model mom

annecdote one:

The doorbell rang at about noon today. My young son and I were still in our pajamas. I answered to find a smiling woman with a Bible under her arm and a religious leaflet in her hand. Before she could launch into her spiel, I firmly but politely said, "We're not interested," and closed the door.

I turned around to find my not-quite-four year old standing with his pants around his ankles and a big smile on his face. "I'm showing my penis," he said proudly.

We immediately had a conversation about private body parts.

I do wonder what exactly the lady at the door had time to see and what horrified thoughts crossed her mind.

I was also wearing my Flying Spaghetti Monster t-shirt.

anecdote two:

My older son had the day off from school yesterday. We went out for a short walk to a nearby store. Inside, one of the clerks was admiring our dog. "I think he would like me to pet him," she said.

"Go ahead, he smells better than he sometimes does," said my not-quite nine year old. "He hasn't had a bath in a year."

"My longest stretch was from September until last week," he boasted.

I was back in the same store today, this time with just the dog. The store was very crowded and a number of people were lined up behind me at the cash. "I remember you," said the clerk. "I thought it was funny when your son said he hadn't bathed in seven months."

It's those little moments that make a mother proud.

California Fines Wellpoint $1 Million for "Unfairly" Rescinding Health Insurance Polices--Was Wellpoint Fair or Not?

The California Department of Managed Health Care has fined Wellpoint $1 million because it says Wellpoint "routinely" violated state law when it canceled (or rescinded) individual health insurance policies after the policyholders filed claims. The state said that Wellpoint made no attempt to determine whether the policyholders merited such "harsh" treatment when it canceled the policies.From a

boy meets sponge

And jelly fish.


And birds.


And Jerry Springer's house, but we didn't take a picture of that.


The Mote Aquarium runs a tour (the 'Mote Boat') of Sarasota Bay (at least I think it was Sarasota Bay).

We had fun.

I miss vacation.

stoned

The Demerol prevents the reaction to the Herceptin.

The Gravol prevents the reaction to the Demerol.

Hours later, I am still very, very stoned.

The overall experience is not unpleasant.

There is a reason that I do not use the truckload of narcotics that has been prescribed to me, unless I am in serious pain.

Did I mention that the experience is not unpleasant?

Medicare Advantage “Overpayments”—Not As Simple As It Seems

Bill Boyles, Publisher of Health Market Survey, gives us another insider's view of the day-to-day debate over the appropriateness of the Medicare Advantage payments to HMOs.It seems that when you have seen one Medicare Advantange Plan you have seen one Medicare Advantage Plan. The "overpayments" reported by MedPAC and the CBO are nowhere near across the board.The debate is clearly getting into

raging

I am feeling seriously pissed off tonight.

I am angry that I have cancer, fed up with my lymphedema and furious at the lousy prognosis associated with liver metastases.

In the comments at one of my favourite blogs, d.y.i./ not d-i-e, Rebel1in 8 writes:

'part of empowering someone with cancer is allowing them the right to bitch without the fear that they are sending out a message of defeat and whining.'

Exactly.

I am still a 'glass is half full' sort of person but tonight, the water in the glass is boiling.

House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Goes After Medicare Advantage Payments on Wednesday and Humana Stock Up 5% by Thursday Close

Apparently Wall Street doesn’t take Pete Stark and the Congressional Democratic Majority very seriously.The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee held hearings on Medicare Advantage payments to HMOs on Wednesday morning. It’s no secret the Democrats have every intention of cutting those payments.No health plan has made the strategic bet on the Medicare Advantage program that Humana has. And