tests, scans, drugs I don't know if I could have faced that on top of the stress of bedrest.
The NICU... I have met too many parents of Micro preemies who had to face each decision with a price tag. And even if they didn't have to worry about it, the hospital did and would send the babies home as soon as possible. My girls would not have been in hospital as long as they were. Gwen would have come home on oxygen, Avery would have come home before Gwen, and we wouldn't have caught her high blood pressure until a lot later.
We have gotten a MCP audit once for one of Avery's specialists appointments. $100 is what MCP was charged for for taking her blood pressure, weighing her, going over her dose and spending a grand total of 10 mins with the doctor because I had a lot of questions.
The girls have had well over 300 appointments now since they have come home. That's $30 000, just in appointments.
$30 000.
In appointments.
I know that their bed spaces in the NICU (just the bed space) was $2000 a day. That's not equipment, drugs, specialists, nurses, etc.
$512 000 in the cost of their space alone.
Gwen's hearing aids were ~$7000.
Thank goodness for universal healthcare, because I know we would have had to declare bankruptcy by now without it.
I don't have to choose between health, and food.
My biggest wish is that healthcare was treated like a human right, not something for the privileged.
But that is just my opinion, and yes there are some downsides to it.
No system is perfect.
We might have longer wait times for non-emergencies, but I have seen how fast the system can work in emergencies in the NICU. So I will deal with the longer waits, because it means someone who is sicker is being seen to first. And it means that I don't have to worry about not affording to live a life outside the hospital.
Because that is just as important.
Matthew had just switched positions so while I was pregnant I did have to pay for my morning sickness meds. I couldn't believe how expensive they were for only one month but they were worth every penny to be able to care for Rhys during that time. But would it have been doable with all the appointments? During that same time I was seeing my OBGYN and she sent me for an early ultrasound due to bleeding, and for a lot of blood work.
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| the girls first ultrasound - August 2011 |
And then bedrest...
 |
| Gwen |
 |
| Avery |
Because it was deemed a medical necessity I was given a private room when I wasn't in the case room. But due to a mix-up I was given the bill for it one month after the girls were born. $1500 just for the room. Thankfully it was resolved, but if I had to pay for all the procedures, tests, scans, drugs I don't know if I could have faced that on top of the stress of bedrest.
The NICU... I have met too many parents of Micro preemies who had to face each decision with a price tag. And even if they didn't have to worry about it, the hospital did and would send the babies home as soon as possible. My girls would not have been in hospital as long as they were. Gwen would have come home on oxygen, Avery would have come home before Gwen, and we wouldn't have caught her high blood pressure until a lot later.
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| level three in the NICU for the sickest babies |
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| Gwen's first room in the NICU |
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| Avery's first room |
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| Avery's bed space on Christmas 2011 |
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| Gwen's bed space Christmas 2011 |
We have gotten a MCP audit once for one of Avery's specialists appointments. $100 is what MCP was charged for for taking her blood pressure, weighing her, going over her dose and spending a grand total of 10 mins with the doctor because I had a lot of questions.
The girls have had well over 300 appointments now since they have come home. That's $30 000, just in appointments.
$30 000.
In appointments.
I know that their bed spaces in the NICU (just the bed space) was $2000 a day. That's not equipment, drugs, specialists, nurses, etc.
$512 000 in the cost of their space alone.
Gwen's hearing aids were ~$7000.
Thank goodness for universal healthcare, because I know we would have had to declare bankruptcy by now without it.
I don't have to choose between health, and food.
My biggest wish is that healthcare was treated like a human right, not something for the privileged.
But that is just my opinion, and yes there are some downsides to it.
No system is perfect.
We might have longer wait times for non-emergencies, but I have seen how fast the system can work in emergencies in the NICU. So I will deal with the longer waits, because it means someone who is sicker is being seen to first. And it means that I don't have to worry about not affording to live a life outside the hospital.
Because that is just as important.
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| Avery & Gwen |
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