March 28, 2012
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES Yesterday, I was counting my blessings regarding the health insurance coverage I thought I had. Today, I find out the health insurance I pay $619.00 for a month, will not cover any health care costs related to my cancer. The insurance company says I have a preexisting condition. I changed insurance plans from a temporary PPO to a Select Plan for better coverage. Due to a problems with the on-line computer application, my application was delayed by 12 days. I had insurance with the same company when I was diagnosed with cancer. I asked for a better policy which resulted in an increase of my monthly by $420.00. The twelve day coverage gap creates a problem with the transition from one insurance policy to the other. Now I am going to have to pay my own bills associated with any medical care and treatments for my cancer. I paid the surgical center $1,500.00 today for the surgery next week (now back on for April 3, 2012, not April 2, 2012). I will also have to pay for my blood lab work, anesthesia during the surgery, and the doctor’s bill for performing the surgery. Then, there may be a matter of treatment costs.
As I was driving home, making a mental note of who I have paid already and who I need to pay, I realized that Mary and Joseph didn’t have health insurance when Jesus was born. The best accommodations for his birth was a manger. Mary gave birth without a doctor, a sterile delivery room, or medication to ease her pain. If Mary and Joseph showed up at an emergency room today, they would be turned away because they could not produce evidence of health insurance, or they may have been sent to a charity hospital. There faith in God sustained them through the birth of Jesus, and the rest is history as we know it from the bible. My faith in God will also so sustain me. My faith will get me through this trial the Lord has sent with a renewed determination.
The month of March is almost over. Soon, we will be celebrating Easter. I have had an interesting March 2012. April 2012 is proving to be equally as interesting. My cat,Callie will be nine years old in April. Callie is a tortoise shell calico. Someone left her in the front of a friend's house back in 2003. Callie was living off of grasshoppers and rain water. I fell in love with her when I first saw her. She was a skinny cat. She didn’t seen to be too afraid of people. I fed her cat food and gave her water. Her food interest was in finding grasshoppers only. I almost didn't bring her home. I wasn’t sure if my male cat, Alex (same age as Callie) would accept her. As my friend and I were starting to pull out of her parents driveway when my friend stopped the car, “Ok. One last chance to take her or not.” I immediately caved in when I saw Callie standing by the car looking at us. I put her in a pet carrier provided by my friend’s step mother, and we drove Callie home. Callie never made a sound as we made our way back to Austin. She laid in the back of the carrier sleeping.
She and Alex were approximately the same age. I estimated her age to be around five to six months old based on her permanent front teeth which were beginning to protrude pushing out her baby teeth. Alex liked her right away. There were no conflicts,fighting or territorial issues. For the most part, Callie is a quiet girl, except when her meals are late. She becomes very “talkative” if her internal clock tells her I am one minute late with her meals. If I over sleep, she sits at the top of my pillow pulling my hair with her paw. If I hit the snooze button for a few extra minutes, she digs her claws into my scalp reminding me that I am late for my kitchen duties. Ignoring her at this point is not an option. She follows me into the kitchen, sitting on the counter to make sure I get her breakfast ready. My other cats wait for her to wake me so they too, can be fed. Once fed, she resumes her post on top of the four tier kitty condo in front of the master bedroom window. Her only movements between breakfast and lunch are to the kitty box or shifting her position on the kitty condo to make herself more comfortable. No worries, no cares, just plain contentment. Everything I learned about relaxing, I learned from Callie.
I awoke very early this morning. The babies like to go out to the back yard in the morning. Hunting is better for them at this time of day. They feel safe in this familiar environment. Only Alex will venture beyond the fence. Izzy and Grace are content to explore the back yard. Callie stays on the patio. Scout runs along the perimeter of the fence, looking for the neighbors’ dogs. I sit on the patio waiting for the sun to come up. I marvel at what a beautiful life I have.
Colton Burpo the little boy who is the main character in the book, Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent, saw many animal when he went to heaven during his surgery. Over the years my family had many pets pass over from old age or cancer. My own dog, Toby, the dog I had before I adopted Scout, died of a tumor on his liver. I had him cremated. His ashes remain with me to this day. I feel a spiritual connection with my pets. They seem to embody the peace and calm that the Lord imparts to us when our lives are filled with chaos.
Today, I plan to walk down to the community garden with Paula, my neighbor. She waters the vegetables several times a week. After that, I plan to run some errands, energy level permitting. If not, I will stay home with the babies and read.
