Put That Down!

Bloomberg is on a roll again.

The proposal is that no stores, fast food joints, or grocers in NYC can sell sodas (with sugar, that is - the sugar-free versions can stay) over 16 ounces in size.

I absolutely agree soda pop is something which should be consumed in moderation, if at all.  We poke fun at Mom about soda pop because it was reserved for a once or twice a year treat - essentially a banned substance in our house.  If soda pop is in the fridge we remark it must be a hugely celebratory event!  I'm grateful for Mom's dedication to teaching us healthy eating patterns, because it truly does make a difference in one's life.  If one actually likes fruits and vegetables it's easy to eat healthily.  Habits are hard to break and hard to make, so good parenting plays a big role in teaching those healthy habits early on.

Which is part of why Bloomberg is deluded.  Why should the city be the babysitter for New Yorkers' eating and drinking habits?  OK, so the city has to pay for health care services when New Yorkers get fat and then get cancer and heart disease.  Perhaps the city should just stop paying for such things. 

Why should it be the city's responsibility to police grocery store shelves?  One article I read remarked that the beverage producers are fighting back, saying soda pop doesn't cause obesity.  I think they are walking a thin line with that one - drinking a few hundred empty sugary calories in a can doesn't promote thinness (cue 1970s Reader's Digest advertisements - "Sugar - it's fat free!").  However, research also shows drinking diet sodas is linked with weight gain because the chemicals stimulate hunger.  Anecdotally I think this is true.  On the rare occasions (but more than 1-2 times per year - gasp!) I indulge in a Diet Coke I am starving after drinking it.  So the city and the beverage producers are both using faulty reasoning to form public policy. 

The question which really needs to be asked is if government has the responsibility - AND the authority - to implement policies like this.  Does government have an interest in the health of its citizens?  On a basic level, yes.  Should a social services agency be able to say food stamps can't be used to buy junk food?  Sure - that's the government's money.  But should the government be able to limit one's access to products on the open market?  Just because they do doesn't mean it's the best policy.  The government says you can't buy crack, but let's not compare Coke with crack - there are a few differences there.

I think this story simply underlines the importance of thorough, truly preventative, to-the-root-cause practice of medicine in the US.  We so often react to a significant problem once it has occurred, rather than address the problem before it starts.  I never once received any education from a physician, dietician, or anyone else in the health care system on child nutrition (I know, I know - it's so judgmental to tell parents they can't let their one-year-old children drink Mountain Dew).  Many people have no clue (whether unwillingly or willingly ignorant) as to what constitutes good nutrition.  In nursing school we did a nutrition educational session with grade school children for a community health project.  The parents were supposed to do a 24-hour diet recall and send it to the event with their child.  Under the "fruits and vegetables" category, some parents  listed things like "1 teaspoon of raspberry jam", "strawberry pop tart", and "cherry syrup over french toast sticks".  Most diet recalls included things like chicken nuggets, french fries, french toast sticks, and macaroni and cheese.

I don't always feed my child the most nutritious foods, especially if we're particularly busy on a certain day or he's begging for macaroni and cheese please...).  But we make an earnest effort to balance the junk with the good and to teach him right here and right now about healthy intake.  We were laughing hard the other day when he solemnly declared, "I need some grapes for my bedtime snack.  I didn't eat healthy today."  I realize my rant just brushes the surface of the complexities of food and nutrition and health in America, but a little common sense as opposed to senseless dictating would do our bodies and our government a whole lot of good.

More Projects

Seems we always have something or other we are working on.  Perhaps we can't let well enough alone!  Or, as I prefer to think, we appreciate the particular value of human work in fulfilling our vocations and dignity as human beings.

 Well, not necessarily a project, but something very fun.  I found a pair of cowboy boots in the Boy's size the other day for $5 at a secondhand store.  It was a bit of an impulse purchase, but he LOVES them and wears them everywhere.  My hubby used to have a shoe-shine business when he was a young man (mostly he did the neighbors and his parents' shoes) and he still knows how to shine a mean shoe.  So he has been teaching the Boy how to keep his boots nice and shiny, which they both love doing together.  Another project was trimming the bush on the Boy's head - I cut an entire dust-pan of hair!

 "Area One" - the raised bed we made for part one of our backyard gardens.  There are a lot of buried TV, phone, and electric cables in this part of the backyard, so we opted to build up for the garden rather than cutting the neighbors' phone lines every time we roto-till.  It turned out to be a lot of work, but worth it.  There was a badly overgrown perennial patch in the corner by the fence which had to be dug out.  There were so many roots and plants it was like hacking through a jungle.  Then we killed some grass for the next two-thirds or so and dug out the sod.  My hubby constructed a frame and cemented in the posts.  He also helped me haul the three yards of black dirt to fill the frame!  Mom gifted us some compost (yay!) and we also added the extra sand from the sandbox.  It's all planted except the green peppers and eggplant, and my peas and beans are starting to come up!  Can't wait for the fresh veggies.  Hope things will grow well in it this first year - the quackgrass in the bed is thriving.  The dirt was full of roots, although I tried hard to get them out when we hauled the dirt, apparently the compost is nourishing the roots quite nicely.  "Area Two" is our bed on the other side of the yard - not raised since there weren't any cables there.  It's all planted except the tomatoes and starting to grow nicely, too.  We gave them names to simplify life.  I.e. "Honey, could you get me three green onions?  They are in Area 2."  Or, "We need green beans - east side of Area 1".  And it sounds pleasingly ominous - "plenty of green things are growing in Area 1".

