into 2008

so, i promised an update on the game. it was fun. i'm glad i bought it and i hope we will have more chances to play with it. on new year's eve we ate and had the chance to play one game before someone was screaming and needed to be fed. anyway, our night entailed dressing ruby up in silly new year's stuff and taking a few photos, eating a big meal, playing one game of wallamoppi and heading up for the nightly, feed, diaper, cuddle, sleep ritual. we were both sleeping by 9:30pm i think and ruby didn't get us up for the new year ring in. oh well. i'm happy to report that we celebrated the UK new year with the girls. we watched the london fireworks on the BBC (where reportedly something like $200,000 per minute was spent on the show. it went about 12 minutes and was designed by the guy who did the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2004 olympics). then we talked to the girls. luckily this really worked out for two tired mommies as it was 6pm, not midnight. yay. i think we might employ the same strategy next year.

to you carihard. you are right, i'm just not a game person. i hate cards even though i try not to. but, i have always loved jenga and actually i don't mind rummikub either. i really wish i could enjoy cards because lisa loves to play, so i feel like she gets disappointed in me sometimes. maybe i'll try a bit harder this year to become a game person. also, i like to play pictionary, so usually i can be convinced to play that.

not much else going on this week. i have been suffering with my back, waiting for my appointment with mayo's alternative and complimentary medicine clinic. so thursday at 10:15am i walk in after 10 weeks have passed (that was the soonest i could get in with acute back pain...sweet) with high hopes that i will feel better soon, check in and get a clipboard with a bunch of forms to read and sign. they basically look the same, telling me the medicine practiced is alternative and do i want to really have it, please sign here, blah, blah, blah. in the corner in type the size of a pinhead there is a disclaimer, it goes something like this: most services provided at this clinic are not covered by most health care insurance. you will be responsible for that portion of the bill. if you are concerned or wish to receive an estimate for what the cost of services rendered may be, please call this number at the mayo estimation office.

yes, there is an office where their sole job is to estimate. weird, i thought. i went over to the lobbby phone and called. some guy named micheal picked up. i told him i was about to have acupuncture and does he know if it's covered by mayo's plan? i have no idea, he said. you'll have to call MMSI, i can give you the number. oh, ok, i said. thanks. well, do you know how much it might cost if it isn't covered? yes, he said. just a moment. he asked if i was seeing a doctor or an acupuncturist. i said it was my initial visit so i assumed both. ok, he said. i heard him typing on a computer. i waited in the lobby with everyone staring at me. holding my clipboard and pen on a chain.

ok, he announced: it's $115/15min with the physician. $45 for the first 15min with the acupuncturist and $35 for each additional 15 min. ok, thanks i said and hung up.

i punched in the phone number for my insurance people and figured i would be standing there on hold for a while. i envisioned a nurse coming out and calling my name and me stuck tethered to the phone. luckily someone picked up right away. hi shannon, i said. i am here for an appointment and found out the appointment may not be covered on my plan. i wondered if you could look it up for me and let me know for sure. absolutely she said. great, i said. i gave her some of my information and she punched me in, pulled me up on the computer and verified it was me. (i was thrilled about telling her so many numbers and spelling my name in the lobby of a very full clinic, but oh well).

she asked me what i was going to have done. i told her acupuncture. where are you she asked. i said the 4th floor of the baldwin building. oh good, she said. acupuncture services are covered at mayo on your plan. oh, good i said. then she typed some more and said. now, your deductable is $250 and you have a limit of 6 visits, you will also be responsible for 20% of the cost of each visit once you have met your deductable. after you have had 6 visits, you must submit in writing additional information and it will be evaluated whether or not the treatments will be covered. your physician will have to refer you as well.

things weren't sounding all that rosey. i thanked her and hung up. i quickly and a tiny bit spastically called my wife. hi babe, will you do this math for me? i am stuck in the lobby. this visit might not be covered under the insurance. i rattled off all the numbers and the information i had. she did some quick figuring for me what the per visit cost would be. i reviewed with her that she had all the info right. then she said, oh babe... in that tone. i knew that it wouldn't be cost effective to be treated at mayo. i said, 'it's cheaper for me to see marina isn't it?' yep, she said. i sounded dejected, i think. 'ok, i am going to go cancel my appointment i have been waiting for 10 weeks to have'. i'm sorry, babe she said again. 'it's not your fault, i'm just glad i read the fine print and checked on it. thanks for figuring it out for me' i hung up.

so to make a very long story even longer. i could have gone in to see my lady at the hippy clinic i love two weeks ago instead of walking around in pain, taking large doses of anti-inflammatory drugs and left-over narcotics. live and learn, i guess.

i'm leaving for my other acupuncture appointment in about a half hour. hopefully i will be writing my next post with a happy back.

have a great weekend all. we are having ruby baptized sunday. hope it all goes well. i think every parent gets nervous that his or her child will a)scream during the ceremony or b)take a huge dump. there is a very real possibility that ruby will do both.

i'll let ya'll know how it goes monday. big love.