Another Week in Review

This past week was another crazy one. Bible study started up again after two weeks of spring break, we had 4 therapy sessions, Randy finished his amazing power point show for Justin's birthday party, I made 300 SMALL cookies for party favors, and we received word that Justin is being denied speech therapy by our insurance carrier. Whew! It makes me tired thinking about it. Sometimes I am glad that I don't know everything about the week before it starts.


Now, more detail: In Bible study we're doing a study about the churches in Revelation 1-4. The study was written by our church's women's minister. Week 1 was good and I am looking forward to the future weeks.


Therapy is gong well. Every day I feel like Justin is using his legs more to push and kick. HE likes jumping, but really only when someone is holding him. He'll go in the jumperoo, but it's not his favorite. He is also trying to wiggle/inch on his belly. He will pull his legs up under him, but he won't support himself on his arms for more than 1-2 seconds. And he won't push up onto his arms on his own. But it's progress, and it's fun to watch.


The power point is SO cool! I am hoping to figure out how to post it, but it's a HUGE show with lots of slides so I'll have to play around with it a bit. It was interesting to see which pictures Randy chose to include. I gave him full creative authority and he was VERY creative! I love watching Justin grow from the puddle we used to pose in the corner of the couch propped with pillows because that's the only was we could get his picture pseudo-sitting, to sitting and reaching for toys all by himself. It takes motherly pride to a whole new level!


I wanted to say thank you to everyone coming to Justin's party and a simple note just didn't seem sufficient so I decided to make cookies to go with the notes. Plus, Travis is a great cookie maker (or beater-licker I should say). So we made cookies shaped in the number "1" and rockets and teddy bears, which kind of went with the theme of the party. It was very cute, but time-consuming. By the time I was finished, every counter in my kitchen was covered, as well as the table, so I proceeded to assemble the chicken casserole for dinner on the mostly-clean floor. It was just dump and stir, so I wasn't too concerned. And Justin was at "helping" level too. It worked out, no one went hungry, and the cookies are yummy!





(The toys are on the counter because they had to take a time out because they weren't doing what Travis wanted them to do, so they- and he- needed a break.)




And then insurance. Again. The thorn in my side. I feel like Charlie Brown and I just want to yell, "Aaarg!" sometimes. None of the situations have been resolved in what I consider to be our favor. And this one could be huge. Justin doesn't have an acute illness, non-chronic condition that will result in speech being restored after therapy, nor does he have a gross anatomical defect present at birth, so he's not covered. I think an extra chromosome is fairly grossly anatomical, but evidently not. So now starts the appeal process, and I only have 60 days before it's a final decision, so I have lots of research ahead of me. And meanwhile, do we stop therapy, or risk having to pay out-of-pocket? Considering the word "orthotics" was mentioned at therapy this week (at about $1500 a pair, some of which COULD be covered by insurance...) I am a bit overwhelmed. My biggest concern now is how to fight insurance in a "christian" way. Is that possible? Is it an oxymoron? I am told, "You have to push and fight. The squeaky wheel gets the grease..." Is that the right way? Is that how God wants me to approach this? I wish that we have infinite resources such that I could just pay for everything without needing insurance. Maybe insurance isn't the way Justin's care will be accomplished. Maybe there's another way. I just don't know! And I only have 60 days to figure this out.


I will tell you about Justin's party. (It was FABULOUS!) But I had a friend take pictures and I will wait until I get them so I can tell AND show you. So give me a few days. I worked last night too, so I am a little tired. And we have about the same week ahead of us. Only 3 therapies, but with a little boy's BIRTHDAY in the middle! So great!!