Mmm Mmm MMM.

A peek into our twice daily ritual of blood thinner injections; Baby belly photos coming soon!

***

This week I recieved a series of phone calls from people offering fresh possiblities for the fall. Now, some of you are wondering: "Are they having a baby in the fall?" Yes, that already accounted for plenty of possibilities (fresh and otherwise), but I've been itching to use my hard won degree since we had to/got to leave teh school in Manado. I've been offered a position as Chaplaincy Resident at Baptist Medical Center which is a year long graduate level program with a stipend and medical benefits slightly exceeding my current arrangements. This is just to say that, just as I was about to begin to prepare my mind for making appointments and taking copayments ad infinitum, a new hope has arrived. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Today at work (at the Family Practice Clinic where I now work), a woman called askinf for an appointment to get ther "morning after pill" prescribed. Fortunately, Catholic Health Initiatives, CHI (with whom our clinic is affiliated) makes the decision for us about whether we even offer such services. She was asking me where she might find a physician who would prescribe this for her.
"Ma'm, I really don't know."
"You don't? I need this soon..."
There is a medical exchange phone service that helps patients find clinics and facilities and asnwers medical questions but in the moment when asked I knew some part of me didn't want her to get it.

An hour or so later another "woman" is at my window asking for "emergency contraceptives," however, she's not sure her ARKids First MediCAID will cover it. We inform her that it won't.

What surprised me more, was the fact that a significant number of my co-workers and superiors had never heard of this "morning after pill" This is surprising to me in a time when teh drug has recieved some national attention as the right of pharmacists to refuse to provide it on conscience.

As a lowly recpetions who feels the impulse to exercies his conscience by not helping a young woman possibly terminate her newly fertiliezed egg (or alternately perevent its implantation), I can empathize with teh druggists who choose not to provide the means. However, I have become intimately acquanted with the breadth of changes that just the firs tnine motnhes of a new life bring. I'll Let you know about the rest of the changes later.

Mmm Mmm MMM. Kids havin' kids.

So, what do you, our loyal readership, think? If physicians can refuse services on conscience should pharmacists be able to? Should receptionists be able to?

Everything New

Last night Matt and I went to test drive a car. We have been looking for something to carry a car seat for quite some time now. As we drove the clunker that sounded so good in the paper and so bad upon start-up, Matt made the comment that people selling used cars are very much like Indonesians. One of the most frustrating things we faced in Indonesia was never getting a “straight answer.” Everyone would tell you what they thought would make you happy.
“When will the cd I ordered arrive?”
“Oh, next week.” (Two months passed, it never came.)

“When will we receive our salary?”
“Tomorrow.” (Or next week)

Dealing with car sales people tends to go about the same.
“Has it ever been in an accident?”
“Just a little fender bender.” (This really means a head-on collision.)

“Is there anything wrong with the car?”
“It has a few scratches and dings.” (And the back center seat belt and one of the door handles are missing, the engine is corroded from spilled battery acid, the bumper is about to fall off, the glove compartment doesn’t close, and the list went on.)

In other news, we are doing well. Matt’s “Will work for Health Insurance” sign worked. He spends 8 hours a day making appointments for people and then making the same people pay for those appointments. We found someone to take us up on the offer to exchange service for paying for health services. We clearly got the better end of that bargain. All of the medical expenses they pay double Matt’s salary, at least.

My garden is growing big and strong. I have spinach, squash, tomatoes, and bell peppers growing in five gallon buckets on what I like to call our veranda. The baby is also growing big and strong. She likes to knead the inside of my abdomen. It’s fun to watch my stomach change shapes as she moves. We start the third trimester next week. In all the things I’m learning, the thing that stands out the most is that books on pregnancy (especially labor and delivery) do NOT make good bedtime reading. Those are some of the strangest dreams I’ve ever had.

Some people have expressed interest in seeing a picture of me now that I’m round (is it really such a novelty?). I’ll try to get Matt to post something sometime soon...maybe.