Working on the knight costume some more.  Next step is the helmet.  The book we found at the library has detailed step-by-step instructions - blow up a balloon to the size of your head + 1-2 inches, and then cover the top half of the balloon with three layers of newspaper and glue.  After it dries we pop the balloon, paint the helmet silver, and add some decorations.  The Boy did most of the gluing this morning and had a lot of fun with it.  Will post more pictures of the costume as we continue to get it together.  I'm not very crafty at all, so this is taking a long time to do; but I feel justified in the time spent on this, especially after reading "For the Children's Sake" by Susan Shaefer Macaulay, about the importance of play and pretending for young children.  It's more fun doing this than filling out workbooks, after all!

Graduation!

Oh, does it ever feel good to be done!  And please don't bring up anything that starts with a "P" and ends with a "D" - not happening!  I still feel at loose ends with what I'm supposed to be doing, but am trying to chill out a little.  June is getting closer!

Graduation day was a good day - spent part of the morning with a good friend and got my first pedicure ever - felt really good.  My feet loved the extra attention.  Then it was off to graduation - lots of standing around in line, and trying to figure out that strange hood that just wouldn't lay right.  The boy went to Grandma's since graduation was going to be so long, but my DH managed to make it.  He did bring a book to read, for which I don't blame him.  I was stuck next to some really immature grads who made fun of peoples' names and the graduation ceremony in general the whole time.  Seriously, grow up.

We celebrated afterwards by having a family dinner at a Chinese restaurant.  My mother-in-law and most of my immediate family was able to come.  We chowed down on egg rolls and almond chicken - yummy.  The best thing was just being with family.  They really helped me be able to manage school by helping watch our Boy when I had papers to write and just encouragement in general.  My DH in particular helped me immensely - from cooking a few meals now and then to giving the Boy a bath and putting him to bed when I was posting yet another discussion board thread.

But it's pretty awesome to be done and I'm really looking forward to less busy-ness and just stress in general.  My hubby says I don't realize how much time I was spending on school, and I'm looking forward to that realization.  

Hip hip hurrary!  I'm done!

Informal family photo afterwards.  My favorite, wonderful Boys!

Square Peg and all the Holes are Round, or Triangular, or Octagonal, or ...

It's been so nice to be done with school - deep sigh in and out.  I spent most of last week in a panicked rush trying to accomplish everything I had wanted to do but for a four-year hiatus back in school: gardening, knitting (hat for me and cowl for Mom), house-cleaning (yes, that definitely slacked during the hiatus), spending time with the Boy at the park and home, reading, collecting continuing ed hours to renew my oncology certification, actually spending time with other human beings, and so on.  I think I know why I'm so tired this week!

I dunno if it's hormones or what, but I feel really blah again.  I feel completely at loose ends (and cliches; good heavens, grad school has destroyed my ability to write - or maybe I never had one).  Definitely didn't feel this way after the first round of higher education, at least not that I can remember.  But last time was more defined - study for the NCLEX, start working, nightmares about neglecting patients every night, start to want for a baby, and start reading real books again. 

This summer should be clear-cut as well - start adoption process (would June hurry up and get here, please?!?), start prepping for homeschooling, garden like crazy.  But instead I'm sitting here feeling tired and frustrated.  I feel like I don't fit in anywhere anymore.  Once upon a time I was a staff nurse - I could relate to everyone else who was a staff nurse, I could relate to people who worked full-time for a living.  Once upon a time I was a new mom, and I could relate to those poor sleep-deprived mommies worrying about feeding schedules, cloth versus disposable, and breast versus bottle.  Once upon a time I went to Bible studies and retreats and I could relate to people that wanted to grow in their faith.  It was actually stimulating to talk about beliefs and prayer. 

Nowadays, it's different.  I don't work enough to be a "working Mom" but work enough that I don't count as a "stay-at-home Mom", and can't relate to either kind of parents.  Don't pay enough attention to actually homeschooling to count as a homeschool Mom, but completely unwilling to send my child to be educated by someone else (although I've certainly been questioning my stamina to do this sufficiently) - can't relate to either set of parents, at least not yet.  Can't stand all the NFP-blogginess going around about family size and openness to life because that is not a problem I am with in any way familiar - for Pete's sake (sorry, Pete), I know it's hard to have a bunch of little kids, but I don't want to hear about it.  I also can't stand all the infertility chatter about cycle length, ovulation or not this month, progesterone was 11.7 and it's supposed to be 16, and all those things because I actually do have a child and don't have time/energy to obsess about it.  Or these amazing families who actually have the courage to adopt five children with significant special needs and they are thriving, or couples who are childless by choice.  Don't want to listen to the heathens rant about narrow-minded Christians trying to squash their luv or whatever it is, but all the sermons these days seem to pass through my ears without touching nary a brain or heart cell. 

