What.a.long.day.

I don't care what political way you lean, but something has to be done to change our healthcare system.  Let me tell you my story of my day today and maybe you will agree. 

Sloan had to have a relatively minor surgery today.  First, the hospital didn't even schedule the time of the actual surgery until two days before.  Then, I had to call in and get the time.  Then, the day before, the anesthesiologist's office called to go over pre-op stuff with me.  She asked what our reporting time was for the surgery.  I told her 8:30 am.  She said, "ooh, I think they moved it earlier, so you might need to call back later this afternoon between 4:30 and 6 pm."  Okaaaaayyyy, so what then, I asked, do they expect me to do with all the plans I had made with childcare for Jackson while we were in a town 30 minutes away for surgery for Sloan????  Reschedule and scramble with people?  I was about to lose it, but decided to fight that battle when I actually called the scheduling people.  Long story short, they moved our time to 9 am.  Not too bad, so no fight needed.

Today was the surgery day, so we drop Jackson off at his wonderful teacher's house so she could take him to school with her.  We get to the hospital and get to the desk promptly at 9 am.  We are always on time.  We check in and in about 5 minutes, we are taken upstairs to the pre-op room and asked to change Sloan out of his clothes into a little hospital gown (which was SO cute, by the way, pic below).  Then, we wait.  and wait.  and wait.  After about 45 minutes, (now 9:45) a nurse comes in and says, "oh, the surgery before is going longer, so we probably wont get to you until 10:45".  WHAT??!  My child has not eaten or had anything to drink since the night before because of anesthesia, etc.  ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME???  But what were we going to do?  Complain to the hospital?  Threaten to take him to the hospital down the street/next town over?  That wouldn't do any good b/c our insurance only covers for certain providers.  It is maddening!!! 

Ultimately, the surgery started at 12:00.  THREE HOURS later than they told us it would.  I tell you what:  if we had been 3 hours late to the appointment, they would have scratched us from the books and told us to come back and start all over again and maybe even have had the gall to charge us for the time spent preparing for surgery!!  Who's going to pay us for our wasted time???  My husband could have gone and done a couple hours work if he had known when we would actually be starting!  ARGH!

All in all, the surgery went well and he is a healthy little boy.  I am just even MORE thankful that we have very healthy children who do not require constant interaction with the healthcare system beyond regular checkups.  Sheesh.

Now, how cute is this little guy??  cutest patient there today, by far!



They used this fun wagon to take him back to the O.R.  We also used it to make a few laps around the 2nd floor of the hospital while we waited for hours on end.