Helping out in tough times... (Part I)

Okay, so everyone knows that the economy stinks right now and that most everyone is feeling the financial crunch.  Our family has been no exception, however, we've recently had some good fortune that has allowed me to breathe a little more freely.  Everywhere you turn, you see that food pantries and charities are having an increased demand in need for services/help, yet there's a decrease in organizations/individuals capable of helping out.  And with the approach of the cold weather season and the holidays, I tend to think of this sort of thing more.  Now, anyone that knows me knows that I don't have a long history of charity work, but that, in general, I try to at least help my friends and family when I can.  One of the values that I hope to instill in my own children is that of being thankful for what we have.  We've been talking more lately with the children about the difference between "want" vs. "need" and of course, this plays into the idea of being thankful for what we have.   I want my children to see that there will always be someone with less than they have, and that helping them out can make a difference.  So when I heard that Toys for Tots was going to host and event at the Desmond, Breakfast with Santa, I thought it would be a good opportunity to work on this value with the children.  I was disappointed when I called yesterday to make a reservation to learn that the admission was nearly $20 per adult (kids are free with toy donation).  Our feeling is that, we don't need a breakfast at a fancy place to teach our kids this valuable lesson.  So we decided not to do that and instead, I've found a local food pantry that's looking for people willing to sponsor families for Christmas.  I called and explained that while we can't sponsor an entire family, we'd like to donate a toy for a specific child on their list.  The representative called me back immediately and asked that our children purchase a toy for a boy 7-10 years old.  Our plan is to have each of our children take $1 from their piggy banks and use that toward the purchase of the gift.  For anyone that's interested in doing the same, the place where we are donating our toy is the food pantry/thrift shop at the four corners in West Sand Lake (behind Subway) on Rt. 150.  Their # is 674-4048.

PPD Test... is it safe for me?

Well, this seems to be the question of the week for me.  It all started with Part I of my physical exam required for my employment at Samaritan Hospital.  Employees are required to take a PPD (Tuberculosis) test unless otherwise noted by their physician.  I was advised by my future director to discuss the PPD test with my OB to determine if it's safe during pregnancy.  The director has indicated that other employees had opted to wait until after their babies were born to have the test done.  So I went online to do some research and found some sites that stated the test was completely safe and valid during pregnancy.  Other sites recommended against having the test because they stated it was a Class C injection, which meant that animal reproduction testing had not been done for the substance.  I also talked with a friend who is a nurse who told me that she waited with both of her pregnancies to have the test done.  Now, I've always taken a "better safe than sorry" approach to my pregnancies so I decided not to get the test done.  No problem, right?!?  WRONG!!!  I went to my routine OB visit on Friday and everything went fine, despite the rather monotone bedside manner of my physician, until I asked him to write a note excusing me from the test.  He refused to write the note and explained that the test was completely safe and he felt he couldn't lie and recommend that I not have it done.  

Well, needless to say, I was extremely upset when I left the office.  I'd had problems with scheduling of appointments with the practice in the past and was met with resistance by my doctor at another occasion and ultimately felt that I couldn't trust that my doctor would be on my side and communication with me throughout the pregnancy.  So I choose to request my medical records and now I'm in the process of finding a different OB and a different hospital.  I'm so frustrated because I feel like I've gone out of my way to ensure that everything goes smoothly with my doctor's office, yet it seems that no matter how much I try, it all ends up a mess anyway!  I just hope that I can find a doctor soon that will be supportive and informative so that I don't have to worry about all of this crap!  The doctors that delivered Alex and Emily gave me a hard time about WHERE I was going to deliver and tried to scare me into going to Albany Med instead of St. Peter's.  I even had to lie to my OB when I was in labor with Emily because she was arguing with me at 2am about which hospital we were meeting at (despite the fact that I made it VERY clear during the prior 9 months where I would be going).   I had hoped so much that I wouldn't have to deal with that sort of thing for this pregnancy, but sadly, it seems that with the way our healthcare system is run these days, my hopes may never be a reality.

Change is in the air.....

Yesterday was an historic day for our country, as we elected our first African American President.  And although I didn't vote for Barack Obama, I hope that he make decisions for our country that will not negatively impact our own futures.  

So it seems as though change is upon us, and for my family, in more ways than just one.  Today I accepted a position as a per diem PTA with the Samaritan Hospital Physical Therapy department.  I absolutely love being a stay at home mom and, particularly with the impending arrival of a new family member, am looking forward to hopefully continuing to stay at home with my children.  Although I did miss working with patients over the last year, my primary motivation in searching for work has been a financial one.  Extra income from this position will afford us a bigger cushion to our budget and allow us to live a little more stress-free (in the money department).  I anticipate that I'll mostly be working Saturday and Sunday mornings, but not every weekend, and possibly some hours during the week while Emily is in school.