My guess is that this is all attributable to my black-and-white melancholy talking louder than common sense.  One doesn't have to be living in exactly the same way as one's peers in order to foster a caring, giving friendship.  We do ourselves a disservice, I think, when we limit our associations to people who think and live exactly like ourselves.  I just wish I was brave enough to step outside my own little world for a minute or two and not feel like I have to defend why I am like I am or why I think like I do ('cuz most days I don't even know).  Step One would be to stop reading Mommy Blogs (yeah, I know this is a Mommy Blog, but writing one doesn't count).  Step Two would be to quit obsessing and just live each day to know, love, and serve God - starting with knowing, loving, and serving Jesus present in my husband and my son.  Doesn't matter what shape a peg I am or what shape I'll eventually be or what shapes are out there in the world.

Done! But not really...

We had a great graduation day yesterday - will post more about that once I get the pictures off the camera.  DH was kind and gracious enough to sit through the four-hour ceremony to watch me walk in and then back out.  Hopefully I'm actually graduated - there's one big ungraded paper still sitting out there. 

Been sittin' around today doing nothing, but checked e-mail and there was a decision letter in my inbox - regarding my manuscript.  Not rejected (a good thing) but not accepted either (waaahh!).  They will publish it if I can submit a satisfactory revision (ummmm - please explain "satisfactory"...).  So - I'm done with school, but not really.  Part of me wants to cry, but I know I just need to buck up and revise it.  I also need to renew my oncology certification before the end of next month.  Guess I'll be doing a little more work.  No time like now to put that newly-minted master's degree to work!  Ack - freedom, want freedom.

Spring Projects

Enjoying the new sandbox!

Having the sandbox under the deck will keep the sand cool and wet - just right for building roads, mountains, etc.  It's close to the hose, too, so we can make volcanoes (smile).

New hat for me - knitted up super fast and easy.  The hardest part was finding the right button.  Will have to wait for winter to wear it, though...

He found a book at the library on how to make an entire knight's costume.  Started with the tunic while we try to find supplies for the helmet, armor, and lance.  We started by cutting the sleeves off an old shirt, hemming up the sleeve holes, and taking in the sides a little.  Then we added a cross and some ribbon trim around the bottom and sides.  We found this outrageous orange ribbon at a big box store for a dollar.  It's pretty bright!

Now that he's so big, he started getting an allowance (provided he has done a good job of listening to parents and helping with his chores for the week).  We made three jars - tithe jar, saving jar, and spending jar.  He is super excited - and has been pretty helpful with his chores because he wants to go spend some money now :-)

These are the sand and dirt piles.  We managed to get almost all the sand into the sandbox, just a little left over.  Now we have to work on getting the dirt pile into the garden raised bed.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Hates Me

I have been fighting with our insurance since January over my hormone medication.  Throughout the fall I submitted my insurance forms sent to me from the compounding pharmacy along with my hormones.  BCBS was kind enough to give me $13 back for every $64 prescription.  Gracious of them, I know, but every little bit helps, especially when one is taking a medication that costs $13/shot. 

So in December I submitted another insurance form.  It was sent back with a form letter requesting additional pieces of information for the insurance form - total amount, ingredients, ingredient costs, days supply, etc.  So I called the pharmacy, and they couldn't release that information.  I called BCBS and asked what I could do now, and was snippily informed that the claim was rejected.  Click.  Called again, and this time spoke to someone slightly more helpful.  Policy change effective January 1 that no medications will be covered unless the above requested information was supplied, but that I could file an appeal.  Would have been nice to know about the policy change the first time I called, thank you very much.

Appeal filed, after talking to the pharmacy (again) and doctor's office to request an appeal letter.  After I had sent all the appeal paperwork to BCBS, the pharmacy sends out a letter saying they have reversed their policy and will now release the requested information.  Happy  me - send in all the insurance forms I have backlogged since the appeal was filed. 

Today I get a phone call - my appeal has been approved, particularly since the pharmacy will now release the requested information.  Caveat, the medication is not on the formulary so I will be reimbursed $0.00 for each filling of the prescription.  "However, you can file another appeal if you want."  What kind of appeal - I just filed one???  "Well, an appeal asking that the medication be covered even if it's not on the formulary, due to the new policy." 

It would seem BCBS' policy is to wear down troublesome claims by subjecting people to a drawn-out process that makes them want to give up.  However, due to this hormone imbalance which I need to take hormone injections to treat, I am feeling particularly b****y right now and am not planning on relenting.  If only I didn't care about my health or care about my faith - I could just take all the birth control in the world and everyone would pay for it for me.  I'm trying to calm down but still am absolutely furious.  Why are the only women who matter to health care providers, insurers, and the government the ones who don't want to get pregnant?  Why are those of us with infertility, PCOS, endometriosis, and so on so unimportant?  Yes, I am feeling sorry for myself, and yes, my little beef with BCBS isn't much compared to the problems many other people face.  The only thing that makes me feel a little happy right now is picturing the look on BO's face when the Supreme Court tosses his PPACA cookies in June.