Monetary Blessing and More

For whatever reason, I never took the time to blog about what I really went through last August when I was in the hospital for 5 long days. I blogged a little about it here but never went into detail. I guess now is as good a time as any since as of yesterday I guess it's over. (title's explanation at the end)

Milo and I decided to have one more baby last year. We both felt like it was the right time and we were as ready as one can be to welcome a new baby to our home. We didn't tell anyone we were trying and I found out I was pregnant August 17th (a Tues). I didn't tell anyone about the positive test, not even Milo. I knew this would be our last baby so I wanted to wait. I wanted to find some fun way to surprise him with the news.

Exactly a week later (August 25th) I felt strange cramping start in the afternoon. I know there is some cramping in early pregnancy so I didn't let it bother me too much at first. But it quickly progressed to severe cramping that stopped me in my tracks. Grab the wall and breathe through it kind of pain and honestly worse than any labor I've had. I didn't have an appt set up anywhere but knew the office I thought I was going to go to so I called and talked to a triage nurse. All of this was of course at 4:15 or so, just before their office was getting ready to close, such great timing. She told me if my pain was severe enough to head into the ER and that was about it.

By the time Milo came home from work, I was on my bed doubled over in pain. He knew nothing about my pain (I hadn't told him when we talked before he left work) so when he found me he was pretty concerned. It's not like me to let the kids run amok while I lay in our bedroom at dinnertime. I asked him to shut the door to our room and I told him I was pregnant but something was really wrong because I was in so much pain. Of course, I was trying to talk myself out of how much pain I was in, I didn't want a sitter, didn't want to end up in the ER, didn't want anyone to know why I was going there. All very irrational thoughts, I know.

Almost right away they diagnosed me with what they suspected was an ectopic pregnancy. I went for an ultrasound and from there waited on blood tests to check my HCG levels. After a few hours, it was confirmed that I would need laproscopic surgery to remove the ep. It was then I started to feel a little scared. I don't have surgery, I'm not a sick person, I didn't want to be there.

To make a long story as short as I can, I had surgery that Wed night and the doctor 'saved' my tube. He ended up leaving my tube because it didn't look angry once he was in there. He cleaned out the blood from internal bleeding and what he called 'left over matter'. He said I'd soon be good to go. Wrong. I ended up sicker each day I was there. I received a couple blood transfusions on Friday because my blood was so low. Friday afternoon my surgery site opened up and I lost a lot of blood all over the bathroom floor. I almost passed out and was extremely weak. All I wanted to do was get better and get out of the hellish hospital. Saturday when they were about to give me my 4th or 5th bag of blood (I forget) I completely lost it. I was at my breaking point. What in the world was bag #5 going to do for me that the first 4 didn't?? All the nurses knew I was very sick and in their eyes I felt like they were questioning the doctors. I wish they could have told the doctors what to do that day, I know they were thinking it.

They ran another blood test and found that the ep was still in my tube, my HCG numbers had actually gone up instead of going down after surgery. No wonder I was just getting sicker and sicker and sicker in that very uncomfortable bed. The offending pregnancy was still in there! Sunday morning I went back to the operating room. My surgery was twice as long, lasting 3+ hours this time. The ectopic pregnancy and my right tube were removed. Almost immediately, I felt like I was actually going to get better from this. Take out the reason you are bleeding internally and what do you know.... you start to heal.

It was at least a month long, physical recovery and probably a couple more in the emotional department. I had no idea I would feel so emotional over a 5w2d pregnancy. I've miscarried before but this was kicked up a few notches and then some. My extended hospital stay and how needy I was did not sit well with me. I would randomly cry and feel very weepy. I'm so glad those days are gone.

When the hospital called to survey me, I answered honestly. Plain and simple, I did not like my stay and some of the care I received. It was hard for me to be honest but I really felt like I did not get good quality care. The hospital didn't like my answers and opened a file investigating my stay. I would never find out the results of that investigation they told me, due to doctor's privacy laws but they assured me they took my case seriously. I was sent a couple letters telling me they spent time on my behalf and while my questions wont be answered, they wanted me to know my case was looked at carefully. Whatever. At this point, I was over them and their 'investigation'.

Now we get to the monetary department. Within a month of my 5 day stay, I received an 'insurance pending' bill to the tune of 47k. $47,000! I about died. There have been no bills since that one so it has always been in the back of my mind. How much will we have to pay? What is my portion? I looked over my insurance policy and thought I'd probably be paying somewhere near 2k but never called to find out. I figured it was all on hold because of the investigation.

Yesterday I decided to call and face the facts. The billing department told me I didn't receive a bill because I was showing a zero balance. I couldn't believe it, a zero balance! My original bill was just shy of 48k. My insurance only paid just over 10k and the amount due (which was over 35K) was lowered to what the insurance covered. I had no idea we'd escape a bill this big. Thank you insurance!

This bill I've stressed over, worried over, been mad over, cried over, budgeted over and prayed over isn't really a bill at all. It's another blessing I am truly grateful for (along with the many, many others throughout this ep).